Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-11-08
TOUGH LUCK QUARTET CAMP ON
BANK OF STREAM BED FULL
OF GOLD

The name Of the placer mining
guIch In which the city Of Helena
Is built Is redOlent OF the early
west and the romance Of human
struggle and strife after fortune.
The Montana Argonauts expressed
I'm the words Last Chance" the
final effort of years Of wandering
and fruitIess toll; their last chance
for fortune. Who Of the discoveries
of the gulch suggested the name?
History is silent and none win ever
know now.
Uncle Johnny Cowan and his party
left Virginia City for the Kootenai
country, $50 miles northwest, in the
spring of 1854, and after travelling to
a point near the summit Of the main
range in the vicinity Of Lewis and
Clark pass, we're compelled by hostile
Indians to retrace their steps. They
prospected the creeks on their return
with little success until Silver creek,
where gold had been discovered May
z, 1864, was reached, when the original
party lost most Of its members who
went to work in that gulch. Others
went on to Prickly Pear, six miles east
of Last Chance. where gold was found
two years previously by Hurlburt. This
left Uncle Johnny Cowan, Robert or
Reginald Stanley, D. j. Miller and
John Crab as the sole remnants Of
the band.
Last Cast of Dice
Cowan and the other three men,
bers of his party left their companions
because all the claims on Silver creek
and Priclly Pear we're taken up and
they could get no ground to prospect
The long ride to Alder gulch and Vir-
ginia City confronted them, the longer
because of their discouraging luck.
They decided on a final cast OF the
dice with fortune and started to sink
shaft in the bed of the creek they
were traversing, which they named
Last Chance. Success rewarded their
efforts, and the gulch which was 70
rival the famous Alder was thus dis
covered July q, 1854.
The excitement and rush incident
to the rich new diggings confuses the
record, and even the discoveries them
selves failed to record which one OF
the party actually PANIED out the first
colors from the ground where today
stands the capital Of Montana. Cowan
is credited with the discovery because,
perhaps, he was the leader OF the
party.
News Of the strike spread as only
tidings of a gold discovery can, and
six weeks after the original discovery
notice was posted, part Of the wagon
train of T. A. Holmes, loaded with
goods for miners, halted at the gulch
after leaving part Of the stock at
Prickly Pear, afterwards known as
Montana City.
Jealousy Exhibited
The first cabin was built on the
present site Of Helena by Cowan and
Stanley, but unfortunately its exact
location Is not known today. The first
newspaper mention Of the new gold
camp and future capital city Of Mon
lana was contained IN q letter from
Prfckly Pear to the Montana Post at
Virginia City on Sept. IA, and even as
early as that jealousy between the two
rival camps was manifested. The cor
after INDUCING in some
rosy dreams concerning the quartz
claims at Prickly Pear says: Mining
S still going on at Last Chance, but
nothing has yet been found Of extra
ordinary value"
The mining camp Of Last Chance
yulch was chrigtened Helena" by
John Somerville, one Of the early min
rs of the gulch, who had been chosen
chairman Of meeting called TO or
g&ntze the district and establish laws
and regulations to govern 1t. A letter
Written by Thomas r.. Cooper, who was |
4 the meeting, says: Thomas Cowan, |
rom Georgia IN 1884, had sluice and
vas mining IN Last Chance. A meeting