The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-03-23
: Anton Hotter Exhibited Pioneer Ingenuity in Erecting and :
: Operating First Sawmill in Montana in Ramshorn G11lch :
Near Virginia City; Was One of States Leading Citizens :
By DIR. THOMAS B. MARQUIS

Author Of "a Warrior Who Fought Custer"
and Memoir Of a White Crow Indian"
Log houses, for residence or for
any other purpose, were the univer-
sal structures for use in all Of our
American pioneer regions. The AK, the
adze and the auger were the essen
tial tools Of construction, often the
only tools obtainable. This was the
case in the earliest days of Montana
settlement. But a long stride toward
a change in structural style here was
made in the spring of 1864. During
the preceding winter a sawmill had
been set up in Ramshorn gulch near
Virginia City. The prime factor In
the enterprise was Anton M. Hotter,
who, during succeeding years became
a prime factor in many ways for the
upbuilding Of the territory and the
state.
Hotter had been an emigrant from
Iowa to Pixies Peak in 1859. After three
years spent there he returned to Iowa.
But in the spring of 1863 he hitched
up his oxen and went again into Col
orado. There he heard of gold dis
coveries in Idaho territory-the section
Of it which soon became detached from
that territory and amalgamated into
the newly organized Montana territory.
An emigrant train was made up in
Colorado to go into the northern plac-
er country, particularly to Bannack and
Virginia City. Hotter and a man NAM
ed Evenson joined this train. These
two men went into partnership and
bought a secondhand sawmill to bring
with them. They left Colorado on the
10th of September, 1863. They arrived
at their destination, the vicinity Of Vir-
ginia City on Dec. 7 of that year. In
cidentally, the very next day after the
arrival MI. Hotter had an experience
characteristic of that time and that
locality. AS he was driving his oxen to
a pasture for winter he was held up
and robbed of his purse by two outlaws
who afterward were among those
hanged when the Vigilantes entered
upon their form of social uplifting.
The sawmil partners built first a
dwelling cabin and a blacksmith shop.
In their shop they went at assembling
the parts of their machinery. MI. Even
son wa the supposed expert, but his
experiences had not been well exercised
in making the purchase, for many Of
the parts we're missing. The two men
engaged upon inventing substitutes.
First they whipsawed some boards to
use as a frame for a blacksmith bel
lows. This frame they covered with
material from old ~raincoats. Next they
burned wood to fill a pit with char
coal for use at the forge. For an anvil
they used the butt of a big broadax
having its blade edge buried into the
top Of a stump.
There was a shortage in betting, so
they cut strips from untanned hides
Of oxen and used these, but with much
difficulty in damp weather. They heard
Of somebody at Bannack, 80 miles away,
having some surplus belt material, so
Hotter went to that place, walking much
Of the distance to buy it. The owner
would not sell it, Notwithstanding Hol-
ter offered up to. 5000 for a quantity
worth about $25 on the frontier mar
ket q year or so later. After his return
they got hold of some pieces Of heavy
canvas and got a saddler to stitch
strips of it in heavy plies for betting
use.
Missing parts regarded as essential
were gearing for the log carriage and
the track irons for its movement back
and forth. The inventing pioneers ov-
ercame this obstacle. They made a
carriage to be shifted by ropes attach
ed to it. AS time passed on they i'm
proved this impromptu continuance,
and some years later the improvement
was so great and the operation was so
efficient that it was patented and was
used in other sawmills in preference
to the old design Of carriage and at a
nrica C300 in axceSS 0f the nrica for the
old style.
The most difficult obstacle in this
building Of the log carriage was the
making of some essential iron shafts.
But the eager and optimistic pair of
pioneers found a way to do it. They