Phillips County Museum News for Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Did you know there was a commercial fishing industry in Phillips County at one time? In 1922, the McNeil brothers, Hinsdale area sheep ranchers, seined and shipped 120,000 lbs. of live carp caught in Nelson Reservoir to Jewish markets in New York City. The fish were transported to Bowdoin in 25 to 100 lb. boxes and put on the train to arrive alive at their destination. In November 1922, the State Fish and Game Commission in Helena authorized the McNeils to sein and remove carp and other non-game fish from Nelson and also, the Milk River between the Dodson and Vandalia Dams. The Fish and Game Commission was to receive 10% of what the McNeils were paid.

In 1924, 11 carloads, ½ million lbs., were harvested from Bowdoin Lake and shipped to New York.

In later years fish were also shipped to Philadelphia and Chicago. The fishing was done in the winter once the ice was thick enough to hold the weight of a team of horses. A hole was cut in the ice and a net in the shape of 2 wings with a large bag in the center was used to catch the fish. This fishing industry continued at Nelson and Bowdoin into the mid-1940s.

Visit the Phillips County Museum to find out more about the history of our area. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.