An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana, Part 12

Author: Western Historical Publishing Co. (Spokane, Wash.)
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western Historical Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 760

USA > Montana > Yellowstone County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12
USA > Montana > Park County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12
USA > Montana > Dawson County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12
USA > Montana > Rosebud County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12
USA > Montana > Custer County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12
USA > Montana > Sweet Grass County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12
USA > Montana > Carbon County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 12

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In 1865 there were eight arrivals of steam- boats, four of which reached Benton, the other four stopping at the mouth of Marias river. In this year the merchants of Portland, desirous of controlling the trade of Montana, issued a circular to the Montana merchants proposing to make it for their interest to purchase goods in Portland and ship by way of the Columbia river and the Mullan road, with improve-

ments in that route of steamboat navigation on Lake Pend d'Oreille, and S. G. Reed of the Or- egon Steam Navigation company went east to confer with the Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany. In 1866 some progress was made in opening this route, which in the autumn of that year stood as follows : From Portland to White Bluffs on the Columbia by the O. S. N. Co's boats; from White Bluffs by stage road to a point on Clark's fork, where Moody & Co. were building a steamboat, 110 feet long by 26 feet beam, called the Mary Moody, to carry passen- gers and freight across the lake and up Clark's fork to Cabinet landing, where was a short portage, and transfer to another steamboat which would carry to the mouth of Jocko river, after which land travel would again be resorted to. The time to Jocko would be seven or eight days, and thence to the rich Blackfoot mines was a matter of fifty or sixty miles. It was proposed to carry freight to Jocko in 17 days from Portland at a cost of 13 cents per pound. From Jocko to Helena was about 120 miles, and from Helena to Virginia about 90. By this route freight could arrive during half the year, while by the Missouri river it could only come to Benton during a period of from four to six weeks, dependent upon the stage of water. The lowest charges by Missouri steamer in 1866 were 15 cents to Benton for a large contract, ranging upwards to 18 and 21 cents a pound, or $360 to $420 per ton to the landing only, after which there was the addi- tional charge for transporting on wagons, at the rate from five to eight cents, according to whether it reached Benton or not, or whether it was destined to Helena or more distant points. San Francisco merchants offered for the trade of Montana, averring that freight could be laid down there at from 15 to 20 cents a pound overland. Chicago merchants com- peted as well, taking the overland route from the Missouri. Meanwhile Montana could not pause in its course and took whatever came.

In 1866 there was a large influx of popula-

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

tion and a correspondingly large amount of freight coming in, and a considerable flood of travel pouring out in the autumn. The season was favorable to navigation and there were thirty-one arrivals of steamboats, seven boats being at Fort Benton at one time in June. One, the Marion, was wrecked on the return trip. These boats were built expressly for the trade of St. Louis. They brought up 2,000 passen- gers or more and 6,000 tons of freight, valued at $6,000,000. The freight charges by boat alone amounted to $2,000,000. Some mer- chants paid $100,000 freight bills ; 2,500 men, 3,000 teams, 20,000 oxen and mules were em- ployed conveying the goods to different min- ing centers.

Large trains were arriving overland from the east, conducted by James Fisk, the man who conducted the Minnesota trains of 1862 and 1863 by order of the government, for the protection of immigrants. The plan of the organization seems to have been to make the immigrants travel like a military force, obeying orders like soldiers and standing guard regu- larly. From Fort Ripley Fisk took a 12 pound howitzer with ammunition. Scouts, flankers and train guards were kept on duty. These pre- cautions were made necessary by the recent Sioux outbreak in Minnesota. The officers under Fisk were Charles Dart, first assistant ; S. H. Johnston, second assistant and journal- ist; William D. Dibb, physician; George Northrup, wagon-master; Antoine Frenier, Sioux interpreter; R. D. Campbell, Chippewa interpreter. The guard numbered 50, and the wagons were marked "U. S." Colonels Jones and Majors, majors Hesse and Hanney, of the Oregon boundary survey, joined the expedition. Wagon-master. Northrup, and two half breeds deserted on the road, taking with them horses, arms and accoutrements belonging to the gov- ernment. The route was along the north side of the Missouri to Fort Benton, where the expedition disbanded, having had no trouble of any kind on the road, except the loss of

Majors, who was, however, found on the second day, nearly dead from exhaustion, and the death of an invalid, William H. Holyoke, after reaching Prickly Pear river.

In 1864 about one thousand wagons arrived at Virginia by the central, or Platte, route. In 1865 the immigration by this route was large. The round about way of reaching the mines from the east had incited J. M. Bozeman to survey a more direct route to the North Platte, by which travel could avoid the journey through the south pass and back through either of the passes used in going from Bannack to Salt Lake. This road was opened and considerably traveled in 1866, but was closed by the Indian war in the following year and kept closed by order of the war department for a number of years. In July, 1866, a train of 45 wagons and 200 persons passed over the Bozeman route, commanded by Orville Royce, and piloted by Zeigler, who had been to the states to bring out his family. Peter Shroke also traveled the Bozeman route. Several deaths occurred by drowning at the crossings of the rivers, among them Storer, Whitson and Van Shimel. One train was composed of Illinois, Iowa and Wis- consin people. In the rear of the immigration were freight wagons and detached parties to the number of 300. A party of young Ken- tuckyians who left home with Governor Smith's party became detached and wandered about for one hundred days, thirty-five of which they were force to depend upon the game they could kill. They arrived at Virginia City destitute of clothing on the 13th, 14th and 15th of De- cember. Their names were Henry Cummings and Benjamin Cochran, of Covington; Austin S. Stewart, Frank R. Davis, A. Lewis, N. W. Turner, of Lexington ; Henry Yerkes, Danville; P. Sidney Jones, Louisville; Thos. McGrath, Versailles; J. W. Throckmorton and William Kelly, Paris.

The Indians on the Bozeman route endeav- ored to cut off immigration. Hugh Kiken-

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

dall's freight train of forty-six mule teams was almost captured by them, "passing through a shower of arrows." It came from Leaven- worth, arriving in September. Joseph Rich- ards conducted 52 wagons loaded with quartz machinery from Nebraska City to Summit district for Frank Chistnut and had but one mule stolen. J. H. Gildersleeve, bringing out three wagon loads of goods for himself, lost nine horses by the Indians near Fort Reno. J. Dilmorth brought out eight loaded wagons from Leavenworth; J. H. Marden five from Atchison, for Brendlinger, Dowdy and Kiskad- den; J. P. Wheeler brought out six wagons loaded at the same place for the same firm; F. R. Merk brought thirteen wagons from Law- rence, Kansas; Alfred Myers seven wagons from Guerney & Co .; D. and J. McCain brought eleven wagons from Nebraska City, loaded with flour, via Salt Lake; E. R. Horner brought out eight wagons loaded at Nebraska City for himself, the Indians killing two men and capturing five mules belonging to the train; William Ellinger of Omaha brought out four wagons ; A. F. Weston of St. Joseph, Missouri, brought out eight wagons loaded with boots and shoes for D. H.Weston, of Guerney & Co .; Thomas Dillon left Plattsmouth, Nebraska, for Virginia City on May 26 with 23 wagons for Tootle, Leach & Co .; Dillon was killed by the Indians on Cedar Fork, near Fort Reno. A train of 19 wagons belonging to C. Beers and Vail & Robinson had 90 mules captured on the Big Horn river. The wagons remained there until teams could be sent to bring them in. Phillips & Freeland, of Leavenworth, arrived with 14 loaded wagons in September ; and five wagons for Hanauer & Eastman. R. W. Trimble brought out 17 wagons for Hanauer, Solomon & Co. Nathan Floyd of Leaven- worth, bringing five wagons loaded with goods for himself, was killed by the Indians near Fort Reno, and his head was severed from his body. A train- of 26 wagons, which left Nebraska City in May with goods for G. B. Morse, had

two men killed near Fort Reno, on Dry fork of Cheyenne river. Pfouts & Russell, of Vir- ginia City, received forty tons of goods in 17 wagon loads this season. At the same time pack train from Walla Walla came into Helena over the Mullan road, which had been so closed by fallen timber, decayed or lost bridges and general unworthiness as to be unfit for wagon travel, bringing clothing manufactured in San Francisco and articles of domestic production. Heavy wagon trains from Salt Lake with flour salt, bacon, etc., arrived frequently. So much life, energy, effort and stir could but be stimu- lating as the mountain air in which all this movement went on. The freighter in those days was regarded with for more respect than railroad men of a later day. It required capital and nerve to conduct the business. Sometimes, but rarely, they lost a whole train by Indians, or by accident, as when Matthews, in the spring of 1866, lost a train by the giving away of an ice jam in the Missouri, which flooded the bot- tom where he was encamped and carried off all his stock.

Many of those who came in the spring, or who had been a year or more in the country, returned in the autumn. The latter availed themselves of the steamers, which took back large numbers at the reasonable charge of $60 and $75. The boats did not tarry at Benton, but dropped down the river to deeper water, and waited as long as it would be safe for pas- sengers. A small boat called the Miner, be- longing to the Northwest Fur company, was employed to carry them from Benton to the lower landings. The Luclla was the boat selec- ted to carry the two and one-half millions from Confederate gulch. She left Benton on the 16th of August and was seven days getting down to Dophan rapids, 250 miles below, where it was found neccessary to take out the bulk-head, take off the cabin doors, and land the passengers and stores to lighten her suf- ficiently to pass her over the rapids. She es- caped any further serious detention, passing

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

Leavenworth October 8th and St. Joseph Oc- tober Ioth, as announced in the telegraphic dis- patches in Virginia and Helena Post October 16th. The expedient was resorted to of build- ing fleets of mackinaw boats, such as were used by the fur companies, and either selling them outright to parties, or sending them down the river with passengers. Riker & Bevins of Helena advertised such boats to leave Septem- ber Ioth in the Republican of the Ist. J. J. Kennedy & Co., advertised "large-roofed mack- inaws" to Omaha, "with comfortable accom- modations and reasonable charges:" also boats for sale, carring ten to thirty men. Jones, Sprague & Nottingham was another mackinaw company; and W. H. Parkeson advertised "bullet-proof" mackinaws. That was a recom- mendation as bullets were sometimes showered upon these defenseless crafts from the banks above. Three men, crew of the first mackinaw that set out, were killed by the Indians. Another party of 22 were fired upon one morn- ing as they were about to embark, and two mortally wounded-Kendall of Wisconsin and Tupsey of New York-who were left at Fort Sully to die. In this and subsequent years many home-returning voyagers were inter- cepted and heard of no more. The business in the autumn of 1866 was lively. Huntley of Helena established a stage line to a point on the Missouri 15 miles from that place, whence a line of mackinaw boats, owned by Kennedy, carried passengers to the falls in 25 hours. Here a portage was made in light wagons. On the third day they reached Benton, where a final embarkment took place. One boat carried 22 passengers and $50,000 in treasure. A party of 45, which went down on the steamer Montana, carried $100,000. A party of Maine men carried away $60,000, and Munger of St. Louis $25,000. Professor Patch of Helena, with a fleet of seven large boats and several hundred passengers, carried away $1,000,000. They were attacked above Fort Rice by 300 Indians, whom they drove away. These home-

returning miners averaged $3,000 each, which were the savings of a single short season.

A new route was opened to the Missouri in 1866, by mackinaws down the Yellowstone. A fleet of 16 boats belonging to C. A. Head carried 250 miners from Virginia City. It left the Yellowstone canyon September 27th and traveled to St. Joseph, 2,700 miles, in 28 days. The pilot-boat of this fleet was sunk at Clark's ford of the Yellowstone, entailing a loss of $2,500. The expedition had in all $500,000 in gold dust.

It was proposed to open a new wagon route from Helena to the mouth of the Musselshell river, 300 miles below Benton. The distance by land in a direct line was 190 miles. The Missouri and Rocky Mountain Wagon-road and Telegraph company employed twenty men under Moses Courtwright to lay it out, in the autumn, to Kerchival City, a place which is not now to be found on the map. The object was to save the most difficult navigation and open up the country. The Indians interrupted and prevented the survey of this road. An appro- priation was made by congress in 1865 for the opening of a road from the mouth of the Nio- brara river, Nebraska, to Virginia City, and Col. J. A. Sawyer was appointed superinten- dent. This would have connected with the Bozeman route. Its construction through the Indian country was opposed by General Cook.

Such were the conditions of trade and travel in Montana in 1866. There were local stage lines in all directions, and better mail facilities than the countries west of the Rocky mountains had enjoyed in their early days. The stage lines east of Salt Lake had more or less trouble with the Indians for ten or fifteen years. In 1867 travel was cut off and the telegraph destroyed. The Missouri, treacher- ous and difficult as it was, proved the only means of getting goods from the east as early as May or June. The Waverly arrived May 25th with 150 tons of freight and many pas- sengers. She was followed by 38 other steam-

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

boats, with freight and passengers; and in the autumn there was the same rush of returning miners, carrying millions with them out of the treasure deposits of the Rocky mountains. The Imperial, one of the St. Louis fleet, had the following experience: She started from Cow island, where 400 passengers who had come down from Benton in mackinaws took passage September 18th with 15 days' provisions. She reached Milk river October 4th, out of supplies in the commissary department. The river was falling rapidly, and this, with the necessity for hunting, caused the boat to make but twenty miles in one entire week. The Sioux killed John Arnold, a miner from Blackfoot and a Georgian, while out hunting. The passengers were compelled to pull at ropes and spars to help the boat along. Every atom of food was consumed, and for a week the 400 subsisted on wild meat; then for three days they had noth- ing. At Fort Union they obtained some grain. Still making little progress, they arrived at Fort Sully November 14th, the weather being cold and ice running. At this point 14 of the pas- sengers took possession of an abandoned mack- inaw boat, which they rigged with a sail and started with it to finish their voyage. They reached Yankton, Dakota, November 22, where they took wagons to Sioux City and a railroad thence. The Imperial was at last frozen in the river and her passengers forced to take any and all means to get away from her to civilization. A train of immigrants came over the northern route this year, Captain P. A. Davy, commanding ; Major William Cahill, adjutant ; Captain J. D. Rogers, ordnance and inspecting officer; Captain Charles Wagner, A. D. C .; Captains George Swartz, Rosseau and Nibler. The train was composed of 60 wagons, 130 men and the same number of women and children. Captain Davy had loaded his wagons so heavily that the men, who had paid their passage, were forced to walk. They had a guard of 100 soldiers from Fort Aber- crombe. This train arrived safely. The fleet

down the Yellowstone this year met opposition from the Indians just below Big Horn river, and one man, Emerson Randall, killed. There were 67 men and two women in the party, who reached Omaha without further loss.

A movement was made in 1873 to open a road from Bozeman to the head of navigation on the Yellowstone, and to build a steamer to run thence to the Missouri; also to get aid from the government in improving the river. The first steamboat to ascend the river any dis- tance was the Key West, which went to Wolf rapids in 1873, the Josephine reaching to with- in seven miles of Clark's fork in 1874. Lamme built the Yellowstone at Jeffersonville, Indiana, in 1876. She was sunk below Fort Keogh in 1879. In 1877 fourteen different boats ascen- ded above the Big Horn, and. goods were taken from there to Bozeman by wagon. It was ex- pected to get within 150 miles of Bozeman the following year.

In 1868 thirty-five steamers arrived at Ben- ton with 5,000 tons of freight. One steamer, the Amelia Poc, was sunk thirty miles below Milk river, and her cargo lost. The passengers were brought to Benton by the Bertha. This year the Indians were very hostile killing woodcutters employed by the steamboat com- pany, and murdering hunters and others. There was also a sudden dropping in prices, caused by the Northwest Transportation com- pany of Chicago, which dispatched its boats from Sioux City, competing for the Montana trade, and putting freight down to eight cents a pound to Benton, in gold, or 12 cents in cur- rency. This caused the St. Louis merchants to put the freights down to six cents. The president of the Chicago company was Joab Lawrence, an experienced steamboat man, with Samuel DeBow agent. This reduction effect- ually cut off opposition from the west side of the Rocky mountains, and rendered the Mary Moody and the Mullan road of little value to the trade of Montana. This accounts, in fact, for the apathy concerning that route. For a

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

short period there was a prospect of the Pend d'Oreille lake route being a popular one, but it perished in 1868. In 1874 Delegate Magin- nis introduced a bill in congress for the im- provement of the Mullan road, which failed, as all the memorials and representations of the Washington legislature had failed.

There was a new era begun in 1869, when the Central and Union Pacific railroads were joined. There were 28 steamers loaded for Montana, four of which were burned with their cargoes before leaving the levee at St. Louis. This fleet was loaded before the com- pletion of the road. Had the Bozeman route been kept open there would have been com- munication with the railroad much earlier ; but since the government had chosen to close it, and to keep a large body of hostile Indians be- tween the Montana settlements and the ad- vancing railroad, it was of no use before it reached Ogden and Corinne. The advent of the railroad, even as near as Corinne, caused another reduction from former rates to eight cents per pound currency from St. Louis and Chicago by rail, to which four cents from Corinne to Helena was added. The boats un- derbid, and 24 steamers brought cargoes to Fort Benton, eight of which belonged to the Northwest company; but in 1870 only eight were thus employed; in 1871 only six ; in 1872 twelve; and in 1873 and 1874 seven and six

Conspicuous among the freighting companies which made connections with the railroad points was the Diamond railroad, George B. Parker, manager, which in 1880 absorbed the Rocky Mountain Despatch company, shippers from Ogden, and made its initial point Cor- inne. When the Northern Pacific railroad reached the Missouri at Bismarck, the Diamond railroad made connection with it by wagon train, thus compelling the Union Pacific rail- road to make special rates to Ogden for Mon- tana, the charge being $1.25 per hundred with- out regard to classification, when Utah merch- ants were being charged $2.50 for the same ser- vice. Montanians chose to sustain the northern route. In 1879 there were 1,000 teams on the road between Bismark and the Black Hills, and Montana merchants were unable to get their goods brought through in consequence of this diversion of wagon road to the east by way of the Yellowstone, which failed. These diffi- culties soon disappeared as the Northern Pa- cific railroad advanced. Steamboat travel had a rival after the falling off above mentioned. In the year 1877 twenty-five steamers arrived at Benton with 5,283 tons of freight. Small com- panies engaged in steamboating later. The com- pletion of the Northern Pacific railroad placed transportation on a basis of certainty, and greatly modified its character.

CHAPTER VI

THE POLITICAL DIVISIONS.

It is an interesting study, the, tracing of the many divisions of the territory now em- braced within the boundary lines of the state of Montana. Little known, valued or cared for prior to the fortuitous circumstance which led to the discovery of gold and the consequent

influx of population, the territory which we know as Montana had been carved, sliced, di- vided and redivided as suited the whims of am- bitious state makers. Then, when it was found that the mountainous country was an immense treasure bed and people poured into

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

the country by the thousands, other divisions were made, and finally, on the 26th day of May, 1864, the act creating the territory of Montana was approved, with boundaries prac- tically the same as those of the state at the pres- ent time.

To gain a thorough understanding of the many divisions which followed, it will be neces- sary to remember that all that part of the state of Montana which lies to the east of the main range of the Rocky mountains was a part of the territory of the United States acquired from France by treaty, known as the Louisiana pur- chase; while that part of the state which lies to the west of the mountains was a part of the "Oregon country," which was acquired by the United States by reason of discovery and ex- ploration. As the western half of our coun- try was a truly terra incognito at the time of the Louisiana purchase the boundary lines of Louisiana were very indefinite. As a result some authorities maintain that the Oregon country should be classed as a part of the Louisiana purchase. It is a matter of fact, however, that in our controversy with Great Britain for the possession of Oregon, the pur- chase of Louisiana from France had very little weight in giving the Oregon country to the United States, and the Rocky mountains are now generally named as the western boundary of the Louisiana country.

It is of the Louisiana country that we shall first tell. In 1682 the renowned explorer, La Salle, took possession of all that part of the North American continent extending from the Mississippi river westward in the name of the king of France, Louis XIV, in whose honor La Salle named the country Louisiana. France retained possession of this uninhabitated wild- erness until 1762, when it was ceded to Spain. By the treaty of St. Ildefonso, which was held in 1800, France regained possession, the trans- fer not taking place until three years later. It was on November 30, 1803, that France raised its tri-colored flag and formally assumed pos-

session. But in the meantime negotiations had been perfected (April 30, 1803) whereby the United States purchased the territory from France, and on the 20th day of December of the same year the stars and stripes were raised and the United States formally came into pos- session of the heart of the North American continent, at a cost of the nominal sum of fif- teen million dollars. Owing to the small time intervening between the several transfers, under the laws of nations, the inhabitants of Louisiana owed their allegiance to Spain No- vember 29, 1803; to France on the succeeding day; and to the United States on December 20th following. England asserted sometimes during this period a claim under the discover- ies of the intrepid Cabots to the territory be- tween the Atlantic and the Pacific, but the claims were never vindicated. The interests of France and Spain were founded upon the actual occupation of the villages and fortified trading posts in the vicinity of the Mississippi river south of St. Louis. While the territory which is now Montana was nominally under the government of both France and Spain in the eighteenth and early days of the nineteenth centuries, no European power ever displayed its authority within the boundaries of the state.

No sooner had the United States gained possession of Louisiana than the process of di- vision, which has been going on ever since, be- gan. In 1804, by act of congress approved March 26, that portion of the newly acquired territory lying north of the 33rd degree of north latitude was organized as the district of Louisiana, while that part to the south was organized as the territory of Orleans, the bill providing for the division on the first day of October of the same year. The district of Louisiana was not allowed a separate govern- ment at this time, it being placed under the authority of the officers of Indiana territory. Its affairs were managed by the officers of the last named territory until July 4, 1805, when

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An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana, Part 12

Author: Western Historical Publishing Co. (Spokane, Wash.) Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western Historical Publishing Company Number of Pages: 760

Author: Western Historical Publishing Co. (Spokane, Wash.)
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Western Historical Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 760