Montana oil and mining journal., 1940-08-03
Rr ERIC THANR

The pony express rider was cold.
A raw wind from the north made
a fire seem comfortable, and the
rider, mot at all imbued by the
mail must go through" code,
dropped off his horse In the shell
ter Of a break Of cottonwOOds. He
began 90 build a fire, but recent
dampBeSs made the wood difficult
70 ignite. So the rider opened his
mail bags, pulled out the news
papers and Ietters, wadded them
DIP as tindeT, and presently was
warming himself.
This incident was one Of several
similar ones on a route between St
Paul, Minn, and Helena, Mont, In
1867. Riders often rolled letters 10
make cigaret papers. AS q result the
government refused to pay further
subsidy and the pony express line
ceased.
The route led along the Missouri,
near where the MuSSelshe1 flows into
that river. Here was an ideal site for
q city, and at various times in the
history of Montana attempts have been
made to establish settlement there
q rival to Fort Benton, as various
founders envisioned 1t. In 1855 several
men associated themselves as the Rocky
Mountain Wagon Road Co., and opened
q route across the mountains south
Of the Missouri river, from the mining
regions of Montana to the mouth Of
the Musselshell, where they selected
q town site. An old steamboat captain
named Kerchival, had been among the
first 30 see the possibilities of a settle
ment upon this location, and the
name of Kerchival City was given to
what was hoped would develop into a
future metropolis of Montana.
The company put up log cabin, but
Fof 81
to grow according to plans Then flood
waters swept the establishment Of the
Rocky Mountain Wagon Road Co. into
the river and Kerchival City passed
into the catalog Of towns that were
but are not.
Attempt Renewed In 1868
In 1858 the attempt was renewed
under the auspices of the Montana
Hide 81 Fur Co. of Helena, which sent
q party of nine men under James
Brewer to take post at the mouth Of
the Musselshell and build q warehouse.
They arrived in March, 1858, laid out
q town on the south bank OF the Mis-
souri,, and called 1t Musselshe1. Soon
afterwards they were joined by Col.
George Clendennin and his brother and
a James McGinness, who began con-
gtruction of further buildings. A num- |
Der of people came to the settlement; |
q company Of soldiers under Captain |
NugenE Of the 18th infantry came
built q stockade with baStions Just be-
low the town, giving to this protection
the name OF Camp Reeve. The friendly |
Gros VentreS and Crows came TO Dne |
place In large numbers and the sum-
mer of 1858 saw the settlement OF Mus
seIshen giving every promise OF It's
founders dreams.
But the hostile Sioux had d1rterenL
IDEAS. They swept down upon the town,
rlrstIed the herds and killed two sol
diers of the garrison. In the fan OF
1858 the soldiers concluded this loca-
5on was too hot and were Withdrawn
10 Camp Cooke.
In the spring of 1868 AL Bradbury,
of the pony express
route whose riders used the man Tor
tinder and cigaret makings, arrived
49,. n NTi,sselshell while Investigating the
affairs Of the company. About the mid
lie of April he set out for Helena
accompanied by Henry Mcdonald, a
daring and successful rider on the
-oalte. and four other men. The route
shosen led them over the Judith noun
aims, near the base of which they dis
covered a party of about 30 hostile
Sioux Indians. The party at once raced
'or a small knoll where they en-
renched themselves by digging small
.ifle pits with their butcher knives.
the Indians charged but were driven
,ff. Night intervened and the party
,e9an to feel uncomfortable, especially
dnce they had lost all their horses.
They decided to retreat through the !
lark and take chances on running into
sioux warriors in the gloom. Bradbury
vith four companions subsequently
cached the settlements without fur