Old Missoula

Dangerous Days – Fearless Little Louis Van Dorn Killed in Butte – Missoula River Drownings.

Tramped To Death.

Louis Van Dorn Thrown From a Horse and Fatally Crushed Under His Feet.

A sad accident occurred at the race track Sunday afternoon which resulted in the death of Louis Van Dorn at six o’clock yesterday morning. About four o’clock Sunday afternoon a son of J. H. Butler arrived at the race track riding a high spirited animal. When he dismounted young Van Dorn vaulted into the saddle. A young colored boy, who is a trainer and rider employed at the track, jumped on to the horse behind Van Dorn which frightened the animal and caused him to rear and plunge, until both riders were thrown violently to the ground. The colored boy was unhurt but Van Dorn fell under the horse’s feet, which came down upon his chest with terrible force crushing in his chest and injuring his neck and shoulder. The little fellow was picked up and taken to one of the stables where everything possible was done for his comfort. Medical aid was immediately summoned but the physician pronounced the case hopeless from the first. Van Dorn was 17 years of age and was known as a fearless rider and a boy of phenomenal nerve. His parents are among the earliest settlers of Missoula County, his mother being an Indian woman. When he was twelve years of age he met with an accident while gunning by which a rifle bullet was sent through both hips. He was alone at the time and evinced remarkable nerve and fortitude in bearing the pain of the terrible wound until assistance came. The shock to his nervous system stunted his growth and at seventeen years of age he was no heavier when he died, than at the age of twelve. He came here to groom Mr. Williams’ horses and was in charge of them when the accident occurred. The remains were buried in the cemetery yesterday afternoon.

The above article appeared in The Semi-Weekly Miner of Butte, Montana on July 4, 1883.

Louis was the son of Hezekiah Van Dorn. See more on him below.

 

Another article on the same page of this newspaper told of a death and accidents that had recently occurred in the Missoula River and the nearby Rattlesnake flume:

Missoula is having an epidemic of accidents in its roaring Hell Gate river. Not long since the drowning of Tim Libeau and his son George was chronicled, more recently the death of young Engineer Mitchell occurred in the same stream. Last Monday the three-year-old daughter of Samuel Bellew fell into the mill ditch and was rescued with difficulty. On Wednesday a five-year-old son of Mrs. Stewart fell into the flume and was shot through the narrow passage over Rattlesnake Hill, being nearly killed by striking against the sides.

 

The above article appeared in The Semi-Weekly Miner of Butte, Montana on July 4, 1883.

 

Hezekiah Van Dorn Dies Suddenly at His Home. (1903)

Was A Pioneer Gold Hunter

Spent Much of His Life in Stirring Scenes and Witnessed a Famous Lynching.

Hezekiah Van Dorn died suddenly at his ranch home on Miller creek yesterday morning. With the passing of Mr. Van Dorn one more of the sturdy characters of ’49 has fallen from the ranks of the western pioneers.

Of his 80 years of life 54 years were spent in the west, and 44 years in the vicinity of Missoula.

Born at Covington, Fountain county, Indiana, in 1823, Mr. Van Dorn was one of the fortune hunters who crossed the continent in 1849 and built his cabin in the placer fields of California. Following the fortunes of a placer miner he worked north along the Columbia river into Washington and in 1859 came to Montana from Walla Walla, Wash.

Engaged in Farming.

Here he engaged in farming in Grass valley, on land now owned by Gaspard Deschamps. Later he located a ranch on Miller creek, where he resided during his declining years.

Mr. Van Dorn leaves a wife and six grown children. One married daughter resides at Salmon City, Idaho; one son, Charles, at Clyde, Idaho, and the others are residents of Missoula.

It was at Mr. Van Dorn’s ranch in Grass valley that George Shears was hanged by the vigilantes in 1864. Shears was a member of the Plummer band of horsethieves and highwaymen, whom the vigilantes of Virginia City chased across the mountains into Missoula county, finally exterminating the band.

Story of Lynching.

Four of them, Cooper, Skinner, Zachery and Carter were caught at the old town of Hell Gate. Shears had stopped at Van Dorn’s place to rest and was taken out to the barn and hanged.

The barn was an unfinished structure and Shears was compelled to climb a ladder placed against it. A rope was thrown over a rafter and the outlaw asked if he should jump or slide off the ladder after the rope was placed on his neck. When told to please himself, he jumped.

In many ways Mr. Van Dorn’s life was closely connected with the early history of Missoula county and the pioneers who survive him express regret at his sudden leave-taking.

No funeral arrangements have been made.

 

The above obituary appeared in The Daily Missoulian on November 12, 1903.

 

A couple of things should be mentioned here. Although not mentioned in this obituary, Hezekiah was a friend of Mark Twain’s and actually traveled with him for a time in California. Twain mentioned him in his book, “Roughing It” (Chapter 37). Second, it does not appear that Twain made any attempt to visit with Hezekiah when he came to Missoula for a visit in the 1895.

‘Roughing It’ is available online at the link below:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3177/3177-h/3177-h.htm