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 62
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 62
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 62
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 62
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 62
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 62
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 62
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Politically, Mr. Halvorsen is a good strong Republican, while in religious persuasion he is allied with the Lutheran church. He is known as a keen and forceful lawyer and pos- sessed of legal lore which enables him to grasp the various cases of his practice in a masterful way. . He has won many friends and has a brilliant future. Mr. Halvorsen has never em- barked upon the matrimonial sea, but enjoys the quiet pleasures of the jolly bachelor.
ANTHONY H. ARNESON has the dis- tinction of having won from Montana as fine a success in a financial way as one could ask for. Being a man of sound judgment, energy and intelligence, he has brought to bear and marshalled his powers in a successful manner, and the result is that he has won out himself every point along the way. His residence is
only seven miles northwest of Big Timber, being in the Swamp Creek valley, and his home has been here practically all of the time that he has been in Montana. Fillmore county, Minnesota, is his native place and the date of his birth is September 24, 1861. His father, Hans A., was born on September 22, 1810, in Norway and came to Wisconsin in 1851, via canal and boat from New York city to Beloit and then to Minnesota in 1854, where his death occurred in 1887. The mother was Haagine Johnson in maiden life. She was born in May, 1818, and died in 1892. It is of interest to note that when our subject's par- ents came across the ocean, the voyage took seven weeks and the emigrants were all obliged to furnish their own provisions. This entailed great hardship and in those early days of the fifties, when Mr. Arneson landed in the wilds of Wisconsin and later on the bleak prairies of Minnesota, it required no small courage to overcome these obstacles, especially as the settlers of those days had to face savage and murderous Indians. Nevertheless, he built a home, raised a large family and died a re- spected and well-to-do citizen. Our subject was the youngest of twelve children, ten of whom lived to be over twenty and eight of whom are still living. He has one brother, Edward, who resides at Rockford, Washing- ton, and his oldest brother is a veteran of the Civil War. In an old school house in Minne- sota, Anthony H. received his education, sav- ing three months spent in a boarding school in Iowa. He farmed with his father until twenty-eight years of age and the three months spent in the school in Iowa being the only time that he was absent from the old homestead. When Mr. Arneson finally de- cided to leave home, he began looking over the state of Minnesota and spent ten months in the western portion of it. Then he decided to come to Montana and directly we find him in Big Timber, where he spent two weeks in assisting to build the foundation for the
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Grand Hotel. He carried the hod during these two weeks and remarks now that that was all the time he wished to spend at that business. Then he came to his present place, which was owned by his brother, Edward, and T. T. Olson. He purchased Mr. Olson's interest in the section of land and five hundred sheep and also took a homestead. This was his start in Montana and he was in debt for a portion of the purchase price. After that, followed years of hard labor, self-denial, and much hardship, but he and his brother labored steadily along and in due time the reward came. He now owns a very large tract of land, thousands of sheep and one hundred and thirty head of cat- tle, besides much other property. In 1900, his brother and he constructed the only pri- vate reservoir in the country, which is a lake covering about fifteen acres, and it being of much value to the estate. In the spring of 1895, Mr. Arneson went to Rockford, Wash- ington and purchased one fourth section of wheat land. In 1906, he traded this for his brother's interest and returned here to reside permanently. Mr. Arneson has made his prop- erty a beautiful place, as he has improved it with a fine residence, barns, corralls, outbuild- ings and everything needed on a first-class stock and general farming ranch. His excel- lent taste and judgment are manifested in all of his labors and he has one of the choicest places in Sweet Grass county, while he him- self stands one of the representative men of the great and progressive state of Montana.
In June, 1902, Mr. Arneson married Olena Birkeland, a native of Norway. She came to the United States alone, leaving her people in Norway, and took up the battle of life on her own account. Since then, her parents have died. Our subject and his wife have four children, Hattie J., Elmer M., Joseph A., and Gladys A.
Mr. Arneson is an intelligent Republican and manifests a keen interest in everything of county, state and national affairs and is always
ready to aid every enterprise for the upbuild- ing of the country.
He and his family are members of the Lu- theran church and are highly respected people.
JACOB T. SANFORD. born in English- town, Monmouth county, New Jersey, Septem- ber 14, 1842, resides now on a ranch-a fine one-three and one-half miles west of Laurel, Yellowstone county. His father, Daniel I. Sanford, a native of Connecticut, removed from that state to New Jersey. He was a farmer, of Scotch descent, and came to New England in the colonial days. The mother, Mary Ann (Tilton) Sanford, was a native of New Jersey. Her ancestors were English.
In the public schools of New Jersey our subject was educated. At the age of thirteen he left home and bound himself to a jeweler for five years. In 1861 he enlisted in Com- pany G, Third New Jersey Infantry, for three months. Having served three months he was mustered out and re-enlisted in Company B, Twenty-eight New Jersey Infantry. He was in the Army of the Potomac, and participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, where he was wounded. He was also in the battle of Chan- cellorsville, and again received a wound, on ac- count of which disability he was discharged. He then returned to New Jersey and opened a jewelry store at New Egypt, remaining there until his wound so disabled him that he was compelled to relinquish his business. He then removed to Philmont, New York, in 1876, going into business with his brother-in-law, George W. Phillip, in the manufacture of hosiery. Mr. . Phillip died, the business changed hands and our subject accepted a po- sition as superintendent of a hosiery mill at Baldwinsville, New York. There he remained until his health failed, and in 1885 he came to his present location and purchased the prop- erty where he now resides. Since then he has
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improved his ranch, converting it into a fine property.
In 1864 he was united in marriage to Cor- nelia T. Cowperthwait, born in Egypt, New Jersey, where she grew to womanhood and was married, coming west with her husband. Her father was of Welsh descent, named James. Her mother, Cynthia (Richman) Cowperthwait, were in America many years, and the Indian chief, Black Hawk, was one of her ancestors. Mr. and Mrs. Sanford have four children : Arthur H., Fred I., James M. and Lilian C.
Mr. Sanford is a member of the Royal Arch Masons, of Billings. He was a charter member and president of the Yellowstone Fair Association. He is a stanch Republican and although never being a candidate for of- fice he takes an active part in the various cam- paigns. He was a delegate to the first state convention ever held at Billings, and has at- tended other conventions since. His beautiful home is known as Mountain View Ranch, and lie has converted it from a barren waste.
ARTHUR R. SICKLER, proprietor and operator of the American Hotel of Forsyth, is known far and near as one of the enterprising and accommodating hosts of the state. He was born in Wyoming county, Pennsylvania. October 14. 1868, the son of Miles A. and Elizabeth (Sherwood) Sickler, natives of Pennsylvania. The mother died in June, 1906. in her eightieth year. She had been a con- sistent member of the Methodist church during her life. The father is still living in his native state, aged eighty-eight. Our subject is the youngest of six children and received his edu- cation in the common schools and at Keystone Academy at Factoryville, Pennsylvania. When nineteen he came west to Wyoming and took a position on a horse ranch where he remained three years. Then two years were spent on a
cattle ranch after which he followed the east- ern circuit with a string of horses. Returning to Wyoming he soon made his way to Butte and later came on to Forsyth, landing here in 1897. Various occupations kept him busy, among which was one year at the ice business in Sheridan, Wyoming. In 1903 he returned to Forsyth and purchased the American House, the principal hotel of the city and since that time he has given his entire attention to the management of this hostelry, making it one of the choicest stopping places in the state. Mr. Sickler has excellent adaptability and is one of the most successful hotel men in the country. In addition to the hotel he conducts the railroad lunch counter and has an interest in a meat market. Mr. Sickler is a stock- holder and director in the H. H. Fletcher Company, a large mercantile establishment in Forsyth.
The marriage of Mr. Sickler and Miss Mattie O. Rosengrene occurred February 24. 1900. Mrs. Sickler was born at Marine Mills, Minnesota, in 1875, her father, Nelson Rosen- grene, being a farmer there.
Politically Mr. Sickler is a Jeffersonian Democrat and active in his party. In May. 1905, he was chosen mayor of Forsyth, being the second incumbent of that office. He. is a progressive and successful man, a leading citi- zen of the county and has always labored for the advancement of the country, thoroughly believing in the resources and the excellencies of this portion of the state.
GEORGE W. WAKEFIELD has cer- tainly had a most active, energetic and event- ful career in the various sections of what has been known as the "west." His life for half a century has been an incessant scene of activity and adventure and his experiences would be well worth recording a volume for that pur- pose could he but recall the incidents that have
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marked his pathway, as much historic lore would thus be brought to light in the form of personal reminiscence and would have the ac- curacy of an eye witness. We are pleased to have the data that Mr. Wakefield has given for the sketch that follows and we can but realize the dominant energy that must have controlled him in his incessant labors.
George W. Wakefield was born in Bangor, Maine, October 15, 1833, being the son of Benjamin and Betsey A. Wakefield. The mother died when George was a lad of ten years. The father was born on the Kenne- bec, Maine, followed farming in his native state till 1855, when he came to St. Anthony, Minnesota, which is now a part of Minneapo- lis. Our subject was educated in his native state and when eleven went to work as a bell boy in a hotel. Later he took up teaming and finally learned the blacksmith trade. When his father came west, he was ready and when twenty-two he landed in St. Anthony. He took charge of the teamsters of a lumber camp and in the spring of 1857 started a road house on the Mississippi road eighteen miles out of the city. One year later he went down the Red River of the North with a dog train as far as Fort Gary and returned in January. 1859. That spring he left Minnesota for Colorado and crossed the plains to where Denver now stands, reaching there on July 3. He was soon mining in Colorado gulch and the following year with his partner, David St. Clair, he went with the stampede to Mexico but found noth- ing. Returning we soon find him in Califor- nia and then in Carson City, arriving at the lat- ter place just as the spring floods were wiping out everything. After the flood he went to Lena, Nevada, and leaving his partner there he made his way to the Fraser region in Brit- ish Columbia. He soon came from those fields and was in Portland in 1862. As soon as he could replete his treasury, he struck out for the Oro Fino fields in Idaho, and in the fall of 1863, he made his way across the moun-
tains to the Alder gulch. In the fall of 1864 Mr. Wakefield crossed the plains back to Min- neapolis, and in the spring came back to Mon- tana and again took up the pick and the shovel and worked in the Blackfoot region, wintering in Sheridan. The following spring found Mr. Wakefield in the dairy business and inside of six months he cleaned up three thousand dol- lars. Being attacked with a serious fit of gold fever about this time he sold out and while en- route to the mines bought a ranch. This was on the Stinking Water and he remained on this property for two years. He did well and one season sold his entire crop for five cents per pound. Finally he sold the ranch and went into the hotel business at Point of Rocks. In the fall of 1872 he removed to Bozeman and engaged in the hotel business, handling also a livery barn. In 1883, in company with Senator Hoffman, Mr. Wakefield started the first transportation coach into the park region. In 1892 he sold out to the present Transporta- tion Company doing business in the park. In September, 1895, Mr. Wakefield removed to Livingston and operated the Albermarle hotel and also had charge of a portable camp outfit in the park. In addition to these enterprises he had a ranch in the adjacent sections to Liv- ingston. Since this time Mr. Wakefield has resided in Livingston where he makes his home at the present time.
December 1, 1854, Mr. Wakefield married Miss Margaret Britton, the daughter of Robert Britton. Mrs. Wakefield is a native of New Brunswick. One child has been born to this union, Libbie, now the wife of Dr. S. F. Way. Mr. Wakefield is a Republican and a member of the Elks.
HARRY DUFFIELD, the earliest settler in the Joliet country, is today one of the lead- ing citizens as well as one of the best known men in the valley. His place in the history of
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this county is evident to all and it is a pleas- ant task to outline the leading features of his busy and successful career. His birth oc- curred in Wellington county, Ontario, March II, 1854, and he comes from a strong and old family reaching far back into the early cen- turies. His father, Emanuel Duffield, was born in Yorkshire, England, and came, when twelve years old, with his parents to Welling- ton county, Ontario. They settled on a farm and Emanuel grew up amid the frontier sur- roundings and cleared up a farm from the tim- ber, in the cultivation of which he remained all his days, his death occurring January 2, 1893, his age being seventy-one. He was an honored and highly esteemed man, possessing in a high degree those qualities of worth and substantiality that make the bone and sinew of any well regulated community. Our sub- ject's paternal grandfather was born in York- shire, England, and the family had for years been on the estate of the elder Lord Ferbisher. Emanuel Duffield married Sarah Benham, a native of London, England, and an immigrant to Ontario with her parents when a young girl. Her father, James Benham, settled in Welling- ton county, and she was called to the world beyond in 1862 when our subject was a young lad.
It is said by many who have made the subject matter of careful study. that the public schools of Ontario are the best in the Eng- lish speaking world. Be that as it may, we are well aware that they are most excellent and in these our subject received his educational training, remaining in the home place until he had reached his majority. Then he deter- mined to try the world for himself and soon had decided to migrate to Nebraska. For one year he worked there for wages and then went with the wave that was sweeping toward the Black Hills. Lead City was his objective point and with that place as headquarters he spent three years in prospecting, after which he was engaged in the Homestake and other
large mines in the northern hills. It was 1882 when he bade farewell to the Black Hills and came on west seeking an opening for business. Billings attracted him and for a time he was occupied in building and contracting in com- pany with his brother, William, who had come to Montana a few months previous. In 1886 Mr. Duffield went to the vicinity of Cook City, where he got out logs, driving them down Clarkes Fork to the mouth where he erected a sawmill and put the logs into timbers for the construction of the Rocky Fork and Cook City Railroad. For some time he operated the sawmill in this vicinity and then he became one of twenty-four who paid the Indian, Long Bear, and his family, $2,000.00 to relinquish their claim to two townships so that Mr. Duf- field and the other purchasers could obtain homesteads on this land. He filed on his home- stead in October. 1894. Since that time Mr. Duffield has purchased two other homesteads and part of a third. He has given his atten- tion to handling the ranch, raising stock and improving his property. He owned a portion of the land where Joliet is now built and also owns the land surrounding that place. His is a valuable estate, well improved and wisely handled.
Mr. Duffield has brothers and sisters named as follows: William, who died on June 16, 1898, at Joliet ; James, in Canada ; John and Emanuel, in Michigan; Alfred G., at Joliet, Montana ; David, in Canada ; Lucy, wife of Bert Kingsbury ; and Hannah T. Duffield.
On July 1, 1888, Mr. Duffield married Miss Mary E. Hobbs. Mrs. Duffield was born near Mindoro, Wisconsin, April 2, 1858. She was reared in LaCrosse county, Wisconsin, and finished her education at Black River Falls high school. She was occupied in teaching in LaCrosse County and in July, 1884, she came to Montana where she continued teaching. Her father, John Hobbs, was born in Devonshire, England, and came to Albany, New York. when a child, with his father. They soon
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journeyed to Ohio and thence they went to Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. When twenty years of age he went to Lewis Valley, La- Crosse county and was one of the five first set- tlers in that locality. For four years he served his country in the Civil War, being in Com- pany B, Second Wisconsin Cavalry. On May 30, 1896, he arrived in Montana and his death occurred at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. Duffield, July 3, 1897. He had married Mary Newcomb, who was born in Tioga coun- ty, Pennsylvania. She came with her parents to Wisconsin when a young girl, and in that state her wedding was celebrated. Her death occurred May 19, 1903. Mrs. Duffield's broth- ers and sisters are named as follows: John George, Cyrus E., Bishop H., Albert M., Rachel L., wife of William Barclay, Clara A., wife of Jame Barclay, Elva I., wife of A. G. Duffield, Martha E., wife of W. Potter, of Red Lodge, Sarah T., wife of H. H. Roberts, Louclla G., wife of E. L. Grewell.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Duf- field are William A., born May 30. 1889; Elva L., born July 11, 1892; Ethel A., born February 15, 1895; and Elizabeth Mary, born July 28, 1899.
It is interesting to note in this connection that Mrs. Duffield's paternal grandfather, Archelaus Hobbs, was born in Devonshire, England, and married Mary Jollow, also a na- tive of Devonshire. This venerable gentle- man's father, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Duffield, was a landlord in England. Mr. Duffield was commissioner of Carbon county for four years and he is always keenly inter- ested in the upbuilding and advancement of the community and labors for those ends.
WILLIAM NEWTON HAYNES came to Virginia City in 1879. traveling by rail, via the Utah and Northern, now
the O. R. & N., as far as that road was constructed, and then by freighting outfit from Valley City to
Virginia City. In the spring, 1880, he rode the stage from Virginia City to Miles City, paying six- teen cents per mile, and arrived here with a tired body and found a wilderness of sage brush in every direction. He looked the country over and finally decided to lo- cate and selected a pre-emption which forms part of his now valuable estate, located some two miles east from Miles City. He went to work to erect a cabin for his family which he sent for as soon as he located, and then began the laborious operation of clearing up the sage brush to begin cropping the land. He soon bought more railroad land and has added from time to time until he has a fine large ranch, one of the excellent ones of Custer county. Mr. Haynes has made the transform- ation scene from the sage brush to the fertile and well kept fields and his improvements are fully in keeping with the farm which gives him a fine home place.
Referring to the earlier life of Mr. Haynes we find that he was born in Johnson county, Iowa, March 2, 1847. His father, Philo Haynes, was born in New London county, Connecticut, where he grew up. Then he came to Iowa, having spent some time in Ohio, where he married Miss Electa Chapman, a na- tive of Warren county, that state, and who accompanied her husband on to the prairies of Iowa. Our subject was reared on a farm and received his education in the country schools and then, when grown to manhood, en- gaged in farming for himself. It was 1879. as we have mentioned,when he determined to try the west and so pulled up stakes and made his journey for Montana. He has never re- gretted, although he has had some hard work in getting the place subdued and to producing, but now he is one of the wealthy men of the county and has great love for Montana. As
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we stated before Mr. Haynes sent for his fam- ily in the spring of 1880, and they have labored together for the time since. In those days the Indians were hostile and gave the settlers lots of trouble. Mr. Haynes, however, never had much trouble with them and he always con- tinued steadily at work on his farm despite the fact that they were threatening and did many depredations. In the fall of 1880 Rain-in-The- Face was captured and his bands then became more calm. That same fall a band of hostile Sioux Indians was captured and held in camp on the Tongue till the follow- ing spring, when they were transported by boat to the Standing Rock agency. Then the settlers had peace and since then there has been little trouble of any kind with the savages.
In 1868 Mr. Haynes married Miss Belle White, who was born in Crawford county, Ohio, and came with her parents to Iowa in 1851. The wedding occurred in Iowa and to them have been born the following named children: Philo, Nellie, wife of Henry Buck of Ravalli county, this state; Charles, a Metho- dist minister; Berton, and Glen. The last named is deceased. The last two named were born in Montana but the others are all natives of Iowa. Mrs. Haynes' parents are William and Sarah (Quaintance) White, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively. Philo Haynes is a minister of the gospel and is now stationed at Fort Benton. Mr. Haynes as- sisted to erect the first school house in Miles City and has had much to do with every one built since then. For thirteen years he gave of his time to serve on the school board and this shows his keen interest in educational matters and the fact that he has been chosen county commissioner shows the confidence the people have in him as well as in his ability. Mr. Haynes is a man of sound principles, has displayed excellent judgment and the success he has won in all lines speaks volumes for his ability and substantiality.
THOMPSON A. KEMMIS has spent over twenty years in the Yellowstone valley and is thus entitled to be classed with the pio- neers of this part of the great state of Mon- tana. He was born on September 29, 1829, at Salem, New York, the son of Samuel D. Kem- mis, who was also born in New York state March 22, 1802. After being educated in the common schools, the father learned the trade of hatter and in 1836 went to Michigan. The next year he removed to Illinois, Henry county, and there farmed until his death in 1857. On October 2, 1828, in New York, Mr. Kemmis had married Miss Mary Rood, who was born May 20, 1799, in the Empire State. She died in Indiana in 1837. Two children besides our subject were born to this union, Mrs. Lydia Robinson, now deceased, and W. H. Kemmis, living in Illinois. From the schools of New York state and Illinois, T. A. received a good business education and in 1853 threaded the weary trail across the plains to Oregon City, where he dwelt one year ; then he journeyed on down the Rogue river and spent one year, after which we find him in Yreka mining and there he remained until June, 1856, when he returned to Illinois and farmed for two years. In 1858, Mr. Kemmis went to Iowa with ox teams and broke prairie land for one year ; then he journeyed on to Ne- braska and farmed for a decade. During the Civil War he had enlisted in the Union army and served two and one-half years on the fron- tier posts. In 1868 he left his Nebraska farm and went back to Iowa and there tilled the soil until 1884, in which year he came to Sidney and settled one and one-half miles southwest of town, where he now resides. During the interven- ing time since that settlement, he has given his attention to general farming and stock raising, although recently he has sold most of his stock. He has two hundred and seventy-eight acres of very fine land and all improvements neces- sary to make it a first-class ranch.
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