USA > Montana > Yellowstone County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
USA > Montana > Park County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
USA > Montana > Dawson County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
USA > Montana > Rosebud County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
USA > Montana > Custer County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
USA > Montana > Sweet Grass County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
USA > Montana > Carbon County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 56
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
when waiting on their customers and the only means of getting about the city was by boat. There being no wash or current, the damage was slight.
In May, 1880, notice was received that the bill had passed providing for the establish- ment of a United States Land Office at Miles City and the ratification of the appointments of Major T. P. McElrath as register, and E. A. Kreidler as receiver. It was in June of this year that it was definitely known that the Northern Pacific railroad would build through Miles City.
In November, 1881, the railroad reached Miles City and brought about a complete change in the methods and manners of the people. The Yellowstone Journal in speaking of this change, said : "That the railroad brought the community at once in touch with the more concise and narrower life of 'The States,' the 'nickel' displaced the 'quarter' as the smallest coin in use, and prices shrunk accordingly. For, whereas, it was competent in the old days for a merchant to offer as an excuse for the exorbitant price asked by him for a package of needles, that the freight rate was excessive, the coming of the railroad robbed this argument of its honored plausibil- ity and in many other ways compelled such a revision of previously inculcated ideas that the classes that had enjoyed life under the high pressure and abnormal conditions of the earlier period found existence flat, stale and unprofit- able under the new and more normal regime. i and. folding their tents. they stole silently away to garnish and adorn other fields, so that, during the next few years. it was not possible for a Miles City man to visit any of the towns or cities of the state without getting the grand hailing sign-mostly of distress-from some 1 shipwrecked voyageur on life's troubled tide. who had, in the old days of Milestown, en- joyed the rating of a continuous meal ticket. two suits of clothes and a shave every other day : more than which none of the happy-go-
lucky wayfarers of those halycon days covetedl.
"This exodus, though receiving its first im- petus from the advancing railroad, was not immediate. The army of labor that precedes and is coincident with the building of a rail- road into a new country offered a field of em- ployment for the talent of the sporting ele- ment. Previous to this the producers had been the 'swaddy' or private soldier. The 'bull-whacker.' the buffalo hunter and the tenderfoot. With the coming of the railroad the 'bull trains' were eliminated and the 'whacker' faded away into a mere recollec- tion, but his place was promptly filled at the various resorts by the 'hoi polloi' that came in with the iron horse. It was a cheap crowd though, wholly unused to the princely style that had been the vogue in Milestown before its arrival, and stubbornly insistent for a while on the acceptance of a nickel as an adequate recompense for a glass of beer. This proposed innovation was hotly contested for awhile by the adherents of the two-bit theory, resulting finally in a compromise that established the 'two for a quarter' as the going rate. * * * Still things boomed, and of evenings the mixed crowd 'milled around' the two or three. blocks that composed the center of town, rival- ing both in numbers and excitement the prin- cipal thoroughfares of the most populous cities. Three variety theaters purveyed nightly, wild and garish entertainments."
In 1881 Miles City had a population of about 1.500 people and many stores with large stocks of goods. Three or four merchants did a business of nearly $300,000 per year, while several smaller ones reached from $75,000 to $150.000. The buffalo hide and robe business put in circulation that year nearly a quarter of a million dollars. It is well to note here that the hunting of buffalo was now almost a thing of the past as the vast herds that once roamed over the plains of Custer county were now al- most extinct. Since the starting of the town, the hunting of the buffalo and the ready mar-
.
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
ket for their hides had been the principal source of income for a large number of hunters and had been the cause of a large volume of trade coming to Miles City, but now that was cut off and Miles City was to experience a quiet period for several years until the raising of stock became a great industry.
There is a time in the history of every frontier town, and Miles City was no excep- tion to the general rule, when the respect for law and order rests lightly upon the shoulders of a large part of the population. It sometimes happens that this class not only furnish can- clidates for office, but often elect them, and under such conditions, one can hardly expect a rigid enforcement of all the statutes. Drink- ing and fighting were at that time the usual order of the day, but the police force and jail facilities being limited. they were always al- lowed to settle their differences as best they might. There came a time though-possibly as a result of this lax administration-when law and order had to assert itself. It was in the summer of 1883. during the period of evolution from the old time days to the new and changed conditions brought about by the advent of the railroad, and the incoming of a gang of thugs and desperadoes with it. They were ugly and malicious, and decent women. were not free from insult-something new in the experience of the people who had lived here in the earlier days. Attempts at incendiar- ism had been frequent and a feeling of antag- cnism to the hoodlums was aroused among the better class of citizens which resulted in or- ganization of a vigilance committee.
On Saturday morning. July 21, 1883, at an early breakfast hour a tough named Rignev and a boon companion, whose name is lost to history, turned up in the residence portion after an all-night's carouse, both ugly drunk. In this condition they forced themselves intc a respectable house while the family were at breakfast, and, when ordered out, refused to go, and when forced out, filled the air with
foul language and with fouler allusions to the family on whose privacy they had intruded. A neighbor who was cognizant of the outrage the ruffians had perpetrated, counselled then to waste no time in getting out of the com- munity, and receiving for his good advice an unquotable retort. . promptly dealt Rigney a blow with a club that stretched him senseless. and the other hobo at once took to his heels. Rigney was taken to jail, but the story of his morning adventure was told and retold during the day. The fact that the ladies of the house- hold upon whom he put so foul an insult were general favorites gave the incident addi- tional importance, and the mysterious gath- erings here and there on the streets of small knots of people gave the idea that something out of the ordinary was about to happen. Events had been tending toward a lawless state of affairs for some time because of the free- dom of public sentiment, but the Rigney inci- dent was felt to be the last straw by the law and order element. They knew that unless these acts of license and invasion of their homes and the insults offered to the inmates were checked promptly and effectively, life and property would be at the mercy of the mob. That night. July 21. about twelve o'clock. Jailer Jim Conley was awakened and upon go- ing to the door, was held up at the business end of a six shooter, and forced to give up the keys. The testimony given at the inquest is as follows :
In the matter of the inquest held on Wil- liam Rigney, July 22. 1883, at three o'clock. p. m .. James Conley being duly sworn, testifie 1 as follows :
Somebody came over to my house and woke me up about 12:30 a. m., of July 21, and said that they had a prisoner to put in. I went over to the court house. Just as I got inside the door a lot of six shooters were pulled down on me. Some one said. "Hold up your hands," or something that way. Just then they caught me under the arms and shoved my
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
hands up, carried me down the hall twenty or thirty feet, put me up against the wall, took off my belt containing my keys, opened the jail door and several of them went inside. They staid there about a minute or so. All passed through, except four or five. The four or five left behind shoved me into the jail and locked the door. I was in there about twenty or twenty-five minutes before I said anything, and then I tried to wake up the boys who were sleeping in an adjoining room. 1 couldn't get them up and I called for Pike.
I got Pike up and told him to go after Kelley. He didn't go after Kelley, but woke the two boys in the adjoining rooms. One of them went after Kelley and got him down there. A lit- tle before Kelley arrived I told Pike to look around and see if he could see anything. He found the key. I don't know whether it was in the hall or on the step. Wash and the oth- ers came and let me out. I don't remember them asking for anybody. I think they said. "get up." I didn't see any prisoner get out of the jail; nothing was said by anyone at all, only somebody said when they went in, "Oh, God damn it," or something like that.
John M. Pike, being duly sworn, testified : Somebody came to the door and called for Conley. They said the name, but I don't know what it was, and afterwards I heard them walking on the sidewalk to the court house. By and by, I heard some hard talking in the court house. By and by, Conley called me and told me some men put him in there. I asked him what he had done to be put in, and he told me nothing. Then he told me to go after Kelley and then after the janitor. I went and got him up. He came to Conley. Conley told him to go after Kelley, and while he was gone Conley told me to look after the keys outside of the door. I did look and found them. He told me to let him out and I told him that if he did not do anything I would let him out. I was trying to open the door with the keys but I couldn't.
Thomas Conway, being duly sworn, testi- fied as follows :
Between 12:00 and 1:00 o'clock I heard the report that a man was hung down at the railroad bridge. Some men started down there to get the body. I saw the masks, but I didn't recognize the body. The body in the next room is the same as swung from the bridge.
Francis Diamond, being duly sworn, testi- fied as follows :
It happened last night. Rigney slept in the same cell with me, I on the inside. I won- dered when I heard the noise. When I looked up I heard one man say to another, "strike a light," and they did. Two men walked into the cell. They had either knives or pistols in their hands. I couldn't see their faces. They called this man by name and he answered them. They told him to get up and he jumped out, and then went with them without hesita- tion or without surprise. They didn't give him time to dress but took him out. I was sound asleep before they came in ; couldn't recognize the parties who came in. The body in the next room is the same as was in the cell with me last night.
D. B. Staples, being duly sworn, testified as follows :
I was sitting with Mr. King last night. About one o'clock some parties came in and told him that a man was hanging down at the bridge. I went down with him and saw the body hanging. I recognized the body as be- ing William Rigney. I didn't see any parties except those I went down with.
After a short deliberation the jury re- turned the following verdict :
An inquisition holden at Miles City, Mon- tana, in the county,of Custer, on the 22nd day of July. A. D., 1883. before Dr. R. G. Redd. coroner of said county, upon the body of Wil- liam Rigney, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed, the said jurors upon their oaths, do say he came to his death by strangulation from a rope at the
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
hands of parties unknown to them. Signed. John H. Strader, John Clark, J. E. Williams. D. A. Bishop, M. K. Field, and E. L. Jones. foreman.
Events happened quickly during the night and day following the hanging of Rigney. On the same night an act of incendiarism hap- pened that threatened to destroy the entire town and did damage to property amounting to $54.800. The losses and the persons on whom they fell are as follows: Cosmopolitan theater and saloon, owned by H. E. Wolf, $7.000; Eating stand, $200; S. Simons, guu store, $2,000; Bassinski Bros., merchandise store, $25,000; W. E. Savage, $14,000; Chris Hehli, $500; Dr. Dodge, $500; C. P. Bishop, $4,000 ; Sideboard saloon. $600; Hineman & McTierman, $1,000.
It was supposed that some of Rigney's pals had been loafing around the jail and saw him taken out, and fearing the outcome, had incited these acts of incendiarism. The story of Rigney's fate did not gain general circula- tion until the fire had burned itself out and a fevered and angry community, made up of two antagonistic elements, was on the verge of serious trouble. To the law and order people the connection seemed plain and was accepted as an act of retaliation, and a committee of public safety was at once organized which or- dained the departure of all suspicious charac- ters. The unusual cccurrences of the past twenty-four hours had wrought everyone up to a high pitch of excitement, and the chances were ten to one that there would be no Miles City the next morning, but the lawless element had a great deal of respect for men who would calmly walk up to their acknowledged bad men and coolly give them twenty-four hours in which to leave town. Sunday night passed without further trouble. John Chinnick, a reputed bad man who had a theater and saloon here at that time and who was the leader of a gang of roughs, was one of the men ordered to depart. He had intended coming up town
on Sunday afternoon and bring his gun with him. His wife endeavored to dissuade him and in the scuffle the gun accidentally dis- charged, the bullet taking effect in Chinnick's abdomen, which proved fatal after a lapse of four weeks. He was a man that was brave and determined and had decided that he would not obey the command of the committee. He had a large and devoted following. The commit- tee was also made up men of determination and nerve and a battle would certainly have been fought had it not been for the fatal shot. As scon as it was known that Chinnick was done for, his followers could not get out of town fast enough, and by Tuesday morning all was peaceable and quiet. It does not seem possible that such a state of things could have existed in this now orderly community.
The first artesian well was sunk in 1883 and flowing water was struck October 26, at a depth of 160 feet.
Another disastrous fire occurred October 26, 1883. When it was first discovered it was within the control of a few buckets of water, but water was not to be had, and the flames in a few minutes spread beyond con- trol. In less time than it takes to tell it the rear of the Criterion building was in flames from the ground to the ridge pole, and the in- tense heat soon communicated fire to the pile of rubbish in the rear of adjoining buildings. By this time, although no alarm had been turned in, the whole town was alive to the situation and willing hands were at work at the pumps and with buckets. It was apparent from the start that the Park street front was doomed. All along this front from Coleman's to Flick & Louis' place, energetic workers lent their aid to remove everything that was mova- ble. From the rear of the Criterion building the fire quickly spread to Bishop & Hill's, Ritter & Co.'s and Bach's buildings, and thence along the line. The ruthless flames swept on and soon enveloped Sam O'Connell's fine build- ing. About this time a keg of powder was
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
placed in Flick & Hineman's saloon, which, as subsequently proved, was the salvation of Schmalsle's corner and the buildings beyond. The First National bank building received its second baptism of fire and stood it nobly, al- though good work had to be, and was, done, to keep the fire from communicating through the wood work. It was done, however, and by 12:30 everyone breathed easier and felt that the danger to the bank and other buildings was past.
A building boom was experienced in the year 1883 and buildings were erected to the cost of $136,300.
In May, 1885, Miles City was again the victim of a disastrous fire that entailed a loss of about $100,000. The fire broke out in the rear of the Merchants' hotel and spread rap- idly until it seemed as if the business portion of the town would be entirely swept away. But the benefit of brick walls came in and stopped the fire. All the buildings from Sherburne's to Leighton's stores on the north side of Main street, and from Bach's restaurant on the east side of Park street to the old United States Land Office and the west side of Park street to the Grand Central hotel, and on the south side of Main street to the First National bank were totally destroyed. Among the losers were the following :
King & Ward's saloon, Orschel's store, Miles & Strevell hardware, Cotton & Kenne- dy's saloon, the old Broadwater and Hubbells' building, the vacant Grand Central hotel, and a large number of other buildings. The fire swept away all of the north side of Main street, except Savage's store, and the Leigh- ton brick block, that was left by the fire two years ago. It was a serious blow and the loss fell heavily upon Miles City.
On the evening of June 30, 1886, the quiet of the town was again disturbed by the cry of "fire." The fire was a short one, but in its durance it spoiled much property. The ill- fated buildings were those owned by W. A.
Burleigh, Jr., Theodore Bruback and Mr. An- derson. The loss on Burleigh's property is estimated at from nine to ten thousand dol- lars, nearly covered by insurance ; the building was insured for $1.500, stock $4,100, and fix- tures $1,000, total $6,600. T. Bruback's building was used as a restaurant and was in- sured for $1,500. The loss on Anderson's houses footed up about $800. One of them was occupied by Judge Staehle and he lost his fur- niture valued at $500. The total loss on all property was estimated at about $15,000. The origin of. the fire was unknown.
Early in the morning, July 4, 1886, the large packing house recently built was burned to the ground with a loss of thirty thousand dollars. A policy entitling the company to fifteen thousand dollars insurance had expired only a few days previously. This was a seri- ous blow to the town, as it would undoubtedly have become a great shipping point for dressed meats had it not been for this disaster.
The town was again visited by a dreadful holocaust August 7, 1886. About one o'clock a. m. an alarm of fire was given and a sheet of flame was seen issuing from the rear of the Graham block. The fire originated in the old three story building owned by the Graham es- tate, a building unoccupied and unconnected with either of the two buildings that backed up against it. How it caught has always been a mystery. But little was saved from this fire. it being almost useless to attempt to move the heavy fixtures and furnishings of the houses and stores. The statement of the losses and insurance as nearly as can be ascertained are as follows: P. H. Gallagher, loss, $4,000, in- surance, $2,500; Schmalsle & Ullman, loss, $1.500, insurance, $1,000; Major E. Butler, loss, $1,800, insurance, $1,280; W. F. Schmal- sle, loss, $4.500, insurance, $3,700; James Coleman, loss, $2,000, insurance, $1,600; H. White, loss, $500, no insurance ; Cotter & Ken- nedy, loss. $1,500, insurance, $1,800; Mrs. C. Brown, loss, $300, no insurance; Konrad
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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY.
Schmid, loss, $4,000, insurance, $3,500; Sipes Bros., loss, $1,000, no insurance; P. Dugan, loss, $300, insurance, $300; Heavener, loss, $2,000, insurance, $1,000; C. W. Seyde, loss, $200, insurance, $200; L. Payette, loss, $400, insurance, $400; Connie Huffman, loss $1.000, insurance, $2.500; Chas. Brown, loss $900, insurance, $750; Owen Doud, loss, $400, no insurance ; Graham estate, loss, $4,000, insurance, $3,500; George Silverberg, loss, $1,500, insurance. $1,410; E. Marshall, loss, unknown, insurance, $1,100. The estimated loss was $31,800; covered by insurance to the amount of $29.490. Damage to adjacent buildings, $5.275.
February 12, 1887, the town suffered a $9.500 fire. The losses on buildings were : Butler, $1,800; Gibbs, $1,500; Savage, $1,600. Losses on stocks and fixtures; Birkle, $1,200; Wright, $1,000; Smith, $2,000; Ward, $250; Young, $250. On February 26, a second fire on Main street did a damage of ten thousand dollars.
From 1878 to 1887, the town had moved along and grown apace, and there came peri- odically an agitation for incorporation. It was strongly urged for the first time in 1883, after the hanging of Rigney and the disturbances that followed, but popular opinion ruled at that time and it was thought that the vigilantes were the proper thing for an emergency and that they might just as well let things run along as they were. As the town grew in area and population and began to build homes, they longed for some of the comforts of civiliza- tion that could not be obtained under the old system. Sidewalks were needed, graded streets, fire protection, a water system and street lights were wanted. In the summer of 1887 the preliminary steps were taken through the board of county commissioners and a special election, held on the question of incor- poration, September 9, 1887, resulted in a vic- tory for incorporation by a large majority.
Park street was visited by a ten thousand
dollar fire on July 1, 1889, but as has been the case in Miles City fires, it was nearly covered by insurance. The insurance amounted to $8,300.
In the earlier days of the town the popula- tion fluctuated more or less, but before 1890 we find that it had settled down to a steady growth, and at that time the census was 1,017.
After an intervention of three years with- out a disastrous blaze, the town was once more visited by the terrible destroyer. On Sep- tember 30, 1892, the alarm was given and the next morning only a few embers and the brick walls of the Conrad building were left to mark the spot where on the previous day had stood eight buildings. The origin of the fire is sup- posed to have been incendiary. The losses were as follows :
Mrs. D. N. Gaylord, loss $1.200, insurance $750; W. B. Stebbins, loss $10,000, insurance $4.500; Miss Ross, loss $1,500, insurance $500 ; Col. Bryant, loss $2,000, insurance, $1,- 200; WV. D. Knight, loss $1,000, insurance, $500; Col. Casey, loss $3,000, insurance $1,- 500 : Scott sisters, los$1,000, insurance$60; Ryan & Merrill, loss $5,000, insurance $3,500; E. H. Johnson, loss $1,500; Alfred Myers, loss $3.000; John Flynn, loss $1,500; Fred Frank- lin, loss $500; \V. H. Ross, loss $150; Phillip Mayo, loss $250; Gymnasium, loss $400; City, loss $200. The entire loss amounted to $22,- 200, and the amount of insurance $13,050.
In February, 1893, a bill passed the state legislature providing for the establishment and . maintenance of a state reform school at Miles City. In August the board of trustees let the contract for the building of the reform school to Larson & Smith, of this city, for the sum of $17,010. In 1894 the building was occu- pied and has now become one of the most im- portant institutions of the state, where many boys and girls are taught to become good and useful citizens of the commonwealth.
The Custer county wool warehouse and all its contents was entirely destroyed by fire Sat-
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urday night, June 28, 1900. The alarm was sounded as quick as possible, but the fire burned so rapidly that all they could do when they arrived was to use their efforts to save adjoining property. In this way they were not wholly successful and two residences on the south, the property of Mrs. Harn and Mrs. Burgess were destroyed. It is known that the fire originated from the sparks from a passing engine. Fortunately the warehouse and its contents, with the exception of a couple of lots, was well insured. The aggregate of the amount of wool stored in the warehouse at the time is estimated at 800,346 pounds and was insured for $160,307. The building was insured for $8,000.
The warehouse of Lakin-Westfall & Co., and the Montana Hardware Co., was burned with all its contents Thursday evening, No- vember 22, 1905. The origin of the fire is un- known but it evidently started on the inside of the building. The losses were as follows :
Montana Hardware Co., loss $12,000, in- surance $5,000; Lakin-Westfall & Co., loss $6,000, insurance $3,500; G. M. Miles and Montana Hardware Co., loss, building, $800, insurance $250; Robert Gruwell, loss on household furniture, $500, no insurance.
The history of the town of Miles City, would be incomplete without mention of the Miles City Water and Electric Light Co. This company installed its lighting plant in the year 1886, and the water system was put in in 1889. The investment of the original company was about $60,000. From the very beginning of the enterprise, and ever since, the problem has been to obtain an unfailing water supply and much money has been spent in the attempt. The first attempt was to bore six artesian wells from 200 to 490 feet in depth, the flow from which was stored in a reservoir well. This proved to be a failure, the reservoir well in reality furnishing more water from surface seepage than the artesian flows. In 1894, the plant was hopelessly involved in debt and the
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