Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-11-02

iUX GNHACE OOAAEol
A. j. NOyes, writing salient events
Of his life for the Montana Historical
society, gives a survey of the early
history Of the Big Hole country. The
Lewis and CLARK expedition passed
through this territory In 1905, naming
the river Wisdom, which tn turn
gave name TO the town Wisdom IS
years later. Perhaps Bonneville saw
shis valley; az any rate the Mexican,
Emanuel Martin visited the Big Hole
IN mid-century, between 1850 and
1854, according 20 Judge Frank H.
Woody OF MissOuia. Robert Hereford,
first assessor Of Lewis and Clark
county confirms this statement.
Lieut.. Adullan, road builder, passed
through the valley and into GraSshop-
per valley making a diary entry OF
the excellent wagon road. DR.. Click,
mentioned often by Tom Moore in his
stories Of early RaderSburg, may have
been the first doctor In the valley.
There are stories in plenty to tell Of
him, for he was an eccentric though
much loved man, and fond OF his nlgker.
Moves quotes one Mike Steele as say
ing a man named Woods found the first
gold in Pioneer, or Ruby as 1t was later
named, making his discovery IN 1852,
before the rush TO Bannack Jack
Slade" was a current term for John
Doe, parties unnamed and Granville
Stuart says: Jack Slade and party
came via the north fork Of the Salmon
and made the first discovery in what
is now Beaverhead county" Other dis /
coveries came In 1866
In August, 1869, Mike Steele,
I'd Boyle and Barney Mcdonnell found |
pay dirt on Steele creek and began
- uN@HeT aurrr kTH
q cabin on Doolittle creek the next
year. but he didn't stay. Within five
years cattlemen from Deer Lodge,
Beaverhead and Horse Prairie valleys
were making the most Of the fine ma
tural hay of the Big Hole country. In
August, 1877, the battle Of the Big Hole
made indelible history There was still
no real ranching in the valley, no per-
manent demonstrating.
In 1880 Chase, Hammer and the
Barker brothers put up hay for Joe
Ketchen, and the same season the VIII
namS brothers. old freighterS, cut hay
on Squaw creek. 1t had no name then,
until one Of the Williams boys called 1t
Jurd's creek for his brother. Squaw
creek, then, was on the north side OF
the river, the one where George Mudd
took up his ranch. The Gregson broth
ers of Gregson springs put up hay {
hat same fall, and Phil Evans cut hay !
and sent in a band Of sheep in charge {
1f Nat Evans. Phil Evans son was
John M. Evans. one day to be congress |
nan from Montana. His fathers sheep
Eere the first in the Big Hole country. g
civilians brothers, Evans and the
SregSonS got enough Of the valley or its S
ong winter the first year, and pulled
nut never to return" comments Noyles.
The Barker boys had shared in the C
oe Ketchen hay only the first year; '
o they didn't return. Chase, Jake ]
hammer and Milton Jones cut hay in C
881, and Allen Pierse (the late Allen Y
oierse of Great Falls) tried to run '
heep, with David Law in charge, but s
made a poor go of it and got out. Mr. Fl
md Mrs. James Woods stayed in the il
ALLEY during the winter of 1922, E
eeding cattle for James Maxwell. The s.
anne crowd, with e. o. Packard put in S
he winter of 1881-82 Mr. Noyies and h
is wife, Hattie, came as settlers June /, "
$780, nine days before William FraSier
nd his family arrived. Chase, Ham n
ner, Jones and Blake Hammer cut II
les in Doolittle creek in 1882, making
river drive to Divide. In May, prob
bly, late that month, James Geery,
rank Dixon, George Smith, James
OWN of Wisdom. Mrs. McVey was with ~
be party and her sons Oscar and Earl u
ere small chaps McVey brought some ~
igs with him, probably the first to be
rought into the Big Hole, and traded "a "a
1em to Noyles for a cook stove. AZ
Myers and Wilke lived on Steele creek "a
he next winter. Lumber that Steele, W
Oyle and Mcdonnell had whipsawed "
/ 1869 was still intact. This winter "
arked a tragic accidental death Of =.
ne of the settlers, Ed Shoemaker. He ~
ad been staying at a cabin belonging a.
the Horse Prairie Herding associa- w
on, hunting and trapping. Attempt %
g TO cross some thin ice, he tested it .
it'll the butt Of his gun. The ice Oh
oke, letting the gun down to its stock. ~
he trigger was snapped. and the dis IA
large of the gun caught Shoemaker in u, ~
lie side Myers and Wilke were with IN
m at the time of the accident. Myers -
nTied to the Noyes ranch where S. E. ~
lckard was in charge, and the two s'e
Tried back, but Shoemaker was al
ady dead. The three men made
fin out of a sluice box and buried
m near his cabin. crs
David Wraton and family came in Id;
80 and settled on Steele creek but err
Oved up the river to land later owned Bill
John Paddock and Fred Frances. B. ter
Fournier came to Warm Springs in arr
B4. The town of Jackson was laid out Sh
land he took up. George Thompson cha
d family came in 1884. In July, 1884, tar
.rman Jackson, Antoine Jackson for ma
ION the town was named, and A. to
ulson, brother-in-law of the jack ha'