The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-10-20
MADE FIRST ROAD
ACROSS ROCKIES
PIONEERS WHO BUILT HIGH
WAY FROM FORT BENTON
TO DALLES, OREGON.
Captain John Mullan and Party Had
Desperate Battle With Elements,
Forests and Mountains to Build
Road Across Mountains.

Road Across Mountains.
The completion of the park-to-park
highway under the direction of for
estry service engineers is justly re-
garded as a big achievement, but the
difficulties involved in the con-
struction Of this highway were child's
play compared with the obstacles
that stood in the way of the first big
road project in Montana, a wagon
road from the head of navigation on
the Columbia to the head Of naviga-
ton on the Missouri.
A few days ago at Missoula there
was dedicated a monument to the
memory of Captain John Mullan,
military engineer, who built this ear
ly road that still bears his name. This
is the first of a series Of monuments
that are to be erected in Captain
Mullan's honor at Great Falls, st.
Regis, Drummond, Deer Lodge and
Bonner by the Montana Pioneers and
the state geographical societies. At
the Missoula dedication among those
who occupied seats on the speakers
platform was Dave O'Keefe, one of
the surviving members Of the original
bodybuilding expedition. Mr..
O'Keefc delivered no address but
was introduced by General Charles S.
Warren of Butte, who gave a his
torical sketch of Captain Mullan's
achievement and told something of
the richness of the territory through
which the road was constructed. A
yet more significant monument to
Captain Mullan's foresight is the
route taken by Northern Pacific rail
road which follows the army engi-
neer's highway through western Mon
tana.
Whole State Interested.
Statewide Importance will be at
tached to the remaining dedications.
Among those who will take part in
the programs are Governor Stewart,
Frank D. Brown; w. Y. Pemberton,
state librarian. and General Warren.
In the middle of the last century
the great highways that led into the
northwest were the Missouri river, for
voyagers from the middle west, and
the Columbia, for those who ventured
inland from the Pacific coast. Those
who came the latter way followed
Clark's Fork, or He'll Gate river, to
the mountain passes, but there were
no roads, merely trails that could be
traversed only by packs animals.
These were what might be termed ma
tural highways, that directed, or were
determined by, the %migrations of the
wild animals Of the forest. They were
trod by the Indians on their way to
the buffalo hunting grounds east of
the mountains and by the trader and
trapper and the Jesuit missionary.
After the discovery Of gold in CAL
ifonia directed the eyes Of the ma
ton upon the far west the need of a
wagon road that would connect the
head Of the navigation on the Missouri
at Fort Benton with the head Of navi-
cation on the Columbia at the Dalles
began to be felt acutely, particularly
by the United States military forces.
Congress made an appropriation for
such a highway and Captain Mullan.
then a lieutenant under instructions
from the war department, undertook
the work in 1858. He made a pre-
liminary survey from the Dalles to
the Snake river, but further pro-
gress was halted by an uprising of
Indians throughout the Columbia riv-
err country. Captain Mullan trans
ferred his appropriation by order of
the department and reported with his
command to Colonel George Wright
at Fort Walla Walla. The Indian
war was soon ended with a battle on
the Snake river in which thousands
were engaged.
Another Appropriation.
Congress made another appropria-
ton and in 1859 Captain Mullan be-
gan the actual construction of the
road. With his party he hewed his
way through the wilderness, making
two or three miles of roadway each
day until the rigors of an unusually
severe winter forced a temporary
halting of their labors. A heavy
snow cut off all supplies and Cap
tain Mullan and his command were
obliged to kill all their horses in their
fight against famine. Word Of their
plight was carried to the few white
men in the Bitter Root valley and to
friendly Indians. Had it not been
for the assistance received from this
quarter, all must have persisted.
In July, 1860 the little command
reached Fort Benton, their labors
completed. There Captain Mullan
met Major Blake with a party of re-
cruits ordered to the northwest. This