When we picture the Wild West, we think gunslingers, saloons, and gold rushes—but behind all that action were the freight haulers, the true workhorses of western expansion. These were the folks dragging tons of supplies—everything from mining gear and barrels of flour to ore fresh from the ground—across wild terrain and through weather that would make a cowboy cry. In 1908, freight teams were hauling ore from the Alabama Mine to the Alder Gulch Mill near Zortman, Montana, bumping along rugged trails with nothing but grit, guts, and a whole lot of mule power. These “mule skinners” and “bull whackers” might not have made history books, but without them, the West wouldn’t have functioned. No wagons, no supplies, no boomtowns. It was a rough life, but somebody had to keep the wheels turning—literally. And they did a phenomenal job!
Props to freight haulers of the past and present. Check out the old Montana freight photo above that was posted by Western Mining History. Pretty cool.
