Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-01-02
One Of the outstanding figures
Of what IS now Montana . century
or more ago, was Kenneth Nc.

Is "h1nS OF the N1lSSOuI1
Mckenzie ruled the realm Of the
upper Missouri country as chief factor
Of the American Fur Trading Co.,
rival Of the Hudson's Bay Co., and
which controlled the trade Of the In
dams of a vast stretch Of country. 1t
was by far the most powerful concern
In the west. and sought to rule the
redskins who were dependent upon 1t
for goods and supplies. as despotically
as did the Hudson's Bay Co. In the
north. The head Of the American Fur
Trading Co. was John Jacob Aston.
Mckenzie was the executive in the
field under Aston. His headquarters
were at Fort Union, first settlement in
the west with the exception of the
fort established by Manuel Lisa at the
confluence of the Big Horn and Vel
lowstone rivers in 1907.
Fort Union was built by Alexander
Culbertson, just outside the present
Montana boundaries, where the waters
of the Missouri and Yellowstone join
It Immediately became the center of
trade of wide stretch Of Indian
country and was the port of Montana
until the rise of Fort Benton, nearly
half century later, caused it to de-
cline, and ultimately to be dismantled.
Now it is but memory with the
modern town of Mondak half mile
distant from its site.
Fort Union was the mecca of all
travellers who came adventuring into
the great wilderness of the west. 1t
was the last outpost of civilization.
Beyond it the red savages were su-
preme, and the white man who left its
protection and ventured further into
the wilds took his life in his hands.
Ruled As Monarch
Mckenzie as chief trader of Fort
Union, was by far the most important
individual of the upper Missouri river
country. He was out of reach and out
of touch with the constituted author
tiles, and was a monarch unto himself.
Mckenzie and his lieutenants at
Fort Union were hosts to many men
whose names and deeds are part OF
the warp and wool of the history of
the west, and also to some of the
worlds famous scientists and men of
art and letters of that time.
Here John James Audubon, greatest
of all ornithologists, passed more than
two months gathering material for his
"Quadrupeds of North America" after
coming up the Missouri by steamboat
with the record of the fastest trip
48 days-ever made from st. Louis.
Macmillan, Prince of Weld, made
his headquarters the same year at
Fort Union, gathering data for folio
atlas that is described as "the most
luxurious souvenir of western adven-
ture ever issued from the press"
Where Catlin Drew Pictures
Here George Catlin, the preceding
year, drew many of his Indian pictures
that became known as curiosities Of
art and are highly priced as aids to
the anthropologist.
Here Jim Bridger. renowned free
trapper used to resort and 1t was here
that Bridger suffered deep humilia-
ton. After he had boosted OF the Valor
of his men, his force fled from the
Sioux at the very gates Of the fort,
and at the funeral Of half-breed
victim of the attack, Bridger heard
the speaker pronounce the words:
This funeral is caused by the coward
ice of Bridger's party" The veteran
trapper had intended to pass the win
ter at Fort Union, but now he dis
missed his men and returned to the
mountains alone.
Here Nathaniel j. Wyeth, who de-
voted his life to vain attempt to
develop the Columbia river salmon
fisheries, committed what the men OF
mountain and prairie regarded as
gross act Of treachery. Wyeth stopped
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
to suppress the illicit manufacture.
The incident came near wrecklng the
American Fur Co., which Immediately
ordered the still destroyed. Big In
fluences were brought to bear and the
affair of the still was allowed to pass
unpublished.
washington Irving, in his "Adven-
lures of Captain Bonneville" thus de-
scribes Wyeth's visit to the fort:
ON the oath of August, 1883, the
bull boat emerged, with its adventur-
GUS crew, into the broad bosom of the
mighty Missouri. Here, about six miles
above the mouth of the Yellowstone.
the voyagers landed at Fort Union,
the distributing post Of the American
Fur Co. in the western country, It was
q stockaded fortress, about 20 feet
square, pleasantly situated on high
bank. Here they were Hospitality en-
tertained by Mr.. Mckenzie, the super
intendent, and remained with him
three days, enjoying the unusual lux
uries of bread, butter, milk and cheese.
for the fort was well supplied with
domestic cattle, though it had no gar
den, The atmosphere of these elevated
regions IS said to be too dry for the
culture Of vegetables; yet the voyagers,
in coming down the Yellowstone. had
met with plums, grapes. cherries and
currants, and had observed ash and
elm trees. Where these grow. the ell
mate cannot be Incompatible with
gardening.