The Western news., 1903-10-07

the father In the spring. The other
Indian came back the same fall to tell
the news.
In the spring of 1910 Father De
Smet and 1gnace came across the
plains and found camp of Flatheads
and Nez Perces near the Three Tetons,
near the eastern line of Idaho. The
father baptized few Indians and
came with the Flatheads to the Gala
tin valley, near the place where Gala
tin City now stands, and finding he
could do but little without aid he re-
turned to St. Louis for assistance.
In the spring of 1841, Father De
Smet returned, coming by way of Fort
Hall. He brought with him two other
priests-Fathers Poust and Meng garine,
and several lay brothers, among whom
were Brothers w. Classens and Joseph
Speccht. who lived in later years at
St. Ignatius Mission and were emf
nently entitled to the appellation of
"oldest inhabitants" having been res
| idents in Missoula county for more
than the third of a century. The party
brought with them wagons and carts,
horses, mules and oxen and came by
way of Deer Lodge valley and down
the Hell's Gate canyon. These we're
| Montana. In the fall Of that year the
first settlement was made in the Bitter
Root valley, by the establishment of
St. Mary's Mission on the tract of
land upon which Fort Owen is now
situated. During the fall and winter
of the same year dwelling houses,
shops and chapel were built, and
nearly all of the Flatheads and some
Mes Perces and Pen d'Orielles were
baptized.
MONTANA'S FIRST FARM.
| Probably the first farming attempt
ed in what is now the state of Mon
tana was in the spring of 1912 by the
fathers of the Mission. This year
they raised their first crop of wheat
and potatoes. The same year the
first cows were brought from the Hud-
son Bay company's post at Fort Col
vile on the Columbia river. About
this time or little later, the fathers
also erected saw and grist mills-the
from Belgium.
In 1874 the Couer de'Alene Mission
was established by Fathers Poust and
Hoecken.
After establishing the St. Mary's
Mission, Father De Smet returned to
ST. Louis and thence went to Europe,
but returned to the Bitter Root valley
in 1874, making his third trip and
bringing with him number of priests
and lay brothers; among the number
was the we'll known and highly es-
teemed Father Ravalli, late resident
of this county.
St. Mary's Mission was kept until
November, 1850, when the improve
ments were sold by Father Josef to
MAJ jor John 0 ven. The bill of sale
now in the possession of the writer
bears date, St. Mary's Mission, Flat
head country, November 5th, 1850,
and is without doubt the first written
conveyance ever executed within the
limits of Montana.
BLACKFEET RAIDS.
The ST. Mary's Mission was aban-
doned for the reason that the mission
aries were continually harrassed by
the numerous war parties of Black
feet that visited the valley Oh their
narauding expeditions. These war
parties we're SO numerous and murder
Gus that no mans life was safe away
from shelter. In 1S4o while Father
Ravalli was in charge of the Mission,
having with him one lay brother and
few Indians, the Mission was at
tackled by aswar party of about fifty
Blackfeet that proceeded to make it
quite uncomforta BILE for the father and
his companions. During the attack
two bands of horses belonging to the
Mission and Flathead Indians made
their appearance and the Blackfee
preferring horses to scalps, withdrew
from the attack, drove off the horses
and left the occupants of the Mission
to mediate on their narrow escape.
After the abandonment of St. Mary's
Mission the fathers and lay brothers
were sent to the different missions
that had been established further
northwest.
St. Ignatius' Mission, situated on
the present Flathead reservation, was
established by Father Hoecken in
1851.
What Is Life?