Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-02-12
Mining Camp or Dry Wolf
Located More Than Forty
Years Ago, Monroe Recalls

More than 40 years ago a lively
little mining camp was located on
upper Dry Wolf creek, q tributary
Of the Judith river, which has its
source in the Little Belt noun
tains. With the recent revival Of
placer mining in the mountains
near Stanford, memories Of early
days here so long ago have been
brought back TO the minds Of old
timers.
A. L. Monroe, now nearly 20, engaged
IN taking gold from the bedrock in
Placer gulch during the last two years
was located near Lewistown in the fall
Of 1888. nearly so years ago. When re-
ports of rich quartz and placer .diggingS
stirred a number of LewiStown and
Maiden prospectors out of their leth-
argy, Mr.. Monroe, among others, be-
came interested and with two other
men went to Stanford with team and
wagon that same year Told in his
own words, events of those early days
are interesting to the student of Mon
tana history.
I'VE stayed on upper Dry Wolf for
three weeks" Monroe said, but find
ing nothing to get excited over, we left.
However, I had noticed some good
looking copper ore and, accompanied
by friend, George Baker, we outfitted
and came back. But we we're doomed to
disappointment, for, after locating and
recording the claim, nothing came of
It,
THE spring Of 1885 was the earliest
I ever saw in Montana. We were here
by April 2 and our horses found plenty
Of grass. Prospectors kept stringing !
along from all parts of the country, /
many locations being made, but only
one had produced any ore. The Pierce /
& Higbee belonging to Steve Pierce
and Phil Walsh of Neihart, produced /
a few tons of lead that was freighted 1
to the smelter in Great Falls, but it
ran so low in silver -four or five
ounces to the tom that they lost money
on it. The patented claim was later
sold for taxes. The ore was found in
limestone pockets and understand
that all in sight has long since been
dug out.
@Charles Martin located a silver
lead claim in Spring coulee that went
fairly high in silver. We shipped out
enough ore to pay expenses for years
but that, too, petered out.
Place Called GaIen
I'VE had a postoffice at the mouth
of Lion creek named Galen, with mail
three times a week. William Lackie was
postmaster and ran a roadhouse Tom
Geer operated a road ranch and whisky
shop at the mouth Of Spring coulee,
the present site of the Dry Wolf
ranger station. A number of families
lived here, among them Jim Ellis, Ed
Moore. John Longman, George Long
nan, Jim Anderson and man named
Nefer.
"I remember when Jim Ellis lost
'-year-old son and the snow was so
leep they had to use dynamite to break
he frozen ground in digging the grave.
1t their request I read some verses
rom the Bible
whenever a dance was held at
Teer's place, word was sent over to
cunning Wolf and many would at
end from there. Some of the boys {
you'd get a little lit up occasionally
ut they always seemed to behave. \
Two saWmills were operating here
hen. This was before the time of the r
,rest service and timber was cut from Fl
Overnment land. Deer and mountain r
leep were plentiful as were black and
bears and few silver tips. j
" partner killed a black bear, very al
It, but I didn't fancy the meat Deer II
ere protected even then but If any, G
ne needed meat and the weather was OF
)ol enough it would be available. Il
ever heard Of any game wardens Il
'ound here then. hi
Jim Corcoran was badly frightened W
? silver tip, I remember. He had fc
tilt a cabin on the divide between tt
now creek and Placer gIllch and had dl
lcked grub, tools and powder I'D dc
ere, intending to sink a shaft on a bl
Ike that showed an inch or two of al
ineral on one wall With a fellow tn
lmed Jensen. he wintered there.
'It was their habit to go up to GaIen ca
cry Sunday for their mail. Corcoran, II
th his little dog, had started down sa
acer one day and on the way the
'g ran into the brush, reappearing "a
most at once with a big silver tip DE-
It on his trail. The dog headed Je
'aight for Jim but the man jumped Ca
one side and both dog and bear Ba
pit right on going. Corcoran was near M,
old cabin with fireplace He man Sc
ed to reach it and was so scared that at
stayed there all night Returning mi