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Current Location |
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Paul
Is Spending The Evening In:
INGOMAR, MONTANA
At The
Bunk-n-Biscuit
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Live Local Weather |
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Today's Audio Files |
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Today's Pictures |
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Today's Videos |
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Note: Some schools were not able to view the
embedded videos due to school Internet filters. So,
we'll be posting links here soon so that you can
download the videos into your computer's media
player.
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Area Information |
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Upon completion of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1910, Ingomar, Montana
became the hub of commerce in an area bounded by the
Missouri River to the north, the Musselshell River
to the west and the Yellowstone River to the south
and east. Ingomar was an ideal location for a
railhead and shipping center for the thousands of
acres between the Yellowstone and the Missouri
Rivers. The town site was platted in 1910 by the
railroad and named by railroad officials. In the
early 1900s, Ingomar also became the site of the
world’s largest sheep shearing and wool shipping
point. Two million pounds of wool a year were
shipped from Ingomar during the peak years. Since
potable water could not be found at the town site,
water was supplied by the Milwaukee Railroad using a
water tender. The water tender was left in Ingomar
as a gift by the Milwaukee Railroad when services
were discontinued. In late 1984, a water system was
installed for the few remaining Ingomar residents.
At one time, Ingomar was a bustling town of 46
businesses, including a bank, 2 elevators, 2 general
stores, 2 hotels, 2 lumber yards, rooming houses,
saloons, cafes, drug store, blacksmith shop, claims
office, doctor, dentist, maternity home and various
other essential services. Fires, drought and
depression have wreaked havoc on this community over
the years. The dreams of homesteaders vanished as
rain failed to come in quantities to assure a crop
with sufficient frequency to enable them to make a
living. A reluctance to abandon the town has kept it
alive through the devastating fire of 1921, which
destroyed a large portion of it. Some businesses
rebuilt, but others moved on. The present day Jersey
Lilly cafe had its beginning as a bank in 1914. The
Jersey Lilly is internationally known for its beans
and steaks. Area residents banded together to
construct a rodeo arena, which has become the home
of one of the best NRA rodeos. Rodeos are held
throughout the summer and early fall. Across the
street from the Jersey Lilly, the local 4-H club has
constructed a park with horseshoe pits and picnic
tables for public use. A campground with hookups is
open throughout the year. |
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Learn More |
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Ingomar, Montana
Ingomar, Montana
Pictures
About Ingomar, Montana
Learn More About
Montana! |
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Read The Guestbook |
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 Click
Here To Read The 2008 P.A.C.E. Trek
Guestbook! |
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- - - -
DAY 7 - SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2008 - - - -
Today's Distance:
42 Miles
Today's Route:
Forsyth to
Ingomar, MT
Today's
Weather:
Clear Skies, Hot
Pavement
Current Elevation:
3,018 Feet (495' More Than Yesterday)
Total Distance Traveled:
181 Miles
Total
Distance Remaining:
439 Miles
 Paul's
Thoughts For Today:
Well, this
certainly was a difficult day! Covering 42 miles is never
easy, and today was one of heat, wind and hot pavement. I
took off out of Forsyth when the sun was coming up and
stopped to take a picture at the Yellowstone River. Although
I had applied the handbrake on "Bob", I didn't double check
to make sure that the slight incline the stroller was on
would be enough to move the 65-pound load even with the
handbrake on. Big mistake. While I was zooming in on a
beautiful sunrise picture of the Yellowstone River, I heard
a crash behind me. Bob had started rolling backwards and hit
a pot hole - which tipped it over. The GPS unit was on the
ground and the GPS mounting bracket had broken... alone with
the cable that connects the GPS to the solar panel. Not
good. I had some electrical tape and managed to tape the
cable to the GPS so that the connectors would stay in place.
You would think after successfully taking Bob across America
that I wouldn't make a mistake like that... but I did.
I continued on
and went through some incredibly barren countryside. Let's
just say that you don't want to break down in your car out
there. Aside from some range cattle and antelope, you won't
see much. I made a short video in Vananda (which is now a
ghost town) and really didn't stop too much today other than
to do some videotaping and take some pictures. In all, I was
out there for 13½ hours, and would have been in sooner had
my left foot not been slowing me down considerably. I was so
happy to see Ingomar. It's a bright spot in an otherwise
very desolate part of Montana. There's a place to sleep (the
only place for 100 miles) and they have a little eatery. I
got in and had some dinner... got some ice... and then
tended to my feet and legs. I slept in the old Ingomar
schoolhouse which they've converted into a rather
interesting hotel. Imagine an old school room with rows of
beds. That's Ingomar's "lodging". The "Executive Suite" is
the principal's office! Anyway, it sure beats sleeping with
the antelope on the plains!
 My body really
got beat up with the rolling hills, constant winds, heat of
the uncovered sun, and hot pavement (some portions having
been newly paved and the black tar was quite hot). Today was
the longest day that I'll put in during P.A.C.E. Trek 2008.
As I said, 42 miles in one day is never easy - and to think
that I put in a 48 mile day in the middle of my run across
America. Hmm... perhaps it's time for a mental evaluation!
Just kidding. Time for some rest. Goodbye from this Ingomar
milepost.
Today's
Montana "Did You Know?"...
Competing with the D River in Lincoln City, Oregon for the
title of the world's shortest river, Montana's Roe River
flows near the city of Great Falls. The length of both
rivers vary from 58 feet to 200 feet. The source for this
small river in Montana is Giant Springs, the largest
freshwater spring in the United States.
Today's Native
Americans "Did You Know?"...
Powwows are big festivals where Native Americans gather to
sing, dance, and eat together. It is a time to celebrate and
show pride in their culture. Powwows can last from one
afternoon to several days. The Indians dress in native
costumes and dance ancient dances to the beating of drums.
Most powwows are open to people who are not Indian. It's a
great place to learn about Native American culture!
Today's
Fitness "Did You Know?"...
An estimated 22 percent of American children under age 18
are exposed to second-hand smoke in the home. It is
estimated that 2,000 American young people become smokers
every day.
Your Turn!
Share Your Thoughts With Paul...
Click here to
sign the official P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 guestbook!
Thanks for stopping by this milepost
update. Run back here tomorrow!
Keeping on PACE,
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Along The Way... |
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 On
the way to Ingomar today I ran past
VANANDA,
Montana. Vananda is a former unincorporated
village in northwestern Rosebud County. The town
was established in 1908 as a station stop on the
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific
Railroad, which was then under construction
across Montana. The railway used Vananda as a
water stop for its steam locomotives, and built
a small reservoir near the townsite to ensure an
adequate water supply. Although the land around
Vananda attracted numerous homesteaders during
the decade following the railroad's completion,
the region proved to be far too arid and
inhospitable for intensive agricultural use, and
by the 1920s the town was in decline. The
railroad through the area was abandoned in 1980,
and Vananda is now a ghost town - with only an
old boarded up brick schoolhouse being the most
visible sign that there once
 was a town here.
The Vananda townsite has been listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Here's
what one former resident has written about her
family's time in Vananda:
"Father and Mother were married in June of 1915,
while living at Vananda, Montana. They took up a
homestead there. When they first moved there,
they did not realize how poor both the soil and
water were. Things were not going too well. In
the summer a cyclone struck down the house and
barn. Father was not home at the time, but
Mother saw the storm coming and took me down to
the cellar until the storm passed. I was just a
baby then, and it was only God's providence that
spared me, for after the storm, Mother found the
pot bellied stove laying in the baby crib. They
began to build up again what they could, with
rock. They lived about 30 miles from Vananda,
and it would take Dad one day to go there, stay
overnight, and return the next day when they
needed groceries or feed for the stock."
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Paul's Current Position In Montana |
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