Montana Meandering: Historic Fort Missoula

  • Published
  • By John Turner
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Established by the Army in 1877 to protect settlers in the Bitterroot Valley, Fort Missoula is one of Montana's first permanent military posts.

It has been home to an experimental unit of bicycle-mounted infantrymen in 1896; the state headquarters for the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression; and a detention center for thousands of Italian, Japanese and German alien civilians during World War II.

Only portions of the old fort's grounds are still used by the Army today. Most of what remains is open to the public. Former Army facilities are now repurposed as two museums, a heritage hall and office space for a variety of agencies.

Visitors can tour Missoula County's Historical Museum located at 3400 Captain Rawn Way to learn how Fort Missoula evolved alongside the city. Displays inside the red-bricked building interpret the military and civilian roles of the fort through the last 138 years, but also describe commerce, technology, medicine, transportation, religion and social life in western Montana since 1865. The museum is family-friendly and open year-round. Admission cost and seasonal hours can be found at http://www.fortmissoulamuseum.org/visit.php or by calling 406-728-3476.

The county owns 32 acres on which the main museum is located, and historic buildings placed there after 1975 help preserve the region's history. Visitors can browse Hell Gate's 1863 St. Michael's Church, step into Drummond's 1910 railroad station, climb Sliderock's 1933 forest fire lookout tower, and peer into Grant Creek's 1907 one-room schoolhouse. A steam locomotive, sawmill and trolley barn are among other displays available to explore. An original wooden internment barrack will open to the public Aug. 1 to tell the story of Fort Missoula's role as an Alien Detention Center from 1941-1944.

Across the way, near the Historical Museum but located on National Guard property, is the privately-operated Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History.

RMMMH is in building T-310, a white, wood-planked hall flanked by a World War II-era M7 self-propelled howitzer and a UH-1H "Huey" attack helicopter flown in Vietnam. The building itself, and adjacent structures, date back to the 1930s when Fort Missoula was the command center for dozens of CCC work camps throughout the state. Volunteers restored the facility in 2000 to make it usable as a museum.

Inside is a loving--and somewhat eclectic--tribute to American servicemen and women of all branches. Uniforms, weapons, scale models and story boards help illustrate distinct periods of U.S. military history from the Civil War and frontier period through the war on terrorism. RMMMH is child-friendly and stocks toys in its gift shop. Admission to the museum is free but suggested donations are posted. For more information including operating hours and exhibits, visit http://www.fortmissoula.org/ or call 406-549-5346.

A tour of the fort isn't complete without a scenic walk or drive through Officers' Row. During the 1910s, concrete Mission Revival-style buildings were added to modernize the fort and save it from Congress' chopping block. The expansion's seemingly exorbitant cost at the time gave the fort a new nickname: "The million dollar post." Today, the former officers' quarters, post exchange and hospital are used as office space. Shade trees and manicured lawns along the route provide a picturesque diversion as well as a glimpse into the military's past.

To visit Fort Missoula, follow I-90 to Missoula, Montana, and take Exit 101 to Reserve Street.  A right turn onto South Avenue will take you past Fort Missoula Park to a marked intersection directing to the Historical Museum and Heritage Hall. The old post cemetery is midway between the intersection and the fort.