LAND OF THE FLATHEADS A SKETCH OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION, MONTANA ITS PAST AND PRESENT ITS HOPES AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE BY W. H. SMEAD For Nearly Seven Years United States Indian Agent in Charge of the Flathead Indian Reservation COPYRIGHT, 1905, By W. H. SMEAD PIONEER PRESS MFG. DEPTS. St. Paul, Minn. I PREFACE F ANY apology seems necessary for the publication of this work, I will say in extenuation that the recent legislation which passed Congress and was approved by the President providing for the opening of the Flathead Reservation in Montana, will throw open to settlement one of the largest tracts of land still remaining unoccupied in the United States. A territory in extent exceeding in area double that of the state of Rhode Island and greater by 200,000 acres than the state of Delaware. With such a vast domain soon to be occupied by the thrifty "empire builders," it seems that there is a demand for reliable information concerning this magnificent and heretofore almost unknown country. My intimate knowledge, obtained by an official residence of nearly seven years upon the reservation and among its people while acting as United States Indian Agent, the exceptional opportunity such position gave me in obtaining the most accurate and trustworthy information concerning the people and their country, its resources and possibilities, the climatic conditions, the soil and its producing capacity, its timber lands and mountain ranges with their possibilities for great mills and rich mines, seems to warrant my presentation of this work for the information of these who may contemplate obtaining a home or a business location in Montana upon the beautiful and fertile land of the Flatheads. I made Montana my home early in life and feel with my long residence in the state and large acquaintance with men and affairs to be competent to state in concise and clear form the conditions which exist here, and it shall be my aim to truthfully portray such conditions and what in my opinion are some of the possibilities of the future. It has been my purpose so far as possible to represent the conditions, industries and achievements of each section treated, with illustrations. "Seeing is believing," and I have therefore spared no expense in securing plates for this publication, made from photographs taken from many interesting and instructive subjects. These I hope will be of much service to the reader in arriving at a clearer understanding of the subject than he would otherwise be able to get from a perusal of these pages. The primary intent of this work as above indicated is to furnish information regarding the Flathead Reservation in view of its early opening. It however seems, in order that persons unacquainted with Montana may have as complete an understanding as possible, that a chapter treating of the state at large should be added. In this chapter I have attempted to treat Montana as a whole in so far as it may have any bearing upon the subject proper of this volume. I have aimed to show the rapid and very substantial and almost marvelous attainments that |