DescriptionThe river, valley, and mountain range all derive their names from Lewisia rediviva, an important food plant for Native Americans. The Bitterroot Valley Salish gathered the pungent root in early summer, and they referred to the valley and mountains as Spet-lum, “Place of the bitterroot.” Capt. Meriwether Lewis gathered bitterroot to be classified and later named; the Montana legislature designated it the Montana state flower in 1894. On June 30, 1806, Capt. William Clark descended the Bitterroot Range, which the expedition had crossed on the way to the Pacific the previous autumn. He wrote in his journal, “Leaveing those tremendious montanes behind us—in passing of which we have experiensed Cold and hunger of which I shall ever remember.”Personal NamesLewis, MeriwetherClark, WilliamOther Name(s)Spet-lumContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1]
