The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-09-22

Lewis and Clark in 1904 men
toned the valley of the Big
Horn, but it was undoubtedly
the lower valley near the yell
lowstone. They found the Crow
Indians living along the the
Big Horn river and they may
have followed the river and
reached our own beautiful
south valley.
The Jesuit missionary, Faith
er De Smet, visited the Crows
in the Big Horn valley for the
first time in 1910 and again in
1874. In his writings he tells
of a council held near where
the Big Horn river emerges
from the canyon. He describes
the large, three-branched cot
tonWood tree close to this meet
ing place, and which we have
every reason to believe is the
tree on Bird Horses place south
! of the Warman school.
/ This is the first authentic
record we have of a white man
in III valley.
Later Bozeman with his par
ty crossed the Big Horn not far
from the place where Father
De Smet met with the Crows
and the Bozeman trail is the
first road of which there is a
record.
After the Civil war, when
this trail was being used by
pioneers to the new West, 1t
was necessary to have protec-
ton for these brave people.
They we're not in danger from
the Crows, who we're even then
noted for their peaceful atti-
tude toward the white man,
the menace was from the Sioux
Indians, who claimed the coun-
try of the Crows and made
many forays into their lands.
They were bitter enemies of
the whites and attacked their
wagon trains on every occaS-
ion.
Fort C. F. Smith was estab-
lished about 1867, and for two
years, the soldiers were there.
Then it was abandoned.
The first battle in the Big
Horn valley was. by a strange
coincidence, close to the place
of the peaceful meeting be-
tween the Grows and Father
De Smet. It was called the bat
tie of Hay Corral, and the
place, according to the Indians,
who identified the location by
the logs of a corral, was on the
allotment of Bird Horse, north
east of the Warman school,
close to the corner of the pres
ent highway where it turns
south to pass the De Smet tree.
When the marker was erected
there was no highway, as at
present, and it was deemed ad-
visable to place the marker
where it would be observed.
The next record of a white
mans visit to the valley was in
1880, when Father BaScola, S. j.,
stationed at Helena, was sent
to the Crows who had frequent
ly requested that a missionary
be sent them. He made period
ical visits to them.
The headquarters of the tribe
was then on the Saltwater, and
about 1882 was moved to its
present location at Crow Agen-
cy.
In the year 1886, two Jesuit
missionaries, Father Grassi and
Father Prando were sent by
their superior Father Cataldo,
IN cnlnof - cffo M thu Ty1-v
reservation for a permanent
mission. They had visited Fort
Custer and held services there.
The spot decided on was near
the mouth of Rotten Grass
creek, emptying into the Big
Horn river about % miles from
Fort Custer.
The location was ideal, with
the beautiful Big Horn noun
tains to the south and an un-
broken valley as faI as the eye
could see to the north. At that
time there was a government
farm located in a IOg building
directly west of vhe present
Lobdell home. This Vas the first
house in the southern Big Horn
valley.
Mr.. Hugh Campoe.,: built the
first store and home. Its loca-
ton was about opposite Mr..
Lobdell's house. The store was
later owned by KeIser and Bah
cock, and still later became the
property of Mr. Lopde!l.
The first shelter at the site
OF the Mission was a tent do
mated to the missionaries, and
on February Is, 1897, the two
Fathers arrived, cleared away
the snow and pitched their tent,
1t served as church, reception
room, store house, Kitchen and
dormitory. The brush and trees
were the only protection from
blizzardS and storms. For eight
months the Fathers lived there
and the friendly Crows came
in numbers to welcome them
1t was sooon necessary to add
two more tents. One OF the first
visitors to the tent-mission was
a little white boy from Fort
Custer, who listened to the Fa-
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