History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889, Part 86

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918; Victor, Frances Fuller, 1826-1902
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: San Francisco : History Co.
Number of Pages: 880


USA > Idaho > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 86
USA > Montana > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 86
USA > Washington > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 86


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Charles S. Warren was born in La Salle co., Ill., Nov. 20, 1847. He was a son of S. B. Warren, born in Cold Spring, Putnam co., N. Y., in 1813, whose English grandfather settled there in 1744. C. S. Warren received a common school education, and when 15 years of age went to Colorado, but returned to Illinois the same year and entered the union army, serving the 132d and 147th Ill. vol. infantry, being discharged as first sergeant of co. C


766


GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.


successfully worked, the ore being of the free-milling kind, the greater operations of getting silver out of base and refractory ores having to wait for the ad-


of the latter regiment at Savannah, Ga, Jan. 20, 1866. In April following he started for Montana, arriving in August at Virginia City by bull-train. Going to Helena, Deer Lodge, and French Gulch, in Silver Bow co., he mined for 5 years. He served as deputy sheriff and sheriff for 6 years in Deer Lodge co. In 1872 he married Miss Mittie Avery, of Silver Bow, and on the expiration of his term of office removed to Butte, where he has his perma- nent residence, and is engaged in various enterprises. He was the first police magistrate of Butte, clerk of the district court for 5 years, and deputy internal revenue collector noder T. P. Fuller. In 1877, when a volunteer company was organized at Butte to defend the settlements from the Nez Per- cés under Chief Joseph, he was made Ist lieut of the company under Capt. W. A. Clark. He was one of the founders of the Inter-Mountain newspaper, in which he still retains an interest, and owns in the Amy, Silversmith, and Poor- man mines. In 1886 he was elected department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in Montana. He ran for mayor of Butte on the repub- liean ticket, which was defeated; and one month later was elected a member of the state constitutional convention. He is also the Montana member of the national republican committee.


C. F. Lloyd was born at Guttenberg, Sweden, in July 185], and came with his parents to the United States when a year old, being brought up in Wisconsin and Iowa. In 1869 he was appointed a cadet at West Point, graduating from there in 1873. He was assigned to duty in the west, being stationed at various posts until 1883, when he resigned to accept the position of manager of the Northwestern Forwarding Co. in Butte. He is the owner also of a rancho 2 miles from Butte, which he regards as his home.


James W. Forbis was born in Platt co., Mo., in 1859, and came to Mon- tana with his father in 1864, who was the pioneer agriculturist of the territory, settling on a farm 4 miles from Helena in 1865 where James was brought up, receiving his education in the public schools of Helena. In 1881 he removed to Butte and commeneed the study of the law in the office of Judge Knowles, one of the ablest members of the Montana bar. He was ad- mitted to practice in 1884, and has devoted himself to his profession ever since. He served a term as member of the city council, and in 1885 was nominated by the democratic party for city attorney, but the ticket was defeated.


Hon. Lee Mantle was born at Birmingham, Eng., Dec. 13, 1854, soon after the death of his father. His mother became a convert to the mormon faith, and came with her children to Salt Lake City, where, discovering that she had been grossly deceived by the mormon missionaries, she renounced their religion. Her condition was an unhappy one, and her children were forced to labor for their support as soon as old enough to perform any kind of service. Lee worked on farms for his board at first, and then for small wages, never being seut to school a day in his life, all his book-knowledge being acquired by night study at home. In 1872 he went to Idaho, and drove a team for B. F. White, afterwards governor of Montana. Returning to Utah, he was given a position as line-repairer for the Western Union tele- graph co., while iu this situation learning to be an operator, and being given charge of the office at Corinne. In 1877 he came to Butte, and acted as agent for Wells, Fargo, & Co. until 1880, when he established an insurance and real estate business. He is interested in various mining companies, and was one of the founders and the manager of the Inter-Mountain, the most prominent republican newspaper in Montana. He was a member of the first city council elected in Butte, aud in 1880 was elected to the territorial legis- lature, and reelected in 1884, being chosen speaker of the house by the unanimous vote of the republican members, who were in a majority.


767


MINES.


vent of railroads. The original Hope mill of ten stamps is still pounding out the precious metal, and paying regular dividends in the midst of its over- shadowing rivals. The corporation owning it is the St Louis and Montana company, the stock in which is held principally in St Louis. The most important group of mines, although not the oldest, is the Gran- ite Mountain group, discovered in 1872, but not profit- ably developed until about 1884. The principal mine is the Granite Mountain, now producing more silver than any in the world. It is stocked for $10,000,000, and also owned in St Louis. Although so recently developed, it had paid in dividends to its stockholders, in November 1889, $7,600,000, or ten dollars per share on 400,000 shares of a par value of $25.6


Next in importance to this group of mines is the West Granite group, opened in 1886, and owned by a Montana company, of which J. K. Pardee was in 1887 general manager.7 Money for the first develop- ment of the mine was raised by the sale of 30,000 shares at a dollar a share. A number of other com- panies, St Louis and Philadelphia corporations, own mines in this district.8 The town of Phillipsburg was named for Phillip Deidesheimer, famous for his con- nection with mining on the Comstock. The camp has about 300 population.


Other towns in this county depending upon mining are in the full tide of prosperity in 1889. Anaconda,9


6 Much credit is due to Charles Clark, former superintendent of the Hope mine, and now one of the principal owners of Granite Mountain, for persist- ence in developing this mine. He was succeeded in the management by Frank L. Perkins, and more recently by John W. Plummer.


" The officers were A. M. Holter, prest, Thomas Cruse, vice-prest, C. K. Wells, sec., J. K. Pardee, general manager. Trustees, S. T. Hauser, Samuel Word, H. M. Parchen, T. J. Lowrey, Thomas Cruse, J. K. Pardee, A. M. Holter, A. A. McDonald, and Ed. I. Zimmerman. The property is capital- ized at $10,000,000.


8 The Granite Belle is a St Louis corporation. The Speckled Tront group dates back to 1874, and was opened by the Northwest Mining company, a Philadelphia concern, in which Charlemagne Tower and Gen. A. B. Nettleton were largely interested. The Speckled Trout mine was not worked for some time, and is now under lease to the Algonquin company, managed by J. K. Pardee.


9 W. L. Hoge was born in Illinois in 1846, and removed with his father


768


GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.


Deer Lodge, and Drummond may be mentioned. Deer Lodge is less important as a mining town at present than as the seat of the United States penitentiary, the only federal building, except the assay-office, in Montana. It is, however, in the midst of mining districts, and derives support from them.1º A private institution of learning called the Montana college11 is located at Deer Lodge. The population is about 1,000.


The Helena mining district is the third in impor- tance in Montana, containing several dividend-paying mines, of which the Drum Lummond is the most prominent, and dividing $100,000 12 quarterly among its share-holders. The Drum Lummond is a gold mine, and is situated at Marysville, twenty miles in a northwest direction from Helena. The Helena and Northern railroad, a remarkable piece of engineering,


to Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1857. He was educated in the schools of that city and on graduating entered a bank to learn the business. In 1875 he went to Salt Lake City, where he was teller in a bank nntil 1882, when he organized the banking-house of Hoge, Brownlee, & Co., of Bntte. The fol- lowing year he removed to Anaconda and organized the banking-house of Hoge, Daly, & Co., which was changed to the Ist National bank in 1889. He was the first mayor of Anaconda.


10 E. L. Bonner, a native of N. Y., and educated there, was born in 1834, and in 1857 came to the Pacific coast, settling in Oregon. In 1866 he brought a stock of goods to Missoula, Montana, since which time he has been in busi- ness in this territory. In 1872 he established the mercantile honse of E. L. Bonner & Co. in Deer Lodge, and in 1874 the Bonner Mercantile Company of Butte. His home, however, is at Deer Lodge, where he gives personal attention to his business.


11 D. J. McMillan was born in Tennessee in 1846, removing with his father to Carlinville, Ill., in 1854, where he was educated. In 1862 he en- tered the union army, and served three years, after which he was engaged in teaching in Ill. until 1873, when he went to Utah and organized and con- ducted a number of mission schools for a period of 10 years. In 1883 he was elected the first president of Montana College, in which office he remains. In 1889 he took part in politics on the republican side, during the movement for statehood. As a speaker he is logical, forcible, and witty.


12 For the month of September 1889, this mine, with a 50-stamp mill, crushed 3.238 tons, yielding $64,500; a 10-stamp mill crushed 537 tons, yielding $26,800; a 60-stamp-mill crushed 2,800 tons, yielding $20,000-total, $111,300. The working expenses were $53,000. At this rate the dividends should be about donbled. I might mention here the names of dividend-paying mines as quoted in 1887, at which period $8,134,902 had been paid since 1880. They were the Alice, $750,000; Amy and Silversmith, $331,851; Boston and Montana, $520,000; Elkhorn, $180,000; Empire, $33,000; Granite Mountain, $2,600,000; Helena M. & R., $192,310; Hecla Consolidated, $1,062,500; Hope, $158,241; Lexington, $565,000; Montana Limited, $1,254,000; Moulton, $350,000; Original, $120,000; Parrot, $18,000.


769


THE CITY OF HELENA.


connects it with the capital. This road for ten miles scales the sides of a steep mountain, and is built almost a third of the distance on trestles. The Drum Lum- mond has but recently been sufficiently developed to display its qualities as the first gold producer of the world, but has greatly increased the expectations of this district. A movement is on foot to organize a company to purchase the old Whitlatch-Union prop- erty at Unionville, near Helena, and resume opera- tions. It is believed this mine would still produce gold in paying quantities.


The city of Helena, which is now inferior in popu- lation to Butte, is still the chief commercial city, with 15,000 inhabitants, and the improvements for 1888 cost $3,055,000. It has a number of handsome public buildings. The Lewis and Clarke county court-house cost $200,000, and contains the legislative halls of the territory. The high-school, graded, and ward schools are constructed of brick, and supplied with every modern convenience. The city has a good water supply, a well-organized fire department, gas, electric lights, and well-equipped street railways. Its rail- road facilities are excellent. It has five banks of deposit, whose capital stock, surplus, and undivided profits amount to $8,322,699, more than can be found in any city of equal size in the world. The name of Queen City is not an inappropriate one.13


13 Among the notable citizens of Helena I mention the following:


Isaac D. Mccutcheon, born in N. Y. in 1840, removed to Mich. with his parents in 1846, and was there educated. He began teaching school at the age of 18 years, and continued to teach for 5 years, after which he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He practised his profession in Charlotte, Mich., until 1882, when he was appointed secretary of Montana. He resigned in 1883 to return to the practice of the law.


F. S. Witherbee, born in Flint, Mich., in 1860, removed to Louisville, Ky, in 1873. He was educated for a physician, graduating in Philadelphia in 1883, but not liking his profession, he became a publisher in Washington, D. C. He sold out his business in 1888, and came to Helena, where he en- gaged in real estate, organizing the Witherbee and Hunter Real Estate, Loan, and Investment Co., Limited.


O. R. Allen, born in the state of N. Y., in 1852, received a collegiate education, and in 1876 went to Colorado, where he remained until 1883, when he came to Montana and engaged in mining. In 1886 he acquired the Jay Gould mine, and organized a stock company to develop the property. The mine has produced over $1,000,000, and is still producing richly.


HIST. WASH .- 19


770


GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.


Great Falls, in the new county of Cascade, estab- lished in 1887, is rapidly growing in reputation. It


F. P. Sterling was born in Elkhorn, Wis., in 1843, and was educated in his native town. In 1861 he entered the union army, serving through the war, after which he removed to Iowa, and engaged in school-teaching until 1874, when he came to Montana. In 1876 he was appointed register of the U. S. land-office at Helena, serving until 1883. The following year he was elected judge of the probate court, and served two years, since which time he has practised law in Helena.


T. H. Kleinschmidt was born in Prussia in 1837, and came to the U. S. with his parents in 1841. He was raised and educated at St Louis, Mo. In 1862 he went to Colorado, where he followed merchandising for two years, removing to Montana in 1864. He was one of the organizers of the Ist Na- tional bank of Helena in 1866, and has been active in its management ever since. He was twice elected mayor of the city.


Samuel Word, born in Ky in 1837, was educated in his native state, and removed to Missouri in 1857, where he read law and was admitted to the bar. He practised his profession there until 1863, when he came to Montana, settling in Virginia City, where he remained until 1880. He then moved to Butte, and in 1885 to Helena. He has been a member of the legislature and speaker of the house, and is permanently located at the capital.


Charles W. Cannon, born in Cleveland, O., in 1835, removed with his pa- rents to Dubuque, Ia, in 1837, where he was raised and educated. He came to Montana in 1864, and for a short time was engaged in trade at Virginia City. He removed to Helena in 1865, where he again engaged in merchan- dising until 1880, after which he has been employed in the care of his real estate, city and country, and his mining interests.


Ashburn K. Barbour was born in Falmouth, Ky, in 1856, and educated there, studying law, and being admitted to the bar. Iu 1878 he removed to Kansas City, Mo., where he remained until 1882, when he came to Helena, and has practised his profession here.


J. J. Leiser, born in Penn. in 1845, was educated there, and studied medi- cine in Phila. After practising in several towns, he took a post-graduate course at his alma mater, and in 1878 came to Helena, where he has steadily followed his profession. He takes an interest in noting the climatic influences on different diseases in his adopted state, on which he has written his ob- servations.


H. M. Parchen was born in Prussia in 1839. At ten years of age he im- migrated with his parents to the U. S., being located in western N. Y. At the age of 14 years he left home to enter a merchant's employ, and continued from that time to learn business. In 1862 he went to Colorado, and in 1864 came to Montana. After one year in Virginia City he settled permanently in Helena as a druggist. He has served several terms in the legislature, and is a public-spirited citizen.


Col James Sullivan, born in Ireland in 1842, migrated with his parents to America in 1849, settling in Boston, where he was educated. When a young man he learned the barber's trade, and followed it in Boston and New York for many years. In 1878, on account of losses by speculation, he determined to remove to Montana. He purchased a barber's business in Helena, and prospered in it. In 1885 he was elected mayor, and in 1887 was appointed territorial auditor. He has served on the staff of three different governors, and is a prominent citizen of Helena.


Richard Lockey was born in England in 1845, and came to the U. S. in 1846, his parents settling in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was educated. In 1862 he entered the union army, serving three years. In 1866 he came to Helena, and engaged in merchandising until 1881, when he gave his attention to real estate.


David A. Cory was born in Canada in 1842, removing to the state of Ill.


771


TOWN OF GREAT FALLS.


is situated upon a sloping site at the junction of Mis- souri and Sun rivers, commanding a view of four moun-


with his parents in 1855. For more than 20 years he was a commercial trav- eller, and in 1886 came to Montana, becoming a member of the mercantile firm of Bach, Cory, & Co. of Helena, devoting himself to its business.


A. J. Seligman, junior member of the above firm, was born in New York City, and educated to be a civil engineer, graduating from two of the most prominent schools in Europe. He came to Montana in 1881, making Helena his home; has served in the legislature, and is devoted to the interests of the mountain state.


Dr C. K. Cole was born in Ill. in 1852, educated in his native state, and graduated in medicine in 1878. He first practised in Jacksonville, 11l., but removed in 1879 to Helena, Mont. He was twice a member of the city council, and in 1888 was elected a member of the territorial council, of which he was president.


John H. Ming was born in Va in 1831, migrated to Mo. in 1840 with his parents, and in 1849, at the age of 18 years, came to Cal., working in the mines and teaming for 3 years, when he returned home. In 1859 he went to Colorado, engaging in merchandising at Denver, until 1863, when he re- moved to Virginia City, Mont., remaining there 5 years. In 1868 he made his home in Helena, where he did much to promote the growth of the city. His death occurred in 1887; the above facts being furnished by his widow, Katherine L. Ming.


E. W. Bach was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1852. He came to Montana in 1878, being engaged in various enterprises until 1883, when he commenced a wholesale grocery trade in Helena, as senior member of the firm of Bach, Cory, & Co., which does a business of over $1,000,000 a year. He is also in- terested in the Helena Street Railroad Company, and the St Paul and Helena Land and Improvement Co.


E. W. Knight was born in Indiana in IS38, but removed with his father's family to Ky when a child, was educated there, and studied and practised law. In 1873 he came to Montana, locating at Helena. He was one of the original stockholders of the Ist National bank of Helena, in which he was book-keeper from 1873 to 1876, when he was elected cashier. He was the second mayor of Helena.


A. M. Holter, born in Norway in 183], learned the carpenter's trade, and immigrated to the U. S. io 1854, locating in Iowa. He was among the first to go to the Colorado mines, from whence, in 1864, he came to Montana, min- ing and running a saw-mill near Virginia City for two years. In 1866 he removed to Helena, and engaged in hardware business. He is one of the directors of the Ist National bank, along with S. T. Hauser, A. M. Holter, Granville Stuart, E. W. Knight, T. H. Kleinschmidt, John C. Curtin, R. S. Hamilton, C. P. Higgins, A. J. Davis, Henry M. Parchen, and T. C. Power. Hauser is president, Davis vice-president, Knight cashier, Kleinschmidt assistant cashier, and George H. Hill second assistant. Paid-up capital, $500,000; surplus and profits, $500,000.


John Kinna, born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1837, came to the U. S. with his parents in 1842, and resided in Orange co., N. Y. At the age of 18 years he went to Lincoln, Neb., where he learned the tinner's trade. In 1864 he came to Montana, remaining for one year at Virginia City, when he removed to Helena and engaged in hardware business. He was the first mayor of this city, where he constantly resided until his death, in 1887, and was treas- urer of Lewis and Clarke co .; these facts being furnished by his son, C. J. Kinna.


William M. Thornton, born in Eutaw, Ala., in 1853, came to San Francisco with his parents at the age of one year, where he was edu- cated. In 1869 he engaged in business in Unionville, Nev., where he remained until 1874, removing to Virginia City, in that state, to take the


772


GENERAL DEVELOPMENT.


tain ranges. Here are the great cataracts of the Missouri, having a total fall of 512 feet. The first, or Black Eagle fall, has a sheer descent of 282 feet, and an available fall of 54 feet, which will be utilized the present year (1889). The Rainbow fall has a per- pendicular descent of 49 feet; Colter's fall, 14 feet; Horse-shoe fall, 20 feet; and the Great fall, 100 feet, with rapids between-the whole constituting a water power unequalled. Coal, iron, and limestone abound within a few miles of the new town of Great Falls. The advantages of the place have been recognized, and a million-dollar smelter has been erected, with a capacity for reduction of 250 tons of ore daily; al- though the works are only one fourth their proposed size, as it is intended to make this the largest smelter for the reduction of silver-lead ores in the world. The population of Great Falls is 2,500, and its improve- ments, exclusive of the Manitoba and Montana Central railroad properties, are valued at $2,500,000. There is a branch railroad line to the Sand Couleé coal mines, where 350 persons are employed, and will be extended to the silver, copper, and Galena mines in the Belt range. A stone and iron wagon bridge 1,000 feet long spans the Missouri at Great Falls. The town is a shipping-point for stock and wool. About 29,000 sheep, 10,000 cattle, and 1,000,000 pounds of wool were shipped from there in 1888. It has been incorporated as a city, has water-works in progress, has a large saw and planing mill, the largest flour-mill in Montana, two agricultural-implement


position of secretary of the Virginia City and Truckee Railroad Co. In 1885 he removed to Anaconda, where he became cashier of the 1st National bank. In Aug. 1889 he was nominated state senator from Deer Lodge co., and elected.


C. A. Broadwater, born in Mo. in 1840, had limited means of education, and when 17 years of age began clerking for a commission firm in St Louis. In 1859 he went to Colo, and in 1864 came to Montana, where for 4 years he was wagon-master of the R. Freighting Co. In 1868 he purchased an interest in the business, and was actively engaged in it until 1879, when he sold out. He then secured the post-tradership at Fort Maginnis, which he retained until 1885, when he located in Helena and organized the Montana National bank, of which he is president.


773


TOWN OF GREAT FALLS.


houses, three churches, and a $20,000 school build- ing. Such is the vigor of Montana's population.14


14 A little personal and territorial history will not be out of place here. Abont 1881, Paris Gibson, a pioneer of Minneapolis, and who understood the part the water-power of the Mississippi river at the falls of St Anthony had played in the builling up of that city, first conceived the idea of founding a city at the Great Falls of the Missouri. His knowledge of this water-power and the surrounding country was chiefly obtained from J. K. Caster of Belt, and late in the above-mentioned year, in company with J. A. Whitmore and H. P. Rolfe, with James Burns as driver for the party, he set out from Ben- ton to personally inspect the described locality. There were no roads, the party experienced difficulty in finding the several falls in order to compare their power, but decided the Great Falls impracticable, and a snow-storm coming on, they returned to Ft Benton. In the spring of 1882, Gibson made several visits to the falls, and in August, with Gov. Edgerton, Charles Gib- son, and H. P. Rolfe, selected the present site, and made a preliminary sur- vey of the town preparatory to placing scrip thereon. Soon after, Gibson formed a partnership with James J. Hill, the railway magnate. During the winter, additional land was filed on, and when all was secure, in 1883 a final survey of the town was made, Paris Gibson and Jerry Collins, with Rolfe, marking out the position of the principal business street, which was called Central Avenue, and was made 90 feet wide, all the other streets and ave- nues being 80 feet in width. In the autumn of 1883, John Woods erected the first log-house, on Tenth Ave. South. In the following April, Rolfe built the first frame-house, and George E. Huey the second, after which the town company's secretary, H. O. Chowen, commenced erecting an office, and Walker & Carter a restaurant, partly of boards, and partly of canvas. Liberal ad- vertising was restored to. In the mean time the coal mines at Sand Couleé were being opened, and quite a village was growing up there. In the mean time, also, James J. Hill was maturing his plaus for bringing the Manitoba railroad to Great Falls by 1888, 700 miles across the great Indian reservation north of the Missouri. During the summer, Col Dodge of Helena visited the Falls and quietly selected the route of the Montana Central. The firm of Murphy, Maclay, & Co. opened a store at Great Falls, with W. P. Wren in charge. This was followed by Beachley Bros & Hickory's store. E. B. Largent had a store on the opposite side of the river, and William Wamer opened a restaurant which served for the hotel of Great Falls for some time. In 1885 Will Hanks, who had been publishing the Rising Sun at Sun River, moved his plant to the new town, and on the 14th of May began the issuance of the Weekly Tribune. A school district was organized this year, a school- house built, and Gibson, Rolfe, and Lee were the first trustees of the district, Rev. J. M. Largent being teacher. A saw-mill was erected by McClay & Myers, and they, with Holter & Co., furnished lumber for the improvements of the town. Its growth was slow nntil, in the winter of 1885-6, word came that engineers were surveying a railroad line through Prickly Pear canon, revealing the purpose of the Montana Central company. From this time the growth was more rapid and assured. In 1866 the town had 600 inhabi- tants. By great exertion, the Manitoba railroad was completed to Great Falls in October 1887, when a great celebration testified the satisfaction of the people. In November the road to Helena was opened. Truly the ways of the 19th century town-builders resemble not the ways of their ancestors of even one century ago. Some opposition was offered in the legislature to the organization of the county of Cascade, but the measure was carried through in 1887, and the county officials were sworn in on the 21st of Dec. The first board of commissioners consisted of Charles Wegner, J. A. Harris, and E. R. Clingon; sheriff, C. P. Downing; county treasurer, A. E. Dickerman; pro- hate judge, H. P. Rolfe; clerk and recorder, J. W. Matkin; assessor, R. T. Gorham; attorney, George W. Taylor; supt of schools, Miss Bessie Ford.




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