Richard S. Buswell

Dr. Richard S. Buswell, a retired doctor, has spent 46 years researching and locating the Mullan Road. In his formative years, he and his family herded cattle in the Mullan Pass (Montana) area sparking his interest in the historic route. Using General Land Office Cadastral Survey maps and extensive boots-on-ground exploration, he determined the route of the Mullan Military Road in Elliston-Helena-Wolf Creek area.

Dr. Buswell has published in several medical journals and exhibited his photography in numerous museums. These books feature his black and white, abstract photography of Montana ghost towns:

  • What They Left Behind, University of New Mexico Press, 2017.
  • Close to Home, University of New Mexico Press, 2013.
  • Traces: Montana’s Frontier Re-visited, University of Montana Press, 2007.
  • Silent Frontier: Icons of Montana’s Early Settlement, Montana Museum of Arts & Culture, 2002.
  • Echoes: A Visual Reflection, Museum of Fine Arts of the University of Montana, 1997.

Contributions

Mullan Road Center Line

Walla Walla to Fort Benton

Archived 2018

This Mullan Road center line describes the general route of the Mullan Military Road built between 1859 and 1861. It represents many years of research from several individuals and continues to be adjusted as new research is completed. Rich Buswell,…

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Mullan Road: Little Blackfoot to Dearborn Crossing

Archived 2017

KML file for Google Earth: buswell.kml This map represents 45 years of research by Dr. Rich Buswell of Helena, Montana. The yellow line is a faithful interpretation of his route drawn on a paper Forest Service map, using Township and…

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Contributors