Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-12-31
BY A. l.. STONE
Dean, School of Journalism
University of Montana

ONLY ONCE in the history of the
DBitter Root country has there been
an incident out of tune with the
peaceful tone of the delightful region;
only once has the Earring note of war
disturbed the harmony of its develop
ment. From the very first, the Indians,
whose ancestral home was In this val
ley, were the friends OF the white man;
it was, in fact, their solicitation which
brought the Jesuit missionaries into
this region; so eager were they to re-
ceive the message which the Gospel
teaches that they sacrificed the lives OF
some of their best young men In order
to get the request through the hostile
country Of their hereditary foes-the
Sioux and the Blackfeet-into the
hands Of the Black Robes in st. Louis.
Peace has been the keynote OF the his
tory Of the Bitter Root. Gentle and
brave were its early inhabitants; the
friendliness Of fear-the Flatheads had
often demonstrated their prowess In
war with the Indians of the eastern
valleys. Theirs was the peacefulneSs of
courage; they we're at heart fond of
quiet, but they proved worthy foes Of
the %belligerent Blackfeet, their quarrel
some eastern neighbors.
Hardly had the echoes of the fearful
conflict on the Little Big Horn died out.
hardly had the people Of western Mon
tana ceased to shudder over the hor-
rible details Of the massacre of Custer
and his command, when word came
from the west side of the Bitter Root
mountains that the Nez Perces were on
the warpath and that settlers had been
murdered In cold blood. The Nez Perces
were kinsmen OF the Bitter Root In
dians; the relations between the tribes
had always been friendly and there was
fear that the Indians across the range
might enlist the braves OF Charlot's
tribe as allies. 1t was In July, 1877, Just
a year after the Custer battle, that the
first word OF the Nez Perez uprising
came over the mountains to strike ter
ror to the hearts Of the settlers on the
Montana side Of the divide. At first the
rumors were vague; then they became
more definite and, finally, the news of
the revolt Of Joseph's people came up
the st. Joe and over into Cedar creek,
from which place 1t was taken to the
Missoula valley, to Deer Lodge, and to
Silver Bow by Billy Murphy, who made
n OF the most notable rides in Mon
tana history to bring the news.
The incidents which followed found
their climax In the march Of Joseph
through the Bitter Root, over the Lewis
and Clark trail into the Big Hole, and
his encounter with Gibbons command
on the bluffs that overlook Trail creek
Often these stirring events are recalled
by the pioneers or their children as the
most exciting days in this section of the
Treasure state. The reiteration has been
interesting to the newer residents of
Montana and has refreshed the men,
cries Of the older ones. It has recalled
the n warlike chapter in the Bitter
Roots history and has pointed atten-
ton once more to four famous forts
which had place In the valley and
which were, 1t developed, entirely un-
necessary; they were-three of them
built as places Of refuge for the settlers
when 1t was known that Joseph was
coming through the Bitter Root valley.
Fort Tzzle, Fort Skeedaddle and Fort
Skalkaho were deprived Of usefulness In
the Nez Perce invasion, by the interven-
ton Of Chariot, in behalf Of the whites.
Fort Owen, the fourth Of the citadels,
was historic In the part 1t had already
played IN the development Of the val
ley; 1t was a permanent establishment;
some OF Its adobe buildings yet stand in
the beautiful valley nea Stevensville.
AS a fitting jaunt I have travelled over