Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-12-19

on the west side of the Big Horn
mountains, Bridger, with several
weeks start, finally reached the
Yellowstone ahead of Bozeman. This
road was at times. along the course
of the Big Horn river which crossed
in the vicinity of the present city Of
Basin, wyoming. From here for many
miles through northern Wyoming
and southern Montana, Bridger's
route followed the present day route
of the Burlington railroad from Basin,
wyoming, to Bridger, Montana.
Captain Clark Visited Pass
Bridgers road took him into the
Gallatin valley by going up the Shields
river, just a few miles west of Hun
ter's Hot Springs. and then went up
Bracket creek, then down what Is
now Bridger creek. BoZemans more
direct route southwest Of what Is now
Livingston, landed him in the Gallatin
valley ahead Of Bridger. From this
point the two trains raced from the
West Gallatin into Virginia City, ar
irving but a few hours apart
Concerning this incident, DIN D.
Wheeler, well known historian Of the
northwest who died in st. Paul, says:
"Bozeman traversed what has since
been known as the Bozeman pass into,
the Gallatin valley, and Brtdger en-
tered the valley via Bridger creek. The
route and pass which Bozeman fol-
lowed were those used by Capt. VIII
liam Clark in 1906 (pointed out as the
right path by Sacajawea, the Sho-
shone Indian woman guide) and 1t
became a well known thoroughfare,
following particularly the old indian
and buffalo road, and it was in con-
slant use until the construction OF
the Northern Pacific railroad sup
planted It.
THE entrances to the valley used
by these frontiersmen are within Few
miles of each other, the one used by
Bridger being to the north OF the
other. The names Of both Of these
men are perpetuated in Bridger creek,
Bridger mountains, Bridger pass, and
Bridger peak; and by Bozeman pass,
Bozeman creek and the city Of Boze-
man. all in and about Gallatin county.
Bozeman pass, which should have
been called Sacajawea pass, IS sup
posed to be the one by which John
Golfer made his way across the noun
tains to Ldsa's fort on the Big Horn
river after he escaped from the Black
feet at the time Potts Chis companion)
was killed"
Again in 1854, trailmaker Bozeman
successfully conducted another emf
grant train over his route to the yell
Iowstone river into the Gallatin valley.
The ease of travel, the shortening OF
the miles, the abundance Of water,
timber, grass and game, and the saw
ing Of time by using this road, at
once made this the most desired trail
to Montana, largely to the exclusion
Of the more frequented lines Of travel.
For a time this way TO the mines
was known as "the Virginia City road"
and "the Bighorn road" but the
original title for the man who dared
to defy the Indians, became the ac-
cepted appenation, hence, the Bozeman
trail.
During the month Of July, 1864, one
emigrant train consisting Of 100
wagons. $3.50 men, 50 women, Sc chill
dren, 636 oxen, 1914 COWS, 70 horses and
a dozen mules, Of a valuation Of $780,
600 reached the gold fields over this
forbidden path. Invasion Of even one
caravan Of this magnitude enraged the
Indians to hostile activity, for the
penetration Of this, their land, meant
the destruction Of the wild game and
the influx and control by the whites.