From Montana Magazine, No 175, September/October 2002, 22-28; this article is presented in cooperation with Montana Magazine. All rights reserved, © 2002.

NOTHING BETTER
Why this location? Jesuit Father Nicolas Point, who accompanied Father DeSmet in 1841 to choose the site for establishing St. Mary's Mission, wrote: ...arriving at the foot of the largest mountain in the vicinity, we were agreeable surprised at the richness of the vegetation stretched out before us. This luxuriance was due to two streams running north. This large valley, protected against the Blackfeet on the south by a chain of mountains on whose slopes grew forests, so necessary as a source of construction materials. Between these two ranges ran the river of the Flatheads, called the Bitter Root River. Everyone thought we would be able to find nothing better anywhere else.
That notion of a "just right place" is one that won't go away. Residents and visitors alike come to the community seeking the historic aspects as well as daily enjoyment of natural treasures like the astonishing view of the lofty Bitterroot Range and the lodgepole-pine- covered ridges and peaks of the Sapphire Range. Just north of town lies the 2,800-acre Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, named in honor of the community's most famous native son, the late U.S. Senator. The refuge teems with waterfowl, bald eagles, ospreys, pheasants, white-tailed deer, and other wildlife, easily viewed from a road and from numerous hiking trails.

COPING WITH CHANGES
Agriculture and timbering have dominated the economic life of the area since the 1840s. Agriculture-primarily cattle and sheep, hay, and grain- remains a major part of the picture, but timbering has been in decline since the 1970s. Coupled with this downturn was a wave of newcomers settling in the valley who would, by their simple presence, change the valley's lifestyle. Most chose to live in the Bitterroot Valley but worked in Missoula. The area's population more than doubled from 1970 to the end of the century and Stevensville was at the center of that change, with all its ramifications- both good and bad.
Central to embracing change in Stevensville are two groups. The Stevensville Civic Club is a longstanding centerpiece of dialogue and action involving broad-based citizen leadership and participation. The group has a stunning record of achievement: beautification of Main Street, a hiking trail that extends from town to the Bitterroot River, a fully developed town park (Lewis & Clark Park), a museum celebrating the town's history, and a foundation that works continuously to enhance community functions. The second group, called the Main Street Association, came into being in October 2000 after three years of planning. Its purpose, according to program director Joan Prather, is "to serve as a bridge between the town's businesses and the community in general."
The outcomes of these two groups' efforts are particularly evident along Stevensville's main thoroughfare, Main Street, which until a few years ago was scarred by a number of empty and time-worn buildings seemingly relegated to the disappearing past. Today, Main Street sports new businesses, many revitalized and renovated buildings and storefronts, restaurants, art galleries, several new medical and bank buildings, and a vibrancy most articulated by growing community involvement in a monthly event called "First Friday" that has literally jump-started a two-way dynamic involving the town's business district and its citizens. First Friday started as an artist's reception at the new 1888 Metal Arts Gallery, and was embraced by other local businesses that now stay open until 9 p.m.

on the first Friday of every month, to provide live music, specials In local restaurants, and live art shows. It, and other events, according to Prather,can trace their acceptance in the community to the work of dozens of volunteers "who make these things happen." More is planned, according to Joan Prather. "We're here to help facilitate the needs, projects, preservation, and revitalization of our town," she said.

STEVENSVILLE LINKS Lodging Attractions Campgrounds Events Food & Drink

STAY AND EAT
Three local restaurants, among others, provide a range of meals from the traditional to the exotic, and one in particular represents the theme of making "old into new" in Stevensville. The Stevi Café, for a long time a popular coffee spot and source of traditional Montana luncheon fare, just over a year ago completely renovated the adjacent Old Corner Bar into a restaurant for luncheon and dinner customers and it has become an increasingly popular spot in Stevensville. Other favorites of mine include exquisite sandwiches at the Olde Coffee Mill and the exotic tastes found at the Food Fetish Café and Catering.
Stevensville has one quite special historical lodging option, at the refurbished Stevensville Hotel.

PARTY TIME
The Stevensville Creamery Picnic is always held on the first weekend of August, bringing thousands to town. In 2002, the community celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Creamery Picnic, an event initiated to celebrate reconstruction of the town's creamery that had been destroyed by a disastrous fire. Those who attend now enjoy a traditional Grand Parade and, among other things, homemade ice cream (even though the creamery that gave the event its name is no longer in existence), games, arts, crafts, food booths, entertainment, and live theater. The weekend serves as the hub for the local high school's fifty-year and ten-year anniversary gatherings, and "fifty-year-grads" are honored by riding in a special float in the parade.
Four other special events mark Stevensville's celebrations. They are, in chronological order:
Migration Mania, usually the third weekend in May, which celebrates the annual migration of birds through the area. Tours of the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge are the centerpiece, but the activities
include programs, demonstrations, and other events. Western Days are held the second weekend in June, showing off the community's "Western" flair with an annual calf dressing contest, a rodeo, pony rides, barbecue at the St. Mary's Mission, and shows at local antique, gift, art, and sculpture galleries.
Clark's Days, over the Fourth of July weekend, commemorates the passage of Captain William Clark through the area on the Corps of Discovery's return trip in 1806 (on July 6, 1806, they "dined" just west of where Stevensville now stands). This event celebrates the Bitterroot Valley's heritage at, where else, Lewis & Clark Park, and includes an art show downtown.
Old Fashioned Country Christmas and Gift Fair is held the first weekend in December. This event includes a Parade of Lights to view Christmas decorations, plus roasted peanuts, horse-drawn wagon rides, and lots of caroling. On Saturday, downtown Stevensville bustles with festive holiday spirit as the community promotes an "old-fashioned country Christmas" and a "Festival of the Trees" to demonstrate Christmas tree decorating at its finest.
In these and almost every other instance, day-to-day life in Stevensville often shapes itself by blending the actuality of being the "oldest established community in Montana" with things to do now. The result is that those of us who live in the town, individually and collectively, embrace both realities with an attitude of rich expectancy. We may revel in our town's historical legacy but we know that our time is a good time to live in Stevensville, too. And there's no contradiction in that.

OUT AND ABOUT In town, the St. Mary's Mission complex includes the famous chapel, Father Ravalli's log house/pharmacy, Chief Victor's house (now a small museum), and DeSmet Park, with picnic facilities. Tours run from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., April through October. The Stevensville Historical Museum features displays and artifacts emphasizing the early history of the Bitterroot Valley and Stevensville. It is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Just northwest of Stevensville, Fort Owen State Park is the site of many "firsts" in the state of Montana. Its history intertwines with that of Montana's first Catholic church and the site of the first permanent white settlement in Montana. The first sawmill, the first grist mill, the first agricultural development, the first water right, and the first school are credited to Fort Owen. A portion of the original fort still exists and several other components have been restored. Trailheads west of Stevensville provide easy day-hike access to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Many moderate hiking grades lead to the stunningly scenic canyons of this 1.3-million-acre wilderness. My favorite day hikes are the St. Mary's Peak trail, Kootenai Creek trail, Mill Creek trail, and the popular Blodgett Canyon trail just west of Hamilton. Twenty miles north of Stevensville on U.S. Highway 93, Travelers' Rest State Park at Lolo has become a major stop for contemporary historians traveling the Lewis & Clark Trail. This is the site where the Corps of Discovery stopped twice, in September 1805 on the outward bound journey, and again in July 1806 when the party rested there before splitting the expedition into two components for the return trip. One of Montana's most significant Lewis & Clark Expedition historic spots is Ross' Hole (Camp Creek). It was here in September of 1805 that the Lewis & Clark Expedition met up with the Salish Indians and traded for supplies and fresh horses. The encounter was memorialized by artist Charles M. Russell in his famous painting Lewis & Clark Meeting The Indians at Ross' Hole displayed in the Montana State Capitol in Helena. Located along Highway 93, at Sula, at the confluence of Camp Creek and the East Fork of the Bitterroot River, the area was named for a winter-long encampment made there in 1812 by fur trapper Alexander Ross.