Plentywood herald., 1928-09-13

in Montana territory. He is now 81 years
of age and resides at Harlem Springs,
Ohi0)
(By r.. III. HOWEY)
IN order to get complete record Of the
title to Montana we must go back TO
the year l54l. In that year DeSoto.
with his expedition in quest of gold.
passed from Florida through a portion
of what is now Georgia, Alabama, Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana, and discovered
and crossed the Mississippi river. From
this date Spain claimed this region, to-
gether with all the country west of and
tributary to the Mississippi. In 1862,
LaSalle, q Frenchman, was the first to
navigate the Mississippi from its navig
able northern waters to the Gulf of Mex
leo, and on April 8. 1852, standing on
the western channel of the Mississippi
about three miles from its mouth took
possession Of the land in the name of
Louis XIV. He set up column. un-
furled the flag of France, sang TIE Deum
and naming the country Louisiana, pro-
claimed in loud voice, its extent to be
from the mouth Of the great river st.
Louis, on the eastern side and the vari-
Gus rivers that discharge themselves
therein to the mouth Of the great river
st. Louis with the consent of the various
Indian tribes"
BY the end of the 17th century France
by discovery and settlement. claimed
about all that portion of country lying
between the Allegheny mountains and
the Mississippi river except the Spanish
possessions along the Gulf Of Mexico.
In 1859 was fought the decisive battle
of Quebec on the Plains of Abraham.
between the English and French armies
The English won. Although there were
fewer than 10000 men engaged, this bat
tie decided the destiny of North America
1t decided that the institutions, language
and government Of this country should
F, be cast in British instead of a French
mold
| In 1862 by secret treaty France ceded
| to Spain "all of the country known un-
der the name of Louisiana as we'll as New
| Orleans and the island, in which that
place stands"
| This treaty remained In force until
| October. 1900, when Spain re-ceded to
France all of the Louisiana territory. In
the meantime the 13 English colonies
had gained their independence by revolu-
ton and had obtained title by treaty
OF peace in 1888 to the whole country
south of the Canadian line from the At
lantic ocean to the Mississippi river. ex-
cept the possessions. France then
claimed that portion of the country
| known as Louisiana which passed to the
United States in 1803 All that portion
| of Montana east of the Rocky mountains
! was at one time held by Spain, then
passed to France and by France to the
United States. That portion of Montana
which lies west of the main range OF
the Rocky mountains was obtained and
held by our government by right of dis
covery OF the Columbia river by Captain
Gray in 1902 and also by prior settle
ment by the American Fur company. Now
in tracing the different changes in politi-
cal Jurisdiction of the eastern part o1
Montana, we must bear in mind that II
was part of the Louis ana purchase.
BY an act Of congress approved Marcf
Q, 1904, the newly acquired territory was
divided. That part lying south Of The
33rd parallel of north latitude was called
|, the Territory of Orleans all north O.
said parallel, the District of Louisiana
which was placed under the authority O
officers of Indiana territory until July a
1906 when 1t was organized with terri
torial government and remained so unit
!, 1912 when the Territory of Orleans be
came the state of Louisiana and tn,
! name of the territory Of Louisiana wa
changed 70 that of Missouri. On Jul,
IA. 1914, fhat part of Missouri territor,
comprising the present state Of Arkansa
as Arkansas territory. On March Q, 1921
the state of Missouri being part of thi
territory was admitted to the Union. jun
%, 1884. the territory west OF the Mis-
sissippi and north of Missouri was mad
/ a part of the territory Of Michigan. B
: act of congress June so, 1884, all tn
) territory west of the Mississippi AM
. north of Missouri, the country west of tn
, Mississippi not included within the rec
onyai1ad ho11ndorlac pf Louisiana
{ or Arkansas should be considered Indial
territory under the Jurisdiction of tn
United States district court of Missouri
So for two days we were under the Juris
diction OF Michigan territory and the
I. passed back to the United States distric
court Of Missouri.
The historian remarks that for thre
, decades after the admission of Missoui
. as state the new northwest was liter
J ally without a government. In 1854 tn
! territory of Nebraska was organized an
! embraced the present states of Nebraska
a Colorado Wyoming, Idaho, the Dakota
. and the eastern side Of Montana and thi
. was part of Nebraska territory until Ma
= 20, 1854, when Montana territory was or
ganized
81 The territory of Idaho was organize
= March 8, 1868 and included that portion
( of Montana west of the Rockies whicl
e Included Missoula, Deer Lodge and por
e ton OF Beaverhead counties. AS to thes
/ counties, as has been stated we have it'll
: by discovery and prior settlement. Tn
q territory comprising these was a part @
: Oregon territory, organized in August
n 1848 until Washington territory was or
/ ganized March q, 1858. They rename
j part of Washington territory unit
Idaho territory was organized March
1868. They then became part of Idah
territory and remained as such unit
Montana territory was organized May 2t
1864, when they were included In Mon
J tana. So these counties comprised a
: different times part OF four differen
territories and of one state (Montana).
!, Mention should be made Of the nam
:, I, Montana and It's meaning. James N
!. 4 Ashley, member Of congress from the To
\ ledo district Of Ohio, reported bill TO
the organization Of Montana territory
Feb H. 1868, and which passed and wa
approved May "a, 1864. According to hi
biographer Historical Collections O
Montana, Vol. 81 he suggested the nam
Montana to Senator Sumner, a classica
e scholar. The senator asked him, When
/, did you get that name?"
I 1T is a Latin name meaning noun
' famous"
Sumner replied. There is no suci
name"
Yes there is" said Ashley, and huntet
? up Latin dictionary and showed Sum
Q ner the word Montana, meaning noun
E tains.
D The senator acknowledged his defea
\ and the name Montana remained. / f1nt
In the 7th volume of the Collections O