The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-02-25
Survivors Of Pioneer Trail Blazers Recall Stirring Day
Three forks SITE
Of TRADING POST

CONTINUED Frcm Page One)
was the site CT what was intended
to be the first permanent trading
post in Montana. For there, only
two years after Clark, came Manuel
Lisa and Andrew Henry. It "a hut
the year before that Lisa had built
his one-year post at the Big Horns
mouth. But the keen trader had per-
ceived that the Blackfeet had a bet
ter fur-bearing country than the
Crows, and so had moved from The
Yellowstone to the Missouri. This
was after his utilization with The
Ch~outeaus in the newly formed Mis-
souri, Fur company. incidentally,
Captain William Clark was a mem
Der of the firm in that, the year Of
it's founding.
With Lisa was Andrew henry,
whose task it was to stay in charge
Of trade at Three Forks post AL
winter, while Lisa's was to take the
collected furs to St. Louis. But Henry
was driven out of the Gallatin re-
giOn, both that year and the next,
losing several men and horses the
first year, and the second taking
refuge across the mountains in Ida
no.
In 1910 Father Peter John ~
Smet made his way for the first
time up the Gallatin, escorted by
Flathead Indians, on a mission 10
whose tribe he had come to Montana
by way of Red Rock creek and the
jefferson.
Past the Three Forks led all the
principal Indian and trapping trails
of the region, especially those lead
ing to the Yellowstone. The Ban
naoks and the Shoshones. as well as
Montanan tribes-the Crows, the
Fiatheads, the Pend d'Oreilles (or
Kalispells)-came there.
The first house built in the Calls
tin valley was that of one F. j. Dun
bar, who thrice had crossed the
plains and in '62 had brought up ct
Bannack City. In November Of the
! same year he moved from there to
: the mouth of the Gallatin and built
his log dwelling. When Gallatin
City sprang up there he became a
, hotel proprietor. That settlement
l had been the county seat of Jeffer-
son, one Of the territory's 10 original
counties.
. J.. NJ. Bozeman, who perceived that
j the Yellowstone route would be n
c~reasingly important, in 1868 worked
. out a practical route from the Mis-
; souri, to the Platte; and in the next
l. year founded the town that bears his
name. The incipient strength of that
q settlement was that, like Fort Ben.
/ ton, Bozeman was not a camp, b1i
y a strategically located station by IT,;
: way.
$50 Settlers Came in "a
J. Burrell was attacked on tn.
Bozeman route when, in "a, he carlt
y to Montana with oxen, leading
wagon train of $50 settlers. The eI,
!. set was at Powder river, where 25
- Sioux engaged them. But Mr.. Bur
, rell came on through with all bu
= thee of his party. Before the year
= end he abandoned Alder Gulch, hi
:, first destination, for land near tn
;. present Gallatin City and settle
there to raise grain and stock.
- During the year '66 traffic throug
:, the Gallatin valley and down tn
:, Bozeman route was heavy. But b
:. government order it was closed Ii
=, next year, 50 alarming was the att
tude of the tribes. In January {
that year, '67, there were in all t.
= southern half Of Montana just w
garrisOns of United States troops
&c Camp Cook, at the Judith's mout
consisting Of but a single regimen
i, and Fort Smith, on the Big Her
- the latter post even then under sieg
- In April. Acting Governor Meagh,
! called d. 600 men for three month
\, VOLUNTEER militia service and, as ca,
COMPANY was filled, sent it on
!, Bozeman. The people of the Gallat
!, valley had p.dged equipment al
maintenance TO as many compani
as would be sent. The town stan
on the East GaI.atin, surrounded
Jacobs and Bridger's passes. t
Flathead pass into the Blackfo
country, and the mouth Of Rock ca
yen. leading to the lands Of t
I'd Crews. One company from Virgin
City arrived in May. A fort W
begun comm anding Rock canyon. t
L. PASS throlph tho VcUov-s4oDa ~ %.