Underground Town & Shep

August 1-3, 2019

Evergreen Campgrounds, Harve, Montana

Day 48-50

Radio has been spotty the last few days. Sometimes I get the Canadian stations. The Canadian and one local public station have a large Indian influence and even have some native singing. Yet another station announces what’s for lunch at the senior center, gives the Sheriff’s report, has “polka” time, NASCAR reports and, of course, farm bureau numbers on cattle and wheat. This is why, I love local radio. You don’t this from satellite radio. Sadly, it’s still all over the radio today about the two Canadian killers on the loose. How scary. Poor couple.

The drive from St. Mary’s to Harve is pretty much flat and straight. We drive thru Cut Bank, usually noted on weather reports for being the coldest place in the continental US…not today, it’s looking like 90F! The scenery is becoming less drastic and more predictable. Behind me, to the west, is mostly pasture for cattle. In front of me, mostly plains with crops like wheat and barley. The fields are either butterscotch or iridescent light gold. It’s still beautiful. Towns/silos appear every 10-12 miles but are so small they barely have an intersection. I hit huge repaving/construction on Highway 2, and we are delayed about 30 minutes. No problem, I am in no rush.

After stopping about 3 times, we get into Harve about 2 pm. The town was named after the French port, Le Harve. Like many towns along the original train routes, the only thing in common with their namesake is the name - towns like Kremlin, Glasgow, Bismarck, Harlem and Zurich to name a few. They pronounce it HER-EV. Population is about 10K, down from about 15K when the passenger railway used to stop here. Now it is only commercial trains.

My campground has trees, but not on my site. I walk Sparky then leave him behind so I can pick-up groceries. The truck is so dirty, so covered with bird droppings and dead insects. It feels refreshing to get it washed, though I know it will look this way for only a day or two. It's amazing how you can look in the sky and see no birds, but they’re there. They seek you, and they have fun bombing you. One day, a whole bird hit my windshield! I am so happy it wasn’t cracked. Not because of the cost, but the inconvenience of getting it repaired!

My camping neighbors are two mature single ladies from the Midwest. They are friends traveling separately, together with dogs. One just lost her husband and is on her 3rd RV (1st and 2nd were Airstreams). She wanted something easier than a trailer, so she got a small motor home. They went to Harve “Beneath the Streets” this afternoon. It’s a tourist attraction that they say is fascinating and that I should go. Basically, there was a bar fight in 1904 that lead to the bar and 54 other businesses burning down to the ground. Almost the whole downtown was destroyed. Since the buildings were built with basements and original connecting passageways, the business went underground for 2 years while the city rebuilt. (More on that later, because I went on the tour the next day.)

Day 2 – This next stop had been on my list since the beginning. I wanted to see the statue of Shep the loyal dog in Fort Benton. Shep watched his master’s casket loaded on to the train in 1936 and then waited for his master to return. He patiently wanted for the next 5-1/2 years until he got hit by a train in 1942. The City gave him a hero’s burial and a statue. Similar to the story in Japan of Hachiko and the movie by the same name with Richard Gere (who was horribly miscast). Fort Benton is a small, cute town set along the Missouri River in a gorge. From a distance, it looks like flat plains, but when you get within a few miles, rolling hills below the horizon start to appear. This is where Fort Benton is hidden. It was really hot (95F), too hot to shop and there really wasn’t any shopping to do so we went back to camp to nap.

Left Sparky behind for the Harve “Beneath the Streets” tour. Well, if you are in Harve, you should go on the tour. It’s fascinating and their only tourist attraction. I took pictures which will tell you most of the story, but you could google it too. They had every type of business represented – brothels, bars, pharmacy, baker (they even built a special brick oven), church, laundry (including an opium den) and a lawyer. Sometime in the 50’s a local philanthropist got involved to save this history. They are still trying to save it. Upon leaving, I got a drink coupon for the bar above. Supposedly, it has the longest bar back in the US. I enjoyed a refreshing (and strong) gin and tonic for $2.50!!! That’s too cheap, so I gave her a $5. Then I talked to one of the locals in the bar who is in construction and real estate. He said one-bedroom apartments go for around $450/month. Nice people at the bar. Really everywhere.

Back at camp, I walk Sparky and meet some other travelers. One couple were playing lasso with a portable mini bull (where is my phone/camera when I need it?)! She says it more fun than going to a bar. They have two corgis. One’s a puppy and so adorable!!! All the dogs are getting along. Rain is coming and the sky looks amazing!