The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-13
IN THE EARLY DAYS
Something Of Interest About OIL
Fort Benton.
AS JERRY COLLINS TELLS IT
The Little Settlement Has a His
tory That IL OF More Than
General Interest--The
Fur Trade.

Great Falls, May 12.-Hon. Jeremiah
Collins. register of the United States
land ONCE at Helena, and a pioneer
journalist Of Montana, contributes an
interesting article to Montana Illus
trated on the early history OF Fort
Benton. the oldest town in the state.
and for a quarter century the most
prominent trading post In the North
west Mr.. Collins writes:
II were asked to point out Mon
tana's one particular historic spot, l
would not hesitate to lead the inquirer
to the ruins of old Fort Benton. unique
in its frontier record Of nearly half a
century. Here was the headquarters of
the American Fur, company for twenty
years, and afterward, as the town and
then city OF Fort Benton. the principal
settlement Of the northern frontier.
head Of navigation on the Missouri
river. and entrepot and distributing
point for this New Northwest. 1t is
the oldest permanent establishment OF
the white man in what is now Mon
tana- -~---+ 20 .--~.----
Fort Benton is the only one of the
forts of the fur traders established
on the Missouri river and its tribu-
taries that is moro than a memory to-
day. Fort Union, Fort Mckenzie, Fort
Kipp, Fort Brule. Fort Chardon. Fort
Lewis, Fort Hawley and scores Of 9TH
ers, what OF them? The actual loca-
ton of some is in doubt, and not one
of them has an existence save on the
old maps.
A summary of the events leading up
to the establishment of Fort Benton
may be instructive IL not interesting:
The association known as the American
Fur company had its inception in st.
Louis and became an organization
March T. 1909. Pierre Choteau, ST., was
at it's head, and among those inter-
ested was Capt. William Clark of the
Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1929
the company, then under the progress
sive direction of Pierre Chouteau, Jr.,
sent Kenneth Mckenzie with a trading
force into the upper Missouri country,
and that year he founded Fort Union
at the mouth of the Yellowstone river.
The following year Mckenzie sent
party of four men up the river to spy
out the land" and report as to the ex-
istence of game and the prospects of
trade with the Indians. These men
proceeded up the Missouri as far as the
Marias, and up the latter to Badger
creek, where they were captured by
winter in the Indian camp. returning
in the spring, accompanied by 100
Blackfeet braves, to Fort Union. A
treaty of trade was readily enected
with these, and Mckenzie at once dis
patched James Kipp with large par
ty and a stock of Indian goods to build
a fort at the mouth of the Marias riv-
err A temporary establishment was
erected that year. Next spring QS32)
Colonel Mitchell built Fort Brule In
river bottom a few miles below the
present Fort Benton. Alexander Gull
bertson succeeded Mitchell in author
ity that year, and before its close he
had completed permanent picket
stockade at Brule. which was occupied
by the company for III years. In lS42,
r. A. Chardon. who was then in charge
of Fort Brule, amused himself and
men one day by Strengthening 80 Indi-
ans within the walls OF the fort. The
Blackfeet, in consequence, moved on
to the north, refusing to trade, and as
sumed a hostile attitude. The little
fort stood in great danger, and the af-
fairs of the company were in bad
way when Culbertson again came to
the front. He made peace with the In
dams and built a new post (Fort Lew
isl at Pablois island, on the south side
of the river, six miles above the site of
Fort Benton. Like all the other posts
this. too, was a makeshift, designed to
serve the immediate purpose, and not
constructed with any view OF per-
manency. The next move was the maj
one.
The strong, central headquarters for
the fur trade in that region must or
necessity be on the Missouri river. 1t
was on the bosom of this stream that
the rich furs and peltries of the trad
ers were "mackinawed" to market and
their supplies brought UP by the more
arduous process Of cordelling. The
river was the only highway connect
ing them with civilization. The next
consideration was accessibility; such
a point as could be conveniently reach
cd from every quarter by the Black
feet nation, who occupied the coun-
try from the Saskatchewan to the
Yellowstone. Major Culbertson select
ed as such a spot the Missouri river
bottom where the city of Fort Benton
now stands, and in 1S46 the work of
building the first permanent trading
post on the upper Missouri river was
begun.
When Culbertson inaugurated this
post in the heart Of the Blackfeet
country, removed hundreds of miles
even from other traders. and thou
sands from civilization, he had little
thought that in IA years steamboat
would poke its nose into the nat
ural levee at that place. and few
years more would witness the extinc-
tion of the vast herds that blackened
the plains. Fort Benton was built on
trade. The enclosing walls were ESQ
feet square and constructed. as were
the several buildings within the same.
of adobes, or sun-dried bricks. The
walls were massive, constructed with
the view to protection from possible
stand the ravages OF time. The stores.
dwellings, warehouses, ETC., were in
like manner constructed. There were
two towers. or bastions. at diagonal
corners. suitably designed for defense.
From the Flagstaff of the main bastion
the starry banner fioated on all proper
occasions. Besides the smaller arms, a
few pieces of light artillery. always
ready for use. gave confidence to the
occupants of being able to withstand
any assault the Indians might attempt
One OF these howitzers is still preserv-
ed as a relict OF Fort Benton. and as
late as in the eighties was employed
on patriot and gala occasions. and in
variably brought into requisition to
Thunder a welcome on the arrival of
the first steambo of the season.
which was a great event in the days of
navigation.