Interviewer
Gladys Peterson
Files
Description
Forrest Poe reflects on growing up in the Rattlesnake area of Missoula, Montana in the early 1900s. He describes the harsh conditions that homesteaders endured including infectious disease epidemics of measles and scarlet fever, which killed a number of children. Poe recalls the early settlers in the Rattlesnake and the often violent relationships among them, such as “Coyote Bill” who murdered a trapper in the Rattlesnake. Poe also reminisces about his time spent trapping when he met Ed McKay, a fellow trapper who was later discovered to be an escaped convict. He mentions Montana Power Company’s purchase of Rattlesnake land and how it affected homeowners in the area. Flossie Poe reminisces about her childhood on a farm in Eastern Montana, including the areas near Lambert, Montana and Enid, Montana. She recalls childhood memories such as crawling through the thrashing machine tubes with her brothers and encountering a silver fox. She also describes her family’s move west across Montana and how they often lived in a tent while her father worked a series of jobs and her mother provided for the family. Flossie Poe notes her admiration of her mother and how she treasures the quilt blocks her mother passed down to her.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Missoula, Montana; Rattlesnake Mountains, Montana; Settlers, Montana; Homesteaders, Montana; Ed McKay; Coyote Bill; William Peascoe; Longley family; Infectious disease epidemics; Montana Power Company; Trappers, Montana; Fur trapping, Montana; Miller Creek School (Missoula, Montana) History; Children Diseases, Montana; Rattlesnake Valley, Montana History; Eastern Montana; Enid, Montana; Lambert, Montana; Farming; Eastern Montana; Quilters, Montana; Silver Fox
Original Date
2-22-1988
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Life in the Rattlesnake Oral History Collection, OH 196, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 196-006, 007
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
2 sound cassettes (02:00:00 min.) analog + 1 transcript (28 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:50:14 minutes
Local Filename
OH_196_006_007.mp3; OH_196_006_007.pdf
Citation
Poe, Forrest H. and Poe, Flossie M., "Forrest H. Poe and Flossie M. Poe Interview, February 22, 1988" (1988). Life in the Rattlesnake Oral History Collection. 3.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/rattlesnakelife_oralhistory/3