Francis Lyman Worden

Francis Lyman Worden (October 15, 1830 – February 5, 1887) was a founder and prominent businessman of Missoula, Montana. Early life He was born in Marlboro, Windham County, Vermont, on October 15, 1830. Worden attended school in New York and worked as a clerk in various stores around the country. After moving to The Dalles, Oregon in the early 1850s, he participated in the Yakima Indian War. Afterward, in 1858, he moved to Walla Walla, Washington. and opened a store there. Worden also worked as postmaster in Walla Walla for two years. In 1860, he formed a partnership with Christopher P. Higgins, and they opened a store in Hell Gate, Washington Territory. Later, they moved the business to what is now Missoula, Montana. There, they opened the town's first store, Worden and Company. Soon after, they established several trading posts near gold mining areas in Montana.