Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-10

LAio stNbloiI Vi III EIIlCl
continent has been under the DONNA
ton OF the white races, which dom
nation in that period was many times
disputed by the red tribes native to
the northwest, Montana has been in
cluded in the possession Of three Of
the great nations and since its &C
QUESTION by the United States it has
been included in numerous national
subdivisions
II might be of interest to the Mon
tanan Of the present to know that at
one time that portion of Montana ly-
ing east Of the Rockies was under
the jurisdiction of the governor OF
the territory of Indiana, that for an
other long period of years it was a
part Of the territory of Missouri, and
that before it finally became a state
its eastern portion contributed to the
makeup of six distinct territories. while
that portion lying west of the Rockies
contributed at different times to the
composition OF four territories.
In French Possession
Along with the rest of the Missis-
sippi basin, Montana was first in the
possession of France, which held it
from 1852 until 1862 Then it passed
TO the ownership of Spain. which held
1t until 1900 and then turned it back
to France, which, after holding it the
short space of three years sold II to
the United States in 1903
Under the jurisdiction of the United
States it existed as the district of
Louisiana from 1903 until 1905, when
1t became the territory of Louisiana
In 1872 it was attached to the territory
OF Missouri, to the territory of Ne
braska in 1854. to the territory of
Dakota in 1861, to the territory of
Idaho il 1868 and, as it exists today,
TO the territory of Montana in 1864.
Although none of these explorers
came as far northwest as Montana
the Mississippi river country. which
afterwards became the province OF
Louisiana and in 1903 was acquired
by the United States, was first pene-
trated by the Spaniard. De Soto, in
1888, 1910 and l54l. that intrepid ex-
plorer dying the latter year at the
mouth OF the Red river
After this, for nearly a century and
half, no white man essayed to pene-
trate this wilderness and it was not
until on July 7, 1878. that Father
Marquette and Joliet, a French mer-
chant. reached the banks of the Mis-
Sissipp They followed down the river
to the mouth of the Arkansas river
and then retracing their route went
back into Canada.
Claimed by La Sale
Up to this time no steps had beer
taken to claim possession OF the vaS'
unknown region and 1t was not until
in January. 1852, that the Frenchman
Robert Cavalier de La Sale, first
viewed the Mississippi.
Claiming the right by discovery, La
Sale seized the territory in the name
of the king of France by forma
proclamation made by him at the
mouth of the Mississippi April 9, 1852
at which time he erected a column at
that place.
BY treaty of Nov. 2, 1762. France
coded to Spain the whole of the ter
ritory known under the name of Louis
lana, but her failure to deliver tc
Spain that portion of the territory
east of the Mississippi river was due
to the cessation by France tc Great
Britain on Feb. 10, 1853, of all of her
territory east of the Mississippi anC
south OF latitude 81.
From then until 1900 no changes
were made in the boundaries of the
district of Louisiana west of the Mis-
sissippi. and on Oct. l, 1900, Spain
by the secret treaty of San 1ldefonso
retroceded Louisiana to France, anc
by the treaty of Paris concluded April
20 1903, France coded the territory
of louisiana to the United States fol
100000 francs, of which 6C,OOO,OO(
francs was to be paid to France ano
10000 900 was to be used in paying
claims against France held py cltlZehs
of the United States.
Under an act of congress OF Oct. 81
1903 the president was authorized tc
take possession of the territories ceded
bv France to the United States BY
the treaty concluded at Paris, April
30, 1903
By an act, March &c, 1904, congress
created the territory OF Orleans anc
the district of Louisiana, the territory
of Orleans including all that portion
of the Louisiana purchase lying south
of the territory of Mississippi ano
south of the 33d parallel, north lati-
t,,de. to be under the jurisdiction OF
a governor to be appointed by the
president. while all the residue Of the
province of Louisiana, north OF the
33d parallel, was included in the dis
trict of Louisiana, to be under the
authority of the governor of the ter
ritory of Indiana.
Nearly a year later, by act of con-
gress of March 3, 1865, that portion OF