Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-04-02
BY Al II. WILKINS

y the early sixties many people In
the eastern states heard Of rich
gold strikes In California, Montana
and the Black hills Of South Dakota,
and contracted the gold fever
Many large trains were organized at
St. Joseph, Mo-, to travel overland by
prairie schooner route to the Land Of
the yellow dust. The first great west
ern rush was in l849, when gold was
found at Suffers mill in California.
Many people left homes and loved ones
20 journey through danger, hardship
and privatiOn to the promised land In
the west. Many of those brave, staIwart
people never reached their destination.
They were ambushed and slaughtered
by warning tribes Of Indians.
In one Of the large emigrant trains
headed for Montana, there were many
who later became residents Of the
Yellowstone valley. Among them was
+. F. Fridley, who was chosen captain (
and wagon boss of the train he came I
with. Dad" Fridley, as he was after (
wards known, successfully piloted his +
caravan Of covered wagons across the .
plains. They had their share of trouble
with the redskins, but finally landed
in the Gallatin valley with the loss of
only one man, and he had wandered
too far from camp, looking for a stray
COW. When they found him his body
was r1ddled with arrows. There were
several families in the Fridley train,
and when they arrived where Bozeman
now stands, Dads" little colony split
up-one part going to Virginia City
and the other locating in the Gallatin
valley.
A few years later Dad" Fridley. and |
three of his brothers-in-laW, Andrew
Ringelsby, Frank Mounts ana Herman
Kohly, moved back to the Yellowstone
river and located for some years at
old Emigrant gulch, where they fol- !
lowed gold mining. Ringelsby soon !
tired of seeking his fortune in the :
where he took up homestead on q
Trail creek, at what is now the John
Darroch ranch. Here he followed farm :
ing for several years. There were quite 9
a number of miners working in Emil
grant gulch in the early seventies, and 2
their number was increased by the ar Q
rival of David r. ShorthiU and family.
Thomas Shorthill and family, Abenezer q
Daley and family, S. M. Fitzgerald and \
family. =
The Boiler brothers, Phil and Fred, :,
were also early settlers in the Emigrant y
district Both of these men took up :;
land and later on engaged in the =
sheep business, as well as holding in - -
tereStS in the mines in Emlgrant gulch. q
These two men after long, useful lives q
crossed the great divide about 1905, and a.
were laid to rest in the Emigrant
cemetery.
Built Toll Bridge O
dad" Fridley followed mining for f
several years, but later saw an opening Ia
20 make easier money when he took up no
and at Emigrant and built toll bridge
across the Yellowstone river. He laid -
'ut town site at that point and - -
famed it Fridley. This town grew to ~ ~
'e quite a city, containing a store, ~
lotel, saloon, blacksmith shop, and ~
everal residences. Dad" was a we'll OF
ked, good-natured man and very q
roud of his little village. About 1884 oN
he Northern Pacific built its branch nc
0 Yellowstone park and changed the an
anne of Fridley to Emigrant Dad Jui
ridley tried to retain his name by "a
uilding a large white rock sign on the ~
huff back of his city, but it was all SUI
D no avail. The place Is now remem- lal
cred as Fridley by the old-timers who sp'
everence the name Of Dad" Fridley
{ old pc
About 1883, while entertaining friends we
q a fishing trip, Fridley met with an SIN
ccident which later caused his death. tin
e was driving fractions team which we
an away with him. upSetting his fir
agon. Dad" sustained a broken leg ROY
/ the wreck which had to be ampu TIL
ated just above the knee. f"Dads" sal
Dirit in its flight, just crossed from roI
arkness into hght) by
Frank Mounts, after mining for ste
ome time in Emigrant gulch moved his
, FTidley where, until his death, he aw
ept a wayside inn. Herman Kohly sea
lso followed mining for years, but fin jul
lily disposed of his mines in Emigrant the
ulch and started up in business at pa
ridley. He first kept a store, then he 1t
dded a saloon TO his business and was col
tier burned out Later on he ran a les
otel at the old historic hamlet where
e died. La
About 1884, S. M. Fitzgerald, who rid
ad mined at Emigrant creek moved quI
} Gardiner and started a hotel and me-
tier furnished teams for transporta- fou
on to sightseers in Yellowstone park. all,
ater he took up land on Eagle creek int
/ the Bear gulch district where he we
we'd a few years. DiSposing of his ant
agile creek ranch he located next on Ste
ishtail creek in the AbSarokee dis wo
let, where he followed stock raising, fro
ltu his death in 1881. 9th
Ebenezer Daley, another early-day sire
oneer of Emigrant gulch, along about beil