The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-01-21

working, so returned to Alder gulch
after having been absent for 80 days.
Vaughn had worked as a placer
miner most of that summer and fall
and three others decided to 60 to Hell
ma. They made a deal with a man
who had two small Mexican mules and
a spring wagon to haul their baggage.
They themselves agreed to walk and
help the mules get the load up any
hills that bothered them. At Helena,
Vaughn obtained employment with a
started at Discovery claim, about where
the Montana club building is located.
It was in the spring of 1865 that
Vaughn went to Nelson gulch, where
he was working at the time the big
nugget was found. He remained in Mel
son gulch for three years. part of the
time mining and part OF the time run
ming a butcher shop.
It was in the fall of 1869 that he
went into the Sun river valley and
located a ranch nine miles from Sun
River crossing on the old Helena-Fort
Benton stage and freighting road, and
decided to remain in Montana perm
anently. He had noticed that horses
and cattle, turned out to shift Tor
themselves about the mining camps.
fattened steadily on cured bunch grass
and would live on it through the winter
without care or shelter. He had noted
that the meat of all wild game animals
was in prime condition even in mid
winter. He had been amazed at the
successful experiments at growing veg
etables and grain on a small scale in
the Prickly Pear and other valleys. So
he decided to return to the land.
Only Farmers in North Montana
Fol several years Vaughn and Will
liam Sparks were the only farmers In
all northern Montana. There had been
some farming done in the Sun river
valley as early as 1858 when Colonel
Vaughn (no relation to Robert Vaughn
who built the first Blackfeet Indian
agency on the north side OF Sun river
a half mile above the crossing, had ex-
perimented on several acres OF the
ground and had reported to the govern
ment that the land would yield rs
bushels of small grain to the acre.
There were other settlers in the valley
besides Vaughn and Sparks, but the
only farming they did was small scale
gardening.
Sam Ford had been in the Sun river
valley eight years before Vaughn 10
Gated there. Ford had settled two miles
above where Fort Shaw is now located.
In 1867 John Largent bought a cabin
from an Indian trader named Golf.
and built another n at the same
place. In the same year 0 ftealy
built a cabin there and these two men
became the first residents of the town
of Sun River.
In 1872 Ed Nennis, Hold Maine. James
Strong and Charley Femeson farmed
in the Sun river valley. Largent at that
time had a store and blacksmith shop
at Sun River crossing and j. j. Healy
and Al Hamilton had a trading post on
the north bank of the river and did a
large business with the Indians. In 1871
R. S. Ford and Thomas Dunn brought
LOO head of range cattle to Sun River
and in the next year o. H. and D. H.
Churchill brought in 800 head more.
These early-day stockmen had their
troubles. Oftentimes they had to herd
their cattle to keep buffalo from mix
ing with them.
When there were II locations be-
tween Sun River crossing and the Leav-
ing stage station, the farmers Joined
together and constructed an irrigation
ditch. With water, they grew from 80
to 100 bushels of oats to the acre. From
then on farming in Sun river valley
grew apace. Such was the start of one
Of Montana's riches agricultural Sec
lions.