Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-07-18
King of Fur Traders Once Ruled Rich Territory

Montana once had king"
Kenneth Mckenzie, who, with an
iron hand and with a. much dis
play Of the purple as was COM
patible with the wilderness, ruled
the realm Of the upper Missouri
under the overlordShip Of the
ed by John Jacob Aston, grand
father Of the John Jacob Aston
who went down to death In the
sea with the Titanic.
The seat Of King Kenneths rule
was Fort Union, the first settlement
In Montana, with the exception of the
fort established in 1907 by Emanuel
Lisa on the Yellowstone, near the
mouth of the Big Horn. which had
been abandoned long before 1892, when
Alexander Culbertson built Fort Union
Just west of the present boundary of
Montana on the Missouri, a few miles
above its confluence with the Yellow
stone
From the time of its establishment
this trading station remained the port
Of Montana until the rise of Fort
Benton caused it to decline and ulti-
mately to be dismantled.
This Kenneth Mckenzie, who was
called King of the Missouri" was
cousin OF lhe great explorer, SIR Alex
aiiaei NicheiiZle' oLSco'eFer OF tle NC
heilzie river. he ana MS heutenants
aI roft Union were hoStS 10 many OF
the men whose names ana deedS are
PaII U! the warp ana WOOL Oh the
history Oh tne west, ana also 10 some
Oh the WoliaS foremost scientists ana
men OF art ana letters.
Here John Audubon the greatest of
all ornithologists, passed more than
two months gathering material for
his "Quadrupeds of North America"
after coming up the Missouri by steam
boat with the record of the fastest
trlp-4S days-eVer made from ST.
LOUIS.
here haximlllan, Prince OF Wled,
made ms headquarters the same year
gathering data Tor iollo atlas that
Is oescrioeo as tine most iuxurlous
souvenir OF western adventure ever Is
sued from lhe press.
Painted Indian Pictures
Here George Catlin, the preceding
year, drew many of his Indian pic
lures that became known as curiosities
of art and are highly priced as aids
to the anthropologist.
Here Jim Bridger. renowned free
TRAINER, used to resort and it was
here that Bridcer suffered a deem hl-
initiation. After he had boosted of the
valor of his men, his force fled from
the Sioux at the yery gates of the fort
and at the funeral of a half-breed
victim of the attack, Bridger heard the
speaker pronounce the words: This
funeral is caused by the cowardice OF
Brldgers party The veteran trapper
had intended to pass the winter at
Fort Union, but now he dismissed his
men and returned to the mountains
alone.
Here Nathaniel ]. Wyeth, who de-
voted his life to a vain attempt to
develop the Columbia river salmon
fisheries, committed what the men of
the mountain and prairie regarded as
a gross act of treachery. Wyeth stayed
for few days at the fort on his way
back to the states and was entertained
BY Mckenzie. who explained to him
the operation of the whisky still When
he reached civilization again. Wyeth
reported the existence of the still,
which was used to make whisky for
trade with the Indians, and William
CLARK of the famous Lewis and Clark
expedition. who was still superintend-
emit for western tribes, was Instructed
tn sunpress the Illicit manufacture. The
incident came near wrecking the fur
company, which Immediately ordered
the stiI, DESTROYED Big influences we're
hroroh, IN hear and the affair of the
sti,I WAS allowed tn mass unpunished.
$50, VII. n..-:..s