Webblog

Sharp’s whoop up country gives us a view of the Northern plains in a way that’s much easier to read and understand than the Webb text we read earlier. It tells about the whoop up trail that existed between the Great Falls, MT and up into Alberta that was used for trade in the 1800’s. It basically tells us of the trading that went on there and how that changed the area as a whole.

I found the chapter on the Chicago of the plains interesting. It seems ridiculous now to think there could be a Chicago like city in northern Montana but I can see how it would have completely made sense back then with a major river being a precursor to most major cities. It seems that one of the major contributors to Fort Benton not becoming a larger city was the lack of fuel to keep its people warm in the long winter months of the northern plains.

We also see in other chapters how the harsh weather was a big obstacle of life on the northern plains, something that continues even today. I know myself I had to trade off an old car with low mileage mainly because it was not a good winter running car and was afraid to drive it across the state. It was interesting to see how people dealt with the cold weather and adapted to the land.

I have to agree with others by saying this was a much more interesting read than Webb. I found myself actually wanting to keep reading but having to quit because of the glare of the cpu screen hurting my eyes and my cheapness preventing me from just printing it off. It was easier to relate to as this area is not far from where I grew up in Crosby, ND.