The people's voice. [volume], July 26, 1963, Image 1

About The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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[WIDE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
^MONTANA'S ONl?^
1958 SIDNEY HILLMAN AWARD WINNER
Vol. XXIV—No. 34
HELENA, MONTANA, July 26, 1963
$3.00 Per Year
A Centennial GlahV>i;[> Montana's History
Lewis and Clark's Epic
Journey Opened Way
To Montana's Heritage
by the Verendryes, to inspect
late 1690's and wrote of a "Long
River" which was probably the Mis
souri, the significant journey of ex
ploration did not come until 1804,
when William Clark and Meriweth
er Lewis started from St. Louis on
their epic adventure.
When the power-mad Napoleon sold the
vast lands known as Louisiana in a wierdly
clandestine deal with American Minister
Robert Livingston late in 1803, the long
held dream of President Thomas Jefferson
to explore the region took shape. His eager
ness for exploration is easily understood:
the United 'States, for about four cents an
acre, had more than doubled its size. And
the $15 million which Napoleon realized
from the sale went up in smoke in his war
with the English.
Interesting as it is to speculate
about how much of Montana was
seen
the lead plate they left on a hill
overlooking the Missouri at what
is now Pierre, So. Dakota, and to
consider the indirect impact of the
explorations of such men as La Hon
tan who was in Minnesota in the
CO-CAPTAINS WERE
DIVERSE PERSONALITIES
Meriwether Lewis, 28-year-old former
aide to the President, chose as his co-com
mander (it was decided there should be
two, in case of the death of one) his 32
year-old army comrade, William Clark. The
jovial Clark was a happy choice to share
command with the more taciturn and moody
Lewis. There was never a conflict of per
sonalities or of authority, a fact which
most experts agree had much to do with
the epic success of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition.
The party of 46 men set out from St.
Louis on May 14, 1804, navigating the
Missouri in a 66-foot fceelboat and two
pirogues (flat-bottomed mackinaws). They
kept their gunpowder in lead canisters* and
wisely traveled light, guessing correctly
The only casualty of the expedition came
in August with the death of Sgt. Charles
Floyd from over-exposure. His position was
that they could live off the country.
*8
Compiled by VIVIAN A. PALADIN, Assoc. Editor,
MONTANA, THE MAGAZINE OF WESTERN HISTORY
A hundred years is a short time when viewed in the light of man's
total experience. Yet for this young state it is an important milestone,
and in 1964 it will be marked with much activity, and, it is hoped, with
a new consciousness of Montana's uniquely colorful and varied past.
Specifically, two milestones will be noted in 1964 : Territorial status
which came in 1864, a century ago, and Statehood achieved in 1889, three
quarters of a century ago. But a great many significant events took place
before and between these epic dates, all of them leaving gigantic foot
prints across the 147,138 square miles comprising this fourth largest state.
With the restricted space available here, it is impossible to explore
in depth much of the history of Montana. For there is a lot of it, new as
it is. But with the conjunctive use of chronological highlights, it is hoped
that these pages will serve as a thumbnail introduction, at least, to the
broadest, most significant or epic events which shaped our heritage.
filled by Patrick Gass, who at 35 was the
oldest man in the expedition but who was
to outlive all his comrades. By the end of
October the party reached the villages of
the Mandan Indians, where they spent the
winter musing that now before them was
the totally unexplored and unknown lands
which they had come to explore and record.
During the winter, the men parleyed
with the Indians and occasionally visited
with white traders from the North-West
Fur Company which had headquarters on
the Assiniboine River to the north. But
probably the most important contact which
Lewis and Clark made that winter was with
Sacajawea, a member of the Shoshone
(Snaike) tribe who had been captured by
the Minnatarees of Dakota near the Three
Forks of the Missouri was a young
girl. Although the explorers actually hired
Sacajawea's husband, the French-Canadian
Gharbonneau, events were to prove him
quite worthless hut his wife of immeasur
able assistance,
EASTERN YOUNG LADIES
GIVE NAMES TO MONTANA RIVERS
In April, 1806, the expedition of 31 men
and Sacajawea (with her infant son, Pom
pey, strapped on her hack) began the jour
ney into what is now Montana. Two pir
ogues and six canoes made from hollowed
out cottonwood trees carried them, in late
April, as far as the confluence of the Mis
souri and Yellowstone. Early in May they
passed through present-day Valley county
in eastern Montana, naming the river they
explored the Milk because it "possessed a
peculiar whiteness, being about the color
of a cup of tea with the admixture of a
tablespoon of milk.
Proceeding westward, they came upon a
river with fresh-water mollusks on the
yy
shore. This they named the Musselshell,
noting at the same time the increasing
presence of mosquitoes and gnats which
were to be a major annoyance the rest
of the way through Montana. Another river
flowing into the Missouri was named the
Judith, after Miss Julia Hancock of Vir
ginia, whom Captain Clark later married.
The name of a second young eastern
lady, Miss Maria Wood, was given to a
large river which Lewis and Clark at first
thought was the main Missouri channel.
Flowing from the northwest, they finally
decided it was a new river, and Lewis
named it Marias River after his cousin.
SACAJAWEA RECOGNIZES
THREE FORKS COUNTRY
It was on June 14 that the expedition
came upon the cascades of the Missouri
River, naming the highest the Great Falls.
A little over a month later they had poled
their way through a steep-walled canyon
which they named Gates of the Mountains
and came out about 14 miles northeast of
Montana's càpital city.
The Three Forks of the Missouri now
lay ahead, and Sacajawea began recogniz
( Continued On Page Three)
PV EDITOR'S NOTE . .
With 1964 the hundredth anniversary
of Montana being made a territory, and
knowing that many VOICE readers find
Montana history most fascinating read
ing, we enlisted the assistance of His
torical Society Director Mike Kennedy
and his associate, Vivian Paladin, in pre
paring this year's vacation issues. We
find the articles very interesting. We
hope you will have a similar reaction.
—Harry and Gretchen.