•* *v * *£«,7, X ' * tiïp'M FALtO K-COUNTY TIMES L0LO TRAIL AY OF ;TH FOR CENTURY^;,. 33 ©F TH TRAVËLtD1T By ELERS KOCH. river they return again and recover The Lolo trail, or the northern Nez their horses from the Indians and un­ Perce trail, and the southern Nez dertake again the perilous crossing Perce trail, which runs from the of the mountains. west fork of the Bitter Root river Coming Back Over the Trail. via Nez Perce pass westerly to Elk On June 15 they left Weippe City and thence to the open country Prairie, struck up Lolo creek and in west of the mountains; these two the course of the next two days pro­ trails were the two only routes ceeded down Obia creek and up the through what is still probably the trail toward Sherman peak. Before biggest virgin wildernes country in making the summit, however, they ' the United States. This vast tract ran into snow 12 to 15 feet deep and of country which now comprises part were obliged to turn back to wait for of the St Joe, Clearwater, Selway, the snow to melt. Lolo, Bitter Root and Nez Perce On June 24 they again set out with national forests, stretches in un­ two Indians to guide them. The eve­ broken wilderness from the Milwau­ ning before starting the Indians set kee railroad south to the Salmon riv­ fire to the woods, in order as they er, and from the Bitter Root valley said, to bring fair weather for the • in Montana to the base of the moun­ journey This time they succeeded in v' tains in Idaho. Twelve days’ steady making it through, travelling on the riding by trail it Is from north to hard crust of the snow, which still y south, and six days from east to west, lay deep on the higher ridges, and ' and in all those miles of trail there on the 29th of June came down out of : are no wagon roads, no settlements Lolo Pass to the Lolo hot springs except summer patrol stations of the where the men thoroughly enjoyed forest service, no agricultural land, relaxing in the hot baths. and never will be It is a vast sea of At the mouth of Lolo creek the mountains, one ridge lying beyond party separated. Captain Lewis with ' the next and cut with, river canyons, nine men to go up the Big Black- with no prairie or level bottom. An foot to the Missouri, and Captain airplane flying over It would be hard Clark to the Yellowstone river, the put to find a possible landing place. parties meeting at the mouth of the The origin of the name “ Lolo,” Yellowstone. Here we must again which is applied not only to the trail leave them, for our story concerns but to the creek tributary to the only the Lolo trail, and they are now Bitter Root river in Montana, on the safely through the mountains and on v east end of the trail, and to the creek the road hack toward civilization. in Idaho tributary to the Clear­ Lolo Trail Sees Indian Retreat. water river, on the west end of the In 1876 Lolo trail witnessed the trail, is more or less obscure Judge beginning of the retreat of Chief Woody of Missoula, whose opinion Joseph and his band of Nez Perce is quoted in Wheeler’s book, “The Indians, the first of many times In Trail of Lewis and Clark,” attributes the campaign when he outgeneralled the name to an Indian corruption of thb soldiers. The story, of the Nez the name Lawrence, an old half-breed Perce retreat is an epic deserving trapper who formerly resided on a place in history and Chief Joseph Lolo crfeek, and this source is con­ a place with the world’s great cap- 1 firmed by Duncan McDonald. Major tains. After the battle of White Fenn of Kooskia, Idaho, says that canyon, near Orangeville, Idaho, and | when he was a boy living in Lewis­ LEWIS AND CLARK, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SACAJAWEA,' WERE THE FIRST WHITE MEft TO TRAVERSE THE CENTURY OLD other engagements in which the ij ton, Idaho, in 1868, Major Truax of LOLO TRAIL. THIS IS CHARLES M. RUSSELL’S ARTISTIC CONCEPTION OF THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE CAMP OF SACAJAWEA’S Indians had all the better of it, the U S. army was in charge of a RELATIVES, THE FRIENDLY SHOSHONES. THE FIGHTING NEZ PERCES, UNDER CHIEF JOSEPH, REVOLTING AGAINST THEIR Joseph Baw that Idaho was getting ■’*. force of men constructing what was TREATMENT BY THE WHITES IN VIOLATION OF TREATY AGREEMENTS, PASSED OVER THE LOLO TRAIL WITH HIS WARRIORS too hot for him and determined to •<£ intended to be a military road to IN AN EFFORT TO ESCAPE INTO CANADIAN TERRITORY. lead his people across the mountains * connect FOrt Lapwai, Idaho, with to the buffalo country In Montana ¡1 Fort Missoula, Mont. Major Truaxturn their backs to the open country miles to an old Indian fishing ground. and thence across the line to British surveyed a portion of this road, and plunge Into an unknown sea of Thla was at the head of a narrow can­Columbia where»they would he safe ‘ $ which followed approximately the mountains with nothing but the dim yon where there iB now the moBt won­ from the United .States trpops. Vjs route of the Lolo trail and did some and unblazed Indian trail to guide derful trout fishing. Slipping away unexpectedly from General Howard, who figured he had. construction work. It was currently them This phase of their journey Here they leave the river and turn reported that the gallant majorbegins when they leave the Bitter the Indians-pretty well, cornered, the . 4 named the trail in honor of Lola up a steep ridge to the north, which long retreat. was Btarted oyer the Bit- Root valley and start up Lolo creek terroot mountains, via the Lolo trail. .ijj Montez, a noted Spanish beauty, whoon Sept. 1, 1805, after a day’s rest should be the divide west of Papaase was at that time regarded as theat the mouth of Lolo creek. They are creek. A recent forest fire had left It must'have been an unusual and ex- « world’s premier danseuse. Possibly only fairly well provided with horses the mountain covered with down traordinary sight' to haye witnessed y;|i both stories are correct and this ac­ timber and the ascent was difficult.the long cayalca off before noon They made only rocks andvdown timber, leaving blood ■; through the Bitter Root valley In seven miles that day and camped except two pheasants and the horses his journal he says: “ On the after*about a mile below what is now were getting pretty well played out to mark their path and abandoned noon of the 28th of October, as I with the hard travel. animals with broken legs or stretched'’ ^ Woodman postoffice The next morn­ dead on the trail. It is no wonder the ‘-v have already said, wTe commenced ouring, September 12, they were on the The next day, September 16’ It march and made about 40 milesroad at seven of a Trosty morning. snowed all day, obscuring the trail soLolo trail is well worn. ^ down the valley of the Bitter Root Proceeding up Lolo creek, tney were that they could follow it only by not­ Gen. Howard, with infantry, cav-,,.4( The 29th we continued our march obliged to leave the creek and take ing where the trees had been rubbed •airy and artillery followed several We crossed in the course of the day to the side hills several times to by the Indian pack horses. At noon days behind, beginning the stern l'C4 a fine stream, without name, theavoid the narrow can>ons of the they halted (probably at Springerchase which was to continue for near- ■ .3 same one which the famous travellersstream. After a very rough and try­ mountain) to let the horses feed on Iy 2,000 miles. J Lewis and Clark ascended in 1805ing 23 miles, they made camp on the the long grass. They camped after In the meantime the telegraph had on their way to the section of country making 18 miles in a piece of low been busy and Captain Rawn at Fort • creek, two miles below Lolo springs Missoula had been ordered to inter- * occupied by the tribe of the Nez Game was scarce and the hunters ground, thickly timbered, probably Perce. I will call it the river of St what is now known as Howard camp.cept the hostile Indians. With about found but a single pheasant. 40 soldiers from the fort and 450 Francis Borgia.” However, the name On September 13 they passed the The whole party was wet, cold and apparently did not stick. Lewis and hungry and were obliged to kill a civilian volunteers, he proceeded up f Lolo hot springs early in the morn- Lolo creek about five miles and at a Clark called the same much namedlog. Here their old Shoshone guide second colt for supper. stream “ Travellers’ Rest Creek.” On the 17th„ after hunting lost point where the canyon narrows pro- got them off on the wrong trail for ceeded to ‘ throw up breastworks of ^ I know the Lolo trail well. I have about three miles and it was with horses till 1 o’clock they continued ridden the high ridges on July morn­ on their way over very rough coun­ logs. The remains of the old logs laid considerable difficulty they got back in zigzag fashion up the hill can still ings when the air was fresh and clear,on the proper route They crossed try, making only 10 miles and camp­ and ridge after ridge and peak after ing on a small stream, probably atbe seen from the road. Old Fort & through Lolo pass and came out In a Fizzle It was derisively called. peak stretched to the horizon in all beautiful open park, now known as Indian Grave camp. Still no game, directions. I have fought fire along Packers’ Meadows They rode down except a few pheasants and they sup­ The Indians came doWn as far as' ’¡ft the trail in the August drouths -when through the meadows for about two ped on horse meat again. The lackWoodman, about four miles above the0 terrific masses of flame Bwept by the miles and camped at the extreme of provisions, the bard travel andfortification and went into camp. southwest wind drove through the lower end. The hunters got a deer uncertainty as to what was ahead be­After three days* parley Joseph noti- p Clearwater valleys and over the di­and several pheasants. gan to dispirit the men, so it was tied Captain Rawn that he was go- > vides, licking up the timber before it agreed that Captain Clark should going to move on through the Bitter * q like a blow-torch flame- I have toiled Following the Old Explorers, Joseph, fighting chief of the Nez Pcrces Indians, who made use of the ahead with six hunters and try to Lolo trail as a military highway when he led part of his nation in Root Valley. He said: "Tomorrow ^ across Lolo Pass in snow shoes in Up to this point, the route is per­ get some game. He set out early the morning at sunrise I shall moe on > January when the pass was buriedfectly clear. The hot springs on Lolo armed, bnt what he knew was hopeless, protest, against what he con­morning of the 18th and after travel­ sidered the tyranny of the white race. I will never turn back. I do not many feet deep in snow; but never creek and Packers Meadows at the ing 20 miles was overjoyed to see far want to fight, but if the white menu do I travel the old trail without see­summit of the mountains, afford two off an extensive plain toward theinsiBt I will fight, and fight hard & ; j8 ing visions of those who have gone unmistakable location points. Beyond west and southwest. He must then My people will never surrender.’ before I see long cavalcades of Nezthis point, to the far side of the have been at Bald mountain, the first True to hiB word, the next morn­ Perce Indians crossing the mountains mountains, their route has never been point on the trail from which one can ing at sunrise the Indians movecl : it: on the road to the buffalo huntingexactly checked out. Wheeler In “The catch a glimpse of the open country down stream, swung over a spur of grounds, the men riding ahead, the Trail of Lewis and Clark,” has un­ beyond the mountains. He continued the mountains to the north of the., women and children in the rear, driv­dertaken to do so but lack of accur­ beyond Bald mountain to Shermancreek, and before the defending ing long Btrings of ponies, to come ate maps at the time he wrote, and peak, where the present Lolo trail forces quite realized what was hap-.,"fi back later laden with dried buffaloa not too great personal knowledge drops down through two deep timber­ pening the Indians were back on the ‘ 7>| meat and hides. of the country, left several points of ed saddles. Here he left the present creek below them. Evidently think-} I see a Blackfeet war party, half-'the route In doubt. With data now trail, striking southward to a largeing discretion the better part of valor ” naked young men astride their picked available, it is possible to follow the creek to which he gave the ap­the soldldrs and volunteers permitted ponies, traveling light, on their way voyagers all the way through, and propriate name of Hungry creek. Tbife across the mountains to descend on to locate nearly every camp. creek is now named Obia creek. On (Concluded on Agricultural Page) % some peaceful Nez Perce camp. On September 14, on a rainy morn­ the lflth Captain Clark proceeded up Next comes the first sign of the ing, the party continued on down Hungry creek and at Bix miles dist­ white man, the gallant CaptainsGlade creek (now called Pack creek.) ance reached a small plain wherebe Lewis and Clark, riding ahead withFor some unexplainable reason they found a horse grazing, on which he their Shoshone guide. Thirty-one here departed from the Lolo trail, beakfasted, and hung the remainder men there are in all, mounted on which runs to the north of Pack creek up in a tree for the rest of the party, ponies they have procured from the crosses the Crooked Fork a mile which was following more slowly be­ Shoshone Indians, most of them dres­ above its junction with Pack creek, hind, much weakened by their priva­ sed in Indian garb which the women and thence up a ridge to the main tions and subsisting only on a little in the Mandan tribe made them individe between the Locksa and North portable soup which they carried. their winter camp on the Missouri Fork of the Clearwater. This Is much The trail up Obla creek was very river. the best and most direct route and rough and one of the horses rolled The shapes follow fast; Chief was followed on their return journey. 100 yards to the bottom with his Joseph and his hand of Nez PerceFor reasons of his own, however, the load. Indians fleeing from Gen. Howard’s old Shoshone guide took them down Captain Clark crossed over from cavalry; stout Captain Mullan withthe Locksa river. At the present!time the headwaters of Obia creek to what a single companion searching for athere Is a good trail down the river. they called Collins creek, now Lolo railroad route across the mountains;They were not so fortunate then, creek, and on the 20th finally came Major Truax with his axemen widen­and were obliged to leave the river out of the mountains to a beautiful ing the old trail and cutting out the canyon on the left hand side and bear open plain now known as Weippe 5 0^ l p e t t e s logs that many Indian ponies hadwell np on the mountains through Prairie, where he found an Indian • 'fbrlOt from jumped over or wbund around; final­heavy spruce timber with much wind­ village. Here he waited for the rest ly the forest ranger, bringing the fall. They dropped back down to the of the party to come up, thoroughly on e sack in first real breaking-up of the prime­river, at the mouth of White Sand enjoying the buffalo meat, dried sal­ val wilderness condition as he strings creek, crossed the Locksa river and mon and camas roots with which the GENUINE his telephone wire along the old continued down stream two miles, Indians regaled bis party. trail and relocates its grades with ancamping on a small stream from From this camp they continued on “ ■Sfilili« 4» Abney level. the north opposite an island in the down the Clearwater river to the Lewis aid Clark in Banger. river. This description absolutely month of the North Fork, a few miles 2 » l â , The crossing of the Bitter Root fixes the point as the present location below the present site of Orofino, where they built canoes for the rest mountains by Lewis and Clark wasof the Powel ranger station. The Captain Meriwether Lewis, who, «« head of the Lewis and Clark expedi­ the most difficult and perilous stage of the long trip down the Columbia party had a hard day of it and though tion, over a century ago.was tb® first white man to pass over the of their entire journey to the Pacific river to tidewater. That takes them DURHAM they made only 17 miles, most of it Lolo Trail, Montana’s historichighway. ocean. Up to this time their travel had# been over a hard trail. The far from the Lolo trail and we must TOBACCO had been by boat, through open plain,hunters got no game, so they were leave them until on their return jour­ country or broad valleys teeming withforced to hill a colt -for supper. From as the ’White Sand was called Colt September 15 they continued down ney in June the next year after win­ buffalo and elk. Now they are tothis incident the stream now known Killed creek. Locksa or Kooskooskee river four tering at the mouth of the Columbia