Wilderness exhibit set up at Discovery Square

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation recently set up an historic display in the big bank vault in the lobby of Glacier Discovery Square, in Columbia Falls.

The display in the Legacy Archive Vault showcases the history of the Wilderness Act and introduces the three wilderness areas that form “The Bob” — more than 1 million acres along the Continental Divide.

The exhibit features a series of historic photos of old timers constructing trails in “The Bob,” including construction of an early bridge over the South Fork of the Flathead River at Meadow Creek Gorge and use of a horse-drawn plow and grader to construct trails.

The center piece of the exhibit is a reconstruction of an original trail camp, complete with tools used in the early days to build trails in the wilderness. The exhibit also provides a brief history of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, recognizes its many partners, and explains how people can get involved with the good work.

The exhibit was put together by Foundation board members Al Koss, Ralph Hopkins and Fred Flint with help from Stu Sorensen. Gil Jordan, executive director of the Museum at Central School, in Kalispell, provided technical advice and support. Funding for the project was provided by the Foundation with help from the Flathead National Forest and the Museum at Central School.

The exhibit will remain at Discovery Square for a year and then may move to the Museum at Central School for another year, as past Discovery Square displays have done.

The nonprofit Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation assists in maintaining and restoring trails in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex with national organizations, youth groups and individual volunteers. For more information, visit online at www.bmwf.org.

The creation of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, an historic timeline:

1929 — The Forest Service adopts regulations to set aside primitive areas.

1931 — The South Fork of the Flathead Primitive area, about 584,000 acres, is established by the Forest Service.

1933 — The Pentagon Primitive area, about 95,000 acres, is established.

1934 — The Sun River Primitive area, about 240,000 acres, is established.

1939 — Bob Marshall, director of recreation and lands for the Forest Service, develops and helps implement comprehensive regulations for primitive areas. Marshall died that same year at the age of 38.

1940 — An order signed by Secretary of Agriculture H.A. Wallace unites the Sun River, South Fork and Pentagon primitive areas into the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

1964 — The Wilderness Act is passed by Congress, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness is congressionally designated.

1968 — Congress approves the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

1972 — Conservationists and local residents persuade Congress to add the Lincoln-Scapegoat Wilderness, which becomes the 239,936-acre Scapegoat Wilderness, which is contiguous to the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

1973 — The Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead forms to assist the Forest Service in maintaining trails, bridges, cabins and other structures in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

1976 — All three forks of the Flathead River are designated as Wild and Scenic.

1978 — The 285,771-acre Great Bear Wilderness is created, which is also contiguous to the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

1985 — The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation is formed to help maintain the 1,900 miles of trails in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.