Presettlement Wildlife and Habitat of Montana:
An Overview
![Routes taken by Lewis and Clark](images/lewclark.gif)
Craig J. and Pamela R. Knowles
FaunaWest Wildlife Consultants
P.O. Box 113
Boulder, MT 59632
Under contract with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, we developed a bibliography of books, papers, and documents with at least some natural history information pertaining to Montana and adjacent lands during the 19th century. Included with this bibliography is an annotation of major expeditions and explorers, tables cross referencing expeditions with drainages traversed, and a roster of early Montana naturalists.
Expeditions into Montana began in 1802 and continued throughout the century. Early natural history notes generally were recorded by people with no biological training and tended to be highly qualitative. Later natural history notes generally were recorded by people with biological training and became increasingly more detailed and scientific in nature. Natural history information is available for nearly all regions of Montana, although, certain areas received greater attention than others. Despite the lack of quantitative data, it would be possible to establish regional lists of common mammals and birds, and their relative abundance from sources listed here. We also found relative abundance of timber and grass were consistently recorded even by journalists with no biological training.
After reviewing numerous journals and narratives, our impression is that Montana has undergone ecosystem wide reductions in native wildlife. We present journal summaries in support of this statement.
This resource should be cited as:
Knowles, Craig J. and Pamela R. Knowles. 1995. Presettlement wildlife and habitat of Montana: An overview. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/habitat/presettl/index.htm (Version 16JUL97).
Contents
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"Bibliography is a necessary nuisance and a horrible drudgery that no mere drudge could perform. It takes a sort of inspired idiot to be a good bibliographer and his inspiration is as dangerous a gift as the appetite of the gambler or dipsomaniac - it grows with what it feeds upon and finally possesses its victim like any other invincible vice." -- Elliott Coues 1892.
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- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Section 1
- An Annotation Of Expeditions And Individuals Recording Natural History
Notes In And Near Montana During The Nineteenth Century.
- LeRaye/Pardo Expedition, 1802
- Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806
- LaRocque Expedition, 1805
- Wilson P. Hunt, 1811
- Thomas Nuttall, John Bradbury, Expedition, 1811
- David Thompson, 1808-1812
- Ross Cox, 1812
- Donald McKenzie, 1818-1821
- Alexander Ross, 1819, 1823-1824
- William Henry Ashley and Andrew Henry, 1806-1825
- Peter Skene Ogden, 1825
- David Douglas, 1824-1833
- Friederich Paul Wilhelm, Prince of Wurttemberg, 1830
- Prince Maximilian of Wied and Karl Bodmer 1833-1834
- Warren A. Ferris, 1831-1834
- John Work, 1824, 1831-1832
- George Catlin, 1832
- Nathaniel J. Wyeth, 1833
- Osborne Russell, 1833-1843
- Wilkes Expedition, 1838-1842
- Father Pierre Jean DeSmet, intermittent trips 1840-1870
- John J. Audubon 1843
- Charles A. Geyer, 1843
- Joseph Burke, 1845
- John Palliser Hunting Expedition 1847-1848
- Edwin Thompson Denig, Charles Larpenteur, Francis Chardon
- Thaddeus A. Culbertson 1850
- Rudolph F. Kurz 1851-1852
- Sir George Gore, 1854-1856
- Governor Steven's Pacific Railroad Surveys, 1853-1854
- Hayden Survey, 1854-1855
- Warren Expedition, 1856
- Raynolds Expedition, 1859-1860
- British North American Expedition, 1857-1860
- The Northwest Boundary Survey, 1857-1861
- Granville Stuart, 1857-1918
- Mullan Military Road and Blake Expedition, 1859-1860
- Yellowstone Expedition, 1863
- DeLacy Expedition, 1863
- Powder River Campaigns and Sawyers Wagon Road Expedition, 1865
- Mathews Expedition, 1860's
- Peter Koch, 1869-1870
- Folsom-Cook Expedition, 1869
- Washburn-Doane Expedition, 1870
- Hayden's Yellowstone Park Expeditions, 1871, 1872, and 1877
- Jones Expedition, 1873
- Lord Dunraven Expedition, 1874
- Custer's Black Hills Expedition
- Ludlow-Grinnell Expedition, 1875
- Roberts Expedition, 1872
- Charles A. Messiter, 1871-1872, 1882
- Northern Pacific Railroad Surveys, 1871-1873
- Northern Boundary Commission, 1873-1874
- Yellowstone Wagon Road Expedition, 1874
- Military Campaings and Exploration, 1875-1883
- Doane Expedition, 1876
- Edward Drinker Cope, 1874-1877
- Northern Pacific Railroad Survey, 1880-1883
- Hornaday Expedition, 1886
- Garfield University Expedition, 1889
- Clinton Hart Merriam and Vernon Bailey, 1890
- Barton W. Evermann, 1890-1891
- Morton Elrod
- Thomas Blankinship
- James A. Henshall
- Ewen and Evelyn Cameron, 1894-1928
- John Leiberg and Horace Ayers
- Vernon and Florence Bailey
- Section 2
- Tabular Summary of Explorers and Expeditions in and Near Montana During
the 19th Century.
- Table 1. A summary of explorers or expeditions
entering or approaching Montana during the 1800s with at least some
recorded natural history information.
- Table 2. (currently unavailable) Chart showing major
explorers or expeditions entering or approaching Montana and the drainages
traversed during their journeys.
- Table 3. List of forts and trading posts in Montana with date established and approximate location.
- Table 1. A summary of explorers or expeditions
entering or approaching Montana during the 1800s with at least some
recorded natural history information.
- Section 3
- List of Early Montana Naturalists.
- Section 4
- A Listing of Books, Papers, and Documents Pertaining to Presettlement Habitat and Wildlife of Montana and Adjacent Lands.
Installation: Extract all files and open index.htm in a web browser.presettl.zip (335K) -- Presettlement Wildlife and Habitat of Montana: An Overview