Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-09-07

valleys of the Missouri and the Vel
loWStone and their tributaries extend
ing from the Tetons on the south the
Rockies on the west and sweeping into
the Hudsons Bay country on the north
ana mckenzie had even negotiated a
peace trading pact with the Black
feet before the Rocky Mountain PR
Co., backed by that intrepid frontiers
man, Gen. William II. Ashley. then
o member OF congress, and represent
ed IN the field by the partnership Of
two dominating characters, William I,
Sublette and Robert Campbell, not only
brave and experienced frontiersmen.
but executives and genuine leaders,
came on the scene.
Sublette and Campbell
Sublette, older Of the two. was then
80 years old. He had been EMPLOYED
by Ashley and Henry, fur traders. and
had been a sergeant major in the
battle with the Aricara, June 2, 1928,
and had participated Aug. 9 and IL, In
a battle with the Indians under Leav-
enWorth. He was dauntless and fear
less, standing feet in his stock
ing feet, possessing steel blue eyes that
never flickered in the most dangerous
positions, a Roman nose, straight and
open forehead and sandy complexion. |
he was feared and respected by the
Indians and by them was given the |
name Of Fate" an appellation fitting /
him in more ways than one. He was 1
a farmer and came from a farm near
the city of st. Louis, where he resided
after his retirement from the fur BUSH
ness, living the bounteous life of a
southern gentleman with a large es-
tate. He was a natural born operator
IN the field and real mixer with men.
Campbell was not so large, although
there is not so much of his personal
appearance given in the records that
have been handed down to us. He was
q clerk and i'll health sent him west
into the open. Irish in ancestry, he
lad an ability to get out of tight places
IN years following his retirement from
he fur trade he became one of the
pest known business men of ST. Louis,
president of two banks, an active lead
T in the community and owner of the
southern hotel, a leading hosiery of
is day.
Both Attained Distinction
Both men rose. to positions of prom :
hence later in life and Sublette was Z
t one time mentioned for congress- !
nan. His death occurred at Pittsburgh f
n 1645, while on mission to Wash a
lgtOn. .
Campbell served with Father De-
met in 1851 as a commissioner to deal +
a
1869 he was appointed TO a similar a
osition by President Grant. His death .
ccurred in 1879.
Before the excursion which resulted 6
/ the building of Fort william, Sub r
,tte had been in partnership with h
edediah S. Smith, another pioneer
ader and fur dealer, who had been +,
it'll him in engagements with the In n
ans. Following the death of Smith. :;
n
tie and Campbell, Dec. 20, 1882, a.
rmed a partnership, with the inten- n
on OF invading territory then con- sr
oiled by the American Fur Co. 10
In the following spring, Campbell n,
Id Milton Sublette, brother of VIII n
Inn, headed a party that made its II
ay into the Fort Union country via II
e Tetons and the Yellowstone ter 10
tory; establishing one trading post ia
William L. Sublette came I'D the ~
issourd river on the river boat Otto, m
I'd met his brother and partner and ri,
cir party at the junction of the two
yers, Aug. 81, 1888, and there they "a
lit Fort William. Later Campbell yus
mt up the Missouri about go miles an
ID built another fort and trading "a
St. N
Description of Fort William or
The construction of Fort william mi
s similar to other western trading MI
SITS. Like the first Fort Union, which to
IS burned in 1881, 1t was 200 feet
lare. Fort Union, when being rebuilt an
,er the fire with stone foundations, ===
s $50 feet square
This 200 feet square was surrounded
Ii poles, IL feet high, set perpen-
'ular, side by side, two feet in the
Dund. On two diagonal corners,
the approaches to the