Glacier County chief., 1940-11-29

u. H KISKADDEN CSeaD president.
:E. P. LEWIS CSeal4 secretary"
Town of 'Ophir
, Eleven months after the date of
this certificate, these eight associates
secured from the Bannack legislature
charter for the Ophir Town COM
pany. which was approved Feb. 2,
1865. OF the many private laws passed
at that session this is the only town
company in which MesSrs. kiskadden
and Lewis were associated, and the
fact that no name appears in the Ger
tiacate dated March -. 1864, indicates
THAT the name of the future city had
.nd been agreed on at that time.
The law authorized them to plot "a
town site to be known as Ophir, on
land owned by them. read as follows:
commencing at the mouth of the
AIarias river to junction of said river
ming up and along the south bank of
said Marias river to the mouth of the
Teton river: thence south 600 yards:
thence east to the Missouri river;
thence down the bank of said river to
the place of beginning, containing 800
acres.
A charter for the North Ophir Town
company TO Frank Angevine. w. w.
Bumaughs and associates. with sim
liar privileges on the north bank of
the Marias river as its junction with
the Missouri river. also containing 800
acres. the town to be known as North
Oehir. was secured at the same seS-
sion.
The law also provided that the river
front extending into the riyer as far
as necessary, included within the boun-
diaries described, vas declared the
property Of said company for the pur-
pose of erecting wharVaS. warehouses.
ete provided that said company was
not in any manner. to .obStruct the
navigation of said river.
"a charter for. another company
granted similar powers for a town to
be known as East Ophir on the east
+ bank Of the Missouri and below the
mouth of the Marias apparently OPP
posite North Ophir. Mr.. Bumaughs
was among the grantees Of this char
ter and similar privileges were grant
ed to occupy the river front for
wharveS and warehouse purposes. with
restriction as to obstructing the navi-
CATION of the river.
For a Metropolis
The three townsites described were
to- be a great metropolis apparently.
and the country in all directions de-
veloped MeSsrS BumaughS, kSkad-
den and Lewis and associates were
granted a charter for the Missouri
River Portage and Railroad company
for 20 years and given necessary cor.
porate powers for the construction OF
a wason road or railroad or both for
I the purpose Of transporting passengers,
freight and mails around the great
Missouri falls.
The original capital of the company
was to be 100000 with authority 10
u T,IIrN
given for the construction OF the
wagon road and five years for the con
struction of the railroad. Sidney Ed
gerton, who approved this act as GOV
ernor Of the territory, was one OF tNe
grantees and associates OF Kskaddeh
and Lewis.
The law is interesting in that IL
authorized the company to borrow
! money necessary to complete an
stock the road at a rate OF interest
not to exceed percent per annum
and secure the repayment by mort,
gage or pledge of the property ana
issue the notes in bonds OF the COM
pany or both thereof. It was also auth
orized to establish offices in the ter.
ritory and in the city OF St. LOUIS ana
elsewhere as they deemed necessary
Mr.. Burroughs and other associates
we're also granted a charter as the
Upper Missouri River Steamboat Nav
igation company to open and remove
all distractions and make navlgab!e
the upper Missouri river from the falls
to the three forks at Gallatin City ana
to have the exclusive right to the
navigation of said river between the
points mentioned with steamboats, and
freight and passengers over the same
all kinds of water craft and to carry
for SO years.
Gallatin town was adopted as the
head of navigation and a charter Sc
cured by MesSrs. Burroughs. Lewis
and associates, with authority to make
additions to said town. A "hitching