The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1914-05-27
states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington,
Western Montana and Wyoming.

states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington,
Western Montana and Wyoming.
The territory of Oregon was admit
ted to the Union August IA, 1S4S. 1t
included within it's limits all that por-
ton of Montana on the west side of
the Rockies. By act of congress on
March 2, 1853, the territory of Oregon
was divided and this portion of it be-
came a part of Washington territory.
March 3, 1863, Idaho territory was Gre
ated out of portions of Oregon, Wash
ington and Dakota Observation-Disclosures
territory including at that time all that
portion of Montana lying east Of the
Rockies. Idaho territory was so vast
and it's settlements so few and far be-
tween, that during the year following
it's creation legislative and judicial
affairs were in a chaotic condition.
was at Salem, the capital of Oregon,
on the west, while eastward its clos
est court was at Yankton, capital of
Dakota. White settlements in what is
now Montana were confined to Ban
mack, Virginia City, Deer Lodge, Pho
neer and Missoula with here and there
a few hardy and v~enturesome trap
pers or explorers dwelling, for the
most nart, in the northern region of
the state.
Sanders History of Montana says
that to attend the first session of the
territorial legislature of Idaho, held
at Lewiston in the winter of 1S63.64,
members were compelled to travel
hundreds of miles through trackless
wastes of snow over almost unknown
mountain ranges and to suffer severe
hardships in journeying to the seat Of
territorial government. Public senti-
ment under these conditions rapidly
crystallized itself into a demand for
the organization of a new territory
out of that created into Idaho.
Sidney Edgerton, who had been ap-
pointed by Abraham Lincoln as the
first chief justice of the territory of
Idaho, was selected at a meeting Of
the citizens of Virginia City and Ban
mack to go to Washington on behalf
of the movement to secure the divi-
sion of Idaho and the creation of a
new territory. He left about the mid
die of January, 1864. The weather
was intensely cold and the dangers
of the trip were augmented by the
fact that he carried large quantities
of gold nuggets subscribed by the
citizens not only to defray the expen'
ses of the journey, but also to exhibit
to the eyes of the congressman and
thereby to impress them with the
great mineral wealth of the vast and
almost unknown region from which
he came. During the discussion Of
the proposed bill for the organization
of the new territory there was mucl
controversy v what it's boundary
lines were to be. Judge Edgerton
who, as a former member of congress
from Ohio, was we'll known in Wash
ington, convinced the committee OF
territories that the western boundar.
line should be the Bitter Root range
then considered all but impossible
instead of the main rang of tn
Rocky mountains. Thus there wa
saved for Montana all that fertil
and rich region situated betwee
these two mountain ranges.
The bill organizing the t@erritor
was passed by both branches of co,
gress on May a.. and on May y
1864, it vas signed by President Liz
coin and the new territory admitte
into the Union. President Lincol
soon afterward appointed Judge Eds
erton the first governor of the terri
tory, and he was commissioned Jun
%, 1864, news of his appointment
reaching him at Salt Lake while h
was on his return to Bannack.-An;
cOnda Standard.