•* *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<je filing oyer the !M which they purchased from the In­ narrow mountain .trail. Two huhdred counts for the change in spelling to dians at the head waters of the Jef­ The horse, loaded with Captain Lolo, since the earlier maps andferson river. They succeeded in get­ Lewis’ desk and a Bmall trunk, lostand fifty fighting men there, were, reports spell the name Lou Lou or ting 29 head, not enough so that all his footing and rolled 40 yards down with about four,, hundred and.,.fifty /;i* Loo Loo. of the 31 men could ride, and pack bill. Finally reaching the summit women and children. twb;"rtho’tisand 'Tf The Indian Name's Meaning. and finding no water, they campedponies and large herds of cattle. They their scanty supplies as well. must have strung-out oyer four- or ,'i The Indian name of Lolo creek was On the morning of September 11, by a perpetual snow bank on the Tum-sum-lech, which means “salmon­the party was delayed by the old north side of the mountains. They five mileB of trail, the wilderness re- -■j? less ” In 1844 Father DeSmet, the are now hack on the Lolo trail andsounding with the cries of the women trouble of all mountain travelers, and boys as they quirted the tired , Catholic missionary, crossed the hunting lost horses, and did not get about two miles east of the Cayuae mouth of Lolo creek in a journey Junction. They had killed no game ponies along, _ jamming them over > 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.