The Glasgow courier., 1916-11-03
M0nta11a's K;11q Who Wore Steel Arn10r
Mckenzie Ruled Fort Union; Defied Government

M ONTANA once had "king,"
ANA Kenneth Mckenzie, who, with an
iron hand and with as much display
of the purple as was compatible with
the wilderness, ruled the realm of the
Missouri under the overlordship of the
all-powerful American Fur company,
founded by John Jacob Astor, grand
father Of the John Jacob Astor who
went down to death in the sea with
the Titanic.
The seat Of King Kenneth s rule
was Fort Union, the first settlement
in Montana, with the exception Of the
fort established in 1907 by Emanuel
Lisa on the Yellowstone near the
mouth Of the Bighorn, which had been
abandoned long before 1882, when
Alexander Culbertson built Fort Union
just west of the present boundary of
Montana on the Missouri, few miles
above its confluence with the Yel-
lowstone.
Modern Town of Mondak
Half Mile Distant.
From the time of its establishment
this trading station remained the port
Of Montana until the rise Of Fort
Benton caused it to decline and ulti-
mately to be dismantled.
Now it is but memory with the
modern town of Mondak half mile
distant from it's site. But may not
history here repeat itself? The site
Of the old fort is near the eastern
terminus of the new central Mon
tana line of the Great Northern and
with the prospective revival Of river
navigation it may become the place
where erals and sails" meet. Up to
this point the difficulties in naviga-
ton are comparatively insignificant
even without the renewal Of dredger
operations and it predicted that car
shortages and increasing railroad
freight rates, together with the devel-
opment of vast agricultural empire
along the upper Missouri and the Yel-
lowstone, will bring back the steam
boats.
king of the Missouri
Cousin Of Explorer.
This Kenneth Mckenzie, who was
called "King Of the Missouri" was a
cousin Of the great explorer, Sir Alex
ander Mckenzie. He and his lieuten-
ants at Fort Union were hosts to many
of the men whose names and deeds
are part Of the warp and woof of the
history Of the west, and also to some
of the world s foremost scientists and
men Of art and letters.
Here John James Audubon, greatest
Of all ornithologists, passed more than
two mouths gathering material for his
"Quadrupeds of North America" aft
er coming up the Missouri by steam
boat with the record Of the fastest
trips days-ever made from St..
Louis.
Here Macmillan, prince of Wied,
made his headquarters the same year
gathering data for folio atlas that is
described as "the most luxurious SOU
venir Of western adventure ever is
sued from the press"
Catlin Drew Pictures
OF Indians at Fort.
Here George Catlin, the preceding
year, drew many Of his Indian pic
lures that became known as curiosi-
ties of art and are highly priced as
aids to the anthropologist.
Here Jim Bridger, renowned free
trapper, used to resort and it was
here that Bridger suffered deep hu-
initiation. After he had boasted of
the valor of his men, his force fled
from the Sioux at the very gates of
the fort, and at the funeral of half
breed victim of the attack, Bridger
heard the speaker pronounce the
words: "This funeral is caused by
the cowardice of Bridger's party"
The veteran trapper had intended to