Article published Jul 30, 2007

Significance and fate of Portage Route National Historic Landmark

By Ken Robison

The importance of Lewis & Clark's portage around Great Falls in 1805 has been questioned recently during the debate on the proposed Highwood Generating Station coal plant. Proponents for the plant argue that the National Historic Landmark status granted to the site — which sits immediately adjacent to the site of the proposed coal plant — is of little relevance to Great Falls and to American history and is therefore an acceptable casualty for economic development. We, the members of the Great Falls/Cascade County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, respectfully disagree.

Our commission is actively involved in the coal plant issue; we participated in the formal review of adverse effects to the landmark site that is required by federal regulations in the wake of the proposed coal plant. The review is not yet complete, but we want to share our perspective on an issue we believe has been poorly represented thus far. We want the public to understand how significant the site in question is.

The Portage Route historic landmark is the most significant asset Great Falls has to mark its place in our nation's history. It was not until the mid-1960s that the U.S. realized that it was losing all land evidence of the pivotal and historic Lewis and Clark Expedition. The National Park Service studied the 3,000-mile route of Lewis and Clark and found that only 14 sites remained with any sense of recognizable integrity. The Great Falls Portage was significant nationally because of its intact terrain and identifiable locations surveyed and recorded by William Clark in 1805. It is the only such landmark in central Montana; six other national historic landmarks exist along the southern and western boundaries of the state.

For those who argue that the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail is of little importance compared to Gettysburg or Valley Forge, we disagree. All three are core historical elements of our past.

For those who argue that the Portage historic landmark is of little relevance to American history, we say paid heed to the National Park Service report. It concluded that: "No other site along the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail so aptly represents the extreme hardships of the expedition while being so geographically accessible to the general visiting public."

For those who say the Portage site already has been degraded by past development, we say That is precisely why we should fight to preserve the remainder of this historical important landmark.

The Secretary of Interior recently evaluated the impact of the proposed coal plant on the Portage site. The report concludes that the Highwood plant "would have profound and adverse impacts on the National Historic Landmark and would require a critical review of its integrity, a process which would likely lead to the loss of National Historic Landmark status for most, if not all, of the route." The ramifications of losing that designation are huge. Without it, Great Falls could also lose its gold star on the map of important Lewis and Clark sites, along with all the economic benefits that bestows.

(Don't just take our word for it. Read a copy of the report yourself. It's available on file at the Great Falls Public Library.)

Locating a coal plant a shadow's distance from the Portage site would be a mistake, plain and simple. Coal-plant proponents need to find a new location that does not destroy our heritage.