This collection includes thirteen interviews detailing the history of the Ninemile Remount Depot north of Missoula, Montana. The interviews were conducted in 1977 by Jane Reed Benson as a project for the U.S. Forest Service, which later became her 1978 thesis The U.S. Forest Service Remount Depot and winter Range: Oral and Written History Prepared for a Government Agency. The interviewees discuss the evolution of firefighting, horse breeding, mules and other livestock used in fighting forest fires, and day-to-day life at the Depot. The original interviews are held as Oral History Collection OH 086 at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, the University of Montana.
This collection includes 13 interviews.
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Alma Thompson Interview, August 30, 1977
Alma Thompson
Alma Thompson discusses her husband, Boyd Thompson, and his work at the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station. She describes Boyd Thompson’s work with mules and horses at the Depot, where he was a supervisor or pack strings and an overseer of saddle horse breeding. Thompson ... Read More
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Clyde Fickes Interview, May 3, 1977
Clyde Fickes
Clyde Fickes discusses founding the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station, including the difficulties he faced getting the project accepted, fires in the area, and undependable hiring stock. He describes the Perma Ranch used for wintering stock, hiring Boyd Thompson as a saddle horse breeder, the ... Read More
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Donald A. "Don" Harrington Interview, May 5, 1977
Donald A. Harrington
Donald "Don" Harrington discusses his experiences working as a truck driver for the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station north of Missoula, Montana. He describes his experiences hauling mules and horses to forest fires in Montana, Oregon, and California during the 1940s and 1950s. He discusses ... Read More
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Eugene Polette and Marian Polette Interview, August 8, 1977
Eugene Polette and Marian Polette
Eugene Polette and Marian Polette discuss their respective work as a truck driver and as a secretary at the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station north of Missoula, Montana. Eugene Polette describes driving livestock to northern California during the 1950s, haying for the Winter Range, and ... Read More
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Henry J. "Hank" Viche and Bernice Viche Interview, July 7, 1977
Henry J. Viche and Bernice Viche
Henry "Hank" Viche discusses his numerous roles as the superintendent of the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station and the Winter Range during the 1940s. He describes the difficulties that the Montana climate posed on tending horses and mules, the transportation of livestock, and the saddle ... Read More
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John Christenson Interview, August 3, 1977
John Christenson
John Christensen discusses his experiences working as a packer for the United States Forest Service at the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station north of Missoula, Montana for two seasons in the early 1950s. He describes responding to fire calls, how mules were used around camp, ... Read More
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Johnny Breazeal Interview, July 13, 1977
Johnny Breazeal
Johnny Breazeal discusses his experiences working as a fire control officer and with the smokejumpers who were located near the Nine Mile Remount Depot north of Missoula, Montana. He describes the use of pack mules in fires, detailing the coordination required to make sure all ... Read More
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Marion Duncan and Beulah Duncan Interview, July 25, 1977
Marion Duncan and Beulah Duncan
Marion Duncan discusses his various occupations with the United States Forest Service, mainly as it pertained to the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station. He describes working in the warehouse where many supplies for firefighting were stored, the construction of the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station ... Read More
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McCoy "Coy" Rice and Imogene Rice Interview, May 18, 1977
McCoy Rice and Imogene Rice
McCoy “Coy” Rice discusses his experiences working as a packer and blacksmith at the Nine Mile Remount Depot from 1943 to 1953. He describes working on the film Red Skies over Montana, breaking mules, horse breeding, loading packs, and problems he faced with predators and ... Read More
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Walter "Walt" Peery and Mabel Peery Interview, August 5, 1977
Walter Peery and Mabel Peery
Walter “Walt” Peery discusses working as a horse and mule trainer at the Nine Mile Remount Depot north of Missoula, Montana during the 1930s. He describes livestock breeding, the traits of different breeds of horses, training practices, and handling mule stock in general.
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W. C. "Cap" Evans and Frieda Evans Interview, June 27, 1977
W. C. Evans and Frieda Evans
W. C. “Cap” Evans discusses the founding and history of the Nine Mile Remount Depot north of Missoula, Montana, spanning from its inception in 1930 to its closure in the 1960s. He describes how the Depot became the showplace of the Northwest for the U.S. ... Read More
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William "Bill" Longpre and Lena Marceau Longpre Interview, July 26, 1977
William Longpre and Lena Marceau Longpre
William Longpre discusses the history of the Ninemile Remount Depot, including the land the Depot was built on, the Depot itself, and people such as Locke M. (L. M.) Stewart, Ed MacKay, Evan W. “Major” Kelley, W. C. Evans, Hank Viche, Jesse “Jake” Williams, Hugh ... Read More
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William B. Russell Interview, July 29, 1977
William B. Russell
William B. Russell discusses the various projects that he oversaw during his time working for the United States Forest Service at the Nine Mile Remount Depot Station during the 1930s. He describes his experiences supervising and directing Civilian Conservation Corps crews stationed at the Depot ... Read More