The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-09-10
HISTORIC PLACES
AT BANNACK ARE
MARKED BY OAR.
HISTORIC OLD SITE IN BEAVER
HEAD COUNTY DEDICATED
TO POSTERITY
Dillon ID. A. r. Responsible for Com
pIete Marking of Famous Lewis
and Clarke Trail As 1t Traversed
that County.
By KATHERINE O. ORR

BY KATHERINE q. ORR
One of the purposes to which
the organization OF Daughters of
the American Revolution is pledg-
ed is the location and preserya-
ton of sites and documents of his
toric importance. Since 1915, the
Beaverhead Chapter ID A. r.. has
engaged In this work in Beaver
head county, through its commit
tee composed of Mrs. Laura T.
Scott, Miss Jean Bishop, Mrs.
Katherine Orr and Mrs. Clark An
derson.
The first efforts we're expended on
the erection of markers on the Lewis
and Clarke trail The climax OF
that most important expedition was
reached in what Is now Beaverhead
county, AMI all the important places
along the trail from Beaverhead
rock, Is miles north of Dillon to
Lemhi pass, on the continental d.
vide, fifty miles to the southwest.
have been held annually. These
have taken the form of community
picnics, and have been largely at
tended.
On Saturday. August %. of this
year, the annual celebration was
held at Bannack, the first territorial
capital, and the cradle of Montana
history. Bannack, strictly speaking,
is not on the Lewis and Clarke trail,
but that the expedition passed near
to the site of Bannack is evident
from an editorial note in the expedi-
ton Journal, July, 1906. which says
Apparently the expedition followed
the south fork of the Wisdom river.
crossing several Of its tributaries un-
til the divide was reached between
the waters of the Wisdom (Big
HoIe) and he Jefferson (Beaver-
head) rivers. They came upon the
upper waters OF Willeard's (Grass-
hopper creek somewhere northwest
of the town of Bannack."
pom this most recent occasion the
celebration related principally to the
historic significance of Bannack, and
after picnic luncheon attended by
a surprisingly large number of Mon
tanans, the following program was
given: Singing, America: d. A. r.
salute to the flag; 1.-THE Pledge Of
Allegiance: 1.-THE American Creed,
Address, 1.-THE Patriotic Purpose of
The ID. A. r." Mrs. Clark Ander-
son; Address, 1.-THE Historical Sig
nificance of Bannack." George r.
Metlen; Presentation OF Marker,
Mrs. Laura 7. Scott. The marker
erected by the society reads:
BANNACK
"GRASSHOPPER DIGGTNGS," 1852
FIRST IMPORTANT
GOLD CAMP IN MONT.
FIRST CAPITAL OF MONT. T.,
1864-1865
HEADQUARTERS
VIGILANTES AND ROAD AGENTS
At the conclusion OF the ceremon-
les a tour of the town and Hang
mans gulch was made, and with the
assistance of persons who were re-
sidents of Bannack In the stirring
days of its youth, the sites of the
first legislative building, the resi-
dence of Montana's first governor,
the notorious gallows and the graves
of the bandits were located and To-
cal history recounted.
Bannack, at present Is merely a
short street OF decaying houses. It's
former population of thousands has
shrunk to less than bakers dozen.
Its mines are abandoned and Its
dreams of wealth are gone. It's
ghostly memories Of deeds of rob-
berry and murder, followed by swift
and stern justice are all that remain
to claim the interest of the present
day. Away back In the early days.
as early as 1857, rumors of the dis
covery OF gold on Gold creek at
tracted the interest Of the Stuart
brothers. Orders for supplies to
Salt Lake and Denver firms we're re-
sponsible for the spreading of the
news with great rapfdity and the re-
sultant stampede to the new field.
In. 1851 great numbers of pros
pectors and Adventures from Color
ado. Utah, California and other
sections Of the West were on their
way. In 1852 John White and a
party missed the trail to Deer Lodge,
They we're lost on Grasshopper
creek. While prospecting here on
July %. 1852, White made the first