Old Missoula

“Day Time Smoke” – William Clark’s Nez Perce son & 1000 fine Indian Ponies Visit Helena

The “Lo” Family.

A large delegation of the “Lo” family (Nez Perces) visited the city to-day. They are encamped on Ten Mile, near Nick Kessler’s brewery, and number twenty-five lodges. We understand they have about 1,000 head of horses with them, which they propose to sell in this market. They are the finest lot of Indian ponies that we have seen in a long time.

The above paragraph came from the Helena Weekly Herald (Helena, Montana) on Sept 19, 1872. [Five years before Chief Joseph & Battle of the Big Hole in 1877]

Sun River, M. T., October 5^th, 1876.

To the Editor of the Herald.

Your Correspondent leaving Helena on the morning of the first, took the old Mullen (sic) Road to Fergus’ ranch, and found the road good, (except a few places) till arriving at the Divide leading down to Prickly Pear Canyon. From here on, the road is crossed and recrossed by narrow deep gullies, rendering it about impassable for wagons. The cause may be attributed to scanty traffic and heavy rains. At the Prickly Pear, the hill slopes were dotted with the ponies of the Nez-Perces, en route to the buffalo ranges. These Indians, who have about one thousand ponies, are accompanied by a son of Clarke, the partner of Lewis of olden fame. This son is now about sixty years old.[1]

The above paragraph is from the Helena Weekly Herald (Helena, Montana) on October 12, 1876.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/343185386/?terms=nez%2Bperce