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Yellowstone County – Your Ancestral Past Trail Series

Out in the Boonies (Trip # 14)

Pompeys Pillar

By Dave Dodge & Cleve Kimmel

 Trek completed 15 September 2008 4x4 Jeep

Abandoned Historical Post Offices in Wheatland County

This trek is mostly on gravel roads. It starts at Ryegate, Montana and returns there. Total distance is 167 miles. There are 15 historical post offices in the county, and most are now on private property. This trek also includes stops at Harlowton, Two-Dot and Judith Gap; which have operating post offices. The travel route is denoted by numbered circles adjacent to the abandoned (town) sites. Most of the country is relatively flat, and the gravel roads are fairly well maintained. As with the other treks be prepared and carry food, suitable clothing & water along. Aerial views are provided courtesy of Google Aerial Views. For a complete listing go to http://geonames.usgs.gov/ and follow links to the Post Offices site. For additional information about the towns and post offices refer to: “Yesteryears and Pioneers” prepared by the Harlowton Woman’s Club of Wheatland County – 1972. This is a “must-have” book.

Caution: Please note that the coordinates on these abandoned towns vary from research to research. But they are somewhere near by. Two Dot and Harlowton are well located. The coordinates used are from the USGS site. Please use your GPS to locate the sites, as it will assist in finding the abandoned locations.

START

Ryegate (our starting point) is about 63 miles from Billings, and on this trek we stopped at the Buffalo Trail Café for breakfast. They serve hot regular coffee, but decaf is from an instant self-serve packet. Price of coffee is included with the meal! Reset your odometer to “0”. All mileages will be from this point.

Enroute to

Harlowton – Drive by Winnecook

Enroute to Harlowton you will pass through Barber, Shawmut & Winnecook. Winnecook is now non-existent, and the former location sits on private land located about 0.2 miles north of the highway. This PO opened Jan 9, 1885 and closed two years later on October 11, 1897. Ralph Berry was original postmaster. Business picked up, and it reopened on May 8, 1901 with Theresa Stevens as postmaster, and finally closed on April 15, 1933 during the Great Depression. 

Map Coordinates: 46.3999582 N   -109.6640697 W    (Elevation 4,002 feet)

Stop #1

Harlowton

21.2 Miles

Harlowton stop is to “top-off” your gas tank. Try not to stretch your LUCK! We stopped at Ray’s Conoco on the north side of the road. A short while ago I was with a fellow driving a new Chevy Suburban that had all the bells and whistles you can imagine. He stated that there was plenty of gas, not to worry. While nearing the end of the trek, one of his new tires, factory standard issue, gave a caution warning – “Low Pressure – 2-pounds. I got out and looked, and said “your gage is wrong – it is flat! The spare required a lot of effort & time to extract from the wheel well under the vehicle. A few miles further on the courtesy voice and dashboard light, announcing “low fuel” came active. Asking my friend, somewhat sarcastically, “what’s that mean?” I guess you were right, I should have topped off, he said. There was a gas station about 30-miles distant and by coasting downs all the hills; and fortunately there were more down – than up, we coasted into the station “bone-dry!”  Driving on rough-gravel roads does seem to suck up the gas. Harlowton was established June 10, 1900 by Richard Harlow, who also was considered to be the father of the Montana Railroad (Jawbone Line.) Incidentally, new & proper steel-belted tires were installed so as to forego future problems!

Stop #2

Clarence

43.3 Miles

From Harlowton continue east on highway 12 until reaching Road 12W88S (Two Dot* Road) at 42.1 miles; turn south on that road and cross the Musselshell River. About 1.2 miles from the turnoff stop and look to the east. Clarence PO is on Private land, and the roads that lead to it are gated. 2^nd Ave East intersection in Two Dot, on the Two Dot Road goes to the local school, but the access to the post office at Clarence is closed. The other road, further south, is also closed. There is nothing at the Clarence site to see except pasture land.

Location: 46.4218975 N  -109.0590750 W  (Elevation: 4,449 feet)

* Two Dot still has an active post office, so it isn’t part of the trek, but take plenty of time to browse this colorful town & meet the people..

Stop #4

Big Elk

50.0 miles

Continue south on 12W88S until you reach the intersection with 12W88SB. Turn east, stop and look north. Only pasture land is seen, all buildings have long gone their merry way.

Coordinates:

46.3299540 N   -109.0507410 W   (Elevation: 4,882 feet)

Big Elk is eight miles upstream from where Big Elk Creek joins the Musselshell River. Initially the town had one of the earliest stage stops, and was located at a natural stream crossing on the “Big Timber-Martinsdale Trail.”  The Post Office opened September 18, 1882 and was originally closed September 25, 1885. OM Hatch was first postmaster. It re-opened on May 26, 1888 and closed again on May 15, 1913.

Stop #5

Devee

68.5 miles

From Big Elk return the way you came, and head east towards Harlowton. You will pass on the return leg (HWY 12) Mexican John Rd (not through), Historical Point Marker of the Crazy Mountains, Clyde’s Rd (about 5-miles west of Ray’s Conoco, and finally Lode Rd N. Take Lode Rd N (another gravel road – marked as 12W98N on some maps) until you find HWY 191 junction. Turn west at the junction after passing the cemetery; Devee is a short hop & jump ahead.. This is another town & PO that simply vanished. Just a pasture land now. The PO opened May 4, 1886 and promptly closed August 30, 1887. There are several cattle guards along the path to Devee. It sits on private land.

Coordinates: 46.5791207 W  -109.9751875 N  (Elevation: 4,856 feet)

Stop #6

Oka

99.9 miles

From Devee site continue north to Roberts Creek, then on towards Judith Gap. There are plenty of signs. On HWY 191N17W there will be a sign on the east stating Oka Rd (12E10N the aerial map shows the road to be fully named 191N 14W Rd). Follow south and stop about 100 yards north of 191 North 14 W. Nothing remains there; however, continue on foot to the RR Water Site. There the station’s concrete forms and old cistern are still evident. The criss-cross dirt roads noted in the aerial view are still evident.

 To continue to Oxford, turn east at the tee and cross the St Paul, Chicago & Milwaukee RR tracks and on to Oka. [Note: there is no direct connection between Devee & Oka – so you must go around the loop.]

Coordinates: 46.6232888 W   -109.8396297 N (Elevation: 4,787 feet)

The PO opened April 12, 1880, and closed September 17, 1895.

Stop #7

 Judith Gap

From Oka take 191 North 14^th W east to HWY 191 & turn north on 12e 10N (Old Gap Rd) that leads into Judith Gap. Judith Gap is located in central Montana, 17 miles north of Harlowton and seven miles north of the Judith Gap Wind Farm  - Montana’s first major wind-energy project. Judith was the name of Captain Lewis’ “Sweetheart.” “Gap” was chosen as a descriptive of the valley between the two mountains by Lewis & Clark. Stop at “Judith Gap Mercantile” on High Street & take time out for lunch or one of the best milk-shakes in the country. This small store has a plethora of artifacts & general interest items.

Visit web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Gap,_Montana#Wind_Power_at_Judith_Gap, to read about the energy wind farm located nearby. See town & wind farm pictures at: http://judithgap.net/judith-gap-photos/.

Stop # 8

Oxford

117 miles

Leave Judith Gap and continue north on High Street , turn east on 191 1N 19e (Hwy 297 just a few blocks north of the Mercantile store) for about 1-1/2 mile, then turn south on Judith Gap Rd following the RR tracks (the wind farm is located in this general area), and continue southward until you see the sign “Oxford Rd”, turn south, then west, and stop at the RR tracks. You are at Oxford. The PO opened August 20, 1909 with Sherman Robinson as postmaster. It closed on August 31, 1916.

Coordinates: 46.5916246 W   -109.6882376  (Elevation: 4,423 feet)

As with the other sites, nothing remains, although you can roam about looking for clues.

Stop #9

Living Springs

Depart Oxford, and return to Judith Gap Rd (Hwy 191) and travel east passing Red Fox Rd& Pronghorn Rd on the left, turning right (south) on Living Springs Rd to the post office (located on private property.) Use your GPS to locate site.

Coordinates:  46.5921830   -109.5362907  (Elevation: 4,649 feet)

Stop #10

Nihill

135 miles

From Living Springs travel south on 12E116NC (Living Springs Rd) for 4-miles, passing “Lammers Ln” Enroute; and turn west on Upper Nihill Rd and stop at the RR tracks. The site is open to wander about, but virtually no evidence of a PO. Nihill was located in the Snowy Mountains of Central Montana. (The townsite location is the northwest quarter, NW 1/4; of the Northwest quarter, NW 1/4 of Section 29 Twp. 9 N, Range 17 East). It was first a 'siding' on the Great Northern Railway built there in 1908 and was known as "Bercail Siding" named for the Bercail post office seven miles northeast on the P. 1. Moule ranch. In the Fall of 1909 when a post office was needed at the 'siding,' a name change was agreed upon and "Nihll" was chosen honoring a prominent Moore, Montana rancher, Pat Nihill, who had ranged sheep in the immediate area and who was a stockholder in the Billings and Northern Townsite Company, the owners of the townsite. The PO opened January 21, 1910 and closed November 5, 1927*. The Shanahan store and post office were purchased by Fred Lunceford and his sister. Hertha in August, 1915. They continued to operate it until the building was destroyed by fire in 1916. The post office was then moved to the Gyland building. The Gyland store and post office was purchased by John Geiken about 1919. (Ref: Yesteryears book)  C. Juston Shanahan was first postmaster. It

Coordinates: 46.5180144   -109.6176809  (Elevation: 4,226 feet)

*Note: Nihill town plat is shown in the Yesteryear’s book, page 352. The 1^st closure was reported to be October 31, 1923.

Stop #11

Hedgesville

145 miles

End or trip

167 miles at Ryegate

This isn’t a real stop, and you simply pass through the old town, cross the Burlington Northern RR tracks and go south on road 12E116N (HWY 297) that leads to Shawmut and Hwy 12 for your return trip to Ryegate about 21 miles to the east.  This place was named in honor of W.A. Hedges, a pioneer rancher in the vicinity.

Hope you had fun and took lots of pictures & met new friends.