Old Missoula

Lombard Had Varied Career Coming West

Dr. Charles W. Lombard is believed to have been the first dentist to establish a practice in Missoula and the first between Helena and Spokane. He came west to recuperate from tuberculosis which he contracted during service in the Civil War, arriving in Missoula in 1876 to live with a brother-in-law and sister, the Rev. and Mrs. George H. Stewart.

The Rev. Mr. Stewart was the first pastor of the Episcopal Church here, serving that parish when it was using, every other Sunday, the building of the Methodist Church and later when the Episcopal Church was located at the corner of Adams and East Cedar (now Broadway) streets.

Native of Ohio

Dr. Lombard was born in Middleton, Ohio, Aug. 2, 1847, and died in Missoula on Dec. 26, 1905. He retired from his dentist practice in 1903, about two years before his death. He was a member of Fred Winthrop Post of the Grand Army of the Republic.

His office was upstairs in the building at the southeast corner of East Main and Higgins avenue for many years. The Lombard residence was at 222 East Cedar (Broadway) where it stood until the second addition to the Federal Building was constructed in the late 1930s.

Dr. Lombard’s hobby was photography and his favorite subjects were the Indians of this area.

On his way to Missoula in the summer of 1875 he wrote to a sister from “Out on the plains, 10 miles from the Teton River,” telling her that “writing material is at a premium out here about 200 miles from Helena, and a long ways from any road or white people.”

He said he had gone into camp with the Kellogg & Bonnell surveying party June 13 after working on the Helena Daily Herald for a week. He was an accomplished printer as well as a dentist, but he went on the surveying party to get as much fresh air and exercise as he could to aid in his recovery.

Serves as Flagman

He wrote: “On the 21^st (June) we reached a point on the Marias River, directly north of Helena and in sight of the British line, and commenced work. I was made flagman instead of chainman, which gave me a horse to ride, and I was very glad of it.

“As it is I have to ride from 25 to 40 miles per day, instead of walking from 16 to 25. My duty is to ride a half mile or more ahead of the compass man and he puts me on the north and south or east and west line as an object for the chainman to ‘run’ to in measuring the land with the chain.

“We are working up to the line of the Piegan, Blackfeet and Blood Indians and it is considered somewhat risky business as we have to carry our needleguns into the field with us and be ready for a fight at any moment. We have seen a number of horsemen at a distance, but none of them have ventured into our camp. There are 16 of us, with our hunter, and are well armed, and the principal danger is that they may steal our horses.

“By the way, we found three Indian horses (kiyuses they are called here) out on the prairie as we were moving our camp last Saturday, and I have one of them to ride – a little fellow not much larger than a ‘pint of cider,’ but the best runner in the ‘outfits.’ More or less white men lose their lives out here every year, and only three weeks ago a log shanty, belonging to a couple of hunters, was burned about 18 miles from here. The most danger is from rattlesnakes. Not less than 15 have been killed by our party in the two weeks we have been at work, but we have plenty of whiskey and if anyone should get a bite we will depend on it as whiskey is considered the best remedy.”

‘Kiyuse’ Charley

He said he had been named “Kiyuse’ Charley, probably because of the Indian horse he was riding. The surveying party had three wagons and moved camp about once a week from 6 to 10 miles.

He said, “I brought my instruments (five forceps) with me and have taken out three teeth. The balance with my trunk, I left with a Mrs. Adams in Helena, with whom I boarded.” He wrote that he expected to get into Helena in October of that year and that he might go into Washington or Oregon Territory, but he apparently changed his mind and settled in Missoula early in 1876 to start his dental practice.