Historical museum preserves and promotes

Through volunteer efforts, the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society (USVHS) has been delving into local history through word and deed for 36 years.

Twenty-five years ago on March 10, 1988, the first meeting of the USVHS was held at Evelyn Jette's residence. Meetings moved to the Swan Valley Library and Librarian Fern Kauffman began recording and archiving local historical information.

In the early days the work began with copying historical photos that people brought into the library. Gradually oral histories were collected.

In 2011, the Historical Society purchased the old Rustics of Lindberg Lake Log Home Office building on Highway 83. The Grand Opening was the Fourth of July, 2013.

"Neil and Dixie Meyer were the driving force behind getting the museum building," USVHS President Steve Lamar said. " They put in tons of time to make it happen."

The Swan River Tavern, Grandma Whalen's homestead cabin, Fred Messerer's trapper cabin, the Smith Creek School replica, a USFS tack shed, Jalmer Maki's homestead sauna cabin, a 1921 sawmill and a tipi have been donated and set up on the Museum property.

The Maki cabin was originally built by Finnish homesteader Jalmar Maki in the 1920's. The cabin was sold and moved east of the mountains. When the Historical Society found the cabin again, it was in a pile of logs. Gary Freyholz reconstructed the cabin at his log yard and moved it to the museum in 2018.

The log building housing the museum is a good representation of the local heritage of log buildings. Jalmar Maki was one of the eight to 10 Finnish families that homesteaded in the Swan Valley.

They brought log home building skills from Finland that spread throughout the valley.

The buildings have been refurbished and decorated by volunteers to resemble the time and place they were constructed for.

"We could have more cabins," Fern Kauffman, secretary said. "But we don't have enough room."

Today the Historical Society continues to interview local people and transcribe their stories. This winter they are working on "Book 2" of "Montana: Voices of the Swan." In addition volunteers continue to collect and archive the museum pieces.

Current projects include restoring two crank telephones from the early 1900s. One was from the Gordon Ranch and the other is a Forest Service phone from the Spotted Bear Ranger District. The hope is to set one up in the museum and one in the Forest Service cabin on site so people can call back and forth.

"I think we have the expertise in the valley to figure these phones out," Lamar said. "Plus we have the schematic diagrams."

Another current project is replicating a Pend d'Oreille campsite to highlight historical use of the area by Indigenous people. Tim Ryan, Native Studies expert from Salish-Kootenai College is helping to create the authentic campsite.

Ryan will contribute his hand-made museum quality artifacts for the camp site. Last year museum volunteers cut donated tipi poles from the Swan Valley for the tipi.

Promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of the Swan Valley are priorities of the USVHS. The society has more than 200 members.

Volunteerism has been the backbone of the USVHS with 1,566 volunteer hours in 2023. Since 2010, volunteers have logged 57,109 hours of work. In 2023, 649 visitors signed the visitor book in the museum. Volunteers have welcomed 10,400 visitors through the door since opening the museum in 2013.

Fundraising for the USVHS include memberships, the Frostbite Festival, donations to the Change Your Pace Challenge and book sales. The Museum is open Memorial Day-Labor Day with special tours available. The address is 6774 Highway 83.

The USVHS has a free quarterly newsletter and always welcomes new members.