The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-02-11

souri,, up which it jOurneyed to Three
Forks, thence up the Jefferson and Beav-
erhead rivers, and across the mountains
into the Bitter Root valley, from which it
left Montana by LOlO Pass. On the return
journey, the party divided at the mouth
of LOlO creek. Captain Clark returned to
the Three Forks, thence across to the Vel
lOwstOne, down which he jOurneyed to It's
confluence with the Missouri, where he
met Captain Lewis and party. Captain
Lewis jOurneyed up the Big BlackfOot riveT
and crossed over to the Missouri to the Big
Falls, explored the Marias river valley, and
then made his way down the pig Muddy"
to meet Clark at the mouth Of the Yellow
stone.
Following the Lewis and CLARK pxpeli-
ton, fur traders. free trap9ers and MS
SiOnaries began to enter Montana. Trading
posts were established UD the Missouri Il I'd
Yellowstone rivers, tho most important Of
which were Forts Union and Benton. ? he
first pissiCnlry activity was started by
Father p. 7. DeSmet Of the Society of Je-
sus, who founded st. Mary's mission in the
Bitter Root valley in 1S41. The Selfish In
diarS, who lived in this valley, were the
first natives in Montana to receive the
teachings Of Christianity, and Jesuit mis-
siOpary labOrs soon extended over all Of
what is now Montana west Of the noun
tains. 1t was still a long time, however,
before the Blackfeet, who lived in the
northern part Of Montana, and the Crows
who lived in the southeastern section, were
to be instructed in the religion of Christ.
Gold Found in Montana
Probably the first man to find gold in
Montana was a French half-breed named
Francois Finlay, but commonly called
Benetsee. About 1852 he began to bring
gold to the HudsOn's Bay company just
south Of Flathead lake and to trade 1t for
supplies. RumOrs Of BenetseeS find
spread among the mOuntaineers and in 1855
the Stuart Brothers, James and Granville,
entered the Deer Lodge valley and began
to prospect. In 1860, they went to Gold
crnnk whore fhnV EfTUPE III rich Miners hn-
gan to flock to Gold creek, but some richer
discoveries were made in Grasshopper creek
in what is now Beaverhead county, and the
city Of Bannack soon had a population of
several thousand.
In 1863, while the miners were digging
out fortunes in gold from the bed Of Grass
hopper creek, a party Of prospectOrs dis
| covered the vastly richer deposits of Alder
/ gulch, in what is now Madison county. Vir-
ginia City, Nevada City and Central City
long the new city Of Helena was fighting
combined population was probably not less
than 10000. The following year Last
Chance gulch, in what is now Lewis and
Clark county, was opened up and before
and 1857, not less than S75, O00,0 900 worth
to wrest from Virginia City the capital Of
We have not exact figures for the amount
of gold mined in Montana in these early
days, but it is probable that between 1S6:
and 1867. not les sthan S75, 100000 worth
I was taken rom the earth. During this same
period and as a result of the discoveries
of gold the white population increased
from about 300 to approximately 10000.
The first pOstOffice in Montana UNITED
States) was located at Virginia City il
1864. George B. Parker was the first post
master.
Roads to Montana
In the early days there were two route
by which the pioneer could reach Montana
He might go by the Missouri river to For
Benton, thence by the Mullan road to Hell
ena and the other camps, The other rout
was the Oregon Trail, along the route o
which Captain Bonneville made his histOr
ic trip in 1881. This road left the Missouri
river near the southeastern corner of Ne
braska and led nOrthwestward across Ne
braska and Wyoming through Fort Hal
At Fort Hall which was located in ldah
many miles south of where Butte nov
stands, the traveller to Montana turne
abruptly north and entered the TerritOr
along the route now marked by the OregO
Short Line railroad. Later new trails wer
blazed crossing eastern Wyoming, proceed
ing nOrthwesterly into Montana, crOssin
lBOzem9n pass to the Gallatin valley.
In 1857 the Union Pacific railroad com
lpleted it's line and the old Oregon Ira
lost much in favor. Mail and passenger
travelled west by rail to Salt Lake CITY
thence over the trail north into Montana
Heavy freight came for many years b