Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-06-01
SPECIAL CogREsP0NDEuCE.

SUN RIVER LEAVING, May 3, 1876.
Sun River Crossing is a little town located
at the point where the Helena and Fort Ben
ton road crosses the river, and being cen
trally located in the midst of one of tht
largest and richest agricultural and stock
growing districts in the country, 1T is des
tined some day not far distant, to be one O
the most important towns IN northern Moi
tana. 1t has two school-hOuses, Il store
a blacksmith and wagon makers shop, on<
feed stable, one hotel and two saloons. A
the hotel, which is now under the manage
ment Of Mr.. lei. L. Sykes, late Of Prickly
Pear valley, we found Il comfortable room
and we'll furnished table. This hotel is sooi
have a large addition built On to it. Mr.
John Largent, of the property, ha
the stone for the foundation on the ground
and Will, at an early day N work
The addition will be a ~tWo-story brick build
ing, with ten rooms. He also intends erect
ing a fine brick residence, the plan OF which
is not yet fully determined upon. Mr.. L
is one of the first settlers of this place, an(
its building up and improvement are i'll
great measure due to his energy and enter
prise. He has recently planted out . fnt
lot OF fruit trees, which is the first move il
the direction of testing the horticultural al
vantages Of this section of Montana.
Mr.. George Steele, the proprietor OF tht
store and blacksmith and wagon shop, j.
building q large frame addition to his already
spacious store. This he finds necessary ii
order to make room for his large stock o
general merchandise which he has en- route
Mr.. S. has let a contract for the building o
a fine brick residence, which will add mucl
to the beauty of the Crossing. The contract
provides for furnishing the brick and mate
rial for putting up the walls and doing the
mason work at $21 per thousand.
Sun river is the dividing line between
Lewis and Clark and Choteau counties. The
principal portion of the town is on the Lewis
and Clark side.
We crossed over the river on the large
bridge which spans this stream. It is 26C
feet long, and is one Of the most substantial
structures we have seen in Montana. 1t rests
on four pen piers filled with stone, and is
four feet above high water mark.
Now We are in Choteau county, but by
no means outside of civilization. since the
first thing that meets our gaze is q neat
country school house, in which a district
school is in session. Miss Finnigan, the
teacher, we are informed, has the respect OF
her scholars and acquaintance, and is spo-
ken of in high terms by her employers.
On the opposite side Of the road is the
residence Of j. j. Healy & Bro, who are
among the oldest inhabitants of the place,
and among the first settlers Of Montana.
They established the first branch trading
posts among the Blackfoot Indians along the
northern boundary of Montana. They now
have a large trading post in that section, in
what is known as the ''Whoop-Up''country
and are among the largest shippers Of robes
and furs down the Missouri river. They
were among the first in this section to move
in the development of the agricultural inter-
ests of the valley, and are the proprietors of
the Touring mills here.
As we went through the long lane which
leads to the foothills that rise up about one
mile from the river, and slope off in broken,
grassy ridges for hundreds of miles 10 the
eastward. We inquired who owned the
large farm on our right, and were told "It
belongs to Healy Bros.," and we had the
same reply in regard to the farm on the left,
while still farther on, on the adjoining farm