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 69
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 69
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 69
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 69
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 69
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 69
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 69
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Our subject went with the family when they went to Dakota, and as the nearest school house was six miles distant he did not receive a very good chance to gain an education. How- ever, he made the most of his opportunities and in 1874 he began working on the government contracts on the Missouri. In the famous centennial year he went to the Black Hills and soon engaged in freighting from Fort Pierre to the Hills. In 1884, he came to Custer county and went to work for the Continental Cattle Company. The very next fall he lo- cated a ranch, which is a portion of his present estate, and since then he has been busily en- gaged in farming and raising stock. When Mr. Volin settled here, he had only fourteen head of cattle and three work oxen, but he was a person not to be discouraged at hard things and small beginnings, so he pushed steadily ahead, and today he has about six hundred cat- tle, besides the farms mentioned and much other property. This gratifying result has been accomplished by his industry and skill, with that tenacity to stay with the enterprise he started.
Stopping to detail the life of our subject from early days, we see that he was born in Iowa, in the vicinity of Dubuque, February 4, 1855. His father conducted a blacksmith shop in the little village of Recordsville, about twelve miles out from Dubuque. The father, Louis Volin, was born in the vicinity of Mon- treal, Canada, and when eighteen years of age came with his heart made up to carve out a In 1880, Mr. Volin married Miss Mary fortune for himself, to Chicago, whence he Dumont and they have become the parents of
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seven children, whose names follow : Albert, Maud, the wife of H. D. Carrier; Lillian, the wife of A. B. McDermott ; Frank, Leo, Arthur and Victoria. Albert and Maud were born in the Black Hills, Victoria was born in New York and the others are all native to the home place. A portion of the land that belongs to Mr. Volin lies in South Dakota. He is a man whose wisdom is seen by all and whose long career here with success resulting from his hard and continued labors has established hin in the confidence and esteem of all who are ac- quainted with him.
WILLIAM BALL is conducting a hotel and livery at Sidney, Montana, and doing a prosperous business. He was born May 6, 1863, in Rochester, Indiana, the son of Will- iam and Martha (Bright) Ball. The father was born in Indiana in 1822, received his edu- cation from the public schools and followed farming. He was a strong Democrat and took an active interest in politics, held numerous offices and was also treasurer of Fulton county for several years. His marriage occurred in 1843 and he died in 1878. His wife was born in 1823 in Indiana and died in 1863. After that Mr. Ball married again. By his first wife he had five boys and four girls, three of whom are now living, Minnie Edson, in Spokane, Washington; Ida Fowler in Kansas; and Em- ma Bailey in Eureka, Kansas. By his second marriage, Mr. Ball has one son, Thomas, and two daughters, Maude and Laura, all living in Kansas City, Missouri. Our subject was educated in Rochester, Indiana, spending seven years in school life. In 1879, the family went to Kansas and for two years he did farm work. Then he went to Texas and rode the range, coming north to Cheyenne in 1882. Return- ing to Texas, he came north in 1883 with a herd of cattle to the vicinity of Wibaux and went into the cattle business, which he followed
until 1896, setttling on Beaver creek. He re- mained on the range until 1904, then came to Sidney and opened a hotel and livery where we find him at the present time.
Mr. Ball is a Democrat and a member of the M. W. A.
June 29, 1896, occurred the marriage of Mr. Ball and May Curtis. To them one child has been horn, Madge, three years of age. Mrs. Ball was born in Falls City, Wisconsin, June 19. 1871, received a good common school edu- cation in her native state and came to Wibaux in 1895. She is an adherent of the Congrega- tional church as is her husband. Mrs. Ball's father, George A. Curtis, was born in Roches- ter, New York, August 23. 1843, migrated to Dunn county when young and followed farm- ing from that time until the present. He mar- ried Celia Carter, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, October 6, 1847, and came to the vicinity of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when six years of age. Their wedding occurred September 20, 1868, and both are still living. Mr. and Mrs. Carter had seven children, four girls and three boys. One of the latter died in infancy. The names of the others besides Mrs. Ball are : Mrs. J. R. McArthur at Elmira, North Dakota; Mrs. G. O. Reed, Claude and Roy Curtis; all at Medora, North Dakota, and Lila Curtis at Menomonee, Wisconsin.
ALBERT ALGAARD, one of the young citizens of Sweet Grass county, is an example of what an industrious, energetic and pro- gressive young man can do in the state of Montana. He was born in Stavanger, Nor- way, on February 11, 1880. and now resides five miles west from Reed. His parents were Berent and Greta Algaard, who still live on the old homestead in Norway, aged sixty-two. The father has been a school teacher there for over thirty-two years. Our subject is the eldest of five children and is the only one in the
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United States. He was educated in the com- mon schools of his country, being well taught also by his father, and when nineteen became very desirous of trying his fortune in the New World. He accordingly provided for the journey and came to the United States and then on to Melvin, Montana. One year was spent there, then he journeyed to Bigtimber and for two years was engaged in sheep ranch- ing by Anderson Brothers. Two years since he bought one hundred and sixty acres ad- joining, being determined to make this his home. He had little or no capital after mak- ing his first payments but with strong resolu- tion and bright hope, he took hold with his hands to make a valuable place and a home. He has built a residence, procured teams and made various other improvements on the es- tate. He can put every foot of the two hun- dred and forty acres under the ditch and now has about thirty acres of fine alfalfa that will average fully four tons per acre annually. He expects to place the larger portion of the land into alfalfa as rapidly as possible and will take up the sheep industry. Presaging the fu- ture by the past it is very safe to state that barring events over which man cannot have any control, Mr. Algaard will in a very few years become one of the wealthy and leading citizens of Sweet Grass County. He has al- ready shown splendid ability and energy and has now a start that will soon procure him wealth.
In 1902, Mr. Algaard married Mary Hel- lern, and the nuptials were scarcely over when she fell ill and death claimed her.
On April 19. 1904. Mr. Algaard married again. Miss Mjalie Eglund, a native of Nor- way, became his bride. She came to Minne- sota with her parents when seven years old and they now reside at Devils Lake, North Dakota. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs Algaard, Bernard.
In political matters, our subject is a Re- publican, although not partisan. It is well
known that many of the best citizens of the United States are men who have come from the northland. Quick, active, keen of per- ception, full of energy, dominated by strong will under the control of wise judgment, it is not strange that these people keenly ap- preciate our institutions of freedom and most loyally do help the same. Not least among this class of people is Mr. Algaard and Montana is to be congratulated upon having such gen- uine home builders as he and his wife.
MRS. ANNETTE MEADORS lives at Sidney, Dawson county, Montana, and was born at Bakersfield, Vermont, October 9, 1849. Her father, John F. Betty, was born at John- son, Vermont, on July 4, 1821. He received his education from the common schools, then in 1852 came to Iowa, purchasing a farm near Walker. He served three years in the Civil War and remained in Iowa until 1891, when he removed to Sidney, Montana, where he died on April 17, 1904. He married Phoebe Whittemore, who was born at Eden, Vermont, June 13. 1819. She was married August 2, 1845, is a very industrious woman and a stanch supporter of the Methodist church. They became parents of four boys and two girls. Two of the boys died, one at the age of fifteen and one at thirteen. The other left home and has never been heard of since. Mrs. Jane E. Kemis lives at Sidney, Montana. Mrs. Meadors received her educa- tion from the common schools at Walker, Iowa, her parents having moved there when she was three years old and there she re- mained on the farm until twenty years of age. On October 9, 1869, she married William M. Meadors. He was born at Ainsworth, Indiana, April 22. 1840. After studying in the public schools of Indiana he enlisted in Company B. Seventeenth Indiana Volunteers and served three years in the Civil War, being honorably
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discharged. He came to Walker, Iowa, in 1865 and there followed farming. After their mar- riage, they remained there until 1881, when they came west to Sidney and engaged in farming and stock raising. They had very little property when they located here and it was up hill work to start; but as both Mr. and Mrs. Meadors were persevering and deter- mined people they finally gathered some prop- erty about them and by general farming and stock raising became very well to do. On July 2. 1905, Mr. Meadors was drowned in the Yellowstone river. He was a faithful Christian man and his death was sincerely mourned on every hand. At the time of his demise he owned sixteen hundred acres of land and five hundred head of cattle besides other property. He and his wife were mem- bers of the Methodist church and assisted to start the first Sunday school and formed the church at Sidney and have both been very active in church work. Also they have been very prominent in educational matters as Mrs. Meadors taught the first school in the valley and they have always labored together for better schools and educational facilities.
In political matters Mr. Meadors was a Republican and a very active man in all lines. The children born to this couple were six in number, one girl and five boys. But one now survives, John P. Meadors, who resides at Fairview, Montana. Eleven years ago, Mrs. Meadors took a little girl of five from the orphans' home at Chicago. She is now at- tending school at Helena, a bright young lady of seventeen.
and Quebec, Canada, respectively. The mo- ther came with her parents when a child to New York and her death occurred in South Dakota. The father came from New York state to Dodge county. Minnesota, in 1863 and settled on a farm there until 1869. when he journeyed on west to Lincoln county, South Dakota, where he remained on a farm until his death. In the public schools of South Da- kota, our subject received his education and he remained there until 1879, when he went on west to the Black Hills country, where he did teaming and mining for a decade. It was 1889 when he set foot in Custer county and having brought stock with him he commenced the occupation of handling stock together with farming and has continued thus since. His present place is one of the excellent ones of Custer county and his labors all the time he has remained in Montana have been attended with a success and prosperity that have been very gratifying to him and his many friends. Mr. Dumont possesses a large ranch, all of which is attended to in first-class manner, and he is one of the extensive stock owners of the county. Mr. Dumont has always followed the line, which, by the way, is not as often done as it might be wished among the pioneers, namely, that of making his home place as com- fortable and attractive as possible. The re- sult is that Mr. Dumont has one of the best houses in this portion of the county and he shows an air of thrift about his premises that bespeak the man of carefulness and attention to business.
In 1892, Mr. Dumont married Miss Addie Ashland, a native of New York state, and to this union the following named children have been born. Ronald E., Glenden, James, Leoner, Lloyd, Carrol, and Margaret.
CHARLES DUMONT. who resides about eight miles west from Capitol. Montana. Fraternally Mr. Dumont is identified with the Modern Woodmen and he is a popular and highily esteemed man in the community. was born in Clinton county, New York, Au- gust 29. 1860, being the son of Abraham and Annie ( Willet) Dumont, natives of New York . In the matters of politics and general improve-
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ment and advancement, he is always active and does the part of the loyal and substantial citi- zen.
THOMAS KENT is a stock man residing six miles east of Greycliff and is one of the earliest pioneers in the state of Montana. Since coming here he has been almost contin- ously within the bounds of the state and is personally acquainted with all the leading men and occurrences of early days and has seen the state of Montana grow from a wilderness inhabited by hostile Indians to its present wealthy and prosperous condition. Since of age, he has taken an active part, having pro- duced much wealth and shown a progressive spirit in the work of development that he has done. Being thus a pioneer and one of the builders of the state, it is very fitting that a history of his life be incorporated in this vil- ume.
Thomas Kent was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, eighteen miles from Greensburg on January 3. 1842. being the son of Samuel and Mary ( Brown) Kent. The father was born in the eighteenth century, moved to Iowa in early days and there died in 1862. The mother came from an old Mary- land family. Her parents moved to Pennsyl- vania long before the war and there gave lib- erty to their fifty slaves. Mrs. Kent came to Montana in 1888 and spent the balance of her days with her son. Her death occurred in 1891, she being of a ripe old age. Our sub- ject is the second of twelve children. He has two sisters living, Mrs. Joseph Kemph, at Ab- sarokee, Mrs. C. H. Embury, in Medford, Min- nesota, and another sister. Mrs. Garrigus, who died here a few years since. When Mr. Kent reached his majority, he determined to see the west and made his first trip west from In- diana, driving across the country to the North Platte river. There he joined James Boze-
man's expedition and drove to Virginia City by way of the Big Horn mountains and then up the Clark's Fork. Here they struck the old Bridger trail and followed it to where Liv- ingston now stands and it is of interest that on July 4. 1864. Mr. Kent was right in the neighborhood where he now lives. He was then impressed with the country so much that in later years, when selecting land, he came here. The trip west occupied him two months and during this time he saw no white men save those in the train. Game was exceedingly abundant and here we would remark that during all his career in the west, Mr. Kent has been a very successful hunter. The game was so abundant in early days that it is impos- sible to realize the condition of things. Mr. Kent remarks that in 1872, he saw a band of antelope traveling two or three abreast that continued twelve hours in passing a given point. 1864 were the palmy days of Alder Gulch and Mr. Kent then took part in mining. Those days of road agents and vigilantes, of fortunes made in a month and lost in a night are those never to come again in Montana and with the others he made his fortunes and lost them too. In 1868, he went into the Lincoln Gulch in the Black Foot country and later went into the Last Chance Gulch before the stampede to that place .. He had become dis- gusted with it and thought it no good. Min- ing occupied him until 1870, in which year he gave away enough claims to his friends to have kept him washing steadily from that day, and retired from that business. Then he came down from Yellowstone river, prospecting and trapping for a few seasons. About 1876. he began the business of cattle raising and con- tinued steadily at this until the big outfits were driven out. and about 1884. disposed of his cattle and took up sheep raising, which in- dustry he is still following. He has made his home on his present place since 1878, more than a quarter of a century, and now has a home place considered by all who see it, one
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of the best places in the northwest. It is cer- tainly a beautiful spot and he has added many improvements. Mr. Kent has had many ups and downs and if half the fortunes he has made were in his hands today, he would be consid- ered one of the very wealthy men of the coun- try. At one time he lost five thousand head of sheep, worth from four to five dollars apiece. Still no reverses have discouraged and he has always taken hold with renewed vigor and has overcome. Although he resided here during all the fierce days of Indian conflict and war, he never took part in any of the troubles and was never molested. He was with- in a mile of the place when Dr. Frost was slain by the Sioux and in those days when a Sioux and a white man met one or the other or both died. So thoroughly was this known that no hesitation occurred at those meetings to see if there were friendly overtures but it was war to the bitter end.
In 1875, Mr. Kent married a Crow In- dian woman and they have five children. Mrs. Ella Cashen, living near Billings; Mrs. Mary Stevens and Mrs. Josie Williams, living on Lodge Grass Creek near the Wyoming line ; Mrs. Lizzie McComas, living at Greycliff, and Magaret Stevens, the youngest, living at Greycliff.
Mr. Kent is a member of the K. P. order and in politics is a Democrat. He has fre- quently been offered office but has always re- fused. and while he likes to see things pro- gressing properly, he has not shown any parti- sanship in political affairs.
KIRK E. HERBERT was born September 18, 1859, at Red Wing, Minnesota, and now resides a mile southeast of Ridgelawn where he follows general farming. He was justice of the peace at Newland township and is one of the substantial men of this part of the county. His father, Alvin Herbert, M. D., was born !
October 21, 1829, near Sandusky, Ohio. After receiving his literary education, he matricula- ted at the Hahnemann Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1866. He prac- ticed at Albia, Iowa, then on account of the ill health of his wife went to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas and four years later to Barton county, Missouri ; in 1877 to Minnehaha coun- ty, South Dakota, in 1883 to Chautauqua coun- ty, Kansas, and six years later he settled in Cus- ter county. South Dakota, where he died July II, 1897. His wife, Nancy L. Kirkpatrick in maiden life, was born in Illinois in 1841 and was taken by her parents when an infant to Henry county, Iowa, where she lived until her marriage. Our subject had four brothers and two sisters and at present two of his brothers are living, Alman H. in Custer county, South Dakota, and William B. at Ridgelawn, Mon- tana. Mr. Herbert was educated in the schools at Red Wing, Minnesota, and Palisade, South Dakota, finishing when twenty years of age. After that he traveled here and there and fol- lowed various occupations and for about eight years was on the range in different portions of the west. After this, he operated a saw mill in the Black Hills for eight years. In 1896, he removed to Ekalaka, Montana, where he remained for four years. In 1900 he took his present place as a homestead and since that time has been occupied in farming and im- proving the same.
On December 16, 1890, Mr. Herbert mar- ried Mary Bell Stanhope, who was born in Vir- gil City, Missouri, May 27, 1870. She was reared and educated in her native place and came to Custer county, South Dakota, when nineteen. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs Herbert, Leslie A., aged four- teen ; Willie H., aged twelve; Lucy C., aged ten ; Evelyn and Earl, twins, aged eight ; Milo T., aged six ; Nettie M., aged four; Gertrude B., aged one.
Mr. Herbert has always been allied with the Republican party but is not especially ac-
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tive. However he is very active in promoting school interests and has been director for several years. He is a member of the M. W. A. and consul of local camp.
CEDERGREN BROTHERS. This en- terprising firm comprises Money O. and Rich- ard E., both natives of Chicago, Illinois, the former having been born October 20, 1873; the latter June 21. 1882. In the excellent pub- lic schools of the Garden City they received good, practical business educations, later learn- ing thoroughly the tinner's trade, which they industriously followed until 1899, when both came to Billings, Montana, Money O. being the first to arrive. Previously he had opened a tin shop at Fargo, North Dakota, where he remained about one year. He was employed as a foreman for A. L. Babcock, and when the later disposed of his interest in the business Money O. and Richard E. opened a tin shop under the firm name of Cedergren Brothers. November 1, 1905, the boys, with Gwen Burla, their brother-in-law, and Edward Sandy, or- ganized the Western Hardware Company, at Billings, and merged their business into the same.
Politically the brothers are Democrats, and as active in the various campaigns of their party as their business will permit. They have become recognized as leading citizens of the city and are highly esteemed.
On May Ist they disposed of their interest in the Western Hardware Company and have erected a large brick structure in which they conduct a sheet metal cornice works.
ARTHUR C. LOGAN. an extensive Yel- low stone Valley stockman, resides at Billings. He was born in New Milford, Connecticut, June 9, 1853. the son of James and .Ann ( Den-
ning) Logan. James, the father, was also a native of Connecticut as was the paternal grandfather of our subject. They were of Scotch ancestry. Of an old New England family the members were participants in the Revolution- ary war. The mother of our subject was a native of Ireland, coming to the United States about 1849. She died in 1900 at Brookfield, Connecticut. The father of our subject also passed from earth, near New Milford, Con- necticut. in 1881.
Arthur C. Logan was a graduate from the Danbury, Connecticut, High School at the age of fifteen. At sixteen he began teaching school, and at the age of eighteen years he was prin- cipal of public schools in New Milford, Con- necticut, which profession he followed fifteen years. During that time he was principal of three graded schools. He went to Bismarck, Dakota, in 1880, and for one year was a school principal in that city. He then came to Miles City, Montana, where he edited the Miles City Press, a daily paper, which for one year he conducted with marked ability. He was prin- cipal of the schools there six years, and really organized the schools, and in 1886 was appoin- ted school superintendend by Governor Hauser, of the then territory of Montana, and reap- pointed by Governor Preston B. Leslie. He refused the nomination for the same office, after statehood, and engaged in the stock busi- ness, raising sheep and cattle. He has a ranch of 1,000 acres, located eight miles west of Bil- lings. He has been extensively interested in the importation and breeding of imported stock, and is at present the heaviest importer of blooded stock in the state.
In 1884. at Bismarck, our subject was mar- ried to Grace Southmayd, born in Columbus, Wisconsin. She died in 1892, April 2d. June 17, 1893, he was married, at Chicago, to Bessie Southmayd, a native of Wisconsin and sister of his first wife. Her father was Captain Ogden Southmayd, a native of Middletown, Connecticut, his father having been born in
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the same place. He was a lineal descendant of Elder Wm. Brewster, who came from England on the Mayflower. Her mother was a native of New York.
Since 1874, when our subject joined St. Peter's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., New Milford. Connecticut, he has taken an active and enthus- iastic interest in masonry, having passed all the chairs in Yellowstone Lodge, No. 26, Miles City. In 1889 he was elected Grand Master of Montana. He is a member of the Blue Lodge and Commandary in Billings, and Past High Priest of the Chapter at Miles City, and is a charter member of Algeria Temple, Shrin- ers, of Helena, and is Past Grand Potenate of the same. He assisted in organizing the shrine at Spokane.
Mr. and Mrs. Logan have five children, Fay, aged twenty ; Tom, seventeen; Dick, fif- teen ; Harrie, a girl, thirteen and Grace aged nine. These children are remarkable for their musical talent, forming an orchestra that is famous throughout the state. Both Mr. and Mrs. Logan are members of the Episcopal Church.
ALBERT T. GARRISON, who resides one-half mile north from Lee, is giving his at- tention to farming and stockraising and is to be numbered with the earliest settlers in what is now Rosebud county. Since his advent to this section, he has been continuously engaged in the labors above mentioned and has shown himself to be a worthy citizen and a true fron- tiersman. Born in Franklin, Indiana, on No- vember 27, 1855, the son of Lindsley and Mary Reese Garrison, he has been steadily coming west since until he reached the mecca, Montana, which satisfied his desires and where he de- termined to make a permanent home. His father was a native of Ohio and about 1865 moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he re- mained until his death. The mother had died
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