The fur trade era in south and southwest Montana was in full swing. Although trappers and traders were constantly threatened, primarily by the Blackfeet, an uneasy truce existed. But the truce was broken by several fights in the Three Forks area. The Blackfeet were unsettled by the trapper/traders and trying to protect their territory.
The Three Forks area was where most other tribes attempted to invade Blackfeet Territory so they had access to a substantial food supply, primarily buffalo but also other large game animals like elk, deer and antelope. Clark had reported all of these animals were quite plentiful throughout his trip, particularly from the Three Forks to the Yellowstone, then very plentiful from there to the point where the Expedition was all reunited in North Dakota.
The Blackfeet, like all the plains tribes, lived on a subsistence diet. They were not protecting their land—as the European concept of territory—but their food supply. The problem the traders created was that they were providing the Blackfeet’s enemy with weapons and other equipment that could enable them to overcome the Blackfeet, or at least compete for the available food. This situation could get to the point that the other tribes had control of the food supply and the Blackfeet would go hungry.
The summer of 1808 John Colter and John Potts went from Fort Raymond to the Three Forks area where they met some Crow and Flathead. As they were going back to Fort Raymond they ran into a large group of Blackfeet. The Crow/Flathead group of 800 won the ensuing battle against the Blackfeet force of 1,500. However, John Colter who was fighting on the side of the Crow was recognized by the Blackfeet. This ended the truce. The Blackfeet declared war on the American traders.
By 1809 Colter was back in the Three Forks area trapping with several others who together had set up another fort there. It was overrun by Blackfeet and several trappers who were caught and killed. A notable exception was John Colter. He was caught, but set free to run for his life.
In spite of the fights with the Blackfeet, for the next three years Lisa’s men, and other groups of trappers, worked the streams of the southwest bringing rich loads of beaver furs to Fort Raymond for shipment to St. Louis.
The war of 1812 brought great change in the fur business. Large increases in fighting with many tribes finally made the effort not worthwhile and the American traders and trappers pulled out of Montana, leaving Fort Raymond abandoned by 1813. American traders didn’t return to Montana until the 1830s. By then the beaver fur trade had fallen to almost nothing since the high style of beaver hats had given way to other fashions. What was valuable for trading was buffalo hide robes.
The Three Forks area was where most other tribes attempted to invade Blackfeet Territory so they had access to a substantial food supply, primarily buffalo but also other large game animals like elk, deer and antelope. Clark had reported all of these animals were quite plentiful throughout his trip, particularly from the Three Forks to the Yellowstone, then very plentiful from there to the point where the Expedition was all reunited in North Dakota.
The Blackfeet, like all the plains tribes, lived on a subsistence diet. They were not protecting their land—as the European concept of territory—but their food supply. The problem the traders created was that they were providing the Blackfeet’s enemy with weapons and other equipment that could enable them to overcome the Blackfeet, or at least compete for the available food. This situation could get to the point that the other tribes had control of the food supply and the Blackfeet would go hungry.
The summer of 1808 John Colter and John Potts went from Fort Raymond to the Three Forks area where they met some Crow and Flathead. As they were going back to Fort Raymond they ran into a large group of Blackfeet. The Crow/Flathead group of 800 won the ensuing battle against the Blackfeet force of 1,500. However, John Colter who was fighting on the side of the Crow was recognized by the Blackfeet. This ended the truce. The Blackfeet declared war on the American traders.
By 1809 Colter was back in the Three Forks area trapping with several others who together had set up another fort there. It was overrun by Blackfeet and several trappers who were caught and killed. A notable exception was John Colter. He was caught, but set free to run for his life.
In spite of the fights with the Blackfeet, for the next three years Lisa’s men, and other groups of trappers, worked the streams of the southwest bringing rich loads of beaver furs to Fort Raymond for shipment to St. Louis.
The war of 1812 brought great change in the fur business. Large increases in fighting with many tribes finally made the effort not worthwhile and the American traders and trappers pulled out of Montana, leaving Fort Raymond abandoned by 1813. American traders didn’t return to Montana until the 1830s. By then the beaver fur trade had fallen to almost nothing since the high style of beaver hats had given way to other fashions. What was valuable for trading was buffalo hide robes.
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