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 94
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 94
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 94
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 94
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 94
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 94
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 94
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His marriage occurred in 1860, and the
union has been blessed by four children, Anna Montana, Mary, James and Prudence Larce.
WILLIAM W. PALMER, a well-known and popular Yellowstone Valley farmer and ranchman, residing four miles west of Billings, was born in Pottawattamie county, Iowa, April 7. 1862, the son of Daniel and Sophie ( Morris) Palmer, the former born in Illinois, the latter near Iowa City, Iowa. The father was an agriculturist, moving to Iowa in 1852, where he still resides on a farm near Oakland. His father, Benjamin, was a native of Ken- tucky and a veteran of the Blackhawk war. Following this struggle with the hostile In- dians he removed to Illinois. When his son was fourteen years of age he went on to Coun- cil Bluffs, Iowa, in 1852, remaining in that vicinity until his death in 1880. The Palmer family came from England. The mother of our subject remained in Iowa all her life, re- moving to the vicinity of Oakland in 1854, and dying in 1881.
William W. Palmer was reared and edu- cated in the vicinity of Oakland, taking a short college course at Des Moines. In Feb- ruary, 1883, he went to Denver, Colorado, where he was engaged in truck farming for three years. He came to Billings by team, working for wages one season. For ten years he resided near Park City on a farm. He dis- posed of this property November 18, 1897, go- ing to Absarokee, Montana, where he lived two years, then selling out and coming to his present location, December, 1899.
In 1889 he was united in marriage to Anna Wimsett, a native of Kent, England. She came to Michigan with her parents in 1870, where she lived ten years, thence going to Beaverhead county in 1883, and in 1885 to Yellowstone county. Her father, Stephen E. Wimsett, was a native of England ; her mother, Sarah E. (Cushing) Wimsett, having been
SOREN R. MILLER
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM W. PALMER
JAMES AND ROBERT STEELE
MICHAEL FLANAGAN
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born in Kent, England. She died December 9, 1905.
Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, viz : Alice L., born December 14, 1890; Stephen W., February 1, 1892; Susie Etta, May 28, 1893; Sarah Rutlı, September 16, 1894; Cordelia, February 25, 1895; Reuben, December 26, 1897, and died July 25. 1898; Edna Belle, April 30, 1899; Sophie Eliza, March 20, 1901 ; Daniel W., November 12, 1902; Leonard S., August 28, 1904; Anna May, May 14, 1906.
JAMES STEELE was born in Peters- borough county, Ontario, on September 15, 1854. His father, John Steele, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, came to Canada when a lad of thirteen years of age, and spent the re- maining part of his life in Canada, save one year in which he made a trip to Montana. He was called from the scenes of this life to the world beyond in the year 1889. He had mar- ried Miss Mary Ann Toyne Elmhirst, a native of Ontario, and descended from English an- cestry. In his native place our subject was reared and there, too, received his educational training. When about thirty-three years old, he came on west to Missouri. For two and one-half years his lot was cast in that common- wealth and then he determined to see more of the west. The leading genius pointed toward Montana, and in due time the young man was in the country now embraced in Yellowstone county. For thirteen years he was employed by Mr. Edward Cardwell and then he had suf- ficient means to warrant his starting in for himself and so he selected his present home place, a good farm lying about four miles west from Billings, purchased it and began the good work of improvement and establishing for himself a home. His labors have been wisely bestowed and the result is that he has won a good success and has made for himself an ex- cellent standing among his fellows.
On February 29, 1879, Mr. Steele mar- ried Miss Margaret Cardwell, daughter of Ben Cardwell, of Ontario, Canada, and their home has been blessed by the advent of the fol- lowing named children: Ben C., Maggie, M. Walker, James E., Carrie B., and Mary S., who is deceased.
Mr. Steele has shown a lively interest in all matters that tend to build up the commu- nity and advance educational interests and es- tablish the best for the good of all. He has firm faith in the prosperous county and the resources of eastern Montana, which are so rapidly becoming to be known far and near.
On December 7, 1902, Mr. Steele was called to mourn the death of his wife. On June 12, 1906, he contracted a second mar- riage, Mrs. Titus, of Jefferson Island, this state, who was formerly Miss Morgan, becom- ing his wife. Mr. Steele is affiliated with the Bankers' Life and the W. O. W.
ROBERT STEELE, who resides some five and one-half miles northwest from Billings, where he owns a fine estate of one hundred and sixty acres of well irrigated and produc- tive land, has made Yellowstone county his home for all the years since 1892 and during this period has manifested an industry and substantiality that commend him as one of the good citizens of this prosperous county and that have brought their reward of success that is pleasant alike to all. His birth occurred in Ontario, Canada, on February 2, 1864, his par- ents being John and Mary Ann Toyne (Elm- hirst ) Steele, natives, respectively, of Edin- burgh, Scotland, and Canada. The father mi- grated from his native heath to Canada when a young man and in later years came west as far as Montana, but he returned to Canada after a year in this country and in Canada he remained until the time of his death.
Robert was educated in his native place
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and as soon as he had arrived at man's estate, began working out and was thus occupied un- til he came to Montana in 1892. After satis- fying himself that this valley was a favored region, he purchased a quarter section and to the development and subjugation of this land he has given his attention since, with good re- turns, and is now one of the prosperous men of the county.
On December 23, 1885, Mr. Steele mar- ried Miss Mary McDonald and they have be- come the parents of four children, whose names are as follows : Mary Erith, Annie Robinar, Edna Ruth, and Robert James. Mrs. Steele was born in the same neighborhood as her husband and there she received her education. Her parents, James and Mary A. (McCon- nell) McDonald, were born in Canada and there they reside at this time, the father being aged sixty-seven.
Mr. Steele is a member of the W. O. W. and the Yeomen. In political matters he shows a good interest, but is not bound by party ties, being a man who prefers to vote for the candidate rather than any stipulation that the leaders of party might choose. He takes an interest that becomes the true American in educational matters and is always ready to aid any movement for the betterment of the country and the advancement of the interests of the county.
MICHAEL FLANAGAN, one of the pros- sperous ranchers and general farmers of the Yellowstone Valley, residing at present two miles west of Billings, is a native of La Salle, Illinois, born November 4, 1850. His father, John, came from Ireland to the United States in 1848, and settled in Illinois. Ten years sub- sequently he removed to Clinton county, Iowa, remaining upon a farm until his death, which occurred in Green county. The mother of our subject, Catherine (Green) Flanagan, was
born in Ireland, coming first to Canada, and thence to Illinois where she was married.
Our subject accompanied his parents to Iowa where he was educated. In 1882 he came to Montana with the Northern Pacific railway, and had charge of a crew on the construction work. This employment he followed seven years, being stationed at Miles City, Billings, Park City and Laurel. He was also in the em- ployment of the Great Northern Railway Com- pany, stationed on Milk river. In 1883 he purchased a right and filed on a timber claim, two miles west of Billings. It was in 1879 that he relinquished railroad work, giving his attention to his farm. This property he dis- posed of in 1905 for $100 an acre, and pur- chased another ranch in the immediate vicinity.
In 1873 our subject was married to Mary Gilligan, a native of Virginia, reared in Iowa, where she met and married her husband. Her . father, Daniel Gilligan, was an Iowa farmer and did railroading. Her mother was Alice (Haley) Gilligan.
The children are: Elizabeth, wife of John McCann, in the grocery business in Seattle ; Mrs. Mary Monahan, at Livingston, Mon- tana: Mrs. Rose Fisher, whose husband is an engineer at White Hall, Montana; Mrs. Julia Johnstone, her husband being an electrician at Butte, and Mrs. Maggie Shiverly, of Sheridan, Wyoming; Frank, Mack, Alice, Kate, Helen, Wilbur and Joseph, the latter all at home.
S. L. RIFE, who resides at Bridger, Car- bon county, is a man who has achieved success in business matters because he has shown con- stantly that faithfulness to the enterprise in hand begets the success we all seek after. He is engaged in the livery business and his rigs and animals are found in various parts of the country, as he has an extended business and caters to the comfort and safety of his patrons, which makes his place a popular one
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in this line of business. S. L. Rife was born in LaSalle county, Illinois, March 26, 1865, his parents being Ephraim and Seville (Coch- rane) Rife. The former was born in Penn- sylvania, in 1834, was reared on a farm, then came to Illinois in pioneer days and there fol- lowed farming until he journeyed on to Neb- raska where he purchased railroad land. After devoting himself to its cultivation for some time he turned his attention to merchandising which latter business he followed until his death in Red Cloud, Nebraska, in 1897. The mother of our subject was a native of Holland and came with her parents to Illinois when a small girl.
The immediate subject of this article was reared in Illinois and Nebraska, receiving his education in the public schools. When fifteen the trip to. Nebraska came and there he con- tinued farming until 1891, in which year he engaged in the livery business in Ainsworth, Nebraska. Later he came to Montana and one summer was spent in Yellowstone county, after which he came on to Carbon county and took up draying at Gabo. Having spent two years in that line of business, he then opened a livery barn at Bridger, where he resides at the present time. Mr. Rife also has a barn at Belfrey, while at Fromberg he has two acres of ground and improved with a nice house and barn. Mr. Rife is known far and near as a genial and accommodating man and he con- ducts a prosperous business.
At Red Lodge, in 1903, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Rife and Mrs. Annie Brown, a widow and the daughter of Hugh and Mar- garette (Scott) Cowan, natives of Pennsyl- vania and Ohio, respectively. Mr. Cowan came to Carbon county with his family in 1896, and there followed farming until his death in 1897. His widow is now residing in Billings. By her former marriage, Mrs. Rife has two chil- dren, Margarette and Lincoln Brown, the former born in 1895, and the latter, now de- ceased, born in 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Rife are
the parents of one child, Edith, born in 1904.
Mr. Rife is a Republican in politics and is always alive to the interests of his party as well as the welfare of the country. He has labored faithfully and has received a becom- ing reward in a prosperous business and num- bers his friends far and near.
GRANT DUNNING is one of Montana's stockmen who has achieved success in the la- bors of his hands, and who now resides at Otter, Custer county. He is a native of Iowa, and first saw the light in Adams county, Sep- tember. 16, 1866. His father, Mance Dunning, was born in Pennsylvania, in April, 1834, came to Iowa in early days and did farming there until 1878, when he fitted out teams and with a good bunch of cattle started west to the Black Hills, accompanied with his family. In due time they arrived in the Hills, our subject having assisted, although but a lad in driving the stock and teams to their destination. Mr. Dunning senior then sought out a place for location and soon was ensconced in good quar- ters and began the stock business on a larger scale than he had been able to do in Iowa. He continued this business until his death, August 14, 1882. His widow, Hulda (West) Dun- ning, who was born on November 13, 1835, died in the Black Hills, February 24, 1891. Our subject received the major portion of his education in Iowa, and when he arrived in the Hills was occupied most of that time in hand- ling stock, at first for his father, and then for other outfits that ranged in those quarters. It was as early as 1884 that he made his way on out to Montana and at once engaged with one of the leading cattle companies then doing busi- ness here. For several years he continued this line and then began raising stock for himself. It was 1894 that he got started in business and began to handle both cattle and horses. From a small start he has continued in the
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business till he has a nice lot of stock a good ranch and owns an excellent range on Otter Creek.
In 1896, Mr. Dunning married Miss Annie Netterstrum, a native of Sweden and who came alone to Nebraska. Her father, Oscar Net- terstrum, remained in his native country, Sweden, till his death. To Mr. and Mrs. Dun- ning two children have been born, Forest N., on October 1, 1897, and Leslie Grant, on October 1, 1899.
GUS OLSON, born in Sweden, February 10, 1857, now resides on a fine farm four miles west of Tony. Carbon county, on Butcher Creek. His parents were natives of the same place. The father, Benjamin, was a farmer, and he came to the United States in 1873. and worked for wages throughout several states. Finally he came to Montana, dying in Columbus in 1896. The mother, Catherine (Person) Olson, died in Sweden.
In Sweden our subject was reared and edu- cated in the public schools in his vicinity. He accompanied his father to the United States in 1873, and in the state of Pennsylvania he found work for wages. From there he went to Iowa, and found employment in the coal fields of that state, and also of Missouri. In 1897 he came to Carbon county, and here he worked in the coal fields. Subsequently he secured a home- stead on Butcher Creek, and at present rents another farm in the same locality.
In 1878 he was married to Armenta Lacy, a native of Indiana. She went to Iowa with her parents when a young girl, and on attain- ing womanhood, she was married in the Hawk- eye State. Her father was Thomas A. Lacy a native of Ohio, and her mother was a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Olson have three children : Mary Elizabeth, wife of John Plummer, living in Portland, Maine; Guy A. and Addie. Our subject has a brother, Ben Olson, on the Rosebud river, Carbon county.
GEORGE W. ASH, deceased. The sub- ject of this memoir was born near Hannibal, Missouri, May 12, 1836, the son of George and Naomi (Arterbury) Ash. George Ash, the father, accompanied by his wife, removed from Indiana to Missouri at an early day.
In the public schools of Missouri our sub- ject received an excellent education, although he was reared on a farm. His people were wealthy farmers. Having arrived at man's estate he continued agricultural pursuits, and in 1878 removed to Georgetown, Colorado, where he passed two years casting about for a suitable location. His wife and three children accompanied him, the oldest, Eva, teaching school in Georgetown while they remained there. In 1881 our subject and his family, with a team, came to Billings, or rather the present site of that city, and soon afterward he went into the butcher business, following it about a year when he disposed of the same, and ran cattle on the range. This business he also disposed of and engaged in the sheep in- dustry until his death, in November, 1897.
In 1858 he was united in marriage to Miss Priscilla Turner, born near Hannibal, Mis- souri. Here she was reared, educated and here she was married. Since the demise of her be- loved husband she has, in company with her son, continued in the sheep business. She is the daughter of Charles and Susan (Lear) Turner, her father having been a native of Virginia ; her mother of Kentucky, the latter having come to Missouri in early days with her parents. Charles Turner was a Missouri pio- neer. He was a Baptist minister, and at one period cut timber where the town of Hannibal now stands. These were strenous times, and he was compelled to go by flat boat as far south as New Orleans for supplies.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ash were born two chil- dren, James Ash, a stockman, now living with his mother in Billings, and Mrs. Eva Garvin.
Mrs. Ash, the widow of our subject, is a member of the Baptist church. Mrs. Eva
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Garvin was born in Monroe county. Missouri, coming to Colorado with her parents, where as has been stated, she taught school. She came to Billings in 1881, or rather the site of the city. At that period Custer county extended west as far as Livingston. Although there were few schools in the county, Miss Ash taught the first one in this vicinity in a small log hut about two miles south of the present site of the city. In Billings she organized the initial school by taking up a subscription. She also taught this school, the first in Billings proper, continuing the same two school years. In 1883 she was married to Samuel Garvin. They have one child, Priscilla Ash Garvin.
JACOB SOLBERG, one of the industrious ranchers of the Yellowstone Valley, residing twenty miles west of Red Lodge, near the mouth of Volney Creek, was born in Norway, July 20, 1868. His father, Jacob Solberg, born in the same country, was a farmer and died in Norway about twenty years since. The mother, Eldria K. (Ylerem) Solberg, was born in Norway.
In the common schools of Norway our sub- ject was educated, but at the age of twenty-five years he emigrated to the United States, and after his arrival came to Montana where he located at Big Timber, and began working on a ranch. It was in 1894 that he came to Car- bon county, and here he purchased a ranch on Butcher Creek. Five years later he disposed of this, and returned to his old home in Nor- way, remaining one year. On his second ar- rival in the Silver State he bought a farm on Red Lodge creek, but this he sold in 1903 and purchased the property on which he at present resides. It is a very handsome farm.
In 1899 he was married to Inglebarg T. Esresem, a native of Norway, and in which country the ceremony was solemnized. They
have four children : Jacob, Isabella, Tarval and Emma.
EDWARD McGEHEE, a westerner and southerner in the full sense of the words, is now one of the well known and highly es- teemed men of Rosebud county and has paid strict attention to farming and stock raising since the day he first cast his lot in this country.
Born in Noxubee county, Mississippi, Sep- tember 20, 1845, he was taken the next year by his parents, Francis M. and Nancy ( Perkins) McGehee, to Texas where the father settled near Austin and remained until his death. He was a planter and a slave owner descended from a long line of American ancestors, the first of whom came to the New World in the earliest colonial days, settling on Broad river in the Oglethorpe colony, now Georgia. Mem- bers of the family participated in the various colonial wars and they have always been a strong American family. Francis McGehee had two brothers, Jolin and William, who par- ticipated in the Mexican War.
Our subject was but a year old when the family went to Texas and in that state he was' reared and educated. As soon as he was of sufficient age he began work on the range and soon had bands of cattle and horses of his own. In 1869 he took a herd of cattle over the trail to Kansas, disposed of the same and returned to Texas. In 1880, Mr. McGehee rode horse- back from his home in the south to Miles City and viewed the country with the thought of making Montana his future home. He re- turned to Texas after satisfying himself that this was a favorable place for the stock busi- ness and in 1884, he brought a herd over the trail to southeastern Montana, landing finally in Custer county. He came with the inten- tion of remaining in this state and two years later he selected his present place five miles
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southeast from Birney on Hanging Woman creek and began to permanently establish him- self in the business. He has continued steadily in his chosen work since and has met with good success. Mr. McGehee is well and favorably known all over the country and has hosts of friends. He is a generous, hospitable and genial man and wins the esteem of all who be- come acquainted with him. During his career he has never seen fit to enter matrimonial re- lations, and is today numbered with the order of jolly bachelors.
HON. ARTHUR W. MILES. Among the builders of industrial, commercial and gen- eral business in the state of Montana, the name of Arthur W. Miles is to be placed foremost and among the leaders, as his labors, so distin- guished for method, wisdom, thorough exe- cution and careful watching of detail, have proved their sagacity and worth by the success they have won, even in a state of pushing com- petition and progressiveness. He entered pub- lic life as an instructor in the public schools of Westminster, Massachusetts, and after one year resigned to accept the position of pay- master's clerk in the regular army, being as- signed to the command of Major G. W. Baird, whose headquarters were at Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a year later he was promoted and transferred to Fort Keogh, Montana, arriv- ing in October, 1880. Two years were spent here and then he requested his resignation to be accepted as he decided to try the business world in preference to army life. Immediately embarking in the hardware business at Coul- son, Montana, then a flourishing camp, he removed thence to Billings and erected the first store in that now thriving city. In 1882 he entered into partnershop with A. L. Babcock, the style of the firm being Babcock & Miles, and the next year he opened a store in Liv- ingston and later a branch store at Gardiner.
In 1886 they opened branch stores at Big Tim- ber and Red Lodge and later one at Castle. It was 1889 when Mr. Miles erected the three story Miles block on Main street, Livingston, one of the finest modern blocks in the eastern portion of the state. Two years later the firm dissolved, Mr. Babcock retaining the stores at Billings and Red Lodge and Mr. Miles those at Livingston and Big Timber, while the hard- ware business at Castle and Two Dot, under the management of P. H. Tooley was sold to G. R. Wilson & Company, who continue the business.
Mr. Miles has been president of the Liv- ingston Milling Co .; in 1900 he purchased the extensive lumber interests of the Gordon Bros. Lumber Co., of Livingston, the same year pur- chased the livery business of G. W. Wakefield, engaged extensively also, that year in the man- ufacture of brick, added a large harness and saddlery shop to his farming implement and hardware business in Livingston, all of which important enterprises he personally supervised and put upon their feet in running shape. He is president of the Wylie Permanent Camping Co., of Yellowstone National Park, is presi- dent of the Thompson Mercantile Co., one of the oldest establishments in the city and which changed hands in the fall of 1905, is president of the Livingston Fair and Racing Associa- tion of Park county, and is president of the A. W. Miles Mercantile Company of Clyde Park, this state. His other interests have been actively prosecuted with vigor and ability, so that they are all widening and enlarging con- stantly while the scope of his operations in all these varied lines is so extensive that one is inclined to say that the executive ability and sagacity are well nigh unlimited. In fact, one can readily see from the foregoing that in any line and in every line where there is a chance to promote and develop industries for the building up of his home county and the city of Livingston, Mr. Miles has been aggressively present to push and urge things along with a
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skill and weight that have won him approba- tion from the hands of all as well as rich finan- cial returns in the various lines of undertaking. Not a year passes but that his tireless mind is active to bring forth some enterprise that will add to the impetus of advancement. At pres- ent he is contemplating, in 1908, the erection of a building in Livingston which will have a larger floor space for commercial purposes than any other building in the state, bringing the most of his department business under one roof. He is owner and builder of the Post- office block in Livingston, the finest in the city, which, however, will soon have to surrender that honor when his new block is completed.
Politically, Mr. Miles is a Republican and has served his party faithfully and well. For two terms he was mayor of Livingston and in 1904 he was chosen by the people to a seat in the state senate, where he manifested the same solid and stanch ability in legislation that he has in the prosecution of private business and was instrumental in the passage of various beneficial bills. He was chosen president pro tem of the senate at the Ioth legislature in 1907.
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