History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889, Part 49

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918; Victor, Frances Fuller, 1826-1902
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: San Francisco : History Co.
Number of Pages: 880

USA > Idaho > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 49
USA > Montana > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 49
USA > Washington > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 49

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

40 A train of 20 wagons, each drawn by from 8 to 12 mules, left Los Angeles, Cal., on the Ist of March, 1864, for the mines on Jefferson fork of the Mis- souri, accompanied by an escort driving 500 head of cattle. The whole dis- tance of 1, 100 miles was expected to be made in 50 days. The cargo consisted of dry goods, groceries, and liquors. The cost per pound for carrying was 90 cents. It was thought this route (an old wagon-road to Salt Lake) could compete successfully with the steamer line on the Missouri, which so often failed to reach Fort Benton. The steamer charges, with 30 or 40 cents a pound added when they landed, several hundred miles below the fort, was thought to be quite as expensive as wagoning from Los Angeles. Portland Oregonian, March 9, 1864. The first attempt to navigate the Yellowstone was made in the autumn of 1864 by 2 small steamers, which ascended for some distance above its mouth. Walla Walla Statesman, Feb. 17, 1865. See Hist. Montana, this vol.

41 Westerfield and Cutter ran an express from Star City, Humboldt Valley, to Jordan Creek, furnishing news only 9 days old. In June John J. Mc- Commons and C. T. Blake bought out Hillhouse & Co., who owned the ex- press line between Idaho City and the Owyhce mnincs, which they operated until the death of McCommons by the hands of Malheur Snakes, in Feb. ISG5. Going out to look for some of the horses belonging to the company, and not returning, his trail was followed 25 miles to tho Owyhee River, where indica- tions of a struggle with a numerous party of Indians was apparent. Nothing further of his fate could ever be discovered. Walla Walla Statesman, March 3, 1884.

427

VARIATIONS OF PROSPERITY.

begin July 1st, and an agent was sent over the route with men, teams, hay-cutting machines, and other means and appliances. He arrived in Boisé in June. The main line from that place passed directly to Payetteville, a station on the north side of the Payette River, crossing the Snake River a short distance above the mouth of the Payette, and running through Burnt, Powder, and Grand Rond valleys to Walla Walla. The first overland mail reached Boisé on the 1st of August. The immigration of this year was large, and the future of the territory looked promising.

The miners of Idaho were like quicksilver. A mass of them dropped in any locality, broke up into individ- ual globules, and ran off after any atom of gold in their vicinity. They stayed nowhere longer than the gold attracted them. Notwithstanding their early regulations against Chinamen working in the mines, when the Nez Perce gold-fields had yielded up their richest deposits, these more patient toilers were per- mitted to take what remained by paying six dollars a month tax, one half to go to the territory, and the remainder to the county in which they resided, the sheriff being empowered to pursue into another coun- try any one attempting to evade the act.

In June there were not enough white men in the Oro Fino district to work the claims well supplied with water and wood, which was another motive for the admission of Chinese. At Elk City, on the north branch of the Clearwater, miners were taking out in- credible amounts daily; still they were not crowded. At Warren's 600 men were doing well, and continued to do well for years. But Florence, for a few months the central attraction of the country, was almost de- populated in the winter of 1863, without recovering its population at any subsequent period. Its history was as short as it was brilliant. No mining camp with placers of such richness ever was so soon ex- hausted and deserted. In 1864 this district, too, was

428

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

pretty well abandoned by white miners, and the Chinese were allowed to come in. The Florence gold was also of less value than that of other districts.

The discovery of silver ledges in the Kootenai region was made as early as 1859, but nothing was done to explore the country, owing to the fact that the mines lay north of 49° in British territory, where mining regulations were somewhat arbitrary. Gold was discovered in the Pend d'Oreille and Cœur d'Alene country by Donelson, of Stevens' expedition, in 1853, and still earlier by Owens; but the hostility of the Indians and the finding of gold elsewhere diverted attention until the autumn of 1863, when good pros- pects were found on the Kootenai River. In May 1864, despite the deep snows of that region, a con- siderable portion of the mining population of east- ern Oregon and northern Idaho had located claims and built up a town called Fisherville, fifty miles north of the United States boundary line.42 But the favorite country for prospectors was still south- ern Idaho and the newly created territory of Mon- tana, which for a year constituted a part of the former territory. Discoveries were made early in 1864 on the north Boise, where the mining towns of Beaver City and Summit City came into existence about the 1st of February.43 A more important dis- covery was made on the Malade River in Volcano district, forty miles south of Little Camas prairie.# The distinguishing feature of Volcano district was the width of the ledges found there, which were in some

42 Knapp's Statement, MS., 15; Portland Oregonian, Nov. 24, 1863; Or. Statesman, Nov. 3, 1863; Walla Walla Statesman, June 3, 1864. A fleet of thirty bateaux were built at Colville in the winter of 1864; while a steamer to run on the Columbia above Colville, as far as the river should prove navi- gable, was also projected, and carried out in 1865-6, by the O. S. N. Co., who built the Forty-nine, commanded by Captain Leouard White, celebrated in the history of early steamboating in Oregon. Se Leighton's Life at Puget Sound, MS., 63-9. Leonard White was an immigrant of 1843, He died at Portland April 10, 1870. He is said to have run the first steamboat on the Sacramento River. A eamel was used for transportation purposes by William Henry in 1864.

43 Boisé News, March 12 and 19, 1864.

HJ. Z. Miller led the company which made this discovery.

429

SILVER HILL AND QUARTZ-MINING.

cases forty feet thick. Silver Hill distriet was dis- covered July 3d by a road party surveying for a route from Placerville to South Boisé along the base of the Payette range.45 In August two towns, Banner and Eureka, with a hundred miners in each, were es- tablished, and twenty or more gold and silver quartz mines located. The Banner ledge, first and richest, gave character to the district. Wagon-roads were laid out to Silver Hill. A shaft was sunk thirty feet, and a tunnel run 300 feet, across several other ledges, but this activity failed to foreshadow a great and sud- den prosperity for this district.

Quartz-mining, unlike placer-mining, was retarded by the distance from any point where mills for crush- ing ores could be obtained, and by the outlay required. The first quartz-mill erected in the Boisé basin was put up by W. W. Raymond on Granite Creek, about two miles from Placerville. It arrived in July, and was ready to go into operation in September. It was furnished with ten stamps, each weighing nearly 600 pounds, and crushing one and a half tons daily, with a reserved power amounting to half a ton more each. This mill was employed on the Pioneer, Law- yer, and Golden Gate ledges. It cleaned up from its first week's run fifty pounds of amalgam.46

The Landon lode, three miles north-east of Idaho City, on the divide between Moore and Elk creeks, named after its owner, was prospected by rigging ordinary sledge-hammers on spring-poles. In this manner 1,200 pounds were crushed, and a yield ob- tained of over $23 to 100 pounds; 200 pounds being pulverized in three days with the labor of one man. A mill was placed upon it by the Great Consolidated

43 The party was led by James Carr and Jesse Bradford of Placerville. Owen's Directory, 1865, 57. This work, issued in the spring of 1865, con- tains a map of Boisé and Owyhee, and engravings representing Idaho City and its suburb, Buena Vista Bar, besides brief historical sketches of the min- ing towns of Oregon and Idaho, and a list of names, which, owing to the shifting character of the population, is very imperfect.

46 Boise News, Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, 1864; Walla Walla Statesman, Nov. 4, 1864; Portland Oregonian, Dec. 28, 1864.

430

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

Boisé River Gold and Silver Mining Company, hav- ing five stamps, which was ready for crushing rock in December. Other mills were erected during the year in the Boisé basin.47

At South Boisé between forty and fifty arastras were run by water-power, making flattering returns, and the number was soon increased to eighty-four, crushing about a ton a day. The Ophir yielded in the arastra $100 to the ton.

Several mining companies shipped from 1,000 to 10,000 tons of ore to San Francisco and New York in order to attract the attention of capitalists, secure investments, and obtain mining machinery. The first mill in South Boisé, however, was one with five stamps, owned by Cartee, Gates, & Company, which was packed in, and put in operation before a wagon-road was opened over the mountains. The Ada Elmore rock crushed in this mill yielded an average of $100 per ton;43 the Confederate Star $150 per ton.

An eight-stamp mill was built in Portland for South Boisé, intended for the Idaho lode; but in the mean time Andrews and Tudor, who left South Boisé for the east in November 1863, purchased a twelve- stamp mill in Chicago, for the Idaho, which was hauled by ox-teams from the Missouri River in Ne- braska at a cost of thirty cents a pound. It reached its destination in October and was ready for work in December. A five-stamp mill built at Portland was placed on the Comstock ledge in the autumn. R. B.

47 A 10-stamp mill was set running in Dec. on the Garrison Gambrinus, whose history has been sketched. Two others, one on Summit Flat, owned by Bibh & Jackson; another a mile from Idaho City, owned by F. Britten & Co. A quartz-mill was erected on Bear Run, Idaho City, attached to the steam-power of Robie & Bush's saw-mill, to do custom-work. This saw- mill was first erected at Lewiston; removed to Boisé in July; burned in Sept .; rebuilt with the quartz-mill attached in Oct .; and removed to Boisé in the spring of 1865. Walla Walla Statesman, July 1, 1864; Boise News, Oct. 8 and 22, 1864; Boisé City Statesman, April 29, 1865.

48 The Ada Elmore was managed by speculators, who retarded the com- pany, and the whole country. The trustees ran a tunnel in the ledge at an enormous cost expressly to let it fall in, as it did, in order to put the share- holders to expense and perpetual taxation to 'freeze them out.' Boisé News, Sept. 24, 1864.

431

SOUTH BOISÉ AND WAR EAGLE.

Farnham, who took a ton of rock to New York and on its merits succeeded in forming a company called the New York and Idaho Gold and Silver Mining Company, purchased and shipped to South Boisé a thirty-stamp mill, which arrived too late to be put into operation that year.

A new district was discovered on the head waters of the middle Boise River which was named Yuba. The ledges found on the south and middle Boisé were solid quartz, larger but not so rich as those of Owyhee. The rock in which they were found was granite. South Boisé had at this time four towns, Esmeralda, Clifden, Rocky Bar, and Happy Camp, and about 2,000 persons were scattered over the district. A. good wagon-road was completed to Boisé City in August, built by Julius Newberg & Co. Of the large immigration of 1864, many settled in South Boisé.

In May 1864 the Oro Fino Gold and Silver Tun- nel Company was incorporated in Carson district, Owyhee, for the purpose of running a tunnel through Oro Fino mountain and developing the wealth therein, thirty locations having already been made on it, one of which, the War Eagle, subsequently gave its name to the mountain. This wonderful mass of mineral constituted the dividing ridge between Jordan and Sinker creeks; and it was on the ledges belonging to the north-eastern side of the ridge that the first quartz- mill of the Owyhee region was placed. I might men- tion a number of other companies which flourished during this year, but do not deem it necessary. The great discovery of 1865 was the Poorman mine, on War Eagle mountain.49 It was so named because its

49 The Poorman was first called the Hays and Ray. According to Gilbert Butler, it was discovered by O'Brien, Holt, Zerr, Ebner, Stevens, and Ray, in Oct. 1865. Some say the discoverer was D. C. O'Byrne, and others Charles S. Peck. The history of the mine seems to have been this: it was first discovered at a point about 1,000 feet from what is now called the dis- covery shaft, the ore being good but not rich, and the vein small. Before much development was made, C. S. Peck found the rich chimney, or so- called discovery shaft, concealing his good fortune and covering up the vein,

432

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

discoverers were without capital to work it. The ore was the richest known, and so easily worked that it could be cut out like lead, which it resembled, but with a tint of red in it, which gave it the name of ruby silver. It was a chloride of silver richly impreg- nated with gold, and brought four dollars an ounce as it came from the mine. A twenty-stamp mill was placed upon it, which, with another mill, worked the product of this mine.

The Mammoth district, containing veins of enor- mous size, was discovered in the spring of 1864 south of Carson district. It took its name from the dis- covery lode. Flint district, only separated from Mam- moth by the extension of War Eagle mountain south- ward, was also prospected with good results. The Rising Star ledge was the principal mine.

Indian depredations continuing, the people of Idaho petitioned to have General Conner sent to them from Utah.50 Most of the fighting was done on Oregon soil, by the 1st Oregon cavalry, as will be seen by a reference to my History of Oregon, although it was for the protection of Idaho as well, the cavalry ex-

until he learned from Hays and Ray the boundaries of their claim, and that it included his discovery. Peck then cautiously endeavored to buy the mine, but finding it was held too high, absented himself in the hope that the owners would come down. In the mean time another company of prospectors came upon the rich chimney and located it, calling it the Poorman. A contest now arose for possession of the mine, the Hays and Ray owners taking Peck into their company for finding and tracing the vein from their opening into the Poorman. The Poorman company erected a fort at the mouth of their mine, which they called Fort Baker, and mounted some ordnance. They took out some of the richest of the ore and sent it to Portland, where it made a great sensation. The prospect of endless litigation over the prize induced both companies to sell, one to Put Bradford and the other to G. C. Robbins, both of Portland, who worked the mine jointly, taking out nearly $2,000,000, after which they sold to a New York company. Maize's Early Events, MS., 6-7; Richardson's Beyond the Missis .; Silver City Idaho Avalanche, May 28, 1881.

50 A party was attacked the 3d of May, some 60 miles from Paradise Val- ley, and J. W. Dodge, J. W. Burton, and others killed. Between Warner and Harney lakes, Porter Langdon and Thomas Renny were killed, and the rancho of Michael Jordan attacked in July, Jordan soon afterward losing his life. A force of 134 men was raised, which overtook the Indians in a forti- fied cañon, and killed 36, two white men being killed and two wounded. Colonel Maury then took the field with 100 men aud four howitzers, and forming an encampment on Jordan Creek, occupied his troops in scouting dur- ing the remainder of the summer.

433

INDIAN HOSTILITIES.

tending their operations to Alvord Valley, and thence into Nevada as far as Mud Lake.

The spring of 1865 opened with renewed hostili- ties. A detachment of Washington infantry, under Sergeant Storm, and a small company, came upon Indians on Catherine Creek, killing eight. Never had the Shoshones, now a powerful foe through their possession of an abundance of horses, arms, and am- munition, given so much trouble. Petitions were made to the government by Oregon, Idaho, and northern California, for better defensive measures. A new military sub-district, embracing Nevada, and including Owen's River Valley in California, was es- tablished, under the command of Charles McDer- mitt of the 2d California volunteer cavalry, who established Camp Bidwell, near Goose Lake,51 on the California road, which had been closed by hostili- ties.52 By the mustering-out of the Oregon and Washington troops in 1865-6 the territory was left with even less protection than formerly, while the Indians were more troublesome than ever. But in the spring of 1866, the civil war having been brought to a close, the army was distributed on the western fron- tier, and after a few years more of wars and treaty- making, peace was restored with the Snakes and related tribes.

Unlike the previous two winters, that of 1864-5 set in in November by a violent snow and wind storm, which inflicted heavy damages by destroying miles of

51 McDermitt was the same who, in 1852, headed a co. of volunteers from Yreka, who with Beu Wright went to the relief of the immigrants in the Modoc country in 1852. He was killed on the 11th of Aug., at Queen River, by Indians in ambush, as he was returning from a scouting expedition to clear the road to Cal. from Owyhee. Idaho World, Aug. 19, 1865.

62 A few of the operations of the Shoshones this year were as follows: Hill Beechy had 60 herses stolen; 100 other horses, and 150 cattle, were stolen from Owyhee. The miners were driven out of Pueblo Valley. Para- dise Valley was depopulated. They attacked a saddle-train on Jordan Creek in April, capturing part of the animals. The miccrs armed and drove them out of the neighborhood. They attacked a company of wagoners, 4 miles senth of Farewell Bend, on Snake River, capturing 12 mules. Many other like cases might be mentioned.

HIST. WASH .- 28

434

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

flumes in eastern Oregon, letting the water into the ditches, and sweeping earth into claims, completely covering up many, filling up cuts and drains, burying miners' tools, and levelling to the ground the fences of the newly improved farms over a large extent of country. Heavy rains followed the cold weather, making the season one of unusual severity; but the spring opened early with a heavy immigration, which struggled in before freight trains could get through the mountains with supplies, and the new-comers, many of whom were "from the left wing of Price's army," created first a bread famine, and then a riot. Not that they were actually starving, for there was food for all, but flour was a dollar a pound, and bread an 'extra' dish at the eating-houses.

Street meetings began to be held by the idle con- sumers to compel the merchants who had a little flour left to reduce the price. A mob of sixty men marched to the store of Crafts & Vantine in Idaho City, where they found about 200 pounds, which they seized. Proceeding to the store of Heffron & Pitts, the com- mand was given by their leader to seize whatever flour they found. At this crisis Jack Gorman, deputy sheriff, with great courage arrested and disarmed the leader, a burly six-foot Missourian, placing him in irons, amidst cries of "Shoot him, shoot him!" from the rioters. This action damped their spirits, and order was restored. The merchants reduced the price of flour to fifty cents a pound, and soon after it be- came plenty at six cents.53

Checked for the time by the prompt action of Gor- man, the mob element found an opportunity to retali- ate by setting fire to the city, which on the 18th of of May was burned in the most valuable and business portion, only three public buildings being left standing -the catholic church, the Jenny Lind theatre, and the office of the Idaho World, the newspaper which had succeeded the Boisé News at Idaho City. Besides

63 Knapp's Statement, MS., 3-5.

435

BURNING OF IDAHO CITY.

these, nothing remained but the scattered houses on the hillside, and Buena Vista Bar, a suburb of the city, separated from it by a flat. Into these the home- less population was gathered, while the catholic church was converted into a hospital to receive the dislodged inmates of the county hospital, which was consumed.

Taking advantage of the confusion and alarm cre- ated by the devouring element, men seized and carried off the provisions and other goods saved from burn- ing buildings, taking them to hiding-places in the mountains. The merchants fortunately had a large portion of their stocks stored in underground recep- tacles, built after the manner of root-houses, which fashion prevailed first on account of the lack of ware- houses, and afterward as a defence against fire. Their losses, however, aggregated $900,000. The town was immediately rebuilt with many improvements. By the middle of June it had almost its former proportions, and more than its former dignity of appearance.54 In July an indictment for arson was found against one Thomas Wilson, who never was punished, owing to the condition of the territorial government at this time, the defects of which and their causes will be treated in another place.

The immigration from California and Nevada in 1865 was in such numbers as to make necessary in- creased means of travel and transportation. Hill Beachy, an enterprising citizen of the Boisé basin, formerly of Lewiston, established direct overland communication with Star City, Nevada, and with California, stocking the road a distance of 260 miles, and in April passed over the route with five coaches

b4 Idaho City was burned once more, May 17, 1867, just 2 years after the first fire, when $1,000,000 worth of property was destroyed. Every build- ing on both sides of Main street from the Jenny Lind theatre to Moore Creek was destroyed, and between Main and Montgomery and on the east side of Montgomery street, with most of those on the hill and High street. Not a a hotel was left standing. The Jenny Lind theatre and masonic hall were the only important buildings remaining, and in the latter was the office of the Idaho World. The post-office and express office were destroyed. A 3d great fire occurred in 1868.

436

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

filled with passengers. Owing to Indian troubles, however, after a few trips the route was abandoned, the stages and stock were withdrawn, and also the stock of the Humboldt express, the Indians having burned one of the company's stations, within forty miles of Owyhee, and killed the keeper.

John Mullan,55 engineer of the military road from Walla Walla to Fort Benton on the Missouri, from which so much was expected in the way of immigra- tion and so little realized in any way, undertook to establish a stage line from Umatilla to Boisé City, and another from Boisé City to Chico, California, but was finally prevented by the Indians. His company was called the Idaho and California Stage Company. Early in September they advertised to sell tickets from Boisé City to San Francisco, Virginia City, Nevada, and all other points, promising through con- nections and rapid transit; the time consumed between Ruby City and Chico to be six days for the opening trip, and four when arrangements were perfected. Ten companies of soldiers were distributed between Chico and Owyhee. But in October nearly every horse belonging to the company was stolen, and the stages had stopped running.

In this struggle-a truly valiant one-to master the obstacles to communication with the outer world and lessen the expense of living, distance, cold, snow, and hostile Indians were not the only obstacles the mining territory had to contend against. A lively warfare was carried on by the Oregon newspapers against the efforts of the Idaho merchants and oth- ers to bring about a direct trade with California. So long as their operations were controlled by the steamship line between San Francisco and Portland, or the Oregon Steam Navigation Company on the Columbia River, it could hardly be expected that the expenses of transportation or travel would be

65 Mullan published a Miners' and Travellers' Guide, describing the routes to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, in the spring of 1865. It contains much valuable topographical matter.

437

DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL.

much reduced. On the other hand, a road, over which teams could be driven with ordinary speed and safety, always allowed a possible escape from exor- bitant charges. In cases where time was money, also, they hoped to gain by a direct route.56 But the Port- land papers cast ridicule upon these schemes for avoid- ing paying tribute to Portland and the O. S. N. Co .; 57 and every exultant paragraph of an Idaho paper on the arrival of trains direct from California was caught up and invidiously commented upon. The Oregonians also seized upon all the mountain passes and river crossings with their toll-roads and ferries, wringing tribute from the residents of as well as the travellers to the mining districts outside the boundaries of the state.58 At least so said the Idahoans.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889, Part 49

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918; Victor, Frances Fuller, 1826-1902 Publication date: 1890 Publisher: San Francisco : History Co. Number of Pages: 880

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918; Victor, Frances Fuller, 1826-1902
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: San Francisco : History Co.
Number of Pages: 880