Loma and Marias River.
On June 2, 1805, Lewis and Clark first reached the mouth of the Marias River near today's town of Loma, Montana. A few days later, Captain Lewis officially named it Maria's River in honor of his cousin, Maria Wood, and over time the spelling changed to the Marias River. This prairie river valley was rich with wildlife, and the men saw plenty of game animals such as bison, deer, elk, and especially many bears along the river bottoms and hills.
