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Then and Now; or, Thirty-Six Years in the Rockies: Personal Reminiscences of Some of the First Pioneers of the State of MontanaVaughn, Robert

History

Then and Now; or, Thirty-Six Years in the Rockies: Personal Reminiscences of Some of the First Pioneers of the State of Montana

Name: Then and Now; or, Thirty-Six Years in the Rockies: Personal Reminiscences of Some of the First Pioneers of the State of Montana
Author: Vaughn, Robert

Vaughn, Robert

Frontier and pioneer life -- Montana; Indians of North America -- Montana -- History -- 19th century; Indians of North America -- Wars -- Montana; Montana -- Description and travel; Montana -- History -- 19th century; Pioneers -- Montana -- Biography

[Illustration: Very truly yours

  Robt Vaughn (handwritten dedication and signature)
]

  THEN AND NOW;

  OR,

  Thirty-Six Years in the Rockies.

  Personal Reminiscences of Some of the First Pioneers
  of the State of Montana.

  INDIANS AND INDIAN WARS.

  The Past and Present of the Rocky Mountain Country.
  1864-1900.

  BY
  ROBERT VAUGHN.

  MINNEAPOLIS:
  TRIBUNE PRINTING COMPANY.
  1900.

  COPYRIGHTED, 1900.

  BY
  ARVONIA ELIZABETH VAUGHN.

DEDICATION.

  ARVONIA ELIZABETH VAUGHN,
      Great Falls, Montana.

  MY DEAR LITTLE DAUGHTER:

The following series of letters, which include a short history of
Montana’s early days, together with a brief sketch of your father’s
life and a copy of my letter to you, giving an obituary of your dear
mother, I dedicate to you, knowing that they will be appreciated, and
hoping that you will have the pleasure of reading them after I am gone.

        Your affectionate father,
            ROBERT VAUGHN.

  Great Falls, Montana, May 15th, 1900.

PREFACE.

It may not be out of place to explain how this book came to find its
way into print. It was written for my little daughter, in the form of
letters at various times, and not intended for publication, but many
friends after reading them insisted that they should be published. One
said: “You must not wait until you are dead before these letters are
given to the world.”

As my desire is, by the grace of God, to live many years yet, I now
present these letters to the reader, supplemented by others from old
time friends who braved the perils and dangers of pioneer life; and as
they are intended to be a part of the history of this great state, care
has been taken to keep strictly to the truth.

It is hoped that a line here and there will be appreciated by those
who ride in palace cars as well as the old pioneers who came west in
prairie schooners.

            ROBERT VAUGHN.

CONTENTS.

                                                                    Page

    From Home to the State of Illinois,                               17

    Crossing the Plains,                                              22

    On a Stampede to the Yellowstone,                                 35

    The Discovery of Alder Creek, the Richest Gold Gulch on the
        Globe,                                                        39

    The James Stuart Prospecting Party,                               46

    From Alder Gulch to Last Chance,                                  57

    From the Mines to the Farm,                                       64

    A Letter to My Little Babe,                                       72

    From the Farm to the City of Great Falls,                         77

    Montana Pioneers,                                                 84

    The Dark Side of the Life of the Pioneer,                         89

    The Indian Praying,                                              103

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Then and Now; or, Thirty-Six Years in the Rockies: Personal Reminiscences of Some of the First Pioneers of the State of Montana

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