Where the wild horses are
It was a great day that required us to be in Missoula recently. The sun was out but snow the night before had dusted the mountains surrounding the Flathead Valley. As we cruised toward Elmo the spectacle of Wild Horse Island rose before us. It's a beautiful sight, this 2,700-acre island that rises 700 feet above the lake and has an elevation of 3,172 feet. It is the largest island on the lake. It's impressive enough in the summer but the winter snow coating makes it even more intriguing.
The history of Wild Horse Island is also curious. It was created 17,000 years ago when a large glacier gouged out Flathead Lake. The stone ground structure that refused to yield to the glacier created Wild Horse Island. The name comes from the fact that the Salish-Kootenai Indians put their horses on the island to keep them from being stolen by enemy tribes. Eventually some of the horses "went wild." Rumor has it that there are still three wild horses on the island. It is unclear how the Indians got the horses to the island, whether they swam the distance or went out over the ice.
In 1910 when the Flathead Reservation was opened for homesteading, Wild Horse Island was included. Herman Schnitzmeyer, a famous early day photographer from Polson was an early homesteader-but mainly the land went for agricultural usage. Although homesteads were 80 to 160 acres, Roy Tonkinson ran 100 head of cattle on his acreage. The Norbert family established a dairy farm on the island and delivered milk each day to Dayton. Transportation to and from the island was by rowboat or, in the winter, over the ice.
A Reverend Edington and his wife purchased land on the northern part of the island and started a dude ranch. After Edington died his widow sold the property to Louis Powell of Helena. He converted the area to a game refuge. Over the years a variety of wild game have established residence on Wild Horse Island. These include mule deer, bighorn sheep, songbirds, bald eagles and falcons. The terrain is classified as an "endangered palouse prairie environment."
In 1941 Dr. J. C. Burnett and his wife purchased the island. They were the first people to own the entire island. Mrs. Burnett was the heiress to the Timken Roller Bearing fortune. Although they made comparatively few trips to the island, they financed the construction of a large dock at the Diamond X ranch near Rollins. Later two docks were built on the south end of Wild Horse Island. They also constructed a large beautiful summer home on the island.
By 1960 local historian Thain White was reporting efforts to purchase the 2,700 acres from the estate of the late Dr. Burnett. Many suggestions were considered including using the island as the site of a penitentiary. Fortunately the latter was not pursued. Charles Malt was to purchase a large portion of the land. Land purchased often changed hands frequently. Finally, in the late 1970s, the bulk of the island (2,163 acres) was owned by the state and declared the "Wild Horse Island State Park." Some private property still exists on the perimeter of the island.
Wild Horse Island is accessible only by boat and, as state parks go, it is ruggedly organized. No pets are allowed and there is no overnight camping. No campfires are allowed and a rugged hiking trail of about a mile exists. Nevertheless, the opportunity to commune with a unique and endangered environment is of great value. The views of the Swan and Mission mountain ranges is spectacular. While on the island the motto of environmentalists is loud and clear-"Take only memories, leave only footprints."
Wild Horse Island is a valued treasure of the Flathead Valley.