Laurel outlook., 1949-11-30
DR.. ALLARO OUTLINES
HISTORY OF LAUREL

\ nv NV AES kAL(4S 10 INV
fence between the Big ditch an
the north pole, returned to Laure
Tuesday to address the Rotar,
club and tell its members abou
what and who existed here in tn
early '90s. DR.. Louis w. Allart
of Billings, born on a ranch som,
two miles west of Laurel, had {
vast curiosity about why the Vel
lowstone river runs as it does to.
wards the east, and why he founc
fossils of ferns in the rocks he
split open. While asking himself
these questions about nature he
was observing his fellow citizen
and finding them interesting.
In his address here Tuesday he
called the names of those deceased
and now somewhat legendary with
the ease of long familiarity. Who
was Mrs. Canary? Calamity Jane.
Who operated a threshing ma
chine?? John Moots. Who intro
duced irrigation? Charles New
man with assistance. Who had
the first store in Laurel? A Mr..
Rose. So it went.
The speaker said he thought
Providence was kind when select
ing the spot for his birth. He
found his environment in youth
pleasant and stimulating. The
why challenges nature hurled at
him provoked inquiry, and after he
had exhausted his own stock of
reasonable explanations he sought
the sciences.
A long time ago the area where
Laurel is now was covered by a
sea that was well stocked with
fish and plants, with great armor-
covered animals browsing the
growth along the seaside or gnaw-
ing at each other.
After a lapse of some millions
of years there was a great dis
turbance, the Rocky mountains
rose higher and pushed back the
long arm of the inland sea while
the Appalachian mountains sub
sided. The shifts of surface were
accompanied by cracks, faults, one
of which began in the vicinity of
and zig-zagged east for
the Yellowstone river to flow in
after Yellowstone lake quit empty
ing its overflow into the Snake.
The Pryor mountains, thrown UP
about that time, were an intrusion
very deep down.
The northern ice cap extended
several times towards the south
Scraping and digging up the sur
face and leaving great amounts
debris. The ice cap may have
been so great at one time that it
:hrew the earth off its balance.
Something happened, for the Vel :
owstone was no longer in the ;
Both animal and plant
life changed, the old making way ,
or the new. Among the arrivals d,
vas the saber-toothed tiger who !
'reyed on the grass-eating ami .
There were great herds of !
leer and antelope. I
The first white man thought to '
come to this area was d Z
'renchman who was looking for :
urs. He contacted the Crow tribe, I
onsisting then of 1000 to $500
'eople. In 1906 Captain Clark of G
he Lewis and Clark expedition z
'assed down the valley. His Ser I
cant Pryor lost the party's hors- 6
S to the Crows and won the hon I
+ of a group of mountains be- 4
1g named for him.
Later there came the fort build '
lg and trading period, then the \
iscovery of gold and the conse- n
uent rush of the avid. Indian re- v
eminent flared over invasion and +
roken treaties, soldiers came to S
ffer protection to travellers and f
'aders. Steamboats, pushed their b
'ay up the Yellowstone to the l
louth of the Big Horn and far L
Ter, coming a few times to the n
of Laurel. a
The history of Laurel began to c.
Ike form after irrigation was in C,
'oduced into the valley and the y
'orthern Pacific had completed its n
ne connecting the Great Lakes
it'll the Pacific northwest. The h
alley had long been travelled, and L
hen settlers came in the early n
0s they found well defined trails 81
, roads. Some, overtaken by
were buried beside the trail.
Chief Joseph and his entire tribe N
.me through Yellowstone park to
lie vicinity Of Laurel, crossed the
yer near here, burned a stage
alton a short distance south of
GILL, went up Canyon creek and r.
'ught an all-day battle with white II
'ldiers six miles north of Lau- :.
i. Il
After the completion of the rail p'
iad there was an influx of set if
ers who acquired land by home
cad, tree and desert claim. 1t B
as a great cattle and sheep coun- 3.
y in a public domain Of vast n.
tent. The cowpokes were just 2.
red, hard working men who rode m