The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-01-07

OANS0AA H@H 0E6@
tory by act of congress, passed in
August, 1913, and included within its
limits all that portion of Montana ly-
ing en- the west side of the Rocky
mountains. The territory Of Oregon
was divided by an act Of congress ap-
proved March 2, 1853.
On the 26th day of May, 1864, con-
gress created Montana territory. In
the fall of 1864, under the p%roclama-
ticn of Governor Edgerton, an election
was held fer delegates to congress
and members Of the Legislature, which
net at Bannock.
Early Explorations
~rrouaoiy the first white men who
visited this portion Of Montana were
Lewis and Clarke, who, with their
pay, sometime during the summer of
1905, entered the Bitter Root valley
from the south, through a pass kouwn
at the present time as the Big Hole
ain, a small valley near the
head Of Bitter Root river, where the
ra~ty Of Lewis ard Clarke first met
and gave the name of Flatheads to
the tribe of Indians now known by
that name. Noise, the second chief
Of the Flatheads, was a boy at the
tine Lewis and Clarke passed through
the Bitter Root valley, and well re-
membered the event and many cir
cumstances connected herewith, the
party being the first white men ever
seen by these Indians. Noise was a
warm and devoted friend of the whites
from the time of his first meeting
with them up to the time Of his death
which occurred about 1887.
Western Montana has been occupied
from time immemorial by three diff
fcrent tribes of Indians, to-wit: The
Salish-called by Lewis and Clarke
me Flatheads, and by which name
they are generally known; the Kales-
pelmns, now exclusively known by
the French name of Pend d'Oreilles
and the Kootenais. These tribes
speak dialects slightly different, and
most probably constituted at a remote
.ime one tribe or nation.
Pioneer Farmers
Eighty-two years ago, the first at
tempt at farming was made in the
tp~vi4~ry which is now Montana, in
the spring of 1912. by the fathers al
Inc mission Of St. 'Mafy's which had
been established upon a tract of lanj
upon which Fort Owen is now stu
ated. The same year the first cows
were brought from the Hudson Bay
company's post at Fort COlville OF
the Columbia river. About this tim,
or a little later, the fathers als'
erected a saw and grist mill, tn.
burrs for the latter being brough
from Belgium.
Seventy years ago, in 1854, the frs
white woman came to the countr
which is now MissOuIa county, at
she was also probably the first whit
women who honcred the state wit
her presence. In the following yea
a Mrs. ]. Brown came from the cas-
and while crossing the Rocky mOul
tains gave birth to a male chill
which was probably the first viii
child born within the limits of Mo-
tana. She and her baby and two Ii
tie girls rode alternately en- a stor
hardy Manitoban steer and a Can
dian pony. She visited the Hudsr
Bay post in the northern part Of t
country, and remained several day
and then proceeded the same seas
70 Washington territory.
The First Marriage
Sixty-two years ago, on the fiji
Of March, 1862, the first marriage
.ygo white persons in MissOula couI
was solemnized at HelT's Gate, VIII
was also generally conceded the II
marriage OF white persons wit
The limits Of what is. now Biontal
it was that Of Mrs. Josephine NJ;
niger to George P. White. The &c
mony was performed by He
Brooks, justice Ct the peace, who
afterward known as "Bishop Brool
In the same year and the 81
month the first lawsuit was G
menced in Montana, and tried
HeITs Gate before the same just
A Frenchman named @Tin Cup J
other name forgotten, accused Be
O'Keefe with beating one Of his no
with a fork handle and then pusl
It into a hole thereby causing
death, and claimed damages to
amount Of $4,000 and sued OK
TO recover that amount. A jury
impaaeled and sworn to try the
AS the trial progressed the pros
a,oa Lacor,a Less haTmrnious AN.