Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-23
part Of his forces, went on. arriving at
Fort Manuel late in the fall
Founding Three Forks Post

A profitable trade was enjoyed b,
Lisa during the fall and winter months
In the spring, Andrew Henry. with =;
strong force, was sent on west to thu
Three Forks of the Missouri, to estab
lish another post, and with Henry wen,
Golfer. This was in the heart of the
Blackfeet country. The Blackfeet, al
ways hostile. and ever pursuing their
feud against the whites, not only re.
! fused to trade. but constantly harassed
the post. During the next few months
they ambushed and killed in small
groups more than 20 men In the spring
Henry. discouraged. led his little rem
nant Of followers across the continental
| divide, into Idaho, where he established
another post This he was also com
PEELED to abandon on account of the
disaffection of his men, who scattered
to all parts of the country. Henry,
after much hardship, managed to join
Lisa at Fort Manuel
Iisas operations continued with
varying success. Every year he made
a trip back to st. Louis. and he estab-
llshed posts at convenient places along
the big river. In 1872. when war broke
out between Great Britain and the
United States. Lisa. on the advice of
hISH S'sVl IlIiSilt olI1IdtS. NIlIluTpW
from his post on the Upper Missouri.
concentrated his forces at Council
Bluffs, and prepared to resume opera
tlons when the war should be over.
Lisa's Service to v. S.
In the revolutionary war Great
Britain's agents had been very sue
cessful in inriting various tribes against
the United States. at a terrible cost in
lives on the frontier When hostilities
opened the authorities in Washington,
anticipating that British agents. com
ing down from the north country, would
soon be active among the western
tribes. asked General William Clark to
select capable man to combat this
Influence. Clark had had his differences
with Lisa over his management of the
fur company. but he promptly picked
on HIM TOR this important post Lisa
the ambassador to the Indian tribes of
the Upper Missouri, proved as success
ful in diplomacy with the red men as
he had been in trade. Through his ef-
forts the pipe Of peace. as far as the
inted States was concerned was
smoked in every council tepee in the
west. except those Of the Blackfeet,
who always remained impalcable. In
this he did great service to his coun-
try, and greater one to those of I
his countrymen of the frontier, whose
lives he saved, and his only reward I
was his achievement The war over /
he took with him the chiefs and head /
men Of 43 tribes TO st. Louis, where
they met commissioners Of the states
and signed treaties Of advantage to the
government.
After the war the fur trade revived,
md Lisa resumed operations. In 1918 he
'eorganized the Missouri Fur company,
'ut his days Of usefulness were about
It an end. He died in st. Louis in 1920.
For II years he had been the fore
most man in the fur trade in the United
States. He had come to st. Louis as a
tranger and an alien. and had achieved
success that was little short Of re-
narkable. In his trips up and down the
dissouri river and its tributaries he is
to have Travelled $4,000 miles,
y methods every mile of which took ,
oil of his energy and vitality
Lisa had. his romance, too, and a
ordid one. Like most traders Of the I
reat river. he had wife in st. Louis.
fine lady, and wife among the In I
ians. HIS Indian wife was named :