20 FOREST DISTRIBTJTIOX 



The largest contributions from the northern part of the 

 State have been made by R. S. Williams and ilarcus W. Jones. 

 Williams from 1S80 to 1899 made extensive collections, confined, 

 however, mostly to the country about Great Falls and Columbia 

 Falls and the Highwood and Little Belt ^Mountains. Jones in 

 the subsequent period to 1910 collected largely in various por- 

 tions of the Flathead VaUej' from the Lake of that name to the 

 Glacier National Park and the higher altitudes of the ^Mission, 

 Swan and other northern ranges. 



The earliest botanical explorations followed naturally the 

 lines of overland travel. The main highway through the north- 

 ern region then lay via the Yellowstone River, the Big Hole 

 Basin and the upper forks of the ^lissouri. The Continental 

 Divide was crossed at Gibbon's Pa.ss leading into the Upper 

 Bitter Root Valley. From that point, the trail followed the 

 Bitter Root River northward to its .junction with the Lolo, thence 

 into Idaho via Lolo Pas'^ to the Snake River, or continuing to 

 the mouth of the Bitter Root, and down the Clark 's Fork, or the 

 Clark's Fork was left at a point near the present site of St. 

 Regis and a crossing effected into the Coeur d"Alenes. This 

 route was subsequently adopted by the Government for a mil- 

 itary road (The Mullan Trail) from Fort Benton, the head of 

 navigation on the ^Missouri, to Walla Walla. 



The various routes were old Indian trails. Lewis and Clark, 

 on their outward .journey, followed one of the main highways 

 through the Big Hole, the Bitter Root and Lolo Pass, and on 

 the return by the same route as far as the Big Hole, except that 

 Lewis with a body of men parted company with Clark at the 

 Lolo and followed another highway via the Blackfoot Valley, 

 as above noted. The more southern route Avas followed by later 

 travelers, and collectors, at least in part namely. Wyeth, Geyer, 

 Watson, Coulter and others. Later with the coming of railroads 

 a more general observation of the flora was made possi'.Je. 



Many travelers, other than those noted above, might be 

 mentioned, who have contributed notes and collections on the 

 flora of the State from one point or another. Altogether, how- 

 ever, but few parts have been well worked over, many have 

 been superficially studied and some not touched at all. There 

 seems to be no available record of any botanical observations 



