The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-01-02
Elm ?Oint---Gonle Historical Notes.

IL tensve point of tinker in Mel can County
The place was first named y party Of hunters
in the winter of 1869, WHO had been sent out
from the stcckadcd. wocdyard of Norris Gluck
Company, ocs. ed in The lower end of the timber
point south of the present town of Hancock The
party had been sent down to kill their ''Chrstmas
meat They camped in the point two three
days, and named it from the prcdomirence of the
elm over the other species of timber found there
The hunting party returned with plenty of elk,
deer and antelope meat for their holiday festival
Owing to its proximity TO the old Indian villa
ges Elm FONT cones in for good share Of the
Evolutionary stories Of events occurring there
among the generations of red men pre- cedirg the
days Of The c, rsirg of their white conquerors.
The |;st recorded tragedy among tie red men
occurred there in the autumn of IS77. A young
Uncpara had come down in;o the eros Ventres
camp at Fort Bcrho'd and n &c his home there
The first complaints against lis self invited guest
came f.-on the g2y I-athoros among the Gros
Ventrcs that This young buck Of an Uncpapa was
getting away with their girls. he next charge
was that Of a Sioux spy. The step that followed
was within the province Of the medicine men Of
(,ros Venres was proposed, and place selected was
Elm Point. The Uncpapa was cordially invited
ito accompany The Party and he cheerlully accepted
the irvi:at;e II, ard went v:.li them. In about
la veek tEey 1eurre d homr Tut without their
UncraFa Sioux guest. A ,e'Ig Gros Nentre
hunter explained that in makaYa drive of the
point for elk the Sioux got out Of line and was
shot by mistake for en- anllered buck. He had
fallen among grove Of ash, shaded ly rcd ivy
vines and leaves Of trees, variees1ed in autumn
tints. When the Gics Venue 10y fred tie fatal
shot he to his CO nusdes AID reported VIA, he
hac! Ccre He could rot lead lE< III 10 where Tie
Sioux had fallen nor could hey rd it themselves
and so The affair rested with Ike Crcs Nentres.
1t vss sometime reported, ,]:l ;fler the Sioux
had fallen t:re}irg h;mse| Ut Dangerously vcurd-
ed and feeling that he Was the victim Of conspiracy
for his murder, recovered sufficiently 70 make his
way TO the sand bar and here managed 10 Cross the
Missouri e log thence striking out for the Sioux
camps az the Standing Rock. An Aricarree with
srcight tongue had met the wounded Sioux
ear old or, Clark, ard lad reciled tie story of
his mis- adventure But some later, a hunting
party Of whites came upon The skeleton of the
Sioux with his rusty rife lsyirg Leslie Inn. He
had died where he had fallen, and the straight
toungcd Ar;csree had drawn to heavily on his
imagination to sand the test OF time.
But Elm FONT lesiGes Icing noted as The last
refrng of The last |; ard of wild elk on the Upper
Missouri onts south Of " hile Earth river, and
most pro ally The last lie nc also of The wild deer
in the territory named will in addition remain e
noted fgure in early northwestern records as the
winter quarters for the historical Lewis and Clark
expedition of 1905. -
Nnety-tNo years Las passed Stree that Gate
The little crew that then represcteda great nation
within the little strip of young cottonwood st the
lower end of Elm Point during that memorable
winter here also British representatives of pow
erful fur company who ruled a vast wilderness
empire inhabited hordes of savage men with the
courage ola Catherine and the cruelty of Nero.
Throughout the entire winter, groups of Indian
visitors--n,ale and fen1sle-speaking many langu
ages came hocking around Fort Mandan, for such
was thensme given TO this little group of cotton
wood shacks surrounded by frownng picket of
sharpened logs f Now and then Tie officers of
the expedition would take stros to high buttes
on the prairies rorth of the cantonment and view
the surrounding country. Across the Missouri
river from the opposite end of the point and about
six miles away could be SEEN on frosty mornings
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