Old Missoula

Early Rattlesnake Bridge Job Blamed for Death of Youth

The story of the first bridges across the Rattlesnake Creek, as told by the late Will Cave, includes one of the first deaths among school children in Missoula.

While constructing the wagon road from Ft. Walla Walla, Wash., to Fort Benton, Lt. John Mullan apparently did not consider the creek to be of sufficient volume to warrant the time and labor required to build a bridge across it. The road crossed the creek by a ford about 150 feet north of where it flows into the Clark Fork.

First Contract

On Feb. 4, 1869, a contract was let by county commissioners to Stevens & Steele for the first Rattlesnake bridge. A structure consisting of two spans with log stringers and hewed-pole decks was built about 100 feet downstream from the present West Front street bridge. The center pier was an island in the creek. The east span was carved away by flood waters in 1875.

The following winter a contract was let to D. S. Herren, who cleared the timber and brush bordering the creek and across the island, and constructed a heavy bridge across the main channel. He also built three small bridges, one across the ditch which carried water from about where the Northern Pacific Railway bridge crosses the Rattlesnake to a gristmill located just west of the present Montana Power Co. substation.

Across Side Channels

The other two small bridges were across side channels of Rattlesnake Creek about where the East Broadway bridge now is.

“Accentuating my memory of these bridges,” Cave wrote, “in the Herren family was the eldest boy, Marcellis, at that time 17 years of age, who on account of the financial condition of his people was compelled to forego his meager school opportunities in order to assist with affairs at home.

“He had attended the local school during the fall and early part of the winter. Being of a markedly sunny temperament, he had become very considerably of a favorite amongst the youngsters of all ages in attendance.

Pneumonia and Typhoid

“During the construction of the Rattlesnake bridge, it was necessary that the boy should be taken from school to assist. While so engaged, he contracted pneumonia, typhoid setting in, he passed in a week.

“This being the first death amongst the school children here of which I had immediate knowledge, the boy and myself having been exceptionally friendly, the Cedar (now Broadway) street crossing to me seems ever to carry with it an atmosphere tinged with the personality of the boyhood companion whose untimely demise was because thereof.”