Museum seeks stagecoach

Flathead Valley project to display local artifacts

Got a stagecoach stored in a barn or pasture, or know someone who does?

Officials at the Museum at Central School want to hear about it. Museum Director Gil Jordan would like to find either a full-sized stagecoach or an authentic model.

"If we can take it apart to get it inside, we have enough room for a small full-sized one," Jordan said.

The stagecoach would be one important piece of a huge project about the history of the Flathead. Planned for a fall premiere, the exhibit weaves new research with parts and pieces of history to create a tapestry of life inspired by a little red dress.

Donated by Neil and Lorraine Graham, the red dress revives the arduous journey taken by Neil's ancestors and many others to the Flathead frontier.

Neil shared the story about a cold Christmas Eve in 1891, when John Duffy, his wife and five children began an arduous trip from Missoula aboard a Northern Pacific train.

In a museum newsletter, Neil wrote that the family disembarked at Ravalli to climb aboard a stagecoach bound for Polson. The coach - with its red table damask and its awful jolting on the primitive roads - made the whole family sick.

In Polson, the woozy Duffy family transferred to a steamboat to cross Flathead Lake. Bitter temperatures had frozen the lake solid in places, requiring the men to act as human icebreakers to continue the voyage.

A blizzard welcomed the Duffy family to Demersville at the other end of the lake. Forging on, the weary family took another stagecoach to Kalispell.

Near midnight, they finally arrived at the Hillside House Hotel to find a Christmas party in progress.

Remember the little red dress? John Duffy's 3-year-old daughter Margaret - Neil's aunt - wore that velvet outfit to the Christmas festivities.

"It's really a charming dress in nearly perfect condition," he said.

Such artifacts and family histories "bring life to history," he said. Jordan wants to tap into more of the community's family memories and artifacts for the "History of the Flathead" display.

"If folks know things that are not in the history books, we'd love to know about that," he said. "If they have related artifacts, even better."

Jordan said he is most interested in the pre-1910 era, but the staff welcomes all stories and artifacts about the Flathead.

Jordan said plans call for about a third of the exhibit to explore how people got to the valley, including old routes and American Indian trails, while another third looks at the communities they established.

"It's not just the ones that still exist," Jordan said.

He cited Holt and Ashley as examples of communities that perished or were consumed by other towns. Holt was near Many Lakes, while Ashley (Crossing) was on the southwestern edge of Kalispell.

"It's a fascinating history, and we are going to attempt to tell about it," Jordan said.

The final third of the exhibit examines American Indian aspects of the valley, as well as the future of the Flathead.

Visitors will find the "History of the Flathead" in the 1,000-square-foot space now filled by the U.S. Forest Service displays. Jordan envisions an exhibit alive with sounds and sights of the bygone era.

"We're going to use some new technology," Jordan said.

He described motion sensors that activate sounds, as well as educational and interactive displays with high-definition monitors designed to engage children. The museum has numerous attractions under construction.

"We're building a model of Flathead Lake" that will be 13 feet by 6 feet, Jordan said. "We hope it's going to glow blue."

Tom Rogers, a resident who builds displays for the Smithsonian Institution, built a 46-inch model of a Kootenai canoe, the first mode of transportation across the lake. Jordan said Rogers' work is accurate to the smallest detail.

Bill Eisenlohr, an area craftsman, constructed a true-scale model of a stern-wheeler similar to the ones operating on the lake when the Duffy family made their cold Christmas Eve crossing. Jordan said models work best for educating children.

"When kids look at pictures of a steamboat, they can't grasp it," Jordan said.

Eisenlohr's model includes a steam engine that really works. The museum would like to build a tank of water outside to demonstrate how the engine turned the stern wheel to propel the steamboat.

The level of technical production in the exhibit depends on sponsors and contributions, Jordan said. Businesses sponsors and other contributors will receive name recognition near the exhibit.

"Because it's a really ambitious project, we're going to spend some money," Jordan said.

People interested in contributing money, stories or artifacts should call the museum at 756-8381.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com