The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-04-18


4 = tion of the Jefferson and the
Madison rivers and near the mouth
of the Gallatin river, but a short dis
lance from the site of the furthese
west fort of the Missouri Fur COM
pany which existed there more than
a century ago, was q settlement To-
Gated before Montana became a ter
ritory and which was given the rather
imposing name of Gallatin City.
1t was said by Peter Koch, one of
i the pioneers of the Gallatin valley,
/ that Gallatin City was laid out by
certain enterprising Missourians who
expected it to prove the head of navi-
cation of the Missouri river, forget
| ting that there was slight obstruc
tion below in the shape of tremend-
GUS falls, and that after receiving
few lessons in geography most of
them abandoned the location.
However, Gallatin City did become
quite promising town, for brief
period, had a townsite company, was
temporarily the county seat of Gala
tin county and sessions of the district
court were held there.
In the years which followed, Gala
tin City lost its prestige, its residents
moved to other parts of the territory
and for many years there has not
been a structure of any character to
mark it's site.
The first settlement of this local
ity was made a few years after the
Lewis and Clark expedition when the
Missouri Fur company, headed by |
Manuel Lisa, built several fur trad |
ing and trapping posts in Montana, |
the furthest west and the most i'm
portant of these being at the Three
Forks of the Missouri. This was es-
tablished in 1909, in the heart of the |
hostile Indian country, and was sub
jected to many attacks by the Indians
in which not less than 20 of the gar
rison lost their lives.
Harassed by the Indians, the men
were unable to make more than a
small catch of beaver and some of
the party started down the river,
leaving the fort in charge of Alexan-
der Henry, partner of Lisa, who
soon after abandoned the fort and
crossed the mountains, establishing
fort on the North, or Henrys Fork,
of the Snake river.
The Three Forks fort, which has
been popularity ascribed to Lewis and
Clark, consisted principally of a
double stockade of logs set three feet
deep, inclosing an area about 800
feet square. 1t was built on the i
tongue of land about half mile wide
between the Jefferson and Madison {
rivers, about two miles above their I
and upon the south bank
Of the channel of the Jefferson river.
In 1870 the outlines of the old |
5tockade were still intact, but since
that time the inroads of the stream
mas carried away practically all the
and contained within the stockade.
When Henry abandoned the fort he
eft behind blacksmith's anvil, :
the first ever brought into
what is now Montana. 1t remained !
n the old fort for 80 or 40 years, /
sazed upon only by Indians who re- /
sarded it with superstitious awe, but {
It last it disappeared and is said to {
lave been removed by party of \
white men. n
1t was in 1852 that A. X Stanton, Y
". H. Tracy, F. J. Dunbar, w. J.
3eall, d. e. Rouse, Elisha Rouse and =
". o. P. Hayes, who were among n
he earliest settlers of the Gallatin /
alley, located Gallatin City and took .
p ranches in that vicinity on East T
iallatin or Reese Greek, which were h
he first agricultural settlements in :,
'allatin valley. n
On December 80, 1862, the Gala a
in Town company was organized 81
nth Alfred Ray, N. w. Burris, James
'outon, Edmund Ash, George Lem U
BY, M. R. Burris, Felix Burton, AL q
ert Green, William Townsley, Ben .,
amin Townsley, B. B. Burchit, E. II
louise, S. Simpson, George MILFORD, -
IF. Click, P. G. Wood, H. P S. Smith, Il
Ionroe Atkinson, j. B. Cowen, A. F. 81
Watkins, e. P. Lewis, John Ault, G. n
I. Davis, G.. M. Stapleton and Sam n,
ell Mccain as the incorporators, the n
bject being to survey and plat a q,
own below the mouth of the Gala
n, as located November 20, 1852. Fl
he company was afterwards chart p
red by the legislature, the act of in ct