A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 14

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

USA > Montana > A history of Montana, Volume II > Part 14

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).

The Newman family is traced back to colonial times, when three brothers of the name came to America, and some of their descendants fought as soldiers in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war, as did also members of the Lyons family. Joel Newman was born in Delaware county, New York, March 22, 1788, and died October 6, 1866. As a young man he traveled to Orleans county, where he hewed him a home from the wilderness, and in 1830 he went to Wayne county, settling in Plymouth township, where the rest of his life was spent in agricultural pursuits. In political matters he was an old-line Whig until the year 1855, at which time he joined the Republican party. During a part of the War of 1812 he fought as a soldier in the American army. He married Hannah Lyon, who was horn in New Jersey, June 18, 1794, and died February 3, 1853, and to this union there were born five daughters and seven sons, the four youngest sons still surviving : Timothy, who resides in Clinton county, Michigan; Orson N .; Hiram, living in Polk county, Oregon; and Albert, a resident of California.

After securing a common school education in his native state, Orson N. Newman left home at the age of nineteen years and went to work for wages, his first employment being at clearing land. He subsequently spent eight years in the lumber business, working in the woods of northern Michigan, on the Muskegon river, and while in that locality, April 3, 1855, was married. .

During the spring of 1858 he left Michigan with his wife and two children, crossed Lake Michigan by boat to Chicago, went thence by rail to St. Louis, and by steam- ship up the Missouri river to Atchison, Kansas. At that point they took a mule team to America, ninety miles west of Atchison, this being the extreme western frontier town at that time. There Mr. Newman took up land and spent four years in improving his property, and had a fair measure of success, although of con- veniences there were few and neighbors even less. Of Indians and buffalo, however, there were a plentiful quantity. On July 2, 1862, Mr. Newman left Kansas by ox-team overland to Camp Collins, Colorado, where he spent the fall and winter of 1862-3, and in the spring of the latter year he and his family joined a freight train for East Bannack, territory of Montana, at which point the train broke up. The members of the Newman family spent one week at that place and then moved on to Alder Gulch, and at the present site of Virginia City Mr. Newman was engaged in digging a drain, at six dollars per. day. Mrs. Newman assisted her husband materially at this time by selling milk from the cows that they had brought through from Kansas, as well as disposing of hread which she had baked, and after they had remained in Alder Gulch for six weeks they moved on to Madison Valley, where Mr. Newman took up a hay claim. At that time he was compelled to pay twenty-five dollars apiece for scythes, while help was not to be had cheaper than five dollars per day, but during the six years that he remained in that locality he met with success, and built a station known as Elk- horn Ranch Farm Roadhouse. During 1869 the family started overland for California, and in October of that year arrived at Santiago, where they remained for one year. In 1870 they went to that portion of San Ber- nardino county which has recently been made River- side county, and there, in November, 1870, Mr. Newman assisted in putting in the first irrigation ditch in that portion of the country. He located ten acres of land and planted grapes and oranges, but in May, 1873, with a four-horse team, left the Golden state to travel over- land to Salem, Oregon. During the winter of 1873-4 he was engaged in contracting and cutting timber for sawmills, and he then went to the Snohomish river, Washington territory, on Puget Sound, about fifty miles from Seattle. There he and his two sons, Charles H. and Edwin M., spent the summer of 1874 working in a lumber camp, and the four-horse team was again put into commission, the family starting for Portland, Ore- gon, over the Barlow Pass, into the Walla Walla country, and on to Palouse, just over the line from Idaho. After passing the latter point they were snow- bound in western Idaho and were compelled to spend the winter there, building a crude cabin in which they lived until the spring of 1875. At that time they came through to the old family homestead on Meadow Creek, Montana, and after spending three months there moved on to Bozeman, where they spent the winter. In the spring of 1876 they engaged in farming in the Gallatin Valley, hut only remained two years, when, deciding to again seek new territory, they loaded a large wagon with provisions and seed, and with three yoke of cattle came overland to the Yellowstone Valley and located near Coulson, now a deserted village about two miles from the present city of Billings. They arrived March 16, 1878, and the father and sons at once hegan farm- ing together, but later this partnership was discontinued when the sons engaged in the sheep business. Mr. Newman resided on the old farm until 1899, and since that time has lived somewhat retired, his winters being spent on the Pacific coast, principally in southern Cali- fornia. He is a Socialist in his political proclivities, but has never been an office seeker, although at dif- ferent times he has been chosen to fill public positions. In 1896 he was elected county commissioner and served as chairman of the board up to October, 1899, when he

C. H. Newman

Q.n. newman

895

HISTORY OF MONTANA

resigned. He was appointed justice of the peace by Hon. Sidney Edgerton, the first governor of Montana, but declined the office, and later was appointed to the same office by the county commissioners of Custer county. All of Mr. Newman's undertakings have met with a full measure of success, and throughout his life he has fostered and developed operations that have helped to build up and improve the community where- ever he has resided. In his declining years he is en- joying the fruits of a career that has been filled with kind and useful deeds, and he may rest secure in the knowledge that he has the regard, the esteem and the full confidence of all with whom he has come in con- tact.

On April 3, 1855, Mr. Newman was united in mar- riage with Miss Elizabeth Matilda Tripp, at Croton, Newavgo county, Michigan. She was born in Ontario, Canada, daughter of David and Lena (Clapp) Tripp, the former a native of New York state, who died in Mar- shall county, Kansas, when seventy years of age; and . in the Yellowstone Valley; Jane, the wife of Henry the latter a native of Ontario, who is also dead. They had a son and a daughter, the former still living, while Mrs. Newman passed away August 18, 1886. Eleven children were born to Orson N. and Elizabeth M. (Tripp) Newman, as follows: Charles H., of Billings; Edwin M., living in Yellowstone county, one and one-half miles south of Billings, who is married and has five children; William M., who is engaged in farming in Yellowstone county; Jane, the wife of Henry McKinsey, living at East Boulder, Sweet Grass county, Montana, who has eight children; Asa D., an extensive sheep raiser, and the owner of a large ranch in Blue Creek, Yellowstone valley, who is married and has two children; Mary, the wife of W. J. Scott, of Billings, who has two children; Albert A., of Billings; Abe, who lost his life in a railroad accident in 1899, being at that time twenty-seven years of age; Martha, who died when seven years of age; Mark, the owner of a fine cattle and sheep ranch on Blue Creek, Yellowstone county, who is married and has three children; and Burton, who died in infancy.

CHARLES H. NEWMAN. A member of an old and hon- ored pioneer family. and himself a resident of the Yel- lowstone Valley for nearly thirty-five years, Charles H. Newman, chairman of the board of county commis- sioners of Yellowstone county, has been closely identi- fied with a number of enterprises that have gone to make this one of the centers of industrial activity in the west. The greater part of Mr. Newman's boyhood and youth was spent in travel, and with his parents he visited a number of sections of the country when they were still in their infancy. but since coming to Montana has made this state his home, and has been identified with its interests from the days when he engaged in hunting and trapping for a living to the present time, when he is known as one of the leading sheepmen of the valley. Mr. Newman was born October 22, 1856, in Newaygo county, Michigan, and is a son of Orson N. and Elizabeth Matilda (Tripp) Newman.

Mr. Newman is a direct descendant of early Colonial settlers who fought as soldiers in the Continental army during the War of the Revolution, and his paternal grandfather, Joel Newman, was an American soldier during the War of 1812-14. The latter was born in Delaware county, New York, March 22, 1788, and died October 6. 1866, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Hannah Lyon, was born in New Jersey, June 18, 1794, and died February 3, 1853. They had five daughters and seven sons, four of the latter being alive at this time: Timothy, of Clinton county, Michigan ; Orson N .; Hiram, who lives in Polk county, Oregon: and Albert, who makes his home in California. Joel Newman first made a home for himself in the wilder- ness of Delaware county, New York, and also was a pioneer of Wyoming county, where he spent the rest of

his life as a farmer of Plymouth township. In 1855 he gave up the politics of the Whig party for those of the newly-organized Republicans, with which organization he was identified during the remainder of his career.

Orson N. Newman received a good education for his time and locality, and at the age of nineteen years started out to make his own way in the world. He spent some time in working at land-clearing, but he subsequently went to the lumber woods of northern Michigan, and there spent eight years. He was mar- ried there April 3, 1855, at Croton, Newaygo county, Michigan, to Miss Elizabeth Matilda Tripp, who was born in Ontario, Canada, daughter of David and Lena (Clapp) Tripp, the former a native of New York state and the later of Ontario, both of whom are deceased. Mrs. Newman passed away August 18, 1886, having been the mother of eleven children, as follows: Charles H .; Edwin M., who lives one and one-half miles south of Billings; William Marvin, also engaged in farming McKinsey, of East Boulder, Sweet Grass county ; Asa D., an extensive sheep raiser of Billings, who owns a valuable ranch south of Billings, on Blue Creek; Mary, who married W. J. Scott, of Billings; Albert A .; Abe, who met his death in a railroad accident when twenty- seven years of age, in 1899; Martha, who died when seven years of age; Mark, the owner of a fine cattle and sheep ranch on Blue Creek, Yellowstone county ; and Burton, who died in infancy. During the spring of 1858 Mr. and Mrs. Newman and their two children left Michigan and went by way of Chicago, St. Louis and Atchison, Kansas, to America, the frontier of the west, a town about ninety miles from Atchison. After four years spent in farming the family moved on to Camp Collins, Colorado, and in the spring of 1863 a freight train bound for East Bannack, Montana, was joined. The train broke up at that point, but after a stay of a week the Newmans pushed on to Alder Gulch, and on the present site of Virginia City the father was engaged in digging a ditch, while the mother added to the income by selling milk and baking home-made bread for the miners of the vicinity. Mr. Newman was paid at the rate of six dollars per day and Mrs. Newman made nearly as much by her industry, and after six weeks they had accumulated enough to invest in a hay ranch in the Madison Valley. Although he was obliged to pay a salary of five dollars per day to his hay cutters and twenty-five dollars apiece for scythes, Mr. Newman was able to make money, and he there built a station known as the Elkhorn Ranch Farm Roadhouse, which was much patronized during the early days. During 1869 the family started overland for California, and in Octo- ber of that year arrived at Santiago, where they re- mained for one year. In 1870 they went to what is now Riverside (then San Bernardino) county, Cali- fornia, and in November of that year Mr. Newman as- sisted in building the first irrigation ditch in that county. He also experimented with grapes and oranges on a ten-acre tract, but in May, 1873, with a four-horse team, started overland for Portland, Oregon. He spent the winter of 1873-4 in contracting and cutting timber for sawmills, and in the spring went to Snohomish river, about fifty miles from Seattle, Washington, where he and his two sons, Charles H. and Edwin M., spent the winter of 1874 working in a lumber camp. Still un- satisfied with their location, the family again started on its journey, aiming to go to Portland, Oregon, but after going through the Barlow Pass into the Walla Walla territory, and on to Palouse. were snow-bound in western Idaho and compelled to build a cabin in which to spend the winter. In the spring of 1875 they again started and came through .to Meadow Creek, Madison Valley, Montana, where had heen the old homestead years before, and after three months left for Bozeman. where they spent the following winter. The spring of 1876 found the father and sons engaged in farming in

896

HISTORY OF MONTANA

the Gallatin Valley, but after two years they loaded a large wagon with provisions and seeds, and with three yoke of oxen came overland to the Yellowstone Valley, locating at Coulson, now a deserted village about two miles from the present city of Billings. The father and sons were engaged in farming there for some years, but in 1899 Mr. Newman retired from business activities, and since that time he has spent his winters on the Pacific coast, principally in southern California. He is a Socialist in his political belief, and has served as county commssioner and as justice of the peace, although he has never sought and often declined public office. He is one of his locality's most highly honored citizens, and is esteemed both as one of the Yellowstone's hardy pio- neers, and as a citizen whose activities have been so directed as to benefit his community.

Charles H. Newman secured his education in the public schools of the various vicinities in which the family lived, and grew up in an atmosphere of continual industry and hard labor. With his parents he arrived in the Yellowstone Valley, March 16, 1878, and during the first four or five years he was engaged in hunting and trapping in the winter months. Money at that time was not easily obtained and work was a scarce com- modity, so that the income derived from the hides and pelts obtained by the young men added appreciably to the family resources. He worked at farming with his father and brother, Edwin M., during the summer months, and in 1886 purchased 700 head of sheep with the money he had accumulated during his many years of earnest, energetic endeavor. Subsequently his brother, Asa D., being assisted by his father, joined him in this enterprise and for some years they continued in the sheep business as partners. Later Mr. Newman bought the old homestead, which he still owns, and in 1894 came to Billings, having been appointed deputy sheriff of Yellowstone county. He served in that office for four years and then returned to the old homestead, but in 1903 sold his sheep and engaged in farming. This occupied his attention until 1906, in which year he was elected county commissioner, and in 1908 he was re- elected for a term of six years. Since January 1, 1907, he has acted as chairman of the board, and has proven himself in every way an efficient official. Mr. Newman has brought an enthusiasm to his work that has done much to advance the work done by the board, and at present is active in the erection of the fine county house three miles from Billings. He gives his support to the Republican party, its principles and its candidates, and is considered an important factor in the Republican organization in the valley. Fraternally he is connected with Rathbone Lodge, No. 28, K. of P .; Camp No. 6269, Woodmen of the World; Billings Lodge, No. 394, B. P. O. E.

On January 12, 1898, Mr. Newman was united in mar- riage with Miss Cinderella Walk, who was born in Har- rison county, Indiana, daughter of Joseph A. and Olive (Crandell) Walk, natives of Indiana. Mr. Walk was born February 16, 1814, and on September 6, 1837, was married to Olive Crandell, who was born December 24, 1821. He was engaged in farming in Indiana until 1872, in which year he moved to Greenwood county, Kansas, and settled on a farm near Eureka, and the rest of his life was spent in farming and stock-raising in that lo- cality. His wife died March 10, 1891, and he survived her until August 19, 1900. Of a family of sixteen chil- dren, two died in infancy, while fourteen grew to ma- turity, and of these Mrs. Newman was the youngest. Mr. Newman's business career was one in which in- dustrial activity was blended with strict integrity, and his official efforts have been such as to win the unquali- fied esteem and confidence of his fellow townsmen, who have shown their appreciation of his work by giv- ing him their hearty support and personal friendship.

ALBERT A. NEWMAN. A worthy representative of one of the Yellowstone valley's pioneer families, and a man who, for more than thirty years, was engaged in ranch- ing and sheep raising, Albert A. Newman, of Billings, is deserving of being classed among the progressive men of Montana, who have been intimately connected with its growth and development. Mr. Newman was born near Bakersfield, Kern county, California, August 16, 1869, in camp, while his parents, Orson N. and Eliza- beth Matilda (Tripp) Newman, were making their way into that state.

The founders of the Newman family in America came to this country during colonial days, and members there- of fought valiantly during the War of the Revolution, also furnishing soldiers for the struggle between Eng- land and the United States in 1812. One of the latter, Joel Newman, the grandfather of Albert A., was born in Delaware county, New York, March 22, 1788, sub- sequently was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Or- leans county, that state, and spent his last years in Plymouth township, Wyoming county, New York, where his death occurred October 6, 1866. He was first a Whig and later a Republican, and became a well-known and highly esteemed citizen. He married Hannah Lyon, who was also of Revolutionary stock, and who was born in New Jersey, June 18, 1794, and died February 3, 1853, and they had a family of five daughters and seven sons, the four youngest sons still surviving, as follows: Timothy, who lives in Clinton county, Michigan; Orson N .; Hiram, of Polk county, Oregon; and Albert, who resides in California.

Orson N. Newman was born in Orleans county, New York, February 15, 1830, received a public school educa- tion, and at the age of nineteen years began working for himself at clearing land. He subsequently spent eight years in the lumber district of northern Michigan, and was married April 3, 1855, at Croton, Newaygo county, Michigan, to Miss Elizabeth Matilda Tripp, a native of Ontario, Canada. Her death occurred August 18, 1886, when she had been the mother of eleven children, namely: Charles H., chairman of the board of commissioners of Yellowstone county; Edwin M., living one and one-half miles south of Billings; Wm. M., a farmer of the Yellowstone valley; Jane, who mar- ried Henry Mckinsey of East Boulder, Sweet Grass county ; Asa D., an extensive sheep raiser of Billings; Mary, who married W. J. Scott, of Billings; Albert A .; Abe, who died in a railroad accident in 1899, when he was twenty-seven years of age; Martha, who died when seven years old; Mark, engaged in sheep and cattle raising on his fine ranch on Blue Creek, Yellow- stone county ; and Burton, who died in infancy.

During the spring of 1858 Mr. and Mrs. Newman, accompanied by their two children, left Michigan and went by way of Chicago, St. Louis and Atchison, Kan- sas, to America, a town about ninety miles from Atchi- son, and then situated on the border. After four years spent in farming, removal was made to Camp Collins, Colorado, and in the spring of 1863 the family joined a freight train which was bound for East Bannack, Montana. At that point the train broke up and after a stay of a week the Newmans pushed on to Alder Gulch. On the present site of Virginia City the father was engaged in digging drains, and the mother added to the income by selling milk and bread to the miners of the vicinity. For his work Mr. Newman was paid at the rate of six dollars a day and Mrs. Newman made almost as much by her industry, and within six weeks they had accumulated enough capital to invest in a hay ranch in the Madison valley. Although he was obliged to pay a salary of five dollars a day to his hay cutters and twenty-five dollars apiece for scythes, Mr. Newman was able to make money, and he there built a station known as the Elkhorn Ranch Farm Roadhouse, which was liberally patronized during the early days. Dur- ing 1869 the family started overland for California, and

W. y. Pemberton

897

HISTORY OF MONTANA

in October of that year reached Santiago, where they remained for one year. In 1870 they went to River- side (then San Bernardino) county, California, and in November of that year Mr. Newman assisted in building the first irrigation ditch in that county. He also experi- mented with grapes and oranges on a ten acre tract, but in May, 1873, started northward with a four-horse team, going overland to Portland, Oregon. He spent the winter of 1873-4 in contracting and cutting timber for sawmills, and in the spring went to Snohomish river, about fifty miles from Seattle, Washington, where he and his two sons, Charles H. and Edwin M., spent the winter of 1874, working in a lumber camp. Still unsatisfied with their location, the family again started on its journey, aiming for Portland, Oregon, but after going through the Barlow Pass into Walla Walla county, and on to Palouse, were snow-bound in western Idaho and compelled to build a cabin in which to spend the winter. In the spring of 1875 they resumed their journey and came through to Meadow Creek Gallatin valley, Montana, where had been the old homestead years before, but three months later left for Bozeman, where they passed the following winter. The spring of 1876 found the father and sons engaged in farming in the Gallatin valley, but after two years they loaded a large wagon with provisions and seeds and with three yoke of oxen came overland to the Yellowstone valley, lo- cating at Coulson, which is now a deserted village about two miles from the present city of Billings. For some years the father and sons followed farming there, but in 1899 Orson N. Newman retired from business activ- ity, and since that time has spent his winters on the Pacific coast, mainly in southern California. He is a Socialist in his political opinions, and has served as county commissioner and as justice of the peace, al- though he has never sought and often has declined public office. Mr. Newman is justly esteemed as a citizen and is numbered with the honored pioneers of the Yellowstone valley.

Albert A. Newman accompanied his parents in their various migrations, and his first schooling was secured in the Gallatin valley, at Middle Creek, he later at- tending school in Custer county. He worked at farm- ing and stock raising on his father's ranch, and in 1886 engaged in the sheep business, being in partnership with his brothers up to 1890, when he took up farming on his own account. After being thus engaged for four or five years, he went to Ada, Ohio, where he attended school during two winter terms, and he then returned to the old homestead in the Yellowstone valley, and en- gaged in farming and sheep raising until 1898. He was then occupied in working the homestead property until 1900, and in that year started to raise sheep on Bull Mountain, Musselshell county, but in 1910 sold his stock and rented the ranch. Since that time he has lived practically retired at his Billings home, situated at No. 1122 North Thirtieth street. In political matters he is a Republican, but he has not cared to enter public life.

On April 28, 1897, Mr. Newman was united in mar- riage with Miss Lillian Shannon, who was born at Mankato, Minnesota, daughter of Andrew S. and Chris- tina E. (Spencer) Shannon. Mr. Newman, in conse- quence of his genial manner and his general worth and usefulness, and for the fact that what he has acquired is the result of his own thrift, energy and business capacity, is highly esteemed. He has been one of the first to assist in promoting enterprises of a bene- ficial nature, and takes a deep interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the people.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 14

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