The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-11-06
Earliest Fur Traders, Plying Into Region Now Montana, Centered
Efforts at Mouth of Biz Horn; Due to Indian Hostility Most
of the Dozen Outposts Built at Various Times Were Short-lived

In 1926 Ashley and Henry sold their
interest in the Rocky Mountain Fur
Co. to David jackson, William Sub
lette and James Bridger, and under
their control the company contested
the field with the American Fur Co.
for several years. About this time
Bridger ran the Big Horn canyon on
times since.
Aston Interests Show Fight
The Aston interests, fighting the
moved the property, and taken the
garrison with him, and it was at that
time in 1911 that Fort Lisa was def
initely abandoned.
In 1921 Joshua Pitcher established
another post at the mouth of the Big
Horn and called it Fort Benton. Pill
cher had succeeded to the manage
ment of the Missouri Fur Co. at the
a party from Fort Benton under Rob-
ert Jones and Michael Immel, which
had been to the Three Forks country
on a trapping expedition, were at
tackled by the Indians near the mouth
of Pryor creek on their return trip.
Jones, Immel and five others were
killed. The survivors, among whom
ship of a nan named Keemle, escaped,
but lost all their horses and SIS 900
worth of skins. Discouraged by this
misfortune, the company abandoned
Fort Benton.
Posts Short Lived
In the meantime the Rocky Noun
tain Fur Co. which had succeeded Lisa's
original company, established Fort Van
Buren, on the Yellowstone two miles
below the mouth OF the Big Horn: It
was operated only IA months. William
Ashley and Andrew Henry, moving
spirits in the new concern, left st.
Louis in the early spring with two
boat loads of men and equipment for
Rocky Mountain Fur Co., in 1922 es-
t,ablished Fort Cass, 80 miles below
the mouth of the Big Horn, in com
petition with Fort Van Buren,. It was
short-lived.
Another trading post located e
the mouth of the Big Horn vas Fort
thought to have established it in 1894
for the American Fur Co. Contradict
ing that, is the statement of another
historian to the effect that the first
American Fur Co. post in the Crow
country was the second Fort Cass,
built by Samuel Tullock in 1882 three
miles below the mouth of the Big
Horn. 1t was abandoned in 1885.
The second American Fur Co. post
o1 ti1e et1oWSIotle was Uu1L LII 1850
on the right bank near the mouth of
Tongue river about where Miles City
is now located. It was named Fort Van
Buren, and was operated for eight years,
being abandoned in 1843.
Fort Alexander was the third Amer
lean Fur Co. post in the Crow coun-
try. It probably was built as early as
1889, although Charles Larpenteur
claimed to have built it in 1912, and
named it for Major Alexander Culbert-
son. at that time head of the company.
stone opposite the mouth of the Rose
bud. It was abandoned in 1850.
-Four Aston Posts in Crow Land
The second Fort Sarpy, also called
Fort Culbertson, lost of tie American
Fur Co. posts in the Grow Indian
country, was built in 1850 on the right
bank of the Yellowstone Is miles be-
low the mouth of the Big Horn. It
was named for John B. Sarpy. It was
abandoned between 1859 and 1860.
Fox, Livingston & Co. built a post
at the mouth of the Little Big Horn
on the Big Horn river in 1843. It was
soon abandoned.
A cluster of buildings known as Por-
tuguese house were erected at the
juncture of the north and south forks
of Powder river by Antoine Mateo, an
independent trader, probably in the
'30's. Capt. w. F. Reynolds heading
a military and scientific expedition,
visited them in 1859 or 1860 and found
them in ruins. Jim Bridger asserted
the force there NICE withstood an at
tack by Sioux Indians which lasted
40 days. Little is known of the place.
Braseau's house on the left bank of
the Yellowstone so miles above its
mouth was another early-day post of
which little is known. It flourished in
the early days Of the fur trade.