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Text Box: selling sub lot 9B (.6 acres) to his brother, W.S. Casey, in September 1899. Between 1902 and 1909, Uriah sold parcels, ranging in size from .16 to .19 acres, to early residents of Kila such as Mike Flatley, Bob Booth, Hiram H. Rankin, Isaac Murray, G.W. Casey, Joe Hartmann, Albertus Adams and Mary Turk. Between 1914 and 1922, he sold larger parcels to Stoltz Land Co., Enterprise Lumber Co. and State Lumber Co. Kila and vicinity continued to grow as people moved up the draws and started businesses in town. More to come on those endeavors in future issues.

Text Box: Early settlers in the Kila vicinity bought patents and filed homesteads from the U.S. government beginning in 1895, although it appears that there were settlers here earlier who did not hold a patent. In fact, several people sold easements to the railroad across their “ranches” as early as 1891 but there is no record through the land office that they ever owned the land. In January 1895, John H. Graves bought the first official patent for 80 acres on Ashley Creek approximately 5 miles west of Kila. In July, Malcolm W. Martin bought a 160 acre parcel

Text Box: near the juncture of Mount Creek and Ashley Creek. In May of 1886, Robert J. Talley bought 80 acres near the juncture of Truman Creek and Ashley Creek. In October of that same year, Elijah B. Mount homesteaded 153.69 acres along Mount Creek. In 1897, the Casey’s arrived in the area and homesteaded the land where Kila now sits. Uriah C. Casey could be credited as the “founder” of Kila as he bought a parcel referred to as Lot 9 and “subdivided” two years later, donating sub lot 9A (1.5 acres) to School District #20 and

Text Box: At last, the conclusion to the Trueman McCabe murder in Kila on Election Day 1904. We’ve kept you hanging since November while we took a little vacation! Trueman went to trial in April of 1905, after serving several months in county jail. The trial lasted for six days with nearly 60 witnesses being called to testify. In an account given by the Inter Lake, “the courtroom was crowded every day of the trial, every place where a person could sit or stand within the room being occupied, and many even went so far as to bring lunches in order that they might be sure of securing seats in the courtroom.” The killing was admitted, so

Text Box: the job of the defense was to convince the jury that the shooting was done in self-defense. A hot legal fight occurred over putting Trueman’s friend Frank Roddy on the stand. Roddy claimed to be the only eyewitness to the shooting. In the end, Roddy testified. He said that McCabe came up behind Trueman with an ax handle in both hands raised to strike. MaCabe then switched the ax handle to his left hand and reached for a revolver with his right. According to Roddy, Trueman drew his revolver and shot McCabe from a distance of six or seven feet. After the shooting, Trueman proceeded into the store to vote then walked down the road with Roddy, telling him he was going into Kalispell to

Text Box: Kila bulletin Building a sense of community

Article contributions and corrections to the Kila Bulletin can be emailed to cwade@montanasky.net

or mailed to Kila Bulletin, P.O. Box 105

Thanks to the Kalispell Daily Inter Lake and the Pioneers by Sam Johns for providing historical information

give himself up.

Upon conclusion of the trial, the jury spent several days deliberating and failed to reach a verdict. In the end, Trueman spent a year and a half in jail and was tried twice for the killing. When the Supreme Court sent the case back for a third trial, Trueman was released on bail and a change of venue was granted to Sanders County. Due to failing health, Trueman wasn’t expected to live for a third trial. He died on January 13, 1907 of Brights disease at age 65 and is buried in Conrad Cemetery. His cabin still stands on a little rise above Truman Creek about halfway between Ashley Creek and Browns Meadow Road.

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