Superior

The Mullan Road is carved into the face of the mountains high above the Clark Fork River west of here. Lieutenant John Mullan tried to keep his wagon road as close to the river as possible. But when his work crews ran up against a mountain spur that reached all the way to the edge of the river, he was forced to seek an alternate route. Mullan later wrote that "to make this six-mile cut through rocky spurs was an undertaking that I almost feared to attempt." On May 10, 1860, he assembled his entire work force of 150 citizens and soldiers at the west side of the spur. For the next six weeks, his men dug, whittled, and blasted their way up the mountain side to an altitude of a thousand feet above the river. A premature explosion while clearing a path through the rocks wounded one man and severely stunned another. When completed in June, 1860, the Big Side Cut segment was the most awe-inspiring of the entire 624-mile Mullan Road. A traveler wrote of the Big Side Cut in 1862 that it was "a narrow wagon track which left no room for careless or uncertain driving."

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

This marker commemorates the placement of the first 25 Bibles in November 1908 by the Gideons in the Superior Hotel, Superior (formerly Iron Mountain), Montana then located on this spot.

From that small beginning, The Gideons International has placed multiplied millions of Scriptures throughout the world.

To God be the Glory

This marker commemorates the 100th. anniversary of the first 25 bibles placed in hotel rooms at this site in Nov. 1908. The Gideons have placed over 1.5 billion scriptures since then in 187 countries.

Dedicated Oct. 4, 2008

• By the Gideons of Montana •

Erected 2008 by The Gideons of Montana.

Travelers along the Mullan Road and prosectors lured by the 1869 discovery of gold on Cedar Creek opened the way for settlement of this area. After the placer gold played out and other mining camps became ghost towns, the town of Superior continued to grow. In 1891 the community organized a school district and elementary classes were held in a small log cabin. By 1892, there were ninety school-age children in the vicinity. Into the 1900s, several rural schools accommodated local children but none offered a high school curriculum. Older students had to leave home to advance beyond the primary grades. Mineral County was organized in 1914 and a year later bonds for the construction of a high school passed. A secondary curriculum was offered for the first time that fall with classes held in the Methodist Church basement; students from all over the county attended. The new high school, constructed by local builder Charles Augustine at a cost of $10,000, was dedicated on January 28, 1916. Additions in 1925 and 1947 eased overcrowding and the school remained in use until June 1995. It is today one of Montana's few examples of Colonial Revival style school architecture. Along with the Mineral County courthouse, this impressive landmark with its three-stage bell tower, flanking dormers and strict classical symmetry has alway drawn visitors to the center of town. Despite its closure, the Superior School maintains a strong visual presence at the heart of the community where, for eighty years, it served the county and its children.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.