Author Sharon Randolph connects readers to the Sun

Just as Glacier National Park’s sedimentary layers of Precambrian era rock bely its rich geologic history, the Park has layer after layer of anthropological treasures that tell the story of is origin. Once former Minnesota social worker turned author Sharon Randolph unearthed Northwest Montana’s pioneering tales and stories of the Crown of the Continent’s birth, she found it impossible to stop digging.

Now the author of the four-volume series, Connecting us to the Sun, Randolph developed an early love of Montana when she began traveling from Minnesota to Glacier National Park in 1958, but didn’t make the move to the area until the early 1990s. The research and writing of her four-volume series took her on a 17-year journey. Anyone who has hiked the trails, viewed the majestic vistas or journeyed along the Going to the Sun Road will appreciate that each peak, road, chalet or lake has a story to tell. Randolph’s books create characters out of the awe-inspiring landmarks that captivate natives and visitors alike. The series uniquely brings attention to and is a tribute to the diverse historical trails leading to the development of communities throughout the mountainous region of the Northern Rockies, followed by the creation of Glacier National Park and the region’s enduring relationships up to the end of World War II.

Volume One — Trails Leading to Montana

Travelers from the East follow the lay of the land by horse, walking, wagon train, and the railroad to journey into unknown country. Facing challenges for what lies ahead leads to providing a paradise for some and difficulty for others. Minnesota becomes a state in 1858 and Montana in 1889. As we approach a new century there are greater expectations for an easier way of life.

Volume Two — A Nation’s Attention to the Northern Rockies

The new century has many people journeying to an area that will become Glacier National Park in 1910. Changes are occurring as the Old West fades away. The Going to the Sun Highway is constructed out of a mountainside for a wilderness experience enjoyed by all.

Volume Three — Finding Our Place in the Sun-the West Side

The west side of the Northern Rockies provides natural locations for communities to develop along beautiful glacier fed rivers and lakes, and in green meadows. These will come to be called such names as Apgar, Belton, and Polebridge. A rich history evolves of people depending on each other and the land to survive.

Volume Four — Finding Our Place in the Sun-the East Side

A rugged terrain on the east side of the Northern Rockies results in survival of the fittest. Communities spring up in areas where people depend on their own survival techniques to endure harsh winters and great distances to other communities. For each individual, the reason to live where the mountains rise from the prairies is as unique as the incredible unparalleled beauty seen at Essex, East Glacier, St. Mary, Babb and the Canadian Rockies of Waterton.

Besides writing, Randolph also served as the Student Development Coordinator at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Montana for 23 years. She has taught the 12-hour FVCC class “Glacier National Park: Transcending Time” through the Senior Institute since 2010 and a continuing education class. Sharon has done “Glacier National Park: Embracing the Unknown by Foot, Horse, Rail, and Auto” and “Wild Stories of Early Travellers Journeying to Glacier and Waterton” through library programs, community lectures, programs at the Falls Theatre in Waterton, Assisted Living Homes, and was the kick-off speaker for the Great Northern Railway Historical Society National Convention in East Glacier during the Glacier National Park Centennial in 2010. In addition, in 2015 Sharon began speaking to Columbia Falls High School History and English classes regarding Glacier National Park History and an “Author’s Journey.” In 2017, Randolph debuted “Canadian Rockies: Our Neighbors to the North” and the 90-minute program “Canada’s Mountain National Parks: A Celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017.” The story of a rich and active history is portrayed in a slideshow accompanied with informative dialogue gained through historical research and personal experiences in Canada’s Mountain National Parks starting as a child in 1960.

Finally, Randolph was featured in another book benefiting the Glacier Centennial Program, titled 100 YEARS — 100 STORIES, which shares experiences from people whose lives have been enriched by the grandeur and beauty of Glacier National Park.

You can find the published works of Sharon Randolph in the Montana section of the Whitefish Community Library or contact her at trailstomontana@gmail.com for more information. To learn more about other programs or events at the WCL, visit www.whitefishlibrary.org or like WCL on Facebook.