▁part ▁of ▁eastern ▁Id aho ▁Territ ory . ▁V ig il ante ▁activities ▁continued , ▁although ▁somewhat ▁sp or ad ically , ▁through ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Territ orial ▁period ▁until ▁the ▁territory ▁became ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Mont ana ▁on ▁November ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 8 8 9 . ▁V ig il ant ism ▁arose ▁because ▁territorial ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁and ▁the ▁courts ▁had ▁very ▁little ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁remote ▁min ing ▁cam ps ▁during ▁the ▁territorial ▁period . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 – 1 8 6 4 , ▁Mont ana ▁V ig il antes ▁followed ▁the ▁model ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Committee ▁of ▁V ig il ance ▁that ▁existed ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁California ▁to ▁bring ▁order ▁to ▁law less ▁communities ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁gold ▁fields ▁of ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁and ▁Gr ass ho pper ▁Creek . ▁There ▁are ▁estimates ▁that ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁persons ▁were ▁killed ▁in ▁" road ▁agent " ▁rob ber ies ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁The ▁V ig il ance ▁Committee ▁of ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁organized ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁weeks ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 0 ▁road ▁agents ▁of ▁the ▁inf am ous ▁Pl um mer ▁gang , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" In noc ents ", ▁were ▁captured ▁and ▁h anged ▁by ▁the ▁organization . ▁F ormal ▁territorial ▁law ▁reached ▁Ald er ▁Gul ch ▁in ▁late