Glacier County chief., 1939-10-06

a silent and lonely sentinel by the way
side.
The fight between the two ends of
the town waXed hot and heavy with
State Senator Henry Meyer leading
the fight for the old site, and Or. j:
new townsite. By a system of allot-
ment and by pressure. the miners
were induced to move to the new town,
and with them the merchants were
forced to go. On the Fourth of July,
1895; and for two days thereafter, the
whole town was on wheels, moving
from the old townsite to the new.
The Fourth of July, 1895, marked the
beginning of new era for Red Lodge,
even though the first era had been a
mighty short one. The town grew
rapidly after that date and became a
city in a few short years. However,
sore spots from the period of discord
remained in the breasts of the con-
tending men for many years. There
were some, as late as the early 1905,
who continued to refuse to speak to
each other because of the battle over
the townsites.
In May, 1894, Carbon county was es-
tablished. 1t was created from a por-
ton of Park county, in which Red
Lodge stood. and from strip coded
from the Grow reservation and con-
shutting the whole eastern section of
the county, including the Bridger,
Sake creek and Dry Head countries.
Livestock Business Grows
Cattle and sheep raising rapidly
came to the fore along with coal min
ing in Carbon county. Later agriculture
drove out many of the cattle herds
known as some of the finest farm
lands in Montana. The valleys along
Rock creek and Clarke fork, both
brawling tributaries of the Yellow
stone river, are among the most fer
tile areas.
In description of the area written
in 1903, it was stated:
THE railroad skirts the former
stream Brock creek on its way to
Laurel, and cozily ensconced in the
valley are the thriving villages of Car
b 2oIia with its dismantled coal mines;
with its brewery. In the eastern side
of the county is Bridger, the scene of
the recent daring bank robbery where
the w. A. Clark coal mine and a new
creamery combine with the trade trib-
in making a hustling town. Nearby IS
Gebo, whose great coal mine is at
present tied up in litigation and which
is lazily awaiting the arrival of better
times" with the mines prospective re-
opening. In the west end of the county
IS ;Absarokee, in the midst of smiling
fields and at the base of the noun
tainS which lead in from here to the
splendors of the. national park CYel-
lowstone national park"
George r; Barker wrote OF, Red
Lodge in 1908: Coal abounds all over
the county. In a few short years the
tons of wealth which now lie awaiting
the pick will attract capital. There
can be no doubt Of it. To the south
are the copper settlements of Sunlight
and Crandan creek. proportionately
will be tributary to Bridger and Red
Lodge. And in addition to this mineral
wealth is the glad smile of nature in
the valleys, ready to assist in furnish
ing wealth and happiness to a multi
tude of people. For the lover of nature
mountain Businesses nearby, and a
flora which, E. v. Smalley, the cele-
brated London correspondent, who, as
early as 1892, visited the city and
county in the interests of the North
west magazine, describes as the richest
as to compare favorably with that of
the Alps:
Mature has done much for Red
Lodge and Carbon county. Its citizens,
earnestly ea;ne Ss eo cog Of the fact are
Barker missed his bet as far as cop
per was concerned, as Butte remains
premier in the copper industry as the
richest hill on earth" However, what
he said of the coal industry and
natural recreation has come true in a
big way. Many coal camps have sprung
up in Carbon county and Bearcreek
and Washoe are widely known for the
coal that they mine and ship.
In natural recreation Carbon county
liant future. Hundreds of tourists pass
through Red Lodge on their way to
Yellowstone national park. Many more
outfit themselves for trips into the
primitive areas Of the wild and rugged
Absaroka and Custer national forests.