The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-01-05
WEALTH OF NORTHERN MONTANA
AT GREAT FALLS.

I
rar up toward the British Possessions
| from time immemorial, outstretched firm
the Mississippi river westward to tn
Rocky mountains, lay vast tract of Ian,
occupied only by the Blackfeet, Piepap
Crow and other Indian tribes, In nro
cess OF time the Territory of Minnesot,
was organized out of portion of il
subsequently the Territory of Dakota wa
carved out of another portion: and on tn,
26th day of May, 1864, the Territory O.
Montana was by act of Congress Framed
! 1rom another portion Of this great do
main, then known as the New Northwest
The boundaries of the Territory as origin
ally established were subsequent,
changed twice, towit, on the I'd day Of
March, 1887, and on the 18th of February
1913, by which the total area was ENLARGED
TO the enormous extent of about 1A.OU
square miles, or nearly 10O,OOOOOO acres
OF land, all of which may be said to he
suitable for agricultural or grazing pur.
poses.
With the most liberal indulgence of an
exuberant imagination, it is scarcely pos
slble to realize the vastness of this great
Territory, outstretching its terrestrial
province from Dakota on the east to
Washington, on the Pacific slope, and
from the Canadian line to Wyoming on
the south. The six New England States,
II transported to Montana, would be con-
tanned in either half of it. Montana
would make nearly five States as large as
New York, or 115 such States as Rhode
Island. Within her territorial limits is
embraced the largest breadth of mining
agricultural, meadow and pasture lands
within the confines of the Union. It is
beyond all controversy that her cereal
and vegetable-producing powers are not
excelled, if they are equaled, by any other
section Of the United States. Where.
outside Of Montana, are oats raised aver
aging forty-fve to fifty pounds to the
bushel? Where, except in Montana, does
the earth so yield iu her strength the
vegetable tubers and succulents, the no
tato, the cabbage species, or the turnip?
Ii potatoes weighing eight to ten pounds
each and turnips three to four feet in cir
have been raised elsewhere
in America, we have never heard Of it.
That Northern Montana has even exceed
ed these proportions is capable of ocular
demonstration. Nor is the quality of
these cereals and vegetables excelled.
The No. Montana hard wheat stands at
the head with the miller, and the Sand
Coulee or Belt Creek potato, grown to
perfection without irrigation, is by. all
connoiseurs pronounced the very best
grown in America.
Until recently about one-half Of this
great grain and vegetable producing ter
:itory was but q hunting ground and res
ervation for savages, and a comparatively
unknown land. So far as its resources
md capabilities were concerned, it was
wholly unknown. The Northern Pacific |
lad stunned it, prefering the desolations
# the Yellowstone. No white man dared |
ettle upon it because it was wholly Gov
red by reservation grants to the various /
ribes Of Indians who for centuries had !
oamed these hills and plains as monarch |
+ all they surveyed and whose right it
vas not healthy experiment to dispute.
This immense terra incognita spread
rom the western boundary Of Dakota to
Washington Territory and from the Cana
ian line to the Missouri, near Fort Ben
OIL. Benton, being at the headwaters Of
1issouri river navigation, for long time
ecouped to itself all the immunities and
moluments Of the fur trade with the up-
umbered bands and tribes of red men
nat held sway over the great northern
About the year 1886 the American Fur
ompany established their headquarters
,r the northwestern interior at Fort Ben
III. Their dealings in the main were
lir and honorable with the savages and
ley won the confidence of the rude abort
ines. Through the establishment of
lis point as a fur trading post came
he ultimate extinction of the buffalo. I
Fort Benton is 5000 miles from the Gulf
Mexico, sixty-four miles east of Fort ,
|law by water; its latitude, 48 deg. North; {
'ngitude, 40 degrees west; altitude, g
30 feet above sea level; IA miles north
ast Of Helena, 45 miles northeast of {
rent Falls, and 45 miles south of Bear
aw mountains. The fort was built by
le American Fur company in 1916. In
'64 it was sold to the North vest Fur
'mpany, and from them it passed into
e hands Of the United States govern :
ent in 1869, after which it remained for =.
time the storage depot fo1 the govern :,
ent commissariat of the Northern Mon !.
na military posts. In 1870 there were
ur Indian trading houses, one brewery,
le bakery, two blacksmith shops, one a
shop, one butcher shop. and
-elve saloons. 81
The handsome brick court house, Jail o
ID school of 1870 still adorn their II
onted sites, being monuments Of the II
'om that struck Benton about that time.
ID from which it has not and does not il
EN- likely to recover. II
Being within mile or two OF the st. O
lul, Minneapolis & Manitoba railway, it
e mails at Benton are now more fire. IL