Category: Charles Marion Russell

Profiles in History: Charles M. Russell: Artist of the American West

Charles Marion Russell (1864–1926) was born in St. Louis and grew up with a hankering for the cowboy life. By the time he was born, America had been undergoing a massive expansion westward since the Mexican-American War victory and the discovery of gold in California, both taking place in 1848. By the time he turned…


‘Cowboy Artist’ Paints an Epic Event: ‘Lewis and Clark Meet Salish Flathead Indians at Ross’s Hole’

The explorers arrived in the valley on a cold and clear morning in September 1805. With a hint of winter coming, Meriwether Lewis wrote in his weather diary that an inch of ice covered the ground in Ross’s Hole, Montana. John Ordway, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, noted that snow now covered…