The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1883-03-15
THE YELLOWSTONE VALLEY.
From Clark's Fork Bottom To Miles
City-The Crow Reservation.
By A. II. HERSEY.

The Clark's Fork bottom, so call
ed, is forty miles long by five miles
in width, and contains about $780,
600 acres of alluvial land, besides a
broad area of bench lands, formed
by the accumulated detritus eroded
from the hills which enclose it.
Here may be seen the peculiar ter
raced formation SO characteristic of
the Milk River and Marias regions
Of the northern part Of tho Terri
tory, which mark in their regular
gradations the waves Of the sedi-
mcntary deposits.
Near the eastern end of this bot
tom an immense wall divides the
bench from the bottom lands, the
deep rich soil Of the uplands ex-
tending back, in gradually elevated
layers until blended with the broken
and denuded foot hills of the bluffs.
The bottom, Immediately along the
river, is composed of light, warm,
sandy loam, mingled with vegetable
remains, while the tracts bordering
the benches contain more clay and
are rich in silicates. The low-lands
are composed Of thick carpet of
buffalo grass and meadow blue
joint, the uplands with several va
rieties of bunch-grass. The banks
and islands of the river are heavily
clothed with cottonwood, timber of
excellent quality, and upon the rug
ged slopes and broken ravines of
the bluffs, pine and cedar grow in
abundance.
On the south side of the bluffs
approach the shores of the river,
and covered thickly with bunch
grass afford unsurpassed pasturage.
The Clark's Fork, one of the chief
atIlucnts Of the upper Yellowstone,
takes its rise amid the snow peaks
of the main chain, and flowing
through q grand region rich in
mineral, agricultural and pastural
resources, empties into the Yellow
stone opposite point near the CEN
tire Of the bottom. Near its head
are the mines on Soda Butte creek
and on its tributaries other promis-
ing mines have been partially
opened, but until the cxtinguish-
mcnt of the Grow title to this region
little can be hoped for its develop
ment.
On Clark's Fork bottom there are
fifty farms, all under excellent cul-
tivation, and large numbers of cat
tie and horses roam upon the great
ranges surrounding it.
The city Of Billings is situated at
the eastern end of the valley, npon
a sort of second bottom, elevated
about four feet above the general
level of the bottom, secure from the
reach of possible floods. The
Northern Pacific Il. r. crosses the
Yellowstone about one and one
half miles east OF Billings, near the
old town of Coulson which is now
uninhabited and desolate.
Billings has attained in less than
ten months a growth equal to that
of Miles City, five years old, and
greater than that of Jamestown
founded ten years ago. Her spec
tire population, her phantom street
cars, her paper blocks, avenues and
parks, and her visionary greatness
have been the pregnant subject Of
the press of rival points almost
since her very inception, but to-
day she contains nearly four humid
red completed buildings, Of sound
and substantial character, and u
population numbering not less than
] 500 souls. The Northern Pacific
r. r. Co. will begin here at an
early day, the construction Of one
of the largest depot and hotel
buildings on the line of the road,
and work is already actively begun
on extensive shops and round
houses. A branch line to Fort
Benton from Billings is an assured
fact, and railway line up the val
ley Of Clark's Fork to the mines on
Soda Butte creek is but question
IOE inc hear IuLuIC.
Too little rain falls in the vicinity
Of Billings to insure the growth of
crops throughout the entire area OF
the bottom, but with irrigation its
lands have been found astonishingly
productive, and company formed
last year have put in ditch which
will supply the low boston,. Strange
as it may appear, the bench lands
have thus'far been found to be more
fruitful than the bottom under