Sula is named for the first white child born in the Ross Hole Country, Ursula. The Ross Hole area is named for the Alexander Ross expedition which traveled through the area in 1824 and consisted of 55 Native Americans and white trappers, 89 women and children, and 329 horses. The basin came to be called "The Valley of the Troubles" as the expedition suffered many hardships when forced to spend the winter here.