Idaho Sesquicentennial

[flyingcollie]

OK, I'm a bit late . . . March 9, 1863 Mr. Lincoln signed a proclamation creating Idaho Territory. At the time, it included all of present-day Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Almost immediately, gold was discovered on Grasshopper Creek, and then in Alder Gulch, 80 miles away, and the boom towns of Bannack and Virginia City were born, and Montana was parted off as a separate territory. Along with the gold came the sensational murder of the Magruder party, killed and robbed on their way back to Lewiston with $40,000 in  gold. Other murders and robberies led to the formation of the famous Montana Vigilantes, who hung over 20 suspected "road agents" during Christmas and New Year's of '63-64. 

The Vigilantes claimed a vast criminal network of spies, "roadsters", informants and robbers was masterminded by Henry Plummer, the sheriff of both communities. Of course, he and a couple of his deputies were also hanged.

One of the high-signs by which the members of the road agent gang supposedly identified themselves was to tie their neckerchiefs with a special knot . . .

My question, does anyone know what that knot was ? Might it have been the "four-square" knot still popular with today's cowboys ?