Migrating Rattlesnakes

Dear Editor, I read with interest the 'Courier Memories' published in the May 12 edition of the paper. It was mentioned that in 1946, the War Department "solicited the help of South Dakota's St. Patrick to wage a one-man war on the poisonous snakes at Fort Peck Dam."

The article suggested that the large rattlesnake problem, at the time, was caused by a migration of rattlesnakes due to the impounding of water in Fort Peck reservoir.

I had to chuckle about that, because I know for fact when the dam was constructed, thousands of rail cars loaded with gravel from the area of Cole Ponds, near Saco, were dumped at the dam site.

My father, Alvin Cotton, was a fireman for the Great Northern at the time. I remember him saying that every car was filled with gravel, rock, and rattlesnakes. He would go on to say that when the cars were dumped, he would watch the numerous snakes falling out with the gravel. I think if even one snake from each car survived that trip to the dam, then.... Well, you can do the math.

So, there may have been some rattlesnakes that truly migrated to the dam because of the rising water, but I suspect a lot of them unwillingly migrated to Fort Peck, courtesy of the Great Northern!

Thank you for the story. My father later became an engineer for the Great Northern and worked out of Glasgow until he retired in 1972.

P.S. – I very much appreciate Gwen Cornwell's Memories that are published in the Courier, now and then. They bring back many memories of my early days in Glasgow, the numerous town characters, playing at the dike, and fishing in the Milk River.

Anita Cotton Hietala

Belgrade, MT