A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 9

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 970

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Mrs. West being the eldest, and five members of the family survive.

In 1900 Mr. West came to Billings, taking charge of business properties of his own and investing here in property. Formerly he was secretary and treasurer of the Billings Brewing Company, of Billings, later vice-president and manager and at the present time is president and manager, as well as owner of the Eureka Bottling Works and interested also in the Billings Warehouse Company and is a director in the Farmers and Traders State Bank. Politically he is a Republi- can, but his activities in this direction are only those of good citizenship. When the organization of the Elks lodge at Billings was first proposed he took a very active interest in the move and was elected the president of the first Elks Club and has served three terms since then as exalted ruler of the lodge. He is identified also with the Order of the Moose and with the Red Men.

WILLIAM T. MAULDIN. When death came to William T. Mauldin, of Dillon, Montana, one of the pioneers of the state passed away. He had been engaged in many different occupations in various sections of the state for over forty years, and his death left a gap in the ranks of the business men of Dillon which would be difficult to fill. William T. Mauldin was born in Cecil county, Maryland, on the 3rd of September, 1843, a son of John and Sophia (Simpers) Mauldin. John Mauldin was for many years a shoe merchant of Balti- more, Maryland, and at the time of his death he had removed from Baltimore and was living in northeast Maryland. William T. Mauldin received his early edu- cation in the public schols of his native state and then entered the Tuscarora Academy, in Pennsylvania. Com- pleting his course in the academy, he came west as far as Indianapolis, Indiana, and for the next four years was in the employ of his brother James, who was at the time the leading shoe merchant of the capital city of the Hoosier state.

It was in 1865 that he first came to Montana. He brought with him some merchandise, which he dis- posed of at the high prices which were prevalent dur- ing these early days. In the spring of the following ycar he crossed over into Idaho and there in the Salmon River country he spent the next two years, engaged in mining. In 1869 he made a journey down to Utah, and bought a lot of cattle and drove them back to Mon- tana, where he disposed of them at good profit. There being no way of making any more money in Montana that he could find at that time he returned to the east, and for a time was engaged in the mercantile business in Chicago, Illinois. Then he entered the produce busi- ness in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he remained for some time, but the charms of the Treasure state served to lure him back to her again at last, and in 1876 he and his brother James began to operate a farm on Beaverhead river. His next move took him to Kansas, where he continued as a farmer for some time, return- ing at length to Montana. This was in 1886, and he located in the city of Butte and there engaged in the cigar and tobacco business. After some time spent thus he determined to once more invest in land in Beaver- head county, and this time purchased a farm of about eight hundred acres near Dillon, which is now con- sidered one of the valuable properties in the vicinity of Dillon. He became a successful farmer, and had always been a successful business man, in spite of the fact that he had been engaged in so many different lines of work. Of a quiet demeanor, and little given to telling tales of his own prowess, he was well known and had many friends in every community in which he lived. His death occurred in Dillon, August 21, 1907.

Mr. Manldin was married at Ogden, Utah, February II, 1877, to Mrs. Nancy Featherly, who in her maiden- hood was Miss Nancy Rowley. She was born in Penn-

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sylvania, at Catanon, on the Shenango river, but was reared at Girard in the same state. Her parents were George and Jeannette (McCracken) Rowley. Mrs. Mauldin had three sons by her first marriage, including James S. and George R. Featherly, the latter of whom manages his mother's ranch near Dillon. Mrs. Mauldin is an energetic and wide-awake woman and since the death of her husband she has managed the large estate with wisdom and success. In 1892 Mr. Mauldin, in connection with Simmon Hausworth, built the Colum- bia Block in Butte and Mrs. Mauldin is still the owner of this valuable property. As a diversion she took up painting and now she gives her few spare moments to the art. She has a rather remarkable memory and many of her canvasses show scenes from her childhood home in Pennsylvania which she has painted from memory. She is one of the leading members of the Presbyterian church and is one of the busiest and most popular women in Dillon.

WILLIAM HENRY DUKE. Ranking high among the successful business men of Chinook, William Henry Duke's life has been a decided success, and this is due wholly to his energy and real worth. Leaving his southern home and friends while yet in his teens, he came to Montana a stranger, and for some time he fought hard to conquer that terrible feeling of home- sickness that sometimes came over him. Standing stead- fast, however, to his resolutions and his convictions, he remained in the state, became intensely interested in his work, and having succeeded well in his business career, married. He is now one of the most persistent and consistent of Montana's boosters, and one of the most esteemed and valued citizens of Blaine county, A Kentuckian by birth, he was born, March 18, 1869, at Hartford, Ohio county, and was there educated. His father, Thomas Sallinger Duke, spent his entire life in Kentucky, passing away, in 1897, at his home in Hartford. He was a well-known manufacturer, and was quite prominent in public affairs during Cleve- land's administration, filling different public offices. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Miller, was born in Kentucky and is now living at Livingston, Montana, with a daughter. Six children were born of their marriage, namely: Alva G., of St. Louis, Mis- souri, department manager for Butler Brothers' whole- sale mail order house; Wilbur Thomas, of Chinook; William Henry, the special subject of this brief per- sonal record; Wilbur T., a twin brother of William Henry, who died August 7, 1911; Josie, wife of J. E. Swindelhurst,' of Livingston, Montana; and Ida, de- ceased, who married Dr. A. B. Baird, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

." Completing his early education in the public schools of Hartford, Kentucky, William Henry Duke, at the age of seventeen years, came to Montana with an uncle, L. B. Statler, locating at Bozeman, where he worked in a harness shop for a year, following the trade which he had previously learned in Kentucky while working with his father. Going then to Livingston, Montana, Mr. Duke remained there for two years as manager for E. J. Owenhouse. Then, in company with John Work, he bought out his employer, and continued in business for a time as head of the firm of Duke & Work. In 1893 Mr. Duke sold out his interest in the concern, and shortly after became manager of the harness shop belonging to A. W. Miles, of Livingston. Giving up that position in 1898, he came, in July of that year, to Chinook, and having purchased the harness business established by Henry Ettinger, managed it successfully for a vear. In 1899 Mr. Duke and his brother incorporated their present business under the name of the A. B. Duke Company, and have conducted it in a most systematic and efficient manner ever since. The business has been developed along modern lines, increasing rapidly from season to season, until now it

is one of the best and most thoroughly equipped har- ness manufacturing concerns in the whole state and the foremost one in Chinook. The officers of the com- pany are as follows: Wilbur T. Duke, president; William Henry Duke, vice president; and Anna Belle Duke, secretary. Through his own exertions Mr. Duke has acquired a large share of this world's goods, much real estate in the city, and valuable business and residential property.

In his political relations Mr. Duke is a Republican, and has served Chinook as an alderman two terms.

Mr. Duke married, September 9, 1889, Anna Belle Martin, a native of Canada, and into their pleasant household four children have been born, one of whom has passed to the life beyond, while three are living, namely : Haydn Olin, who was graduated from the Chinook high school with the class of 1909, and is now studying law at the University of Minnesota; Letha, also attending that institution; and William Henry, Jr., eight months of age.

ROBERT MCINTOSH TRAFTON, the pioneer merchant of Malta, has been identified with the state of Mon- tana since 1886, and during the intervening years has built up a most substantial and profitable business in this place. Mr. Trafton was born in New Bruns- wick, May 5, 1847, and is the son of Charles and Julia Ann (McIntosh) Trafton. The father was a farmer in New Brunswick, and he came to Brainerd, Minnesota, in 1892, his death taking place there in the following year. The mother died at an early age in the New Brunswick home. Of the nine children born to these parents, seven are deceased, the remain- ing member besides Robert M., of this review, being Isabelle, the wife of George Jenkins, of Brainerd, Min- nesota.

As a boy at home, Mr. Trafton received the usual country schooling in the typical log schoolhouse of his day, and he continued to live with his parents in their home until he was thirty-two years old. When he left home he made his way to Minneapolis, Minne- sota, and his first work in that section of the country was about the lumber camps on the St. Croix river, in which work he was occupied for a year. He then went to Bartlett, North Dakota, a new town on a new branch of the railroad which penetrated that section of the country. The surrounding country was filled with people who anticipated settling thereabouts, and Mr. Trafton was persuaded to purchase a hotel at Bartlett, for which he paid fifteen hundred dollars. The threatened boom failed to materialize, and the budding town was effectually "killed." Mr. Trafton was left with a hotel on his hands and no apparent use for it, but nothing daunted, he set about to remove the hotel to the people, since it was apparent that the peo- ple would not come to his hotel. He tore the structure down and moved it overland twenty miles to Devil's Lake, then shipped the material across the lake to the town of Minnewanken, where he rebuilt the hotel and operated it for five years with much success and profit. In 1886 he came to Exeter, Montana, and, building him a log house, started a trading post. After remain- ing there in business for two years he came to Malta and it was he who built the first store and dwelling in this place, several years before the town was laid out. He erected his building from railroad timbers which he purchased from the Great Northern. The structure was forty-two feet square, and he used half for the store and the remainder for the dwelling.

Mr. Trafton's business for a time consisted chiefly in the buying and shipping of buffalo bones. The first year he was located at Malta he shipped over thirteen hundred tons, or one hundred carloads, and the second year his shipments aggregated over twelve hundred tons. From this beginning Mr. Trafton has built up a mercantile business second to none in the city of

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Malta, or, indeed, in Valley county. His present store is a large brick structure, entirely modern in every way, and one of the best in Malta. In addition to his mercantile interests, Mr. Trafton is also a large ranch owner and cattle raiser, to which business he gives considerable attention. He was the first president of the First State Bank of Malta, and is the owner of a quantity of valuable city property, as well as being the proprietor of a branch store at Coburg, Montana, carrying a stock of eight to ten thousand dollars.

Mr. Trafton is regarded as one of the leading busi- ness men of this district, a position which is conceded . to him by reason of his splendid accomplishments in a business way since he has been connected with Malta. He is a man of extraordinary business ability and acumen, although he himself accredits his success to his steady attention to matters in hand and to his exemplary moral habits. He has never used intoxi- cants or tobacco in any form, and his general integ- rity is of a most unimpeachable character. Mr. Trafton is a Republican, but not politically ambitious, and in a fraternal way is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, in which latter society he has passed all chairs during the years of his member- ship.

In 1880 Mr. Trafton was united in marriage with Marion Rankin Knolton, daughter of Edward Knol- ton, a prominent farmer of Carlton county, New Bruns- wick, now deceased.

CHARLES COLLINS. In the modern city no municipal service has been developed to a higher point of ef- ficiency and of greater usefulness to the property and welfare of citizens than the fire protection service. In its fire department the city of Anaconda need fear comparison with no other city of Montana, for both in equipment and personnel it is modern and to the highest degree effective.

As organizer of the old-time volunteer service and present chief of the modern department, Charles Col- lins has long been one of the valued citizens of Ana- conda, and his civic and personal record is very in- teresting. He was born in Marengo, Iowa, on April I, 1869. In that town while a boy he attended the pub- lic schools, but at a very early age began his practi- cal experience. In a drug store of his home town he was hired at a salary of twelve dollars a month, most of which he gave to his mother, and he gained a good working knowledge of the drug business while there. When about fourteen years old he left home and continued employment in the drug business at Omaha for one year.

In 1886, at the age of seventeen, he came out to Montana, and this state has since been his permanent place of residence. During the subsequent years he has made trips of greater or less duration to Alaska, British Columbia, Nevada, Utah and elsewhere, but never with an idea of leaving the state as a home. His first town on coming here was Anaconda, and he has acknowledged no other home town since that date. For three years he was employed in the con- centrator plant of the A. C. M. Company. For six years he was actively connected with the fire depart- ment, after which he was for a similar period en- gaged principally in mining. He also studied and learned steam engineering, and with his long experi- ence and technical knowledge was eminently fitted for the position of chief of the fire department, to which he was appointed in October, 19II.

In 1888 he organized the first volunteer fire com- pany of Anaconda, and later was the first paid fire- man appointed in this city. More or less actively, he has been identified with this service all the years of his residence here, and the city owes much to him for its present fire protection. In the early days he was captain of the fire department athletic team, and

led it in competitions all over the state. This com- pany held the state championship for five consecutive years. During the existence of the volunteer organi- zation he and J. A. Hasley, of this city, held the record for three years as the champion pair of hose couplers, and their record has never been excelled since then. Chief Collins believes in the best of im- provements both in equipment and training of the members of the fire department. The department is now altogether a paid service, and is motorized with modern apparatus, a new $6,000 truck having been recently added.

Mr. Collins was married in British Columbia, Feb- ruary 17. 1900, to Miss Laura J. Boyd, daughter of John and Sophia Boyd, of Anaconda. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have three children, Flora, Lillian and Evelyn, all of whom are in school, and Miss Flora is a student of music.

The parents of Chief Collins were Joseph H. and Mary (Francis) Collins. The father, who now lives retired and spends his time with his children, was born in Tennessee and settled in Iowa in 1846, about the time Iowa was admitted to the Union. A farmer and merchant by occupation, he also became promi- nent in politics. He is one of the old guard of the Republican party, and was a delegate to the national convention in Chicago in 1860. He carried a rail with him and was one of the enthusiastic supporters who backed Abraham Lincoln for the nomination as president. He was married in Iowa, and his wite passed away in 1910, when about seventy years old. Her death occurred while visiting a daughter in St. Anthony, Idaho, and she is buried there. Of the seven children in the family, Charles was the fifth and the youngest son. One sister is the wife of Dr. W. C. Gutelius, a well-known dentist of Anaconda. The rest of the family are located in various western states.

Mrs. Collins is a member of the Presbyterian church, and he leans toward the Methodist denomination. In politics he is Republican, but not active in party af- fairs. All forms of athletic contests appeal to him, and he is especially fond of witnessing a good box- ing match. Music is one of his delights, and for six years he was a member of the Anaconda band.

What the state of Montana means to him personally is well stated in his own words. He says: "I have traveled all over Washington, Oregon, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho and Utah, and put in my boyhood's hardship days in Iowa. I saw a great deal of Mis- souri, Nebraska and the Dakotas, and with due re- spect to them all, I say when a man leaves Montana he is leaving home, and will only be glad to return. There is no place on the American continent where opportunity and success go hand in hand so har- moniously as in Montana."

FRANK REYNOLDS. The history of the growth, de- velopment and success of a state is a record of the achievements of its individual citizens. Butte is well favored in its number of energetic, enterprising and progressive business men, one of whom is Frank Rey- nolds, well known in the city and throughout this section of Montana as a successful real estate man. Born in Waseka, Minnesota, May 24, 1870, he grew up under the influence of the alert, progressive western spirit, which influence, together with his natural abil- ities, well fitted him for an aggressive business career.

He received his education in the public schools of his Minnesota home, on leaving which he was en- gaged for a time at various occupations until he came to Fort Buford, North Dakota. There he followed the cattle business six years, during which time he passed through many trying and oft times amusing experi- ences. He finally gave it up for a more settled life and came to Butte, Montana, where he started in the grocery business, at first on a very small scale, as his

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capital at that time was very limited. Push and pluck, combined with exceptional business acumen, soon led to success. His business grew steadily until it had reached that proportion that in 1909, when he disposed of it, the stock alone netted him $15,000. The store was one of the best of its kind in Butte, and Mr. Reynolds may well be proud of the magnificent business he developed.

Upon disposing of his mercantile interests he de- cided to engage in the real estate business and opened offices in the State Savings Bank building in Butte. He was successful from the start, for he entered upon his new line of endeavor with the same push and en- ergy that had characterized his previous business career. He bought a large tract of land in Silver Bow Park, and after improving the property laid it out in lots for building purposes. Since August, 1911, or in less than six months' time, he has disposed of 159 of those lots wholly through his own efforts, which acomplish- ment of itself characterizes the spirit of the man and his business methods. Mr. Reynolds has made an enviable record thus far upon life's journey, and his prominence and high standing in Butte as a business man and as a citizen are but the just rewards of his activities and industry.

The parents of Mr. Reynolds are Robert and Annie (Corr) Reynolds, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1843 and at an early period came westward to Minnesota, where he engaged in farm- ing, was successful and is still actively interested in that pursuit. Annie Corr was born in Wisconsin in 1853, but was married to Robert Reynolds in Minn- esota, which state has since remained their home. They reside in Waseka. Robert Reynolds is a veteran of the Civil war, in which he loyally served the Union three years as a member of a Minnesota vol- unteer company of infantry. He received his honor- able discharge at the close of hostilities, after having participated in a number of the hardest fought bat- tles of that conflict.

On May 22, 1899, was solemnized the marriage of Frank Reynolds and Miss Marguerite Carver, of Butte, Montana. Two children have blessed their union : Gladys, born September 28, 1901, at Butte, who is now attending school, and Bernice, who was born at Butte on November 8, 1905.

Though interested in the problems and issues of the day, Mr. Reynolds takes no active part in political af- fairs. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Loyal Order of Moose. Busy as his life is, he reserves a rightful share of his time for recreation, and especially enjoys hunting and other out door sports. Mr. Reynolds and his family enjoy an elegant home which he owns in Silver Bow Park.

JAMES D. GRAHAM. In every nook and corner of the wide world the traveler will find the Scotchman ever determined, steadfast, reliable, prosperous and none are better American citizens than the natives of the country which never conquered, though often beaten, finally gave kings to England, field marshals to France, Rus- sia and Prussia, cardinals to Rome, the second greatest man to the Reformation, and to America a body of citi- zens whose priceless value can not be reckoned and who have made such an imprint upon our history that any of our citizens are proud to claim Scotch or Scotch- Irish blood. Prominent among the Scotch-Americans in Helena is James D. Graham, proprietor of the Mon- tana News, a Socialist organ, and one of the leading Socialists in this part of the state. He was born in the "land o' cakes" February 2, 1873, and is a son of Mal- colm Graham, a native of that country. The elder man brought his family to America in 1886, when James was still a lad and made location at Livingston, Montana, where he successfully followed his trade as a machinist. He is now a resident of LeGrand, Oregon. The maiden

name of the subject's mother was Bessie Denholm, and she was a daughter of George Denholm, a native of Scotland. This worthy woman died while the family were living at Livingston, on June 29, 1890, and her remains are there interred. James was the first born in a family consisting of five sons and two daughters.

Mr. Graham received his early education in the schools of Scotland and continued his studies until about the age of thirteen, when the more serious duties of life confronted him, the family being in modest cir- cumstances. His first employment was in the ship yards of his native Scotland, and he remained thus engaged for three years, coming to America with other mem- bers of the family in 1886. After arriving at Helena he was apprenticed to learn the machinist trade and fol- lowed the same until 1902. In 1905 Mr. Graham came to Helena and founded the Montana News, a Socialist paper, then owned by the Socialist party, but which is now entirely in the hands of Mr. Graham. His heart is in the cause and his word has great influence and weight in the councils of the new party which is every day gaining ground. He has the distinction of being the first Socialist candidate for alderman in the state of Montana, running for this office while in Livingston, and he came within five votes of being elected. He was one of the principal factors in the defeat of the pri- mary law in Montana and also did much toward putting a quietus to the Ronahue Militia bill and forcing the referendum, this requiring the acquisition of 8,000 sig- natures. Wherever Socialism is a live issue, the name of Graham is well known.

Mr. Graham has fraternal affiliation with the Farm- ers' Society of Equity and the Master Machinists" Union. He subscribes to the faith of his countryman, John Knox, being a valued member of the Presbyterian church. He is a powerful advocate of municipal own- ership and it is one of his fondest ambitions to live to see this in force all over the state of Montana. No one is more interested in public affairs and more intelli- gent and advanced in his ideals concerning them.

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A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 9

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883- Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 970

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 970