Anyone who knows me very well knows my favorite state. Montana. Big Sky Country. The axiom is very apropos. If you drive on Montana Hwy 12 along the Elk Horn mountains you will understand very quickly how it got its name.This time, we are staying a few days at the Sacajawea Hotel & Inn.
The inn has been in existence for over 110 years. We enjoy our breakfast and early morning coffee on their front porch. In the summer, Montana has its warm days but cooler nights and mornings. Named for the famous Indian Lewis & Clarke used to translate with the Shoshone Indians, the history is rich at the hotel.
Located in Three Forks, Montana, the hotel is situated near the confluence of three rivers that make up the Missouri River; Gallatin, Madison & Jefferson.
The American west is rich in Sacajawean history. In the winter of 1804-1805, famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark interviewed several trappers seeking interpreters for their western journey up the Missouri River planned for the spring. Knowing they would encounter the Shoshone Indians at the headwaters, they agreed to hire Toussaint Charbonneau after learning of his wife, Sacagawea, who knew the language. After the couple moved into the expedition’s fort, Sacajawea was nick-named “Janey”. She was pregnant and gave birth to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. The baby was given a nickname by the explorers as well “Little Pompy”
Poling and pulling against the current heading westward, history records Sacajawea rescued journal entries and records of Lewis and Clark and was honored with a river in her name on May 20, 1805.
The hotel? It’s amazing! Located in Three Forks areas, fingerprints of the Lewis and Clark Trail are scattered all around. It is at the headwaters of the Missouri River, where Sacajawea was reunited with her brother and brokered safe passage for the explorers. Only years following American western tale, the Sacajawea Hotel was constructed in 1910.
Built by John Q. Adams, who was a purchasing agent for the Milwaukee Railroad, the hotel was built as a rest stop for passengers and train crews. The main building at the hotel is the Madison House. It has a Victorian flair with all the western feel you can imagine.
The owners of the hotel have seen many challenging economic seasons, in fact, in 2001, the Sacajawea was boarded up. However, in 2009, the Folkvords, a third-generation Montana farming family, purchased the Hotel.
The hotel has 29 luxury guest rooms, a couple bars (yes western feeling type), a wedding venue, and the Pompey Grill.
Liz and I have stayed here many times. We enjoy the quiet 2053 populated town. We always visit the confluence of the three rivers. But probably my favorite thing is waking up at daylight and drinking my first cup of coffee on the huge porch.
I'll have to thank my Montana family Dan Pate and Leah Welsh for bringing us here on our first visit to Big Sky country.
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