Fall 2016
Welcome back Lunch Boxers as we hit the road again in fall 2016. The adventure this fall heads to the land of Paul Bunyan and the fabled woods of the north central United States. The path will take us in a loop across northern North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan before veering south along the western shore of Lake Michigan to Green Bay and then turning west and returning to Montana via a central route through the same states in a race against the advent of snow. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Billings, MT to Medora, ND (I-94 east to Medora)
Augie the doggie and I hit the road and follow the Yellowstone River Valley as it angles northeast through eastern Montana before leaving the river at Glendive and heading directly east into North Dakota. In true North Dakota fashion, the wind is howling and buffeting the Lunch Box all over the freeway. I can always tell when it’s time to stop when my shoulders start to ache from the effort of trying to keep us on the road… Fortunately geography is on our side as the highway begins to drop from the rugged plains of Montana down into the narrow valleys of the badlands of North Dakota.
In prehistoric times an enormous inland sea covered most of the north central United States and south central Canada. Over time glaciers expanded and retreated over the land as slowly the sea evaporated. The geology of the area reflects the impact of those events. In western North Dakota the grasslands are sliced by valleys cut into the plains by the erosion caused by the Little Missouri River. The slowly shrinking sea eventually left behind these river valleys and ensuing erosion over eons created this stunning interruption to the plains. The Little Missouri runs north through southwestern North Dakota before making a sharp turn to the east south of Watford City as it runs along the edge of the glacial moraines left during the last Ice Age. Not suitable for farming, this area was settled in the late 1800’s as cattle country. Little surface water and extremely harsh weather in both the summer and winter made it difficult for ranchers as they depended upon grass as the primary food source for their cattle. Grass, of course, is dependent upon the ebb and flow of the rain and snow and good years were good while bad years were really bad. The center of the southwestern North Dakota cattle country was the small town of Medora.
Medora, ND
The valley of the Little Missouri River has been the site of human habitation for thousands of years due to its location as the primary source of dependable water between the Missouri River to the east and the Yellowstone River to the west. The first settlement by white men was the establishment of a military camp in 1879 on the banks of the Little Missouri designed to provide protection to the surveying and construction crews of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Medora was founded across the river from the army camp in 1883 by a young Frenchman, the Marquis de Mores, who named the town for his wife, Medora von Hoffman, the daughter of a New York banker. De Mores quickly built a meat packing plant, brick plant, hotel and stores in his town and reigned over his domain from a large house (the Chateau de Mores) perched on a bluff above the river to the west. Unfortunately a combination of the development of large feedlots for cattle in the east (which produced beef much more inexpensively and reliably than the free range cattle of de Mores), challenges of the weather, and a failing economy drove de Mores into financial ruin and in 1896 he left the area. About the same time as de Mores arrival in the valley, a young New York politician named Theodore Roosevelt came west to hunt buffalo. He returned to New York but on February 14, 1884, both his mother and wife died within 12 hours of each other. Devastated by grief Roosevelt retreated to the badlands of North Dakota to heal. He eventually owned two large ranches in the area before returning east and pursuing his political career. Medora survived as a stop on the railroad and county seat of Billings County. Today Medora is primarily a tourist town for visitors seeking the “Old West” as well as the outdoor adventures provided by Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The national park, established in 1947 in memory of President Theodore Roosevelt, consists of two large units that straddle the Little Missouri and surrounding badlands. The south unit is just north of Medora, the north unit is about 50 miles north of Medora where the Little Missouri turns to the east.
Nestled under the bluffs of Theodore National Park, Medora is a small town with stores, restaurants, hotels and activities all-encompassing a western theme.
The General Store has operated continuously since being built by Joe Ferris in 1885. The second story served as a boarding house and Theodore Roosevelt stayed there during visits to town.
Sprawling along the railroad tracks is a collection of old warehouses, now converted to a complex of bars, restaurants and stores catering to tourists.
One of the most striking structures in Medora is one of the most fantastic play structures that I have ever seen. Really cool!
Visible above the trees on a bluff to the southwest is the Chateau de Mores, original home to the Marquis de Mores.
Chateau de Mores
The chateau, built in 1883-1884, sits above the Little Missouri with views from the covered porch to the east over Medora (left) and to the south down the river valley (right).
The current approach is to the back of the “L-shaped” house, where the door served as the casual entrance to the house.
The single story portion of the house is the “Hunting Room”, by far the largest room in the house. Here visitors and residents prepared for guided trips into the badlands, primarily looking for buffalo. The importance of a good guide was paramount and the best guides were paid a handsome wage for the time. One of the guides used by the de Mores was Victor Grant Smith, who was paid a retainer of $150 a month to guide family and visitors on hunting trips. The Hunting Room was used for storage, temporary sleeping quarters, outfitting visitors, etc.
Moving around to the south side, I enter the main door to being the tour. Many of items on display are original to the house. The tour goes in a counter-clockwise manner through the house. To the left of the main entrance is a room with views to the east and south which demonstrates that the de Mores were at the forefront of fashionable living in 1883. Rather than have a formal parlor used primarily for entertaining, the de Mores created a “living room” to be used both by the family for everyday life as well as entertaining visitors. This is the only room in the house used for this purpose.
The revolving bookcase is a unique design created by John Danner in Canton, Ohio, in 1876.
Attached to the living room and stretching along the east side of the house are Madame’s office, separate bedrooms for Madame and the Marquis, and the Marquis’ office.
Turning the corner next is one of the more unique features of the home, and indoor bathroom. There is no running water in the house. The toilet emptied into an “earth closet”, a mixture of earth, lime and wood ashes which would controlled odors. The vault was serviced regularly from the outside. The bathtub, special ordered for $8.75, has little legs under the seat to prevent tipping while in use.
Continuing down the short hall past the bathroom, the tour transverses the Hunting Room and enters another short hall where a narrow staircase climbs to the second floor. A large hall runs the length of the floor.
The second floor contains ten bedrooms, used by guests, the two children and female servants. A sample includes:
Back down the stairs we enter the kitchen. The kitchen has two small rooms off the right, the scullery (where dishes and laundry were done) and the linen room (where a large ice chest was kept as well as storage – today it stores bottles left from the underground wine cellar).
The kitchen is a large room and is furnished with many original items, including the set of Minton China from England.
Our circle tour of the main floor concludes with the dining room. The gong on the right was used to summon guests for dinner.
Now a North Dakota State Park, the Chateau de Mores presents an incredibly accurate portrayal of the life of this wealthy young couple on the frontier…
Next up: Buffalo and the Bakken
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