The Bozeman courier., 1927-11-04
WHEN MONTANA WAS IN IDAHO
COUNTRYWA WILDERNESS

1868 is needed to understand fully what
this same third judicial district en-
bodied. Within its limits was the greater
portion Of the territory-all the distance
from the Bitter Root mountains to the
Dakotas, and it was certinly wild.
The first legislature of Idaho, held in
1868, divided the territory into the fol-
lowing counties: Nez Perce, Alturas,
Idaho, Boise, Oneida, Owyhee, Beaver
Madison, jefferson, Big Horn, Dawson,
Yellowstone, and Ogalala.
It will be seen that of these 16 coun-
ties, 10 were of the Bitter Root range
the district assigned the chief justice,
and given him, we are reliable informed,
because Governor Wallace objected to
| imported judges, while himself having
his home in another territory. This was
the second mistake of the governor.
""The cauital of Idaho is too far away,
reasoned the miners Of the several east
ern camps, "the territory is unwieldy for
| governmental purposes, and should be
divided" Thus it chanced that the judge
of the wild Third district was chosen
to go to Washington to secure the dt-
vision of Idaho, as the man best fitted
for this errand. How successful he was
is apparent today. 1t is more than likely
if another had been sent, Idaho would
not have shrunk to her present dimen-
sions. A hard fight was made by those
representing that territory to have the
division line on the main chain of the
Rockies. This would not have greatly
relieved the situation in that part o1
the territory where Judge Edgertor
lived, as the Bitter Root mountains still
remained to be crossed by those living
in the valley section between the two
lines, and who would have remained il
Idaho, with its far-distant capital. hav'
; often heard my father tell how difficult
it was to bring about the division as i
now stands.
What was Idahos loss made Montani
a shapely state with one slight jog IL
it's outline west Of the Yellowston
. National Park and smaller one at Ne
Perce Pass. Then Wyoming claimed he
share of the partioned territory leavin
, Idaho with the Pan Handle" wedges
: in between Montana and Washington
If the division were to be made today
with our improved means Of communi
q cation. Idaho, with justice. could clair
that portion for which she first con
: tested, and that might have been her
! without question, had her capital bee
: more centrally located, and her firs
chief justice given the district to whic
he was entitled.
1t is interesting to read some Of tn
e unfamiliar names of the county seats {
u Idaho, counties that were east of til
e Bitter Root mountains, now in Montan
y and wyoming. I take them from a
: article written by Colonel Sanders for tt
e Rocky Mountain Magazine.
T. The county seat of Missoula count
, was at Wordensville; that of Deer Lodl
d was Idaho City, near the Cottonwoc
/ Fork of the Deer Lodge river; Beav
y Head county seat was at Bannack Cit
= Madison's county seat was Virginia Cit
! I Jefferson county had it's county sci
}: located at Gallatin; Chouteau, as no
y Fort Benton at its county seat; that
!. ~ Dawson county was at Fort Andrew,
~ it should have been, the county beil
" named for the American Fur compal
-, factor, Andrew Dawson; Ogalala coun
~ had its county seat at Fort Larakie, al
Ie the county commissioners were authc
= lied to locate their seats Of governme
5e temporarily until otherwise provided
- law for the two counties Of Big Horn al
Oh Yellowstone"
. After Montana became a territory,
its first legislative session, the coun
seat Of Missoula county was chang
to He'll Gate; that of Deer Lodge to S.
yer Bow Yellowstone county was abe
ished, and two new counties forme
those Of Jefferson and Edgerton. T.
county seat Of the former being at Je
ferson City, and that of the latter
Silver City
1t is almost pathetic to note how t
pioneers voiced their hopes for the futU
growth OF a given settlement-genera
mining camp, by tacking on the wo
city" to the chosen name, when the
were not then in all Montana enou
citizens to constitute much more tn
a sizable village. They were idealis
these pioneers, and men Of imaginatiC
Among them were few pessimists. 7
only thing which made their hard
endurable was the hope perpetually al
mating them. They were living exempt;
OF those lines Of Pope:
Hope springs eternal in the hum
q breast" and for the majority of the m
who toiled from day to day under MI
difficult conditions, yet their eyes stes
fastly fixed on a roseate future, tt
rarely materialized for them, the nj
line Of this poem is equally true:
Man never is, but always to be bles