The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-04-01
PRESERVE MULLAN TREE
FOURTH OF JULY CANYON
SPOT WHERE CAPTAIN JOHN
MULLAN cAMPED ON JULY
4, 1861.

Through the efforts of Congressman
Burton L. French the matter Of max
ing the Mulan tree in Fourth Of July
canyon, a national memorial and sug-
gested legislation turning over to
Kootenai county quarter section of
land surrounding the tree so that the
tree could be cared for as permanent
memorial by the county. according to
the Washington correspondent Of the
Boise Statesman
Congressman French introduced a
bill looking to this end at once and
has had the matter up actively with
the forest service and local authori-
ties.
The forest service is deeply impress
sed with the ACCESSIBILITY of main
tanning the tree as a national monu-
ment and after repeated exchanges
of ideas on the subject it has been
arranged that the forest service will
undertake to maintain the tree as
monument and cooperate
with the authorities of Kootenai coun-
ty in maintaining the immediate sec
ton surrounding the tree as a recrea-
ton center
Marks Camping Place.
The reports that have been assem-
bled show that the tree marks the
place of Captain John Mullan
who with his party camped under or
near it on July 4, 1861 An inscription
lpon the tree sets forth the brief fact |
Captain Mullan who was a member /
IF the Second Artillery of the u. s. /
lrmy and spent seven years in explor- /
tion. reconnaissance and construction
# a military road from Fort Benton, |
m the Missouri river, to Walla /
Valla, on the Columbia river. The |
DAD was 624 miles in length, up the |
Missouri. down the BlacRfoOt, up the |
st. Regis river and down the Occur
'Alene river, crossing the Bitter Root /
ivide at a place still known as Null |
ans Pass. Numerous timber bridges |
we're constructed from 1859 to 1861. /
nd the whole project was an engin- |
ering feat of no mean proportions at !
hat time in consideration of the ma
ural obstacles in the route and the |
one too friendly attitude of some of /
he Indian tribes encountered. The /
ost of the project to the government |
vas two hundred and thirty thousand /
ollars.
The tree referred to as Mullan's
rec is a gigantic yellow pine situated
n the center of the southwest quar-
er Of section 6, township 40 north,
ange west, Boise meridian within
he Occur d'Alene national forest on
'ourth-of-July creek.
Is National Land Mark.
The department recognizes the his
oric value of this tree and believes
hat its preservation is a matter that
5 of more than local interest in
Their words, it is national land mark
nd. should be cared for by the fed
raj government This care can prop
rly be given it by the forest service
hitch has charge of the admins
ration of the surrounding national
orset lands. At the present time the
rec shows evidences of decay, par
cularly at the point where it is in
eribed. In an effort to prevent fur
Ter deterioration, a pathologist of
he forest service was instructed to re- {
ort upon the condition Of the tree.
nd he has suggested a plan of tree
irgery for prolonging its life. +
1t has been arranged by the forest r
'rvice to survey the site for recrea-
onal development and the forest il
'rvice will cooperate with the Koot-
lai county or other municipal auth
titles loling to making the monu-
ent serve the greatest public use