Arland & Corbett

Arland and Corbett. Indian Trading Post. , Off in the distance in front of you, a large red butte lies against a much larger mountain, Rattlesnake Mountain. Flowing down the valley is Trail Creek, named for the ancient Indian trail that crosses the Shoshone River at the Indian ford in the canyon below you. The trail leads into the Yellowstone Country from the Big Horn Basin., Vic Arland and John Corbett built a trading post in 1880 near the red butte on the Indian trail to trade with the Crow and Shoshone Indians. The Indians traded soft tanned buffalo robes, beaver, mink, wolf and bobcat pelts for guns, axes, knives, cloth, beads, gun powder, lead, honey and other goods. The trading post and surrounding ranch were sold in 1882 to the French Count Ivan du Dore as a headquarters for his cattle operation., By 1883, Arland and Corbett built a new trading post on an improved wagon road at Cottonwood Creek. They expanded their business to deal with the Indians, trappers, cowboys and early settlers. , < Sidebar : >Arland Letter dated Trail Creek, , Wyoming Territory March 1, 1882, “ . . . When in September, 1880, my partner, J. Corbett, and I came to Trail Creek, we were very far from civilization. Now, civilization is coming to find us, with big steps. Next summer the Northern Pacific will be on the Yellowstone, up to Coulson (present day Billings, Montana), 125 miles direct from our place., . . . Now we are running a little store to supply the needs of the hunters and trappers of this region and of the Indians – Crows and Shoshones, who are hunting in this vicinity. Since this little business promises to do well, I am going to remain here for some time yet, perhaps a year or two . . . ”, V. Arland , Fort Washakie, Wyoming Territory. , Excerpts from Arland letter translated from French.