Dillon, Montana

Photo courtesy of BCMA, Dillon Montana

After the building of the first transcontinental railroad-the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific-from Omaha to San Francisco, further railroad extension was naturally planned. The gold camps of Helena, Virginia City and Bannack, producing fabulous wealth, had been opened some years before and these mining camps attracted a large population. It is re­ported that Virginia City had a population of more than twenty thousand and the number of inhabitants in Last Chance gulch (Helena) ex­ceeded that of Alder gulch. Food stuffs, all staple commodities, in fact, had to be. transported by wagons from Corinne, Utah, a point on the Central Pacific railroad, to the mining camps of the north, a slow and costly method of transportation. Better transportation facilities had to be provided. Among the first branch lines of railroad contemplated was a line from Utah into Montana.

 

   
Plates 1 and 2
   
Plates 3 and 4 of Houghton's Birdseye created of Dillon, Montana in 1906
Images are courtesy of Jacoby Lowney Collection taken from an "original" print of 1906

 

In the early 70's a start was made and a narrow gauge railroad was built from Ogden to Franklin, in Cache valley. This railroad construction was essentially a Mormon enterprise. At Franklin the narrow gauge ended for several years but the project was promising, the tonnage was so considerable that it could not fail to interest the greater railroad organizations. After the panic of 1873 the construction of the Northern Pacific was resumed. The Union Pacific was naturally eager to share in the traffic with Montana mining camps. About 1877 the Union Pacific acquired the Utah & Northern the narrow gauge railroad, and soon was pushing the line northward, the successive terminal points being Oneida (near present Pocatello), Eagle Rock (present Idaho Falls), Beaver Canyon (now Spencer), then at Red Rock, near present town of Dell; finally the road entered Beaverhead valley.

Photo courtesy of Jacoby Lowney Digital Archives

Number 972, arrival of Dillon's first locomotive

Dillon Station,

As railroad construction approached the valley it was first thought that the mouth of the canyon, at present Barrett's station, would be the ideal site, but unexpected obstacles in securing the right of way made another location necessary. Richard Deacon resisted the railroad when an attempt was made to cross his ranch. To overcome this obstacle, a group of enterprising business men purchased the lands of Richard Deacon and gave the railroad company the right-of-way. It was a prompt and satisfactory manner of handling a difficult situation. It also led to the formation of a townsite company and the town of Dillon began its interesting history.




This land was purchased Sept. 14, 1880, from Deacon, by a group of merchants headed by Howard Sebree, for the sum of $10,500. There were 480 acres in the piece of land purchased. A company was formed by L. J. Ruth, Sim Estes, L. C. Fyhrie, B. F. White, Charles Lefevre, Wilden Pinkham, E. M. Ratcliffe, Sebree, Ferris & Holt, George Smith & Co. Howard Sebree, John M. Lowell, William Wood and others. Each subscribed $875, the total subscription being $10,500. The company immediately became active and declared dividends for each share as soon as a number of lots were sold. These lots were sold at auction at different times.

The land in which would become the Town of Dillon was purchased for $10,400

The railroad reached Dillon Oct. 15, 1880, this being the terminus for that year. Sebree, Ferris and White, who had been following the railroad, established their store and bank in Dillon the same fall. Leonard Eliel, with his brothers, had been doing business at Corinne, Utah, and followed railroad construction to Dillon. George W. Dart, Kirkpatrick Brothers, L. C. Fyhrie and others had already been doing business in the vicinity and after the town was started they established themselves in Dillon. Mrs. L. Kupfer had been in business in Corinne and came up with the railroad. On Oct. 20, 1880, the Dillon City Lot company donated $500 for the erection of a school, which was situated near the present court house. Land was donated to church organizations also.
 

1882, Freighting to Dillon was from Corinne, Utah
(Hotel Corinne in back)

The first of October an auction sale was held and town lots were sold. At this time $14,000 worth of property was sold and the highest priced single lot brought $450. This was con­sidered a great price at that time and was paid in gold coin. This lot is now occupied by the Kupfer Drug store.

All this while the people had resided in such houses and cabins as could be easily and hurriedly made. The main building of the town was the Hotel Corinne, which was a two-story frame building and was situated near the present site of the Hotel Metlen. The first brick buildings were built in 1882 by Eliel Brothers and L. C. Fyhrie : they are still used for business purposes. Sebree, Ferris and White built a small brick building for the bank, situated on the west corner of Helena and Montana. Dillon's first newspaper was owned by Mr. Brundage and was known as the Dillon Tribune. The office building, which was later burned, was located near the present site of the Dillon Examiner.

Jacoby Lowney digital archives
Bannack and Montana Street in front of Albert Stamm's Jewelry Store

Dillon was a thriving town of 300 inhabitants. The town was named Dillon in honor of Sidney Dillon, the president of the Union Pacific railroad. At the time of the settlement of Dillon, the surrounding country was only slightly developed, but during the fol­lowing years the increase became rapid, there being 14,000 bushels of wheat raised in 1881. During this period Bannack had the county seat, but in May, 1881, the legal voters voted to remove the county seat to Dillon.
 

Some time after the foundation of Dillon, the Poindexter and Orr, and A. S. Rife additions were added. Until 1884 Dillon had been a village, but at that time articles of incorporation were applied for and were granted by the legislature. Dillon became a city.
The following: Joseph B. Crow, B. F. White, L. c. Fyhrie, G. W. Dart, L. Eliel, C. L. Thomsen and William C. Orr, were elected as board of commissioners to provide for the holding of the first election and to appoint judges and clerks of election.

Jacoby Lowney Digital Archives
View of the Beaverhead County Courthouse taken in front of George Dart's Hardware

Dillon, unlike other stopping points, remained a thriving town. The first mayor was B. F. White. A number of survivors of this period still reside in Dillon, among them the Eliel Brothers, John Taylor, Mrs. John Adams, Mrs. Ellen Lovell, John Bishop, and Mrs. Anna Carter and her family, the Innes family, the Cashmores, Phil Thorpe, Mat, Ernest, William C. and Bert Orr, the Selways and others. In the issue of the Dillon Tribune of Sept. 22, 1883, we find the following item: "There is now nearly a continuous stretch of sidewalk on Montana street since the extension of the gap between Dart's and Butt's stores." As we regard the broad cement walks along all the streets of the city and the concrete pavements in the business district, it almost seems to us as if Dillon never could have been a frontier village. Yet there are some residents of the city who can distinctly visualize the appearance of the primitive town. Yes, in 1883 the construction of plank sidewalks represented a long stride of progress. Prior to that time the residents of Dillon picked their way through dust and sage brush, or rather greasewood in summer and at other seasons they slid and wallowed through the alkali mud and accumulated tons of the sticky clay on their boots.

Artist's sketch of the Kirkpatrick Brother's Store.
The Kirkpatricks were the first Merchants in the new city of Dillon, having moved their building by rollers and capstans into the new town. The store remained open and business was conducted while the store was being moved into Dillon. The Kirkpatrick Family traveled with John Bozeman of the famous "Bozeman Trail"

This is the store depicted in the (above) sketch. The Kirkpatricks built their residence next door. This store was located across the street from where the Dillon High School is now.

The Kirkpatrick Brother's second location.
(Valley Motor Supply occupies this corner now)
If you look behind the store, you can see two blocks back, their first location. James Kirkpatrick was Dillon's second postmaster.

Although the town was started in October, 1880, it was several years before the people realized that there existed the conditions which insure permanency. The spirit of the pioneers prevailed. There was always the readiness to move on to new locations reputed to be more attractive or to regions holding out the promise of greater prosperity. But by the time the first two or three years of the town's existence had elapsed the notion that Dillon would be only a temporary abode began to fade and the towns­people, like the hardy trail blazers of the previous generation, began to feel a greater degree of confidence in the future, and like the already established families of Orrs, Poindexters, Carters, Bishops and Selways, they settled down.

The Joseph Metlen Hotel

It was an uninviting row of wooden buildings that stretched along Montana street, nearly all with the sham fronts that are still found in embryo cities of the West.
There were no side walks. In wet weather there were loose boards scattered in front of the business places and the agile population jumped from one of these boards to another to avoid mud puddles. But, as already noted, by the time the summer of 1883 had passed, conditions in these respects showed improvement. One can picture the wooden awnings, or board shelter, erected before the business places, chiefly in front of the saloons, which were numerous. These board awnings, which were only roofs extending over the walk, were supported by posts at the edge of the walk. There were benches along the street line-the curb­for the accommodation of thloungers.
 

The saloons were many and were accepted as necessary to the life of the community. They were usually quiet and orderly during the day but sometimes became riotous during the night. Gambling was "wide open"-on the frontier gambling had always been the avocation of a gentleman.

In nearly all saloons poker games were running, in many, faro games were conducted. To the spectator these games presented an interesting scene. There was an element of the picturesque, the appeal that mere strangeness makes, which was irresistable to many a victim of the vice. The players were grouped about the tables, some seated, others standing behind, reaching over the shoulders of those seated to make their plays, all intensely absorbed in the turn of the cards. There were bull whackers, freighters, graders from the railroad construction camps, laborers employed about town and generally a few Chinamen, all gathered together in a fraternity, actuated by a common interest, thinking the same thoughts, fascinated and spell-bound, oblivious to sounds coming from outside the charmed circle. Occasionally a player would hum a bit of song but usually a strange silence was maintained until the last card was slipped out of the box by the dealer and the case keeper pushed the buttons back on the abacus on which he kept tally. Sometimes the lookout would be appealed to settle a dispute. Smoky coal oil lamps lighted the scene.

Hot air balloon event at Dillon in front of Metlen Hotel.....

The air was dense and murky.Gambling was regarded as a profession by the "habitues." A few of the gamblers were of the romantic, Bret Hart type, well dressed, displaying heavy watch chains and jewels.' The professional took his calling rather seriously. Sometimes when he was on the witness stand in court, in reply to the question, "What is your business?" he would answer, "I am a gambler by profession." The picture would not be complete without introducing the Indian. Frequently Indians used to come over from the Lemhi reservation or
from Fort Hall near Pocatello. There was usually an Indian village near town, near the
river among the willows. Their tepees were often seen on the lower slopes of near-by hills.

The Indians, wearing their blankets like a toga, with the dignity of an old Roman senator, often strode slowly and noiselessly along the street. The squaws, often with a papoose on their back, peered into the windows of the homes, sometimes frightening the children within. Tendoy, chief of the Bannacks, some times came, with his retinue. He was a dignified man, fully conscious of his station. Indians of other tribes often appeared Crow, Blackfeet, Shoshone and it was interesting to see members of different tribes communicating by means of the universal sign language. Some times the Indians came over as a feature of our Fourth of July celebrations, having a place in the procession, riding in the races, and giving a war dance in the evening dusk. The indepencdence Day celebration was a regular annual event, with its patriotic oration, parade and general hilarity.

The cowboys and horse wranglers enjoyed the day and were a prominent feature of the festivities. But our cowboys were not of the type now pictured in the movies. The ten-gallon hat was unknown. Our cowboys took their work seriously.
It was a simple life we lived those days before the automobile and the moving picture. There wasn't that exodus every winter to California, nor that summer migration to the sea­side or to the National parks, now accepted al­most as a natural phenomenon. It was a long time before anyone crossed the ocean on a pleasure trip. When a young man was about to start on a visit to the old home back in Iowa or Illinois to see the old folks, he was given a farewell party and when he returned he related the story of his adventures to an excited and numerous group of listeners. Along in the 1890s the bicycle made its appearance and soon everybody owned one of these machines. It seemed almost as if we had been provided with wings.

We were enabled to make long trips, 20 or 30 miles, in a day, and we saw more of the beautiful country around us. Bicycle riding took us out into the open country and it certainly was a health-restoring exercise. Camping trips, made with team and wagon, over rough roads, was a health giving diversion. The days were spent in hard labor, packing the wagons in the morning, bring in the horses, harnessing teams, a rest at noon beside some stream and in the evening pitching camp at some attractive spot where wood, water and feed for the horses were found conveniently near. The wagons were unpacked, the tent put up, the horses picketed, supper prepared over the campfire, and lastly, our blankets spread on the ground.

We were tired at night and always refreshed in the morning; The automobile has given us much-a much wider acquaintance with the world, or at least, with our surroundings, for one thing, but it has deprived us of a lot. We are reminded of occasional excursions into the country to spend an afternoon "out at Phil Lovell's" where we were always hospitably received, or horseback rides to Argenta, where we were sure to have a warm welcome at Mrs. French's home. There were also country dances at ranch houses, at Sim Estes, the old stage station near Barrett's, or at Jim Murray's or Mat Ewbank's.

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These dances were invariably enjoyed although, they did involve a long drive homeward in the early morning hours. In town we organized a "dancing club" every winter, giving dances at intervals of two weeks. We glided through the waltz, Newport and two step, or swung through a rollicking quadrille, or danced the stately minuet with as much grace and gravity as we were capable of and after the dance took . our 1
partners to Al Hoyt's chop house to partake of oyster stew, which was considered the correct ending of a perfect evening. In 1884 the roller skating craze swept the country and it soon gripped Dillon.

To be continued......

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