DescriptionThe area where Lincoln now stands was well known to travelers. The fabled Cokalihishkit, “River of the road to the buffalo,” was followed by the Nez Perce, Salish, and other tribes to the buffalo grounds of the Montana plains. Capt. Meriwether Lewis led a small contingent along this same route on his return trip to the Great Falls of the Missouri River in July 1806 and noted that “the road was a well beaten track we could not miss our way.” In 1865, prospectors David Culp and Thomas Patterson struck gold near here. They decided to name the site Lincoln Gulch in memory of the recently assassinated president, Abraham Lincoln. By 1880, most of the placer mines had played out, and the local economy converted to farming and logging. The present town of Lincoln developed 4 miles east of Lincoln Gulch, on the road between Missoula and Great Falls. Numerous small sawmills operated in the valley, primarily supplying local needs. A notable event in Lincoln’s history occurred in 1996, when federal authorities tracked down the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, living in a cabin southeast of Lincoln. The 1918 Lincoln Community Hall is listed in the National Register.Personal NamesCulp, DavidPatterson, ThomasOther Name(s)Lincoln GulchContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation4542 ft.CountyLewis and Clark County
