Historic Town Founder-Opinion Editorial

Dear Stillwater County News Editor,

Horace Countryman settled in what is now the Columbus area in 1876, and he is an important historical figure for Stillwater County. We think that the county should put up a sign on the old US Highway 10 west of Columbus to inform people about Horace Countryman and what he did in Columbus to make it what it is today. Residents should know about Horace because he’s a founder of our town and he achieved some remarkable accomplishments. Not enough people know about Horace Countryman and what he did to help shape Columbus, Montana.

Horace Countryman was a postmaster at the Stillwater post Office. In 1877, when the mail and stage station line was established, Horace was the proprietor. The post office at that time was called Stillwater.

In 1876, Countryman was ordered to ride horseback to deliver a message to the Bozeman telegraph line just to find out that it was down and out of use, so he decided to ride all the way to the Helena telegraph line to spread the word on Custer's defeat. All the initial newspaper reports of the Battle of Little Bighorn came from the information Countryman provided in Helena after his exhausting ride.

In the book, They Gazed On The Beartooths, Jim Annin wrote that Countryman also was one of the first white men to settle in the area, two miles west of present day Columbus. He chose this spot because it was near an easy place to cross the Yellowstone River. It was shallow enough to get your horses and supplies across. Once he was all settled in he opened a trading post to trade with the Crow Indians who had a reservation on the other side of the river. He traded for fur, tools, and anything else he could use to make money.

The Museum of The Beartooths website says that, ”Countryman established a ferry across the Yellowstone in the early 1900’s to help transport people from one side to the other for everyday purposes. Countryman built a hotel and restaurant that the was considered the “best eating place between Bismarck, N.D., and Bozeman” according to the Billings Gazette. It was an important place in this community and brought people in from miles around.

In a recent survey we conducted with Stillwater County residents, and over 60 % of the 120 plus people don't know of Horace Countryman as a accomplishment, some may think that he didn't do enough to deserve a historical sign, especially since they have never even heard of him. Overall, he has brought many people to Columbus and made it a very appealing town that is why he should have a historical sign, to help show how much he really did for Columbus to make it what it is today.

Sincerely,

Leonard Milne, Columbus, (406) 321-2302

Brandon Horton, Columbus, (406) 290-4334

Marc Dorendorf, Columbus, (406) 322-5373