The Lozeau name has a historic reputation for hospitality. In 1866, French-Canadian Adolph Lozeau homesteaded a claim on the Clark Fork River near the mouth of Trout Creek. Lozeau had been a miner in California before building his home on the Mullan Road, a military installation connecting Walla Walla, Washington, to Fort Benton, Montana. Lozeau’s homestead became known as the 40-Mile House because it was 40 miles from Frenchtown. He and his wife, Louise, operated a boarding house out of their home with the help of their eight children.

In 1869, Lozeau hosted fellow Canadian Louis Barette. Barette and his prospecting partner, Basil Lanthier, had found gold in nearby Cedar Creek. They agreed to partner with Lozeau. While gathering supplies in Frenchtown, Lozeau spilled the secret, and soon thousands of men were stampeding towards Cedar Creek. Some say Lozeau drank too much and could not hold his tongue; others, however, believe Lozeau was looking out for his own best interests. His lodge at 40-Mile House would be the logical place for miners to stay and resupply before heading into Cedar Creek. A stampede of prospectors would mean a stampede of business for Lozeau.

The lodge could accommodate 65 lodgers in varying degrees of comfort; some paid 50 cents to sleep in the barn and some paid $1 to sleep on the floor of the house. All lodgers could buy a hot meal for $1. In addition to his boarding house, Lozeau invested in a ferry and toll road. Miners recalled the hostesses—Louise and her daughters—fondly. Adolph made himself popular by fiddling at local dances, the height of social life in the isolated settlements. The Lozeau family became such a staple of the community that one gold rush town, Louisville, was named after Adolph’s wife Louise.

Today the area is still a popular place for travelers to rest. The Lozeau Lodge is an ideal spot for those looking to raft the Alberton Gorge, fly fish the Clark Fork, or explore the many trails of Lolo National Forest.

Credits and Sources:

“Back in the Sixties – Quaint and Curious Records in the County Clerk’s Office.” The Anaconda Standard, January 21, 1894.

Bundrick, Irene. Interview by Mabel C. Olson, undated (ca. 1936–1939). “Social Life in and About Superior.” Folklore Project, Life Histories, 1936–39. Folklore Project, Life Histories, 1936-39 Folklore Project, Life Histories, 1936-39 Folklore Project, Life Histories, 1936-39 U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.

Davis-Quitt, Deb. Gumboot Gamblers: Tales of the Cedar Creek Gold Rush.Seeley Lake, MT: Deb Davis-Quitt, 1987.

Lozeau Lodge Website. http://www.lozeaulodgemontana.com/.

“Missoula Items.” Helena Weekly Herald, March 26, 1874.

Historic photograph “Louise and Adolph Lozeau” courtesy of Mineral County Historical Museum, Superior, MT.

Contemporary photograph of 40-Mile house site courtesy of Mineral County Historical Museum, Superior, MT.