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

appointed and had gone to Helena to lob
by for Maiden when the e~nacting law was
framed. Nevertheless, it developed that
the stOckmen of the Basin were more pow
erful, individually and collectively than the
miners, and Lewist0wn was named aE
cOutnyseat in the bill creating the new
county. Among the stOckmen who were
responsible for LewistOwn being named
cOuntyseat, were: 7. C.. Power & Brother,
Granville stuart, Reese Anderson, James
Fergus, after whom the county was nam
ed; Percy H. Kennett, Conrad KOhrg
and a number Of others who either lived
in the vicinity or who had interests there.
Among the smaller settlements Of the
Judith Basin country in the eighties. the
following have been listed AndersOnviue,
Utica, Brassey, DOdgetOwn, Grape Range,
Bercail, Overland, PhilbrOOk, YOgO Gulch,
Kibby, Okla, Ubet, ReedsfOrt, Stanford
and LewistOwn. Many of these today are
ghost cities existing only in the memories
Of a handful Of pioneers while the latter
two have developed into thriving ~centers,
the one teh cOuntvseat Of Fergus county,
and the other cOuntySeat of Judith Basin
county.
Reeds Fort
The history Of the Judith Basin is re-
plete with thrilling narratives Of the typ
ical frontier. One Of the earliest Institutions
located in the country Of which Lewis
town now is the metropolis, was the Reeds
Fort, hereinabOve mentioned. Located on
the banks of Spring creek, and wwithin riff
lie shot or the limits of the city Of Lewis
town, as it stands today, this fort, than
which there never has ben a more typical
trading post, was conducted by two from
Recommendation Reed and Jim BOwles.
These men were known the length and
breadth Of Montana Territory as gradu-
ates of the school of Indian trading and
Indian fighting, and the fort, soon after
it had been established, had won a repu-
tatiOn as one Of the principal Indian trad
ing points Of the later fur trading days.
1t flOurished in the prime Of its career
in the middle seventies and maintained its
] nWtCfnnRn until tho nnWNw nfUhffnc
Built after the manner Of all early-day
fur trading posts, Reeds Fort consisted OF
a blOckhouse with a stOckade surrounding
j. his steckade was constructed Of long,
.at- V thick poles set as closely together
- possible and driven deep into the
d.. - "4f. The site selected was an exceed
j.. ~ "a .-P,'e one, it being near to the
10 Ea7" : the domains Of the Crow
Az g etions Of Indians. The only
& SIR 'essI~a being the unhealthy
ALMOST feT wsic' prevailed when repre-
aeoteI 3 & tteA t"Gs 7stiOEs hap
pe2ei - sIsl7e u che =. he same
time.
The MAJ, Jim BOwle., wag t1t =
a product of the frontier FeaT.'s.
sOurcefui, he was naturally soIleW2a4
diplomat and thereby succeeded in gisnl y,
the confidence Of the Crows, 80 the err
that he found trading with these tribes
men profitable. He had come to Montana
before gold was discovered, having preyi-
Ously travelled the same Wyoming trails
as did the famous jim Bridger, and he was
one of Bridger'S friends. Like every 9TH
er frOntiersman, his HES story is an end
less series Of intensely interesting MARIA
tives of adventure in a new land. A few
of the tales Of his experiences in Montana
have been handed down by pioneers, and
many of these have been told and retOld
with much amusement.
How BOwIes Got His Wife
One bright June morning, BOwles stood
just outside the fort talking in sign Ian
guage TO a large party Of Crows, when 2
fine looking Indian girl, the daughter OF
Long Horse, head chief Of the nation, walk
ed up to him and staytled him by splitting
at him. AS soon as she did this she raI
away, laughing. This offended BOwles
and he did not hesitate to express his dis.
pleasure to the men of the tribe who sur
rounded him, who he knew were hi
friends. The Crows laughed at the cpl
sOde anO explained to BOwles that the CIR
was in love with him and had taken the
method used inthe tribe in such a case (,
,et him know of her affections. They in
formed him further that he was expected
in the event that he liked her, to pursue
the girl. Il he caught her she became his
wife.
BOwles admitted that he had been an ad
mirer Of the girl, so he Immediately start
ed running. In three minutes, he found
himself with a wife. He considered tn,
whole transaction an entirely satisfactOr!
method or counting, an one saving a gOOC
deal of time. To celebrate his wedding, b.
e gave a sumptuOus feast to the relatives
- VI us DAA4E
The Cattle Industry
In 1886, when Fergus county came int
: being, the cattle industry of Montana wa
at it's zenith. AS an Illustration Of the im
y p~Ortance then of the Judith Basin as
e stock growing area, the Pioneer CATH
! company, which wSs organized in tina
= year, had a capitalization Of $1,OO0,OOC
Conrad KOhrs was president Of the com
pany; S. T. Hauser, vice president; A. J
Seligman, secretary, and Granville Stuart
: assistant secretary and superintendent
= One Of the earliest stOckmen in the Bash
o was Governor II. =. BrOks, whose rancl
on Warm Springs creek was one Of tn
most famous in the territory.
On the range Of the adjoining valley o
the Musselshell, the leading stOckmen II
J 1882, were Hill & HightOwer, Balch 4
Bacon, Collins & Klein, William Gordon, r
/. w. Quaille, NJ. J. Settle, A. Lincoln, Jame
Schmall, McGaric & Johnson, George W
= Wilson, F. NJ. Dennis, John H. Freezer
9 Thomas Linton, Martin Miller, w. Cock
q rin, Andrew Cooper, R. c.. Quaintance, tn
Montana Cattle company, and ID. BlackeE
A cattle company was organized in 1873
e and was called the Galloway Cattle com
! pany. Two of the Fisk brothers Of HelenI
were stockholders, and Tom Wilcox wa
manager. This cOmpany's ranch was 10
n Continued on Agricultural Page)