Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-10-14


Father of Mrs. Elizabeth Rich. DIR.
Hunter was the founder of Hunters
Hot Springs at Springdale.
named. 1t was the destruction and
ruin of the Civil war that drove the
Hunter family west DR. Hunter was
q gentleman of the old south and
when the Union and Confederate ar
mics surged back and forth over his
native state of Virginia to leave death
and destruction in their wake, he, like
many another southerner, decided TO
take the western trail When asked In
later years how he had the courage to
start the long trek to Montana with
his young wife and three small chill
dren, he replied, 81 had no alternative.
There was nothing left for me in Viz
ginia"
Mrs. Rich has no recollection of the
journey to Montana for she was
babe IN arms at the time; but her
sister, Mrs. Mary Doane Of Bozeman,
remembers 1t well. She was years old
when the journey to the west was
begun.
Left Nebraska Coast
The Hunters started from Nebraska
City, then a frontier outpost, In April,
1884 There were 30 wagons In their
train and Mrs. Hunter was the only
woman IN the party. There were few
women IN Montana at that time OUT
side Virginia City. The first portion
Of the Journey was accomplished with
mules and horses but at Omaha these
were traded for oxen because Indians
we're less likely TO steal oxen. The
party followed the famous Bozeman
trail and MRS. Doane recalls several
events OF the trip, including a skin
nlish with Indians and long nights OF
vigil around campfires of buffalo chips.
The party reached Bozeman in August,
1864, after four months of travel. The
first building In the town was just
going up and the Hunters moved on
to Virginia City, then the capital OF
Montana territory.
For the next few years the Hunters
moved about among several Montana
mining centers Of the day and Mrs.
Rich recalls that everyone had gold
fever In those times Newcomers ar
rived daily, goggle-eyed and expecting
to pick up gold nuggets in the streets.
Anyone who went IN for anything so
proSaic as farming in those days was
considered insane. Everything the set
tiers used had to be brought overland
from the east and as result food
stuffs were intellectually high In price.
For q time the Hunters lived at Hell
ena and later at New York gulchs
where DR.. Hunter paid SlI0 for sack
OF flour and was lucky to get 1t even
at that price.
Life in early day Montana was
hard" says hrs. Rich. There was
little that was romantic about 1t then,
for houses of that day were mere
huts and many who had come wished
they were back In their old homes IN |
the east. Only the organization OF
Vigilantes kept down crime, and re-
member seeing two robbers hanging |
by their necks in Boseman." DR.. |
Hunter was a member Of the Vigt-
lantes.
Lived at Old Crow Agency
At the tirsa OF the Custer massacre,
DIR. Hunter was employed by the gov
at the old Grow Indian agen-
cy IN the Saltwater valley, near the 4
present site Of Columbus. The Hunters
knew Of the massacre almost tmmedi-
ately after IL occurred. for the In
dianB brought word OF kk@ catastrophe
10 the agency within a short time Te
was &c the agency &hat h6xS. Rich saw
the famous Curly and sine Gays, he
6Adnt look anything Hike the photo