Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-05-18

Where Is the northern boundary
of Wyoming? That sounds like q
simple question and one which can
readily be answered by looking at
a map-but oddly enough, it's not
that easy. No complete answer can
be given to the apparently simple
question because no one knows, for
a stretch of several miles along the
Cooke City highway, Just where
the Montana Wyoming boundary
Is. National forest officials, game
Wardens and others interested In
administering the laws In this
beautiful c0uutry-dO not know in
which state certain camps, fishing
streams and lakes are located!
These facts are brought to light by
william r. Bandy of Helena, cadastral
engineer for the general land office,
in an Illuminating article entitled. Tn
Search of the North Boundary of
Wyoming" in the April issue of Civil
Engineering, a magazine published by
the American Society of Civil Eng1-
neerS.
The boundary line between Montana
and Wyoming was surveyed in 1879
and $780, Bandy, who made a retrace-
ment in 1886, says In his article.
Green River City, Wyo., in July, 1879.
and travelled overland by horseback
and pack train for several hundred
miles to the initial point Of survey.
Members Of the. party included Rolltn
J. Reeves. astronomer and surveyor,
who was in charge OF the survey; H.
P. TIlttle, astronomer, and an average
of about 10 assistants, including pack
ers, chainmen, axmen and other
helpers.
Soldiers for Protection
The party travelled up Green river
to Big Sandy creek, thence up Big
Sandy and Little Sandy creeks through
south pass to Lander and on to Fort
Wyo. There they were
Joined by a company of soldiers from
Fort Washable, who acted as a military
escort to protect them from the In
dams. The company then moved up
Wind river to Its head, where they
a divide and followed up Pa
cific creek, crossing the continental
divide through Two Ocean pass. From
there they went down the headwaters
of Yellowstone river to the south end
of Yellowstone lake, passing around
the lake on the west side.
They crossed Yellowstone park at
Hot Springs where they re-
plenished their food supply by sending
parties to Bozeman and Fort Ellis.
They then went westward across the
park to the initial point Of the survey.
AS the party crossed the plains east
ward from the Big Horn mountains
they reported seeing many herds Of
buffalo which they described as
gentle, grazing and sleeping all
around us while we worked"
The survey was completed Oct. %,
1880, at the intersection of the line
With the west boundary Of South
Carried Plenty OF Money
Reeves, the head Of the party, wrote
In his journal at the conclusion OF the
= 1Wages of $50 to 500 per month
and board were paid. Any man had
4 right to demand his pay IN cash at
anv time. I carried constantly on my
person from 5000 to $1,700 in cur
rency and every man was paid of In
cash on demand. These mounta1neerS
are a very independent class and you
cannot enlist them for q longer time
than they want to stay"
During recent years portions OF this
line Of northern Wyoming
have been made by the surveying Serv-
Ice of the United States general land
office in connection with the cadaStral
survey Of the land adjoining 1t. These
reveal, that, instead Of
The boundary being a straight east
midwest line as described IN the field
notes land shown ON the maps) there
are logs to the north or south at