The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-06-05

posed line.
Among the early locaters for
squatters' rights in and near the
present town of Libby, were B. F.
Howard. Harry Howard, James
Horton, Oliver Woodcoe tknown as
Hoodoo joel, Patrick Dolan and
Pat Delaney.
Construction crews and supplies
were soon sent into this untouched
wilderness by two overland routes.
One came from the west from
/ Smeads Spur on the Northern Pa
cific by way of Bull river and Bull
lake to the Kootenai river at a point
about midway between the present
town of Troy and Kootenai Falls.
/ thence up the Kootenai, following
the same general route now taken
by the scenic Lincoln highway.
The route from the east started
at the head of navigation on the
Flathead river in town now out
of existence, called DemerSville
This route followed Ashley creek
and Smith valley over mountains,
valleys and streams to the conflu-
ence of Fisher river and the Koote-
mai. thence down the Kootenai to
Libby
Here contractors established head
quarters. This remained the sup
ply point for subcontractors from
the spring of 1890 TO the spring of
1892.
Temporary business places were
established by several young men.
hyr
adventures, frontiersmen and the
shifting population incident to the
opening of a new country. Small
log cabins were erected where mer-
chandise, food and liquor were Of
fered. Thus was established the
second town of Libby, still spoken
of by old-timers as the ..old town.
This town as one time boasted of IA
saloons.
The first two mercantile establish
ments in this town were those of
John p. Wall and Neff & Plummer.
John P Wall, former New York
merchant, started with wagonload
of merchandise from Missoula, head
ed for the new town of Libby. He
came by way of Demersville and
landed at his destination June 10,
1891, opening his store in log
cabin.
Robbed of Team
Neff & Plummer started from
Great Falls and arrived in Libby
with a Wagonload of merchandise
in August of 1891 They, too,
opened up shop in log cabin
While Neff was returning to Great
Falls for new supply of merchan-
disc he was robbed of his team at
Jennings The team was later cap
tured by government officials at
Fort Steel
In the fall of 1891 the California
& Montana Trading Co, composed
of A c. Sheldon, E. L. Reed, Theo-
dore II. Dean and John Burka pur-
chased the land located by B. F.
Howard and Harry Howard and
proceeded TO found the present town
of Libby, near the confluence Of
Libby creek and Kootenai river,
place marked and generally known
by the early trail travellers.
In the spring of 1892 lots were
Put on the market, building activi-
ties were booming, small saWmill
having been erected, and the entire
population of "Old Town proceed
ed to move to the new site.
First Train Arrives
In May, 1892, steel having been
laid on the new railroad, the first
construction train pulled into Lib
by from the east, much to the Joy
OF the inhabitants. On one of the
first mixed trains which came to
Libby, two new merchants, Allen
B. Johnson and c. F. w. Hall, came
with stock OF merchandise and
established the Racket store in
building on Front street owned by
A. c. Herbst.
AT this period many families made
their home and school for the
children was opened, in a small
board structure standing on the
present site of the Libby hotel.
Miss Walls was the first teacher.
Her salary was paid by popular sub
scription and by giving entertain
ments and dances. In this crude
frontier school the first religious
organization was perfected. In the
spring OF 1893 the Rev. Edwin M.
Ellis of Stevensville came to Libby
to organize the first Sunday school.
of the Presbyterian denomination.
Mrs. A. c. Sheldon, Mrs. Jones and
Mrs. Allen B. Johnston were its
earliest superintendent and teach
ers.
The panic of 1893 struck the new
and thriving town hard. This, how
ever, was soon relieved by the at
tention attracted by the mineral
wealth surrounding Libby. The
Snowshoe group of claims were sold
to the Chicago & Montana Mining
Co. for $4,000 A wagon load was
constructed to the mine, a concen-
traitor erected and concentrates
were hauled to Libby by four and
slx-horse teams and Libby expert
enced its first paying industry.
School, Church Erected
In 1894 the first church building,
which was erected by the Meth
odist organization, was completed,
and the following year a new four
room schoolhouse was erected.