USA > Montana > A history of Montana, Volume II > Part 30
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where he settled his maritime affairs, and then returned to Havre, France, to engage in business. At the out- break of the Civil war in America he came to this country and settled in Saginaw, Michigan, where he was engaged in the cooperage business until 1864, at that time starting for Montana (then Idaho) and leaving his wife to stay at the home of her mother in Brooklyn, New York, as she was not in sufficiently robust health to endure the trip. At St. Joseph, Missouri, Mr. Water- man secured an ox team and wagon, and on May 4, 1864, left that city on the journey across the plains, one of a party comprising about 200 emigrants. The trip consumed about three months, and Mr. Waterman came at once to the Gallatin valley, where he forthwith took up a government claim of 160 acres, and to this original homestead he has added from time to time until he now has a magnificent landed estate of 1800 acres, in- cluding the ranches which he provided for his sons. Upon his original little farm Mr. Waterman built a primitive log cabin of the regulation frontier type, and made every possible preparation for the comfort of his wife, who was to join him as soon as possible. Mrs. Waterman left Brooklyn, New York, July 17, 1865, with her infant child, to go to meet Mr. Waterman in Virginia City, Nevada. The trip was made by the water route, crossing the Isthmus of Panama and thence proceeding to San Francisco, where lived her brother, and from which city she traveled overland by stage for the rest of the journey. Arriving in Virginia City, Nevada, she discovered that her husband was in Virginia City, Idaho (now Montana), and accordingly resumed her long and perilous journey. This country was at that time infested with hostile Indians, and when the stage upon which she was traveling reached Austin, Nevada, the citizens tried to persuade her to give up the rest of the journey, as the stage coach ahead had been held up, looted and burned, and its passengers put to death. Finally she found that of all the passengers, men or women, she alone was willing to take the risk, but when they found she was obdurate in her decision, the men were shamed into completing the trip, and the stage finally arrived at Virginia City, Idaho, October 21, 1865, without further mishap. Arriving at the Plan- ters House, a primitive, poorly-conducted hostelry, she there received the news that the Indians had gone through the valley where her husband was located and had killed every white settler, but not long afterward she met James McCormick, a brother of Paul McCor- mick, both old Montana pioneers, of Bozeman, who in- formed her that her husband was alive and well and living near him. On his taking a note to Mr. Waterman the latter lost no time in coming to Virginia City with an ox team, the journey taking three days. When he had reached the city, Mr. Waterman paid the hotel bill, which had become eighty-two dollars, and they started back for the little log cabin home, arriving the evening of the third day. It was already dark when they reached home, and while Mr. Waterman was turning the oxen loose, he placed his wife in a rude little chair which he had made for her, inside the cabin. The air was close and filled with smoke, and it was not until she had been asked by her husband to take off her wraps that she learned that what she had thought was his black- smith shop was to be her home! It may be imagined what this meant to the carefully nurtured, gentle woman, whose life prior to this time had been one of ease and luxury, but with a courage that has made pos- sible the civilization of every part of our country, she settled down to assist her husband and to do her share in the development of the community. From January, 1865, to July, 1866, Mrs. Waterman did not see a white woman. Flour was thirty-five dollars per sack, and the depredations of the Indians kept the settlers constantly on the lookout. On one occasion the com- manding officer at Fort Ellis sent word to Mr. Water- man to be armed and ready, for the Indians were com-
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ing and he could not leave the post. The few settlers kept an outpost to warn them so that they might flee to the refuges which they had prepared, if the Indians approached, and all of the women went into Bozeman for greater safety, with the exception of Mrs. Water- man, who refused to leave her husband at the little home. During the year 1866 a band of friendly Indians camped near the Waterman ranch, and the chief of the band became very much attached to Mrs. Waterman, offering her husband "heaps, heaps, heaps ponies for his pretty white squaw !"
The family continued to reside on the ranch for eleven years, each year finding Mr. Waterman further on the highroad to success, the early days' alarms being forgotten and peace and prosperity reigning in the little home. Owing to ill health, however, Mr. Waterman eventually rented the ranch and moved to Maryland, where for several years the family lived on a farm, but subsequently removed back to the old Montana. home. The farm is under high cultivation, with the best of improvements, including a fine country residence, in marked contrast to the former little log "blacksmith shop." In 1889 Mr. Waterman purchased an attractive residence property in Bozeman, at 559 West Main street, and here the family passes the winter months. In 1901 Mr. Waterman took a trip to New York to visit two sisters whom he had not seen in thirty-seven years.
Politically a Republican, Mr. Waterman served for several years as justice of the peace, and in 1868 was the candidate of his party for representative in the terri- torial legislature, but was defeated by two votes. While a resident of the East, many years ago, Mr. Waterman identified himself with Odd Fellowship, and was also the first president of the reorganized Gallatin County Pioneers' Society. Mrs. Waterman is a member of the Catholic church, and the family occupies a prominent place in the religious and social circles of Bozeman. Among Mr. Waterman's most highly prized possessions are documents showing that his grandfather, David Wa- terman, enlisted at the age of seventeen years, in 1777, in the Continental army, and that he served faithfully in various battles of the Revolutionary war. On Novem- ber 30, 1909, was celebrated the golden wedding anni- versary of Mr. and Mrs. Waterman, at which, in addi- tion to their, chidlren and nine grandchildren, friends from all over the country were present, bearing presents and good wishes to one of Montana's most highly es- teemed pioneer couples.
PAUL WEYDERT. The late Paul Weydert was a Montana pioneer in the best and truest sense of that old familiar word, and between the years of 1864 and 1901, when Mr. Weydert met an untimely death in a runaway accident, he was identified with much of the growth and development which Montana experienced in that half century.
A native son of Germany, Paul Weydert, was born on the Ist day of May, 1829, in Luxemburg, Germany, and was the son of Caspar Weydert. He came to America in 1852, having previously learned the trade of a wagon-maker in his home province. He was a self-supporting youth from the age of sixteen, and after he came to America he gave his undivided atten- tion to his trade until he moved to Montana in 1864.
The circumstances of his trip to the west are these in brief: The young man had married in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he had settled after his arrival in America, and when he started on the westward journey, he was accompanied by his young wife and an infant six weeks old. Nothing daunted, the courageous couple made the start with the others, the company consisting of a train of one hundred and sixteen wagons drawn by oxen, which they met at New Ulm, Minnesota, and a company of soldiers, who had in their train three hundred wagons, each being supplied with a six-mule team. They were this insured against the attacks of
hostile Indians, who ravaged the western country in those early days, and the trip was made in perfect safety, although attended by one or two unpleasant incidents. They crossed Minnesota and Dakota, and crossed the Missouri river on steamboats. Coming to the Yellowstone, they forded that stream and floated goods in the wagon beds, driving the teams and cattle across. At this point two men were lost in a bed of quicksand which they encountered, one of the men being Mr. Weydert's driver. The train arrived in Helena, or rather at the present site of Helena, on September 22, 1864, after being four months on the road.
The company was made up for the most part of men who had gold-seeking as their object in Montana, and the stay of the party at Helena was but brief, the party breaking up there and scattering in all directions. Mr. Weydert chose the Prickly Pear district for his loca- tion and he and his family wintered in a cabin which he built. Here he prospected during the winter months and in the spring of 1865 they moved to Last Chance, thence on to Nelson Gulch, where Mr. Weydert built a sturdy little log cabin for his family. Being a me- chanic of no mean ability, he was able to produce a praiseworthy little home and this log cabin was moved three times, finally remaining in Helena. Here they lived for a year, after which Mr. Weydert went to Hartwell's Mill, some two miles over the range, where they spent the summer of '66. Their next move was to Walker's Mill, where they lived a year. Mr. Weydert worked in the sawmill and did a considerable pros- pecting on the side whenever a new report of gold discoveries was made. He finally gave up his mill work and devoted himself exclusively to prospecting, meet- ing with a fair degree of success in the work. Later he moved to Blue Cloud and there Mr. Weydert was employed in a quartz mill, which eventually proved a failure. In 1867, Mr. Weydert removed with his fam- ily to what is now the thriving city of Helena, and to this point they moved the little house he had built at Nelson Gulch. The cabin was moved for the last time in 1898, and stood sturdy and stanch as a reminder of the early pioneer times until within the past few years. The family occupied it at intervals until 1875, and many of their happiest days were passed within its kindly shelter.
In 1875, Mr. Weydert gave up prospecting and moved to a ranch five miles from Helena, located on Ten Mile creek, but he removed to Helena in the fall of that year in order to permit his growing family proper school advantages, or at least, as good as were avail- able at that time and place. In 1876 he went to the Black Hills in search of gold, but in seven months' time returned to Helena. Here he turned his atten- tion to his trade of wagon-making, which he followed until 1881, when he located a ranch in the Judith Basin, in the autumn of the next year bringing his family to live upon it. The place is located a mile and a half from Lewistown, and the Chicago, Milwan- kee & St. Paul Railroad runs through his place. This ranch, which under his careful supervision, came to be one of the finest places in the Judith Basin, continued to be the home of the family until after the death of Mr. Weydert, which was caused on October 3, 1901, by his being dragged by a runaway horse. Three years thereafter the family sold the ranch, and Mrs. Weydert now makes her home with her only surviving daughter in Lewistown.
With reference to the family of Mr. Weydert, it may be said here that his wife was Mary Geyermann, born near Coblentz, Germany, on June 6, 1836. She came to America in 1854, and first met her husband in Aurora, Illinois. They were married in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the 29th of June, 1859, and there con- tinued to make their home until their departure for the West in 1864. Seven children were born to these
C. W. Cook
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HISTORY OF MONTANA
parents, concerning whom the following brief mention is made: Susan, the first born, died in St. Paul, Min- nesota, aged sixteen months; Theodore, born near Shakopee, Minnesota, died at the age of thirteen months; Peter C. is now a resident of California, where he is engaged in ranching. He it was who was an infant in his mother's arms when the family left by wagon train for the West. He has been engaged in business in California for the past five years, and his mother spends much of her time with him in his home there; Lena died in 1903, the wife of Henry C. Fletcher and the mother of three sons; Anna M., now Mrs. George J. Wiedeman, of Lewistown; Augusta E., born in 1872, died at the age of twenty-six, her death occurring in Trenton, New Jersey, while she was in attendance at the State Normal school of that place; and N. Albert, born in 1874, now a resident of Ingomar, Montana.
Mr. and Mrs. Weydert were devout Catholics in their early life. The husband and father was a quiet home man, more addicted to peaceful habits than the average westerner is expected to be. He was a Repub- lican, and while enthusiastic and energetic in the work of the party, he was never an office seeker. He was deeply interested in the public school systems and in the early days was a trustee of the schools in his com- munity, his interest in local conditions always being marked by the most unselfish motives and his efforts resulting in undeniable good to the communal life.
.CHARLES W. COOK. Born in New England, that cradle of so much of our national history, in youth Charles W. Cook followed the star of empire west- ward and here has spent nearly fifty active and useful years. He is a pioneer, his arrival here having been on September 22, 1864, and it has been his good fortune to witness as marvelous a period of development as a new country has ever experienced. He knows the perilous, hard, thrilling life of the early settler and al- though the rough life of the early days sometimes brought him so near to death that he felt its icy breath on his cheek, his courage never faltered. His has been the romantic, typical western life which changing condi- tions has rendered now a matter of history. He has rubbed shoulders with Indians and outlaws and the re- countal of his adventures is calculated to make young blood thrill. Mr. Cook has shared the good fortunes of Montana and has extensive ranching interests, his large property being located a few miles from White Sulphur Springs. He carries on extensive operations in sheep growing and is sheep inspector of Meagher county.
Mr. Cook was born in Unity, Waldo county, Maine. February 24, 1839, and there resided until the age of twenty-one years, when he went to Providence, Rhode Island, to attend college and continued a student there for three years. At the conclusion of his education he lost no time in starting for Montana, whose glories had been painted to him in glowing colors. He came west as far as St. Joe, Missouri, by rail, and then came by boat to Omaha, at which place he bought a team and drove through to Denver. At Denver he sold the team and hired out to an outfit to come to Montana, his duties being to drive one hundred and twenty-five head of cattle through to Virginia City, Montana. This was successfully accomplished and Mr. Cook reached the state on September 22, 1864, and has remained within its splendid boundaries ever since that time. He drifted over into the Diamond City district and followed mining here for about six years. Following that he was appointed receiver for a milling company at Old Gallatin City and remained there for two years, and after settling up its affairs he went into California and Oregon, where he bought a band of sheep and drove them into Montana .. They were the nucleus of what was to develop into a vast sheep and wool growing in- dustry, Meagher county being chosen as the scene of
his operations. He has acquired one of the fine ranches in this section and has ever since the year 1871 been one of the principal factors in this business. His residence is maintained at White Sulphur Springs.
The subject's father, Daniel Cook, was born in Maine and lived in the Pine Tree State all his life. He fol- lowed farming and contracting. His wife before her marriage was Elizabeth T. Hussey, also of Maine. Both lived to advanced years, the mother dying in 1899 at the age of ninety, and the father preceding her in 1879 when about seventy-five years old. These fine people are buried side by side near the old homestead. There were six children in the elder Cook family, Mr. Cook, immediate subject of this review, being the fourth in order of birth. There is another brother in Montana, Benjamin B. Cook, who is married and resides at Great Falls.
Mr. Cook earned his first money as a boy at the age of about fourteen years, by working on a neighbor's farm at the princely salary of five dollars a month, all of which he gave to his mother. When fifteen he virtu- ally ran his father's farm, his father's contracting work taking him away from home a great deal. The lad re- ceived his early education in the district schools of Maine and then entered Oak Grove Seminary at Vas- selboro, Maine, and having pursued his preparatory studies there, entered college at Providence, Rhode Island.
He is a prominent Mason, belonging to all the orders from the blue lodge to the Shrine and he has been mas- ter of the blue lodge of White Sulphur Springs. His po- litical faith is pinned to the policies and principles of the Republican party and he has for a long time taken ăn active and effective part in politics, his word being of influence in party councils. He at one time held the office of county commissioner to the satisfaction of all concerned and he is now sheep inspector of Meigher county. He has a postoffice on his ranch and was ap- pointed postmaster of the same by President Grant, holding the office continuously ever since. Among his several distinctions is that of being one of the three men to discover Yellowstone National Park, they being the first white men to set foot within that magnificent region. This came about through their following the Yellowstone river to investigate its source and in this way wandering into the park. He has never lost his love of the free life of plain and mountain and thor- oughly enjoys a camping expedition, he and his wife having taken many delightful trips, some of this nature and some farther afield and of more conventional char- acter. He enjoys the finer things of life, good books, pictures and music and is an avaricious' reader, having a fine library in which he spends considerable time. His education, varied experiences and genial character make him one of the most interesting of men and an unsur- passed conversationalist. He believes that Montana has the greatest opportunities and best prospects of any state in the union-declares that the matter can't be figured out in any other way.
On June 26, 1880, Mr. Cook laid the foundations of a happy household by his union with Abbie W. Kenni- cott, daughter of James H. and Abbie W. Kennicott, their marriage occurring in Helena, Montana. To their union have been born three children: Mary E., the eldest, died January 14. 1893: Alice Josephine is at home; and Donald H. has finished the curriculum of the White Sulphur Springs school and is now in coi- lege at Bozeman. Their home is one of the most hos- pitable and delightful in the city. Mrs. Cook is an active worker in the Presbyterian church and in the Ladies' Aid Society connected with the same. She is also a valued member of the Travel and Study Club. Like her husband, she is of New England stock, her father having been a native of Rhode Island. He traveled about the country a good deal and finally located in Nebraska City, Nebraska, where he followed black-
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smithing and farming. He passed away in that place in April, 1880, at the age of eighty-six years. The mother lived to the age of eighty-two. Mrs. Cook has a sister in this state, Jennie K. Lewis, widow of Len Lewis, residing in White Sulphur Springs.
Mr. Cook occasionally grows reminiscent and looks back over the early days. One incident remains par- ticularly vivid with him and was a part of his adven- tures when driving the herd of cattle through to Mon- tana. One day he was surrounded by a band of In- dians, who insisted that the young collegian share the cattle with them. He held out for a while, but there were too many of them and, as he expresses it, he "finally traded them a steer for a scalp," the scalp being his own-or the privilege of keeping it. He declares this the best trade he ever made.
CHARLES F. W. LEHMAN. It is generally conceded that the late Charles F. W. Lehman was one of the most widely known and best beloved citizens of this section of the state, with which he was identified in various ways from the early seventies up to the time of his death, which occurred on March 19, 1911. Born in Melrose, Germany, on August 15, 1828, Mr. Lehman left his home when a boy of fourteen years and went to Berlin, where he was for something like two years associated with some horse traders, but his mother finally prevailed upon him to return home. His stay in his home was not permanent, however, for in less than two years he was found bound for America, and he landed in New York without knowing a word of the English language. To further complicate matters, the boy was sick and was sent to Ellis Island hospital. He had no money, and when he recovered sufficiently he secured employment in the sick ward, where he re- mained for a number of months. His knowledge of German was especially valuable in the detention hos- pital and was a welcome sound to many a homesick emigrant. From New York Mr. Lehman finally went to Connecticut, where he located at New Caanan and secured work on a farm, and in that place he inci- dentally picked up a working knowledge of the stone cutter's trade. This knowledge he later put to prac- tical use while in the employ of the southern railroads, in putting in tunnels and foundations at various points along their lines.
When Mr. Lehman gave up railroad work he went to Nashville, Tennessee, and there engaged in contract- ing in stone work. At this place he had many inter- esting experiences, and one affair in particular is es- pecially worthy of mention in this connection. In the instance in hand Mr. Lehman took a contract where the stone was to be furnished by convict labor, a circum- stance which aroused the hostility of the unions. They hired a man to redress their wrongs by the simple method of killing off Mr, Lehman, and the champion of the workmen went to the hotel where Mr. Lehman was staying, fully prepared to discharge his obligations to the unions in particular and to society in general. Fortunately for Mr. Lehman, his assailant was not a dead shot, and the first bullet went wide of its mark. Moreover, the mark calmly arose from his seat, ad- vanced slowly toward the would-be assassin, who, un- nerved by the unexpected demeanor of his intended victim, sent his remaining shots at random. Mr. Leh- man laid hold upon the thug, wrested the gun from him and threw him out of the hotel. This little pass- age decided the unions upon other tactics, and they attempted to reason with him on another line of argu- ment, after which, Mr. Lehman, for a consideration, agreed to leave the city.
The Civil war broke out just about this time and Mr. Lehman went to St. Joe, Missouri where he con- tinued his business of contracting. In the Missouri city he accepted the office of the first street commissioner of St. Joe and it was while holding this office' that he
formed a partnership with Henry Krug and a Mr. Hax. Together they organized a wagon train and started for Denver, where it was their intention to open a general store. After a few days' journey the caravan was attacked by Indians and Mr. Lehman's followers refused to go farther. All but one man deserted, and perforce, Mr. Lehman, Mr. Krug and their sole ad- herent, returned to St. Joe with the outfit. A second party was organized, this time including a number of old German war veterans, and this company made the trip in safety, although they had one scrimmage with the Indians. As he had planned, Mr. Lehman engaged in the mercantile business and conducted his establish- ment successfully until the completion of the railroad. His roving spirit again manifested itself, and, no longer pleased with Denver, he sold out to his partners, Krug & Hax. It is a noteworthy fact that at that time he owned the land where the capitol now stands in Den- ver, but he disposed of it with his other holdings at whatever price he could get, and went to Leadville. He did not make a long stop in that city, but soon prepared for another long overland trip, this time mak- ing California his objective point. For a number of years Mr. Lehman worked in the placer mines of Cali- fornia, and he made some money in his work-sufficient that when he went to Portland, Oregon, he was able to buy some land in the vicinity of Portland, which is now in the heart of the city. From Portland he went to Boise, Idaho, on a prospecting trip with the Gilbert Company, who were among the first to find gold in Idaho. Mr. Lehman spent two years in that state in successful mining operations. He next went to Walla Walla, from which point he ran a pack horse train into the Blue mountains of Idaho. From Walla Walla he went to Alder Gulch, Montana, arriving there in 1864, and since that date Montana has been his home.
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