The Bitterroot Trail:

The classical 1935 Western book

-- After 72 Years --
-- Available Again --
now in E-book formats too!

Links to facts about the real Plummer and the Innocent Gang

Maps of Idaho Territory from historical archives.

Plummer was a real person.  For some he was a hero, a lawman, and a leader.  For others he was a villian, a cutpurse, and good only for hanging.   His exploits occurred in the city of Virginia City, Idaho Territory  -- which is now in the state of Montana.  If you look at map 6, you can see where I've boxed it out. 

A city not even remotely close to any of the trails or cities actually used for the basis of the novel.  I doubt if him and or the innocent gang ranged that far west by horseback.  We are talking about treks which took months and months not days as we do today.

I do think the legend of Plummer was used to create the villian of the novel. Too many of the actions match the legend, not the facts.  It certainly makes for good fiction and a great story.

If you are interested in further study of Henry Plummer and the Innocent Gang, below are some links you might find helpful.

Sherriff Meets the Noose

Henry Plummer, Wikpedia

Plummer Timeline


Montana Vigilantees

History . net article

Long hours of research with extremely inacurate and often contradictory historical maps will leave you with two impressions.  There really was a bitterroot trail which travelled along the Bitterroot Mountains from Missoula to Fort Hall, modern day Pocatello. The other is that it wasn't just the one trail called by that name, the old timers called several hundred different trails by that name.  It has been the modern cartogrophers that have come back along over the years and renamed the trails  to be more symbolic versions.

When you compound it with the fact that Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming were territories for a grand total of 3 years, during which NO ONE surveyed and mapped the areas, confusion is often the best we can do today.

After examining several hundred maps from historical collections both online and in person, I have chosen six which depect the condition of preserved maps as they are today. On the last map from 2001, I have added my own educated guess of where the trails actually went, based on the research I did with the maps.  If you can't find a trail you know, its only because I didn't put them all in, or state every name for the trail I ran across.

Remember, the Bitterroot trail really existed, the Towns and locations really existed, and the actions happened somewhere.  The rest is what makes fiction fun.

USA Territories 1860 University of Washington
USA Territories 1863 Library of Congress {300 dpi, 22 Mb}
Closeup of Idaho Territory 1863  Library of Congress {300 dpi, 7Mb]
USA Territories 1870 University of Washington
USA Northwest Settlement handbook map 1869-1870 University of Texas
Idaho - Montana 2001 GIS Map University of Texas With a best estimate of the 1860's gold & emmigration trails overlay

Visit James W. Johnson Here --

Read an Excerpt from the book  --

See Maps of the Idaho Territory

&

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Sage Fire Reviews

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All work © 2008, MD Johnson, all rights reserved.