Some history from an early Missoula family who settled in the Rattlesnake area!

PART ONE – EARLY FAMILY HISTORY IN THE RATTLESNAKE VALLEY (PRESCOTT SCHOOL AREA)

The following is an excerpt from my grandmother’s family history, a 6-page typed document that she created in I think the 1960’s. My grandmother’s name was Ellen Nellie Tiffany McAlear.

This excerpt comes from page 3. The document is really about her mother and father’s lives, (Nellie May Magee Tiffany and Willard Tiffany- my great-grandparents), however, includes some of her personal history as well.

The reason why I’m including this history in a post on the Prescott School Missoula blog is because the histoy takes place in the Rattlesnake area, thus the Prescott School area of Missoula. My grandmother also told me that she attended sewing classes at Prescott School (of course it would have been the first Prescott). I’m not sure about where her other schooling took place in the Rattlesnake – she lived here until 1920 -something I need to look into since the info was not passed on to me.

Again, from page 3 of 6 of my grandmother’s family history includes early Missoula history, specifically lower Rattlesnake history follows - 

“…The next year they moved on to Missoula (1907). My mother was expecting another baby to arrive in June of 1908. Because of an unusual heavy snow during the winter and days on end of rain in the spring; the Missoula river {now named the Clark Fork} washed out the bridges leaving no Dr. care on the south side of the river, where my parents were now living. They had rented a home in Orchard Homes until I was born and they could find a place to buy. The water that went over the banks of the river circled the Tiffany home but all was well in doors. {This event is now known as the1908 flood} A girl had been wished for and there I was, and mother was doing fine, too.

 A home was bought up Vanburen (my grandmother’s spelling) St. near Rattle Snake Creek (again, my grandmother’s spelling). Dad built a screened out (my grandmother’s spelling) door kitchen near the big apple tree, in the back yard. Lots of home grown fruit and vegetables and fresh air and rest must have been all that was needed. "

Look for Part 2 of early living in the Rattlesnake by my grandma (whom I loved so much!)