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Montana Monograph
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This is a superb manuscript about early life in Eastern Montana from the settlers’ own words; and those
of their friends. Entitled “MONTANA
MONOGRAPHS”, and published by Harley O’Donnell, grandson of I.D.
O’Donnell, There are 260 pages of exciting frontier life, recorded just as it
was stated in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. I.D. O’Donnell was one of the Yellowstone Valley founding fathers and was
nationally renowned for his Hesper farming methods, and was active for
several decades in various reclamation methods. In addition to a contents page of the many
people who related their experiences, there is a four-page index for ready
reference to an event or person.
This
manuscript can be obtained from Harley O’Donnell. Contact him at HOdon21621@aol.com
for delivery information.
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City Directories
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Most of the Polk Billings’ City Directories 1905
through 2001 belonging to the Yellowstone Genealogy Forum are being
maintained by the web master. Contact webmaster for information - free lookups via email are provided.
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Daughters
of the American Revolution
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Listings of Posts and related internet links for Montana
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Early
Residents-1
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New - Early Residents of Yellowstone
County - Indexed from “Yellowstone County and other articles from the
Daily Herald 1883” Surnames A-L
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Early
Residents-2
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New - Early Residents of Yellowstone
County - Indexed from “Yellowstone County and other articles from the
Daily Herald 1883” Surnames M-Z
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Pioneer
People
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People, places and events that helped form Yellowstone County lists people that are important
to the county formation. Links to numerous persons and events. Used in part
to create Montana Monographs 2007. Includes link to the Josephine Riverboat under “Joseph MV Cochran.” These two events
are closely related.
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Pioneers of
Eastern Montana
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This is the unique home for pioneer biographies,
local area history and events in Eastern Montana.
It has a special tabulated vital record listing that spans two websites for
area research.
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Settlers
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The first settlers in the county and described, in
sequence of their arrival.
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Surname
Registry
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Biographies of persons retained in the YGF GenRoom
[Parmly Billings Library] are listed. These are in book form.
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Women Photos
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Pioneer women and some events collected in a simple
photo display. Additional details to be added as an on-going project.
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Yellowstone
Basin Preservation Society
&
Manuel Lisa (Fort Book)
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The society determines and establishes needs for
various historical preservation areas within Yellowstone County,
and creates methods for their preservation through proper management
resources. Projects are established and moved into the agency/personnel best
qualified for the corresponding actions. Manuel Lisa’s first fort site on the
Yellowstone; generally referred to as
“Manuel’s Fort” by William Clark, George Drouillard and Stansbury is pictured
and discussed in Preservation Activity #2. Here you will find the location,
signatures (inscriptions) of Lisa and Colter, and details about how the site
was over-looked by many researchers over the years. Documents are being
prepared to establish the area as an Historical Site.
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Early Pioneers and Local References
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Much of the history of how some towns in Yellowstone were created, and the
persons and corporations behind them, can be found in the ancient Title Abstract
documents of Yellowstone
County. Here are listed
thousands of persons, major businesses & their owners, and how they got
started. For those researchers who would like to know a little more about
their ancestors who helped form these towns, delve into their wills and
personal statements they made regarding their life during the early years in
Montana, then this is the place to start. If you are an aspiring author, who
would like to write a book about Billings,
or other towns and the county, then this is the place to start! The abstract
files, donated to the Yellowstone Genealogy Forum by the
"Abstract Guarantee Company", summarize and identify land and court
records that made up Yellowstone
County; plus they
include sworn statements about the conditions of the time from property
owners and neighbors that cannot be located elsewhere.
Yellowstone River, which flows through the county, was originally called
in the Minnetree language “Mi tsi a da Zi”, meaning Elk River, but it was
translated as “yellow rock” river. French trappers referred to it as “Riveaux
de Roches Juane” meaning “river of yellow rocks”. In 1798, David Thompson of the Hudson Bay
Company visited the area and translated the name as “Yellowstone”.
In 1805 a map sent to President Jefferson by Lewis and Clark referred to the
valley area as Yellowstone. Both the river
and the valley were called Roche Juane until 1818.
Acquisition of Government
Land records in Yellowstone Valley
Area is included.
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Host Site for Inter-Collection of
Pioneers, towns and local history
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The various types of Records are noted in the
left column of the following table. Sub categories are listed in the second
column, followed by short descriptions in the 3rd & 4th
columns.
Examples
are:
1.
Billings – Identification of the town,
its beginning, and related information about the land. Not listed
below is a graphic
timeline (Excel Format) that identifies the major events described in
these documents that NPR took to relocate its track from the planned Miles City crossing southward and pass
through the Coulson area. See also the bios for Rowley, Foster & North.
Compiled mainly from Court Records and personal notes from the settlers
throughout the United
States. The original NPR route was platted
in 1853-1855 and ran from St. Paul northwest
to Fort Union,
and west to Fort
Benton. The map created
by the members of this team was accurate to today’s map within one mile in
longitude. The Surveyor General of Montana
for some unexplained reason didn’t use it.
2. Pioneer
Biographies – Listed by persons, or business, these bios collectively help to
explain why there was such a strong bond between them. These are listed in
different categories.
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Charbonneau
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Pomp, son of Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacagawea is buried in Jordan
Valley, Oregon, about 6 miles to the west of Highway 95, and 12 miles south
of the Jordan Valley town (truck stop). There is a
site marker on the highway. This links directly with the DAR
activities associated with Pompeys Pillar.
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Josephine
Riverboat’s Travels 1875 & 1877
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Description of the steamer’s trips; along with maps of the 1875 journey to Duck Creek and its 1877 journey to Coulson when it delivered supplies & docked at Joseph MV Cochran’s land. Combined with Joseph Cochran’s biography. Detailed maps and original records of docking notes recorded. |
