Harmon’s Histories: Oh my! Bears in logging camp, Yellowstone among treasured photos
By Jim Harmon
Hello, history fans!
I’m still on my quest: encouraging all of you to write down, or do some audio recordings, of your family history. Otherwise, all of that knowledge will be gone when you pass.
If you have old family photos or documents, identify the people. Keep the history alive for future generations!
I’ve been able to reacquaint myself with various branches of my family tree, and find a lot of fun photos along the way.
However, my wife counsels me, “Enough, already - with the family history shtick,” to which I reply, “But, dear,” and then revise my response, ever so slightly, to, “Yes, dear.”
So, this is it - the last of the family history stories. I’ll return to other historical masterpieces next week.
Anyway, I must say the “camp bear cub” was among the best discoveries.
Pet Bear in logging camp, outside Libby, dated August, 1920.
And then – there was the bear cub sniffing the family car in Yellowstone National Park in the 1930s.
There were many photos of my Dad and his brother, John, posing with their various means of transportation over the years.
There was also a rather “telling” photo – revealing my father may have initially needed some driver’s education!
On the positive side, his driving prowess improved greatly over the years. He would take our family on weekend rides over long abandoned logging roads (most of which were blocked by fallen trees, forcing Dad to turn around in spots that even mountain goats wouldn’t dare).
He apparently knew no fear. So what if there was a thousand foot cliff below? To his children, however, this was pure terror! Thanks a lot, Dad – to this day I still fear any such road.
But others found the information about those old roads to various logging camps both fascinating and historically valuable.
A friend of my Dad’s (another retired J. Neils Co. Employee) tape-recorded an interview with Dad on his death bed (literally) to save those memories. I treasure my copy of that tape.
So I’m back on my soapbox: Interview your parents and grandparents about their life stories. When those family members pass – you’ll be thankful you did!And, yes dear, next week I’ll write something new and different.
Jim Harmon is a longtime Missoula news broadcaster, now retired, who writes a weekly history column for Missoula Current. You can contact Jim at fuzzyfossil187@gmail.com. His best-selling book, “The Sneakin’est Man That Ever Was,” a collection of 46 vignettes of Western Montana history, is available at harmonshistories.com.