Iowa
Old Press
Fremont County Herald
Sidney, Fremont Co., Iowa
February 12, 1904
HENRY CLEM WRITES.
An Interesting Letter Concerning Some of the Pioneers of Fremont
County.
Ft. Morgan, Colo., Feb. 2, 1904. The HERALD, Sidney, Iowa.
Dear Sir:--I herewith enclose a copy of our family reunion which
occurred at Missoula, Montana, on the Dec. 29, 1903. At this time
all of the family now living met and had out pictures taken in
one group, the second time that we had all met in twenty six
years. While we were among the pioneers of Fremont County, Iowa,
not one are living there now, having settled on Walnut Creek in
1855 with our parents and lived there to the age of maturity when
some moved farther west.
On the 16th of May 1864 Samuel, Israel and myself went to Montana
with ox teams in company with some of our neighbors. After two
years I returned and made Fremont County my home from 1866 until
1892 when I came to this country and in 1895 I moved my family
here which has been our home ever since. Samuel and Israel have
been residents of Montana since that time with the exception of a
few years they stayed in Iowa. Samuel lives at Sunset Valley and
Israel at Missoula and sister, Mrs. Mary E. Lowe, lives at
Ovando, Montana. Brother A. D. Clem has been a resident of this--
Morgan County--the past 18 years.
In commemoration of our family reunion when A. D. and myself
returned home he brought about 20 pounds of bear meat and all the
relation and about sixty-three friends met at the home of A. D.
Clem and had a dinner of the old fashioned kind with bear meat at
the head. It would be putting it mildly to say that everybody
enjoyed themselves in great shape and that 52 continued their
pleasures until the small hours of the morning. Brother Samuel
furnished the bear meat for our big dinner. During our visit to
Montana we had the pleasure of feasting on venison and elk of
which parts of this country abounds in great plenty, but alas,
the non-resident is not allowed to take any game without paying a
license of twenty five dollars so that cut me out. I didn't have
the $25, see.
I will further state for the benefit of friends that we have had
the finest winter in Colorado up to now that I ever saw in any
country; no snow to speak of so far, roads dusty. In fact it
would be better if we had a little more snow than we have had.
Every thing is prosperous. Prices low, especially on cattle,
stock doing well on the range, not so many sheep are feed as
usual. We still get the Herald, twice a week now.
Yours Truly, HENRY CLEM
[transcribed by D.H-S., July 2008]