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 63
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 63
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 63
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 63
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 63
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 63
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 63
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On May 10, 1869, Mr. Kemmis married Jane E. Betty, who was born at Bakersfield, Vermont, on July 27, 1848. When four years of age she came with her parents to Iowa and there received her education. In early life she was converted and has always lived a devout Christian life. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kemmis are Walter D., a farmer near Sidney, Montana; William, died in infancy; John F., a farmer near Sidney, Montana; Thompson A., a farmer at Newlon, Montana ; Ora J., a merchant at Sidney, Montana; Will- iam C., a farmer at Sidney, Montana, and Phoebe A., living at Sidney. Mrs. Kemmis' father, John F. Betty, born at Johnson, Ver- mont, July 4, 1821, educated in the common schools of his native state, always followed farming. In 1852 he came to fowa and pur- chased a farm. At the breaking out of the Civil War he enlisted and served three years for his country. In 1891 he broke up the old home in lowa and came to Sidney, Montana, where he died April 17, 1904. On August 2, 1845, he married Phoebe Whittemore, who was born in Eden, Vermont, June 13, 1819. She was a very religious and devout woman and a stanch supporter of the Methodist church. To this couple six children were born, four boys and two girls, and all are now dead save Mrs. Kemmis and Mrs. Annette Meadows, who is mentioned in another portion of this work.
Mr. Kemmis was formerly a Whig and is now a Republican. With his wife he is a mem- ber of the Methodist church and is looked up to as one of the leading men of the community.
ABRAHAM M. GROSFIELD resides twelve miles northwest of Big Timber on Swamp creek. Like many of the thrifty and well-to-do citizens of the United States, he was born in Norway. Stavenger being the spot and December 27, 1864, the date. His parents were
Matthias and Karan Marie Grosfield, both of whom were natives of Norway, and there re- mained until their death, the father being aged sixty-nine at that time. They were the par- ents of eight children, three of whom are in the United States, our subject, a brother, T. M., residing in this county, and a sister in Chicago. Mr. Grosfield was reared and educated in his native land and there spent the first nineteen years of his life. Then he came to the United States, journeying direct to Halstead, Minnesota, where he re- inained six years, working for wages al- most all of the time. At the end of that period, he came to Montana, selecting Big Timber as the objective point. After one summer's work, he returned to Norway and spent eighteen months mid the scenes of his childhood. During this time he married Miss Eline Hegdahl, the daughter of a neighboring farmer. The year was 1892. Mrs. Grosfield's father is dead and her widowed mother still lives in Norway. At the expiration of his visit of eighteen months, Mr. Grosfield with his young wife embarked for the United States, again coming direct to Big Timber. He took a bunch of sheep on shares and rented a ranch and handled them for two years. During this time the increase of sheep was sufficient so that he had a small band of his own to work with and since that time he has been constantly employed in the sheep business, having nine thousand of these profitable animals, besides three hundred and fifty cattle and thirty horses. In 1895, Mr. Grosfield bought out a settler and located the place where he now re- sides. He has ten thousand acres of land, one thousand of which is very fine bottom land and produces first-class crops. He has improved the place with a two-story nine-room residence, plenty of barns, outbuildings and so forth and handles about three hundred acres to crops.
Mr. and Mrs. Grosfield are the parents of five children, Edwin, Magnus, Marie, Arthur and Arne.
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In politics he is a Republican, but not es- pecially active, although he takes a keen inter- est in everything for the upbuilding of the country.
FRANCIS J. JELLISON, born in Maine February 22, 1849, is a prosperous Yellow- stone county farmer, residing four miles south- west of Billings. His father, Nathaniel, was born in Trenton, Maine, and his ancestors came from England. He died in 1905 at Phil- brook. Montana, aged seventy-eight. The mother, Elizabeth (Jordan) Jellison, also a native of the Pine Tree state, was descended from an old New England family, her father being one of the early settlers and founders of Otis, Hancock county, Maine, moving there from Ellsworth.
Our subject was reared and educated in Otis, and following his school days worked in a sawmill. It was in 1882 that he came to Montana, first going to Fort Benton. and thence to the Musselshell, where during the summer he worked in a sawmill, and at the car- penter trade in the winter. In 1887 he brought his family out from Maine and secured a homestead, upon which he attempted to raise some cattle. But the sheepmen drove him out, and he came to the Yellowstone valley, with which country he was much pleased. He then purchased the place upon which he now resides, one hundred and twenty acres of irrigated land devoted to diversified crops.
September 1, 1870, our subject married Ellen S. Jordan, a native of Otis, Maine, her father, Isaiah, having been born in the same town. Her mother, Abigail ( Remick) Jor- dan, a native of Otis, was descended from one of the oldest and most prominent Maine fam- ilies. She died in 1900. Our subject has three children : Augustus, Andrew and Lenora. wife of Eugene Carpenter. She is living with our subject. The latter has two brothers,
Timothy J. and Edwin J., both residing near subject. He has one sister, Monira, wife of Richard R. Jellison, no relative of subject. Mr. Jellison, our subject, is a member of the Odd Fellows, and politically a Republican.
JOHN E. EDWARDS has certainly earned the distinction of a man "who does things," as will be readily seen from the brief epitome of his life's career that follows, and fortunate it is for the business interests of Forsyth that he has been identified with them, since it is the progressiveness and energy of such men who make cities and create the com- merce of this prosperous state. He was born in Warsaw, Illinois, in 1866. Oliver Edwards, his father, a native of Springfield, Massachu- setts, was a descendant of the family from which sprang the noted Jonathan Edwards. He was a skilled machinist and was called to England to assume charge of the Gardiner Gun Company at London, which manufac- tured a naval weapon. This was in 1879 and he spent two years in this capacity. Prior to this time he had, for ten years, been manager of the Florence Machine Works, in Florence, Massachusetts. He was widely known in ma- chine circles as a man of great genius and abil- ity and was the inventor of the Florence oil stove. He retired from active pursuits in 1882 and died at Warsaw, Illinois, at the age of sixty-nine. In 1861 he had enlisted in the Re- bellion and shortly afterward organized the Thirty-seventh Massachusetts Regular In- fantry at Springfield and was elected colonel. He was with Sheridan in the Shenandoah, during the entire war and at its close, when discharged, he carried the rank of brevet major general. Oliver Edwards was a
stanch Republican, was many years mayor of Warsaw, always evinced a keen in- terest in the upbuilding of the country and fraternally was a Mason and a member of the
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G. A. R., being commander of the Warsaw post. Mr. Edwards had married Miss Annie E. Johnston, a native of Warsaw, Illinois where she now lives aged sixty-five. She has been a life long member of the Presbyterian church. Our subject and one sister, Julia, at home with her mother, are the issue of the marriage.
John E. was educated in the schools of Warsaw and Quincy and in 1883 went west to Colorado, riding the range in that state and in Texas. In 1889 he journeyed to Fergus coun- ty, this state, and remained there eight years, being superintendent of a stock ranch. Em- barking in the mercantile business at Junction, Yellowstone county, in 1897, he continued one year. Then he was appointed Indian agent of the Crows in this state and before his term of four years was up he was appointed Indian inspector. He resigned from the service in 1902 and settled in Forsyth, where he has been engaged in banking, being one of the or- ganizers of the Forsyth State Bank and its first president. In 1905, he organized the Bank of Commerce with a capital stock of fifty thousand, officers as follows: Mr. Ed- wards, president ; Chas. M. Bair, vice-presi- dent; E. A. Richardson, cashier; and P. J. Bunker, assistant cashier. Mr. Edwards built the electric light plant of Forsyth in 1905, or- ganized the Forsyth Telephone Company in 1904 and is now its president; is interested with E. A. Richardson in the Richardson Mer- cantile Company at Forsyth and in other stores at other places; is president of the Rosebud Land & Improvement Company, headquarters at Forsyth, which company has constructed a ditch for irrigation, twenty-five miles long in Rosebud county ; and is heavily interested in grading contracts on the railroad construction. All this extensive and various business Mr. Edwards is carrying forward with a display of execution and wisdom that is insuring the best of success and it is his pleasure to build up the country and forward its interest by
lively business enterprises and active creative labor.
In 1892 Mr. Edwards married Miss Julia Anderson, a native of Montana and the daugh- ter of Reece Anderson, a pioneer freighter and cattle raiser of this state. Two children have been born to the marriage, Annie and Eunice. Mr. Edwards is Republican and fra- ternally belongs to the Elks and Eagles.
HON. GEORGE WARREN BREW- STER is a member of the old American fam- illy founded in the New World in 1620 by Elder William Brewster, who was one of the founders of famous old Plymouth Colony, hav- ing come across the ocean in the Mayflower. Our subject is in the seventh generation from this noted founder, both of the Brewster family and the cherished name of Plymouth, in Amer- ica. The career of William Brewster is a part of the history of the United States and the family has always been prominent in affairs of state and church. At present our subject is residing three miles south from Birney, in Rosebud county, and devotes his attention to raising stock and farming. He has achieved a splendid success in this line of endeavor and has, also, made a good record for himself in matters of state. At the last election for leg- islators, Mr. Brewster's name was proposed and his nomination on the Republican ticket straightway followed, as did his election at the polls. He made a good run, although he did not personally press the canvass. He has shown himself an able exponent for his con- stituents and displayed that faithfulness to principle that wins hearty approval.
Referring to the earlier portion of Mr. Brewster's life, we find that in old Boston, Massachusetts, his birth occurred, the date be- ing December 18, 1856. The father, Nathan C. Brewster, was born in Duxbury, Massachu- setts and when grown to manhood removed
HON. GEORGE W. BREWSTER
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to Boston, where he engaged in business. He married Mary Beaton, a native of Cape Bre- ton, who came with her parents to Massachu- setts. Our subject grew up and was educated in Boston, graduating from Partridge Acad- emy. In 1875, he decided to try the west and chose Nevada as the objective point, taking up mining at Virginia City. In the fall of 1880, he came to Butte and in the spring, two years later, he sought out his present location and settled down to farming and stockraising. Pre- vious, however, to taking up these occupa- tions altogether, Mr. Brewster gave his atten- tion to hunting. At first he began with horses in the stock business, but later added cattle and he is now one of the leading stockmen in the county. In addition to his stock, Mr. Brewster possesses one of the choicest ranches on Tongue river, all irrigated and well im- proved.
In 1896, Mr. Brewster married Miss Grace Sanborn. She was born in Greeley, Colorado, and there was reared and educated. She grad- uated from the state normal school and re- ceived a very liberal training. Her father, John Sanborn, a native of Connecticut, was one of those who formed the Union colony under the direction of Meeker in Kansas' dark days. He died in 1876. His widow, Jerusha ( Davis) Sanborn, is a sister of General George W. Davis, who was for eighteen months mili- tary governor of Porto Rico, and was until recently Inspector General in the Philippines. He retired, being up to age limit and then was appointed a member of the canal commission.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brewster three children have been born, George Warren, Lyman San- born and Burton Bradley.
Mr. Brewster has always shown himself a worthy citizen, ever ready to assist in any pub- lic endeavor, broad minded and a close student of events and issues as they transpire in the political and economic world. He is a stanch Republican and is well posted on the questions and issues at the present time, ready, always,
to show forth a good reason for his positions and capable of defending them ably.
CHARLES J. POTTER has resided in Montana for more than twenty years and is entitled to a place among the pioneers and those who have made the state what it is at the present time. He was born in Lasalle county, Illinois, July 16, 1859, being the son of Platt H. and Elizabeth ( Beaubien) Potter. The father was born in Onondago county, New York, August 16, 1832, and followed farming. His father, Hart Potter, was also a native of New York state. The well known Bishop Potter is a second cousin to our sub- ject's father. Mrs. Potter, the mother of Charles J., was born in Chicago, February 8, 1842, and his father, Mark Beaubien, was a Canadian by birth. He came to Chicago in 1834, took a quarter section of land, built the first hotel and the first brick building in that now famous city. His farm is now covered by the city and his name figured prominently in the annals of the city.
Charles J. finished his education in Mon- mouth College, Illinois, and first started for himself when twenty-two, being retained as an expert by the Deering selfbinder company. After four years in this capacity, Mr. Potter determined to try the west and in 1883 we find him in Montana with his brother in the stock business on the Shields river. There a creek and a well known basin have received their names from him and his brother. He took a homestead there and the nearest neighbors were twenty miles distant. For some time Mr. Pot- ter followed the sheep and cattle business there and still owns his property there and is inter- ested in the stock business.
The marriage of Mr. Potter and Miss Har- riet E. Rose occurred on January 5, 1887, and two children have been born them, Lilian E .. korn June 27, 1889, and Glencarn C., born
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April 13, 1891. Mrs. Potter's parents, John G. and Abigal S. (Gorton) Rose, was born at Block Island, Rhode Island, July 28, 1813, and New York state, respectively. The father fol- lowed sailing in early days, then came to Illi- nois and settled on a farm where he remained till his death when he was eighty-four years of age. Mrs. Potter was born in De Kalb county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are con- sistent member of the Episcopalian church and are esteemed citizens. He is a staunch Republican and also belongs to the W. O. W. and Grand Fraternity Lodges.
CLAUD E. HUDSON, at the present time cashier of the Bank of Joliet, has shown re- markable ability in handling finances in that he has achieved a most gratifying success in this connection as will be manifest from the rec- ord of his life. A man of keen foresight, excel- lent judgment, receiving and retaining the im- plicit confidence of his associates, because of his reliability and his wisdom, he has been en- abled to so handle the resources in his hands and to take advantage of opportunities until he has placed himself from the clerk's counter to the head of a sound financial institution, the creation of his own hands, and which is rapidly widening and gathering strength.
Claud E. Hudson was born in Mexico, Indiana, on July 6. 1878, the son of D. L. and Emma (Hartpence ) Hudson, natives of Penn- sylvania and Mexico, Indiana, respectively. The father was a druggist by profession and came from his native state to Indiana in early clays, located at Argos. Later he removed to Mexico and there he resided, continuing in business until his death which occurred when our subject was but two years of age. Thus early Claud was brought face to face with the stern realities of life with his widowed mother. He gained his early training from the public schools and while very young went
to Nebraska where he continued his studies, graduating from the high school in due time. After that he entered the college of Orleans and completed the commercial course. All this was accomplished before he was nineteen years of age and it gives us some idea of his dili- gence in study. In 1897, Mr. Hudson came on west, searching for an opening, and finally decided to locate at Joliet. He secured em- ployment as a clerk in a store and continued steadily at that until 1904, when he entered the bank at Bridger, continuing for one year. Then he returned to Joliet and opened the Bank of Joliet, capitalizing it at ten thousand dollars. His deposits now run seventy-five thousand and the business of the institution, under the wise management of Mr. Hudson, is rapidly increasing. He has shown himself keen but conservative, manifesting qualities that are of rare worth in financial matters and so has gained the confidence of the entire community and he is one of the most substantial of the business men of Joliet.
In 1899 Mr. Hudson brought his mother from Nebraska to dwell with him.
In political matters Mr. Hudson is always keenly interested, but he is not partisan, always laboring for those wise measures which are for the lasting benefit of all and the advancement and improvement of the country in general.
JONAS P. STOLE. Sweet Grass County has many well to do stockmen, a large portion of whom have made their present holdings since settling here. Among this number is Mr. Stole and a short story of how he has won his success can but add to the praise of Montana and become an encouragement to all who would seek to gain a like success. His estate lies fifteen miles north of Big Timber, on Swamp Creek, and is well improved and valuable. On January 5. 1868, in Norway, Jonas P. Stole was born to Peter and Anne Bertine Osmurds-
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datter (Mysse) Stole, who now reside in their native country, age about sixty-five. Jonas P. is one of eleven children, all of whom are living, several being residents of Sweet Grass County, and was educated in his native land. He was reared on a farm and remained with his father until 1886, in which year he became possessed of a strong desire to see the New World. Accordingly, he came to this country located first in Minnesota, where eighteen months were spent in Norman County. It was 1888, when he arrived in Big Timber and soon thereafter he went to Melville, where he did ranch work, herded sheep and did carpentering, having learned this latter trade in Norway. For several years he worked for wages and during this time he made a couple of trips to Minnesota staying there two years on one occasion. In 1894 he came from Minnesota to Montana and selected the nucleus of his present estate, tak- ing the same as a homestead. It was a raw piece of land and Mr. Stole was practically without capital and for several years he had a very hard time ; but he was a man whose spirit knew no such word as fail and the result was that little by little he forged ahead until he was enabled to go into stock raising and then things came easier. Now he has a very large estate which is most beautifully situated on running water and having for a background the snow capped mountains. He handles about two thousand sheep besides cattle and horses and is doing general forming. The same skill and determined efforts that enabled Mr. Stole to begin the work of opening the farm and sticking to it, notwithstanding adversities and obstacles came thick and fast, are the powers that led him step by step in his work of accum- ulating a fortune and building a beautiful Montana home.
In 1892, Mr. Stole married Miss Eglund, a native of Norway, whose parents now are farmers in Minnesota. To them the following children have been born, Agnes, Palmas, Selmas. George and Joseph Gustav.
Mr. Stole is a Republican in politics, while he and his family are members of the Lutheran church.
JOHN C. STAFFEK. The subject of this article was born in Bohemia, May 16, 1858, and at present resides at Billings, Mon- tana, where he is a prosperous cigar manufac- turer. His parents were Frank and Barbara Staffek, natives of Bohemia and now living in Billings.
To New York our subject came with his parents in 1867, and in that city he learned the cigar-maker's trade. He resided there ten years, and then went to Cincinnati, Ohio re- maining eight years, thence to Billings, Mon- tana, in 1885. He came here an entire stranger, principally for the benefit of his health, which had become somewhat impaired. He opened a cigar store on Montana avenue, and turned out the first cigar ever manufactured in eastern Montana. From the start his trade was an excellent one. In 1887 he moved on the south side of Minnesota avenue. He employs eight people and his trade extends all over the east- ern portion of the state.
December 28, 1876, our subject was mar- ried to Christina Nelson, a native of Germany. The ceremony was solemnized at Springfield, Massachusetts. Her father and mother were both Germans. Politically Mr. Staffek is a Republican, and has served two terms in the city council. Fraternally he is a member of the K. of P., Modern Woodmen, Eagles and a member of the fire department, having served sixteen years. He owns a fine home, No. 3016 First avenue.
JAMES F. KENNEDY, one of the suc- cessful business men of Forsyth, came west when the now thriving town of Forsyth was
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but a dot on the map. Since that time he lias assisted in building the town as he has fol- lowed contracting and building for a number of years. At the present time, Mr. Kennedy is at the head of a prosperous furniture and undertaking business, being a skilled cabinet maker, from training in youth. He handles a good business and is rated one of the very sub- stantial men of this part of the state.
Beaver county, Pennsylvania is the native place of our subject and in 1851 the year of his birth. He was reared on a farm, spending the years until 1864 in the native place. At the date last mentioned he came with his parents to Jackson county, Iowa, and there continued farming with his father, completing, also, his education in the common schools. At twenty- one he started in life for himself, at first work- ing on a farm, and later learning the carpen- tering and cabinet trades. It was 1893 when he landed in Forsyth and at once went to work in contracting and building, which he vigor- ously prosecuted for five years, at the expir- ation of which time he purchased a furniture store and added undertaking, which lines he has continued in since.
In the fall of 1874, Mr. Kennedy married Miss Bertha Hunsche, of Marshalltown, Iowa whose father, Rev. Fred Hunsche, held orders in the German Lutheran church. Our subject and wife have one child, Mabel, who is married to Harry H. Fletcher of Forsyth.
Mr. Kennedy is a member of the K. P. and the I. O. O. F., being grand patriarch of the state of Montana. Politically he is a wheel horse with the Republican party and is one of the progressive men of the county.
PHILIP WESCH, of the firm of Wesch & Cederholm, contractors and builders, Bil- lings, was born in the southern part of Ger- many, Baden, June 21, 1859, the son of Johann V. and Atelheite (Drummer) Wesch. The
father died while subject was an infant. The mother died in 1870, in Germany.
Having completed his studies in the public schools of Germany, our subject learned the trade of carpenter with his brother. In 1882, when 24 years of age, he came direct to Wis- consin, and remained one year in Waukesha. Thence he went to South Dakota where he re- mained five years. He built the South Dakota University, and on its completion went to Hot Springs, South Dakota, and erected the Sol- diers' Home at that place; the fine Evans Hotel, a five-story cut stone city hall, and court house, also several business blocks, and a large woolen mill at Edgemont. He came to Billings in 1899, where he erected the Northern Pacific freight house, the Billings library, Northern Hotel, City Hall, and a number of mills and warehouses, churches, etc. For four years he has been associated with Mr. Andrew Ceder- holm.
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