The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-09-10

seen and known and talked with Ma
jor Owen. He wished to gain as
much knowledge as possible or
Ovens appearance and character
from men who knew the most cele-
brated of Montana's pioneers. In
this he was somewhat successful, for
among the veterans who were pre-
sent at the Butte meeting he met
and took notes from several MEM
bers who knew Owen from and after
1864. From them he has obtained
much needed information.
Although Owen came to Montana
ait a time when there were only
about 20 other white men In this
part OF the country (and most OF
them, as 1t turned out, were not des-
ined to be permanent residents) he
was much more than heroic Mon
tana figure. From his adobe fort in
the Bitter Root valley, some thirty
miles south of the witty of Missoula,
Owen travelled over the northwest
His journeys and expeditions, as told
in his journals, extended from Fort
Benton to the locations of Portland
and Seattle on the west, and from
northern Montana southwark to the
Mormon settlemtns cattle Salt Lake
City, or "Deseret." His roaming,
therefore, covered region about
900 miles wide from east to west,
and 500 miles from north to south.
F., Was In Mexican War.
| Major Owens act in leasing the
site of his fort form the Catholic
missionaries to the Indians about
1850, probably constituted the first
| legal transaction and the first real
estate transaction that took place
within the limits of the present state
| of Montana.
i Previous to his appearance In the
region he had been soldier in tbs
Mexican war, serving under Genera
Scott in the campaign from Vers
1 Cruz to Mexico City. Immediatel.
after that war Owens came to wha
is now western Montana (then par
| of Oregon territory, probably as al
American soldier. This part of tn
| early history OF Owen is one o.
which the war department, at tn
II UlDlOttan . itQuCct 10 INV WA hAh = a
an effort TO discover definite infor
| nation.
/ At any rate, Owen first appear
L In his own journals as an India
4 trader. and seems to have speedil
won the confidence and esteem {
l all the Indian tribes of the region
Il These included the Flatheads, an
| the Blackfeet, who we're continual
II hostile to one another, but both I
II which tribes trusted the pioneer WI
II had appeared and settled amor
II them. One of Owens closest RI
II friends, for many years, was the r
II nowned Flathead chief, Victor, who
| grandson is still living on the reese
II walton near Missoula. Owen took +
II his wife Flathead Indian 81
II named Nancy, to whom he was
II votedly attached, and with whom
II lived at the Fort in happiness {
II many years. Nancy died about
II year 1868, and OWENS records, a
II set down day by day during her Ia
II illness and at her death, disclose
II how deeply her loss affected him.
II Friend OF Indians.
1
II erland emigrants we're repeatedly
II tackled In the region OF the fort dl
II ing Owens early years there,
II fort itself was only attacked on
II and on that occasion the enemy pl
II badly consisted Of Bannack or
II Snake Indians, from q distance. Q
II Of Owens men was killed on II
II occasion.
II At the fort, while in reside1
II there, Owen lived like a monar
His word was law there for a lc
time. He dispensed primitive ]
tice and lavish hospitality ID
as the fort contained provisio
But there were many times, pa
cularly during the winters of
II early years, when food ran low.
such occasions Owen wrote mo M
meat" At all times he was W
tale Santa Claus to the Flathea
- who. in extreme weather, wo
ftrar ID ,l,