On Sept. 8, 1897, Ole brought his bride, Magnhild Raaen, to share his home. Maggie (as Magnhild was called) was also from Norway. The couple were warm, hospitable, people and their place soon became a stopping place along the country road which led to the ferry across the Missouri River. The crossing allowed travelers a short cut to Willow Creek, Craig, and Wolf Creek.

Ole's many talents led him to gatherings around the county. He and his three brothers were all musicians in great demand to entertain at social functions and dances in the Helena Valley and surrounding towns. In the winter, when snow was too deep for horses, they often walked. At times the temperatures were below zero and on several occasions they returned home with frost bitten cheeks. Their travels took them from Craig to Unionville, Silver City, Marysville and Wolf Creek, a pretty great distance for winter travel.

Along with his musical talent, Ole was an ardent outdoorsman and hunter. He was also a road supervisor for Lewis & Clark County. In February of 1909, while encamped with a road crew near Wolf Creek, Ole - accompanied by his ten-year-old son - took a wagon and team to Wolf Creek for provisions. The wagon began slipping on the treacherous road; Ole took his son in is arms and attempted to jump clear of the overturning wagon, but they were both caught and were dragged a considerable distance. The boy was knocked unconscious, and Ole suffered severe injuries. He died at St. John's Hospital in Helena on February 24, 1909.

Maggie was left with a family of five children Her oldest was ten and her youngest, Andrew Oscar, only nine months old. She was also responsible for her two nephews, Martin and Harold Wolstein. Her sister had passed away in August of 1908, just six months before Ole's death. Can you imagine living in that remote area and trying to feed and care for seven lively children under the age of 10?

Her only income was what she could earn milking cows and selling butter and eggs. The boys all learned to hunt at an early age and supplied the meat, which she canned for the winter.

Summers were happy and carefree for the kids, but during winter blizzards the wind howled relentlessly and the snow drifted and piled up deeper and deeper. Maggie kept the fire going when temperatures hovered in the minus forties. She did not sleep (she sat up reading her bible) for fear the fire would get too hot or go out.

"Gateway of the Rockies" postcard, about 1900. More popularly know as "The Gates of the Mountains", this remarkable area is located about 20 miles north of Helena on the Missouri River. On July 19, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered this awe-inspiring limestone canyon. The 1,200 foot high walls inspired Lewis to write: "[These] are the most remarkable clifts that we have yet seen."

The expedition was forced to row past nightfall until they could find a place wide enough to make camp. That night in his journal, Lewis wrote, "from the singular appearance of this place I called it the gates of the rocky mountains."

The construction of Holter Dam in 1918 raised the level of the Missouri through the Gates some 100 feet; so what we see today is different than what the Lewis and Clark party saw, although it is still magnificent.

Northern entrance to the Gates of the Mountains, taken before the construction of Holter Dam in 1918. This is how Lewis and Clark saw it in 1806.