The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1904-04-29
Far West fifty
Years Ago.


territory, 50 years ago today, the
far west" which comprised all OF
the country beyond the Mississippi
river, was but sparsely settled. sec
tons Of the great plains which have
since become states had even fewer
white people than the new territory
created out OF the northern hall OF
Oregon. For half 4 century there
had been a western movement, but
the homeseekers were finding abld-
ing places principally on the prairles
of the middle west and in that part
Of the old northwest territory which
has become Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota.
The population Of the Missis sippi
valley was increasing, and many
were pushing out toward the setting
sun, but the number of people i'll the
aggregate was comparatively small.
Missouri, which was larger then than
now, had about 800, 900 people; but
St. Louis had long been the chief
business center Of the west from the
time of the French and Spaniards.
Nebraska was not organized as ter
ritory until year after Washington,
Montana and Idaho, and, although it
comprised a part of Dakota, Mon
tana, Wyoming and Colorado, its
population was not 5000. Iowa had
been full fledged state for seven
years, but its population was not
over 100000.
Minnesota, in 1853, had enjoyed
territorial government only four
years, and although its western
boundary was the Missouri, it could
count only between 1000 and 5000
white people within its borders. But
settlers came rapidly and in 1857 it
was admitted as a state. Dakota
territory, out of which two states
have been carved, was organized in
1861. Its population was not much
more than 5000, and in 1870 it was
credited with only $4,000 white peo-
pie.
Kansas was filling up rapidly in
1854, for the memorable Kansas Ne
braska controversy was on. The
north, and especially New England,
was determined that if squatter SOW
ereignty should prevail the people of
the new territory must vote against
slavery, and emigration societies in
the east were putting forth eloquence
and money to send people t. the
west who would oppose slave hold
ing in their new home. As a result
Kansas in 1860 had about 10000
population.
Little was known Of Colorado so
years ago. Pathhnders had crossed
it, but it was not until 1857 that ex-
plorers were willing to risk their
lives in land of hostile Indians to
examine the resources of this remote
mountainous country. With the dis
covery of gold, in 1859, however, a
steady immigration set in. Montana,
too, was practically unknown except
to trappers, Missouri steamboat men
and traders who had ventured into
the wilds after the fur hunters. There
was stampede to the territory in
1861, when the placers were discoy-
cred, but as late as 1870 the official
population was placed at only 49,
900 whites.
While there was small but steady
emigration toward the Oregon coun- !
try in the late '40s, there is no
doubt that the increase during the
next decade was due in part to the
California gold discoveries. In l8s3I
California had about three hundred
thousand population, and in that
year the placer output reached the
high water mark of early days-S6s
200, 600. AS mining proved unpro-
fitable, hundreds moved north, and
among the settlers of the time when
the territories Of Idaho and Washing
ton was organized will be found hun
1reds who were numbered among
The argonauts Of 40 and the follow
ng years.
Halt century ago the population |
of the far west was as small as it was |