The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-07
MARGARET DARKNESS,
The First White Woman TO View the
Great Falls of the
Missouri.
An Interesting letter Describing
Her Visit to the Falls
in 1862.

Among the other pioneers whose names
are connected with the history of Mon
tana in general and Great Falls in par
ticular is that of Capt. James Hardness,
now of st. Louis. Some weeks ago the
Helena Independent published extracts
from Capt, Hardness diary relating to
his visit to Montana in 1862. on which
occasion he was accompanied by his
daughter Margaret. Among other incl
dents mentioned was a visit to the Great
falls of the Missouri. The paper con
tanning the extracts having been sent by
Can't. Hardness to his daughter, she
wrote TO Col. Wheeler of Helena. libra
rian of tho state historical society, Civ
ing him further details of her visit to the
falls. Through the courtesy of Col
Wheeler the TRIBUNE is able to repro
duce this letter. The delightful style of
the letter combined with the importance
of the event it describes can not fail to
make it of interest to the people of Great
Falls. The letter is as follows:
San FRANCISCO, April Is, lSJ2.
Col. w. T.. Wheelcr-Librarian of the
Historical Society Of Montana. Helena,
Mont.
Dear Sir A few days ago ! received
from my father, James Hardness Of St.
Louis, a copy of .The Daily Independ.
ent." published at Helena, Mont. of the
date March %, 1892, containing some ex-
tracts from his diary of 1852, with refer
ence to a trip which he made up the
Missouri river in that year. ! read the
article with great interest, and can add
but little to 1t, as ] have no diary of my
own with which to refresh my memory.
and no one here inCalifornia with whom |
can talk over the events of that interest
ing trip of thirty years ago. did keep
a diary at the time but when | was pre-
pairing to come to California in 1869. ]
burned it, not realizing how useful it
would be for reference in after years.
| left st. Louis April 80, 1862, or board
the shreveport" in company with Mrs.
Capt. John La Barge, while my father
was on the Emile" which did not leave
st. Louis until two weeks later and did
not overtake us until we had been out
four or five weeks. We arrived at TT.
Benton together on June II. and the
Emile which was much larger than
shreveport remained there only a few
days. but the "Shreveport' staid there
about three weeks. ] returned to st.
Louis on the latter boat, arriving there
the Sd of August. left my father at
Fort Benton. preparing for his oXpedi'
ton for the mines.
Our visit to the Great falls Of the
Missouri was the most memorable trlI
of our stay at Fort Benton. There was
quite a party of us, but Mrs. LaBarge
and | were the only ladies. We rode ir
an ambulance drawn by four Indian
ponies, while my brother, W. q. Hank
ness, and several other gentlemen rode
on horseback, and we had an lndiar
! guide and hunter. We had to carr.
wood and water for the whole trip
which was across tho high table lane
which forms the General level of thu
country and through which the rivel
flows in a deep gorge. There was nj
, road or trail of any kind, for the Indians
avoided that stretch of country, owing
tothe lack OF wood and water, and thu
absolute impossibility Of crossing thu
/, river at any point between Fort Benton
T and the present site of Great Falls city
The fort itself was on the bank of thu
river, but it was surrounded by thu
semi-circular wall of hills which We ha'
, To climb in order to reach the plateau OF
! which we had to travel. | believe
, that the distance in "A direct line is onl.
I about thirty miles. but we had to maxi
long dctours to avold one OF TWO dee
rayines which we could not cross, 81
that our ride was probably forty mile
or more. On the morning OF the secon'
day, as we were plodding slowly along
: we ladies' at least not knowing that W
were anywhere near the river, which W
: could neither see nor hear, my broilic
!, rode ahead of MS ON the pony. and SUI
= denly turlcd and shouted To- me to com
a quickly. | Jumped out OF the a'hnu
lance and running ahead OF our pohic'
;, who were leisurcly picking their wa
over the rough ground, ! reached m
brothcr's side before the rest OF IN
- party. and there | saw the wonderful
:, beautiful Great Falls Of the Missouri
u nearly four hundred feet below I'M
plainly visible but just as plainly ma
cessiole. We were on the side where III
. water falls in terraces, but we could 50
- more of the perpendicular fall on IN
other side. | stood there quite a ilttI
while with my brother before Mrs. IL
: Barge Joined us, SO | believe | can Iusll
claim to be the first white WOMAN VII
+ ever saw those falls. The scene is doub
less SO familiar to you that | need ne
" ATTEMPT to describe it, but it is prInte
4 in my memory with Il distinctnesS whlc
even thirty years have not dim'ncd' II,
/ have been greatly interested III N
4 last few years in reading about II
tiourishing city of Great Falls, whlc
has made such wonderful progress
. such ID short time. My father sent me
map of the city some time ago ana
was greatly fiattered to lind lhat
10 square had been named for me, ana
&c wish to take this opportunity to imam
Mr.. Paris Gibson for the honor ~ M
ss conferred upon me. appreciate II VIII
a all my heart, and if it is ever IN n
"a power ] shall visit that part Of Il con'
Try again. and ! shall take note OF u
~ great changes which have occurred SIM
~ my last visit. 1t will all he new To N
y except the natural scenery. the mouI
y tains and the river, and shall miss u
great herds of buffalo and the camps
% Indians which l saw thirty years az
o' ~. tLn;r p1ncac orn nov filed WI