History

Yellowstone County, Montana 1870-1888

Yellowstone County, organized out of Gallatin and Custer in 1883, comprised a part if not all of the former Crow reservation. The county town, Billings, was founded in 1882, and had a rapid growth. It contained 400 building’s in 1883, among which were a brick church of good size, a bank building, several wholesale merchandise establishments, three hotels, a commodious schoolhouse, the roundhouse and shops of the Northern Pacific railroad, at the terminus of the Yellowstone division, and three newspapers, one a daily. This phenomenal growth, seldom seen except in mining towns, might have quickly disappeared were it not that … Read more

Silver Bow County, Montana 1870-1888

Silver Bow County, cut off from Deer Lodge in 1881, had a small area, but a population of 14,000, and is richer, in proportion to its size, than any county in Montana, its assessed valuation in 1884 being $7,240,000. It was first settled in June 1804 by placer miners. Ten years of digging and washing exhausted the deposits, or so nearly that only 300 inhabitants remained. Quart-mining was begun in 1875. The county contained in 1885 19 mills, concentrato’s, and furnaces, which give employment to 3,000 miners. Butte, the county seat, was the second town in Montana. It had an … Read more

Missoula County, Montana 1870-1888

Beginning with Missoula, the first settled and organized, and the most western, it contained about 30,000 square miles, distributed in forest crowned mountains and sunny valleys, affording a charming variety of scenery, and a fortunate arrangement of mineral, agricultural, and grazing lands. About 36,000 acres were occupied, and 5,196 cultivated. Its principal valley, the Bitterroot, contained 500 farmers, and would support four times as many. It had 8,000 horses, 19,000 cattle, and 13,000 sheep. It produced in 1884 124,226 bushels of wheat, and 281,312 bushels of oats; made 30,000 pounds of butter, and raised large quantities of all the choicest … Read more

Meagher County, Montana 1870-1888

Meagher County extended from the Missouri River on the west to the Musselshell River on the east, and was sandwiched between Gallatin and Choteau Counties. It contained 20,000 square miles, embracing mountain ranges clothed in forest, and veined with mineral deposits, high grazing lands, and low agricultural lands. The valleys of the Judith, Musselshell, Smith, and Missouri Rivers aggregated 2,000 square miles. The population of the county in 1880 was 2,743. In 1884 its livestock was valued at 7,000.000; $750,000 being in horses. The mines of Meagher County by 1886 produced over $10,000,000 in gold from the gulches, while the … Read more

Madison County, Montana 1870-1888

Madison County, rendered forever famous as the district of country containing the Alder gulch of worldwide renown, 4,900 square miles in extent, had also a population of not more than 4,000 at the last census. It is a county rich in resources, chiefly mineral, although agricultural to a considerable degree. Its chief export was gold, while silver, copper, lead, iron, marble, coal, and other valuable minerals abound. The county owned in 1884 cattle, horses, and sheep valued at $1,800,000, and had 10 sawmills cutting 1,000,000 feet of lumber yearly, 2 grist-mills making 6,000 sacks of flour annually, besides raising 100,000 … Read more

Lewis and Clarke County, Montana 1870-1888

Lewis and Clarke County, occupying a central position, although comparatively small in extent, having only 2,900 square miles, was the second in population, its inhabitants numbering about 13,000, and its assessed valuation being in 1884 over $8,000,000. Its mines have already been spoken of. From 135 farms in Prickly Pear Valley was harvested, in 1878, 25,000 bushels of wheat, 40,000 bushels of oats, 15,000 bushels of barley, or an average of over 500 bushels of grain to every farm. Besides the grain crop, 7,000 tons of hay were harvested, over 300 tons of turnips and cabbages, 40,000 bushels of potatoes, … Read more

Jefferson County, Montana 1870-1888

Jefferson County, lying north of Madison, and divided from it by the Jefferson fork of the Missouri, contained 5,000 square miles and 2,500 inhabitants. It was, after mining, chiefly a dairying county, though there several farming settlements sprang up in the valleys of Prickly Pear, Boulder, Crow, Pipestone, and other streams. In 1878, 50,000 lbs of butter and 20,000 lbs of cheese were produced. The farmers raised 50,000 bushels of grain, and there were about 10,000 acres of improved lands. The sawmills in the county cut about 1,500,000 feet of lumber. The stock of the county consisted of 25,000 range … Read more

Gallatin County, Montana 1870-1888

Gallatin County, containing 10,000 square miles, was divided between the two valleys of the Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers, and the Belt and Snowy ranges of mountains. The three forks of the Missouri met within its boundaries, making a remarkable and beautiful combination of river and meadow scenery with bench land and mountains. The basin formed by the Gallatin Valley, from the earliest settlement of eastern Montana, has been a favorite resort for home seekers with agricultural tastes. From its lesser altitude it is more generally productive than the country to the west, and became more thickly settled, having a population … Read more

Deer Lodge County, Montana 1870-1888

Deer Lodge County, also west of the Rocky Mountains, and the second settled, was much less in size than Missoula, containing 6,500 square miles, but fully equal in attractions and natural wealth. It had 25,000 acres under improvement, and raised 130,000 bushels of grain in 1878, made 150,000 pounds of butter, produced 50,000 bushels of potatoes, 1,200,000 pounds of garden vegetables, 75,000 of wool, and manufactured 1,000,000 feet of lumber. Its population was 9,000, and taxable wealth $2,341,268. In 1884 its livestock alone was valued at $1,000,000. Deer Lodge City, the county seat, situated on the east side of Deer … Read more

Dawson County, Montana 1870-1888

Dawson County, owing to Indian wars and other causes, remained unorganized down to a late period, and although having an area of 32,000 square miles, and good stock ranges, contained in 1880 only about 200 inhabitants. It occupied the northwestern portion of Montana, and was divided by the Missouri River, and crossed by the Yellowstone, Musselshell, and Milk Rivers. Its assessable property in 1884 was about $2,500,000. Glendive, the principal town, was founded in 1881, and named by Lewis Merrill after Glendive creek, which received its name from Sir George Gore, who wintered in Montana in 1856. It was the … Read more

Custer County, Montana 1870-1888

Custer County occupied in 1884 an area of 25,500 square miles, divided by the Yellowstone River, which is navigable, and watered by numerous large and small tributaries. It formerly included the Crow reservation, a 5,000,000 acre tract, which was surrendered to the government in 1882, and thrown open to settlement in 1883. Several mountain ranges separated the principal valleys and gave diversity to the scenery. It was possessed of a superior soil, and the bench lands furnish every variety of nutritious native grasses, including Bluegrass, wild rye, and wild oats. The lower portion of the Yellowstone Valley was favored by … Read more

Choteau County, Montana 1870-1888

Choteau County, containing 27,380 square miles, the first inhabited on the east aide of the Rocky Mountains, having their summits for its boundary on the west, and the vast, unorganized area of Dawson county on the east, the British possessions on the north, and Lewis and Clarke and Meagher Counties on the south, was a grazing country, with a few agricultural valleys of considerable extent, the stock-raisers usually cultivating farms also. In 1884 its livestock was valued at $2,000,000, and 50,000 pounds of wool sent to market. The population of the county was 3,058. Fort Benton, the county seat, was … Read more

Beaverhead County, Montana 1870-1888

Beaverhead County, where the first town of eastern Montana was laid off in 1802, contains 4,2110 square miles. More than any other part of Montana, it reminds the traveler by its nomenclature of the journey of Lewis and Clarke in 1805, containing Horse Prairie, Willard Creek, Beaverhead Rock, and the pass by which these explorers crossed the Rocky Mountains. It is a mountainous district interspersed with a few fertile valleys, and furnishing excellent stock ranges on the bench lands between the valleys and the high ridges. Its population was less than 3,000 in 1880. In 1884, its taxable property was … Read more

Members of the 4th – 14th Legislature of Montana

Members of the 4th Legislature The council consisted of: Charles S. Bagg, president John W. Corum, W. E. Cullen, Alexander Davis, Sample Orr, Jasper Rand, Thomas Watson Secretary, Thomas B. Wade Asst. Secretary, C. C. Menaugh Clerks, H. H. Showers, D. B, Jenkins Sargeant-at-Arms, Stephen R. Elwell Doorkeeper, John Thompson The members of the lower house were: Wellington Stewart, Speaker J. M. Anderson, N. C. Boswell, H. R. Comly, W. H. Edwards, James Gallaher, H. A. Kennerly, F. E. W. Patton, J. W. Rhodes, John A. Simms, W. Tennant, J. R. Weston, Samuel Word Clerks, H. A. Barrett, F. A. … Read more

1862 Montana Settlers, Forts and Valleys

Fort Benton Settlers in 1862 Andrew Dawson was Agent in Charge George Stull and M. Carroll, Chief Clerks Hunick, Sub-clerk Henry Bostwick and Francis Veielo, Interpreters Benjamin De Roche, Joseph Spearson, Charles Choquette, Peter Choquette, Michael Champagne, and Henry Robert, Interpreters and Traders Vincent Mercure and Joseph Laurion, Carpenters John Nubert, Tailor Henry Martin, Blacksmith George Weipert, Tinner Paul Longleine, Overseer of Workmen Antoine Burdeau, Clement Cournoys, Charles Cournoys, Charles Cunand, Edward Cunand, Milton Foy, Joseph Hule, William Keiser, John Largent, Joseph Lucier, William Truesdale, Isaiah Tremblez, Employees Daniel Carafel, a Freeman Philip Barnes and Henry Mills, Negro Employees James … Read more

First Senators and Representatives of Washington

These are the names of the first state senators, with their counties: Adams, Franklin, and Okanagan County, F. H. Luce Asotin and Garfield County, C. G. Austin Chehalis County, C. T. Wooding Clallam County, Jefferson, and San Juan, Henry Landes Clarke County, L. B. Clough Columbia County, H. H. Wolfe Cowlitz County, C. E. Forsythe Douglas and Yakima County, J. M. Snow Island and Skagit County, Thomas Paine King County, W. D. Wood, J. H. Jones, 0. D. Gilfoil, John R. Kinnear, W. V. Rinehart Kitsap and Mason County, W. H. Kneeland Kittitas County, E. T. Wilson Klickitat and Skamania … Read more

Washington Council Members, 1854

The members of the council elected to fill the places left vacant by the expiration of the short term and other causes were: Jefferson Huff and Ira Patterson from Clarke and Skamania County C. C. Terry and W. A. Strickler from Pierce and King County A. M. Poe from Island County, Clallam, Jefferson, and Whatcom County. Catlin, of the former council, was chosen president Butler P. Anderson, Chief Clerk A. J. Moses, Assistant Clerk J. L. Mitchell, Sergeant-at-Arms William Cullison, Doorkeeper The Lower House was composed of: William McCool, of Skamania, County; C. C. Stiles, Chas S. Irby, William Hendrickson, … Read more

Hudson’s Bay Company Forts in Washington

In Stevens’ report is found a list of all the forts of the H. B. Co., with their rank and value, and the amount of cultivated laud, making the whole foot up no more than $300,000, whereas they received twenty years later more than double that amount. The other information contained in the report relates to the segregation of the land claimed by the companies into donation lots, with the names of the squatters, and is of interest in the history of the early settlement of the country. The following are the names of the so-called trespassers: At Fort Vancouver, … Read more

Steamboats, Tug Boats and River Craft in Washington

The first charter granted to a steamboat company on the Cowlitz River was to Seth Catlin, John R. Jackson, Fred A. Clarke, Henry N. Peers, George B. Roberts, and their successors, by the legislature of 1854-5. Wash. Stat., 1854, 439. This company failed to make any use of its charter. The legislature of 1858-9 granted to Royal C. Smith and Noyes H. Smith and their associates permission to incorporate the Cowlitz River Steam Navigation Company, for the purpose of improving the bed of the Cowlitz River, and keeping upon it a steamboat or boats suitable for carrying freight and passengers … Read more

History of Washington, Idaho and Montana

Bancroft’s extensive work on the history of the Northwest Coast meticulously chronicles the development of the region encompassing Washington, Idaho, and Montana up until 1846, marking the end of the fur company era and the resolution of territorial boundaries between Great Britain and the United States. His writings provide a comprehensive account of how these regions evolved from being parts of Oregon into separate territories, detailing the intricate relationships and historical overlaps among them. Bancroft’s approach includes a broad spectrum of sources such as printed materials, public documents, newspapers, and firsthand accounts from early settlers and prominent figures, ensuring a thorough narrative of the region’s historical landscape. This article aims to present the interconnected histories of these territories, emphasizing their significance in the broader context of North American history.