Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-08-05

I The first prospectors entered Mai.
den in 1880 Joseph Anderson. Frank
Mcpartlan, David Jones. William
~l.lankcnship and "A few others work
ed there during that summer and the
town was laid out the following year.
Clifford, Morrison e Clary moved
a band Gf sheep on 10 Ross Fork the
summer of 81 and they. with old man
Peck, who had Il ranch NJ the cOnllu-
cncc Of Ross Fork and the Judith
river were tn" pioneers nf that val.
ley.
Along the Missouri river towns and
posts were established in the '70's Ia
accommodate shippers of buffalo robes
and other hides. James Wells was in
charge of the trading post at Clag-
get rs early as 1878; he was succeed
cd by G, II. Norris. who now owns the
Claggctt ranch. James Tyler, III" for
INLian nj Rocky Point, or Wilder, has
lived AT that river point since 1854
and is the oldest continuous settler
in that part Of tho Missouri river val
Icy. Fort Carroll. five miles below
Rocky Point, was built in 1865. and
for a time the supply point for |! lem
aHd nearly all Of what is now Mon
t&nd. The head of navigation was rs
tablishcd at Fort Benton and the ruat
was abandoned. Changes of the river
current have washed the banks away
aud all trace of the first supply post
in the county have long since dis
appeared in the muddy waters Of tho
Missouri.
Ar. j. Stephens was the first post
master AT Okla. in the Judith gap. lie
located there in 1879. A. X. IiarrOws
settled at Tibet in the spring of 1881.
Mr.. Rarr0ws was in charge Of a saw
mill on the north fork of Roberts
creek. the same mill was later under
the management az W. II. Watson
and turned out n great part Of the
lumber used in the first frame build
incs multi in LcwislOwn. II was de-
stroyad by fire the fall of 1884 on Big
Casino creek.
In the valley of Rock creek William
TIogue built the first house on the
ChaS. Baird ranch. and Pierre File.
was the first to build on Beaver creek
Fife located on Beaver In 1879; Dan
Quinby settled thcr" in 80 and John
Goodrich was the next. Morris Sloan.
T.. s. and Walter Smith. and their
father. G.. Barr Smith. were among
the other pioneers in this valley.
Angus Mcmillan attempted TO winter
n band of about 2,o0n sheep AT Cot
tpnwODd creek in the winter Of 80 and
81, bul being %unproparcd for the rigor-
Gus winter that followed. only about
500 Of his flock were left in the
spring. He wag the first settler on
Cottonwood.
Henry T.. Brooks was the pioneer
cattle owner on Warm Spring crock,
lie erected a siOckadc on the Frank
Mitchell ranch five miles below Mai
den in the spring Of 70. hut later
moved down Ia the big Warm Spring
John Wort located on his ranch on
Warm Spring in 1850, and still lives
there.
The Fergus cow outfit drove In
about loo head Of cattle to Armrlls
creek during III" summer Of 1880, and
llhAll llllE'I I' ANU ~ NV Nil'f'D wv
mess on Salt creek in the summer Of
81.
Mcdonald creek was named for
Henry Mcdonald, n well known hunt
or and trGppcr, who operated in this
section in the seventies. The first
ranch located on that stream was own
ed ~ Frank Chamberlain and is IN"
ranch M the confluence % the differ
ont forks Of the crock.
A rayorito ground for traders in tho
early days was Fatwillow valley.
Fred Lawrence located the ranch at
the stag road crossing in 1881 and
was tho first to establish a homo on
that creek u. l." Mcfarland. G.
Childg and others engaged in the
sheen hu-in,ss in 1881 on a ranch
abou. fifteen miles from the head Of
The crock, Their outfit was called