Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-06-13

The discovery Of gold that es-
9ablished the city Of Helena, gave
Montana its capitol where Il now
stands, and led TO other far-reach-
lanx Developments Of political char
acEer, was made Ia July, 1854, by
yahn Cowan, Reginald Stanley, ID.
j. Miller and John Crab. Ouk Of
She wealth of his personal lnfor-
.unati0n. and the fund OF facts con-
Eributed by close friends among the
Montana pioneers, Raleigh Wilkin-
son drew the following story OF the
histOry- making strike.
These four men had reached Alder
sGulch too late to get profitable Ioca-
SONS, and being by nature fearless
explorers they determined to strike
ont in the wild and find gold diggings
Of their own.
They left Virginia City in the spring
-1f 1868 and from there went north UNI
8ase they came TO a series Of streams
nutting into the Missouri river, south
Of the Gate of the Mountains of the
Missouri river In the course Of their
travels with saddle horses and pack
@nimals they prospected many places
for gold. but the first color found that
gave any promise Of reward was In
Wf1at was afterwards named Last
Chance gulch. The find was made from
what is now the junction Of Wall street
and Clore street in the city Of Helena.
The gold found was small in quantity
and very fine, consisting Of a few
COlorS. The explorers decided that it
swas not worth bothering with, so they
went on their way across the contin-
entail divide, going over Mullan pass Of
the Rocky mountains, that had been
surveyed and established several years
kefora by Captain Mullan, who had
been sent out by the United States
government to survey and build al
wagon road from Fort Benton, the
k1eadwaters Of steamboat navigation on
the Missouri river, to Fort Walla Walla,
wash. They rode down the western
slope OF the Rocky mountain range un- |
I'll they came to the Little Blackfoot /
river, near the present site of ElliSton.
Erom there they went on to the Deer
Lodge river and Hell Gate, determined
90 try their luck in the far north,
whence reports came Of rich gold dig
9tngs
Wandered Around
Fortunately for them, they met a
party in that section of the country
chat had recently been in the Kootenai
camp and they reported that the dig
gings were no good, or at least, that
they were spotted and nearly worked
0&it- This news had the effect of caus-
ing the party to pause and consider
khe matter. They had a goodly supply
Of provisions, and after talking the
situation over they determined to pros
pect the country east and north Of
where they we're encamped.
Their efforts went unrewarded. At h
length, wearied and getting short Of
supplies, they turned about on the road
kl0me-Alder gulch, whence they start
ed They still remembered the little (
stream putting into the Prickly Pear
valley where they had found colors Of !
gold. As that stream was on their route
% Alder gulch they determined to give ,
sE one more try.
s"The three men reached Last Chance
about noon Of that day in July. 1864.
Tney rode up the gulch until theyl
reached their former camping ground.
after camping and picketing their
kSOrses out TO grass and partaking Of
. hasty meal Of bacon and bread, they
e once set out to prospect for gold.
90 bedrock on the rim Of Last Chance
gulch and got gold in both. The big
strike and real discovery of Last Chance
was made farther down the gulch. 1
Under Montana Club /
It is impossible to describe the spot 7
except by metes and bounds as they 6
exist today in the city of Helena. The {
discovery was made very near to where /
the Montana club building stands, at /
Es1e corner Of Fuller avenue and Sixth I
avenue. AS the NeStor and leader Of q
s11e party, the discovery claim was adj (
lgEgted as the property OF John Cowan,
xnd 1t was on that claim he secured I
, competence and returned to his ma
1--WE state OF Georgia. The discovery G
szaim occupied the ground now known ]
rs the Hale lot between Main and q
Fuller avenue. In 1866 John Cowan s
B0Ad his claim to three men. They were I
Walker, Fulton and Ball John Cowan's
home cabin stood on the east side Of =
what was afterwards called Main street. +
The northwest corner Of the Hale {
ct and discovery claim in Last Chance r
gz1lch, or No. ! north, is occupied by q
me Y. M. G. A. building The Montana b
dub building casts shadow over the n
discovery claim when the sun is past
Inc meridian and on its descent to the q
western mountains. 4
The Survivors y
mr. Stanley was one of the discov- b
.rers of gold in Last Chance dis b
sovery that has had much to do with a
Montana. Following that discovery d
many others we're made, including
confederate gulch, Whites Cave, York I,
Cooper and Maggie, on the northeast =
xn side Of the Missouri river, In the Il
Belt range, and Indian creek and Crow i
week. in what Is now Broadwater coun- u
", on the southern side of the Missouri
4ver. Very many gulches containing a
'uld were later found and worked to q ii
lxufit, both on the east and west sides :.
4 the Rocky mountain range. 4
~After working out his placer claim q
n Last Chance gulch in the course of fl
ESQ seasons, Stanley, a native of Eng t,
and, returned to his old home. But he O
aways had a warm spot in his heart for e
Mgt Chance" t,