Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-05-11
Witnessed
All OF Libby's
Development
A. G. Herbst Passes After
Residence Here of AZ
Years.
ARRIVED IN OLD
- TOWN IN 1891

IOWN In 18Jl
In the death of MIR. A. C.. Herbst a
the Libby hospital on Monday eve.
ming, there passed a pioneer who hat
witnessed practically the entire de.
yelopment of Libby-from a crude
raw frontier settlement hidden ir
dense timber ON the bank of the Koo-
tenai, to the present pleasing little city
If he had lived until next September
Mr.. Herbst would have resided here
AZ years, having arrived at Old Town
on September 20, 1891. 1t is said that
Mr.. Herbst bought the second lot sold
in the new town of Libby and erected
the second store building in the town
close to where now stands the Lovick
blacksmith shop. The building was a
two story structure, with a store room
below and living quarters on the Sec
ond floor. John p Wall purchased
the first lot and put up the first store
building.
Mr.. Herbst passed away after an i'll
ness of few weeks, from heart COM
PiiGdlAOlfss 4 0liGi di Sci ptkCo WGIG- ItCIAl
this noon from the Presbyterian
church, of which he had long been a
faithful officer, the Rev. E. w. Orr of
ficiating The remains were shipped
to the old home in Michigan for burial,
accompanied by the widow and her
two sisters, the Misses Elizabeth and
Antonio Grandiean The church was
filled with friends and neighbors
who had long held Mr.. Herbst in the
deepest respect and affection. He was
known throughout the county as man
of sterling character, upright and hon
est and kindly and the highest type of
citizen.
Born in 1867.
August Clemens Herbst was born
April II, 1857, near Richuille, Mich.
There he lived until young manhood.
On August 19, 1889, Mr. Herbst, then
"a years old, left his native state to
work in lumber camp near bayfield,,
Wis. There he heard stories of big
openings fery young men in the west.
and on April 3, 1890, he left Mime
apolis for Missoula, where he arrived
April 6, 1890 He spent one year in and
around Missoula, working around the
town and in the lumber camps of the
Bitterroot valley.
On April l, 1891, he went to Ravalli
and there boarded a stage, an open
lumber wagon drawn by four horses,
bound for the foot of Flathead lake,
In telling Of that trip, Mr. Herbst re-
marked that it &as very cold and the
men passengers took off their warm
mackinaws and wrapped up the chill
dren passengers.
They travelled by small steamer
across the lake and up the F'lathead
river to Demersville. He remained in
the Flathead valley until September
IN, 1891, when he and Arthur Player,
who had patched it" with him at
Marion, where he had made an attempt
at demonstrating, started for the Libby
creek country
A rough tote road had been chopped
out between Demersville and railroad
construction headquarters on Libby
creek known as Old TOWN.. On the
date above mentioned the two men
started out from Marion over this road.
They were equipped with a light wagon
and team Of cayuses.
Reached Libby in 1891.
At the divide between Fisher river
and Libby creek, they had to cross
a very steep mountain. They were
obliged to take half their load to the
summit and then return for the other
half and by p. m. on September Il,
they had reached the summit, They
reached the foot of the mountain that
night and the next afternoon, Septem-
Der %, 1891, they arrived at Old Town,
situated on Libby creek where the
sawmill now stands.
The store building erected by MIR.
Herbst-as related above-was first oc-
cupied by Johnston & Hall with
racket store. Later it was sold to MIR.
LaCharity and was combined with an
other building to make the LaCharity
hotel This hotel later burned in the
big fire, two men being burned to
death in it.