They Gazed on the Beartooths, Volume 2 (2025)

TXT

1964

Content of this volume may be quoted, used or reprinted by a[...]ta.
However pennis ion must be obtained from the author in the event some
of the material should be utilized in a project or program that would result
in financial gain of any kind.[...]DITION

PR I TED IN THE U ITED STATES OF AMERICA
BY THE REPORTER PRI TING lit SUPP[...]

Chapt r 1
E RLY HI TORY OF THIS RE ................[...]THE EMBRY0....7

Chapter 3
TOW Ir[...]91

hapt r
PH E O IE L PROJ E T OF MY TI C L KE. ............................[...]

Chapter 12
LEGE D OF THE STILLW TER.......................................[...]1
HERE \ AS THE DO 1 I OF THE GRE T '79"................................ 141[...]. · ........................219

hapt r 17
THE OF

The greatest source of information has come from the files of the local papers, The
tillwater Bulletin (1893); Columbus Express (1 95); Tri-County ews (1901-1910); The Colum-
bus ews (1910-1964).

The "7'¥' story arises from many sources. I have seen and knew most of the cow
poke of the early days whose biographies are written herein-S[...]nes. From interviews or correspondence I got some of tlie facts of the
"dying day "operations starting about the turn of the century. This group included " osey" Ben
Cowen, Paul Case, Pat 01<ane, the Armitage boys, Johnny Bye, John Coston, Jack Mc a[...]knew ick Dickin on for 15 years, and saw him load the last
shipment of "7'¥' stock in 1915 from Merrill (and not withou[...]Mrs. Clara Brag , county clerk and recorder of Garfi Id County, where the last year
of th "79 w r pent on th Bi Dry gave me r fer nc s a[...]cowboy . Mrs. Gen va Highland not
only ve m fu u of h r fin book "Big Dry Country' but I profit d fro[...]uc-
c or to John Cl.c y) in pr vidin th al re ord of 1 93 and th John Clay letter. Hat
off to th infor[...]from th h atland . b tract
Comp ny. Of cour I u d th tillwat r b tract Company fil all th tim , with ry
m rnb r of it for co-op r ti~ with very demand. I appreci t[...]. op rat d.

t int r ting of my narrator was "Doc" el on th - ear old cod[...]lert. ac mat and bri ht a a doll r. H ga e m mo t of
of im and Bill Rob rt . nd furni h d the f ct for "Th y Call d It D ad I n'

I h r by apologiz for th hr vity of my r vi w ro, Indi n agenc having
more or l cover cl om of th event that h pp n d in th hort tim it e, i ted outh of
b arok e. My r ason for doing this i that prob bl more ha b en print d of thi tribe than[...]

I got some material from the same sources as Mr. Brown; "Chronicles of th Yellow-
stone" by Topping; the Historical Library at Helena; and portion of the Lewi & Clark records.
"History of the Yellowstone alley" carries some data and vital statistics used; I also nitched
some of the material published in bulletin form by Dr. Thomas Marquis , as well as hi tory
of Tom LaForge, a close friend of Bill White and Col. llen. The anders "Hi tory of Montana"
published in 1885 carries much of the statistical data used. Lindermann's "'Plenty oup[...]nd there is considerable self ati faction in the fact that I knew per onaUy and a
intimately as any kid can, e ery on of th pion er biograph d in thi volum ·[...]on rabbit or
sage hen for om of h r \ ond rful \I l h cak or coo[...]lab I d "Jirah 11 w h
out of of hi poem , \! hil I publi h d the olumbu I had m __ ·
Major to , ome of the arly r rvation information i cr dit d. I
Billy" H[...]" in bu , nd I a b r of
ho ' quart tt that ang \ h n[...]lo a1
chapt r a grant d olumbu org niz r of th impro d rd r of cl M n. Th horn
tepe wa n m d "Pl[...]lu
tribution in th ourc of information and ad ic , for[...]. P. ath
"Handbook Of The Y llo

, nd o to each nd ery one of you eontrihutor . and to tho who[...]

plendid growth of cottonwood and the valley opened and how important a part thi[...]les in width, "with good soil and plenty in the rapid expansion of our natural resources after
of room for farming." (This was the same area where the railroad came through. In that publication, in
the Clark boat had been made.) May 5 they were[...]n to a general history is a section devoted to
at the mou th of the Big H om , and the expedition biographies. Yellowstone was one of the 14 counties
a cended thi river. Here the Crow Indians attacked, at this time, bordered by Gallatin, Meagher, Fergus
tole and hara ed the party with such continued and Custer Counties. aturally the mining areas had
f rocity that they abandoned the project and returned drawn many prominent residents, while this was still
home by the long and tedious route through the the land of the Red Men and a few scattered cattle
south pass and[...]barons, and a sprinkling of homesteaders who had
While the Stuart party was camped on the banks filed after the . P. came through. In the biogra-
of the Yellowstone, where Columbus now stands, it phies of the other ten counties appear over 2,000
had it first serious trouble with the Indians. A band write-ups of their citizenry, utilizing 373 pages. Five
of about 30 Crow Indians appeared and proceeded[...]ed to Yellowstone County, covering
to investigate the camp . n uneasy night was spent 37 names. Of these 37, J. I. Allen, Ed Cardwell, W.
as the invaders, who were cited as the most cunning H. Claussen, Charles Countrym[...]thieve in Indianland, man aged to steal articles of man, Isaac Hensley, Olof Lafverson, W. H. orton,
all kind . By morning the Crows began to do some Ben Pearson, R.[...]les Rugg and A. E.
stand by Capt. tuart prevented the party from being Parker voted in Park City[...]here, and Dr. Will Ailen and Judge Goddard
The failure of the tuart exploration put a quietus were weekly vis[...]s _missions.
on further research until 1874, when the citizens of Most of these men are biographed in "They
Bozeman determined to open up the Yellowstone Gazed On The Beartooths" but the following are
area with a road to the head of navigation of the condensed briefs from the above mentioned pub-
river and thu open "the most direct route" connect- lication:
ing with the pre ent terminus of the orthem Pacific PARKER, A. E. Born at[...]. Came to Montana 1876 driving freight lines
port of gold di coveries on the south side of the between Bismarck and Coulson until the railroad
Yellow tone between the Rosebud and Powder Rivers came through. Filed on a ranch at Rapids in 1883,
attracted a lot of adventure ome men, and they 160 acres[...]hed Quinn's
ranch (which wa about three mile west of Colum- PETERS, R. W. Was b orn in[...]hey to Coulson in 1 1, and followed the railroad to
I ct d offic r and t out in earn t[...]here h filed on a ranch and b -
"On F b. 13" wrot the r cord r, "w tart d down came post ma ter at that station. Married one of
th north id of the Y llowston with the mouth of th H nsley girls, E l i on Oct. 6 l 2.[...]River our objectiv , as we pr um d that the H nsley Bro . in th ir proj cts.
the riv r could hav b en navigat d thi far." But YO G, Alonzo J. am to the Clark's Fork
like th tuart party, the Indian w re too tough for Bottom in 1 77 he[...]al o a po tma t r at thi offic . H v a corre-
way of Fort . F. mith and return d to Bozeman. pondent of th Billing H raid for fiv y ar .
"Th r ar no gold min along the low r Yellow-
stone nor the \Volf mountain , but mo t of u b lieve Thoma P. IcElrath' "Hand-book of The Yel-
that th re is gold in th Big Horn mountains,[...]low ton Valley' publi h d in 1 0, gi s th fol-
the valley land will have to be irrigated to produce" lowing stati tic :
was the concluding r port. "Li ut. Long made a car fu l c n u of th pop-
n army report of 1 75 stated "With th xc p- ulation of th all y from B n' Landing to Fort
tion of th Countryman ranch, there is no saf habi- K ogh. Th population in the ction included in
tation b tw n Fort Bu[...]ar bitt r and ho til , and th route is of distanc . Of the 215 w r mal propri tor of
frought with xtr m danger."[...]developm nt. cultivation , 2.3, 3.5 h ad of cattl on pa tur range ,
Th · nd rs dition of "The History of lontana" &15 hors s and 201 h ep.[...]

The Last Battle with Indians in What Is Now Stillwate[...]Battle cross on the ice, and follow the trail of th tol n
horses in the now. The cro sing was about three
in Hails[...]miles east of Park ity.
While a few skirmishes with the Indians have[...]Lew et ranch and I d tha
of them have been too serious. The chronicl of had o of his h Th· d th local
Lewis and Cla[...]y decid d to join and track
camped on the ground where Columbus now stands,[...]wn, and Mr. w a f w n igh-
a b and of Crows, who were clever arti ts of thi v-[...]to go along.
ery, sneaked in and took 24 of the exp dition's hors
from under the noses of the guards. ot a shot or[...]h Ba in w t
ser Creek, about the time of " he ·p Dip" when a of th Big day and all
few Indians invaded the pasture of r. Keiser (K y- night.[...]t
ser) and escaped with t n h ad of poni d pite th[...]hors "th a
but could not pursue the in aders becaus th ir[...]ton g light wh
The most serious engagem nt was known as th[...]a ,
battle of the Hailstone Basin, which occurr d in 1[...]big r n t of[...]trail.
"On February 16 a small band of row Indians
under Chief Plenty oups crossed the river from[...]i in th party whom th y
of horses that had been tolen from th m . It was[...]1 th t tarted ho ting. J Tat
v ry cold. The river wa froz n ov r so they could[...]

Owens got b hind ome rock . bullet nipped The men were tired, no sleep - too cold to sleep
Ow n ' che k. When the Indian thieves saw the so they had to keep walking and moving a[...]ed running night to keep from freezing. On the way home they
for th cliff , wh re th y had an advantageous posi- came to the Bill ackett ranch west of the Big Lake,
tion . On Indian was kill d and another[...]l riding wa a stallion biscuits most of th morning and filled th m up as
b longing to my[...]When the party got to Park, Dr. Rhod s anted
Ow ns wa kill[...]d Indian to whittle on, o my olde t brother,
The Indian , five in number, stayed in th ir Mar[...]what \: a left was buried on
b low until daylight the s cond day, wh n they were our ranch. It was not a ery good burial as our
abl to go where the d ad member of th ir party dogs kept digging him up and scatt ring the bones
were, and when th y reach d them shortly after day- around our yard.
light, th y found that the bodies wer frozen stiff. Plenty Coup had scalped the dead Indian and
Th ey put them on pack horses, and two of the party took th scalp with him to sho th other Indians
started back, while the Crows and others found their of what he had done - anoth r coups.
stol n horses and started back to Park City, th re The thieving band were Pi gan Indians, possibl[...]

Dame Nature Created Many Stations for Indian Signalling

Back in the old days of ·the Louis-
iana Purchase the native American In-
dians were using smoke signals as a
means of rapid communication. The
Crow tribe was very adept in this art,
an[...]stations they were able to cover a range
of over two hundred miles, as they could
observe activity in most of their area on
both sides of the Yellowstone between
the Big Horn and Boulder Rivers. Loco-
motive Butte and Battle Butte in the
Lake Basin were such vantage points, as
w[...]called Tip-Top) Butte,
and Youngs Point along the Yellowstone.[...]enemy tribes, once they were stationed
on the flat tops of these formations.

LOCOMOTIVE BUTTE IN BIG COULEE
AREA OF LA.KE BASIN

amounted this year to $4,554,997. In spite of the the up-river farmers and businessmen took the jump
fact that a great deal of expense was created in on the Countryman- orton-Montana Cattle Co. the
starting the wheel of government in the new country, latter knew that it would be futile to try to bring
the taxes were just a trifle higher than in the other another small county into being, and so the project
counties from which it was segregated, and with was abandoned. Then came the regime of J. B. Annin
the initial expen e of nearly $50,000 eliminated in and Pat Lavelle as commissioners for Yellowstone
future years the tax rate will probably be the lowest County, and the fact that this pair came from the
of any county in Montana.[...]ded them time to give further study
n idea of its rapid growth since the introduc- to a new county, with their home town as the
tion of the dry farming principals can be gained county seat.
from the census reports. Six years ago there were
approximately 2,500 people in what is now Stillwater;
the present conservative estimate is placed at 5,000.
Of this portion over three-fourths obtain their liveli-
hood from the soil. Columbus, the county seat, has 750
people; Park City boasts of a population of 400; Ab-
sarokee, 200; Fishtail and Reed Point ab[...]Lusty at Birth
This can truly express the creation of Stillwater
County. For no commonwealth, created t[...]ng
career in gaining its final designation as one of the
counties.
From the start it appeared that basic reasons
made it a "natural" for the establishment of a county
in the area of which the confluence of the Stillwater
and Yellowstone Rivers was a key point. Back in
1875 this was the main stagecoach stop for many
miles of the main Yellowstone Trail. Far up the
Stillwater, mining propertie promised practical de-
velopment, with "pay' cuts of gold silv r, copper
and nickel showing up in many mining hafts, or
placer sluic . There wa the story of the wire gold
and the gold nugg t attributed to Pretty Feather;
ther were deposits of low-grade, but ch aply mined
coal both to th nort[...]tillwater
Valley; there were vast for sts of virgin timber· there
were sites already r tain d[...]ects; lim stone deposits in abundanc , and
plenty of water for irrigation of the many wide,
fertile valleys that comprised the Stillwater watershed. In three dillerent e ion , he battled futility for the creation
of tilh ater ounty-at la t ucce .
To th north was th domain of the old Se enty-
ine (The Montana Cattle Company)· and its proof
that the mountain ar a gra s and climat a ideal[...]blu -print
for th live tock indu try. Ev n before the dry lander stag wh n Ir nin a el cted enator from his
came, it was known that the liv stock industry of coun on bruar · 1907 introduced a bill
this area was economically sound, as long as the for t oo t t[...]from arb O\ ston . The fol-
other fateful winter like 1886- 7.[...]Ea ton ;
trails , there was little doubt but that the re idents, county clerk, G or[...]K rn; county a nd clerk of
a go" of a gov rnment made up of thems Ives. court, Harry \ rig , J. R. c nn tte
The dream reached back as far as I 9 or about dams, up rint ndent of h Peabody,
the time Sweet Grass County was born, but when[...]

and public administrator not named. The area was print the names, would, if carried out, be against
somewhat larger than the confines of the present the peace of this community and would do no good
county, and the assessed valuation was nearly three at this time. If the tim does come when publica-
million dollars.[...]tion should be deemed necessary, w have the de-
aturally, the project drew bitter fire from each tails of the whole miserabl scheme."
of the three counties involved. The Big Timber Pio- However, on March 2, 1909 the Stillwater County
neer said: "A majority of the people realize that bill was beaten 16 to 6, following onslaughts by Sen-
the benefits to be derived from the new county ator Meyer of Carbon that "his county was small
would fall to a favored few, and the results would enough and the new bill would have detach d too
not justify." much property. The residents of the proposed[...]tricts, even in Columbus, were anything but a
The Billings Gazette reports: "At a meeting held[...]unit in its favor." Said Sen. McDonnell of Sw et
in the Billings hall Saturday night, some 60 men[...]se;heme back d by a
were in attendance to oppose the proposed new few who have real estate to sell, or political fortune
county of Roosevelt. Chris Yegen was elected chair- to gain, and very few residents of the area in my
man and J. H. McElroy, secretary, David Fratt, and county favor the measure." Three similar mea ures
others offered donations of $50 to fight the cause, to create new counties failed in the senate that session
and the Hon. Charles L. Harris assist~d in' making of the lawmakers.
some unkind and unjust remarks concerning Sen.
Annin, and some of his "selfish co-horts." But the sound logic that would create a county[...]along these lines nev~r waned. And so we reach the
B. A. Harlan, of the Joliet Journal, took the fol- 1911 session, when one of the early bills, presented
lowing pot shot: "The Journal man notes that there by Senator Murray of Beaverhead (through the influ-
have been some very foolish propositions presented ence of Mr. Annin), was for the creation, agaii:i, of
by people generally, in regard to dividing our county Stillwater County, with the same foes of Meyer and
by legislative act. First came what is known as the McDonnell ready to resist, while by the time Yel-
Annin move to carve out a new county from Carbon, lowstone had withdrawn in favor of it er ation.
Yellowstone and Sweet Grass, and make Columbus Ho ever the work of County Buster MacKay was
the county seat? Preposterous! Sure, but for the un- shown by the fact that 17 county di i ion m a ure
adulterated[...]had b en pr nted to th s nat , which practi ally
the Annin folly skinned and packed as an embalmed precluded passage of any one.
beef. It is the Glidden deal to create another county How v r the tr prompt th
from the east half of Carbon and the west half of drafting of r r whi h would
the Crow agency."[...]opo ed new
The voice of the protestants prevailed and after county to v[...]t d vot , and
went down the drain by the senate vote of 13 to 9. 0 p r c nt t[...]four million
Stillwater County with practically the same ar a and would not b t an
valuation as s t up in the previous Roo ev lt oun on . ifty p o t r
bill. This time the officers named were: . L. Thom- county aff[...]er commi ioners; tion t b
J. . Brannon, cl rk of court; J. R. Park r tr ur r; of each coun d.
Art nd rson assessor;[...]for llw
Th bittern of th 1907 battle was urpas ed mas g i an
by the enate fight for this bill. Th Red Lodg from e of n t ed
Pick t charged fraud in the p titioning promotion: county and a commi raf d-
"It may b that the ditor of the Tri- ounty w ari of th n w t lat n
is[...], but which was r ally int nded with a er w of ha and
for ounty di ision w[...]jol . Fina1ly u number o
and th names of th m n ho did th work ar okayed by th nty ommi ion r in
in pos ssion of thi offic . The nti aff[...]

Grass, with the election set for March 15, 1913, and YELLOWSTO E
the following officers named:[...]...................... 22 26
Clerk of Court, Gus B. Iverson; Assessor, J. R. Par-[...]..... .
ker; Attorney, B. E. Berg; Superintendent of Schools,[...]itter op- S EET CRA
position from the county seats of Red Lodge and Precinct[...]For Against
Big Timber, and the paper at Broadview. In much Ir[...]............................ 29 2
the same fashion as the proponents circulated peti- ye .[...]5 0
other field teams opposed to the move, and some Merrill .......[...]1
pretty vicious activity took place the few times the Reed Point ........................[...]........ 10 13
in fact, sponsored the new county as a better asset ibs[...]......................... 0 12
to the Midland Empire. How well the tillwaterites[...]For gainst
worked was shown in the official oting: TOT L ...[...]had ju
b n ompl NI " the norih id of hi

The Columbus ews noted: "Jim Lavelle, alias[...]963 ti-
Paul Revere, made some ride to bring in the returns mate is 5526.
from Stickley. The difference b etween Paul and Jim
The surprising feature in analyzing th figure
was that the form er's horse kept right on a-clattering,[...]is that in 1913 only 1,200 of the 5,00 w r r gi -
while the latter had a runaway, broke a single-tree,[...],500
and a neck-yoke before he pulled through all the
residents. An analyst has point d out that many of
snow drifts into Columbus. 0 0 0 Dan Woods is the
the newcomers were large family group , with minor
only man we know of who deliberately voted him-[...]children. Further, it was claim d that som of the
self out of a job by voting favorably. He was a[...]t filed and did n t hav sufficient
deputy sheriff of Yellowstone. 0 0 0 The only sun-
time of residency. Add to this the fact that the few
shine of the past 10 days was available last Satur-[...]ldom vot d.
day. For 10 hours "Old Sol" smiled on the birth of
Stillwater County. Lucky omen ." The voting strength was pretty well distributed[...]in 1914 as the following registration list shows: Co-
On Mon[...].51, Park City 136, Merrill 37, R ed Point
tached the county to the Sixth Judicial District, and[...], Busteed 36, Lake Basin 3.3, tickley 9, Harrison
the Secretary of State at 10:10 a.m. that morning[...], Gibson 47, Flaherty Flat 50, Irwin 67,
recorded the creation on his books at Helena. The[...]annex room with fireproof vault
got started, and the edges of some new desks pre- Consolidation of ~istricts as listed in 1962 shows
pared for lots of heel-warming later on! Columbus[...]ty 342, Reed Point 128, Rap-
After many years of patient, hard work, Still- elje 115, H ar[...]The school census (including children one to[...]n six) has varied through the years. In 1913 th county[...]had 2172 names in this group for 43 o/c p r cent of
Stillwater County is one of those areas where
the total population. In 1920 when th c nsu num-
agriculture is the main occupation, so population is[...]were 3510 juv nil for
affected chiefly by the whims of the tillers of the[...]46 ~ . Pr ently 1963 h w 2fXJl which
soil. Of course the homestead boom played its part[...]figure for about 36 o/< •
in determining the number of person within the
county confines. In 1905 the area comprising thi
county had an estimated 2100 peopl , mo t of them
on irrigated farms in the valleys. Th north sid of
the river was under the operation of stockgro er ,
probably a dozen rath r large outfi[...]g
crews accounted for more than half of th r idents. Y ar of · n pared t[...]aried with th s asons. those of
The census of 1910 shows that about 1,000 n - .[...]lu
figur to 31 . Only 96 of thes er registered 1 .u[...]v d n arly 5,000, with a pot ntial oting
strength of nearly 1 . Factual} , voted in th
el tion[...]7 r gist red oters and an timated population
of 5600. The regular decad n u show th fol-
lowing figur , with the p ak in 1920 to . In
1 30 th figure was[...]253. Ten ,7
year lat r th count of nos r aled 9 , hich ha of
aw th start of a le ling off proc . By this tim 75 o in .
most of th land had b n pro ed up. and th land[...]rth 21 124 50
iffs sal , and gone on th ir ~ ay. The 19 0 figur ars b for , n t too[...]

head. ow numb r , how ver, increased during the Columbus Has Had Many
50-y ar[...]Cemeteries
h ad for a total of $175,595 to 35,102 head at $60
per anim l for a um of $2,141,463 ineteen sixty- Like many[...]o frown on sheep in- several cemeteries. The first recorded burial was
er a ingly through the pa t five decade . Wool was a stagecoach dr[...]ile 1963 selected about half a mile north of the courthouse
how d a wooli population of 21, 64 at $6.40 for and contained ten graves when it was abandoned
a fi ure of 139,222. Hog and oth r livestock rose in favor of a new site on the north side of the hill
from $5,05 to a ix-time figure of $30,792. from which sandstone was obtained for the quarry
operation. It was here that the first Memorial D ay
ar and other motor vehicles show the most service was held at the tum of the century. Among
fanta tic gain . In 1913, 53 autos were on the assess- those pictured are pioneers like Wong T[...]llen, Pat Lavelle,
m nt rolls at 13,6 0. Today the county boasts of Jimmy Hedges> and Col. orton.
3,455 motor vehicl worth 1,729,532 for an increase
of 12260 % in valuation and a 61.6 to l ratio in[...]we t of town, all the bodies whose identity was
number . The value per unit has increased from known, were moved to the new burial ground, but
$244 to 500.[...]originally interred.
The growth of the values in public utilities is
likewi e astounding[...]railroads,
etc., were valued in 1913 at $77,864. The figure a
half c ntury later was $5,45 ,0 9 - 70 times as great.

n item of inter t cone ming the increase in
car , clipp d from The Tri-County ews, October
1, 1903:

'Th fir t[...]had om from Michi an and was
hound for th t t of a hin ton. Many of the
children, an a lot of rown-up , w r nt rtained
by it app a[...]

This industry was started the first of December One statement is often mad that[...]ar and has been in constant operation since, the best town in which to trade in the tate. On
part of the time night and day. The original build- condition which has brought[...]30 but this soon proved too small for istenc of the Absarok o-Op. tore. This store
the rapidly growing industry and the structure has was organized as a coop rati[...]d to 40 by 40 with engine room and ago, the principal stockhold rs b ing farm rs and
platforms in addition. stockmen of the surrounding ountry. The ompany
took over the only store in Absarok e and proc d d
The mill is equipped throughout with the[...]ing the buying and selling of grain and other pro-
Mr. H. L. Raiff, president of the orthwestern Mill[...]rehous s, and mor store room
Construction Company of Billings.[...]several lots until it now own a large
Before the mill was built many thousands of and valuable property. It has b n a great factor in
dollars were being sent out of the community for building up the town, furni hing at the same time
flour. ow the grain is grown in our midst, the a market for produc and a place to buy supplies
freight charges out and in are saved, as well as the of all kinds at reasonable pric s. Hugh ampb[...]and elevator charges, and several profits. is the manager, having held that position for four
In fa[...]ution to Rockefeller for gasoline and lubricat- The old Co-Op. is a landmark in Ab arokee and
ing oil, while the additional returns from our fat may it alwa[...]Absarokee got along with only
people concede that the mill will save each year to
one store, but as the town grew and the country
the community its total cost.[...]p(}d it became a promising field
One feature of the town which appeals to the for the establishment of anoth r m rcantile hou e.
traveling public is the excellent hotel accommoda- The C. W. Sparr Company located her but in ab ut
tions. The Jay Hotel is a two-story structure of brick two years H. L. Torgrimson backed up hi f[...]rge verandas and fitted with every modem the town ith his pock tho k and bought them out,
impr[...]Trad-
cold water and steam heat. F. E. Jay built the house ing mpany.
in 1912, close to the site of the old log hotel, and
The Pi pho Pharma y tak ar f th drug
with the assistance of his wife conducts an up-to-
busin ss in thi part of th country anct in additi n
date hostelry.[...]. Pi pho
Three restaurants also cater to the inn r wants r gi t d phannaci t, i th r and a
of the hungry public. Th Elk afe is conducted[...]m
and bak ry is just across th corn r; furth r up the
str t may b found th l x entch rooming and
eating hous . Don't be afraid to vi it the town -
you ill alway find g d ac mmodations.
Th real financial · ommunity · auged
by th amount of bu acted i
bank. b arok[...]far- ight mad tab-
Ii hm nt of a ba ho ha n it
th ir undiv[...]. .
Our bank, doing bu in under th nam of t
Thomas \ itt "' o., bank r: , is orga[...]rtn r hip with unlimit d r pon ibility on th part
of it tockhold r . It i a matter of prid that thi g neral fo[...]ri .
it on of the trong t in titution in th tat a itu-[...]

b for the town ite wa established, there has not after the land had been purchased from the Crow
b en much of a change of population from that par- Indians and thro[...]flock · to occupy practically every square foot of not until 1905 that Siver Simonsen decided to plat
the b 'nchland · and many of the e moved into b- his homestead for a townsite. The survey was com-
arok e upon ·elling out or r t[...]23 that year and immediately
for trebling in the population and homes at this the sale of lots began. A short time later P. H.
dat . No tow[...]r and was instrumental in getting
·iv . De pite the fact that the little "burg" (Absaro- the town laid out, with Main Street about parallel
k e wa de cribed as a po toffice on Stillwater creek, to the Rosebud River. In 1912, September 7, Mr.
35 mile northwe t of Red Lodge, and 13 miles Hawkins laid out Hawkins Second, and the next
outhwe t of Columbus, which is the nearest bank- year added some more of the river area in Hawkins
ing and hipping point on the . P., in the publi- Addition Number 3. His next contribution to the
cation "History of the Yellowstone" in 1905) has[...]Riv-
n ver incorporat d, it nevertheless has all the essen-
tial of a mayorized city. Through volunteer sub- erside Addition, 4.05 acres of which was left as a
criptions and improvement d[...]arden
now ha a fire-fighting ervice covering most of the Homes Addition September 24, 1928.
t rritory in the mountain valleys with equipment and[...]While "P. H." was the biggest planner for the
voluntary manpower far exceeding the ordinary in-
corporated town. For year the town has been elec- town, others had a hand in making expansion of
trically equipped through a Montana Power service. its boundaries. In 1914 Joe Mason tacked on the
Recently, the thriving little municipality installed Mason[...], and - in 1918, on Feb-
water and a sewer ystem. The residents pooled their ruary 6 Harry Ellis surveyed lots for Rock Rose
fund to blacktop the principal streets. In 1963 a ddition. T[...]Davidson ddition; then February 8 1951 the Lehn-
Main tre t boa t of very kind of business ers opened a tract along the Rosebud for homes.
ential to th trade of uch an area, with plenty The Weast Addition by "Jerry" Weast is the latest,
of comp titian handl d in uch a friendly way that[...]s.
er tch cl from th bu in ro t r but plenty of
n w op ration with up-to-th -minute method are
availabl to v ry kind of a cu tom r. Th town
v n boa t of two b nk .

ar four hur[...]cili · r most of
th ton s ral[...]em Fr nk Jay,
Platting The Town ite of b arok[...]t.

bsarok e, th famous litt1e "inland town of th FIR
Yellowsto[...]

(stone-cut) was erected during the summer of 1910. to Absarokee as well as so many "transfer" pupils
The ntire co t of the building was met by dona- from other districts that it became necessary to add
tion of land, labor and money, ranging from $1 to[...]more rooms and four teachers were employed.
$500. The M. B. Club gave $500 and later gave lib-[...]The establishment of a high school in 1913-14
erally to furni hing and[...]called for another era of great money-raising activi-
year later this club got water to the school ties on the part of the M. B. Club and the school's
ground , fenced , and planted a double row of 212 most loyal supporters. Though not immediately placed
tree around the chool block. Every tree flourished on the accredited list the first Absarokee high school
for y ar , wh n the greate t misfortune the school was held in the little cement house that stands adja-
ha met befell in the form of a hail storm which cent to the main entrance of the high school. Fresh-
killed all but a few of the trees. The trees we now man and sophomor[...]were given here under
e tanding are what remains of this splendid effort the direction of Veronica Piepho, principal of the
to give our town a beautiful school campus. Some[...]grade schools. When Alfred Baken, Albert Johnson
of them are shoot from the hail-destroyed trees and Mr. Shepard were trustees the cobblestone high
but the larger one are tho e which escaped the school was erected. To satisfy those patrons who
fury of the torm. From them we may picture what preferred to see the building parallel the county
the original planting might have become. road the new building departed from the cardinal
Occupation of the new two-room building re- points adhered to in the construction of the first
sulted in so large an influ of "school year residents" b[...]

ments, so the name of Columbus replaced Stillwater
COLUMBUS[...]-Birth- of the Yellowstone was slow in getting settled. It[...]was borderland on the north side of the Crow Res-
There i probably no town (or city)[...]ervation, and there were constant raids on the area
that had a more pectacular career, or more h[...]" on an incorpo- as soon attack the white invaders. This ever-present
rated name than did the county seat of Stillwater. danger didn't appeal to many prospective home seek-
From 1 75 when the Countryman stage station was ers, who high-tailed it over to the Gallatin or other
known as Stillwater, until its[...]07, points farther west. A history of Montana, 1885 edi-
it name was changed every time the whims of a tion, states: "A detachment of the 7th Cavalry pro-
merchant moved his stock of merchandise, or a new ceeded up the Yellowstone in 1875 to Mission. They
business app[...]er a single person between Coulson
two miles we t of town; then an Indian trading post and Mission except for the folks at the Countryman
was listed as "Sheep Dip," and it was not until the Ranch trading post at Eagle's es[...]ous route."
named it Stillwater that the town's location attained Inco[...]n't last long, how- many years the town's progress was leisurely but
ever, as the . P. had already listed a Stillwater,[...]erative in pro-
Minnesota, on their main line and the similarity of viding voluntarily for the improvements in living
Minnesota and Montana led[...]e, orton tore, (Line Building).
South of Trac k: Alec Countryman home, Wylie home,[...]

TOWN OF COLUMBUS ABOUT 1910

incidents are but a few of the changes that happened there has been but a short period during the town life
in locating the town of Stillwater, now Columbus." that homemade[...]0 0 available. The Harris cheese did a thriving business
Columbus is strictly a run-of-the-mill small town, until ill-health caused Herman[...]tories" evad-
which means that a large percentage of necessary ing inspection by the Booze ' Beer section of the fed-
commodities are purchased locally. at[...]ced flour.
can be no booms, business-wise, unless the unexpected
But the real boosters of all business was the open-
happens. Since the first home was built here about
ing of the quarry in 1900. This brought forty families
1881,[...]to Columbus, many of whom stayed for many years.
precinct cast 53 votes and the log school house had
Equally important was the establishment of "Timber-
11 students enrolled. ·w hen the new rock schoolhouse[...]d in 1897 some 55 youngsters names were listed on
the roster. By 1900 the population was placed at 178.
Today it is approximately 1,280-the same as the of-
ficial 1960 census. In 1893 Columbus had four
gr[...]ut about 20 are operat-
ing today. That same year the Tri-County ews car-
ried five saloon ads-today th[...]oday. In 1893 two denominations
held services iri the Gordon Hall-today there are six
churches availabl[...]is now Stillwater County had one
weekly newspaper-the same as today, although at one
time there were six. In 1893 Wong Toy baked the
first bread for public sale-there is one bakery today.
The unusual group of "small business" enter-
prises that arise in a town this size have made their
appearance during the years. Early days saw at least
one Chinese laundry in the town. One time there[...]nt eight, left to right: Billy Harper,
kitchen in the rear of his mother's restaurant where Malcolm Wo[...]Center: Walter
he did an overflow business during the holidays, and Quinn.
had a few particula[...]id prolapses in ewes, and an instrument
to repair the damage in case they did throw a womb.
He sold 200 of these "tubes" at a net profit of one dol-
lar each. In connection with his ic and[...]e could, and many times did, cure
and smoke a ton of pork at a time. Farmers eagerly
sought this outlet. Two brick yards operated for sev-
eral years, and the town once had a plant manufac-
turing conc[...]

And the very small turnover of busineis establish-
ments is indicative of the fact that those who have It was the proud honor of Jamie and Burtie An-
"branched out" for themselve[...]nin to furnish trout for a breakfast for the members
with their · enterprise as they share in the economic, of this expedition, their Dad having been notified by
substantial progress of this wonderful "small-town." Senator "[...]gesture toward the president. The kids carried out[...]Another highlight of the campaign visit came
from the President to Hank Calhoun in the nature of[...]when the Roosevelt cattle venture in the western
breaks of the Medora-Little Missouri was at its peak,[...]and Mr. Calhoun was a top hand. The train was de-[...]layed an extra five minutes while guests heard the[...]W. M. Snyder, editor of the Tri-County ews,[...]noted in the next issue of the paper "For once H. J.[...]

Burt Annin, Jesse Fraser plant flag on Sheep Mountain north of
Nye, 1904. They called it Point Ted[...]for a Republican presi-
dent!"
Appearing on the back platform with the presi-
dent were Senator Carter, Justice Theodore Brantly,
Judge Loud of the Yellowstone District Court, and
Bill Lindsay, Gle[...]reporters and a
couple other candidates.
At the extreme left of the picture are two kids,
the author and his brother, Burt. We had just pre-
sented the official train with a big catch of trout. The
President showed his appreciation by having his s[...]prominent publicity
by publishing in their ad in the Youth's Companion a
picture of the string of fish and a brief account of the
incident.[...]Jan tt , Mr. and Mr . Clarke. Mr. Clarke had
The boon buddies of schoolboy days, the Fraser the fore ight that brought water to the olumbu area.

and Annin brothers, further displayed their patriotism
and hero worship of President Teddy by making a Contracts wer let for the con truction of a pip -
camping trip to the mountains and planted a flag on line that found it wat r our in th hane ditch
the top-most point of She p Mountain just north of which tapp d the tillwat r about six miles south f
ye. This was an exciting xperience. In scaling the olurnbus, and gain d el vation until it wa suffi i nt
bluff from the front we encountered a ste p break[...]iphon r ach d from
which we conquered by boosting the lightest one of the ditch at a take out point lightly southwest of
the foursome on my shoulders and he managed to[...]mething over a mile later wa div rt d
wiggle over the edge. We then tied our overalls to- to a series of large tanks on th hill ju t north of the
gether and made an overall rope by use of which we quarry. It wa a 24" woo[...]arri d
all got over. Jess Fraser and Burt planted the flag, 110 pounds of pr ur . It had a ri er to cross, and
and Charlie Fraser rustled ballast for the Eocene oil tracks to tunnel und r.
can in which we anchored the flag , while I took the ·when the town , as incorporated, on of the first
picture. We later found we could have gone[...]untain she pl town, and in 1908 the contract was let whereby the

a survey of the damage. In the swift current, Vollmer
lost control of the boat, which slammed sideways into
the south pier, and capsized. After some effort Mr.[...]Thomas crawled on the pier, from which he was res-[...]the boat. ear the Dick Potter home on the banks of
the river he told Mr. Potter that he would be able to[...]land the boat safely farther downstream. He battled
the swift water for nearly an hour. The News again
says: "Farther down the stream Lorie Harris was[...]to the river bank, to bring the boat home. Harris and[...]a Mr. Zimmerman saw Carl coming down the river
near the Henry Rosean ranch, four miles from the
accident. They tied the lines together, but could not
reached the man. At this time Carl loosed his hold
on the boat, and was floating, with his head down
on one of the oars, apparently resting (for he was a[...]strong and skillful swimmer). He heard the man
groan, and clutch at his heart. The head went under
the water, and reappeared several times before he[...]sank from sight. John Altop and another man, in the[...]when his head bobbed above the river for the last
time." His body was found by the Sitzman boys near
"pipeline" was tapped and mains of sufficient size in- Park City on a sandbar on July 12, ten days after his
stalled to service most of the town. Even without drowning.
sewers, this[...]During the winter the log piers were replaced by
as the old wells were filled in and abandoned. About[...]new ones of concrete, portions of which still remain
the same time a small pumping unit was installed on
in the river channel. The pipeline was replaced short-
the banks of the river, tieing on to the new city line[...]ly thereafter in time for service for the 1913 crop
in the event something would happen to the pipeline.
year, at the same time water was restored to the city
The spring of 1908 saw water on 400 acres of new
irrigation, and still plenty for town use.
Things went well with the project until 1912. The
pipeline log piers were just below the old piers of
the bridge that crossed the Yellowstone. When this
bridge was replaced by the new one southeast of town,
with the weight off the bridge piers tlie center one
shook loose during the June highwater, and lodged
against a pipeline pier, tipping it in such a manner
that the pipeline was dislodged. The Columbus ews
of June 27 reads:
"At seven o'clock last Friday morning, that por-
tion of the Columbus Land & Water Co. pipeline that
was suspended over the Yellowstone River, fell to
pieces with a loud crash, and the disjointed sections
fell into the swiftly flowing waters below. Very few
persons witnessed the disaster, but it was heard all
over town and speculation was rife as to what had
caused the peculiar noise. The strain crushed the
building that housed it on the north side, as the tube
pieces drifted on the cables toward the north bank. In
ten minutes $6,000 worth of damage had been done."
A week later, Al Thomas, director of the com-
pany and Carl Vollmer started out in[...]

mains. In the· interim the auxiliary pumping system Stone Quarry History Reviewed
had provided for the town water system, but could
In the days when new industry was essential to
not suffice for the 1912 crops. the welfare and growth of a community, Columbus
By 1915 the town was "on its own" as far as the came into its own with the opening of the stone quarry
water system was concerned, and the pipeline was in the bluffs a mile north of town. Ben Hager, an old
only an irrigation system, which was generally pleas- contractor of rock work, had examined a lot of out-
ing to all concerned. Ice had posed as a problem croppings along the Yellowstone, and finally decided
during the winter months, when only a small inflow that the accessibility and quality of the Columbus
was needed for town use. Leaks d_eveloped that caused stone was the best spot for his enterprise. As early
huge icicles and a constantly shifting weight on the as 1896 he had a small crew of men getting out rock,
pipeline. The endless job of keeping the line clear at all requiring slow, manual labor. The task was not
20 degrees below zero wasn't a happy one for water- so great, however, as the sandstone had a straight-line
tender, Ira McClure[...]ic cleavage, which made breaking and sizing the product
to photographers who got some wonderful pictures. easier than normal. The local stone barn and the Co-
After several years, a deal was agreed upon with lumbus Mere. Co. were early products, as was the
the Merrill Ditch Co., whereby their ditch was to be Grade School, and later, all the stone structures on
extended around the bluffs west of town, to provide Main street.
water for an even larger area than under the original But the big operation of the local quarry was
system. Later this project was completely revamped started when the 1899 legislature appropriated funds
by the Montana Water Board with a bigger intak~ and for the construction' of the state capitol, and the con-
ditch of sufficient capacity to cover all the available tractor who got the bid made a deal with Hager &
irrigable land. The pipeline was salvaged across the Co. for stone from the Columbus quarry. P.H. Hawk-
river, and the staves and irons dug out of the ground ins, local correspondent to the Billings Gazette, issue
all along the system. Only the cabled catwalk re- of October 6, 1899, writes: "The present year is a red
mained, a swinging foot bridge which was used only letter year ·in the history of Columbus. This is not
by people out for an aftern[...]ers a speculators boom, but a development of the vast
crossing -over to the Jungle Club (a social group of resources of the country. The bluffs to the north,
the town at that time) and their barbecue pits and[...]found to be the best sandstone in the state. The capi-
But the Columbus pipeline had paid for itself! tol building of Helena is being constructed of it. 1-[...]

ready a spur of the railroad is being laid, and the vast ing material beyond capacity. The State Capitol
derricks of Hager & Co. are placing the stone on the Building at Helena, the federal buildings at Butte
market." and Helena, the original federal building at Billings,
As the business grew, Ben Hager saw a profit in hotels at Forsyth and Havre, the Missoula and Havre
the future and sold out to Mr. Frank, of Helena, who high schools, the Masonic Temple at Missoula and
organized the Montana Sandstone Company, and of- many other public buildings as well as private institu-
fered the quarry for lease. Frank had contacted Mike tions, awaited the delivery of stone for construction.
Jacobs in Chicago, who had just completed the stone The Montana Sandstone bought back the lease and
work on the Art Institute, and persuad~~ him to look Mike Jacobs was given a green light for any and all
the place over. In early 1900, "Daddy" Mike, J. B. types of operation. He was able to employ local
Annin and[...]people, which he did at all times, for the ordinary
immediate expansion. (In 1906 Mr. Jacobs became the manual work, but he went back to Chicago t[...]-Italians who were declared to be
First came the construction of the buildings the finest artists in America. Louie Corti, Pete Petosa,
necessary to house the saws, planers and rooms in Anton J acobucci, Victor Rocci, Joe Angeroli and
which the masons could work; also the hoists, power "Old Mike" himself, to name a few of the top stone
arms, cables and drills needed to get the rock blasted, cutters that served.
cut into proper sized "roughs" and moved to the inside. Building material was not the only product of the
Then came the building of a railroad spur to the quarry. Highly ornamental facades, and[...]ocks. Within less than to add_ a final touch of beauty to brick, frame and
a year the plant was ready for full capacity, and the concrete structures was in high demand. Cemetery
early big shipments consisted of six to ten flatcars monuments and headstones found a ready market,
of outside waste stone used for .P. rip-rap, as the and some of this beautiful handiwork is seen today in
beautif[...]busy period that at its peak saw play at the World's Fair, which later sold on the
72 men on the payroll, and a demand for the build- grounds for $700.00 and was the inspiration for orders

and plenty, before they leave for the southland. The
many beautiful lawns join with the trees in softening
the harsh touch which is so often found in connection
with the life of a small town. The effect of the grow-
ing plants and trees has brought about the environ-
ment of contentment to the residents so that there
have been many beautiful homes erected-more than
in any other town of its size in the state.
But the one factor which has made the town what
it is today is the unity of spirit which has been dis-
played at all times by the residents. It was the fact
that they all worked in a body which made possible
the flour mill, the elevator, the water works, the fire
department, Stillwater County, and every other enter-
prise which makes the town. Although the men have
been of different political beliefs, in spite of the fact
that they have been competitors from a business stand-
point, the slogan from the start has been "Park City
First." There are no poor people in Park City. The
affiliation of community interests has made it possible
for everyone to share in the prosperity of the village,
has brought about friendly communication[...]first school was built in 1886. Some thirty years
the outside towns, and has instilled a spirit of peace later the first high school graduation occurred,
and happin[...]rs than other consolidated districts is one of excellent stand-
it did nearly 80 years previousl[...]is renowned for its facilities and free useage to the
ture for any great expansion. Presently its popul[...]blic as well as its own people. Its fire
consists of the local merchants, retired farmers, or depar[...]ly adequate. There is no
men who are employed at the railroad shops or oil jealousy or selfi[...]shops, stores, a saloon and
postoffice. Its glory of other days in reflected in the It is possible that living in a town like this is
spirit of its citizens. The tiny town boasts of a finding life at its best.

REED POINT
Although the Lewis Guthrie family had a store
and postoffice in Reed Point about the turn of the
century, it was not until dry landers started to flock
in, that any thought of establishing a town came to
mind. So it was not u[...]ite. Fif-
teen months later, John S. Campbell got the same idea
and located Campbell First Addition. As[...]6, and Campbells
Third Addition, July 2, 1917. On the Guthrie side of
the street business was booming too, so Lewis and
Sophia added a new Guthrie Addition, July 7, 1916.
In the ..midst of this rivalry B. G. Brockway came in
with the Brockway Addition, December 7, 1914.[...]and of course, the chairs and spitoons were moved up
so the fellows could continue "sawing their wood or[...]- MRS. A. L. GUTHRIE had done with the other one.

In a report to a meeting of the Pioneers of Mon- We now were working quite a cre[...]Mrs. Guthrie read a pretty fair history on the grocery side, a woman clerk in dry goods and
of the town of Reed Point, partly devoted to the hats, and an assistant girl in postoffice. While Mr.
operation of the store and postoffice, as follows: Guthr[...]k binders and Deering
Mrs. Guthrie's History of Reed Point mowers. Our machine[...]e, 80x.40, with a We were carrying a full line of shoes for men, women
full basement right in front of the old building about and children, also overs[...]In the meantime, we built a real nice residence.
postoff[...]We then built a large garage, the 100x75-cement floor
and shining-a cement approach[...]also
a fine big coal and wood stove just in case the steam We were buying flour and salt by the carload
heating would not be adequate for the very cold days using the old store for a storehouse.[...]

All the while we were petitioning the commission- 0 ,
ers to build a bridge across the Yellowstone to the[...]had raised a headgate holding back flood waters,
the rush could not have been more definite. People
rushed in-professional folks and in all walks of life.
Emigrant cars containing household goods an[...]s,
two elevators and many small stores. In short, the
town sprang up overnight and turkey red wheat was
the crop. It was being stubbled in or whether it was[...]to 70 bushels and grew
everywhere it was planted. The women are to be
praised. Many of them left good, comfortable homes[...]J. M. Hiner won a car as a prize on
A bushel of turkey red had won first place at the his bushel of wheat. So our Commercial Club put up[...]a sign below the depot very conspicuous, "Business[...]these settlers on the dry land, for haven't we seen the[...]cattle trail for miles for water in the dry years?"[...]harvest time the grain wagons would be backed up[...]a quarter of a mile waiting their turn at the elevator.[...]Deeney, -- -----····· Drew. · though the farm rs summer fallowed, still the dry

RAPELJE, MONTANA, 1918

truck to the Billings outlets. The Rapelje High School
has a high scholastic rating[...]MOLT
has developed outstanding basketball teams. The con-
struction of oiled roads into Columbus and east to When the railroad came into the Basin in 1917
Molt may detract some from the volume of business several townsites were platted. One of these was the
on Rapelje's main street eventually, but there will al- Town of Molt, situated on a tracf of land donated by
ways be room for the present business establishments Mr. and M[...]the postoffice of Stickley.[...]victim of the close proximity and oiled roads to Bil-[...]lings, which precludes much hope for expansion of this[...]handle the large volume of winter wheat grown in the
eastern portion of the fertile Lake Basin.[...]"The postoffice was originally Stickley, located on
the present John Leuthold ranch. It was established[...]in 1909 and Jesse Keefer carried the mail without pay[...]moved to its present location, and the name changed[...]smith shop, bank, etc. Today the business roster lists
only the Molt Farmers Elevator Company and the[...]only seven dwellings occupied, beside the teacherage,
used during the school term.[...]one of the top communities in our nation in the pur-
chase of War Bonds per unit of population during[...]World War II and rec ived a citation from the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to that effect. nother oddity is[...]It wm still b a happy home to the f w of us still
Upper: Elevators a[...]

into a state of safety (and charged a toll fee). There "It[...]hat h had a pr tty fair
was a natural ford across the Yellowstone near his id a of , h r th Indian w r g tting th ir whi ky
well bui[...]which was used going supply."
to and from the newly established agency, but for
the benefit of foot travelers, he swung ~ cable with II tory al <lane of that
a suspended basket across the river, capable of car- ar a, , uring t[...]and t ch ha im of ir liv .
cents per person, but increasing tr[...]. to th idd
new source of re enue and in 1882 he built a cata-
maran type ferry across the river just a t of where Foot f
the bridge is located. He was also er dited ith[...]lac
having platted at least thr addition to the to" n, n all ·[...]·1 of
starting in 1891. In 1 93-94 he and Joe K m built
a toll bridge across the river.[...]: "Liver-Eater Johnson and Jack raft h d
the logs for a hot 1, completed in 1 2. It was r c- But ountr ma ' ro ity and
ognized as on of the best ating places b tw n dov n-and-out[...]h so ial c n- t with hi
ter for the area." of b ing ri t[...]d n
"Countryman was chief of the town. In addition tu in th a
to the hot l, he owned the toll road and f rry, with 1 , it o, d[...]s a sideline. These nterprises yi Id d hun-
dreds of dollars weekly."[...]e ting in ntory li t d om 00 it m ,
"On day the ferry brought in o r 200. The including a barrel of high t grad \ hisk at 52.50
nightly poker gam too[...]75, and Horace and board and bar ac unt of many w 11 kno n
didn't have to play for it-the hole in tabl was cu tom rs ar ing from 10 nt to 5. P. H. Ha -
always the winner. He charged four bits for his kins, admini trator, who clo d th tat g d
meals, and the bed were pl nty high."[...]

One of the interesting events which marked the Muggins Taylor, a scout attached to the 7th
thrill-packed life of this pioneer was a ride of nearly Cavalry, had left the battlefield area and headed
200 mile pony-express[...]in carry- for Bozeman to spread the news of the annihilation
ing th news of the Custer ma sacre from his stage- of Custer's command. When he reached Columbus,
coach[...]he was exhausted.

ome of the inventory of the e tate of Horace Countryman. Creditor claims left a net estate of
about 3,000. The "old man" had given away most of hi hard-earned dollar to d titute friend ,[...]

THE COU TRYMAN FERRY (1882 TO 1894)[...]Located just East of present bridge site. Left to right: In fro[...]

in Columbus in 1886. He purchased a portion of ways carried large d nomination bill , but b for
the land that had been homesteaded by his cousin, using any of th s he xhau t d his tock of 5 and
Charles, and built his own log cabin south of the 10s and count d out 100 ilv r dollar and[...]Here were born two sons, Wil- erable mor of th chang in halv s and quart rs.
liam and Horace,[...]n an altercation that away.
started over the ownership of a horse, but was in
reality a jealous rage, a fig[...]un from his hand and shot him dead. A
trial found the killer guilty of second degree mur- WILLIAM T. HAMILTO
der. He was released from the penitentiary after
four years of "good and valuable behavior." This[...]Billy"
reprieve brought an indignant protest from the citi- (Author's note: It is ith con id rable no talgia
zens of Col um bus and Mr. Countryman proceeded that I write the saga of ncl Billy Hamilton. I
to dispose of his property here and moved away a firs[...]nd's death Rose moved her mas program in the old n hall in 1 94. I had
family to Butte[...]married. She died at just rendered "Rock of " · a kit in which
her own hands there in 1905. Both of her sons were ettie Port r (13) had[...]ut cross, her filmy whit dr ss ti d with the gleam
established good citizenship records in lat[...]H tapp d m n th
and Bill spent a hitch in the penitentiary (term back and aid, "Littl boy, you did ry 11. 1-
shortened because of his youth). Clara presently lives way rem ber[...]and me for catching a tring of trout for Pre ident
Bill Countryman was appointed by the federal Roo evelt on his pr id nt[...]and worked und r h
Rev. Joseph Pope in the Butte area as an in p ctor n[...]and laid do n a $1 ,000 bill, with a sly wink
to the boys gath red around. Mulvihill w nt to hi
safe and came back ith the coin bo . Tommy al- 0[...]form d a compan for th I urp of migr ting,

waited until they were a lather of sweat. Then Uncle
Bill suggested the next step, which was to plunge • ' ,,[...]~ l,\.l~ "''\ '~;' I \( ~ i 1
into a pool of the water of Fishtail Creek, big enough
to submerge them. Uncle Bill went first and the ( ~l._ '4'\W.. ".t,, l (h \\ \[...]turn. I am inclined to think he
never completed the survey l It's certain he gets a
cramp every time he thinks of it. Of course, this \ ,.J""'-<\[...],

In his days few men would refuse a drink of
good whiskey, and Uncle Bill was not of the minor- ~ t5~t ~--[...], ~ .,,, ~N. - -~t
ity. One night he came in from the mountains and I\.'.~ - ' ·l C l. -
decided to camp across the river in the brush above
the old ferry. He must have gazed long on the bottle
before he went to sleep. The next morning Bill White
came to his camp and tried to rouse him, but couldn't
so he went across the ferry and told Col. Allen that
Hamilton was dead. They quickly returned to the
tent, and Col. jounced him up and down until he
was out of breath. "This is a hell of a way to treat
a corpse that's still warm, but what can we do?"
he said. He resumed this crude treatment and the
corpse opened his eyes. "Hello, Colonel, what are[...]you can't let a man die if he wants to."
This was the end of his camping out as he built a
shack on the north bank of the river that winter.
This was to be his winter home the remainder of
his days, but he rarely failed to spend at least six
months a year trapping and hunting in the mountains.[...]MACKAY D "U CLE BILLY" HAMILTO
did a good job of making it. He also could cook
meat with the b st of them , using as flavor a com-
bination of weeds and bark that he had learned from mong the venturesome homestea<lers who came
the Indians, and he wouldn't let the secret be known. into the East Rosebud in 1901 was Malcolm S. Mac-
All in all, though, he wasn't the succ ss as a chef kay, who filed downstream a few miles from the
that he was as a trapper. " ncle Bill" had his fa[...]men hav , but he was courageous and brave, the trapper's official base during the season. Uncle
honest and straightforward, warmhearted and a lov- Billy was a great admir r of this eastern tenderfoot
able old man with many fr[...]." advantage of Mackay's friendship to make him his
errand boy. The attach d reprint is of a note by[...]W.T.H. to his b nefactor anent a purchase of sup-
"Uncle Billy" ed Lots[...]groceries in 1902.
of Tobacco[...]Mr. Mackay, in later years, transplanted the
While rather temperate and careful in his ea[...]king, ncle Billy Hamilton used consider- the rugged old trapper had m ant.
able quantities of tobacco when available, sometimes
roliing a cigarette, but more often enjoying a pipe. A lot of the f llows who know the rrand boy,[...]Bill Mackay (who now
He would cuddle a small quid of chewing tobacco[...]runs this fine cattle spread), get a chuckle out of
for an entire day, removing it while he ate, and the dignified alibi, which was written many years
res[...]us quo immediately after com- later, when the tenderfoot was a res rved, well-
pleting his dining. thought-of business man of r w York City.

"UNCLE BILLY" HAMILTO AND th close of school, o that it would look nic for
"[...]th Fourth of July.
This was a big day in th life of th chool[...]d up a mall cannon (whic had
One of the most substantial, if not the most g d from th army for ju t uch an ion)
pretentious, was the cabin (or "Castle" a he pre- black[...]uilt by ncl Billy shook th town. Ev ry hour of t day th t r
Hamilton about 1883, one of the first four perma- th cannon would b fir d,[...]a grand · blast in ju t un-
b come the village of Stillwater. It was built of do t · ho ncl Billy would ha
hewed logs, a roof of six inches of sod cov r d with n '\) of t w · h
clapboards and winnedg , a crude[...], and unti r -
connected to the big room with a swinging slab[...]rth.
i s w re always k pt cl an and ord rly.
The author a on two occasion a ictim of The a t Ro bud
a Tom Sawyer deal, which had be n rigg d up by F ire of I 99
Prof. P. H. Hawkins who also Ii d on th bank[...]tl ' · ·
of the Yellowston just across th road from th[...]ad got fairly dirty h
on the outside. Mr. Hawkins sold nd Billy th f
id a of whit washing it, and aroused enough patri- i
otic spirit in the ighth grade class at chool that t]
th[...]

Thomas Hamilton was his knowledge of the sign LESSO TE[...]signs. In his illustrations and descriptions of the In-
his 60 years on the plains, and he was finally to be dian sign language, in many instances, is voluminous
called "The Master of The Signs." He is said to have and not to the point in teaching students a quick
been able to c[...]t knowledge in acquiring proficiency in the sign langu-
five tribes of northern Indians. age. In many instances his mode of describing move-
The Columbus school kids were among his pupils. ments of hand and fingers differs from mine. I taught
Prof[...]awkins was never hesitant about in- him the first sign he ever knew in 1876. He was ap-
trodu[...]ersions to his teaching sched- pointed Chief of Scouts at Fort Laramie that year,
ule. When he as[...]s chief in name only while he remained with
teach the students the sign language, the cautious the army. Scouts reported to him, he being on Gen.
In[...]ve at Crook's staff.
least 15 lessons at the Tri-County ews office to be 1. Close three fingers and thumb of right hand,
printed when ~pace was available.[...]ont,
When school opened in September, 1905, the horizontal. Move arm from right to left, as
first lesson appeared in the ews. Here it is: pointing to a body of men. Crook index finger
LES[...]downward and draw back to body quickly-
The following signs are made with fingers held in "Afraid of people or a man."
same position, via; three fingers placed in palm of 2. Put edge of . right hand to heart and move
right hand, first[...]hen up to chin. 3. Make sign "afraid of people" then place thumb
"Enough."[...]in palm and throw back of hand over to right
2. Throw back of hand over, then back to posi- wit[...]4. Put edge of right hand to heart, close both
3. Move han[...]tion in front of left. "My heart is strong. I
5. Bring hand[...]front 18 inches palm down, A D THE L ST LE O -13
move right hand back down, under left with I want all of our enterprising youth to memorize
a sweeping motion forward, arms length. "Go- the following ign . It will expedite learning the sign
ing to war."[...]OUR - A IMALS carefully the following. Many signs by hand in ame
1. Ext[...]ng r , thumb placed on first
up to palm of left two or three times, (indi- joint of middl fing r, ind x breast high,
cating beaver striking the water with his tail pointing outward[...]right and ind x fing r horizontal,
3. Ends of the three last finger in right hand of bring right hand toward I ft ith a quick mo-
palm, thumb on first joint of middle fing r, tion, bringing th nd of inde fing r to th
index vertical held 18 inche in front, wav nd of thumb. "Knowing uch to b th ca e.'
hand[...]deer." zontal, and bring the hand in a circular mo-
4. Third and little fing r in palm of right hand, tion in front and to th right. "I b lie e.'
ends of middle and index fingers placed sid 5[...]ontal, place ame on wrist
by side, ends of thumb placed on nails of of l ft arm and touch arm thr or four times,[...]e hand from right to left in a half the time."
circle movement and flip fingers off of thumb 6. Throw right hand over to right, with ind
as hand reaches extreme left of the movem_ent projecting. "Th other on[...]eer. "Black-tail deer." the course in sign language.-Wm. Hamilton.)

This brought on one of the most interesting extra- "I desire to say[...]ion that these
curricular maneuvers ever known in the Columbus mines were discovered and worked more than 20
schools. Every Friday afternoon the last half hour years ago by Mr. Hubbell and others before the reser-
was devoted to sign language, with assigned lessons vation was ceded to the Indians by the government,
on which to practice over the week end. Because of and 14 years ago by Anderson and myself, the present
space needed this subject was taught in the school occupants; but by false testimony offered before the
yard. On first appearance a by-passer would suspe[...]af and dumb ~chool, or a very different the effect that there were no mines or miners working
kind of calisthenics. It was new and we worked hard on the reservation, this section was included in the
at it, but after about a month of it, the students started Crow reservation, and Mr. Hubbell and a number of
a new approach to the project. They developed some others were compelled to leave their property, and
new signs of their own, and slyly conversed in the have remained absent until the recession of this por-
classroom with their new mode of communication, to tion of this reservation to the United States. We did
the distraction of others and extra alertness by the not return until the line was surveyed and we were
"Perfessor." One of the most popular girls in the class assured our land was off the reservation."
was asked a question by the teacher. She answered
him in the new sign language and was told to leave Hamilton Was Slow in Acquiring
the room. Frank Shane, who was part Crow, and American Citizenship
knew some of the language of his mother, punched One of the things that surprised and astonished
the writer in the nose when apparently I had got Uncle Billy Hamilton was the sudden realization that
mixed up. Some of the older modest girls slapped he had to be a naturalized citizen in order to vote or
some of the older boys because of their signs. By way hold office, as of the year 1894. -Called as a witness
of a holiday proclamation at Thanksgiving, Prof.[...]lings, over a mining matter, he
Hawkins abolished the classes in Uncle Bill's pro- was challe[...]t was great while it lasted! the fact that Hamilton was two years old when he[...]came to the United States, he was nevertheless not a[...]Major Armstrong ably the shortest length of time ever utilized he be-[...]nited Stateser as a Tri-County News clipping
The following item in the Billings Herald, March of October 6, 1894 shows:
20, 1884, shows that the agent and Hamilton were
bitter enemies in their e[...]of the application.
A long communication is published from "Uncle
Billy" Hamilton in regard to the burning of the miners "Damn fine thing," said the veteran frontiersman,
cabin near the mines on the Upper Stillwater by the "Hope they don't disqualify some of my actions as
Indians under orders from Major H.[...]Benton, and a deputy in other law
Indian agent at the Crow Agency near Absarokee. enforcement-to say nothing of throwing out an elec-[...]at "but maybe I should ask for a refund of the poll taxes
they sneaked onto the reservation was "maliciously I have pai[...]nd that they came and went by broad day-
light by the nearest route, "Before we went on the
claims," Hamilton writes, "we obtained from Major[...]"Uncle Billy" Jobs Wong Toy
Blake who ran the lines last year, a map showing con- W[...]east three credit, he developed quite a sense of humor. On such
miles off the reservation. The cabin burned belonged an occasion he saw Wong Toy fishing through the ice
to Jack ye and was nearer the reservation than the near the Hamilton. Toy was doing right well, and just
other three, two of which were owned by McDonald tossed the fish on the ice as he unhooked them.
and myself, and the other by A. S. Hubble and "Shook- "Catchin[...]taining bedding, mining supplies, hole in the ice, and was apparently not gaining any
and gener[...]"chased
that his police did not find and destroy the other me across the bridge and as far as the White ranch,
three."[...]

Smith, this little crew had but 35 rounds of ammuni- The Crow agent, Dexter Clapp , sore because there
tio[...]was too much booze being sold to the Indians, got an[...]executive order that closed the northside of the river
Teams soon arrived and moved the party to[...]to settlement, so they went out of business. He then
Virginia City, Montana. orton a[...]worked for the government for three years, but when
tried fannin[...]the northside was again opened to settlement, he
tables with their last dollar in the venture. Grass-[...]filed on 160 acres, which is part of the Columbus
hoppers completely wiped them out. Bill[...]townsite, and built his own store in 1883 (where the
freighting contract and made good profit. He then[...]w stands). He operated this store for a
went into the mining business but with varying suc-[...]Billy Garrigus, and went
cess and in 1875 came to the Countryman stage stop,[...]into the sheep business until 1899. He then partially
wher[...]retired on his 200-acre farm adjoining the townsite[...]sembling the anti-bellum type of architecture. Here
ber of killed ia ..&imalecl a& three ba-[...]born on the Isle of Jersey, England, and came to
oa• day i11 the hllla. cut off from water,
GREAT BATTLE WITH[...]America with a sister when eighteen years of age.
The couple were domestic employees in the east for
THE INOIANS.[...]less a recluse, and her only association with the town
IUL CUITAR'I COMMA~D moat of their killed. Tbt NllllUIDI of[...]was as member of the Ladies Aid. Following her hus-[...]big to &be mou&b of th• LiW. Bona, outside her household[...]to the community. She died in the local hospital,
CUSTAR KILLE·D![...]all tbe anr,a of &b• killed aolctien. which her husband[...]offloen killed. 'l'la• whole of &b• Cu-
Thr86 Hundred Dead[...]tar family cti•d at ~• laud of their
Left on the F ield. column[...]wu Dot kDo,na. one-time correspondent for the Helena Herald, and
Both the adJut&At ud .......-, major rewrote the Muggins Taylor official notice of the Cus-
Oen. Cuetar•• Two aroth.,e, a[...]Countryman> the telegraph wires being down. It was[...]the first press realease of the tragic battle. When Yel-
up the u&tl1 B orn from Ha moet.la.
f!p,dt1t I>WJ)Olcll[...]representative, and was again named as the first rep-
boDa. arrhed laen lut :,i,[...]IIODl&Da) 1--. &a.
u ~ -p, of a bout t wo tboo- tn, coatrm• cbe r[...]o t e &laick- ~ eoauuod a& JI.no. Wlaeu the Ia-
_. portl p. Nodliq ia[...]obd likt a
IJYD ol &be opentiou of thia c1.. ... ...u, ,,.._[...]iD • uamnr n 'rioe. TIie .-a ,,..
the c:S.d. llaj?t Beno oo mancled[...]Joou Nrioa .
dtt Jo,r p.,rtiOD of lbe CUip. OltDC'al[...]WIN

'1JW ..a Dol ou of lda ~ I Wlled.
hess release prepared b[...]

WILLIAM H. WHITE[...]Agency,
January 16, 1939. Miss Julia, a daughter of Chief
Crooked Foot of the Crows was born in the Stillwater
Valley in 1862. She passed away in her[...]me WILLIAM H. WHITE FAMILY
the parents of William H. Jr., Mary E. "Mamie,"[...]mie."
Minnie, Frank and Ada Montana.
This is the condensed biographical data on two of as he told it to historian, Dr. Thomas B. Marquis
the important makers of history of this area. A reads:
reader can then trace some of the events of his life
as he narrated it to reporters. F or ins[...]H brought i
I grew up as a farm boy with a couple of families in compani s hi infantry from Fort haw, Montana
Washington County, Indiana. Louisville, Kentucky, to the Y llowston in Mar ril our
was the trading center of that region and in the four troop of ca alry, un oved
autumn of 1872, when Mr. Cathcart went there to[...]·oin . W
to see more of the world I had taken all my be- th n mov[...]ting on bo f of
tention, which to me was a symbol of Abraham Lin- Indian troubl . map
coln, so I went to the station wher it hung. It was his d ision f[...]to go up Rose-
a recruiters office, and despite the fact that I was not bud r ek, wh b would g u
quite of age, the sergeant swor me in as a oldi r of Big Horn and Littl Horn. Our four troo f
the nitel States. We first were assigned to J Her- cavalry arri d at h of · Horn t
son Barracks, St. Louis,[...]th u . t
Wyoming. In May, 1873, our company of 225 men morning wait[...]hil ant Bradl
Bozeman. I was a memb r of F Troop, 2nd Ca alry and his 12 mount[...]and all
During this period Mr. Whit had the frightful fore s had b n kill h · d that
experience of vie ing th Custer Battlefield the day night camp d at a h y now
after the Custer massacre, as well as having the pain- tand . W saw hu f a k as
ful duty of helping care for the dead and wounded e w r going into[...]o in his ngage- came, w turned in for the nty of
ment of that same period. Some of his description, sentinels on guard.

The next morning we could not see an Indian[...]saw many strange dian University-one of the first Crows to be ducated
looking objects on the hills east of the river and about th re.
the same time saw a large moving group of men and In 1911, they sold th ir r[...]four miles southeast. When moved into one of th fin r r sid nc in Columbus,
we contacted them we learned that they were the wh re he work d at odd jobs in partial r tir m nt.
mounted cavalry of Major Reno and that there had After the death of his wif , h moved to th Crow
been a fierce fight with the Sioux and Cheyennes for Agency and became a guid and cu todian of th
two days previously. Their first question was:[...]did not possess the natural stoical instincts of her tribe.
It was then that we knew the report at the mouth
She was a student and lover of natur that imp 11 d
of the Big Horn was true. The objects we had seen on[...]er to enjoy life by her own tandards, rath r than
the hill that morning were corpses of Custer's com-[...]own people. Her obituary
mand! Upon investigation the sight was terrible~[...]reads:
Bodies were all stripped of clothing, mutilated and
dismembered beyond recognition, a display of human "An Indian by birth, Mrs. White at all times
savagry beyond belief. Most of the bodies were never prov d a true Christian[...]a charming mother,
But our job was to move the wounded 53 soldiers
ever blessed with the inherent love of the wild. Out-
of Reno's command. We had no tents or material for[...]of mercy whenever an mergency arose.
were many aband[...]s. In these tepees, still intact, we found bodies of The editor of The Columbus ews, (who was Jim
dead Indians, arrayed[...]ese Annin at that time), who has be n a pet of the de-
bodies we tumbled and moved to get the robes and ceased for nearly thirty years, is but on of hundr ds
poles> which when lashed together, then tied to a of fri nds who express our r gr t at her untimely
mu[...]atisfactory litter on which death and xtend to the berea d our d epe t sym-
the wounded could be moved slowly, but surely." pathy."
It was while on an expedition out of Fort Ellis Mr. Whi 1· i e was[...]. White saw a pretty Indian to a point of ·n traight-laced," who d cri d mok-
maiden near the Countryman trading post. This ing, drinking, ar ing- n om typ of dan ing.
daughter of Chief Crooked Foot became the future His firm faith wa own in th lo ing of many not
Mrs. Whit , shortly aft r Sergeant White[...]night thr
wedding this pair worked at the newly tabli hed f da · a nt of thi a ,
Crow gency headquarters and manag d[...]our t, pla d o
table for the agency mploye . a ing all th ir ag[...]o an allot-
ment they had s 1 ct d on th south id of th Y 1-
lowstone wher the olumbus bridge was lat r built.
Th ir home wa a s[...]ountryman
f rry wa their only public m ans of cro sing th riv r,
although Ir. V hit , an p rt boatman, ro d ha k
and forth daily whil he work d on the building
being con truct d in th illage of tillwat r. hortly
ther aft r h b am a ociat d wit[...]tt r
housing on th ir farm and u ssfully op rated the
layout, one of th ir proud ac ompli hment b ing th
announ[...]

post as a base for operating the gold fields of Wolf After finishing elementary school, Lee[...]n known to exist, but which to this day at the Indian School at Carlisle, and La Vanita en-
hav[...]d from Mansfield Normal at Mans-
Ultimately the fort was abandoned, and soon field, Pennsylvania.
after burned by the Sioux supposedly. The Major In 1883, the son returned to Montana where he
consequently, had to store his boat load of supplies cut and supplied hay for the railroad contractors. He
at Fort Keogh.[...]never married and died in Seattle, Washington, about
Later he tried mining a while but he[...]aVantia became an accomplished musician
this up. The establi hment of Fort Keogh, 75 miles and teacher, and in[...]done a good service in influencing The long, eventual life of Major Pease ended Oc-
the Crow Tribe to cast their lot as friends of the white tober 20, 1920. He was laid to rest in the Rosebud
men rather than an aggressive alliance with the Sioux. Cemetery in Absarokee in the heart of the country
When the meeting was held to form a townsite that he loved so much, and had done so much to save
of Miles City, among other men, he was chosen to it in the heritage of the Crow Indians.
direct the company of Matt Carroll and Paul Mc- Mrs. Randall adds another interesting bit of his-
Cormick. That same year, William T. Hamilton tory to Major Pease. Part of a letter from her reads:
(Billy) and Major Pease[...]eral years ago we visited Harriet Mallon Clark at
the present site of Columbus. the ranch on the Boulder River, south of Big Timber.
Later Pease became interested in developing the She told me she had a letter written to her[...]in Wister. In it he acknowledged that one of the main
the Bozeman Coal Company. characters, or THE main character in his book, "The
When the town of Livingston was laid out, Pease Squaw Man" was Uncle Dave Pease."
saw the opportunity for a new business there. In 1882,
he established himself there in the Livingston Coal
Company. Then in 1883 began the manufacture of
lime. He was an associate with a Mr. Myers under
the name Myers and Company. The first lime kilns
on the orthem Pacific west of Duluth were just a
few miles south of Livingston, on the Park branch.
Then Pease became intere ted in a brickyard and
manufacturing plant under the firm name, Decker and
Company, one mile from Livi[...]rable learning as a boy in Pennsylvania and
along the long trail of pioneering. He was an avid
reader, e cellent penman, his command of grammar
was above average.
He had ambitious[...]tion in eastern schools. His oldest son, Leet, at the
age of 8 and his little daughter, LaVantia, age 6, were
taken to Minnesota to the Major's oldest sister's. A
poignant story was told of the separation of these
children from their mother, Margaret Wallac[...]children and loaded them in a small
boat and down the Yellowstone to a steamer. Imagine
the grieving mother following along the rocky and
brushy shore along the river as long as she could see
them, carrying in her arms the youngest son, George.
After a year with the Major's sister in Minnesota,
the children were taken to live with the grandparents, Over 4,000 people watched 1[...], at Osceola, Pennsylvania. the Jubilee honoring their return in 1919

the Yellowstone Valley after his first wife had died.
ear the present town of Columbus, in 1872, he mar-
ried a Crow woman, and lived on the creek that now
bears his name, five miles south.[...]buried on a hill that overlooks his
ranch, while the remains of another old Indian grave,
that might well have b en his wif ," hangs in a pine
tree near the top of the ridge, some two miles from
the present road.)
At a dance, he met WilJiam T. " ncle Billy"
Hamilton for the first time, and th ir paths cross d
many times in the near half c ntury that followed.
Gradually this man tr kk d ov r the mountain
into the Yellowstone and sp nt sev ral y ars trapping
and[...]m times alone and ome-
times with a partner. Part of this tim h as official
supplier of wild meat for the crew that wa building
Fort Pease, and for some of the army detachments
operating against Indians in this region.
At the time of his death, he was the last living
survivor of the Sioux attack on Fort Pease. During
this time he had b en an official scout for the Major
Reno command, and sp cifically as igned to the de-
tachment of Lt. Doane, whose proj t was not only to[...]

Dusky maiden! Radiant spirit o' the night! seen old Colonel practically every day that we have
Her mantle off; the tawny beauty cast, with been in town, a[...]met
Raiment lightly clinging to fair waist, the lithe, him. ext to the Countrymans, Colonel is the "father"
Agile form! Soon came warm perfumed wind of Columbus.
to toy . His wanderings located him here in the early 80's,
With hair, the round form to caress, daintily kiss[...]tionery shop where he still holds out. The little shop
impassioned[...]as a meat market, was one of the aristocrats of the
telling[...]hut, and to the person who views it with an eye of
Whilst the dark-eyed, tender, sweet voiced[...]civic price it is a menace to the business beauty of
maiden[...]Main Street.
Implores! From orbs of night looks up, with
arms[...]siness connected with
Upraised, appealing to the moon, bathed in "Colonel Allen's." It breathes of Montana history.
Her silvery light. 'Oh Moon, fair moon,' Around the old wood-burning stove in its sawdust
she cries base the "old cronies" of the town have gathered for
Grant to me this boon that I may lover win! nearly 40 years. The patrons of the "free heat" have
Fleet footed; hunter, keen of eye, a brave been representatives of every type. In '95 it was the
Fearless with all foes! A lover, fond and true! cow-punchers of the Dun Looie gang that, tiring of
Grant this O Moon-my lonely heart's request! the game and brawl of the saloon, would gather
Still near the vision bright, entranced I saw 'round the fire and sing songs or tell stories; or it
H[...], coax, lightly toss might have been one of the ladies of the south side
Kisses from finger-tips, heavenward e'en to who would purchase here a bottle of her favorite per-
The beaming moon! Eager, low stooping, a fume, or stake herself to a can of talcum powder,
branch pausing in her purchases to pass the time of day with
She took, fond omen of desire; poised; wished; the gang there assembled '(for rem mber, back in those
Then cast it on the water. Through glittering days the best of us were none too good, nor the worst
shower[...]too terribly bad); later it wa th quarryman or the
Of silvery spray, the branch I watched; drifting, wool hauler by summer and th wint r trapper who
Darting adown the rapid current of the stream, dropped in to ay "h llo" to th olonel and njoy
I turned to meet the Indian maid-when lo! his hospitality; while today it i the r nd zvou of the
Mist clouds arise; my dream is o'er;[...]rk and void." ments in the mail, hurry to th pla to complain of
their lot and longingly pin for, and r call the won-
derful times of th "Good old days."
"Colonel Alle[...]a
"It would be unfair in an edition of this kind to tand and oth at ht
pass over the pioneer history of the town without · again;[...]ed
trend of thought.[...]h r adth ap ; ard
getting at the history of olumbus, we are going to
the i "hid[...]of hu d to bring[...], pani av rted,
Our first hazy recoil tion of the Colonel dates the li ation and[...]-day sucker" with has b " g pot" of individuality and id al .
an anise s d in the middle of it. Since then we have And it is a peculiar fact that a bunch of bananas cured

by the aroma of "Dixie Queen" and fireside jokes were ed a dollar watch. "I haven't a watch/' said the store
always just a little richer, the peanuts just a little more keeper, "but I can sell you a fine pair of gum boots,
savory, and the candy just a little bit sweeter than or maybe a copy of the Police Gazette." Colonel has
that purchased anywhere else in the town. handled, in his time in the business, about every[...]commodity known to the merchandise game-and then
It used to be a sta[...]some. For every purchase Colonel would throw in a
the Colonel was approached by a customer who want-[...]" EARING THE E D OF THE TRAIL"

buildings which were once the housing of the Crow of the commissary, the assay office of the Minneapolis
Indian Reservation personnel. Our roa[...]Mining and Smelting Company, owners of the camp.
that takes us up the West Rosebud, thence along the Far up on Verdigris Creek is a big frame house con-
divide to Grove Creek where we hit the old Bridger ducted by two girls engaged in the boarding and lodg-
Trail over to the Stillwater. Narrow is the road .along ing business, and the noon call for chow is generously
sharp grades, and the dangerous hairpin curve, and responded to by many miners of the camp. Down
across the bridges that Joe Kern and his crew are[...]"Old Suis," quarter blood Indian provides for the im-
cator, the official 'freighters' for the new mining town. moral life in her new location.
We came to the bank of Verdigris Creek (Big Thing Over by the river is a log shack where Lee Lute
or Silver Creek) and reach a hump in the road from is running the first non-union laundry in Stillwater
which we can see the city of ye. County, at such times as he is not prospecting. The
It is built of one street, running east and west rest of the town is a nondescript mess of frame and
and here all the business of the town is transacted. log houses with a few canvas-frame shelters for the
Here are six saloons of frame and canvas, all of which newer residents of Nye. Higher up on the mountain
are destined to be destroyed by a ew Yea[...]eplaced, but half as many, the many prospect shafts being driven in the search
of more substantial logs and building material. Here for valuable ore.
is the big store owned by Tommy Ross and you can An inventory of the personnel of the camp re-
buy anything from toothpicks to rubber boots. At the veals between three and four hundred men, with the
end of the street we can see the fine frame buildings peak of population in 1887.[...]

George Emory, Minneapolis attorney for the com- ment from the locally constructed mill on the West
pany, was a frequent visitor, and Messrs. Griffith and Fork that brought all the lumber supply out prema-
Cole came to inspect the works on many occasions. turely, except for the larger booms and cedar timbers
Jack Radenick acte[...]as book and time keeper. Jimmy The smelter was modem in every detail and
Hedges tended the commi~sary, and directed the cook geared to handle low-grade ore that had been tapped
shack. The biggest saloon and gambling joint was i[...]by Jerry Toohey, who later came only did the Minneapolis concern have good prospec-
to his death in Red Lodge via the bullet route. Other tive volume, but several[...]able to supply ore.
each with a spread. Ladies in the camp were scarce. It looked like a very Merry Christmas to the folks
Mesdames Mushback, Toohey and Seeley were the who had placed their faith in the ye City mining
first three white women in camp but later on many districts-the new Butte of the worldl
of the miners sent for their wives. At the height of the[...]been working in the Stillwater Basin area, and over
necessary, church unknown and officers of the law
the range from the new mining town of Cooke City.
unwanted.[...]Their paths finally crossed.
The company worked industriously through the
Nye City wasn't a part of the federal domain in-
next two years. Despite the fact that the rock was[...]east of that boundary, on Indian lands included in
faults, or seams of rich ore which represented many
the Crow Reservation!
graduations of copper, such as copper-nickel carrying
as high as seven percent of the latter; some copper, Appeals were file[...]ying from IO to 50 percent cop- to see that the smelter would function, the area de-
per. There were also small amounts of silver and veloped, and the Crow tribe enriched by such opera-
traces of gold. Private prospectors were also coming tion! The government was adamant and Congress
up with some[...]etermined in its regulations and laws prohibiting the
tended areas. exploiting of tribal lands for such purposes. A dead-[...]line for removal was set, and within the next year the
By Christmas in 1887, a small type smelter[...]plant was qismantled and all the equipment, materials
been assembled, -well in advance of schedule, due to
and supplies faded down the long torturous road to
weather conditions. The company had anticipated
the village of Stillwater. Over $200,000 in actual cash
that movement of the heavy machinery, metal pieces,
losses to the concern which went bankrupt with this
pipe and other materials from the railroad point of
venture; the wasting of grubstakes and years of sav-
Stillwater to the mine site would not be possible until
ings; the sweat and toil of five years spent usele sly;
after the high water, despite the fact that much of
the despondency and futility of honest labor and hu-
it had been delivered to the rail head. Fording was[...]man endeavor-all this was a mockery of those who
dangerous, and nearly impossible with the heavier[...]visioned another "richest hill on earth!"
pieces; the ferry could not handle these type loads, and
the normal ice cover could not hold. Old timers recal[...]s, drifters and tim-
that 1886-1887 winter. After the first of the year a bermen stuck around for a few months[...]n a chinook, then several w ks p arances the camp was a "gho t." Later on, as set-
of below zero weather. The crust of ice that formed tler took up land in the valley, som of th logs and
wiped out many stockmen, alld found f[...]rks were salvaged for ne homes and build-
percent of Montana's cattle and horses starved to i[...]logs that lay in the clearing of the mountainsides,
were all that r main d of th lost city that might
It was a boon for the freighters. Ice bound trails[...]have made history if the urv y tak had fitted the
and roads made it possible to use bobsleds instead of
pattern!
the heavier wagons, apd a rate of travel nearly twice
normal. Every available sled was engaged, and crude Th final r cord of y City was entered when
new ones built. "Del" See[...]in operation stated that "at least eighty percent of the judgment deed for $12,255. H held the property for
heavy, unwieldly equipment was hauled up the new several years, watching the operation of the individu-
trails of the Stillwater River from its confluence with als who crune in, after the Indians ceded the land
the Rosebud, and in less than one-half the time that in 1890, and mine-staking was again within the law.
the mining company had anticipated." At the same And there were a few[...]

VERDIGRIS (OR ILVER) C[...]

the Boulder to find hidden placer that kept him good Lute and his crew, the prospectors finally banded
with his creditors; "D[...]together for a practical trial shipment in the summer
Hawks Creek (so named for him); John Willis and of 1904. Taking true samples from each of the several
"Gus" Oetjerdes were partners in a drift[...]h potential massive production,
such promise that the latter got shot and Willis got they sacked up from five to ten hundred-pound units
five years in the penitentiary, as the partnership ex- from each claim and made a six-ton shipment of ore
ploded. "Skip" Johnson, noted Deadwood prospector to Omaha for smelting. The results were disappoint-
came out and reported that the place had a future; ing. In no instance did the final production live up
and Nels Soderholm left his Cooke City store in to the assay analysis, and in no case would the value
charge of his wife, while he spent a few weeks in the of the ore warrant production under conditions that
area[...]existed at that time!
had interested some of his countrymen in the new The old patented claims of the Minneapolis Min-
venture and the Tri-County News of October 15th, ing and Smelting Co[...]Jim Annin and his father purchased some of them
Nye, where he will inspect the property of the Chi- from Park County for tax title, with a view of develop-
nese-American Consolidated Mining and Milling Co." ing one of them, known as Stillwater Placer o. 2 into
Still inspired by the faith and persistence of Lee a public campgrounds, inasmuch as i[...]a mile of the Stillwater River-a most beautiful spot[...]was manifested in the ye area mines. As it pro-[...]gressed and gave promise of a long drawn out affair,[...]William M. "Bill" Mouat, a nephew of the presi-
dent of the pioneer Minneapolis Company became in-[...]terested sufficiently to look over the abandoned prop-[...]mining experience in the early camp of ·Maid n and[...]Mr. Mouat spent th b tt r part of his life in[...]t nsi ar a of th B artooth . He not only utilized[...]group , including th r s rch departm nt of g ology[...]final nclu ion r that th r a ots of or , but[...]p I nt probl m of h not[...]BENBOW MINE CABIN, 1913
tart of chrome rninin1 in the Beartooths on Rock Cre k. years, exc pt[...]

,. . ,[...]

a few helpers to complete the necessary assessment
work to hold the claims.
Then came World War II and the sudden need
for chrome. Columbus and the Stillwater valley
bloomed overnight-new business -houses and homes,
a paved road to the mill site of a new mining venture
that far exceeded that of 1885, a job for hundreds of
local farmers and laborers, and a happy, far flun[...]The biit millinit plant is due to be removed.[...]built for 200. Lloyd Badgley's store had piles of[...]lation consi ted of jut-ja d ]d Pro p ctor Bill Mouat[...]uat. Japs had chok d off th hrome

The jut-jawed discoverer of th hr me.

prosperity in gen ral. Then victory for the lli s, and
no further ne d for our xpensi ly mined chrom
But let an article from one of the popular magazin
of the day tell th story:

"Ghost Town, 1943"
"The handsomest ghost town of orld War II-
Mouat, a 15 million inv tment in chrom - at on a
shelf of ontana's B artooth Mountains last e k,
all but[...]es w r unscratch d. o pa-
tient had sl pt in the sl k new 50-b d hospital, fitt d
with X-rays and[...]dozen boy and
girls shouted down empty corridors of a choolhou

they start walking west> and fast. The hatchetmen it on account of Lute's potential wealth in the mining
started to protest, at first with pleading[...]. "Three-Finger" pointed to a boul- tive victim of strongarm robbery; or was it (as most
der about 50 yards down the road> drew his revolver peace officers suspected) just the work of a couple of
and hit the rock. He then pointed to the shoulder of criminals who had found the picking too thin in
the larger invader and signaled the startling informa- Frisco and sought greef)er pastures for their nefarious
tion that the next bullet would go there. The men occupation?
reached for their grips, but Rosner allowed-as-how
the luggage might weigh them down on their journey, The long case carried a saddle carbine, a long
so they had best leave it. Another motion of the bayonet-type sword and a Derringer pistol. The suit-
revolver got the men in motion, and they started up case had normal clothing and a packet of unidentified
the road with the gunner a short ways behind. They drugs. All of which would lead to the theory that
planned to follow as far as the bluff, but the guards they were professional highwaymen.
got[...]k Craft and another rider were in But, of course, they could have been tongsmen,
town from the Cardwell ranch seven miles west and bent on death!
upon hearing the story, they offered to act as a re-
lief detail and escorted the bandits as far as Merrill Lee Lute left Co[...]dressed to W. H. orton,
train that was stopped at the siding. and dated at Hong Kong[...]that these same two had arrived safely here the 18th of September. The steam-
intimidated a Chinese lady in Billings for money; they er for inland China sails the day on the 19th of Sep-
tried to strongarm another countryman in Liv[...]well. I will
but were chased off and finally one of them was iden- write you again what I know in my country. Please
tified as a victim of a knifing in Butte. attend my litt[...], your obedient servent. Lee
play quite a part in the early Frisco Chinatown); was Lute.

not so stringent and unfair. The "stalls" were emptied of the meet. After the guards had deterred him from
of airships. one of his flights, one of the St. Louis dailies quipped:
In reading the many news releases, Benbow with "Oh, don't you remember the airship, Benbow;
his small ship, his persistence and simplicity of his The airship that tickled the town.
craft, won a place in the hearts of the fair-goers, The airship that never once needed our smiles,
second only to R_oy Knaubenshue who was the hero And cared not a whit for[...]

fortable was done at once. An engine[...]raig and trip. His body was crushed in the mail car and burned
Line went on it. Many from this place drove to the to ashes. Engineers Vaupel and DeGroat> Fireman
scene during the day. Loucks, Express Messenger Lewis, Brakeman Ken-
When the first carriage from Columbus arrived ney, D. A. Brace and son, Robert, and Mother Superi-
at the scene there was little left of the five or six or Ameidens were among the injured."
baggage, mail and passenger cars that w[...]0 0 0
the fire having devoured everything except the steel, The collision between the two passenger trains
iron and other fireproof substances. The sleepers and was insignificent, however, to an[...]that oc-
coaches remaining were pushed away from the burn- curred almost six years to a day later, and within four
ing cars by the passengers and section men. The loco- miles of each other.
motives, both large, powerful specimens of their kind, About eight o'clock in the morning of Saturday,
were telescoped together and almost tot[...]September 25, 1908, westbound freight 1287 and the
The strange thing about it was that both locomotives[...]ific Flyer Number 16 met head-on near
remained on the track. Young's Point, resulting in the death of 21 men, and
Fireman J. A. Campbell on number four was injuring 43-the greatest tragedy in the annals of Still-
caught in the cab of his engine and crushed against water County.
the boiler, then burned. Mail Clerk Andras Lundwall Engineer Willard Smith was rated one of the
took George Van Winkle's place on number five, to smartest engineers of the orthern Pacific line and
allow the latter to hear Sousa's Band in Billings. But the ranking member of the freight division. His con-[...]

ductor, James Hickey, was also a veteran of high John Powlas, an employee at the local quarry, Miss
rating. On January 14, 1909, they were indicted for Bertha Wolfe of the school faculty, Fred Robertson,
voluntary manslau[...]County At- Mrs. Hodson and three others. The first three were
torney Harry L. Wilson and released on $5,000 bonds instantly killed in the wreck, and Miss Wolfe sus-
to await trial, until such a time as the injured Smith tained sprains and bruises-the others escaped in-
could testify. His story was t[...]could juries, but had a ghastly story to tell of the tragedy.
easily reach the Young Point siding, but that the heavy Dr. L. M. Line, railroad physician,[...]e to a five husky section hands and made the 14-mile run in
stop 100 feet east of the switch, when he saw the less than 30 minutes, where they helped w[...]t arrived by rail from Bil-
jump and then "joined the birds" himself, breaking his lings to which city the dead and injured were im-
leg and later bruised a[...]t on a concussion and shock that Among the dead was Ora Babcock, fireman on
hospitalized him. "The two men were released from the passenger train and well-known in Columbus; also
the railroad but escaped punishment at their hearing[...]is brother, Abraham,
Ten persons had boarded the train at Columbus, was so shocked by his de[...]a stroke
among them Col. H. Hodson, Loren Stewart of Dean, and died the next day.

MYSTIC LA[...]

plosion put a column of water almost 250 feet into
the air, and sent rocks of all sizes through the heavy
50-foot cap of water, and up to points 500 yards away.
One rock[...]ctrician, who,
with his wife, had come to witness the show. He saw
the missile coming his direction and pushed his wife
out of its path. The rock hit his outstretched arm,
breaking and lacer[...]led six hundred
feet and struck within a few feet of Mrs. Charles
Hazen to bury itself several feet into the sandy beach
of the lake. The bank presented a mad scramble of
people running here and there in an effort to dodge
the shower of debris, while the water spout deluged
the movie man and Mr. Buck, who pushed the switch
for this fantastic engineering feat.
Deputy Warden _Dick Richards, representing the
State Fish and Game Commission to report the dam-
age to the fish in the lake. He reports but four dead
trout floating on the surface, but states that many
more might have been sucked into the outflow
through the tunnel.
But one feature entered the affair to mar its en-
gineering perfection. A bulkhead had been placed in
the north end of the tunnel, where it was to connect
with the wooden conduit, for the purpose of forming
a cushion again the shock. The concussion tore out First Manager-For man.
the lower part of this bulkhead, which in tum, re-
site at the plant. This is d tail d in th March 5, 1925
leased a four-foot diameter stream of water that shot
issue of The ews:
out as through a hose, to cut a new course t[...]"With the · a of
the rocks and trees of the mountainside. The unex-
Montana Whit ti
pected addition to the waters of the river, swelled[...]ic Lak p t lo
the stream until the footbridges along the pat-h were[...]m
submerged or washed out, and the third and second[...]t two
lakes filled to floodstage capacity. The effect of the[...]ling con d
newly-created vent in the bottom of the lake, was
of g
almost immediately reflected on the beautiful West[...]Rosebud Falls. They at one started to dwindlt•. The[...]h n
charge was fired at three in the afternoon, the morn- l d ju t a t
ing sun found the falls extinct. vf 1923, a giga r
The two powder pockets in which th charg was
placed, were almost fifty f et below the er t of
Mystic. Even after blowing out what remains of the
north side bulkhead, it will take 12 to 14 days t[...]hat head, it is estimated, and until
then work at the lake end of the job will be sus-
pended.
The charge was placed in a by-pass to the west
arm of the Y-shaped tunnel through which Mystic is
to drain. When th water has lowered to the level
of the artificial outlet, work will be conducted on the
east arm of the Y. This will b encased in a coffer
dam , with headgates, sere ns and control heads for
the wat r to be f d into th conduit."
Some idea of another f ature in this project, was Typical of the hundr d of camp who u e faciliti at th
head of 1y tic. L eft to right : Paul 0 ' eill, Tommy Fo vedt
the freighting of supplies from Columbus to the town- Paul Ro ean and[...]

east railroad spur, and warehouse[...]Having satisfied themselves that the plant could
erected. The contract involved seven two-ton trucks, handle more water than what came through the tun-
three five-ton trucks, and one two-ton truck. The nel in the bottom of the lake, the Montana Power
five-ton trucks averaged 11,200 pounds per load; the Company went to work constructing a dam at the
two-tonners 7,520. The biggest months haul was in mouth of the lake, some three hundred yards below
August, 1923 with 1,306,256 pounds; the next wintry the original tunnel intake. After several months this
month of March, cut the tonnage to 156,850 pounds. project was[...]a good feet long, and a maximum height of 30 feet. An addi-
tonnage was developed primarily due to the new tional 42-inch depth can be added to the lake by the
hundred-thousand dollar road-the last fourteen miles use of splash boards with which the overflow from
of the route to the lake. the lake can be pretty well controlled. This dam has
The actual figures show a total pf 11,652,166[...]onsiderable area to Mystic Lake and estab-
pounds of materials, or some 5,826 tons. In round[...]fixed shoreline.
figures this included 1,700 tons of lumber, one-third of The latest development at the plant occurred on
which was the wood staves; 1,160 tons of steel, of September 16, 1960, when the plant went on semi-
which half was used for the penstock pipes, and the automatic control, and the normal crew of eight op-
balance for cleats and bands. The two Pelton wheels erators and maintenan[...]weighed 108 tons, and 135 tons to three.
of generators were loaded and hauled, the largest Despite the fact that the normal flow of the
single piece of equipment being a transformer at 35 West Rosebud has been changed, and the beautiful
tons. This had to be loaded on a truck[...]falls obliterated, nevertheless, a constant crew of
with a "helper" power unit in front of the tandem. fishermen, campers and outdoor lovers enjoy the
In all, a total cargo necessitating 200 freight cars -a nd beauty and wonders of this region, somewhat aug-
gondolas was used in the power project. mented by the courtesy and generosity of Lyal Piatte
Cn March 20, 1925, Bill Rohan, who had charge and his company directors.
of the work for Winston Bros., got a clearance dis-
charge, and the plant was ready. M. E. Buck then
pushed in a switch that started a "pilot" job of 2,000
watts of juice throbbing through the system, as a
stream of water reduced to an 18-inch head into the
Pelton wheels from a six-foot intake tunnel exert[...]a
human body with needle-like force quicker than the
fastest known projectile. The full volume was gradu-
ally accomplished with a maximum of 40,000 horse-
power.
William S. Spratt, a long-time employee became
the first foreman and remained boss-man for twenty-
o[...]VEN SCENES AT MYSTIC PLANT
field and Lyal Piatte, the present director of opera- Top-Pipeline around mountain.[...]of tram, plant camp, surge tanks. Bottom: Inside plant the
tions.[...]