| Medicine Tree / reflections |
"My dad was an avid fisherman.
Growing up in Missoula my family
would go on camping trips to the
North Fork of the Salmon River for
my dad to fish for steelhead
salmon."The Medicine Tree and its
legend were told to me by my dad on
our travels to go fishing. My dad and
his fishing buddies called the tree
'Itchy Bawd.'"When we traveled past
the tree on our fishing and camping
adventures, it was standard
procedure to cast pennies out of the
car windows at Itchy Bawd for good
luck fishing."If dad wasn't in too
much of a hurry, we were allowed to
stop by the tree for a while.
Otherwise, it was pitch those
pennies. -Jo Sacco- Missoula, MT
Growing up in Missoula my family
would go on camping trips to the
North Fork of the Salmon River for
my dad to fish for steelhead
salmon."The Medicine Tree and its
legend were told to me by my dad on
our travels to go fishing. My dad and
his fishing buddies called the tree
'Itchy Bawd.'"When we traveled past
the tree on our fishing and camping
adventures, it was standard
procedure to cast pennies out of the
car windows at Itchy Bawd for good
luck fishing."If dad wasn't in too
much of a hurry, we were allowed to
stop by the tree for a while.
Otherwise, it was pitch those
pennies. -Jo Sacco- Missoula, MT
"On Sept. 14, some dear friends with
whom we were visiting took us from
Stevensville to Big Hole State Park. On our
return, we stopped to visit the Medicine
Tree and honor it with our respect."We are
just now sharing our photographs and the
story of the tree with our family and
friends here in Texas. Just tonight, we
were showing photos of the tree to our
grandchildren and impressing upon them
the spirituality of the tree."We returned
home to find that our friends in
Stevensville had sent us a copy of
Missoulian article concerning the tree's
current situation. I just wanted to tell you
that there are those in Texas, as well as
many other areas, who also mourn the loss
of the tree.-Gary and Fran Rogers- Texas
whom we were visiting took us from
Stevensville to Big Hole State Park. On our
return, we stopped to visit the Medicine
Tree and honor it with our respect."We are
just now sharing our photographs and the
story of the tree with our family and
friends here in Texas. Just tonight, we
were showing photos of the tree to our
grandchildren and impressing upon them
the spirituality of the tree."We returned
home to find that our friends in
Stevensville had sent us a copy of
Missoulian article concerning the tree's
current situation. I just wanted to tell you
that there are those in Texas, as well as
many other areas, who also mourn the loss
of the tree.-Gary and Fran Rogers- Texas
"I first recall the Medicine Tree when I was a small boy in the 1930s. We spent our one week
vacation in Medicine Hot Springs (from Missoula it was a five-hour trip in those days)."We
always stopped at the Medicine Tree and my father would tell the story of the sheep horns in the
tree. When I married and had children, I made a point to stop at the tree on our trips to the East
Fork and relate the story to them."Then my grandkids came along and I did the same thing with
them. When we traveled to the East Fork, they would always ask, 'How far to the Medicine
Tree?'"They were also very upset when a few years ago they learned the tree was dying. I have
been stopping at the Medicine Tree for over 60 years. -Ted Criswell- Missoula, MT
vacation in Medicine Hot Springs (from Missoula it was a five-hour trip in those days)."We
always stopped at the Medicine Tree and my father would tell the story of the sheep horns in the
tree. When I married and had children, I made a point to stop at the tree on our trips to the East
Fork and relate the story to them."Then my grandkids came along and I did the same thing with
them. When we traveled to the East Fork, they would always ask, 'How far to the Medicine
Tree?'"They were also very upset when a few years ago they learned the tree was dying. I have
been stopping at the Medicine Tree for over 60 years. -Ted Criswell- Missoula, MT
