APRIL 2024 Ghost Towns and History of Montana Newsletter From The Daily Missoulian Aug. 2, 1917 Early Montana Pioneers: The Story of William & Clara Dalton, and their daughter Matilda Dalton My name is David Biegel of EnjoyYourParks.com, and this is the story of my family, beginning with my great great great grandparents, William and Clara Dalton and their daughter Matilda Dalton. Both William and Clara were born and raised in Maine, and were among the earliest pioneers to reach the Montana mining camps of Bannack and Virginia City. In 1862, William and Clara along with their 4 young children, signed on with the First Fisk Wagon Expedition at St. Cloud, Minnesota, and headed to the new mining camp of Bannack, Montana. Led by Captain James L. Fisk, this historic expedition crossed through untamed lands and hostile Indian country to reach the new gold rush town of Bannack Montana, via Fort Benton and Prickly Pear. In December of 1862, the Daltons reached Bannack, Virginia City, Montana in the early 1860s. Matilda Dalton, circa 1864 Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ Montana, where gold had been discovered just 5 months earlier along Grasshopper Creek. One year later, in 1863, the Daltons moved to Virginia City where gold had just been discovered in Alder Gulch. The Daltons were a part of the history of Montana during its infancy. Their dream of a better life, and their bravery as pioneers, helped lay the bedrock on which the state of Montana was built. This is their story...
P a g e 2 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r The Early Years In Maine: War of 1812 William Dalton was born in 1797 in the town of Canaan, Maine. The United States was only 21 years old. Because Maine had not achieved statehood until 1820, Canaan would have been part of Massachusetts at the time of William's birth. Upon his 18th birthday, in April of 1814, William Dalton enlisted in the 21st Infantry during the War of 1812. He served for 13 months until May of 1815. William was part of what was known as "The Niagara Campaign" under General Scott, which likely placed him at the Battle of Lundy's Lane, Battle of Chippawa and the Battle of Fort Erie. After the War of 1812: Forging A New Life Following William Dalton’s military discharge, he married Mirium Fairchild (Clark) in the town of Harlem, which is present day China, Maine. They had several children. William then tried his hand at lumbering around 1820, however was unsuccessful and fell into substantial debt. He then moved slightly west into the area near Castle Hill, Maine, along the Aroostook River in 1824, while his family stayed in China, Maine. During this time there were only a handful of settlers in the area, and the land was disputed between Britain and the United States, with the Northeast Boundary not yet agreed upon. The British felt these settlers were in their territory and "stealing" their lumber and other natural resources. A deposition is on record in Bangor, Maine, dated 1827, outlining this period of William Dalton's life. William Dalton then returned to China, Maine and once again joined his wife Mirium and their children. He then purchased 160 acres of land for $120 dollars in today's Ludlow area. On an 1830 census, in addition to William and his wife, there were 3 boys and 2 girls living in the same household on their Ludlow farm. First Settlers In Untamed Northern Maine In 1835, William Dalton and his family then moved north into unsettled lands, but held on to the Ludlow farm. It is believed that his oldest son ran the Ludlow Farm during his absence. William was the first European settler in this wild unsettled land in Northern Maine, which is today's Ashland area. William and his family lived in this untamed land for an entire year as the only European white residents. He both farmed on this new Ashland farm and was also a wood runner, and apparently became quite successful. Other pioneers then moved into the area, including Thomas Neal, who married William Dalton's oldest daughter Olive. (They would later follow William to Wisconsin in the 1840s and instead of joining them on the First Fisk Expedition to Montana, they moved to Kansas where they both died two years later.)
P a g e 3 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Mirium Dalton died in 1838 of unknown causes according to the local history books, and her grave is likely unmarked on the Ashland Farm (northern Maine) where the Big Machias River and the Aroostook Rivers meet near Ashland. William then married Clarissa (Clara) Bradley in Lincoln, Maine one year later. Clara was born in 1811, and was the daughter of Captain Bradley. Clara appeared on an 1840 census, along with 5 boys and 4 girls, who were all from the previous marriage with Mirium. Serena, one of the oldest girls, married John Mills in 1842. Olive and Thomas Neal were also on this census. Back to the Ludlow Farm, Then Onto Wisconsin In 1841, William and Clara Dalton began to sell off the Ashland farm in the north country and moved back to the Ludlow Farm. Their first child together, Mary, was born the same year. And just before Matilda Desmon Dalton was born in 1843 in Holton, Maine, William Dalton would declare bankruptcy. He then packed up the family and moved to Portage City, Wisconsin. 1850 documents at Fort Winnebago show that William and Clara, as well as their daughters Susan Dalton (age 18), Sarah Dalton (age 15), Charles Dalton (age 13), Mary Dalton (age 9), Matilda Dalton (age 7), Alvin Dalton (age 5) and Orrin Dalton (age 3) were present. Susan, Sarah, Charles and Mary are all from William's marriage to his late wife Mirium, and Matilda, Alvin and Orrin were from William's marriage to Clara. The California Trail, Then Back to Wisconsin In early 1851, William embarked alone on the California Trail, leaving his family safely behind in Wisconsin. He spent several years in California in search of a means to make a living for his family. It is assumed that because William journeyed to California less than 2 years after the initial gold strike of the 1849 California Gold Rush, that he was hoping to strike it rich in the California gold fields. Whatever the case, William Dalton returned in 1853 apparently unsuccessful in his pursuits. In 1856, William Dalton received a land grant of 160 acres for his service during the War of 1812 and 1814, which was located near Portage City, Wisconsin, where they lived until Matilda was 14 years old. A few miles away lived the Plummer Family, also from Maine, which included young Henry Plummer who you will hear about later. The Plummers and Daltons were neighbors and friends. During this same time, there was a devastating grasshopper plague in the Midwest, which likely negatively affected the Portage City farm, because they abruptly left Portage City and embarked on yet another pioneering adventure... First Fisk Wagon Expedition (1862): The Montana Gold Rush The Dalton Family left the Portage City farm and moved to St. Cloud Minnesota in 1861. In 1862, William (age 65) and his wife Clara (age 51), along with their children Matilda (age 18), Alvin (age 16), Orrin (age 13) and Margaret (age 3), joined the First Fisk Wagon Expedition, led by Captain James L. Fisk. No children from William’s first marriage to Mirium Dalton joined them. This famous expedition led brave pioneers through the wild, untamed land of what is now North Dakota and Montana, where the Indians were very hostile toward settlers during that time. Just a few months earlier, gold was first discovered on Grasshopper Creek in southwest Montana. The mining camp of Bannack, Montana sprung up along the bank of Grasshopper
P a g e 4 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Creek overnight. The Montana Gold Rush was officially on, and the Daltons were among the earliest pioneers to arrive at the scene. This is a map drawn up by Captain James L. Fisk of his proposed routes into the gold fields of Montana. The First Fisk Wagon Expedition Reaches Fort Abercrombie The First Fisk Wagon Expedition set out from St. Paul on June 16, 1862, and celebrated the 4th of July at Fort Abercrombie, which was located along the banks of the Red River in today's eastern North Dakota. According to Fort Abercrombie records, the First Fisk Expedition contained a total of 117 men, 13 women, 53 wagons, 168 oxen, 17 cows, 13 saddle horses, 14 team horses and 8 mules upon reaching Fort Abercrombie. Upon entering Fort Abercrombie, all of the expedition members were required to sign in at the Fort Abercrombie Guardhouse. This guardhouse is the only original building still standing at the present day Fort Abercrombie State Park in North Dakota, and is the exact place where every person on the First Fisk Wagon Expedition had to step into to sign the register. Therefore, this spot is the only place on earth where I know exactly where my ancestors once stood. During my visit to Fort Abercrombie in 2015, I stepped into this historic one room log building, and stood exactly where the Daltons had stood in 1862. This was a very stirring moment to say the least. The helpful and knowledgeable staff of Fort Abercrombie State Park showed me the 1862 register where William (age 65), Clara (age 51), Matilda (age 18), Alvin (age 16), Orrin (age 13) and Margaret (age 3), were all listed as members of the Dalton Family. According to the Fort Abercrombie State Park staff, Captain Fisk borrowed a cannon from Fort Abercrombie, and Matilda Dalton recalled that Captain Fisk indeed used this cannon to ward off hostile Indians durThis is the Fort Abercrombie Guardhouse where the expedition members, including the Daltons, were required to sign the fort register on July 4th, 1862. I followed their exact footsteps into this building during the summer of 2015.
P a g e 5 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r ing their trek across uncharted country on their way to Fort Benton, Montana. William described himself as a “farmer” on the Fort Abercrombie register. It is not known what type of work William did at the gold rush towns of Bannack and Virginia City, but one can speculate he was a prospector since he was not likely a merchant. And keep in mind he was not a young man at the age of 65. On To Fort Benton, Then Finally To Bannack The First Fisk Wagon Expedition then entered Fort Union on August 9, 1862, which was located near the border of Montana and North Dakota. One month later they reached Fort Benton, Montana, on September 5, 1862, where Captain Fisk's obligation to the U.S. Government who funded the expedition was now complete. Captain Fisk was then instructed to sell the equipment at Walla Walla, so he then unofficially accompanied the emigrants to Walla Walla, which ended up being only a fraction of the original party. 82 members split off the First Fisk Wagon Expedition at Fort Benton and headed for Prickly Pear Creek, Montana. Some stayed there to prospect for gold, whereas the rest of the party continued onward to Bannack, where the action was. This small group of pioneers included Nathaniel P. Langford (future head of the Montana Vigilantes and Yellowstone Park's first superintendent), and the Dalton Family. They reached Bannack on a cold day in December, 1862, just months after gold was discovered at Bannack, Montana along Grasshopper Creek on July 28, 1862. The Daltons lived in Bannack for approximately one year. Bannack Montana was exactly what you would picture a brand new Old West gold rush town to be like, with canvas tents everywhere, and new buildings being built everyday along the main street as businesses were popping up everywhere, such as saloons, stables, general stores and inns. There were miners, merchants, missionaries, blacksmiths, innkeepers, gamblers, ladies of the night, gunfighters, and of course robbers, thieves and murderers. Hardly a place for a family with young children to call home, but the Daltons endured and made the best of it. Freemasons and the First Fisk Wagon Expedition Another interesting note is that according to the staff at Fort Abercrombie, there were three Freemasons on the First Fisk Expedition. One of these Masons was Nathaniel P. Langford, who later led expeditions into Yellowstone Park and became Yellowstone Park’s first superintendent in 1877. Nathanial P. Langford was also instrumental in the formation of the Montana Vigilantes in Virginia City in 1863. The other Freemasons on record were George Charlton and George Gere. It was those three men of the First Fisk Wagon Expedition, that held the first official Masonic meeting in the Territory of Montana where the expedition camped along the Mullan Road at Mullan Pass on September 23, 1862. In December, they then finally reached Bannack, Montana. Bannack, Montana, early 1860s
P a g e 6 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r According to Matilda Dalton, her father William Dalton was also a Freemason. In fact, William’s funeral in Virginia City in January of 1864, was the second Masonic funeral in the Montana Territory. It is not known whether William became a Freemason at Bannack or Virginia City, or he was a Freemason prior to joining the First Fisk Expedition, but he was indeed a Freemason prior to his death. The first Masonic funeral in the Territory of Montana was that of William H. Bell, who died in the fall of 1862 in Bannack Montana of “mountain fever”. -Be sure to catch our next newsletter for the continuation of the Dalton story! A big Thank You to David and Shannon Biegel at www.enjoyyourparks.com for sharing their amazing family history with us! Charity Dillon Priscilla Jane Allen is not the name she left behind when she died. She is known to posterity as Charity Jane Dillon, and her grave, high above Canyon Ferry Lake, is perhaps the most visited site in Broadwater County. There are several accounts of her life and death, but the common threads recount how this young woman came west, alone and on horseback looking for her errant lover. She came to Diamond City, twenty miles northeast of present-day Townsend, in the mid-1860s and eventually found him happily married to another woman and the father of several children. She kept her true identity and heartbreak to herself, and never revealed the man’s name. Under the assumed name of Jane Dillon, she settled near a spring on the stagecoach road between Hog ‘Em and Radersburg where she built a log cabin inn. The inn was not an overnight hostelry but rather a place where travelers could stop and have a drink or a meal. The hospitality of this half-way house was well known. Some old timers claim that she was called Charity because of her kindly acts, but others believe that her name came from the inn’s geographic location near Charity Gulch. In 1872, passersby found Charity Dillon dead in her bed, a bottle whiskey hidden underneath. While some conclude that she died an alcoholic, she may have simply stored the whiskey—which she kept for customers—there for safekeeping. Others believe she died of ptomaine poisoning from contaminated canned goods, a fairly common occurrence. Still others insist that Charity Dillon died of a broken heart. Whatever the cause, it is this poignant mystery that brings visitors to her grave. –Ellen Baumler Ellen Baumler was an award-winning author and Montana historian. A Photo Courtesy of Montana Moments Blog Photo Courtesy of Montana Moments Blog master at linking history with modern-day supernatural events, Ellen's true stories have delighted audiences across the state. The legacy she left behind will be felt for generations to come and we are in debt to her for sharing her extensive knowledge of Montana history in such an entertaining manner. To view and purchase Ellen’s books, visit: http://ellenbaumler.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html
P a g e 7 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r History of New Year, Montana The New Year mine, located about 4 miles WSW of Maiden, was discovered in the early 1880s but little done with it until the late 1890s. A modern cyanide plant was built and later upgraded. (It operated very little and was dismantled by the 1920s.) The mine was about a mile up the mountain from the mill and the community of New Year. Ore was first hauled down in wagons and later an aerial tram was built. A significant amount of development work was done and a little ore mined. Production amounted to only a few hundred ounces of gold. The community of New Year didn't amount to much - no merchants or saloons that I am aware of - however, it had a small school and post office. Interestingly, a coal seam was developed right behind the mill and used to fuel the boilers. What the New Year mine lays fame to is a fairly significant natural cave system that the miners blasted into while driving drift. The BLM now owns the ground and there is talk of someday developing a tourist trap there. A very big Thank You to our friend, Jerry Hanley for the text, photos and map on New Year!
P a g e 8 G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r Dry Creek School Gallatin County, one of the original nine counties established in 1865 during territorial days, was Montana’s first extensively settled agricultural area. Homesteaders followed miners in the late 1860s and established schools in private homes or one-room cabins. Tiny oneroom schoolhouses soon dotted the countryside, often no more than five miles apart. When the population grew, a frame schoolhouse usually replaced the original log cabin. Just north of this site, a simple log cabin comprised Gallatin County School District 9, established before 1896. The present building replaced the cabin in 1901 and the first classes were held in the spring of 1902. There were 45 students. The school was first known as Cedar View and, later, Hillsdale to correspond to local post office addresses. It became the Dry Creek School after 1909. Students dwindled to only four in 1945 and the school closed. District 9 later disappeared when it consolidated with Manhattan School District 3 in 1961. The school is a splendid example of balloon frame construction. Building materials were pre-cut and assembled on site at a total cost of $1,700, including classroom equipment. The utilitarian design mirrors the shape of its log predecessor with one significant change: a recessed entry provided protection against harsh weather. The cupola housing the school bell, a feature shared by only two other Gallatin County schoolhouses, proclaimed the building’s significance to the early community. Purchase of the building by the Jolly Neighbors Club in 1997 for use as a community center reconfirmed its value. –Text Courtesy of National Register of Historic Places in Cooperation with www.mtmemory.org My/Donor Information: SUBSCRIBE TO THE GHOST TOWNS AND HISTORY OF MONTANA NEWSLETTER! Renewal? Y/N Send a Gift to: NAME____________________________________ NAME___________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________ ADDRESS_________________________________ CITY______________________________________ CITY_____________________________________ STATE__________________ZIP________________STATE_________________ ZIP________________ Yearly subscriptions are $19.95 (published monthly). Please make checks payable to Ghost Towns & History of MT, LLC and send with this clipping to P.O. Box 126, Warm Springs, MT 59756 Photo by Jolene Ewert-Hintz
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