Railroad ties were in great demand as the railroad expanded westward. The Bighorn Mountains and its forests teeming with trees helped fuel this expansion. Towering up to 70 feet above the river, the 36-mile-long Tongue River Tie Flume harnessed the power of the cold mountain water to quickly transport timber down the mountain to the sawmills in what was anything but a lazy river ride.

The Era of the Tie Flume presentation will highlight the construction of the flume, the tie camps and their impact on the economy of the Dayton and Ranchester area. Helen Laumann, local historian, will share her historical research and her experiences hiking the areas of the tie flume.

Explore History is a collaboration between Tongue River Valley Community Center and Sheridan Community Land Trust.

Explore History has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Next Fifty Initiative.

Photo Courtesy of the Helen Laumann Collection.