The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-08-30
MILES CITY WAS FOUNDED AS RESULT OF
DETERMINATION OF GWSTER'S COMMAND

owes us name ana lOCdJlOu. IL
construction of Fort Keogh wa
entrusted to General Nelson A. Miles
then colonel of the Fifth Unite
States infantry, and the necessity o
a fort that would command the Vel
lowstone country was made apparen
when Custer and his gallant command
were exterminated by the hostile In
dams. The troops were on tn
ground soon after this massacre, am
the fall and winter of 1876 wer'
spent in the preparatory work of 81
considerable an enterprise as thu
building of a regimental post in the
virgin wilderness.
The military reservation of IL
miles square then included the pres
ent site of Miles City and the origina.
town of that name was started on the
south bank of the Yellowstone, about
two miles from the present location
Here, %crowding close to the reser-
walton line, the embryo city was
founded in the fall of 1876, and a
very profitable business was done by
those who were fortunate enough to
get on the ground with a stock OF
goods-wet or dry-before the win
ter closed in.
Transportation in that day was
chiefly dependent upon the merchant
marine of the Yellowstone, which
stream was navigable for loaded
steamers only during the season of
high water, during the summer, caus-
ed by the melting SHOWS in the noun
tains, and lasting from the middle
of May until about the middle of
July.
Troops Come
Other freighting was done during
the late summer, fall and winter by
wagon trains from Bismarck, but
this was expensive and used only for
the transportation of luxuries that
could stand the tariff of anywhere
from three to seven cents a pound,
according to the season and necessi-
ties of the patron.
The mail, a semi-weekly service,
came over this route on a schedule
of four days from Bismarck, the dis
lance being about 800 miles. Day
and night travel was contemplated
by this schedule, but at this time
it was more night than day on &C
count of the danger from small war
parties of Indians, who on several oc-
casions made their presence known
and once ambushed a lonely stage
driver and left his bones to whiten
on the plains.
Late in 1877 the post was occu-
pied by the troops, the removal of
the garrison to its new quarters
opening a gap of some four miles be-
tween the town and the source of it's
life and energy. This was a condi-
ton not to be endured any longer
han was necessary, hence it happen
I'd that in March, 1878, an order was
promulgated by the military authori-
les throwing open that portion of the
reservation lying east of Tongue river
whereupon Miles City rose en- masse
it's temporary resting place on
he banks Of the Yellowstone and
With much celebrity moved westward
,wO miles to the edge of the Tongue
liver, swarming around the point
where the military had established a
cry and thus designated an official
for the post. I
The occupation of the new location
fairly orderly. A townsite COM s
any had been formed, composed of /
representatives. of the dominant in {
erests of the new community, and :
company laid out the new town, {
ut nominal prices On the lots, and {
pportioned the business locations to r
be several competitors all in a way t
hat, if not wholly satisfactory, left 7
serious differences. 8
AS it had been surmised that the c
location was only temporary, n
lie old town never affected much in D
1e way of architectural embellish-
lent. One story log shacks with dirt t.
)ofs were good enough for the time S
cling, but when the new town was o
sgun, something in keeping with it's ss
Importance was demanded t
Id many of the store buildings that O
ere put up were lavishly adorned by "
and ornamentation representing the s,
isurely toll of self respecting arti- O.
ms who scOrned to exercise their tai ze
1T at less than 81 per day. m
In Honor of Miles a.
ST
The old town was named in honor h,
General Miles, who, even at that hi
ne was a notable parsonage in mill