Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-12-28

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The first corporation organized
10 do business In what is today
Montana was the Missouri Fur Co,
chartered In st. Louis IN 1908 70
establish q fur trading business on
the upper waters Of the Missouri
river. There were 10 partnerSs
these being Pierre ChOuteau, after
wheEa Ch0uteau county and the
town Of Ch0teau were named;
Manuel Lisa, Auguste Pierre Chou
team, Reuben Lewis, the only
brother Of Meriwether Lewis, OF
the famous Lewis and Clark expe-
Sfifioa: william Clark, the other
leader Of the Lewis and Clark ex-
petition; Benjamin Wilkinson,
Sylvester Labbadie, Pierre Menaro,
william Morrison and Andrew
henry.
The nanos Of a number Of these
men are stiu familiar IN Montana ira
ditsOns. The company, as soon as or
0antzed and financed, projected an
expedition Of considerable size 70
travel IN the footsteps Of Lewis and
Clark up the Mississippi and missouri
rivers to q point where the, town o.
Three Forks, IN Gallatin county, STANDS
How the expedition started bravely
with colors flying, how most OF the
Americans deserted because Of the
Terrible barCiships encountered and
through dissatisfaction with the man
ner in which they were treated by the
leader. Manuel Lisa, and how a hand
ful finally penetrated to the source OF
the Missouri river and In the year
1910 built Fort Manuel on the present
site of Three Forks, forms one OF the
epics of western adventure that should
find a place in Montana's histories
alongside Of the story OF Lewis ana
Clark.
story of Dougherty
a good deal has been written about
the men who were partners IN Lns
er1terprise. which introduced the be-
cummings Of commerce into the terri
tory that now comprises Montana, put
little has been published concerning
the rank and file of that famous ex-
petition. This article mas 70 40 Will VIZ,
one of the latter, John Dougnerty,
who braved all the dangers and perlls
of the wilderness and was one OF the
half-dozen Americans who finally
reached the headwaters OF the MIS-
soIIri Years ago he trapped beaver
and fought the Blackfeet between the
Three Forks Of the Missouri and tne
Great falls. His adventures In tne
Rocky mountains in those adventurous
DAYS would make thrilling reaoilng.
T.afer in 1920, he became the first
indian agent of the northwest, when
nosition he filed with honor Tor ~
wears. having charge Of all the indian !
territory between st. Louis ana the
crest of the Rockies. His name Is wen
worthy of a place in Montana history.
When Dougherty, at the age OF il
years enlisted at ST. Louis with the
Missouri River Fur Co., for the ex-
nedition TO the headwaters OF the
Missouri in 1903, there were $50 otner
names on the roll of recruits, OF Wnonl
about half were Americans. the rest
s,reSo Guardian Frenchmen and Creoles
from tine south. The French were All
veteran river men, thoroughly accus-
TONED to boating and trapping. Lisa,
who had been up the missouri river
the nrevious wear. in 1903, with a COM
nanv of about so men, and had built
q fort at the mouth Of the Big Horn
river. on the Yellowstone, was CAMEO
bv the men, "Esau," possibly because
Of his bearlike manner. He proved 70
be an unpopular leader.
Contract with Americans
The Missouri River Fur 20. con.
tracted with each Of the Americans
Id furnish them with a rifle and SUI
ficient ammunition, six beaver traps
and the services Of four Frencnmen
v rrr to be under the individual
Command of the Americans for perl
Id of three years. For their services
IA hunting and trapping, each AInerl-
IAN was to receive one-fifth OF the
profits of his joint labor with the
under him. The Frencn-
men were paid wages and received no
;hare of the profits. OF the $50 men
snroIled, only 172, including the part
lers who went along, made the start
rom ST. Louis. $3.50
pierre Chouteau and Pierre Menard
,cted Jointly with Manuel Lisa in
the expedition John
one of the outstanding !
americans. was one Of company OF
a Americans who occupied one OF the
,arges. There we're Is barges and keel ,
TThe start was made in June, 1903,
md when the expedition had passed
mt of the Mississippi into the Mis-
otIri it was found that progress
.eaiTlst a swollen stream involved row
az. pushing with poles, warping, sail (
n9 and cordeling, or pulling with
opes were all necessary IN places. SIX I
Teeks of hard labor found the party I
{ the mouth Of the Platte river, 7
there the provisions ran low. Dough-