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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79
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 79
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REV. THOMAS F. STACK merits rec- ognition among others of the earnest workers in the priesthood of the Roman Catholic church in Montana. Thomas Francis Stack is a native of Listowel. County Kerry, Ire- land, being born on October 5, 1874, the son of Thomas and Honora ( Donoghue) Stack. both of whom were likewise born in old County Kerry and still reside in the Emerald Isle, the father being a merchant. For fifteen years a resident of the United States, Thomas Stack eventually returned to his native land, and of his seven children Thomas F. was the second.
Father Stack received preliminary educa- tion in the national and parochial schools and thereafter entered St. Michael's college, a pre- paratory institution, where he completed a three years' course, graduating in the class of 1893. The same year he matriculated in All Hallows College, Dublin, where he devoted especial at- tention to philosophy, in which connection he won distinction. In this well-equipped insti- tution, governed by the Vincentian Fathers, he studied for five years. Coming to America in 1898, he completed his studies at St. Bona- venture's college. Allegany. New York. Two years later, Father Stack had finished the pre- scribed course, and he was there ordained to
the priesthood on July 16, 1900, by Archbishop Quigley, the present archbishop of Chicago.
Forthwith, Father Stack started for Mon- tana, arriving in Helena August 15, and re- porting to Bishop Brondel. At the expiration of ten days he was assigned as assistant priest at Deer Lodge, where he remained six months, and on March 15, 1901, he became assistant priest under Father Callahan, at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Butte. Here he en- tered with enthusiasm and devotion upon his duties, proving an able coadjutor to Father Callahan and striving to further in every pos- sible way the material and the spiritual welfare of his parislı. In December of the same year Father Stack was transferred to St. Agnes' church, Red Lodge, where he labored till De- cember, 1904, when he was appointed to Bil- lings. His work here is well known and for a further account of the progress of the church in Billings with its early history, we refer the reader to the general history of Yellowstone county in this volume.
ERVIN GRANT BLAIR, one of the pio- neer stockmen of northern Park county, re- sides eight miles north of Meyersburg, where he owns over twelve thousand acres of land. which he devotes to general farming and stock raising. His flocks consist of eleven thousand sheep, while he owns also some cattle and about seventy-five horses. Mr. Blair was the first man to breed Hampshire sheep in this part of the state and his flocks are all fine ani- mals. He owns two splendid thoroughbred1 Norman stallions and takes a great interest in horse breeding, being a thorough horseman and admirer of excellent animals. In addition he buys wild horses and breaks and sells them, thus dealing in as well as raising these animals.
Ervin G. Blair was born in McConnells- burg, Pennsylvania, August II, 1865, being the son of James A. and Mary E. (Holman)
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Blair. The father was born in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania, in 1827 and died at Aurora, Illinois, January 5, 1900. His father was Robert Blair, of Englishi extraction, who mar- ried Elinda Ervin, of Scotch-Irish ancestors. Ervin G. received his education in the common schools, completing the same in Jennings Sem- inary, Aurora, Illinois. He was eighteen years of age when he came to Montana and his first labor here was by the month on a stock farm. Having fully mastered the methods of sto.k breeding and raising in this section of the country, in 1887, he homesteaded a place in the northern part of Gallatin county and took up stock raising for himself in company with his brother, James E. Blair. They continued suc- cessfully together until the spring of 1893. when his brother died. Mr. Blair still followed the business on the old homestead until 1898. when he purchased the fine estate he now owns. He still owns half of the homestead and since coming to this larger place, he has made extensive improvements and increased his holdings in stock. Mr. Blair is a man who takes great delight in his labors and being suc- cessful has done much to forward the stock interests of this part of Montana by purchas- ing some of the best animals.
On July 11, 1894. Mr. Blair married Rus- sie A. Welliver, the daughter of Russell and Dell Welliver. Her father was born in Penn- sylvania and her mother in Illinois, while her native place is Orion. Illinois, and the date of her birth June 8. 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Blair have three children, Erwin W., born July 19, 1896; Marion I., born May 16, 1898, and James Roscoe, born February 25, 1906.
Mr. Blair takes an interest in politics, be- ing allied with the Republican party, is a mem- ber of the Elks, the Yeomen, the Masons and was elected a member of the board of educa- tion in Livingston. He is a man of energy, wisdom and force and is one of the builders of this part of the country. He is appreciated
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among his fellows and the success he has won stamps him the man he is.
Mr. Blair was elected commissioner of Park county for four years in 1906 and is serving with general satisfaction. He is di- rector in a co-operative grocery in Livingston, which is doing well. In the fall of 1906 he incorporated his ranch holdings under the name of Blair-Penwell Ranch Company, with a capital of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, all but sixty-five thousand being paid up, and he is president and general manager of the concern. He has a splendid residence in Livingston and in the summer en- joys the freedom of the ranch.
Mr. Blair's father was born in Fulton county, Pennsylvania. March 20, 1830. His mother, Mary Elmira Holman, in maiden life, was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania. and died near Aurora, Illinois, December 18. 1871, aged thirty-eight, having been the mother of eight children. Her parents, Eli and Harriet ( Hammett ) Holman. moved from Fulton county, Pennsylvania, to DeKalb county, Indiana, in 1864, where they both died. he September 25. 1877, and she June 23. 1896.
MAX GRUEL is known as one of the best informed men on the science of agriculture in this portion of the state of Montana. and even a cursory glance at his career and his studies is sufficient to indicate that the experience he has had justifies the statement. Born of that substantial and thrifty race that has left its im- press the world around. Mr. Gruel inherits the same substantial qualities and is a citizen of which our state may be proud. His home is eight miles west from Joliet, on Redlodge creek, and there he owns a quarter section, sixty acres of which are under ditch and very productive. He raises general crops, but is now turning his attention to sugar beet pro- duction, beginning with ten acres this year.
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Taking up more in detail the life of Mr. Gruel, we note first that he was born in Wur- temberg, Germany, on December 14, 1871. His father, Johannes Gruel, was born in 1830, took honors in his graduation from the medi- cal university and for forty-two years he was a steady practitioner of medicine in his home town, his death occurring in 1900. He mar- ried Christania L. Wanner, who is still living at the advanced age of seventy-one, having been born October 8, 1835. Our subject was the sixth of a family of seven children, three of whom, Charles, Louis and himself are re- siding on Redlodge creek. The rest of the family is in Germany. Having finished the public school course, our subject then pressed on into the Agricultural college at Hohenheim1. whose reputation is so excellent that students from all over the world are matriculated to gain its advantages. He completed the estab- lished course and soon after that date he was asked to accept the oversight of a large estate, which position he held for two years. Prior to his college course, he had made such study of scientific farming and had held oversight on several large farms. Also, for two and one-half years he was connected with a sani- tary dairy, which supplied milk for invalids and infants. In January, 1898. Mr. Gruel left Germany for Argentine Republic, and as soon as he had mastered the language he took the oversight of a large plantation, his address there being Estancia Sophia. From there he finally came to Montana and he arrived via New York in June. 1899. For two years sub- sequent to his arrival, he was with his brother, Charles, and then he purchased the quarter section where he now resides. His first inten- tion was to open a stock ranch, but since then he has decided to enter the field of beet pro- duction, as stated. He has fifty head of fine Hereford cattle, besides other stock, and is one of the well-to-do men of the community. Politically, Mr. Gruel is independent, while in church relation he is Lutheran.
SAM. P. TUNNELL, a native of Haw- kins, Tennessee, born February 25, 1832, at present resides on a valuable ranch two and one-half miles from Fishtail, ascending the creek. His father, John, also born in Tennes- see, in the early forties went to Sullivan coun- ty. Missouri, where he remained until his death. His mother, Elizabeth ( Charles) Tun- nell, was a Tennesseean by birth, dying in Missouri.
During the early boyhood of our subject schools were scarce, and it was a limited edu- cation he received at that time. At the age of fourteen he accompanied his parents to Missouri, but in 1861 crossed the plains with ox teams to Lassen county, California, where he found employment on farms and at driv- ing stages. About the year 1870 he went to Cherry Creek, Nevada, and joined a number of the various stampedes to several mining camps, and among others, some camps in Utah. He came to the Gallatin valley, Mon- tana, in 1883, and the following fall to the vi- cinity of Livingston. It was in 1904 that he removed to his present eligible location.
In 1859 Mr. Tunnell was united in mar- riage to Mary J. Vencill, a native of Virginia. With her parents she went to Missouri at an early day, coming west with our subject, and dying in Nevada. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tunnell: R. W., born in Missouri, and now on a ranch in Alberta : Stresley, born in California, where he accom- panied his father in his various mining expe- ditions, and attended school mainly at Cherry Creek. He attended the Brigham Young Academy one term, where he had as school fellow the notable Reed Smoot, now United States Senator; Mary F., wife of Woodson Hodges; Laura B., wife of William P. Dut- ton. The fall of the Custer massacre on the Little Big Horn, our subject left Cherry Creek, Nevada, for the Black Hills, accompanied by three other persons. Indians at that period were quite hostile, and about a dozen men
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who were traveling in a party ahead of our subject were killed by the red skins. On this trip he endured many hardships, and at one time he was compelled to dig a hole in the ground in which to sleep on account of a serious wind storm. From the time he left Missouri until his return it was forty-four years.
RUDOLPH SUMER, in whose house the Etna postoffice is kept, his wife being the postmistress, is one of the substantial and wealthy residents of the Tongue valley in Custer county and has won his holdings and his position by dint of hard and careful labor and by a walk that commends him to the fel- lowship and good will of all who know him. He was born in Austria, near the line of Ger- many and Switzerland, on October 2, 1868, being the son of Rudolph and Kate (Frich) Sumer, natives of the same locality where this son was born. The father followed farming and lumbering and died in his home place in 1905. Our subject was educated and grew up in the locality of his birth and received good training in both the German and French. Until he was twenty-two he was engaged with his father and then he decided to try his for- tune in the United States and soon was in Portland, Oregon. There he remained, work- ing for wages, for two years when he came on to Custer county and for four years con- tinued to work for wages. Then he found that by economy he had laid by enough to warrant his investment in land and he bought a portion of the estate he now owns. From time to time he has added to the land by pur- chase until he now has four full sections and is considered one of the well-to-do men of the valley. From the first he went to stock rais- ing and has continued steadily at this with good success from the start. He has his place well improved and is a thrifty, progressive
and intelligent stockman and farmer of the county. His stock consists of cattle and horses and he has fine animals.
In 1897 Mr. Sumer married Miss Sarah Walters, the daughter of Nicholas Walters, a native of Switzerland, whence she came with her parents, also natives of Switzerland, to America when she was a small child. Mrs. Sumer has four brothers and two sisters : Reno, Leo, William, Fred, Clara, who is a teacher in the schools of Custer county, and Edith. Mr. Sumer has brothers and sisters mentioned as follows: John, Joseph, Jack, Albert, Charlie, Kate, Mary and Rose, all in Austria. To Mr. and Mrs. Sumer three chil- dren have been born: William Rudolph, at Miles City, on May 7, 1899; Walter, at Miles City, on March 29, 1901; and Walton Leo, on the ranch, July 12, 1903.
Mr. Sumer started in this country without capital, save two good strong hands and a determined spirit, and the large holding of property he now has to show represents his in- dividual labor and wisdom in business. His wife has long been postmistress at Etna, now over five years, and they are people of excel- lent standing with hosts of friends.
A. W. McINTOSH. Nearly four score years ago, in New York state, was born to William and Helen (McKinzie) McIntosh, a son, who is now the well known veteran of western explorations and a substantial citizen of Rosebud county, whose name is mentioned above. Mr. McIntosh traveled from the At- lantic to the Pacific. Came west in the early days and has had a life on the frontier which would be interesting to any lover of history. While he has been occupied in all the various lines of activity that are generaly found on the frontier and is thoroughly acquainted with pioneer life and pioneer experiences in every particular, still he more especially gave his
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time and efforts to mining. Like many ,others, who have assisted materially in opening the west, Mr. McIntosh was very much fascinated by the search for hidden treasure. He has participated in almost every one of the famous early day inining rushes and is intimately ac- quainted with the country from the Fraser river to the Rio Grande. It was 1859 when he crossed the isthmus and landed in San Fran- cisco. California, Nevada, Utah, New Mex- ico, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and British Co- lumbia besides many other places have been visited by him in his search for nature's treas- ures. He was in southern Idaho then came to Virginia City in 1864 and the same year re- turned to Lewiston, Idaho. Thence he came to Florence and a year later to Walla Walla, and in 1865 landed again in Montana. After that he spent a decade mining in Utah and various other portions of the southwest, and afterward in 1881 he settled on a ranch where he now resides, some eleven miles up the Rose- bud from Forsyth. Mr. McIntosh was one of the aggressive. fearless men in mining and al- ways made plenty of money but as his plans were great, he had the courage to execute them, so it was always spent again in further- ing large mining schemes. As the country was exceedingly new when Mr. McIntosh came here he had an opportunity of making an excellent selection and showed his wisdom in doing so, as his large estate is now one of the choicest in Rosebud county. Our subject's father was a native of Scotland and came to New York when a young man and was em- ployed on a canal. Later, he engaged in farm- ing and removed to Michigan, which was his home place until his death. His wife was born in the Genesee valley, New York, her father being one of the very earliest settlers there and a prominent and wealthy man. Their son, the immediate subject of this article, was born July 5, 1829, and received his education in New York, Michigan and Ohio.
In 1872 Mr. McIntosh married Barbara
Jamison, a native of Scotland, who came to the United States with her parents when young. To this union the following children have been born: Alexander, at home; Mary, the wife of William Campbell; James and Lucy B.
HARRY BRICE BLAIR, one of the hustling business men of Park county has achieved success in several lines of enterprise, each one of which would have been a com- mendable undertaking of the ordinary busi- ness man. He gives his attention mostly to general farming, sheep raising, his headquar- ters being at the Wall Rock ranch nine miles west from Meyersburg. This estate consists of five thousand and eight hundred acres and was purchased by Mr. Blair in 1903. His sheep number about six thousand head, while he has some other stock. He is mak- ing an ideal sheep ranch, supplying all im- provements needed in this industry and he has fine flocks.
Harry Brice Blair was born at Eola, Illi- nois, September 15, 1868. His parents are mentioned in the biography of his brother, Ervin G. Blair, in another portion of this work. Having completed his education at Aurora. Illinois, Mr. Blair came west to Montana when seventeen and settled in the Smith River Val- ley. In 1890 he homesteaded on a tributary of sixteen-mile creek and went into the cattle business, which he followed for three years. Then he sold his cattle and began raising sheep. He continued in this business on Six- teen-mile creek until purchasing the land above mentioned, when he transferred his head- quarters to the Wall Rock farm and is making extensive improvements.
On February 17, 1892, Mr. Blair married Thirza Van Doren, whose parents, John W. and Harriett (Wagner) Van Doren, are men- tioned elsewhere .in this volume. Two chil-
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dren are the fruit of this union: Mildred H., born March 22, 1894; and James Halsey, born May 28, 1898.
Mr. Blair is an active Republican and be- longs also to the order of the Elks. In com- pany with his brother and his wife's father Mr. Blair owns the Shields River Telephone line which has been extended from Livingston to Dorsey and is now put in connection with the Bell system. It is a great benefit to the settlers of the valley and is a promising re- munerative enterprise. That Mr. Blair has made a splendid success in the sheep business, has become one of the leading real estate own- ers of the county and by his energy and skill has assisted materially in placing the telephone system in a good running order indicates him to be a man of no mean business talent, and, presaging the future by the past, we are safe in saying that many bright victories lie in his path. He is a genial man and has made many friends and has a standing of the best through- out the county.
DEFOREST W. BIGELOW, one of the early western pioneers and one who has had a large share in the making of western his- tory, is at present a prosperous ranchman in the Yellowstone valley, residing two and one- half miles from Fishtail up the creek. He was born in Rock Island, Illinois, May 22, 1854.
His father, James R., in the opinion of our subject, was born in the western part of the state of New York. By occupation he was .a steamboat captain and pilot ; first on the lakes, and subsequently on the Mississippi river. In 1859 he crossed the plains to Denver, Colo- rado, remaining, however, only a short period, going thence to California Gulch, and after- ward visiting other places. 3 Returning to Denver he engaged in placer mining. In the spring of 1862 he went to East Bannock,
Montana, with a pack train of which he was wagon master. The same year Alder Gulch was discovered by William Fairweather who came to Bannock after supplies. His discov- ery he attempted to keep a secret, but Mr. Bigelow discovered it, and, in company with Mr. Fairweather, and his son, he started for Alder Gulch. Mr. Bigelow secured a claim, No. 6, below Discovery and Summit claims. At that time our subject was too young to file on a claim. They all remained there until 1864. going thence to Last Chance Gulch (now Helena). Then Mr. Bigelow and his son divided their time between Alder and Last Chance Gulch. Finally Mr. Bigelow sold out his Summit claim for more dust than his son could lift. The father then left his son at school in Alder Gulch. At that time subject was thirteen years of age. His father, when loading the dust on to an animal, in two sacks, asked the subject to hold one of the sacks which he was unable to do, and he was a strong boy.
In 1865 Mr. Bigelow started for the Koo- tenai mines, which had recently been discov- ered. He secured claim No. 3, and this he soon disposed of for another large load of "dust." Then ensued a rush for Blackfoot City, and he was swept along with the tide, and took the claim where he was subsequently murdered. . It was supposed that he had been killed by a man who had served as foreman of his mine. At that period Captain Williams, X. Beidler, Colonel S. F. Sanders, Neil Howey and John Featherstone were the prin- cipal leaders of the vigilantes. They put forth every effort to discover the murderer and apprehend him, and it was supposed aft- erward that the man who had killed Mr. Bige- low had been subsequently murdered by In- dians. At the time of the killing of Mr. Bige- low a large number of the population of Mon- tana were "road agents," and a man never knew friends from foes. Following the mur- der of Bigelow, Colonel Sanders made a thrill-
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ling speech, and assured the people that unless something was done immediately all the law- abiding people would be killed.
The mother of our subject, Maria (Fos- ter) Bigelow, went to Denver with her hus- band where she died.
To Denver our subject went with his mother the year following the arrival in that city of his father. He accompanied the latter to Alder Gulch, and other mining camps, and remained with him until his father went to Kootenai. While he was in Nevada City he witnessed the lynching by vigilantes of George Ives, the first one executed by lynch law in Montana. Ives exhibited a great deal of bravado, and so sure was he that he would not be hanged that he came forth from his cabin smoking a cigar. But the vigilantes were in deadly earnest, and upon the appear- ance of Ives each one drew a bead on the spectators and sympathisers with Ives who were present, and thus hield them motionless until the hanging was over. Following the death of his father our subject was taken in charge by the vigilantes, and wanted for noth- ing. They placed him in school and paid all necessary expenses. The men foremost in caring for him were X. Beidler, Captain Wil- liams and Neil Howey.
In 1860 our subject left school and joined the Salmon River stampede. The following fall he returned to Helena, and soon after other mining camps were discovered. In 1869 he went to White Pine, Nevada, and here he joined the Pioche stampede, returning in 1876 to Helena, where he remained until the dis- covery of Penobscot, Wippoorwill and Marys- ville mines. In 1880 Mr. Bigelow removed to a ranch in Prickly Pear Valley, where he continued to live until 1883, returning thence to Helena. After five years passed on Crow Creek, Montana, he removed to Great Falls and acted as foreman in the construction of the Great Falls smelter. He was manager of the smelter for a while, and also conducted
the Cascade hotel. To Boulder, Montana, he came in 1890, and the following year he went to the Yellowstone National Park as overseer of work. He came to his present location in 1893, and October 25th, of that year, secured a homestead where he has since remained.
In 1873 Mr. Bigelow was married to Car- rie E. Howe, born at Ogden, Utah. Her par- ents were Joseph and Caroline (Jelly) Howe. She is the mother of nine children : Mrs. James Dwyer ; Mrs. Lawrence Lynch; Mrs. A. F. Ketchens; Mrs. C. B. Scott; Lily, a baby; James R., Edward, Harry and Daniel.
JOHN W. VANHOUTEN, a prominent builder and contractor, and the descendant of a prominent family, at present resides at Bil- lings. He was born in Taylor county, Iowa, March 27, 1862. He is the son of Peter and Sallie Ann (Jenks) VanHouten, the former a native of New Jersey, born March 5, 1839; the latter of Harrison county, Pennsylvania, born March 23, 1841. Peter VanHouten was a mechanic and moved to New York with his parents when a child and again to Hancock county, Illinois. They left the latter state in 1845, the year that the Mormons made their exodus to Utah. He went to Missouri where he remained a few years, going thence to Iowa. It was in 1891 that he first came to Billings, where he still resides. His father, John W., grandfather of our subject, was born in New York City. Removing to New Jersey he re- turned to Gotham, and subsequently removed to Illinois. Here he joined the Mormon church, but later became convinced that he had not pursued the right course, and left them. He was of Holland ancestry, of the old Anneke Jans family, and their old estate is now in the heart of New York City. It has never been settled, and at present there are three hundred and fifty claimant heirs.
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