Napoleon, Native Americans, and Montana History.

Anne-Marie and I needed a second day to finish our visit of The Museum of the Rockies.

The first section that we toured was the Treasures of Napoleon Exhibit.  This again is another time that I wish that I had retained the history stuff that we were taught in School.  As the title says, it was a lot of gold, gilt covered, silver stuff and original paintings, artwork, manuscripts signed by Napoleon, and gifts given by or to Napoleon during his lifetime.  No pictures allowed.  I believe that there is no value established for any of the items, as they must be priceless, and most all are one of a kind.

The Native American exhibit did a lot to explain the hard work that the natives endured in just existing, and the hardships of being moved and confined to reservations that couldn’t support their skillsets and traditional way of life.

This hunter has a spear, and is launching it with a shorter stick, that has a cup on the end, nesting the end of the spear.

The Montana History Hall had displays that we hadn’t seen before.  This display was showing about the introduction of balloon framing, and its introduction in Montana.  Balloon framing is similar to todays framing construction, but it was called balloon framing because it was thought that it wasn’t strong and would blow away like a balloon in the wind.  The picture of the kitchen stove, also shows a cutaway of the wall construction.

The sign and the airplane hanging in the exhibition hall show the story of two Montana farmers that built a this airplane in their home and largely in the house during the winter of 1931-1932, and it’s powered by a Ford Model A engine.

A Tarpaper Shack, and typical furnishings of the time.  No utilities, water or electricity, and tarpaper siding.  No frills living for the poor during the depression.

This open touring car is a Oldsmobile.  A firefighting hose cart, and a 1930s Ford station wagon.

This is a wooden headstone marker, and it says that W.H. O’Dair was killed by Indians, July 26, 1854.

The inside of a sheep herders wagon.  This herders wagon was used till the 1960s.  This stage coach was used locally here in Montana.

There were several display cases of guns, and interesting stories of where they were used and how they were donated to the Museum.  Trapping played a big part of the early history of Montana, and this display has a really large bear trap.

Today is a travel day for us, and we are heading west to Washington, one step at a time.