The history of Wells County, North Dakota, and its pioneers : with a sketch of North Dakota history and the oregin [sic] of the place names

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library
• Subjects: Hammer Hill; Hudson; Hudson Bay; James River; Simpson Head; York Factory
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/40797

And Its Pioneers 17 man, is said by tradition to have been the first white man to explore the upper regions of the James River, and later to have gone nearly to the headwaters of that stream. He left no written records. Rev. Father George A. Belcourt first visited the Butte de Morale vicinity in October, 1845, when accompanying the Pembina half-breeds on a buffalo hunt to Dogden Butte. The Governor I. I. Stevens' expedition of 1853 was the first to pass through the county, the route of which is now nearly paralleled by the Great Northern railway. Travelling in a N. 80 degrees W. direction on July 13, they entered Wells county, and the next day some of the party ate dinner on top of Black Hammer Hill and killed three buffalo cows a half mile southwest of there. Excerpts from Gov. Stevens' report, 1853. "July 13th. Dropped back from the prairie five and one-half miles to camp on the James River. Good grass; good water; no wood." "July 14th. Marched twenty-one and one-half miles, over a hilly and marshy prairie, with many small ponds camped by a small lake or pond, water tolerable; grass good; no wood." "July 15th. Marched two and one-half miles; marshy prairie; abounding with ponds; camp near a small pond; sufficient grazing; no wood. At this camp were joined by a large band of Red River buffalo hunters from Pembina under command of Governor Wilkie. The mosquitos continued exceedingly annoying, flying against the tent sides with a noise like the pattering of rain while the inside of the tents were perfectly black with them and drove the men outside into the open air. The buffalo are very plentiful and the "Bois de Vache" has without inconvenience been substituted for wood at the camp fires. Alexis LeBombard, a guide, then visiting with the half-breed hunters was engaged to pilot the expedition to the mouth of the Yellowstone. Sugar, pemmican and other provisions were bought from the Gov. Wilkie party. The medium of exchange was Hudson Bay script in denominations of five shillings, payable at York Factory and bearing the signature of Sir George Simpson, head of that company." Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.