Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-09-26
Colonel Broadater Saved Mans Life and in Turn Was Told
Road Agents Planned Murder Him ON Trip for His Money

The name of Broadwater. which was
name 10 conjure by during the early
days OF the development of the terri
tory OF Montana, a name which was
connected with many Of the early COM
mercial and industrial undertakings of
early Montana, has all but been for
gotten, although 1t still attaches to
several things about the state.
There is the Broadwater mine at Mel
hart from which has been removed
millions of dollars in silver ores. the
Broadwater bay in the Missouri river
at Great Falls, the Broadwater hotel
near Helena, the dining room of which
Is run by Tom Alley. the rest closed
for years. Once it was one OF the
most magnificent hotels in the terri
tory, and the Broadwater natitorium
nearby, now unused. was fayorite
recreational center.
These are practically all that remain
to mark the activities Of man who
was concerned in many large enter
prises in the territory, activities which
included stock raising, mining, trading
contract work in connection with the
various army posts during the Indian
days, railroad building and banking.
Died in His Hotel
When Colonel Broadwater died on
May IS, 1892, in the hotel which his
genius and his money had constructed
on the outskirts of Helena, his loss was
felt all over the state and he was ac-
corded one of the greatest and most
distinguished funerals that has ever
marked the end of a pioneer of the
territory.
1t was largely due to the business
acumen of Col. c. A. Broadwater that
the present line of the Great Northern
running from Butte to Helena, Great
Falls and Havre was constructed, and
he served as president of the company
which constructed that line from the
time of its organization until his death.
His death occurred soon after his
return to Montana from tour of Med
iterranean sea points and his funeral
brought men from distant points and
hundreds from other cities of the state.
It was held at the Broadwater hotel
and il was estimated that 5000 persons
we're in attendance. -Four special trains
were run into Helena for the funeral,
one from Anaconda, one from Living
ston and Bozeman, one from Butte
and one from Great Falls, the Butte
and Great Falls trains being run di-
rectly to the hotel and natatorium
grounds
After the Episcopalian services a
great procession formed to accompany
the body TO the cemetery, headed by
a platoon of Helena police and band,
with 2l0 Masons in line, hundreds OF
carriages and thousands on foot. After
going a short distance the Masons and
other pedestrians boarded special
train which carried them to the GEM
etery.
The pail bearers were James j. Hill,
president of the Great Northern rail-
way; Gov Joseph K. Toole, Marcus
DAILY, then at the head OF the Ana
conda company; w. A. Clark, the Mon
tana mining man and capitalist: Sam
uel T. Hauser, former governor OF Mon
tana; DR.. c. K Cole, w. H. Chessman,
o. F. Goddard T E. Collins and H. NJ.
Parchen.
Born in Missouri
Col C. A. Broadwater was born In
the town of st. Charles, Mo, on Sep
TENDER %. 1910, making him at the
time OF his death So years of age. He
grew to manhood near his native city.
In 1860 he went to Colorado, and when
gold was discovered at Bannack he
came to Montana, coming in with one
of the first expeditions in the fall of
1862 From there he went to where
the city of Deer Lodge is now located,
and with his partner, John Y. Penn
berton, laid out a townsite and built
a couple of cabins.
While there two men, Moore and
Reeves, who had been driven out OF
Bannack on account of being suspected
of connection with the road agents,
came and established themselves in a
tent. Moore was taken seriously Ill
and Broadwater offered him one OF
the cabins and greatly assisted in his
recovery. This kindness was well re-
paid by Moore, who warned Broad
water OF the intention Of two road
agents to kill him for his money when
he returned from Bannack after SELL
ing a bunch of cattle.
Afterwards Broadwater was employed
by the Diamond r freighting company,
and subsequently became partner in
the business with Matt Carroll, Ed