The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1916-10-27

agricultural districts in the world
1.-the Egypt of America Its early
Importance arose from It's location at
the "lfront gate '-as Bozeman en-
thuslasts call ito western Montana.
1t was this pass. the Bozcman. for
merly known as the Yellowstone pass.
by which the Indians of the upper
Columbia river We're accustomed to
cross over into the Yellowstone or
Musselshell country on their buffalo
hunts.
While the Gal|atin valley itself was
not the permanent abode of any In
dian tribe since the beginning of the
nineteenth century, it was claimed
by the Blackfeet and became a COM
mon fighting ground for all the sur
rounding tribes. The trail was worn
deeply into the soil by the moccasin
and the hoof of the Indian pony,
Varendry First White Visitor.
The first white man known to have
explored this region is Sicnr de la
Narendry. who made his way up the
Missouri during the years 1890 to
l744 and reached the Rocky Noun
tains on january | 1743. In 1907
Emanuel Lisa assembled the Missouri
with Il large party and established a
trading post at the confluence of the
Yellowstone and the Big Horn. Lisa
returned to ST. Louis and with II
others formed the Missouri Fur COM
pany with a capital of 100000. In
1909 he again assembled the Yellow
stone. crossed the Bozeman pass and
established post at the Three Forks
of the Missouri. For many years
thereafter the Bozeman pass served
the fur trader as we'll as the Indian
as a gateway to the northwest.
Shorter Route Sought.
In the winter of 1862 John NJ.
Bozeman and John NJ. Jacobs left
Bannack for the states with the OBJ
.ject of finding shorter route for en-
igrants than up the Platte and
through Wyoming and Idaho. They
travcrsed Rozeman pass but were at
tackled by the Sioux ON Powder river,
losing their horses and provisions.
They we're reduced to diet of grass
hoppers, but they succeeded III making
their way to Missouri They started
back at once to guide train through
by the re-discovered route, but they
were turned back by hostile Indians
and compelled to complete their jour
ncy by way of Lander's cutoff and
Snake river.
Bozeman himself again went to Mis-
souri, where he made up a large train
of immigrants for another attempt
TO test the new road. His route
nortIward lay between the Black
Hills and the Wind River mountains.
Race to Virginia City.
James Bridgcr, who was taking a
train through by his new route west
of the Wind River mountains and
down Clark s Fork, had denounced
Bozeman $ road as impracticable.
B,idger had several weeks start
and he reached the Yellowstone
first. but so circuitous was his course
into the Gallatin valley. up Shield S
river and Bracket creek and down
Bridger creek, that Bozeman reached
the valley ahead of him. They raced
their trains from the West Gallatin,
into Virginia City, which they reach
ed within few hours of each other.
The frs, house was built on the site
of Bozeman in 1864. The city, Of
course. was named for the man who
championed the Yellowstone Pass
route. When the county was created
it was named from the river which
had been christened in 1903 by Lew
is and Clark in honor of the anti
federalist statesman, Albert Gallatin,
then secretary of the treasury.
Murdered by Blackfeet
Bozeman was murdered on the yell
lowstone in 1867 by Blackfeet who
were fugitivcs from their own tribe
for killing a chief and were then liv-
ing with the Crows. Bozeman was
buried where he was killed, but two
years later Major Camp brought his
body to Bozeman and had it buried
in the graveyard on the bluff where
Nelson Story, near whose camp
Bozeman was attacked, erected many
years later handsome monument.
During the two years following the
first settlement at Bozeman the prln-
cipal immigration into Montana was
by the BoZeman pass and many OF
those who later were leaders in poll
tics and industry in the state came by
this route. Forts Reno, Phil kcarncy
and G. F. Smith were built to protect
this road but after the Fort Phil
kcarney massacre in 1866, the gov
ernment ordered all the forts aban
doned and the road closed to travel.
Gallatin City Fizzle.
One year before the first house was
built in Bozeman a party Of Mis-
sourians laid ont Gallatin City at the
Three Forks, supposlng this point to
hn tho head Of nayIoat ION on the Mis-