Longtime residents retain a wealth of information. They can tell us how people have lived within the ecosystem over time. Their stories are not only entertaining, they provide clues as to how we can both use and protect our forests, wildlife, water and a rural way of life. Swan Valley journalist, Suzanne Vernon, local students and volunteers, conducted oral histories of longtime residents and summarized them for Swan Ecosystem Center and the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society, and published a book.
Montana: Voices of the Swan is available at our gift shop. Featured below is an excerpt:
To say that Clarence Stilwell's life has revolved around trees would be an understatement. He has studied trees, managed trees, harvested trees, taught college courses about trees, protected trees, fallen in love with ponderosa pine trees, taught his grandchildren about trees, and even chose the location of his retirement home--all because of the trees.
Clarence was born in 1910, an omen, he said, of things to come. "That was the year of the Big Fire," he said, explaining that he grew up hearing heart-breaking stories about the 1910 fire, and later worked around many men who had seen that fire first-hand. "I've always been a fire man," he said...
Mabel Lundberg Stilwell's life has reflected the things that she loves: children and mountains. She dreamed of becoming a teacher, and she was able to live those dreams, educating children at schools throughout western Montana. At the same time, she enjoyed raising her five children. In addition, she was able to acquire two homestead properties in the Swan Valley, where she found refuge every summer. She later retired here, and credits the education she received in the one-room schoolhouses of the Swan Valley and the discipline she learned from her Scandinavian parents for giving her the inspiration she needed to pursue her dreams...
Download the Stilwell's Oral History Summary (PDF)
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