Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-24

1874, at a time when river traffic had
assumed great proportions. In 1865, due
to low water IN the river, steamboats,
bound for Fort Benton with supplies
for the gold camps had been unable
to ascend farther up the river than
the mouth of the Yellowstone, and
had unloaded at trading post con-
Quoted by Maj. F. D. Pease. Colonel
! Broadwater, who had charge of actual
freighting operations for the Diamond
r, took several trains of wagons and
went down to PeaSe'S post, near Fort
| Union, to bring back the freight from
! the steamboats, to Helena. He located
fords, built grades up and down the
river banks, and built road along
the line that the Great Northern fol-
lows today. 1t was while on this trip
to the mouth of the Yellowstone with
his wagon trains that the idea of
road from some point lower down the
river than Fort Benton, south across
through the Judith country, to the
gold camps of Last Chance, Diamond
City and Virginia City, first occurred
to Colonel Broadwater He felt that
it would be an easier trail to travel
than the road from Fort Benton to
the gold camps, and would also be
shorter Another great advantage was
that debarking place lower than Fort
Benton could be reached earlier In the
season and later in the fall by steam
boats. The arguments were exactly the
same as those advanced for the estab-
lishment of town at the mouth of the
Musselshel. But it was nine years be-
fore he and his associates put his
ideas into effect and established Car
roll
Were Outstanding Men
The three partners who were most
active in the operation Of the great |
Diamond r company and who eStab-
lished Carroll, were among the out
standing men of the Rocky mountain |
region half a century ago.
Matt CAROLS name has almost /
passed into oblivion. He was a native
of ireland, coming to America in 1854
at the age Of II. In 1855 he came up
the Missouri river to Fort Pierre, Da-
kota, working as clerk in the suffers
store. In 1859 he arrived at Fort Ben
ton with a stock of general merchan-
disc for the post traders. The trip was
made from Fort Stewart on a large
keel boat which had to be cordelled,
or pulled, by a gang of men on the
bank by means of long rope and as
IL was found impossible to drag the
boat farther than Fort Brule, above
the mouth of the MariaS, the cargo
was there put ashore and packed the
rest of the way by land.
The American Fur Co. that year
tried to get steamboats, to Fort Benton,
but were unsuccessful and 1t was not
until the following year, July 3, 1850,
that the first two boats, the Chippewa
and the Key West, reached the fort,
having on board six companies Of
United States infantry under command
Of Col. George Fl. Blake. They were
enroute to Fort Walla Walla, Wash. ]
At Fort Benton the troops we're met by
Lieut. John Mullan, builder Of the ]
N1ullan road over the Occur d'Alene
Grand Celebration
Carroll used to give a vivid descrip-
ion of the arrival OF the first steam
ooats at Fort Benton and the grand
celebration that accompanied the !
event. It took three days for the Off I
,ials and employees at the fort to re-
cover from the effects, but he used,
o say that the occasion was justified.
IS 1t marked an epoch in the history 1
If the fort. Followed, as 1t was, almost {
by the discovery Of gold /
n Montana and the consequent rush '
II emigration, 1t changed the whole 4
rider Of things at the post. 1t was the I
BEGINNING of that period Of q quarter Z
4 a century during which Fort Benton
vas the mOSb UupOfbAuL pO1ug pctWceu y
he Mississippi and the Pacific coast L
n the northern routes. '
In 1858 Carroll, who had prospered B
a his business ventures, reOrganized
lis firm to take over the Diamond r r
ompany, which had been established .
hree fears previously by two Missouri =
liver steamboat captains, John ]. Roe =
nd Nicholas Wall. to carry freight .
etween Fort Benton and the gold b
amps Of Montana and Idaho.
The new business soon assumed b
normous proportions and represented n
heavy investment, for freighttng by "
ontract and otherwise, was engaged tn u
etween all points Ia the northwest, as a
rell as between Fort Benton and trad h
IL posts ia Canada and as far south c,
8 Utah At that time its brand, con- 81
sting Of a diamond with an r In II
be center. was the best known EN- D
lem tn the northwest, and was seen q
q the trails everywhere. o.
The partners stocked the Diamond
with the finest mule trains and OK n
-afns that money could buy Their "
agons met steamers at Fort Benton, a
amp Cooke, at the mouth Of the a
Judith river Rors Claggett), and, after 8
,7A. at Carroll. and caxTied their car d
PES 20 every mining camp. t0wn, az
" pest and indian agency Ia the u
urtz1western country. They cCnfTacted q