Be it known that we, J. T. Connor, Sidney Edgerton, h. C. Miller, and George Chrisman, our associates and successors, have this day and by these presents claimed and taken possession of and claim the following tract of land, for a townsite, to be known under the name of Empire City, to-wit: Commencing on the east fork, a distance of one mile, including eighty rods on each side of fork, all in Beaverhead County, and we hereby give notice and declare our intentions to improve the said tract and to pre-empt the same by virtue of the laws of the United States, in such cases provided, wherever said land shall be subject thereto.
Done at Empire City, Beaverhead County, Montana Territory, July 14th, A. D. 1864.
Witness our hands,
J. T. CONNER,
SIDNEY EDGERTON,
L. C. MILLER.
GEORGE CHRISMAN.
No one can tell where this city (?) was. Probably the parties, owing to the peculiar manner of the description, lost it soon after, and were never able to locate it. Too bad.
The town of Montana, now Argenta, was pre-empted by Henry Lovewell, once a partner of Senator W. A. Clark, James Doty, Samuel McLean, Edwin R. Purple, Gov. Z. M. Polinger, Sidney Edgerton, George W. Stapleton, A. K. Eaton, William H. Miller, William Beeker, Samuel W. Bachelder, G. Marvis, George Brown, Walter C. Hopkins, R. S. Peabody, Joseph A. Brown, Alex Mayhew, Tom Pitt, David. H. Hopkins, John P. Barttelson, Cyrus P. Gilbert, Col. Jarrow, Darius Hunkins, Frederick Butterfield, James Turfs, Nathaniel L. Davis, James Coburn, and William Babbet.
People flocked to Argenta on account of the rich ore that had been found. It seems to be impossible to find the name of the party that discovered the first claim. We know that it must have been prior to June 30th, 1864, as on that date, C. I. Ream, J. A. Brown, A. J. Oliver, B. F. MeKay and Dr. E. D. Leavitt claimed 1,000 feet, as a water claim for milling and mining purposes. A very little placer mining had been done, even before that.
The Marquis lode was the first that I can find on record, though no doubt, some other must have been located (I am told that it was the Legal Tender).
William Becker claimed the Discovery on the Marquis, with the following as co-claimants:
William Reeker, George Brown, William H. Miller, Prof. A. K. Eaton, J. Kennedy k J. G. Gill, W. F. Sanders, R. Armitage, L. C. Miller, Miss L. A. Darling, William Chumasero, G. E. Upson, F. M. Thompson, G. Morris, E. Marley, G. D. French, Harry Neil & Co., A. C. McMilland, Bartholomew, Elgin Moore, L. A. Gridley, S. Edgerton, T. C. Evarts.
Located July 21st, 1864.
Now, you must not become impressed with the fact that they found ore at Montana City, before they found it in any other place in the Territory. Our old friend, Orrin D. Farlin, commonly called "Quartz Farlin," a brother of William L. Farlin, of Butte fame, was a fiend for lode discoveries. On the 15th of October, 1862, the "Kammas" Lode was discovered by Orrin D. Farlin, which gives him the honor of having found and recorded the first claim containing ore, in the state. Nothing has been heard of the "Kammas" to lead one to suppose that Farlin was fortunate in its discovery. Next we find that the French Lode was located on November 2nd, by Ludin and Pequgnot. The Minnesota on the 9th, and the Dakota, November 12, 1862.
We notice that P. Breakfast, a person who surely had one meal with him each day, located No. 8 easterly, from discovery on the French.
The Dakota was to make history. It was on this lead that Frank Allen was to build the first quartz mill in Montana. It was discovered by Charles Benson, H. Porter, E. Porter and C. W. Place. Probably the first Sheriff's deed on record in Montana, was the sale of a certain piece of property, described as follows: The undivided one-quarter interest in and to claim No. 9, west, on the Dakota Lode, Idaho Territory, on August 3rd, 1863, by Henry Plummer, Sheriff, to Moses Burring and J. D. Ritchie, to satisfy a judgment of Moses Burris, Plaintiff, against John Ault. Execution issued out of the Miners' Court, Bannack District. We also find that Power of Attorney was given by H. Plummer, to George Chrisman, to settle with parties who owed him $3,500.00, on half interest in No. 7 Dakota lode, on December 27th, 1863, recorded January 2nd, 1864 -- eight days before Plummer was hung. If Henry had been wise, he would have left Montana. As to this particular matter, I can find no final accounting with the Probate Court of Beaverhead, by Chrisman.