The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-01-21

rose to shine upon CHASTITY forms suspend
ed by taut nOOses from the limbs Of cot
tOnWOOd trees.
In fact, it may truthfully be said that
because Of its isolation, the basins Of the
Judith and MuSgelshell rivers were with
out organized law and order, and, despite
the fact, that the western mining camps
Of Virginia and Last Chance had been thor
Oughly purged Of rOad-agents by the Vigil
lanbes, bad men" flOurished with little
interference in eastern Meagher county,
except as the citizens took the law into
their own hands.
As a result Of this condition Of affairs,
the citizens Of Maiden, having saved their
town from being effaced at the hands Of
the military, in 1884, took an active part
in a movement which had for its purpose
the creation Of Fergus county.
Maiden at that time was the most import
tant and the largest settlement in he judith
having three general stores, a drug store,
a clothing store, two hardware stores, a
bakery, a meat market, a restaurant, a
blacksmith shop, a news depot, two barber
shops, a livery stable and 10 saloons. There
was a population OF several hundred in
and about the camp in the various gulchee.
1t VISA the most important settlement in the
Basin country. It was a lively little town,
It had been in existence for more than
looked upon by many as the best mining
camp then In existence in the territory
even rivalltng Butte. 1t was natural, then,
that Maiden's citizens should harbOr visions
of a great city arising there on the Judith.
1t was natural, too that, in sponsoring a
movement for a new county, Maiden ex-
pected and planned looking toward it's
being selected as the new cOunty's seat
of government
Fergus County Authorized
Montana TerritOry's legislature, in
March, 1885, passed a bill creating Fergus
county out Of the county Of Meagher.
1t then followed, as has been true Of the
history OF most newly created eOunties, a
bitter county seat warfare was precipitated.
the two aspIrans for the hOnored distinc-
ton being Maiden and the then new vii
lage of LeWistOWn.
Great as were the hopes and dreams and
confidence Of its people, the future did
not hold forth altogether smooth sailing
for Maiden. The village of LewistOwn,
year or so previously, came to be looked
upon with much favor as the location of
Fergus cOunty's seat Of government. The
stOckmen, who were then becoming num-
erOus throughout the Basin, chose Lewis
town because Of its central location and
easy accessibility.
The VTlag Of LeWistOwn
LewistOWn had been started by a French
man, named Francis Janeaux, who in 1882
or 1888 located a ranch on Spring creek,
where the main business portion Of the
present city Of LeWistOWn stands. Here
JaneauX opened up a trading post, which
was in 1884, bought by 7. c. Power &
Brother and built over into a modern
store. In 1885, the business district OF
LewistOwn was comprised OF ,the Power
store, the Kemp & Crowley saloon, the
Henry Simons saloon, q livery barn, a log
hotel; and these places Of business were
surrounded by a few log shacks.
The location which had been chosen by
JaneaRx was well known to all residents
OF the Basin. It was just about a mile
south Of here that Reeds Fort stood, e.
tabIished some years previous 70 this tim,
by Reed & BOWleR. The trading post OF
Reed Fort had been closed in 1883, but Il
ranch Of the Judith Cattle cOm~any beinf
located here.
LewisEown Gets Countyseat
A local COMMITTEES from Maiden has beef