Meghan Lockner 12/9/15 HSTR 499 Timothy LeCain Consuming Bears: Settler Bears Settler Bears: Early Euro-American Settler’s View of Grizzly Bears in Montana, 1805-1901 Early Euro-American settlers of Montana encountered obstacles that Eastern and Southern settlers did not encounter. These complications included encountering the grizzly bear. The grizzly bear, a native bear to Montana’s land was a new sight that caused fear and concern for many, due to its size, stature, and sharp claws and teeth. Early documentation of the grizzly bear appears in the journals from the Lewis and Clark expedition, and then about sixty years later, in local Montana newspapers. The language used to describe the grizzly bears paints a picture of what the early settlers thought of the animal, and it can be seen that the Lewis and Clark journals set a precedence, and a warning for the later settlers that find themselves in the region of Montana. By looking at the exploration and settlement of Montana through the Lewis and Clark journals from 1805, and the Montana newspaper articles from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, evidence shows that the grizzly bear was seen to be a large, ferocious, beast, and the attitude towards them could be described, as “kill, or be killed.” Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their journey of westward exploration in the United States in 1804, and throughout their journey kept journals that tracked what they saw, who they met, animals they encountered, and drawings of the land. These journals included bear encounters and sightings that made these the first in Montana by the Euro-American. While 1
Settler Bears: Early Euro-American Settler’s View of Grizzly Bears in Montana,
1805-1901
Early Euro-American settlers of Montana encountered obstacles that Eastern and
Southern settlers did not encounter. These complications included encountering the grizzly bear.
The grizzly bear, a native bear to Montana’s land was a new sight that caused fear and concern
for many, due to its size, stature, and sharp claws and teeth. Early documentation of the grizzly
bear appears in the journals from the Lewis and Clark expedition, and then about sixty years
later, in local Montana newspapers. The language used to describe the grizzly bears paints a
picture of what the early settlers thought of the animal, and it can be seen that the Lewis and
Clark journals set a precedence, and a warning for the later settlers that find themselves in the
region of Montana. By looking at the exploration and settlement of Montana through the Lewis
and Clark journals from 1805, and the Montana newspaper articles from the late 1800’s and early
1900’s, evidence shows that the grizzly bear was seen to be a large, ferocious, beast, and the
attitude towards them could be described, as “kill, or be killed.”
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their journey of westward exploration in the
United States in 1804, and throughout their journey kept journals that tracked what they saw,
who they met, animals they encountered, and drawings of the land. These journals included bear
encounters and sightings that made these the first in Montana by the Euro-American. While
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Lewis and Clark’s journey through Montana was not homesteading, their pioneer encounters
with grizzly bears necessitates mention. The large majority of the bear encounters take place in
the summer of 1805, when Lewis and Clark’s team were exploring the present day state of
Montana. For the purpose of researching the early encounters with bears and Euro-American
settlers, this will be the primary focus of the Lewis and Clark journals, and will also give the
most detailed information on the first accounts of the brown bear in Montana territory.
On May 1805, descriptions of the bears began to appear in the journals from their
exploration. Lewis writes about a brown bear that Clark and Drewyer killed. He describes the
bear as “the largest brown bear this evening which we have yet seen. it was a most tremendous
looking animal, and extreemly hard to kill notwithsanding he had five balls through his lungs and
five others in various parts he swam more than half the distance across the river to a sandbar & it
was at least twenty minutes before he died;.” Lewis’ account of this bear gives the public the 1
thought of an animal that is hard to defeat, making it a challenge to take on. Lewis continues in
his description in writing “he did not attempt to attact, but fled and made the most tremendous
roaring from the moment he was shot.” Lewis goes on to explain the weight of the bear and 2
estimates about 500 to 600 pounds, and measures 8 feet 7.5 inches tall, giving this bear specifics
that the early readers of these journals needed to paint a picture of the early bears of Montana. 3
Lewis then begins to compare this bear, which he described earlier as a brown bear, to the black
bear. He writes, “this bear differs from the common black bear in several respects; it’s tallons are
Meriwether Lewis, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by 1
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003), May 5, 1805
Ibid, May 5, 18052
Ibid, May 5, 18053
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much longer and more blont, it’s tale shorter, it’s hair which is of a redish or bey brown, is longer
thicker and finer than that of the black bear; his liver lungs and heart are much larger even in
proportion with his size;…his maw was also ten times the size of the black bear, and was filled
with flesh and fish.” With Lewis’ early description of the brown bear, we can see the beginning 4
of the language used to describe a large, “tremendous,” animal, that is much bigger and made out
to be scarier than the black bear, which in comparison here, is much smaller and weaker. In
journals from the same day written by Clark, he notes that they killed a bear “which was verry
large and turrible looking.” The same description as Lewis’, in terms of large, is documented by 5
Clark, and in Clark’s writings, he adds “turrible” looking, giving this bear a bad reputation from
the start. On May 13, 1805, the members of the exploration wrote in similar entries in their
journals, with discrepancies of the different descriptions of the bear beginning to manifest. In
Whitehouse’s entry, he writes, “the hunters joined us one of them had wounded a white or brown
bear.” The next day on the 14th of May, Gass writes again about the ferocity of the bears, in 6
journaling “These bears are very bold and ferocious; and very large and powerful. The natives
say they have killed a number of their brave men.” The descriptions all seem to contain the 7
same language in regard to the size of the bears, they include how large the bears are, and they
can be portrayed as “bold and ferocious” in a number of journals entries. On May 22, 1805,
Lewis makes some observations about the bear’s fur and its color, writing “I do not believe that
Ibid, May 5, 18054
William Clark, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by 5
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003), May 5, 1805
Joseph Whitehouse, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by 6
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003), May 13, 1805
Patrick Gass, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by University 7
of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003), May 14, 1805
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the Black bear common to the lower part of this river and Atlantic States, exists in this quarter;
we have neither seen one of them nor their tracks which would be easily distinguished by it’s
shortness of tallons when compared with the brown grizly or white bear. I believe its the same
species or family of bears which assumes all those colours at different ages and seasons of the
year.” Lewis classifies the black bear and brown bears in the same family, and in an attempt to 8
figure out the reasoning behind different colored fur, assumes the difference is due to age and
time of the year. May of 1805 is the first month in the journals that documents the early
encounters with bears in Montana, and Lewis and Clark leave the readers of these journals
curious about what the brown bear looks like in real life. Along with the curiosity that the
journals strike, fear also comes into play with the early settlers of the West, using descriptive
language such as “large,” “bold,” “ferocious,” and “turrible.” The journals continue on in June of
1805, and language about the bears being shot at and killed by the explorers on this journey
shows up more often, which comes as little surprise from the descriptions used in the earlier
texts.
On June 12, 1805, Lewis journals about the tracks of a brown bear, “also a great number
of tracks of the brown bear; these fellows leave a formidable impression in the mud or sand I
measured one this evening which was eleven inches long exclusive of the tallons and seven and
1/4 in width.” Lewis and Clark attempt to provide as much information as possible on the the 9
size of the bears they encounter in order to give accurate depictions of their exploration and the
wildlife they come across that does not appear in the areas of the United States they inhabit. On
Meriwether Lewis, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by 8
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003), May 22, 1805
Ibid, June 12, 18059
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the 13th of June, Lewis gives a description on his theory of the color of the bears and their
relation, writing “I am induced to believe that the Brown, the white and the Grizly bear of this
country are the same species only differing in colour from age or more probably from the same
natural cause that many other anamals of the same family differ in colour.” Lewis has written 10
about this theory once before in his journals, and is clearly curious about the differing bears they
see on their journey. He continues to write
“one of those which we killed yesterday was of a creemcoloured white while the other in company with it was of the common bey or rdish brown, which seems to the most usual colour of them. the white one appeared from it’s tallons and teath to be the youngest; it was smaller than the other, and although a monstrous beast we supposed that it had not yet attained it’s growth and that it was a little upwards of two years old.” 11
The language that gives the reader the question on whether these bears are scary or not comes up
yet again in these journals, with this mention using the term “monstrous beast.” Using beast to
describe these bears labels them as dangerous, large, and terrifying, and something that warns the
other Euro-Americans that encounter them, to fight them, despite an attack. On June 14, 1805,
Lewis writes a very detailed account of an encounter with a bear, that is unlike the others in
nature. While the account is long, and describes a retreating bear, Lewis seems puzzled by the
encounter, and writes “I put myself in this attitude of defence he sudonly wheeled about as if
frightened, declined the combat on such unequal grounds, and retreated with quite as great
precipitation as he had just before pursued me.” This appears to be the first account of a bear 12
being frightened by one of the members of the exploration, and retreating without receiving any
shots fired at him. The possibility of a new found fear of humans that the bears could be feeling
Ibid, June 13, 180510
Ibid, June 13, 180511
Ibid, June 14, 180512
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can be accounted for in this journal, as one of the first encounters with bears that show the
reversal of power and authority, with the human being able to drive away the bear with its
presence and dominance. Lewis seems confused at the bears retreat and documents this
confusion in journaling, “and the cause of his allarm still remains with me misterious and
unaccountable.” The language of the bear in the earlier journal entries give the bear a name of 13
danger, ferocity, and an inhumane largeness that warns the humans to kill the animal, or to be
killed, so Lewis’ confusion is warranted, and the beginning thought process that maybe the bear
is just as afraid of humans is appearing and showing the first Euro-American encounters with
grizzly bears to be puzzling. On June 17, in 1805, Lewis continues to question the bears stance in
Montana and this new land being explored in describing a buffalo carcass lying along the shores
of falls and explains that they are “fine amusement for the bear wolves and birds of prey,” then
stating that “this may be one reason and I think not a bad one either that bear are so tenatious of
their right of soil in this neighbourhood.” This journal entry shows the beginning to the 14
understanding of bears in this territory, and why, if they do, seem hostile towards the humans
exploring the land, in which the bear may seem to claim as its own. On June 27, 1805, Lewis
documents another bear encounter, in addition to the many in the journals between these dates,
but he describes this encounter as “one of the bear was the largest by far that we have yet
seen.” The amusement with the size of bears is not left out in these journals which can most 15
likely be accredited to the fact that these are the first encounters that the Euro-American's are
having with something larger than a black bear.
Ibid, June 14, 180513
Ibid, June 17, 180514
Ibid, une 27, 180515
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The next month begins and Lewis and Clark continue to document in the journals their
bear encounters from 1805. Lewis, commonly with the most detailed notes, writes about the
bears preferred inhabitance, in writing, “the brush in that part of it where the bear frequent is an
almost impenitrable thicket of the broad leafed willow;.” The understanding of the bear is 16
becoming more and more apparent throughout the journal entries, and a point of interest in the
exploration. The journal entries from July of 1805 have fewer accounts of bears than that of May
and June of 1805, but on July 25, Lewis has a hypothesis documented that gives some reasoning
behind this. He writes “in the forenoon we saw a large brown bear on an island but he retreated
immediately to the main shore and ran off before we could get in reach of him. they appear to
be more shy here than on the Missouri below the mountains.” He notices that the bear 17
encounters were more often below the mountains, near the rivers, and now that their journey has
taken them into the mountain, in mid-July, the bears seem more shy, and retreat more often. With
very few interactions documented in July of 1805, the journals from August of 1805 have even
less happenings, but on the 21st, Lewis writes a detailed description of the Indian’s culture, and
in relation to the bear writes about its value to the Indians in writing, “bears which are also
esteemed of great value and are preserved with great care.” In Lewis’ research and examination 18
of bears, he studies the bear in relation to the Indians as well, and begins to understand the place
of the bear in Montana before he and his crew explored the land for themselves. He goes on to
write “it is esteemed by them an act of equal celebrity the killing one of these bear or an enimy,
Ibid, July 2, 180516
Ibid, July 25, 180517
Ibid, August 21, 180518
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and with the means they have of killing this animal it must really be a serious undertaking.” 19
With this seeming to be last journal entry in the summer of 1805 of importance from the Lewis
and Clark journals in regards to bears in Montana, and more specifically, the grizzly bear, we can
see how the first Euro-American views have shaped the later views of the Euro-American settlers
of Montana, and their interactions with the bears to be more understood.
In a study by Andrea Laliberte and William Ripple titled Wildlife Encounter by Lewis and
Clark: A Spatial Analysis of Interactions between Native Americans and Wildlife, an examination
of where wildlife was abundant based on Lewis and Clark’s journals from the exploration is
described. This includes the examination of bears, which were clearly included in the journey as
abundant. Laliberte and Ripple write that grizzly bear were predominantly found in the plains,
and that regions with a higher population of humans had fewer wildlife observations. The 20
results of the study give important information in dealing with the later documents of newspaper
articles that tell of bear encounters of the early Euro-American settlers of Montana. The results
of this study indicate “that human influence was a factor responsible for the wildlife distribution
and abundance.” The study crunches some numbers and estimates that about 97 grizzly bears 21
total were encountered on the Lewis and Clark exploration which was a grizzly density of about
3.7 bears per 100 square miles. Laliberte and Ripple write “Although these are only rough 22
estimates, we concluded that historical grizzly density was considerably higher than the current
Ibid, August 21, 180519
LALIBERTE, ANDREA S., and WILLIAM J. RIPPLE. 2003. “Wildlife Encounters by Lewis and 20
Clark: A Spatial Analysis of Interactions Between Native Americans and Wildlife”. Bioscience 53 (10). [Oxford University Press, American Institute of Biological Sciences]: 994–1003. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0994:weblac]2.0.co;2.
density. It is possible that increased human population numbers have driven most of the different
species that Lewis and Clark found in the Plains to higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains.” 23
This information gives understanding to the Lewis and Clark journals and their experiences. In
possible predictions of the articles, the rise of human population, as well as the same weapons
Lewis and Clark carried with them on their journey, taught the bears to retreat, and to fear
mankind, in sake of their own safety. This information also helps in understanding just why
grizzly bears were so important and written about in early settlement of Montana, and why news
of a grizzly encounter made the newspapers and peaked the interests of early Euro-Americans.
The Lewis and Clark expedition ended in 1806, and about 50 years later, the early miners
and settlers were brought to the territory of Montana, in search for wealth. 1889 is the year that
Montana officially becomes a state, and is about the beginning of the newspaper articles being
produced with the stories of wild grizzly bears and their encounters with the humans in the area.
The first documented newspaper article is found in 1878 in The Benton Record. The article
reads:
“Valentine, an employer of Ft. Belknap and a noted hunter, recently had a desperate encounter with a grizzly bear and the bear had the best of the fight. Valentine was accompanied by an Indian, and on discovering the bear the Spaniard evidently wanted to show that his bear medicine was strong. The animal was perched upon a ledge of rocks, quietly taking in the surrounding country; Valentine approached, but before he had time to fire his gun, the bear closed with him and after biting him severely in the thigh and body, threw him off the ledge into the creek below, a distance of fifteen or twenty feet. The Indian meanwhile remained an inactive and silent spectator of the scene and no doubt concluded that the bear’s medicine was the strongest, and that this animal was the
Ibid23
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same that killed an Indian on the same spot some years ago. At last accounts Valentine was recovering rapidly.” 24
This encounter shows the power and ferocity of the bear that Lewis and Clark journaled
throughout their exploration, and gives a warning to other hunters and inhabitants of Montana,
that these bears are rather powerful and can be dangerous if provoked. Another encounter close
to the same time period reports of another attack in Montana in Prickly Pear canyon. Mr.
Hannibal Roe has a “fearful encounter with a she-bear” that ends up brutally injuring him. The 25
article states that “the bear clinched him and in the death struggle they both tumbled over a
precipice of some fifteen feet, where the bear lacerated, bit and tore her victim into shreds, and
would then and there have killed him outright but for the crying of the cubs, which called the
mother off.” This article describes the man, Mr. Hannibal Roe, as a victim, making the “she-26
bear” as predatory suspect that is out to kill. The bear badly injures the man, and the agency in
this article seems to be given to the bear, but in a negative connotation, giving the bear a vicious
name for itself, and showing the damage it can do on a human being that travels into bear
country. In the Helena Weekly Herald, in 1881, we begin to see the use of “Bruin” in order to
describe bears. The newspaper article writes “Fred. Morrill, stage driver between Missoula and
Mouth of Bear, encountered a veritable black bear on one of the numerous grade one day this
week. Neither Fred. nor his team are of the hysterical order, however, and they ran a bluff upon
The Benton record. (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]), 23 Aug. 1878. Chronicling America: Historic American 24
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038126/1878-08-23/ed-1/seq-3/>
Helena weekly herald. volume (Helena, Mont.), 13 May 1880. Chronicling America: Historic American 25
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036143/1880-05-13/ed-1/seq-7/>
Men.” tells the story of the fear human have for bears, as well as the fear the bears have for
humans. The article, subtitled “Fiercest of Them Seldom Attack, Save When Wounded.” writes
on the history behind the fear of wild animals. The article reads, “It is chiefly women and
children who ask such questions, but it is evident that in the brains of many inexperienced
persons is firmly established a belief that wild animals are dangerous, that wolves, panthers and
bears prowl about seeking whom they may devour.” This accurately gives reasoning behind the 37
above articles and the fear behind encountering a bear, the belief that wild animals, specifically
bears, are just seeking a human to devour, when in reality this article continues on to disprove
this theory. The article keeps going, “The average man and woman love to read a bear or panther
or wolf story not less than do small boys and round-eyed children listen with pleasure.” The 38
love of people to listen and read these stories of dangerous encounters, accounts for the
exaggerated language, and continued use of bear encounter stories throughout newspapers. The
article continues in making claims about the United States and its animal population stating:
“In this land of America, as many know, there are no such things as dangerous animals, though there are creatures which may be made dangerous. The wolf, the bear and the cougar are far more anxious to get away from man than man is to get away from them. If given the opportunity they will always slip away and run, and if they fight it is because they believe that they have been cut off from every avenue of escape….But for the average man who is traveling through a new country where wild animals may be plenty, who stops when he has made a day’s march and is at home where night finds him, there is not now, nor ever was, far more danger from the wild animals of the country than from the lightnings which blaze in the summer.” 39
The Dupuyer acantha. (Dupuyer, Mont.), 21 March 1901. Chronicling America: Historic American 37
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036266/1901-03-21/ed-1/seq-6/>
Evidence from analysis of the other newspaper articles and accounts, in conjunction with
excerpts of the Lewis and Clark journals, show that “Animals Fear Men” contains truth not only
in it’s title but in it’s paragraphs as well.
The earlier Euro-American settlers of North America, and more specifically, Montana,
were unaware of the behaviors of the animals in their habitat and how they react to humans,
assuming that the reaction upon encounter should be to fight and kill. With this information in
mind, Laliberte and Ripple’s hypothesis on the decrease of grizzly bears in the plains areas,
where Lewis and Clark encountered them, appears abundantly accurate, due to human treatment
of the bears, and their fear of humans, whether innate or learned. Through evidence of the
exploration and settlement of the state of Montana, bears constituted a large confrontation while
learning the lay of the land, and with regards to the existence of the grizzly bear, an attitude from
the early explorers and settlers show disapproval and desire for extermination of the nuisance
bears they encounter frequently. Results from the Lewis and Clark journals from 1805, and the
Montana newspaper articles from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, deduce that the grizzly bear
was seen to be a large, ferocious, beast, and the attitude towards them could be described, as
“kill, or be killed.”
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Bibliography
Primary Sources
The Benton record. (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]), 23 Aug. 1878. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038126/1878-08-23/ed-1/seq-3/>
Clark, William ,The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003)
The Dupuyer acantha. (Dupuyer, Mont.), 21 March 1901. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036266/1901-03-21/ed-1/seq-6/>
Gass, Patrick, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003)
The Helena independent. (Helena, Mont.), 17 Sept. 1890. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025308/1890-09-17/ed-1/seq-7/>
Helena weekly herald. volume (Helena, Mont.), 13 May 1880. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036143/1880-05-13/ed-1/seq-7/>
Helena weekly herald. volume (Helena, Mont.), 18 Aug. 1881. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036143/1881-08-18/ed-1/seq-2/>
Helena weekly herald. volume (Helena, Mont.), 09 Nov. 1882. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036143/1882-11-09/ed-1/seq-4/>
Helena weekly herald. volume (Helena, Mont.), 27 Aug. 1885. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036143/1885-08-27/ed-1/seq-7/>
Lewis, Meriwether, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003)
The river press. volume (Fort Benton, Mont.), 03 May 1882. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85053157/1882-05-03/ed-1/seq-5/>
Sun River sun. (Sun River, Mont.), 23 Oct. 1884. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86075197/1884-10-23/ed-1/seq-5/>
Whitehouse, Joseph, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, (Moulton Edition: Provided by University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 2003)
LALIBERTE, ANDREA S., and WILLIAM J. RIPPLE. 2003. “Wildlife Encounters by Lewis and Clark: A Spatial Analysis of Interactions Between Native Americans and Wildlife”. Bioscience 53 (10). [Oxford University Press, American Institute of Biological Sciences]: 994–1003. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0994:weblac]2.0.co;2.
-From Helena weekly herald. volume, August 18, 1881, page 2, Image 2, provided by Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036143/1881-08-18/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1836&index=5&rows=20&words=bear+Bear+encountered&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Montana&date2=1922&proxtext=bear+encounters&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
“Fred. Morrill, stage driver between Missoula and Mouth of Bear, encountered a veritable black bear on one of the numerous grades one day this week. Neither Fred. nor his team are of the hysterical order, however, and they ran a bluff upon Bruin, whereupon he turned of politely and gave them the road. As it becomes more widely known, Rock creek lake is receiving much attention from our pleasure seekers. The fishing, hunting, and scenery is described as equal to that of Flathead Lake, and the distance is easily traversed”
From The Madisonian, Sept. 21, 1895, Image 7 (Virgina City, Mont.) 1873-1915, Provided by Montana historical society, Under column Labelled “Miscellaneous News” http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86091484/1895-09-21/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1836&index=9&rows=20&words=bear+encountered&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Montana&date2=1922&proxtext=bear+encounters&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
“A little girl in Montana encountered a bear in the mountains and drove him to her father’s ranch.”
From The Helena independent., September 17, 1890, Morning, page 7, image 7 provided by Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025308/1890-09-17/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1836&index=10&rows=20&words=bears+encountered+encounters&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Montana&date2=1922&proxtext=bear+encounters&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
in column labeled “Tourists in Yellowstone Park Frighten the Poor Beasts With Their Kodaks
“The bears arouse one’s sympathy. There are thousands of them. Across the Grand Canyon and almost within sight of the hotel they wander by the dozen. They are thoughtful bears, and in the daytime they sleep well within their own domain— the shadows of the pathless pine woods. Even the tourist who goes around insulting nature by levelling his little kodak at the Canyon very much as if one should try to sketch the continent from a balloon has never been beset by these bears. But the tourists are selfish. “
From Great Falls daily tribune., July 04, 1920, Page 4, Image 4, Provided by Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024808/1920-07-04/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1836&index=16&rows=20&words=bear+encounter&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Montana&date2=1922&proxtext=bear+encounters&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Great Falls daily tribune. (Great Falls, Mont.), 04 July 1920. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024808/1920-07-04/ed-1/seq-4/>
“Shultz and his brother Joe lugged the carcass of a bear to town Wednesday night, having captured the bear in a hand to hand encounter. The bear became angered at their attacks, and started in to resent their insults. The boys started for town with old bruin a close second; in fact he overtook them but in the end brains and gunpowder triumphed.”
From “The Anaconda Standard., August 13, 1899, Morning, page 10, image 10, provided by MHS, Helena, MT. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84036012/1899-08-13/ed-1/seq-10/#date1=1836&index=4&rows=20&words=BEAR+Encountered&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Montana&date2=1922&proxtext=bear+encounters&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Labelled “A Cinnamon Bear” ; encountered by Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre on Its Native Heath
LEWIS AND CLARK JOURNAL ENTRIES --“the day has been warm and the Musquetoes troublesome of course the bear were about our camp all last night, we have therefore determined to beat up their quarters tomorrow, and kill them or drive them from their haunts about this place.” -Lewis, july 1st
-“The hunters killed 3 white bear one large, the fore feet of which measured 9 Inchs across, the hind feet 11 Inchs ¾ long & 7 Inch's wide a bear nearly Catching Joseph Fields Chased him into the water, bear about the Camp every night & Seen on an Isld. in the day” -Clark, july 1st
-“just at the upper side of the mountain there is a bad rappid here the toe line of our canoe broke in the shoot of the rapids and swung on the rocks and had very nearly overset. a small distance above this rapid a large bold Creek falls in on Lard. side which we called Frazier's Creek after
Robt. Frazier. [12] They saw a large brown bear feeding on currants but could not get a shoot at him.” -Lewis, August 1, 1805
-“the Countrey which we passed to day is well watered & broken Pore Stoney hilly country except the bottoms of the Creek which is narrow, all the Indians leave us except our Guide, one man Shot two bear this evining unfortunately we Could git neither of them” -Clark, sept 1, 1805
-“We had a fine morning after some light showers of rain during the night.— Since last evening the river rose eighteen inches. Two hunters [8] went out this morning, and some of the natives came to see us. The sick Indian is getting much better. The officers got some bear-skins from the Indians, that are almost as white as a blanket. [9] They say, that the bears from which they get these skins are a harmless kind, and not so bold and ferocious as the grizly and brown bear.” -Gass, June 1, 1806
-“We embarked early in a wet disagreeable morning, and in a short time saw a large brown or grizly bear swimming in the river, which we killed, and took on board; passed the mouth of Muscle shoal river; [17] and at noon halted to dine at some old Indian lodges. Captain Lewis being afraid, from the dampness of the weather, that the skins he had procured of these big-horned animals would spoil, thought it adviseable to stay here this afternoon, and dry them by a fire in these old lodges; and some of the men went out to hunt. About an hour after we landed here, a large bear came so close to our camp, that one of the men [18] shot and killed it from our fire. In the evening our hunters came in and had killed several deer. The afternoon was cloudy with some rain; and having made a fire and put the skins to dry with two men to attend them, made our arrangements for the night.” -Gass, August 1, 1806
-[Lewis] Friday August 1st 1806. The rain still continuing I set out early as usual and proceeded on at a good rate. at 9 A. M. we saw a large brown bear swiming from an island to the main shore we pursued him and as he landed Drewyer and myself shot and killed him; we took him on board the perogue and continued our rout. at 11 A. M. we passed the entrance of Mussel shell river. [1] at 1 in the evening we arrived at a bottom on S. W. side where there were several spacious Indian lodges built of sticks and an excellent landing. as the rain still continued with but little intermission and appearances seemed unfavorable to it's becomeing fair shortly, I determined to halt at this place at least for this evening and indeavour to dry my skins of the bighorn which had every appearance of spoiling, an event which I would not should happen on any consideration as we have now passed the country in which they are found and I therefore could not supply the
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deficiency were I to loose these I have. I halted at this place being about 15 ms. below Missel shell river, [2] had fires built in the lodges and my skins exposed to dry. shortly after we landed the rain ceased tho' it still continued cloudy all this evening. a white bear came withint 50 paces of our camp before we perceived it; it stood erect on it's hinder feet and looked at us with much apparent unconsern, we seized our guns which are always by us and several of us fired at it and killed it. it was a female in fine order, we fleesed it and extracted several gallons of oil. this speceis of bar are rearly as poor at this season of the year as the common black bear nor are they ever as fat as the black bear is found in winter; as they feed principally on flesh, like the wolf, they are most fatt when they can procure a sufficiency of food without rispect to the season of the year. the oil of this bear is much harder than that of the black bear being nearly as much so as the lard of a hog. the flesh is by no means as agreeable as that of the black bear, or Yahkah or partycoloured bear [3] of the West side of the rocky mountains. on our way today we killed a buck Elk in fine order the skins and a part of the flesh of which we preserved. after encamping this evening the hunters killed 4 deer and a beaver. The Elk are now in fine order particularly the males. their horns have obtained their full growth but have not yet shed the velvet or skin which covers them. the does are found in large herds with their young and a few young bucks with them. the old bucks yet herd together in parties of two to 7 or 8.—
LALIBERTE, ANDREA S., and WILLIAM J. RIPPLE. 2003. “Wildlife Encounters by Lewis and Clark: A Spatial Analysis of Interactions Between Native Americans and Wildlife”. Bioscience 53 (10). [Oxford University Press, American Institute of Biological Sciences]: 994–1003. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0994:weblac]2.0.co;2.
