The Green River Coal Land Dispute
A law firm linked to the Northern Pacific Railroad is accused of using armed men to seize coal-rich land from local settlers.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A few days ago we published an account of the arrest of Mr. Chick, brother-in-law of James McNaught, and four men employed by him, for attempting to take forcible possession of Section 34, 640 acres of coal land in the Green River country, held by citizens of this county for the past three years. When the case came on for trial, the men all waived examination and were placed under bonds aggregating $3,000 to appear before the next grand jury. We care not who are the promoters of this scheme to rob citizens of the land they are lawfully holding and improving, by threats of violence and forcible possession. One thing we do know: if this is being done for the company, it is promoted by parties in his employ, unknown to Mr. Henry Villard. A reporter of this paper has taken pains to look up this matter and is in possession of facts which connect Messrs. McNaught & Co. directly with this scheme. The proprietor of the store where the party was fitted out stated the supplies were furnished on the written order of the law firm of McNaught & Co. This is a matter of the utmost importance; if Mr. Chick can ride out into the country with a force of armed men and drive one set of law-abiding citizens from their possessions, who is safe in a community where such things exist?
“Who is safe in a community where such things exist?”
This 1883 clash over Green River coal lands highlights the era's 'land grab' culture, where powerful railroad interests frequently used legal maneuvering and intimidation to displace homesteaders. Today's debates over property rights and corporate resource control in Washington echo these historic power imbalances.
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