Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-08-07

by FOREST RANGER S. E. ECKERT)
Near the rustic bridge at the High
wood mountain ranger station, a
dimly. visible trail creeps out past
the station, dips into HighwoOd creek
and winds between boulders and be-
meath forest crcepers up the High
wood canyon and out through the
HighWOOd' pass into the Judith basin.
Over this trail the romano of the
west has passed in different caravans.
Indians, the first party that came down
from the north country, crossed the
Missouri river at the old Indian ford
a few hundred yards above the First
avenue north bridge at Great Falls and
travoised their papoOseS through the
HighWoOd canyon to the buffalo range
of the Judith basin. The exact date
of this journey has not been recorded.
The first white man to rein his cay
use up the old trail was Hugh MunrOe
Rising Wolff. He, while with a party
of Blackfeet Indians in 1916, watched
the SquaWs adjust the lodge poles for
his tepee in HighWood. canyon, while
the Indian bucks made a check OF the
fur situation for his notes to the Hud-
sons Bay Fur company.
Following this the trail brought into
the country a varied assortment OF
traders n trappers. Buffalo IN the
Judith country were valued Tor their
hides. The area itself was filled with
fur-bearing animals. Slowly the cOun-
try was opened up.
But the status of the Highwood can
yon Indian travels trail largely re-
manned as Rising Wolf" found 1t I'M
til the summer Of 1878. Then the
change from the past to the present
took place. Jack Harris OF HighWoOd
creek introduced a moving machine to
the Judith basin country via the High
wood travois trail.
Charles Crawford had located a COW
ranch on the head of Arrow creek. He
had a large number OF saddle stock
and it was necessary for him to bring
in a moving machine to cut hay. The
old historic trail that had felt the pad
ded feet of Indians was used by Mr.
Harris to bring in the farm implement
for Mr.. Crawford.
The trail was slightly enlarged and
improved SO that machines could be
taken in. The journey was made and
the first farming implement land
ed in the Judith basin country.
One year later, in the summer OF
1879, the trail went into big business.
Scattered Indians had used the trail,
a few trappers. had wandered over 1t,
a moving machine was pulled through
it, but it largely remained a mere land
mark among the mountains until n
summer of 10, when a gold discovery
was reported.
At Fort Benton on the Missouri river,
the head of navigation at that time
from New Orleans, word was received
one day among the various knots OF
men idling in the town that gold had
been discovered at the headWaterS OF
the Judith river in the Little Belt
mountains. The magic in the word
gold" was great. The old Indian ira
vols trail was used for the hundreds
who answered the call, The trail
made many friends by serving as q
link in a chain of trails connecting
the head of navigation on the Mis-
souri, river with the famous gold camp
at YOgO.
Following closely on the heels OF the
miners and p%rospectors, the coWman,s
mess and bed wagons ground their
wheels against the ragged granite
boulders along the trail. Among the
brands was the JH, which was record
ed by Jack Harris in 1875 and which
still belongs to the same owner. 1t
appears on many cattle which are
! gathered at the present time from the
hills rolling back from the Highwood
trail.
And now the automobile uses the
trail. 1t is not up to the standard OF
a highway, but it serves. Hundreds
of tourists camp along the route OF
the red mans travels trail to fish, rest
and to wonder.