Missoula History Minutes
29. Higgins Saves Governor Stevens
Governor Isaac Stevens was on his way to negotiate with the Indians of western Montana in 1854. While his party was crossing the swollen Bitterroot River on July 4, C. P. Higgins proved his worth to the Governor. The party crossed the river on three rafts, using poles to guide their cumbersome vessels. The last raft, carrying Higgins and the governor, was the largest and least manageable. The river carried this raft farther downstream until it reached some swift rapids where the poles were useless. Higgins took the end of a pack rope, dove into the water and swam to land. He ran along the shore until he came to a tree around which he wound the rope, thus checking the raft, which then swung into shore. Three days later, Governor Stevens met with the Flathead, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai tribes in preparation for the Hellgate Treaty.