The Ronan pioneer., 1917-04-27

Thirty-three years ago Sun River
was one of the livest towns of north
ern Montana, and it's citizens
laughed at the pretensions of vii
lage which had just been planted by
Senator Paris Gibson and named
Great Falls. "a good range for cat
tle," they said, "but who would want
to live there wh,n they can come to
Sun River''
The idea of buying property there
was considered by the Sun River folk
as joke. They considered that
there was room for only one good
town in that district, and they had
no doubt that that town was going
to be Sun River.
There exists today, as relic of
old Sun River, copy of the first is
sue of the Sun River Sun, printed on
fine white silk, bearing the date Feb
ruary IA, 1884. 1t is the property of
Lee NJ. and Shirley S. Ford, having
been purchased by their father. Rob-
ert S. Ford, for 800 at an auction
sale years ago, and it's columns re-
fleet the life of the town in that day,
it's business and social activities and
it's hopes for the future. The editor,
was David B. Hall, and the business
was subsequently converted to the
belief that Great Falls had possibili-
ties as a city, and he was prominent
in the early history of the latter
place in subsequent years. He is
still resident of Montana.
Sun River had aspirations to be-
come the Minneapolis of Montana,
and the editors of the Sun in their
first issue did not hesitate to pro-
phecy that Northern Montana would
become great wheat raising section,
with a vast flour milling industry
at Sun River.
Saw Agricultural Empire.
This is what they saw as future
for their community:
"Between the Sun River and the
Missouri, distance of Is miles, is
some of the finest agricultural land
in Montana. A company has been
organized that purposes to bring out
ditch next summer for Sun River
at point somewhere above Fort
w WulCA Will IL I6dCC Oil I1lC DCol
of this immense tract. Another
company will take out an immense
ditch from the North Fork that will
irrigate all that plain bounded on the
north and east by the Teton, and on
the south and west by the Sun and
Missouri rivers. This great stretch
of fertile land is destined to become
the chief grain producing region of
Montana.
"Thousands of acres of this land
have been located this winter, and as
soon as the spring opens scores of
land hunters will be there locating
homes, so that in a few years we may
expect to pass through succession
of wheat fields on our way from Sun
River to the Teton or Fort Benton.
1t will be the same between the Sun
River and the Missouri-wheat
fields on every side. Sun River will
then be the natural trade center of
all this agricultural wealth. Flour
ing mills will then be erected capable
of doing as good work as is done in
any portion of the United States. And
with the wheat grower and miller
will come the consumer. Factories
of various kinds will be built along
Sun River, utilizing it's tremendous
waterpower.
"Our retail merchants of today
will become wholesale dealers and
will supply the country stores that
will spring up in every direction.
Sun River will become the seat of
new county that will rival it's sisters
in prosperity and wealth"
History of Sun River.
Something of the history of the
Sun River valley is told in article
contributed to this issue of the Sun,
which is worth reprinting:
''The beautiful stream that flows
through this valley is called by the
Piegan Indians 'Natoe-osucti,' which,
according to Lewis and Clerk, means
Sun River or Medicine River, hence
the name which explorers gave it
and which our town and the valley
bear today. 1t would be impossible
to write even so brief an outline his
tory of this town and valley without
mentioning the names of two OF the
men who have been identified with
it from it's first settlement until now.
We will give brief sketch of each:
"Mr. John Largent, Sun Rivers
first settler, was born in Virginia,
and came to Montana in 1862, and
entered the service of the American
Fur company at Fort Benton Leav-
ing that service he prospected some
during the early mining excitement
of this territory, and in company
with John Wren, now of Choteau,
started for British Columbia by way
of Edmonton on the Saskatchewan
river of the north. They arrived
at the latter river entirely destitute,
the Indians having stolen their
horses. They bar-mined there that
season and then started back toward
Benton, having given up the idea OF
going to British Columbia. They
finally arrived at Benton after an alb
sence of nearly two years of hardship