Editing Ravalli County, Montana (section)

==History==
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Ravalli County was once home to the [[Bitterroot Salish (tribe)|Bitterroot Salish]] tribe. The tribe was first encountered in 1805 by the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]], which noted their friendly nature. The [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic Church]] took an interest in creating a [[Mission (Christian)|mission]] in the area, and in 1841 founded [[St. Mary's Mission (Montana)|St. Mary's Mission]], subsequently renamed as [[Fort Owen State Park|Fort Owen]]. In 1864, the settlement's current name, [[Stevensville, Montana|Stevensville]], was adopted. In 1891, the Salish tribe was moved to the current [[Flathead Indian Reservation|Flathead Reservation]] under the [[Treaty of Hellgate]].

In 1877, [[Chief Joseph]] and his Wallowa band of [[Nez Perce tribe|Nez Perce]] passed through Ravalli County in their attempt to escape confinement to a reservation; they were captured en route to [[Canada]] just south of [[Havre, Montana|Havre]].

Ravalli County was created in 1893 by the Montana Legislature, carving off a portion of [[Missoula County, Montana|Missoula County]]. It was named after the Italian [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] priest [[Antony Ravalli]], who came to the Bitterroot Valley in 1845.