Remember When?

90 YEARS AGO • SEPTEMBER, 1933

THOMPSON FALLS WILL CELEBRATE

Monument to David Thompson, Explorer, Will Be unveiled Today.

Taken from the September 4, 1933 issue of the Spokesman Review:

The monument to David Thompson, early explorer in western Montana will be unveiled at Thompson Falls at 10 o’clock today. The monument was completed last week. It is constructed of stream-worn boulders gathered from the region of David Thompson’s Salish House.

A.H. Abbott and J.M. Frisbie will have charge of the unveiling ceremony today and a special program has been arranged for the occasion with Professor Paul C. Phillips of the University faculty as a speaker.

The unveiling ceremonies will be part of a two-day celebration which opened at Thompson Falls Sunday with sports and a rodeo. Following the ceremonial today the 4-H clubs will parade and a stock judging contest will be held on the Sanders County Courthouse lawn.

At noon a big barbecue dinner will be served to the public. George Buckhouse of St. Ignatius will be in charge of the barbecue of two large bison which were secured for the occasion.

Taken from The Sanders County Ledger, September 6, 1933:

The celebration started at 10 a.m. with the unveiling of the David Thompson memorial. Dr. Paul C. Phillips of the University of Montana gave a fine talk. Dr. Phillips outlined the early day history of this section and the part David Thompson played in it. Briefly David Thompson the famous geographer was under the employ of the Northwest Fur Company. He established the Salish House as a fur post in order to trade with the Salish Indians who hunted in this territory. The Salish or Kalispell Indians had been driven out of their buffalo grounds to the east by the Piegan-Blackfoot Indians east of Wild Horse Plains where the town of Plains now stands. This was because the Piegans were equipped with guns furnished by the Astor American Fur. Co., and other traders to the east. The Piegans were opposed to the establishment of the Northwest Fur Post at this point, while the Salish Indians encouraged the establishment so that they could secure arms imported from Vancouver to resist the invasion of the Piegans and retake their buffalo territory east of the Wild Horse Plains that the fierce Piegan- Blackfeet had driven them from. After the establishment of the post here the Salish Flathead Indians under Thompson’s leadership in the year 1810 invaded the Wild Horse Plains and defeated the Piegans, and gave the Salish Indians once more access to their buffalo territory. Dr. Phillips pointed out that for years until 1847 Salish Northwest Fur Post was one of the most important posts in the northwest. It was a part of the string of posts and forts erected to retain the fur trade and territory for the British government, in competition with various strong American companies who sought to annex the country. After 1847 the post was moved east to other Flathead hunting grounds.

At the unveiling ceremonies was Duncan McDonald, direct descendent of Finan McDonald who with Jacco Hamilton accompanied David Thompson in establishing the Salish House. Duncan McDonald is an old man but can recount many interesting episodes of the early days.

From the September 4, 1933 issue of the Spokesman Review:

By Fred J. Ward

The writer had gone to the train to meet Dr. Paul Phillips, who was to come to Thompson Falls to dedicate the David Thompson monument on Labor Day. He was not there.

Only four or five passengers got off and all of them were strangers. Frank Foster, the assessor of Sanders County, who was taking the noon train for the west, shook hands with a tall old man. He led him to the car about 20 feet from the coach.

“Shake hands with Mr. Duncan McDonald,” he said.

Duncan McDonald regarded the writer with black eyes which, for all the man’s age, have lost none of their brightness. He is an old Indian almost six feet high and straight as an arrow. He was wearing a blue coat and a polka dot shirt. A necktie was pinned to his shirt front. He carried a crooked cane of polished mahogany. When he speaks he motions with his left hand. He is left handed.

“I am glad to meet you,” he said, with the formal dignity which is so often found among the Indians. “Frank Foster is my old friend. I have known him many years. I wish to go to the hotel.” He deposited a small brown bag on the floor of the car.

To be continued…