A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 117

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002

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HON. CHARLES AMOS WHIPPLE. When General Wil- liam Whipple, one of three representatives from New Hampshire, subscribed himself as one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, he performed an act that fixed his name indelibly in the minds and hearts of the American people, and well may Charles Amos Whipple be proud of the distinction of this lineage. This inheritance, rich as it is, is not the only one Gen-

eral Whipple gave to those of his name, for, by a long life of activity in behalf of his state and the new nation, he left to them the example of full and true citizenship. It was General Whipple and his brigade who supported General Stark in his memorable victory over Burgoyne at Bennington, and after independence was established there followed long years of devotion to the public good in different state and national official capacities. Though the character of the conflicts and the great problems of our nation has changed from that of the Revolution and the construction period following, yet to-day there is equal opportunity for intrepid endeavor, of victories in other than military fields, and in patri- otic and useful citizenship.

Hon. Charles Amos Whipple, state land agent of Montana, who has inherited the energetic spirit of his New England ancestry, was born at Lebanon, New Hampshire, November 25, 1859. In his youth he at- tended the public schools of his community and began life for himself as a telegraph operator. It was not long until he had advanced to the position of train dis- patcher, in which capacity he came to Montana in 1883, for the Northern Pacific Railway Company which was then constructing its road through this state. Mr. Whipple was first stationed at Livingston, but later was transferred successively to Helena, Wicks, Towns- end and Billings, his service with the railway company having covered a period of twelve years. Meanwhile Mr. Whipple had from time to time invested his surplus capital in real estate and ranches, much of his holdings being near Townsend, and these he still retains.

In 1896, Mr. Whipple was elected a member of the house of representatives, and in 1901 he was appointed secretary of the senate. From 1903 to 1905, he served as state senator from Broadwater county. During

these ten years of political life he spent a large part of his time actively engaged in mining operations in Jefferson and Broadwater counties. In 1907 he took up business life again, engaging in contract work for the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway Com- pany and continuing in that line of business until his appointment as state land agent by Governor Edwin Norris in the latter part of 1909, which office he now holds.

The parents of Mr. Whipple were Amos P. Whipple and Amanda Emeline (Heath) Whipple, the former of whom was born in New Hampshire and became a prom- inent contractor and builder in that state, where he died in 1863 at an early age. The mother was born in 1837, and was married in New Hampshire. In the later years of her life she had taken great delight in visiting her children in the far west, but passed away at the old New Hampshire homestead at the age of seventy-two, her death having occurred in 1905. The Whipple family is one of the oldest in the United States, having been established here by Joseph Whipple who was one of the earliest of English emigrants to Massachu- setts. He settled on land where the city of Bangor, Maine, now stands-Maine at that time forming a part of the Massachusetts colony and remaining under its jurisdiction until its admission to the Union in 1820. He turned his attention to shipbuilding, one of the two principal occupations of that section and time, and at- tained success and prominence. General William Whip- ple, the patriot, was born in Kittery, Maine, in 1730. The family is marked for the number of noted men it has given to America, especially during the colonial and Revolutionary periods of its history. The ma- ternal grandfather of our subject was Solomon Heath, a native of England who settled in New Hampshire and there spent his life as an agriculturist.

On November 6, 1884, at Wicks, Montana, Mr. Whip- ple was married to Miss Nan L. Sheriff, a daughter of William and Anna Sheriff, of Mercer county, Pennsyl- vania. Mr. and Mrs. Whipple have two children, both born at Townsend :- Miss Gertrude Aletta Whipple,

Cacripple.

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born July 12, 1891, who was graduated from the Uni- versity of Montana at Missoula, with the class of 1912; and Charles Amos Whipple, Jr., born February 24, 1894, a high school graduate and now a sophomore in the State College at Bozeman, Montana. While Mr. Whip- ple's official duties require his presence in Helena much of the time, he and his family maintain their home at Townsend. His religious creed is that of the Methodist denomination, and in politics he is a Democrat. He affili- ates fraternally with Helena Lodge No. 193, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and with the Knights of Pythias at Townsend. During the nearly thirty years that Mr. Whipple has been a resident of Montana he has ever been known as a progressive and public-spirited citizen whose energies have been directed toward the development of the commonwealth, and whose service in official capacities has been one of efficiency and of credit and honor both to himself and to those he repre. sented.

ASIIBURN KENNETT BARBOUR is a Kentuckian by birth, his native town being Falmouth in Pendleton county, where he opened his eyes upon this mortal scene on January 7, 1856. His father, James H. Barbour, was born in Clermont county, Ohio, on February 29, 1824, thus having only a fourth of the number of birthdays which come to ordinary individuals. He died on Sep- tember 8, 1912, at the age of eighty-eight years and six months, but not of senility, for the sturdy old gentle- man practiced his profession up to the date of his last illness. He was a man of literary attainments, and wrote and published a book of poems. He was a dele- gate to the convention which nominated Abraham Lin- coln. James Barbour went from Ohio to Falmouth in 1846 and there began his medical studies, which he completed in the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati. His father, the grandfather of Ashburn Kennett Bar- bour of this review, was a veteran of the Mexican war, and a descendant of those Barbours who settled in America in 1630, being among the oldest families in America. Every male Barbour in New Jersey who was able to carry a musket, participated in the War of the Revolution, and Colonel Barbour, a member of the family, was on the staff of General Washington during that struggle.

On his mother's side Mr. Barbour traces his ancestry to the Moravians, of Holland, who came to America with Oglethorpe's colony. Mrs. James H. Barbour was in her maiden days Emelyne Hauser, of Falmouth, Kentucky, and an account of the Hauser family may be found in the history of Oglethorpe's colony. From Georgia this branch of the Hauser's removed to Wins- ton, North Carolina, where they became the owners of extensive plantations.

Ashburn Kennett Barbour attended a private academy in Falmouth and later attended Centre College of Dan- ville, Kentucky, now known as Centre University. He finished his studies in this instutution when he was twenty-one years of age, and then began the study of law. His studies in this line he pursued in the office of Hon. A. E. Clark, state senator of Kentucky, and one of the distinguished members of the bar of that state. Mr. Barbour finished his preparation in the office of Mr. Clark, and after passing his examinations, was associated with him in the practice of the profes- sion for one year. In 1879 Mr. Barbour removed to Kansas City, Missouri, where he formed a partnership with Wesley J. Edwards, and with whom he stayed until August, 1882. Ill health caused him to seek a change of climate, and after some months spent in travel, he came to Helena on April 1, 1883. This city appealed to him, as possessing both a desirable climate and an advantageous location for one of his profession. He formed a partnership with Messena Bullard, under the firm name of Bullard & Barbour, and the associa- tion lasted until 1889. They had an extensive clientage Vol. II-25

and were known among the most able members of the Helena bar. After the firm dissolved partnership, Mr. Barbour practiced alone for a number of years, giving up his practice in 1905, when he was appointed state law librarian. He is still filling this office, and the wis- dom of selecting him for this post becomes more ap- parent with each year he spends in the service. Since he has been librarian the number of volumes has been doubled and the appropriations for the library have been substantially increased. This has come about largely through Mr. Barbour's own efforts, and the advantage to the public can not be readily estimated. A great deal more than money is required to get together a fine law library, and it is in the selection of the books and the systematizing of the reference works that Mr. Bar- bour has performed his greatest service to the legal profession in Montana; greater, even, than in securing the increased appropriations. His years of experience as a lawyer enable him to choose unerringly such pub- lications as are the most essential to a good working library, and consequently the best of the latest works in legal literature are being constantly added, together with an ever growing collection of classical law and collateral history.

Like most successful lawyers, Mr. Barbour has always taken an interest in politics, and he has worked not a little for the success of the Republican party. His in- terest in his profession, however, always prevented him from being willing to hold public office. The position which he now holds by appointment by the justices of the supreme court is one which exactly suits his tastes and temperament, giving him opportunity for study and investigation, and he is using his long experience at the bar in assembling a law library which he hopes and ex- pects will, within a very brief period, be the best se- lected and most complete collection of law books and legal literature within the northwest. He feels that no member of the bar can do a better work for the state of Montana. He belongs to no lodge, club or secret society, but spends all his leisure in study and in his own home circle, which he finds more attractive than any other gathering.

Mrs. Barbour, too, is a Kentuckian. Previous to her marriage to Mr. Barbour on June 24, 1884, she was Miss Lily Menzies, of Pendleton county, Kentucky. She is the daughter of Judge John W. Menzies, born in Fayette county, Kentucky, and a lawyer of note in northern Kentucky. He was chancellor of his judicial district for twenty-three years. During the Civil war he was a member of Congress, being one of the southern Democrats and a Union man, upon whom President Lincoln depended to help keep Kentucky within the Union during that struggle.

Mr. and Mrs. Barbour have three children, all born within the state of Montana. Katharin married Dudley N. Hartt, of Boston, Massachusetts; Ashburn Kennett, Jr., is a journalist, employed upon various publications within the state; John Menzies, the youngest of the three, is now a student at the University of Wisconsin.

While Mr. Barbour has devoted the best years of his life to the study and practice of law, he has been ex- tensively interested in mines, ranch lands and city prop- erty. He remembers very keenly the disastrous effects of the panic of 1893, and its cause, as he suffered severe financial reverses, together with many of his friends. He did not, however, yield to gloom and des- pondency on that account, but by virtue of his courage and unyielding will he has been able to recover to a considerable extent from those losses.

Mr. Barbour and his family are members of the Presbyterian church of Helena, which they generously support in all its projects for the general uplifting of the community and humanity.

JOSEPH E. FARNUM. The numerous movements for the improvement and development of Custer county,

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and more especially of Miles City, during the past decade owe much of their success to the energetic ef- forts and support of Joseph E. Farnum, who has been a resident of this county for nearly thirty years, and during this time has been one of the most important factors in the community's growth and development, as well as taking an active interest in public matters. Mr. Farnum is a native of Concord, New Hampshire, and was born June 14, 1853, a son of Hiram and Lu- cretia (Ramsdell) Farnum.

Hiram Farnum, who was also a native of Concord, was born April 16, 1810, and spent his whole life in his native state, where he was engaged in farming and contracting. He was also prominent in Whig and Re- publican politics, serving as superintendent of the county poor farm for six years and as a member of the state legislature for two terms, and for many years was known as a member of the state militia. He be- longed to the Congregational church all of his life, and died in that faith in 1882. His wife, a native of St. Johnsbury, Caledonia county, Vermont, was born in September, 1810, and died in May, 1882. Of their six children, two are now living: Abner, a stockman living in Shirley, Custer county, and Joseph E.

Joseph E. Farnum secured his education in the pub- lic schools of Concord. As a youth he learned the trade of carpenter, and remained in that business until the spring of 1883, in which year he came to Montana as bookkeeper for the Concord Cattle Com- pany. He was an interested principal in this concern, which had ranches on Cottonwood creek and Powder river, and, conducted an extensive business in high- grade cattle, but in 1908 he disposed of his interests in this company. In 1886 Mr. Farnum removed from the ranch on the Tongue river, where he had first located, to one on the Powder river, and there resided until 1893, when he located in Miles City, and has since made this place his home. For a time he was engaged in attending to the office work of several large cat- tle outfits, but in April, 1901, purchased the real estate and insurance business of C. A. Wiley, to which he has given his entire attention since severing his con- nection with the Concord Cattle Company in 1908. In Republican politics Mr. Farnum occupies a high posi- tion, and in the fall of 1895 his clear-cut methods of business and accuracy gained him the nomination and subsequent election to the office of county commis- sioner, in which he served for four years, during a part of which time he acted as chairman. During this time numerous improvements were made, including the con- struction of the new wagon road across Tongne river, a new superstructure on the bridge across Powder river, a steel bridge across Mizpah river and the con- tract for a fine new bridge across the Yellowstone river. The three commissioners of Custer county were appointed by the legislature to adjust the boundaries of Custer and Rosebud counties, the latter having been established in 1901. Mr. Farnum has held the office of city clerk since 1905, and since 1908 has been col- lector of city water and light bills. He also served four years as a member of the high-school board of Custer county, and was connected therewith at the time the high-school building was erected. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, trustee and treasurer thereof in Miles City, and superintendent of its Sunday-school. His fraternal connection is with Crusader Lodge, No. 7, Knights of Pythias, of which he is acting as trustee, and in which he is very popular.

On November 19, 1885, Mr. Farnum was united in marriage with Miss Minnie E. Parmenter, who was born in Pittsfield, Vermont, daughter of Truman and Theodosia (Holt) Parmenter, natives of Vermont, the former of whom died at the remarkable age of ninety- seven years, while the latter passed away when forty- nine. They had a family of ten children, of whom four are living: Lorenzo, Minnie E., Angeline and

May. Mr. Parmenter, who was a farmer in Vermont all of his life, was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and first a Whig and later a Repub- lican in politics. Mr. and Mrs. Farnum have had three children, namely: Lucretia, born December 16, 1887, married J. Christian Evens, June 14, 19II, and they have one son, John Farnum Evens, born on the 22nd of June, 1912; Guy E., born July 26, 1893; and Scott H., born September 10, 1898.

MONTGOMERY M. DUNCAN. The activity and enter- prise of any growing center of population is perhaps as clearly indicated in the class of professional men who look after its legal interests as in any other respect, and it is with pleasure that we here refer to Montgomery M. Duncan, a prominent lawyer in Vir- ginia City, Montana, and present incumbent of the of- fice of state senator from the second district. He con- ducts a general law practice and in all his cases has demonstrated ability beyond the ordinary. His ac- curacy and familiarity with the law is well known and his library consists of the highest legal authorities, territorial, state and federal court reports. His prac- tice is a large and lucrative one and his cases are prosecuted with persistency and tenacity of purpose which defies all just cause for defeat.

A native of New Bloomfield, Callaway county, Mis- souri, Montgomery M. Duncan was born November II, 1869, and he is a son of William S. and Helen (Cave) Duncan, both of whom were born in Mis- souri, the former in 1843 and the latter in 1846. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan were married in their native state in 1867 and in 1883 came to Montana, where he fol- lowed mining during most of his active career. Prior to coming to Montana, William S. Duncan was a sol- dier in the Confederate ranks of the Civil war, having served with all of valor and distinction in a number of important engagements under General Price. He was prominent in Democratic political circles but never sought office for himself. He was summoned to the life eternal in 1909, at the age of sixty-six years, and his cherished and devoted wife passed away in 1904, aged fifty-eight years. They are buried side by side in the cemetery at Pony, Montana. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan became the parents of ten children, of whom the subject of this review was the second in order of birth. There are five Duncan brothers in Montana, namely: Harry C., of Camas; Montgomery M., of this notice; Argyle P., of Norris; Paul S., of Vir- ginia City; and Orrick O., who is engaged in the mercantile business at Harrison, Montana. There are two other brothers in the family, Stuart L., who lives at Prescott, Arizona; and Cave, a resident of Med- ford, Oregon.

Montgomery M. Duncan was educated in the public schools of New Bloomfield, Missouri, to the age of fourteen years, when he accompanied his parents to Montana, where he has since maintained his home. After completing the curriculum of the public schools of Madison county, this state, he was matriculated as a student in Woodland College, at Independence, Mis- sonri, where he studied for three years. He thereafter studied law in the law office of Sheley & Ott at In- dependence, Missouri, and was admitted to the bar of that state in 1895. He was admitted to the bar of Montana in the year 1896 and immediately initiated the active practice of his profession at Pony, this state. He came to Virginia City' in 1899, and here has gained recognition as one of the ablest attorneys in Madison county. He controls an extensive practice and has figured in many of the most prominent litigations tried in the courts of this section. In politics he is a stal- wart Democrat and he has been honored by his fellow citizens with election to a number of important public offices, among them being that of county attorney, in which capacity he served for three terms. He was

William Lindsay

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a member of the state legislature during the Ninth and Tenth sessions and he is now state senator. For one term he was a member of the city council of Virginia City. In 1904 and 1905 he served his party as chair- mian of the Madison county central committee and he is a potent factor in all matters projected for the good of the Democracy. He is likewise interested in educa- tional matters and served for nine years as a member of the Virginia City school board.

Mr. Duncan is a prominent fraternity man, being a Mason of good standing and being likewise affiliated with the Odd Fellows, the Elks and the Woodmen of the World. In line with his professional work he is connected with the Montana State Bar Association. In lauding Montana he says: "I wouldn't live here for thirty years if Montana was not all right. In my opinion you cannot praise it too highly. The oppor- tunities here are greater today than in any other place that I know of, at least it looks so to me."

At Twin Bridges, Montana, June 21, 1904, occurred the marriage .of Mr. Duncan to Miss Hortense E. Miller, a native of Ohio and a popular and success- ful teacher in Madison county, Montana, prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have two children, as follows: Philip C., born in 1906, is attending school in Virginia City, as is also Hortense C., whose birth occurred in 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan, though not formally connected with any religious organization, at- tend and give their support to the Presbyterian church. They are prominent in the social life of Virginia City, where they are held in high regard by all who know them.

HON. WILLIAM LINDSAY. One of Montana's fore- most citizens, and a man whose identification with the upbuilding and development of the state extends through a period of thirty years and includes various channels of progress, the influence, progressiveness and public spirit of Hon. William Lindsay have been keenly felt and have been important factors in the wonderful advancement achieved. Few men in the state, and none in eastern Montana, are better or more favorably known, not only from his high standing as a business man and citizen, but from the conspicuous character of his identi- fication with the lines of industry affected by his in- terests.

Mr. Lindsay came to Montana in 1883, from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and located in what is now Dawson county, where his residence has since been maintained and in which section of the state he is extensively in- terested in agricultural projects, owning irrigated farms near Bridger and being largely engaged in sheep ranch- ing. He is interested in a large and valuable fruit ranch near San Diego, California, as well as other in- terests of a diversified character in different sections of the country.

Mr. Lindsay has long been one of the stanch members of the Republican party and a hard worker for its suc- cess in the Treasure state. Always active in the fur- therance of that party's principles and one of its leaders in this section of the state, he has been called upon to serve in positions of honor and trust, which have all been filled with the same ability and zeal that have characterized the management of his own personal af- fairs. ' He has been the party's candidate for governor of the state, and. enjoys a wide acquaintance among Montana's leading citizens and public men.

Mr. Lindsay is an excellent type of the high class citizens which the Buckeye state has given to the com- monwealth of Montana. His birth took place in Poland, Ohio, on April 20, 1852, and is the son of James M. and Elizabeth J. (Bebout) Lindsay. The father was a native of New Jersey, born in 1828, and the mother was born in 1834 at New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Both of these worthy people are now deceased. The father, who was a manufacturer of harrels and similar pro-

ducts, died in Fostoria, Ohio, in August, 1898, and the mother in Poland, Ohio, in 1867, where both are interred. Of the nine children born to this union, Wil- liam is the second born.

The schools of Poland gave to Mr. Lindsay his early education up to the age of thirteen years. That was a crucial time in the life of the boy, for the mother died and the household was to some extent disorganized. The family was in humble circumstances, and William was thrown upon his own resources. He was appren- ticed to learn the tinsmith's trade and, after serving an apprenticeship of a year and a half, was appointed manager of the hardware business of A. F. Wolf & Company, at Beaver Falls, continuing in that capacity for three years. He then resigned and engaged in business on his own responsibility in Beaver Falls. Until 1883 he remained thus occupied, and in that year was seized with a violent attack of "western fever," and in April closed out what had been a very success- ful business and answered the beckoning finger of opportunity from Montana. He settled about seventy miles north of Glendive and engaged in sheep ranch- ing, in which business he is interested to the present day. His Dawson county property is a valuable one and his other holdings have already been mentioned.

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A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 117

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883- Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1002

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002