In 1983, the Missoula Chapter of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) started work on the Forestry Interpretive Area located at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. The Forestry Interpretive Area is designed to exhibit the important role forestry and timber harvesting has had on all of our lives in Western Montana. By using operational and static displays, the SAF has tried to show the many
aspects of forestry and logging over the last 100 years. A retired 1933 US Forest Service lookout and guard cabin was relocated to the site. A refurbished 50-ton Willamette locomotive that was used from 1931 to 1948 to haul logs in the Blackfoot Valley. This “Engine No.7" was also the locomotive in the 1954 movie “Timberjack.” An operating steam-powered sawmill was rebuilt from the ground up and is run at Forestry Days, 4th of July and other special occasions. In 1995, the University of Montana Woodsman Team built their new arena at the Interpretive Area. In conjunction with our Forestry Day, the UM Woodsman Team hosts an annual Pro-Am logging competition each spring with over 100 collegiate and professional competitors. In 2002, we dedicated the arena to Garrett Grothen; a long-time supporter of the Woodsman Team and the Forestry Interpretive Area. On Forestry Day, we have equipment exhibits, steam-powered sawmill demonstrations, and lots of other forestry-related displays.
