# Is there a river that splits down the Great Divide?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-river-that-splits-down-the-great-divide/514923>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 24, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-river-that-splits-down-the-great-divide/514923 "2009-10-24T00:41:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-river-that-splits-down-the-great-divide/514923/21 "2009-10-26T04:49:33Z")

</div>

I heard my version from Harry Fritz who taught the Montana history class at the U of M for years, (although his version made it seem like that the name was the _only_ issue). He was also sure to point out that Missoula avoided a fate worse than death by being rescued from Idaho (although I suppose it still would have been “Montana”).

I think many Montanans so desperately want especially the drunken variation of the surveying party story to be true.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-river-that-splits-down-the-great-divide/514923/22 "2009-10-26T20:15:47Z")

</div>

The version I heard just said “mistaken”, with no blame on drunkenness or anything else. Also according to that version, the straight vertical line part of the border was where a river crossed their path, and they therefore realized they weren’t on the divide any more, and so just said “screw it”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-river-that-splits-down-the-great-divide/514923/23 "2009-10-26T20:44:38Z")

</div>

> [@Chronos](#):
>
> The version I heard just said “mistaken”, with no blame on drunkenness or anything else. Also according to that version, the straight vertical line part of the border was where a river crossed their path, and they therefore realized they weren’t on the divide any more, and so just said “screw it”.

I’m pretty sure I read that version in a Bill Bryson book (probably “The Lost Continent”). I like Bryson’s writing, but I wouldn’t trust him with any vital facts.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-river-that-splits-down-the-great-divide/514923.md?page=1)