The Daily Missoulian., 1911-07-09

There is much that Is interesting
along the old trail that leads 10
Frenchtown. This road is one Of the
oldest trails In western Montana: II
was 4 thoroughfare long before there
was any Missoula and 1t has played
ment OF this section OF the state.
over this trail moved the commerce
of the early days between Montana
camps and Walla Walla. which was
the coast terminus Of the pack-train
days. over this trail travelled mission
AIRY and miner. priest and pariah.
trapper and tourist. over this trail
one day came pursuers and pursued,
racing from the vigilante court in AL
der gulch, the one seeking to enforce
the stern decree or that tribunal and
the other desperately endeavoring to
evade the service of the hempcn writ.
The race went to the side of justice
and at old Hell Gate town the man
date of the court was executed and
three human forms wriggled and then
were still, suspended from the high
crossbar OF an old gate. That was
the yigilante execution In Montana. II
Is but few years since the three
mounds which marked the graves Of
the victims of this law enforcement
were leve'ed by plow and harrow.
over the Frenchtown trail moved
the immigration of the thrifty farm
ers who settled the iower valley and
whose nationality gave the ronde Its
name. Their energy and thrift. too
gave this region Its fame as farm
ing district: they didn't talk much but
they iarmed u great deal and their
produce became IN short time Il
demonstration of theaagricurural pos
sibilities of this section French was
the local language along this old trail
then and 1t is yet: the descendants of
these people remain on the old farms;
they have preserved their entity won
derfuly we'll; their community re-
mains French to, this day in many of
its customs and practices. though there
Is no one who win say that these men
and women are not mighty good Amer
leans. t@
Over the Frenchtown trail moved
the chasers of the will-o'-the-wisp In
the famous Cedar creek stampede and
over this trail came back much of the
wealth of gold which was washed out
of that great old gulch. There are
dark chapters and there are bright
chapters in the history of the French
town road Always it has been WELL
trail--since 1t was blazed
and now Ii Is busy thoroughfare.
Here and there are traces OF the life
of former days; here and there may be
seen some of the old houses, land
first occupants of this fertile region.
Down IL little way from Missoula on
the Frenchtown trail Is the site of old
He'll Gate town. the first settlement
In tho Missoula yalley-really the
mother of Missoula. There are one or
two of the old cabins of the town yet
tanding-outhouses at ranch Here
pany. the pioneer mercantile estab-
lshment of this valley. the store in
which Judge Woody served as clerk
In the early days. Here was started
the town which WAS deserted when
the water power of the Rattlesnake
caused the removal of the settlement
after Missoula Mills HAD been created.
There are II good many stories con-
nected with this old town-some of
them have never peen told and some
of them will never be told. gut ii you
are fortunate enough to travel the
Frenchtown trail with an old tirler
some day, you may get some of them
that will entertain you and will en-
tighten, as well. For there We're do
ings at old Hell Gate in those days.
There are many farms along the
trail which will suggest interesting In
cidents to your old-timer companion.
II you want to get them don't ride in
an automobile-~travel behind a jobbing
horse and the suggestions will not
come W fast that their. Impressions
will be lost. There is the old Winters
ranch it has been famous in it's day
for the fast horses that have had their
homes here. There is the Austin
ranch. too. and on the other side of
Tho road there are the tall. green trees
that shade the hospitable homestead
Of the Flynn farm. beyond which are
The old Hogan and England ranches.
There is the White farm-eyerybody
n western Montana has heard of that.
IN this farmhouse, yet standing In its
nd place, four sons We're born who
We're natives of four different states,
hough the house was never moved
IN inch. The development of the
northwest was shifting territorial
boundaries rapidly in those days and,