Axline, Jon. “‘A Wonderful Piece of Engineering’: The Point of Rocks Segment of the Mullan Road and the Milwaukee Road Railroad in Mineral Country, Montana.” Montana: The Magazine of Western History. Click Here

Axline examines the surviving Point of Rocks segment of the Mullan Road in Mineral County, Montana, and its relationship to the later Milwaukee Road railroad. He explores how the engineering of the original road influenced later transportation infrastructure and demonstrates the importance of preserving physical remnants of historic transportation systems. This source is particularly useful for understanding the Mullan Road as a surviving landscape rather than simply a historical route.

Baily, Joe. “Mullan’s Axe and Shovel Passage.” Mullan Chronicles 9, no. 4 (Winter 2002–2003).

Joe Baily recounts the construction and early use of the Mullan Road, emphasizing the rugged terrain, harsh winters, river crossings, and labor required to build it. Originally published in 1958, this historical narrative offers an accessible overview of Mullan’s leadership and the practical challenges of connecting the Columbia and Missouri River regions.

Baumler, Ellen. “When Camels Came Back to Montana.” Montana: The Magazine of Western History 50, no. 2 (Summer 2000): 64–71. Click Here

Baumler examines Montana’s brief experiment with camels during the 1860s. Camels offered several advantages over traditional pack animals, including greater carrying capacity, endurance, and the ability to travel long distances with limited water. However, their presence created problems because horses and mules often became frightened by the camels, sometimes causing dangerous accidents and stampedes. Baumler demonstrates that, despite their physical advantages, camels proved impractical within Montana’s existing transportation system and quickly disappeared from regular use.

Bemis, Samuel Flagg. “Captain John Mullan and the Engineers’ Frontier.” Washington Historical Quarterly 14, no. 3 (July 1923): 201–5. Click Here

Bemis places John Mullan within the larger history of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and the federal effort to explore, survey, and develop the western frontier. He examines Mullan’s engineering activities and the challenges involved in establishing transportation routes through the northern Rocky Mountains. The article is useful for placing the Mullan Road within the broader federal engineering and surveying projects that preceded and accompanied its construction. The Washington Historical Quarterly index confirms the article’s appearance in volume 14 alongside T. C. Elliott’s article on the Mullan Road.

Bonner Milltown History Center and Museum. “The Mullan Chronicles.” Bonner Milltown History Center and Museum. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://www.bonnermilltownhistory.org/mullan-chronicles

This collection contains the Mullan Chronicles, a newsletter published by the Mineral County Museum and Historical Society from November 1989 through Winter 2006–7. The newsletter was created to maintain interest in John Mullan and the Mullan Road, share new research, and promote preservation of the road and related historic resources. The collection is especially valuable as a source of local historical research, photographs, reminiscences, and information that may not appear in academic publications. The museum confirms that the newsletter ran from 1989 through 2006–7 and provides digitized issues from the entire run.

Connelly, Thomas L. “The American Camel Experiment: A Reappraisal.” Southwestern Historical Quarterly 69, no. 4 (April 1966): 442–62. Click Here

Connelly reassesses the United States Army’s experiment with camels during the 1850s and challenges interpretations that portrayed the experiment as an uncomplicated failure. He argues that camels performed remarkably well in military testing and demonstrated considerable potential as pack animals in the American Southwest. Connelly attributes the abandonment of the experiment less to the animals’ practical shortcomings than to political and military circumstances. His interpretation is particularly useful for comparing the Army’s earlier camel experiment with the later private use of camels in the Northwest.

Elliott, T. C. “The Mullan Road: Its Local History and Significance.” Washington Historical Quarterly 14, no. 3 (July 1923): 206–9. Click Here

Elliott provides an early historical examination of the Mullan Road, emphasizing its construction, route, and importance to Walla Walla and the development of the Pacific Northwest. The article provides an early interpretation of the road’s role in transportation and settlement. Because it was published during the formative period of Mullan Road scholarship, it is also useful for examining how the road’s historical significance was understood by early twentieth-century historians. The Washington Historical Quarterly index confirms the article as volume 14, pages 206–9.

Idaho State Historical Society. The Mullan Road in Idaho. Idaho State Historical Society Reference Series, no. 287. Boise: Idaho State Historical Society, 1964.

This short publication provides a concise history of the Mullan Road’s construction and route through Idaho. It discusses the road’s use as a transportation route and the difficulties encountered in maintaining it. The publication is particularly useful for understanding the Idaho portion of the Mullan Road and its later relationship to modern transportation routes. The Idaho State Historical Society identifies the document as Reference Series no. 287 and notes that it was reissued in January 1967.

Lewis, William S. “The Camel Pack Trains in the Mining Camps of the West.” Washington Historical Quarterly 19, no. 4 (October 1928): 271–84. Click Here

Lewis provides a detailed account of camel pack trains operating in the western mining camps during the 1860s. His research documents camel transportation in British Columbia, Idaho, Washington, and Montana. Particularly important for Mullan Road research, Lewis describes camels traveling from the Walla Walla country through the Spokane region into Montana. He records their impressive carrying capacity but also explains how camels frightened horses and mules, causing stampedes, accidents, and opposition from other packers. The article is therefore one of the most valuable sources in this bibliography for connecting the history of camels directly to the transportation networks of the Inland Northwest.

Lewis, William S., with additions by A. A. Gray and Francis P. Farquhar. “A Contribution Towards a Bibliography of the Camel.” California Historical Society Quarterly 9, no. 4 (December 1930): 336–44. Click Here

Lewis, Gray, and Farquhar compile an extensive bibliography concerning camels in the United States, particularly their introduction and use in western mining camps. The bibliography identifies books, periodical articles, government reports, and other sources concerning American camel experiments. It is particularly valuable as a research tool because it provides references to numerous nineteenth- and early twentieth-century sources that might otherwise be difficult to locate. JSTOR confirms the authors, title, journal, volume, issue, date, and pages.

Long, Priscilla. “Lt. John Mullan and a 230-Man Crew Begin Building Mullan’s Road (Mullan Road) from Walla Walla in Spring 1859.” HistoryLink. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://www.historylink.org/File/5225.

Long provides a public-history overview of the beginning of construction of the Mullan Road. She discusses Mullan’s background, his participation in the northern Pacific railroad survey, the military context of the road, and its subsequent importance to Walla Walla and eastern Washington. The article is particularly useful for a general introduction to the road and for identifying additional primary and secondary sources. HistoryLink identifies the article as File 5225 and provides a list of additional sources, including McDermott and Grim and Richard Scheuerman.

McDermott, Paul D., and Ronald E. Grim. “The Case of the Mullan Road: Naming Features Along the Railroad and Road Surveys in the Northern Rockies.” Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History 18, no. 4 (Winter 2004–5): 22–28. Click Here

McDermott and Grim examine geographic names associated with the Mullan Road and other transportation surveys in the northern Rocky Mountains. They demonstrate how place names preserve information about exploration, surveying, Native American geography, and the individuals involved in the region’s development. The article is particularly useful for understanding the Mullan Road as part of a larger process of mapping and naming the western landscape. The bibliographic record confirms volume 18, number 4, pages 22–28.

McDermott, Paul D., and Ronald E. Grim. Gustavus Sohon’s Cartographic and Artistic Works: An Annotated Bibliography. Washington, DC: Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress, 2002. Click Here

McDermott and Grim document the cartographic and artistic work of Gustavus Sohon, who participated in exploration and surveying in the Pacific Northwest during the period of the Mullan Road. The bibliography identifies Sohon’s maps, drawings, and other visual materials and provides information about their locations. This source is particularly useful for research involving maps, landscapes, Native peoples, and visual documentation associated with the Mullan Road surveys.

McGregor, Alexander C. “The Economic Impact of the Mullan Road on Walla Walla, 1860–1883.” Pacific Northwest Quarterly 65, no. 3 (July 1974): 118–129. Click Here

McGregor examines the economic consequences of the Mullan Road for Walla Walla between 1860 and 1883. He focuses on the road’s role in increasing trade and transportation and strengthening Walla Walla’s position as a regional commercial center. The thesis is particularly useful because it examines the Mullan Road as economic infrastructure rather than simply as a military engineering project. The Mullan Road History bibliography confirms the work as a Whitman College thesis from 1971.

Moore, Emily. “Camels at Missoula.” Intermountain Histories. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://www.intermountainhistories.org/items/show/528.

Moore examines the surprising history of camels in Missoula, Montana, where the animals briefly became part of transportation and frontier life. She emphasizes their ability to carry heavy loads through difficult terrain while also explaining their unpopularity among other transportation operators. The source provides useful local context for the larger history of camel transportation in Montana and the Pacific Northwest.

Montana Oil and Mining Journal. “Camels in the Northwest.” April 27, 1940, 2. Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn86075103/1940-04-27/ed-1/.

This newspaper article revisits the nineteenth-century use of camels as pack animals in the Pacific Northwest. It recounts anecdotes concerning camel trains and emphasizes that camels had actually been used in the region. Because the article was published in 1940, long after the events described, it should be treated as a retrospective account rather than contemporary evidence. Nevertheless, it is useful for examining how stories about camel transportation persisted in regional historical memory.

“Modern Photos of Mullan Road Ghost Towns.” Adventure Rider Forum. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/montana-ghost-towns.507551/.

This online discussion contains modern photographs and observations concerning Montana ghost towns and historic locations associated with the Mullan Road region. The photographs can provide useful visual evidence of surviving landscapes and historic sites. Because the source is a user-generated forum rather than an academic or institutional publication, it should be treated primarily as supplementary visual and local evidence rather than authoritative historical scholarship.

Oregon Historical Society. Oregon Historical Quarterly, vol. 16, no. 2 (June 1915). Click Here

This issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly is the “Open Rivers Number,” devoted largely to the history of the Columbia River, the Dalles-Celilo portage, and the development of navigation in the Pacific Northwest. Of particular relevance to Mullan Road research is T. C. Elliott’s “The Dalles-Celilo Portage; Its History and Influence,” which occupies pages 133–74. The issue provides broader transportation context for understanding how river navigation, portages, roads, and later transportation systems interacted in the Inland Northwest.

Underhill, W. M. “The Northern Overland Route to Montana.” The Washington Historical Quarterly 23, no. 3 (July 1932): 177–195. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40475462.

Underhill examines the northern overland route connecting Minnesota and Montana during the 1860s, emphasizing the Fisk expeditions and their role in bringing emigrants to Montana’s goldfields. Drawing on government documents, Montana newspapers, and earlier histories, the article provides useful context for understanding the Mullan Road within the broader network of transportation routes serving the inland Northwest.

Robison, Ken. “Blazing the Mullan Road: Reminiscences.” Historical Fort Benton. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://fortbenton.blogspot.com/2008/08/blazing-mullan-road-reminiscences.html.

Robison provides a local-history account of the Mullan Road and its relationship to Fort Benton and the surrounding region. The article uses reminiscences and local historical material to discuss the road and its importance to Montana. It is useful for identifying local interpretations, stories, and additional historical leads, although its blog format means it should be supplemented with scholarly and primary sources.

Robison, Ken. “On Wings of Lightning: John Mullan with the Northern Transcontinental Railroad Surveys.” Historical Fort Benton. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://fortbenton.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-wings-of-lightning-john-mullan-with.html 

Robison examines John Mullan’s work on the northern transcontinental railroad surveys before the construction of the Mullan Road. The account emphasizes Mullan’s exploration and firsthand knowledge of western Montana and helps explain how his earlier surveying experience prepared him for the later road project. The source is useful for connecting the railroad surveys of the 1850s with the construction of the Mullan Road.

Schindler, Harold. “The Great Camel Experiment.” In In Another Time: Sketches of Utah History, 92–94. Logan: Utah State University Press, 1998. Click Here

Schindler recounts the United States Army’s nineteenth-century camel experiment, emphasizing the animals’ ability to carry heavy loads and travel long distances with limited water. He discusses the military testing of the camels and their subsequent fate after the experiment ended. The chapter provides useful background for understanding the earlier federal camel experiment that established the precedent for considering camels as transportation animals in the American West. JSTOR confirms the chapter’s title and pages 92–94.

Talkington, Henry L. “Mullan Road.” Washington Historical Quarterly 7, no. 4 (October 1916): 301–6. Click Here

Talkington provides an early account of the Mullan Road, tracing its construction, route, and importance to transportation and settlement in the Inland Northwest. As an early twentieth-century interpretation, the article is useful for examining how the road’s history was understood before much of the later scholarship developed. The National Register bibliography confirms the article's publication in Washington Historical Quarterly volume 7 in 1916.

Winther, Oscar Osburn. “Early Commercial Importance of the Mullan Road.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 46, no. 1 (March 1945): 22–35. Click Here

Winther examines the Mullan Road’s early commercial importance and its role in transporting people, freight, and supplies between the Columbia River and the Montana mining frontier. He demonstrates how quickly the road became incorporated into regional commercial networks and contributed to Walla Walla’s economic development. The National Park Service bibliography confirms the publication as Oregon Historical Quarterly 46, no. 1, March 1945, pages 22–35.

Young, J. A. “Camels on the Western Range.” Rangelands 4, no. 6 (1982): 248–51. Click Here

Young examines the history of camels in the American West and their potential usefulness as pack animals. He emphasizes their ability to carry heavy loads and survive difficult environmental conditions but also considers the cultural, economic, and technological factors that prevented them from becoming established. Young’s article provides a broader environmental and transportation framework for understanding why camels disappeared despite their physical advantages. The bibliographic record confirms the article as Rangelands 4 (1982): 248–51.

Youngs, J. William T. “Waiting for the Indians.” In The Fair and the Falls: Spokane’s Expo ’74, Transforming an American Environment. Cheney, WA: Eastern Washington University Press, 1996. Click Here

Youngs examines early Spokane and the relationships between Indigenous peoples and white settlers during the nineteenth century. “Waiting for the Indians” describes the economic and social environment of early Spokane Falls and emphasizes the continuing importance of Indigenous trade networks, trails, transportation, and local knowledge. This source is particularly valuable for placing the Mullan Road within the preexisting Indigenous transportation landscape rather than treating the road as the beginning of transportation in the region. The chapter is identified as chapter two of The Fair and the Falls.

“Route of the Covered Wagon, 1865: Itinerary of the Mullan Road from the Missouri to the Columbia.” Montana Magazine of History 1, no. 2 (April 1951): 13–20. Click Here

This itinerary reconstructs an 1865 journey along the Mullan Road, providing information about camps, distances, geographic features, and the condition of the route. It is particularly useful for reconstructing the actual experience of traveling the road shortly after its construction. The itinerary can also be compared with Mullan’s original reports and later accounts to identify changes in the route and landscape. The bibliographic information appears in the Mullan Road History bibliography.