The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-01-14
THE OVERLAND expedition of the
Pacific Fur Co. in 1911, under
command of Wilson Price Hunt,

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command Of wilson Price Hunt,
purposely avoided entering Mon
tana to avert trouble with the
BIackfeet Indians, but before its ar
rival at Astoria, Ore, it suffered hard
ships and fatalities probably greater
than any it would have In
the Blackfeet country. 1t lost several
men and much of its equipment in the
Idaho country. 1t met no hostile In
dams, but it was a party of sufficient
size to have passed through an enemy
country in safety unless the Indians
had gathered in unusual force 10 ao-
vance against it.
The ONLY members of the Hunt party
who are known to have entered Mon.
tana were three Canadians VINO leu
him to remain with the Shoshone n
dams in order to avoid the extreme
hardships ahead of them. They, re.
vealed to the Shoshone Indians six OF
HE nine caches of goods and equip
ment that Hunt had left when he aban-
doned his horses in what proved to be
the forlorn hope of being able to make
the rest of his trip by n down the
Snake river. Thus getting into the good
graces Of the Shoshones. they ACCOM- 9eSGao
feet country on a buffalo hunt, were
attacked by the Blackfeet and lost all
their horses and were robbed OF all
their ill-gotten wealth by the enemy
tribe whose country they had INVADED.
Intended to Follow Lewis and Ciark
intended to follow the route of the
Lewis and Clark expedition. He
changed his mind upon the advice OF
three hunters whom he met descending
the Missouri river and who had peen
members of Andrew Henry's Missouri
Fur CO. party which Ro had c neen arlt YEN
a before by the Blackfeet Indians,
and had gone on southwest across the
mountains to finish the season in Idaho.
This, too, in the face of the fact that
Hunt had purposely doubled the size
of his party before leaving st. LOUIS
so as to be able to cross the Sioux n
Blackfeet countries in safety.
Hunt was accompanied by Donald
Mckenzie, formerly in the employ OF
the Northwest company, and Ramsay
Crooks, experienced in the Missouri
river trade. Both were induced to be-
come partners in the enterprise, which,
as stated, was a part of n ACTIVITIES
Aston with a trading post at the mouth
of the Columbia river. Hunt had In
tended to limit his party to 80 men.
Crooks, however, presented the dangers
in passing through the Sioux n
Blackfeet Indian lands with such, I'm
phasis that it was decided to enlarge
Mcclellan, had been driven out OF the
Sioux country only a short time be-
fore. Mcclellan Joined the expedition
in it's winter camp 400 miles above st.
Louis. and also was induced to accept
a partnership.
Trapper and Interpreter Added
At St. Louis. Hunt had acquired the
services of Joseph Miller. a former
army officer. experienced in trapping
and Indian trade. During the winter
he also added to his band as guide and
interpreter, Pierre Dorion, who had
made the trip with Lewis and Clark:
The expedition was also accompanied
by two English scientists, John Brad
bury and Thomas Mutual. who sought
the protection of the party to enable
them to pursue their researches among
the botanical wonders of the west.
The party had left its winter camp
and was ascending the Missouri by boat