The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-03-24

Mrs. 2. NJ. Allen, a pioneer Of
Montana, recently celebrated her
88th birthday in Butte, the OBJ
servance being attended by 25 of
her 40 descendants. Mrs. Aliens
residence in this state dates back
to 1866, when, as a young woman,
she braved the dangers of travel
by OK team from her comfortable
home in Iowa to join her husband,
who was then located in Alder
gulch.
In telling of her experience in
crossing the plains, Mrs. Allen said:
my husband had crossed the plains
eleven times during the time he was
in Montana and while I was in Iowa.
So impressed was he with the posi-
bilities of Montana that he convinced
me we should leave the settled state
of Iowa and take part in the upbuild-
ing of this territory, as it was then.
1t took five months to make the
journey from Des Moines to Harri-
SON, where we took up a farm. There
were 40 wagons in our train, includ-
ing the government troops who es-
corted us along the dangerous ways.
had but two encounters with the
Indians but they were frightened off
by the number of men in our COM
pany. The 80 women and six chill
dren in our little band proved them
selves true pioneers all along the
route. They did not know the mean
ing of the word fear
I'VE did not neglect our house
work during the crossing either. In
the band were 100 mich cows which
supplied us with milk each day. We
used to milk the COWS in the morning
and place the cream in the bottom
of the wagons. At night this cream
was turned to butter through the
motion of the wagons all day. I sew
ed and looked after my children just
though we we're still at home.
Sometimes we would come across
friendly bands of Indians and then
my little children would cry to get
out of the wagon and play with the
opposes. Arriving at the Little Big
Horn river in June we found it swol-
with rains and this made the
crossing very dangerous but with the
lid of our trusty xen we made the
,rossing in two days with only one
nishap-a driver was pulled into
he waters by his whip which was
made of very heavy leather. 1t
Gems strange that recently my
daughters travelled over that same
rail in an automobile and forded the
liver where that man was drowned"
When Mrs. Aliens party left the
government troops they made their
way on to Harrison, on the Madison,
where they took up land. This farm
S still in the possession of the Allen
amily, being cultivated each year by
he Allen brothers. On the farm
hey were thrown into contact with
he Bannack Indians, who were very ,
with the whites. Oftentimes
Ir. Allen took his children to the :
indian camp, where in exchange for ,
mans goods the old Indians
nade moccasins for the children. ,
When we arrived at our little farm,
ur days of adventure were almost :
YER" said Mrs. Allen. Here I raised :
~ family of IA children, SEN them =
0 the rude little schoolhouses of :
hose days, where the children had :
new teacher every time school was :
allied, and did the things other mo-
ners who crossed the prairies before y
le coming of the railroads had to :
O." :
Mr.. Allen, who died 35 years ago, 7
as one of the men who played a {
cal part in the making of Montana. !;
Ie was connected with the early his =
Dry of Bannack, Harrison, Helena :
nd Butte. In Butte he helped to ,
uild the first house. A h~alf-brother, =
ohm Allen, fought with Clusters 2
in their famous encounter y
18th Sitting Bull.
All western railroads have agreed :