The Kevin review., 1926-08-05

nean
the old river port
at the head of navigation on the
longest navigable stream in the
world, is but ghost of the Fort
Benton of few decades ago.
Even in the present era of swift
moving commerce, of rapid changes,
old Fort Benton retains that compell-
ing, intensely interesting atmos-
phere-that romance which is bred
of historic reminiscence. To the indi-
vidual at all familiar with the be-
ginnings of historical record in the
Treasure state, here is limitless op-
portunity for reflection.
Old Fort Benton
Where now intelligent and wealthy
merchants walk erect, in conscious
substantially of achieved position,
directing the destinies of worthy
little city and its vast resourceful
territory, there stalked but the 9TH
er day, in dress of buckskin, the In
dian trader of the West; and all the
evidences of life, perhaps, consisted
of the picturesque bands of Piegans,
Bloods and Assiniboines who arrived
periodically with their beaver-skins
and buffalo robes collected during the
season along the streams and in the
verdant valleys of old Montana.
To this place came the steamboats,
and here was built up the old levee,
which was, without interruption, a |
beehive of activity from the early
sixties until the advent of the Great
Northern railway in the late eighties.
Along this bank lay these old
stern-wheelers, across whose sturdy
= L d. i To-,
line, unload the cargoes of boxes, bar
rels, bales, etc., to be replaced with l
the valuable consignments of furs
and buffalo hides bound for the st.
Louis market.
And, here upon the dusty thor
oughfare, Cnow paved street), were
the stagecoaches, and with wooden
yoke and cursing bullwhacker, the
bull teams, presently to start along
the treacherous trail to Sun River
Leavings, Last Chance and Alder
Gulch, bearing tons of supplies for
miner and settler.
Old Front Street
Up and down this avenue, the busi-
ness structures, (now imposing edi-
fices of brick and wood and stone), i
then were the frame and log con-
structed buildings bearing such let .
tering as: Overland Hotel" Muir !.
phy-Neel Co.," Carroll & Steele"
81. G.. Baker Co., "T. G. Power & q
stand out in bold relief on the history l
of business in the Northwest.
Yes, there is much that is inter '
esting on old Front street in Fort
Benton 1t was to and from this q
hot a
Of the early days between the Mon y
bana mining camps, the pioneer
ranching communities and ''the I
states.'' Along this street moved a $
greater portion of the immigration of Il
miners, stockmen, thrifty farmers q
and business men who settled and e
who builded Montana. There have l
aeen dark chapters and bright spots u
n the history of this old avenue, but Z
inceasing, from the earliest fur trad Il Il
ng days, it has contributed either
great or small to the business de- 81
velopment of Montana. Il
Here and there are the traces of y
ormer epochal days-an occasional e,
Id house, the 1. G. Baker store u
the crumbling ruins of the
I'D American Fur companys trad
ng post-landmark which serve to le
nore closely link the past with the b,
resent. HI
Monuments That Survive CT
Here, too, are monuments-not st
hose shafts of granite or statues of oil
aarble to perpetuate the memory of fo
he brave-but edifices of brick and pc
tone, animate with business activ- ey
", monuments to the achievements m
the men who builded in the early w
avs and who builded well. &C
AS the mind goes back over the of
istory of Montana, and the relation tr
orne by old Fort Benton to that Pr
istory, there can be found nothing Bl
ther than a forward movement. 1t til