When Culver Came to Lewistown 1 |
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... ' : trifle, under the influence'.;of~liquor, and when we asked for' a. pick and shovel he became' somewhat incensed. It seems, however, that Mr. Bowles 'had no intention of supplying us with a pick and shovel, and he made this matter rather clear to us. It seems that there had been rumors of a strike in the Judith mountains and Mr. Bowles was quite certai .that ,we "had 'something up 0 sleeve, adding'that we cOulCln't m e a: sucker ,out of him.' l' .- , \ .. "We spent the evening at Junea '8 stockade, which was located "where, the new postoffice building is to be built, later settling in a cabin of our own. I went back to Fort Benton' for winter supplies: later that year and it was on this trip that I saw the largest herd of buffalo I had ever seen.. I had camped for the night 'between the Judith and Rossfork and in the morning I had' planned on securing some meat to take into Fort Benton with me.· Riding up onf'the bench I first saw the herd, thousands of them. The rolling hills for several miles were covered with the animals. "We tnipped' that winter ".and spring around through the Basin and Qn returning to where Lewistown now is, we first heard of gold~p1scoveries in the Judith mounuains and decided that we would go to the new diggings. C. C. Snow, a fellow by the name of "Pony" .McPartlin " "Skookum Joe" Anderson,', Dave Jones and several others had spent the winter prospecting' in that territory' and had struck some promising gravel in Alpine gulch. Brundage and I met a man by the name of Herring, who had first claim above discovery, and 'he gave us a "work- • ing' interest. We worked~about two 'weeks and cleaned, up, a 'pit' 12-foot 'square to bed rock, and incidentally got for all of our trouble an ounce of gold, worth some $16..The' stUff showed up fine in the' pan, nice and bright, but when it came to weighing it up it was mighty de'ceiving,"and so' those particular dreams', of easy wealth vanished rather hurriedly. " -:"It seems to be forgotten by most pioneers that before Maiden· becam ,a' postoffice, .Andersonville, located about three miles below the old town ,of Maiden, was the postoffice."Ander, sonville' was named after "Skookum (Joe," and,at one time had some hun-dred inhabitants:' Dexter had'a sawmill there that la.ter furnished most of the timbers for the building of the old Collar mill.'As I remember it" thiS 'was built around '83 and it created 'lots 'of interest·and enthusiasm" in that little city. Snow and some others had developed some "property about a,mile from Maiden ,over the hill'towards' Fort Maginnis 'and 'an eastern • 'company had financed the building 'of, the mill. Everybody"that summer was happy, for theY were working for the company, assisting in the con,. struction wor,k and getting ready for better days. The 'mill was finally 'constructed and ran about a month when ~ a sudden hard freeze' completely shut off the water in the wooden flumes, necessi in the closing of the mill. SC 978.6292 FERGUS COUNTY 1.2 in Montana he spent in Butte 'and the neighboring camps of Wicks and Radersburg. They were exciting days for Butte was a town of easy money and easy ways. He had learned the photography business in' Independence, Iowa, and while in Butte he wo~ked a~ that trade, moving in the sprmg,of 80 to Fort Benton,where he went mto partnership with a pho": ~ographer at that place. Incidentally, It was while hd was)n Fort Benton' that Mr. Culver took the first picture ever taken of the Great Falls of the Missouri, something to be remem-bered with pride and joy. " It had been intended to get Mr. ~ul.ver to tell about sonie partiCUlar mCldent, some startling event that had happened in the early days of the west, and .when this matter was approached Mr. Culver became somewhat reticent and made the remarks that have already been quoted, , ,'", "There is a tehdency for so mani ~f us who have seen the early days m the west to attempt to impress the listeners with some particular bit of devil~ry that would be startling. I was readmg the .other day about an early day hunter in Montana who bagged 2~0 ,mountain lions in a week and its stones of that caliber that makes a gOO~ many pioneer stories rather ludicrous. I would '-rather tell about how, I first happened to ,come to the JU,dlth Basin country," Mr. Culver saId. . "In the fall of '80 I happened to meet Al Brundage in Fort Benton" ¥r. Culver related. "And as he eli. J<?yed hunting almost as much as I ~:l1d, we decided that we would go mto the Judith Basin country and ~pend the winter trapping and huntmg. We procured a saddle horse each and a Red River cart to haul our luggage and eqUipment. . , :'Now a Red River cart is somethmg that a· lot of 'people haven't heard about. They were built by the Hudson Ba:y half-breeds, entirely out of wood WIth an auger and saw out of species .of oak timber that 'grew in theIr sE<ctlOn of the country., Crude contraptions . with high wooden wheels but they served the purpose and I have seen strings" a ,.I;1alf mile loz:,g, of these carts haulmg supplies. y/ell, we started for the Judith: Basm, coming up through the Highwoods and angling across towards the' Belts, That night ten inches of snow fell and the next morning Al ran across a fresh ·bear track 'a few feet from camp. We got the bear alright and went down Wolf Creek to about where old Stanford afterwards stood, where we struck the Indian. trail running eastward. That day we reached the old Reed· and .Bowles stocka:de, down 'where the county farm IS now located. and just as we got there we met· Major Reed "Who !lad just finished-loading his belong~ gS on a wagon preparatory to movmg up to what is now known as the old postoffice building. . . "We had forgotten to purchase a pIck and shovel in Fort Benton and as we felt 'that we wO'uld -·probably need them to dig in for the winter we thought it would be best to get them at this point: .Bowles came out of the stockade, as we· :t:ode :up, .a \ .. \ t· St~rie~'of the' Old Times WHEN CULVER CAME TO LEWISTOWN In recent years we have heard much about the vanishing frontier, that seemingly mythical line that divides the old order from the new. There are still living many pioneers who saw, in one 'sense, the passing of the frontier in many localities, and among those in Lewistown, William H. Culver, \ photographer, has had contact with many towns and characters that are today portions of the history of the west. . Mr. Culver, while still a young man moved to Kansas with his parents; shortly after the war, while that state was still the favored grounds of the bushwacking contingents. They made their headquarters in the Indian territory and their working, grounds among the settlers of Kansas, Mr. Culver remembers, and citizens with some respect for the law were forced to handle matters in their own way, Whie,h it must be admitted, was forcIble and to the point. The old M. K. & T. was building its line througlr .Kansas at that time and with the :advent of the construction crews matters did not improve to any great extent. Mr, Culver remembers that at .a neighboring town nine men were hung one afternoon after one particularly horrible crime. Many stories have been written about the Indian territory. and the wild exciting days that followed the throwing open of that country to the ~ettlers, but Mr. Culver was in that territory before the advent of the land hungry citizenry of the east ever • th?ught about making it their home. WIth a surveying party running the preliminary lines, Mr. Culver spent :some time in that country, both in '72 and '73. It was a wild country then and the Southern Cheyennes :and Arapahoes made it extremely uncomfortable at times. The, Indians killed four men working with a neighboring party, and at another time killed the messenger who was making the. rounds between the camps with mail and field notes, In '76 Mr, Culver was with a party that had Deadwood, S. D., as their destination, and it was on this tr~p that he met Calamity Jane who was 'On her way, to Cheyenne with a group of freighters. Mr. Culver chuckled over the many stories that have been circulated about that famous frontier character, adding that it was a general, characteristic in these days to build up a network of stories aro~nd Qld c!laracters and incidents, addmg startlmg details whenever the story-teller felt that the audience was losing interest. It was on this same trip that the party Mr. Culver was with met General Crook and his troops returning from their campaign ~gainst the Indians, and a sorry lookmg lot Of soldiers they' were, he remembers. Many were without horses 'ttnd their clothing showed the effects 'Of the hard times experienced. I Deadwood was a stirring town that Winter, Mr. Culver recalled, and yet it was a pleasant winter. Everybody seemed to be happy, plenty to eat and drink, and during all the' time he spent there. ,Mr, Culver stated that he didn't remember of a single hostile or combative individual. It rwas in '79. that Mr. Culver first came Jo Montana. The first winter
Object Description
Rating | |
Title | When Culver Came to Lewistown |
Description | William Culver was the first photographer to come to Lewistown and took many historical photoraphs of the local area. |
Genre | newspapers |
Type | Text |
Language | eng |
Date Estimated | Date Unknown |
Subject (keyword) | William Culver; Photographers; |
Rights Management | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/ |
Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana |
Publisher (Original) | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana. |
Geographic Coverage | Lewistown, Montana. Fergus County, Montana |
Digital collection | Central Montana Historical Documents |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Physical format | Newspaper article |
Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
Full text of this item | When Culver Came To Lewistown In recent years we have heard much about the vanishing frontier, that seemingly mythical line that divides the old order from the new. There are still living many pioneers who saw, in one sense, the passing of the frontier in many localities, and among those in Lewistown, William H. Culver, photographer, has had contact with many towns and char¬acters that are today portions of the history of the west. Mr. Culver, while still a young man moved to Kansas with his parents; shortly after the war, while that state was still the favored grounds of the bushwhacking contingents. They made their headquarters in the Indian ter¬ritory and their working grounds among the settlers of Kansas, Mr. Culver remembers, and citizens with some respect for the law were forced to handle matters in their own way, which it must be admitted, was forc¬ible and to the point. The old M. K. & T. was building its line through Kansas at that time and with the advent of the construction crews matters did not improve to any great extent. Mr. Culver remembers that at a neighboring town nine men were hung one afternoon after one par¬ticularly horrible crime. Many stories have been written about the Indian territory, and the wild exciting days that followed the throwing open of that country to the settlers, but Mr. Culver was in that territory before the advent of the land hungry citizenry of the east ever thought about making it their home. With a surveying party running the preliminary lines, Mr. Culver spent some time in that country, both in '72 and '73. It was a wild country then and the Southern Cheyenne’s and Arapahos made it extremely uncomfortable at times. The Indians killed four men working with a neighboring party, and at another time killed the messenger who was making the rounds between the camps with mail and field notes. In 1876 Mr. Culver was with a party that had Deadwood, S. D., as their destination, and it was on this trip that he met Calamity Jane who was on her way to Cheyenne with a group of freighters. Mr. Culver chuckled over the many stories that have been circulated about that fam¬ous frontier character, adding that it was a general characteristic in these days to build up a network of stories around old characters and incidents, adding startling details whenever the story-teller felt that the audience was losing interest. It was on this same trip that the party Mr. Culver was with met General Crook and his troops returning from their campaign against the Indians, and a sorry look¬ing lot of soldiers they were, he re¬members; many were without horses, and their clothing showed the effects of the hard times experienced. Deadwood was a stirring town that winter, Mr. Culver recalled, and yet it was a pleasant winter. Everybody seemed to be happy, plenty to eat and drink, and during all the time he spent there, M. Culver stated that he didn't remember of a single hos¬tile or combative individual. It was in '79 that Mr. Culver first came to Montana. The first winter In Montana he spent in Butte and the neighboring camps of Wicks and Radersburg. They were exciting days, for Butte was a town of easy money and easy ways. He had learned the photography business in Indepen¬dence, Iowa, and while in Butte he worked at that trade, moving in the spring of '80 to Fort Benton where he went into partnership with a pho¬tographer at that place. Incidentally, it was while he was in Fort Benton that Mr. Culver took the first picture ever taken of the Great Falls of the Missouri, something to be remembered with pride and joy. It had been intended to get Mr. Culver to tell about some particular incident, some startling event that had happened in the early days of the west, and when this matter was approached Mr. Culver became some¬what reticent and made the remarks that have already been quoted. "There is a tendency for so many of us who have seen the early days in the west to attempt to impress the listeners with some particular bit of deviltry that would be startling. I was reading the other day about an early day hunter in Montana who bagged 200 mountain lions in a week and its stories of that caliber that makes a good many pioneer stories rather ludicrous. I would rather tell about how I first happened to come to the Judith Basin country" Mr. Culver said. "In the fall of '80 I happened to meet Al Brundage in Fort Benton" Mr. Culver related. "And as he en¬joyed hunting almost as much as I did, we decided that we would go into the Judith Basin country and spend the winter trapping and hunt-ing. We procured a saddle horse each and a Red River cart to haul our luggage and equipment. "Now a Red River, cart is some¬thing that a lot of people haven't heard about. They were built by the Hudson Bay half-breeds, entirely out of wood with an auger and saw, out of species of oak timber that grew in their section of the country. Crude contraptions with high wooden wheels but they served the purpose and I have seen strings, a half mile long, of these carts hauling supplies. "Well, we started for the Judith, Basin, coming up through the Highwoods and angling across towards the Belts. That night ten inches of snow fell and the next morning Al ran across a fresh bear track a few feet from camp. We got the bear alright, and went down Wolf Creek to about where old Stanford afterwards stood, where we struck the Indian trail running eastward. That day we reached the old Reed and Bowles stockade, down where the county farm is now located, and just as we got there we met Major Reed, who had just finished loading his belong¬ings on a wagon preparatory to mov¬ing up to what is now known as the old post office building. "We had forgotten to purchase a pick and shovel in Fort Benton and as we felt that we would probably need them to dig in for the winter, we thought it would be best to get them at this point. Bowles came out of the stockade as we rode up, a trifle under the influence of liquor, and when we asked for a pick and shovel he became somewhat in¬censed. It seems, however, that Mr. Bowles had no intention of supplying us with a pick and shovel, and he made this matter rather clear to us. It seems that there had been rumors of a strike in the Judith Mountains and Mr. Bowles was quite certain that we had something up our sleeve, adding that we couldn't make a sucker out of him. We spent the evening at Juneau 's stockade, which was located where the new post office building is to be built, later settling in a cabin of our own. I went back to Fort Benton for winter supplies later that year and it was on this trip that I saw the largest herd of buffalo I had ever seen. I had camped for the night between the Judith and Rossfork and in the morning I had planned on securing some meat to take into Fort Benton with me. Riding up on the bench I first saw the herd, thousands of them. The rolling hills for several miles were covered with the animals. We trapped that winter and spring around through the Basin and on returning to where Lewistown now is, we first heard of gold dis¬coveries in the Judith Mountains and decided that we would go to the new diggings. C. C. Snow, a fellow by the name of "Pony" McPartlin, "Skookum Joe" Anderson, Dave Jones and several others had spent the winter prospecting in that ter¬ritory and had struck some promis¬ing gravel in Alpine gulch. Brundage and I met a man by the name of Herring, who had first claim above discovery, and he gave us a work¬ing interest. We worked about two weeks and cleaned up a pit 12-foot square to bed rock, and incidentally got for all our trouble an ounce of gold, worth some $16. The stuff showed up fine in the pan, nice and bright, but when it came to weighing it up it was mighty deceiving, and those particular dreams of easy wealth vanished rather hurriedly. “It seems to be forgotten by most pioneers that before Maiden became a post office, Andersonville, located about three miles below the old town of Maiden was the post office. Andersonville was named after Skookum Joe, and at one time had some hundred inhabitants. Dexter had a saw mill there that later furnished most of the timbers for the building of the old Collar mill. As I remember it- this was built around 1883 and it created lots of interest and enthusiasm in that little city. Snow and some others had developed some property about a mile from Maiden over the hill to¬wards Fort Maginnis and an eastern company had financed the building of the mill. Everybody that summer was happy, for they were working for the company, assisting in the con¬struction work and getting ready for better days. The mill was finally con¬structed and ran about a month when a sudden hard freeze completely shut off the water in the wooden flumes, necessitating in the closing of the mill.” |
Local Identifier | SC 6.154 When Culver came to Lewistown. |
Description
Title | When Culver Came to Lewistown 1 |
Type | Text |
Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, Montana |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
Full text of this item | ... ' : trifle, under the influence'.;of~liquor, and when we asked for' a. pick and shovel he became' somewhat incensed. It seems, however, that Mr. Bowles 'had no intention of supplying us with a pick and shovel, and he made this matter rather clear to us. It seems that there had been rumors of a strike in the Judith mountains and Mr. Bowles was quite certai .that ,we "had 'something up 0 sleeve, adding'that we cOulCln't m e a: sucker ,out of him.' l' .- , \ .. "We spent the evening at Junea '8 stockade, which was located "where, the new postoffice building is to be built, later settling in a cabin of our own. I went back to Fort Benton' for winter supplies: later that year and it was on this trip that I saw the largest herd of buffalo I had ever seen.. I had camped for the night 'between the Judith and Rossfork and in the morning I had' planned on securing some meat to take into Fort Benton with me.· Riding up onf'the bench I first saw the herd, thousands of them. The rolling hills for several miles were covered with the animals. "We tnipped' that winter ".and spring around through the Basin and Qn returning to where Lewistown now is, we first heard of gold~p1scoveries in the Judith mounuains and decided that we would go to the new diggings. C. C. Snow, a fellow by the name of "Pony" .McPartlin " "Skookum Joe" Anderson,', Dave Jones and several others had spent the winter prospecting' in that territory' and had struck some promising gravel in Alpine gulch. Brundage and I met a man by the name of Herring, who had first claim above discovery, and 'he gave us a "work- • ing' interest. We worked~about two 'weeks and cleaned, up, a 'pit' 12-foot 'square to bed rock, and incidentally got for all of our trouble an ounce of gold, worth some $16..The' stUff showed up fine in the' pan, nice and bright, but when it came to weighing it up it was mighty de'ceiving"and so' those particular dreams', of easy wealth vanished rather hurriedly. " -:"It seems to be forgotten by most pioneers that before Maiden· becam ,a' postoffice, .Andersonville, located about three miles below the old town ,of Maiden, was the postoffice."Ander, sonville' was named after "Skookum (Joe" and,at one time had some hun-dred inhabitants:' Dexter had'a sawmill there that la.ter furnished most of the timbers for the building of the old Collar mill.'As I remember it" thiS 'was built around '83 and it created 'lots 'of interest·and enthusiasm" in that little city. Snow and some others had developed some "property about a,mile from Maiden ,over the hill'towards' Fort Maginnis 'and 'an eastern • 'company had financed the building 'of, the mill. Everybody"that summer was happy, for theY were working for the company, assisting in the con,. struction wor,k and getting ready for better days. The 'mill was finally 'constructed and ran about a month when ~ a sudden hard freeze' completely shut off the water in the wooden flumes, necessi in the closing of the mill. SC 978.6292 FERGUS COUNTY 1.2 in Montana he spent in Butte 'and the neighboring camps of Wicks and Radersburg. They were exciting days for Butte was a town of easy money and easy ways. He had learned the photography business in' Independence, Iowa, and while in Butte he wo~ked a~ that trade, moving in the sprmg,of 80 to Fort Benton,where he went mto partnership with a pho": ~ographer at that place. Incidentally, It was while hd was)n Fort Benton' that Mr. Culver took the first picture ever taken of the Great Falls of the Missouri, something to be remem-bered with pride and joy. " It had been intended to get Mr. ~ul.ver to tell about sonie partiCUlar mCldent, some startling event that had happened in the early days of the west, and .when this matter was approached Mr. Culver became somewhat reticent and made the remarks that have already been quoted, , ,'", "There is a tehdency for so mani ~f us who have seen the early days m the west to attempt to impress the listeners with some particular bit of devil~ry that would be startling. I was readmg the .other day about an early day hunter in Montana who bagged 2~0 ,mountain lions in a week and its stones of that caliber that makes a gOO~ many pioneer stories rather ludicrous. I would '-rather tell about how, I first happened to ,come to the JU,dlth Basin country" Mr. Culver saId. . "In the fall of '80 I happened to meet Al Brundage in Fort Benton" ¥r. Culver related. "And as he eli. J |
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