SigMT

70 | SignatureMT eaverslides have nothing to do with beavers—well not directly. Beaverslides were invented by two men who lived near Wisdom in Beaverhead County, Montana. e county name was derived from a rock formation that the Shoshone Indians thought was shaped like a beaver's head. But that appears to be as close as beavers come to beaverslides. A beaverslide is a slide-appearing device that is used to stack loose hay to resist wind and moisture. "A well-shaped bread loaf-appearing haystack will keep hay in good condition for up to seven years," said Tracy Beck of the Rocking W Ranch near Avon, Montana. Because this procedure was so practical to that locale of Montana, at one time the Big Hole Valley in Beaverhead County was called the "Valley of 10,000 Hay Stacks." e beaverslide was invented around 1908 by Dade (David) Stephens. He thought up a design as an improvement to the two- and four-pole derricks and overshot stackers that were being used. His brother-in-law, Herb Armitage, made a few improvements, drew several sketches of its parts, and applied for the patent. ey received their patent in 1910, although it is doubtful that they made money from the design. ey called it the Beaverhead County Slide Stacker, which was quickly shortened to "beaverslide." Some called it the "Sunny Slope Slide Stacker." Sunny Slope was the name of the area where the Armitage ranch was located. e beaverslide revolutionized haying in the northwest and in some areas of Canada, especially in western Montana, Northwest Wyoming, and Idaho. Because of the environmental conditions—especially swampy land near rivers, With this early beaverslide there are no barriers at the edges of the stack. Stackers were responsible for keeping the hay shaped and compressed. Photo courtesy of Al Kajin. B E AV E R S L I D E S Old Technology but Still Efficient for Some By Suzanne Waring B

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