Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-09-11

The people of Montana and Idaho
recently observed the one hundred
and twenty fifth anniversary of the
coming of the Lewis and Clark ex-
petition to the Montana territory
with a grand picnic at Sacajawea
park, just below the fountains of
the Missouri" at the point where the
intrepid exploring party crossed the
Continental divide into Idaho.
Features of the celebration were an
historical address by Chief Justice L. l..
Galloway of the Montana supreme
court and speeches by prominent citi-
zens of eastern Idaho and Western
Montana, a huge barbecue and the
usual sports and picnic entertainments.
DR.. John A. Donovan, who owns a
cattle and sheep ranch in the foothills
Of the B%eaverhead mountains, submit
ted the following data regarding the
country in which the Montana and
Idaho people were in joint celebration.
On Aug. /, 1905, Captain Lewis and
a party of three, Dwyer, Shields and
McNeal, having left Captain Clark
and his party at what is now Twin
Bridges, went On to explore the Wis
dom, now Big Hole river. They arrived
at Two Forks of the Missouri, now
Armstead. They camped II miles up the
west branch-Grant'S OF Horse Prairie
creek. Next day they saw an Indian
who became frightened and rode away.
They felt horses were now a necessity.
They were verv anxious to meet In
dams SO followed this one but lost him
in a hail storm.
Did Colossus Stunt
The next day, Aug. Is, they followed
an old Indian trail up Horse Prairie
creek. 1t took them through what is
called THE Gates" Here the trails
crossed one of the branches-BloOdy
Dick creek-but followed the middle Of
three branches-Trail creek. A few
miles above, McNeal thanked God that
he had lived to bestride the Missouri"
The party continued upward for
about 10 miles from The Gates" They
came to a beautiful, ice-cold spring
which they called the Fountain Of the
Missouri. A few hundred yards from
the fountain they first beheld the Pa
cific slope.
Starting down the Columbia rivera
creek, branch of the Lembi river-about
IS miles from Salmon, they soon
reached the Indian camp. Next day,
with Indians and horses, they started
the return trip to meet Clark at Twin
Bridges.
On August II, 1905, Captain Clark
had retraced his course on the Big
Hole, assembled the Beaverhead and
again joined the Lewis party at Two
Forks. Here the Indian woman guide
from Mandan, Sacajawea, recognized
the Indian chief as her own brother
and BROUGHT the parties to a state of
lessened suspicion.
In a short time they again crossed
the divide, secured the horses and were
thus enabled to complete their explOra-
lions. Failing to navigate the Salmon
river, they again entered Montana,
passed down the Bitter Root and on
down the Columbia.
One Cache Missing
At ArmStead they sank their boats
and cached their surplus supplies.
Clark's party only, returning here in
1906, recovered the boats and caches
except one-and returned to the mouth
of the Missouri at st. Louis.
That single lost cache of the Lewis
and Clark expedition had not been
uU6 up NY d1llllldlS llOl COll1lSCdUCQ ny
the Indians. 1t remained in the earth
more than 100 years, to be discovered,
finally, as testimony to the correctness
Of the Interpretation Of the log Of the
Lewis and Clark journey through the
Rockies.
In 1918 a riderless horse stumbled
into a hole at Armstead. Next day the
owners, MIR. and Mrs. j. w Scott, and
friends set out to recover the horse
and found the lost cache of Lewis and
Clark-or rather what remained Of it
after lib years.
Through the untiring efforts of Mrs.
Scott, the Daughters Of the American
Revolution were finally influenced to
erect a marker to the memory Of SAGA
jawea. This was done in 1915.
At the picnic, Aug. II, the Daughters
Of the American revolution erected a
marker near Brenner's ranch where
McNeal bestrode the Missouri and
thanked God for the privilege.
than your hand. I'll be proud to shake