Glacier County chief., 1940-06-07

His peculiar genius was not appreciated
by the Hudson's Bay Co., and he left
its employ in 1897 to enter the service
of the Northwest company. 1t was not
until 1907 that Thompson actually
crossed the Rockies and reached the
headwaters Of the Columbia. The next
spring he traded along the Kootenai
river in what is now northwestern
Montana"
the first Salish House near the present
Thompson Falls.
On April Il. 1908, Thompson was at
the mouth of the Fine Meadow" CTo-
bacco river, in a trading expedition.
James Mcmillan was his assistant, and
Jacques (Jocko) Raphael Finlay and
Finan Mcdonald were hunting in the
vicinity. Finan Mcdonald was clerk for
the Northwest company and had &C
companied Thompson across the Rock
les. He was the first white man to
visit many Of the tribes west of the
main range.
In the spring Of 1910, Thompson
made several expeditions from Salish
House to the Flathead country. The
same year, Joseph Howse, Hudson's
Bay Co. clerk and trader. built Howse
House near Flathead lake. On Feb. IS,
26 and 81, 1872, Thompson made a
trip from Salish House to what is
now Mount Jumbo at MiSsoula, on
the banks Of the then called He'll Gate
river. Here the British geographer and
trader spent several hours sketching
the surrounding country and tracing
the route by which Lewis and Clark
He left Salish House March 10, 1872,
and returned to Canada by the north
ern overland route. He never returned
to the west and died in Longeuil,
Que, Feb. 10, 1857-in poverty.
While Thompson and the North
westers were active west of the noun
tains. Lisa's Missourians had spread
out like a beaver tail in the Yellow
stone and Big Horn country. In 1907
Grams of the Lewis and Clark party.
to the Crows to advertise the trading
post at the mouth Of the Big Horn.
Golfer and Potts went to the Three
Forks country. where Potts was slain
by hostile Indians, and Golfer escaped
after running the gauntlet, making his
way back to Lisa's fort by way Of
what Is now Yellowstone national
park. but what was known. in fur
trade days. as Golfers He'll"
Tragedy at Three Forks
In the spring of 1910. Pierre Menard
and Andrew Henry left Lisa's fort,
crossed the divide from the Yellow
stone to the Gallatin and built a
trading post near the Three Forks.
Here was rich beaver country. Trade
was lively at first. Then the Blackfeet.
westers. began a series Of attacks upon
the Menard and Henry post. They
stole horses. traps and furs. In three
onslaughts, 20 men were killed, among
them George Drouillard. the second
veteran of the Lewis and Clark party
l., - r.
in this vicinity. So dangerous did the
Indians become that Henry abandoned
the post and crossed the mountains to
the headwaters Of the Snake, while
Menard and the main party returned
to st. Louis.
The Astorians In Montana
Aston sent two expeditions westward
in 1810-a sea party. sailing from New
York in the Tonquin in August, and
Hunt of New Jersey. from Montreal a
month earlier Hunts party embarked
at st. Louis March IL. 1911. after win
tering there. Hunt, on reaching the
Arikara villages at the mouth Of the
Grand river, struck directly across the
plains of the Little Missouri. as the
yerendryes are believed to have done.
skirting the northern slope Of the Big
Horn range. Here the party met Ed
ward Rose, renegade white man who
had attached himself to the Crows.
This tribe later gave the same hos
pitality to James Beckwourth, mulatto,
whose published memoirs now form an
interesting record Of early Montana.
Among the Astorians who came up
the Columbia to the F1athead country
was Ross Cox, member Of party that
went from New York to Astoria aboard
the Beaver In 1911. Cox wrote an &C
count Of his adventures in the fur
trade, and these also form an impor-
Montana history.
Alexander Ross. q scotchman. sue