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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66
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 66
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In 1889 Mr. Crawford was married to Sara A. Crawford, a native of Maryland. The wife is a daughter of W. D. F. and Hettie M. (Miller), the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Virginia. To Mr. and Mrs. Crawford have been born three children, Hetty E., Herbert M. and Philip.
Mr. Crawford braved public opinion and the laughs of wise heads and came from Helena to the Yellowstone Valley to raise fruit. Opin- ion has changed now since his fine success is patent to all.
FRANCIS MARION MCCARTY is cer- tainly one of the earliest pioneers of what is now the state of Montana, having arrived here in 1863. coming with his parents who located in Alder gulch. From that time to the present he has steadily made his way in this
country and has accomplished much in develop- ment and building up, as he is an energetic man and has done a worthy part in pioneer labors. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on March 15. 1852, the son of Stephen and Martha Annie (Goucher ) McCarty, natives of Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, and de- scended from colonial stock. Our subject re- ceived his educational training in Indiana and Illinois, as the family went to that latter state before coming to Iowa in 1859. to Colorado in 1861 and to Montana in 1863. The father was fairly successful in his search for gold and Francis, although but a lad, was active in his work in the diggings. He was on the ground where Virginia City stands before a house was built there and remembers the days of vigi- lantes very vividly. He speaks freely of the three men whose graves were dug and who were to be hung for murder, but who were re- leased because of the sobs and weeping appeal of the only white woman in that vicinity. Later, about one year, one of them was appre- hended and hanged for another murder and was buried in the grave dug the year previous. Mr. McCarty remained in Alder Gulch until 1867 and then went with his mother and brothers to the Gallatin valley where the mother secured a homestead. In 1872, having then become of age, our subject took a pre- emption close to his mother's place and there spent several years farming. In 1874. he sold his holdings there and secured placer ground in Emigrant gulch and tried his hand, once more, in mining, but meeting with indifferent success, he gave up mining and in the fall of 1881 squatted on his present place, which lies on Deep creek, ten miles up the Yellowstone from Livingston. When the Crow reservation was opened for settlement in 1886, he selected his place, it being the one where he had lived, and took it from the government. It is one of the most beautiful spots in this vicinity, being so situated that one can view the country for
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miles, while the soil is exceptionally fertile and is supplied with an abundance of water for irri- gating.
Mr. McCarty is a member of the Episco- palian church, having been confirmed by Bishop Tuttle, while in politics, he is a Repub- lican, but is not active. Mr. McCarty has done a lion's share of pioneer work and has carried well the real character of the path finder and is now enjoying the fruits of his labors in the land he materially assisted to open for settlement and the ingress of civilization.
WILLIAM A. ALLEN, D. D. S., one of the founders of Billings, and a writer of authority on the flora and fauna of the state of Montana, was born in Summerfield, No- ble county, Ohio, September 2, 1848. He is a son of Robert T. and Rachel (Guiler) Allen, the former of whom was a son of John and Mary (Blundle) Allen. This John Allen was a son of Sir John Allen, of England, and a cousin of Ethan Allen, of Ticonderoga fame. He was early a seafaring man, but later en- gaged in farming. The mother of the Doctor was a daughter of William and Mary ( Frank- lin) Guiler, the former of whom was born in Ireland, while the latter was a cousin of Benjamin Franklin, the printer, philosopher and diplomat.
William A. Allen has for many years been a leading dentist of Montana, with home office in Billings. When he was twelve years of age, in 1866, he entered the normal school in his native town, where he continued his studies for a time, after which he gave attention to the blacksmith trade until 1877, also working as a gunsmith and showing marked mechan- ical talent. Early in 1877 he set forth for the Black Hills. At Spearfish he joined a party of 250 persons, and on their way they were attacked by Indians, and seven men and one woman were killed. Eventually the party was
diminished to 154 persons and fifty wagons, over which Dr. Allen was placed as captain, and it proceeded on its way to Bozeman, Mon- tana. The doctor had selected a party and gone in pursuit of the attacking Indians and overtook them in the night, and the next morning gave evidence of the death of eleven Indians. While he was thus absent from the train, eight wagon had left it and started for Red Water Crossing, where they were sur- rounded by the Indians and held in a perilous position until after the doctor's party had re- turned to the train. With twenty men the Doctor started to relieve them, arriving about four o'clock in the morning. Quietly waiting until the savages charged on the train at day- break, they successfully repelled the attack and killed about a dozen Indians, the loss to the emigrants being only one man killed and three wounded, one of the wounded being Dr. Allen. He later was wounded several times in Indian conflicts. On the return to the camp at Spear- fish, Dr. Allen was made commander and he divided the train into four companies, headed by John Wuston, Hiram Bishoff, Captain Patent and Captain Houston, of Texas, the latter having charge of the bull outfit. They went up Belle Fourche river, passing old Fort Reno, thence through Wyoming by the site of Buffalo and old Fort Kearny, thence up Goose Creek, where one man was killed and two wounded by Indians. The party re- mained three days on the Custer battle ground for a needed rest, and to afford opportunity to examine the historic scenes of the massacre which occurred eleven months previously. Some of the party remained in that locality. while others proceeded towards Wind River by Prior's Pass and Sage Creek to Stinking Water crossing, when another division oc- curred, some going to Crow agency, while the others went on to Camp Brown and Bozeman.
Dr. Allen engaged in the blacksmith busi- ness in Bozeman, with Frank Harper, and later was a blacksmith for the Bozeman & Miles
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City stage line, also acting as express mes- senger in the winter of 1877. He next was government blacksmith at Fort Custer, and in 1879 he, in a skiff, went down Big Horn river to Fort Buford to meet his family, who came back with him. He located on Canyon creek and engaged in stock-raising and at his trade. In 1882 he removed to Coulson, where for some months he continued blacksmithing, when he removed to Billings, then a crude cluster of primitive cabins, and he there erected the first house in the Yellowstone valley hav- ing a shingle roof.
In order to perfect himself in dentistry, at which he had worked to some extent, Dr. Allen went to Chicago in 1884, where he took the full course in Haskell's Post-Graduate School of Dentistry, and he has since acquired a reputation as an expert dentist in both sur- gical and mechanical branches. He also took a Post-Graduate course at Kansas City and won a gold medal. In company with John L. Guiler, Dr. Allen owns 700 acres of valuable land on Clark's Fork, where they founded the town of Allendale, named in honor of Dr. Allen, and this they maintain by stipulation in the conveyances as a prohibition town. Here they have erected a roller process flouring mill operated by water power at a cost of fully $15,- 000. The Doctor is also largely interested in stock-raising. Doctor Allen is an "old timer," a man of honesty of purpose, who is charita- ble in his judgment of his fellow men and ever ready to aid those worthy of succor. In poli- tics he supports the Prohibition party. In re- ligion both he and his wife are Methodists.
Robert T. Allen, a brother of the Doctor. has been engaged in the practice of law in Billings since 1882. In 1874, in Ohio. Dr. Allen was united in marriage to Miss Jo- sephine Houston, daughter of John Houston, who died from disease contracted in the army during the Civil War. In 1887 Dr. Allen was married to Miss Mollie Finkelburg. a daughter of Hon. A. Finkelburg, of Fountain
City, Wisconsin. Of the first marriage two children were born: William O., and Robert T., both of whom are associated with their father in the practice of dentistry, and the only child of the second marriage is a daugh- ter, Lelah. Dr. Allen is a typical westerner, enjoying the wild, free life of the early days and has, had many thrilling adventures in his numerous hunting excursions, and has a record as an Indian fighter of distinction. He is still in the dental practice in Billings.
WILLIAM ROWLAND has had an ex- perience of nearly sixty years in the west, both on the plains, in the mountains and in vari- ous capacities. He knows the country thor- oughly from the British possessions to Mexico and has traveled to every portion. At pres- ent he resides some three miles south of Lame Deer and is engaged in stock-raising, having a fine band of horses. Mr. Rowland was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on July 10, 1832. His father. James Rowland, was born in the same place and crossed the plains to Colorado in 1862, whence he came to Montana, where he remained until his death. His wife, Miss Rhoda Hickman, in maiden life was also a native of Kentucky. Our subject came with his parents from Kentucky to Missouri when a child and remembers well the early days in Hannibal, where his father settled and built the seventh house in what is now a prosperous city. He opened the first grocery store there and there it was that our subject received his education. When only twelve years of age, William C. went out into the world for him- self and since which time he has seen all sorts of experiences. As early as 1848 he was at the American Fur Company's trading post, which is at Fort Laramie and remained tliere one summer. Returning to Iowa, he went the next spring to Washington, D. C., to join an exploring expedition that the government was
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preparing to send into the west. They went to Salt Lake and remained one winter, there being forty-two men in the party. From the time of that enlistment for twenty-seven suc- cessive years, Mr. Rowland was occupied in government service, being most of the time interpreter. He speaks the French and Span- ish language and is conversant with nearly all the Indian languages in the west, including the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Crow, etc. Much of the time he was employed as scout and guide. It would be a very interesting book that would record the expeditions he served in during these years. In 1878 Mr. Rowland came to Fort Keogh and since that time he has been within the boundaries of Montana. Seven years since, or about 1899, he quit the govern- ment service and settled where we now find him, and he is giving his attention to stock- raising and general farming.
WILLIAM W. YOUNG was born in San Antonio, Texas, on January 26, 1869, has traveled over a portion of the world and now resides one mile east of Reed, being one of the prosperous and well-to-do stockmen of Sweet Grass county. His father, Mandit A., was born in Franklin county, Tennessee, and came to Texas in 1872, earlier than Sam Houston, and in that state he spent the balance of his life. He fought under Houston during the Mexican War and died in 1883. He married Louise B. Warren, a native of Massachusetts, and a first cousin of General Warren, who was killed in the Civil War. Our subject had two uncles killed in the Alamo and remembers be- ing taken by his elder brother to see that now historic place. Our subject left home early and took up the life of a cowboy, driving cattle from Texas to Wyoming and then to The Dalles, Oregon. He rode the range from Mexico to Canada for several years, being about nine years on the trail, continuing the
same until the fences drove the large stockmen out. While working for Sun & Johnson, he left Devil's Gate, Wyoming, riding to Miles City, thence to Dickson, North Dakota, it be- ing 1882, whence he rode to Winnebago, Min- nesota, and from there to Port Arthur, and so on down the lakes to Montana. He next went to New London, Connecticut, and shipped to Buenos Ayres, South America, then across the ocean to Africa, thence north to Kimberly, and Cairo, Egypt, and then to European points. Returning to South America, he spent some time on the Amazon river and got back to Raft River, Idaho, after a trip of three years. He went back on the range and rode as stated until the fences drove the large men out, when he settled on his present ranch on one-quarter section. This was in 1896, and he purchased the place for five hundred dollars. Leaving the place for his brother to conduct, he went away and came back in the fall of 1898 and bought a ranch near by. Later his brother died and he took possession of the property he had been renting and has conducted it since. Mr. Young has been giving his attention to raising blooded cattle and has now about three hundred choice thoroughbred and graded Herefords, besides a band of sheep. He has met with excellent success in his work and is rated one of the well-to-do stockmen of the county.
Mr. Young affiliates with the M. W. A. at Reed. He is independent in politics, but takes a very active part in educational matters. He is one of the jolly bachelors of the county and one of the substantial citizens of Montana.
ARTHUR BITLE, whose years have lengthened the thread to the golden time of life, is one of the prosperous and prominent men of Custer county, as well as one of the pioneers of the state. He is dwelling about four miles east from Miles City, where he has a choice rural abode and one of the valuable
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farms of the valley. He has the satisfaction of knowing that the farm, the improvements and the good buildings have all been wrought out by his own plans and oversight, as the land was raw and the place without improvement of any kind when he came here. As Mr. Bitle is well known over the county, a detailed ac- count of his life will be interesting to all. In Prussia, his birth occurred, and his parents are Conrad and Martha (Kellerman) Bitle, both natives of Prussia. In 1843 they all came to the United States and finally landed in Quincy, Illinois, having just twenty-seven dollars in German money when they got to their destina- tion. There were five children in the family and the father went to work at once receiving fifty cents per day for his services. Our sub- ject was the eldest of the children and lie se- cured work at five dollars per month. By be- in economical they soon had money enough to enable them to get onto a piece of rented land and soon they bought some land of their own, as land was then cheap. Our subject was educated in Germany, the teacher being a man who had been appointed by the king and who was fond of the cup so that he neglected his duties. His pupils numbered two hundred and very little individual care was given to any one. Mr. Bitle was sixteen when he landed in the United States and by careful study he soon managed to read and write the English lan- guage and he has been a careful observer and reader since. He gained much of his start by attending the church and Sunday school. In 1852 he went to California, via. the Isthmus, and worked on a ranch. In 1853 he returned to Illinois and purchased a farm near Quincy. In 1865 he went to California by the Isthmus again and returned the same year. In all he crossed the Isthmus nine times and in 1866 he went across the plains by teams to California and bought land near Santa Rosa. Selling out the same year he returned to Quincy and remained three years. Then he bought a farm in Lewis county, Missouri, and there made his
home until 1883, at which time he came to the vicinity of Forsyth and engaged in the cattle business. For a decade he was found there in that business and then he sold his interests and came to his present place. At the time of his settlement here, the land was in a raw state and he commenced with the sod to make a home and develop one of the choice ranches of Cus- ter county. Mr. Bitle has fine buildings and his entire farm shows skill and thrift in the proprietor.
In 1867, Mr. Bitle married Miss Caroline L. Dickhut, the daughter of Christian and Jo- sephine (Smith) Dickhut, natives of Berlin. The father was of French ancestry and came to Quincy, Illinois, when young and there re- mained until his death. Mrs. Bitle was born in Quincy and there was reared and educated. She accompanied her husband to California in 1867. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bitle are Emmett; Edith, the wife of J. A. Chrisman; Orville, a merchant at Forsyth ; Ada Wilson, Joe Fred, Elsie, James and Edna.
Mr. Bitle is a man who takes great interest in the advancement and welfare of the county and was for a term of years commissioner, and in his public record, as in his private life, one sees the same stanch care for the interests of the people as he displayed for his own private business. His wisdom and ability are com- mended by those who know him and his acts in the commissioner's office were for the in- terests of the people and the advancement of the county.
OWEN LOVERING resides three miles west from Sidney, Montana, is one of the well- to-do stockmen and farmers of Dawson county and one of the pioneers of this section of Mon- tana. Even before coming to Montana, Mr. Lovering had long and extended experience in various other portions of the west and was
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a genuine frontiersman in the full sense of the word. He was born at Hill, New Hampshire, October 13, 1852, the son of Moses M. and Philena (Rowell) Lovering. The father was a physician, born in New Hampshire in 1812, educated in Massachusetts, went west in 1868 and died in one of the southwestern states in 1870. His widow was born in New Hampshire May 25, 1808. She was educated and mar- ried in 1838. New Hampshire was her home until 1863, when she came west with her hus- band to Jacksonville, Iowa, and a year later went to Fillmore county, Minnesota, whence in 1880 she came to Miles City and a year later removed to Sidney. She died at the home of her son on March 6, 1900, in Newlon, Mon- tana. Mr. Lovering has two brothers, F. H., at Newlon, and C. H., in Sidney, both farmers. Until fifteen years of age our subject remained in New Hampshire, attended school, then studied some in Minnesota and in 1870 came to Dakota, where he followed freighting for two years. Then he went back to Minnesota and farmed until 1876, when he came again to the Black Hills in South Dakota and pros- pected for gold for one year. After that he embarked into the cattle business in that sec- tion, but owing to the hostilities of the Indians, he gave it up and returned to Yankton, then journeyed south to Texas, where he continued in the cattle business for two years. After that he went back to Minnesota, settled up the affairs of the estate and came to Miles City in 1881. Here he engaged in hunting buffaloes for some time. By an accidental shot he lost his right arm at the shoulder, but still con- tinued in the business of hunting buffaloes. Then he took a homestead and has since been farming and raising stock. He was the first one to break up the sod on a farm in the Yel- lowstone river in this section. Mr. Lovering has shown himself a man of ability and prin- ciple and has won a success, both in the finan- cial world and in the standing among his fel- lows that is very enviable, indeed.
In 1876, when coming to the Black Hills, his company had a fight with the Sioux In- dians and in the encounter lost five men. On many other occasions he has met hostile In- dians, but always escaped unscathed, although he has had many adventures and thrilling times that he could relate.
In 1883, Mr. Lovering married Miss El- sie Slawson, who was born in New York state November 26, 1863. She received her edu- cation in Minnesota and there remained until 1878, when she came west to the vicinity of Glendive. Her father, Eben Slawson, was a farmer, born in New York state October 21, 1824, served two years in the Civil War among the New York Volunteers, came to Osakis, Minnesota, in 1867 and nine years later re- moved to Taylor county, Iowa, whence he came in 1879, his death occurring July 20, 1905, at Cashmere, Washington. They had four children, two boys and two girls, Mrs. Lovering and a brother, Frank, at Cashmere, Washington, are the only ones now living. Mr. and Mrs. Lovering have four children, Leslie, aged twenty-two; Ersul E., aged ninteen ; Harrison, aged seventeen; Herbert, aged fif- teen, all at home with their parents near Sid- ney. Mr. Lovering is a strong Republican and takes an active interest in such matters. He owns three thousand acres of land, has large bands of cattle and horses and is considered one of the leading stockinen of Dawson county.
WARREN O. SIRRINE, deceased. The memory of W. O. Sirrine is cherished by many people who knew him during his life of activ- ity, and he was certainly one of the stanch builders of the country around Chance, and especially the Clarke's Fork valley. He was born in Wayne county Pennsylvania, on Oc- tober 15, 1842, the son of Robert O. and Lu- rinda (Sevens) Sirrine. The former was born
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in Pennsylvania and came to Clear Lake, Iowa, in very early days when the Indians were plen- tiful, and hostile also. He remained in the vicinity where he first settled until 1888, when he moved to Laurel, Montana, and there remained until his death. His wife, who was also a native of the Keystone State, died in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Our subject came to Iowa when he was a lad of eleven years and had very little oppor- tunity to gather an education. His playmates were the Indian children and he remembers well the outbreaks of the Indians when the settlers were compelled to leave the country. He went to school at Waterloo, Iowa, and when he had arrived at the age of majority he began farming for himself. In 1878, he went thence to Minnesota and there secured a farm and labored until his advent into Montana. He arrived on about the first train that pulled into Glendive, then a village of tents, and took a ranch on Bell Prairie. He was instrumental in organizing the first district and his wife taught the first school, it being held in his house. Mrs. Sirrine remarks that the scholars were mostly her own children, as scarcely any others were in the district. In 1888 Mr. Sirrine came to Laurel, where he engaged in ranching. While here he used to make many trips to the east in the interests of buying and selling stock, and during his absences, his wife would always conduct the ranch. Later he came to the terri- tory that is now embraced in Big Horn county. Wyoming, and opened a ranch, just over the line. He was one of the very first settlers on the Clarke's Fork and his energy and progres- siveness showed what the country was and what it would do under the proper handling. He continued his stock business and also did ranching. In later years his health failed and in search of that which would restore it he went to California, but instead of receiving the object of his quest he steadily grew worse and within four months from the time he lande 1 there he was called to cross the river of death.
His wife returned with the remains to Billings, where they were interred. His death occurred in November, 1905.
Mrs. Sirrine was born in Greensburg, Ohio, and went when a small girl with her parents to Wisconsin. They soon returned to Ohio and in that state and in Wisconsin she received her educational training. Also, when the fam- ily went out west to Iowa, she still studied in the schools there. Her marriage occurred in Clear Lake, Iowa, and with her husband she made the trip out west to Montana. Mrs. Sir- rine has always been very active in the work of education and in advancing its interests. While she was on the ranch for many years, she conducted a road house and her husband established the postoffice at Clark, Wyoming, which she was postmistress of later. She is a stanch member of the Congregational church and the first sermon preached by that denomination in these parts was delivered in her own house. She is a highly esteemed lady and has done very much to lift up and advance those with whom she has come in contact dur- ing her life.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sirrine are named as follows: Earl, Clarence, Clara, the wife of John Harpster; Orton, Dora, the wife of C. S. Henry; Henry, Hattie, the wife of Eugene Thomas ; Neil, and Lena.
WILLIAM J. SCOTT, proprietor of the Billings Steam Laundry, at Billings, was born in Selkirkshire. Scotland, July 30, 1863. His father, James Scott, a native of the same place, came to Canada in 1878. In Scotland, Ireland and Wales, he had been land steward of three extensive estates, and he was a member of the old Lowland Scott Clan. He bought six hun- dred acres of land in Canada, Huron county, Helen (Brydon) Scott, was a native of the Ontario, where he died in 1902. The mother, same country, and came of the same Lowland
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