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 97
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 97
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 97
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 97
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 97
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 97
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 97
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In 1867 our subject was united in mar- riage to Elizabeth J. Borah, born in Wayne county, Illinois. She and her husband had been reared in the same vicinity and played together as children. The wife's parents were Samuel and Malvina ( Bradshaw ) Borah. To Mr. and Mrs. White have been born three children, Mary M., wife of A. V. Cardwell ; Bert B., and Maud, wife of Martin Hogan.
G. W. WOOD has seen much of the world and is one of the sturdy men whose efforts have opened the wildernesses of the west to the ingress of civilization and have done a noble part in this work of blazing the trail to the lands where wealth and happiness are the por- tion of millions of American citizens. He was born in Wayne county, Michigan, February 12, 1838, being the son of R. W. and Phoebe (Dunn) Wood. The father was born in Ver- mont and came west with his parents when four years of age and settled in the wilderness of Michigan. There he grew up, carved for himself a farm out of the woods and tilled it till 1852, when he removed his family to the prairies of Illinois, where afterward, in 1859, he passed from the scenes of earth to the world beyond. His wife had preceded him by three years. She had been born in New York. Our subject spent the early part of his life in the woods of Michigan and came with his parents to Illinois, where he remained until 1866, when he outfitted with ox teams and struck out across the plains. He arrived in due time the same year in Bannack and went to mining. One year was thus occupied and he then began to follow the various stampedes to the differ- ent sections of the country, and so wandered over vast portions of the west, leaving the miner's trail in many places that had never before seen the white man. In 1868 he passed through Emigrant Gulch, and ten years later came here to locate permanently. Here he has remained most of the time since, and is one of the well known citizens of Park county. He has travelled all over the Rocky mountains, north and south, and is well acquainted with the different camps, both of early days and of later years. Mr. Wood assisted to organize the second branch of the Social Democratic party, which is now called the Socialist party. He has been chairman of the branch since its organization and is well posted on the prin- ciples of this party. Mr. Wood was one of
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the first school trustees in his district and still holds the office. He has some property in the town and also owns some quartz claims that have promise of excellent value. Mr. Wood is one of those old timers whose experiences are very interesting and entertaining, and he is now enjoying life in the regions that were wild and uninhabited when he first came to this portion of the northwest, while his efforts are well along with those who have made the progress and improvements that are now in evidence.
EDWIN MARTIN NEWMAN. Among the oldest settlers of this beautiful valley is the subject of this autobiographical sketch, a prosperous and prominent rancher residing two miles south of Billings, Yellowstone county. He was born in Newaygo county, Michigan, March 31, 1858, the son of Orson N. and Elizabeth Matilda (Tripp) Newman, the former a native of New York and the lat- ter of Canada.
An eventful life was that led by the elder Newman, Orson. Among the earliest pioneers of Michigan, he removed there with his par- ents when a child. From Michigan, in 1858. he removed to Kansas, settling on the Little Blue river. Only about one year he tarried in this locality, going thence to Denver. Colo .. and from there going, in 1863. by ox team to the mining town of Bannack, Montana. This. however, was not his ultimate destination, as he soon went to "Alder Gulch," (Virginia City), where he worked two months, thence passing down the Madison river, about twenty miles from Virginia City, which place was afterwards known as the "Elkhorn Ranch." Here he "farmed" and superintended a "road house," as were the various halting places for travelers then known in those early pioneer days. Until the latter sixties he remained at this point, but thence went to Southern Cali-
fornia by ox team. He passed three winters in this state and then went to Salem, Oregon, for one winter. One winter he spent in the Palouse country, Washington, the winter of 1873-1874, which was an exceedingly hard one. The following spring, together with his sons, he worked in building the railroad from Wallula to Walla Walla (the Hunt road). At the time he had left California he had exchanged his oxen for horse teams. It was in the fall of 1874 that he returned to Vir- ginia City, but only for a short period, going thence to Bozeman, Mont., in which vicinity he remained until 1878. On March 18th of that year, he arrived on the Yellowstone, near Coulson, now a "deserted village," having been supplanted by the thriving city of Bill- ings, one and one-half miles distant. During all this extensive traveling the father of our subject was accompanied by his family. com- prising a wife and eleven children. This was the first settlement on the Yellowstone river in that immediate vicinity, and at a period when there was no Billings. And it was near this locality that the family finally located permanently. There were eight boys and three girls, including our subject. The latter, in company with his father and a brother, took a ranch, upon which the father remained until 1896, when the spirit for further travel took possession of him, and he went to Cali- fornia, where he now resides, having traversed the greater portion of the United States. He never sought office, and although he was once elected a county commissioner, he did not serve out the full term. He is a man of ex- cellent education and comes from a family of western pioneers.
The mother of our subject was married in Michigan, remaining with her husband in all his peregrinations until her death on August 18. 1886. Edwin Martin Newman also accompanied his father in his various travels until the location in the Yellowstone valley, in consequence of which he was necessarily
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denied the privilege of educational facilities. Despite this, however, he has managed to acquire a fair education, which is accompanied by sound judgment and business sagacity. The first two winters on the Yellowstone, in company with his brother Charles, he hunted and trapped for hides. Money was a scarce article in those pioneer days-so was work- and it was only in this way that they were able to obtain the means necessary for the sub- sistence of the family.
In 1883, August Ist, our subject married Flora A. Alling, born near Kickapoo, Kansas, who had come. when a child, with her parents to the Yellowstone valley. She is the daughter of Edward and Eliza (Dean) Alling, both natives of Ohio. Her father was born near Youngstown, and at an early day removed with his family to Kansas. In 1879 the family came to the Yellowstone valley and settled near Park City, later going to Clark's Fork, Carbon county, where he remained until his death. To Mr. and Mrs. Newman have been born five children, viz: Cora Edith, now teaching in Wyoming: Berton E., Flora B., Ethel and Roy. Our subject is a member of Lodge No. 953. W. O. W.
CHARLES BOGGIO. Born at Torino, Italy, March 7, 1857, Charles Boggio, the subject of our article, at present lives on a well-conducted and convenient ranch two miles north of Linley, Carbon county. His father, Alexander, born at the same place, was a farmer. He passed away from earth in Italy in 1905. The mother of our subject, Cath- rina (Bertot) Boggio, was also a native of Italy, and born near the birthplace of her husband.
The education of our subject began in Italy. To Carbon county he came in 1890, and here he secured a fine homestead, upon which he and his growing family now reside.
In 1881 . Mr. Boggio was married to Teresa Castagna, born in the same country and locality as her husband. Her mother, Anna (Martino) Castagna, was an Italian by birth. Mr. and Mrs. Boggio have eight chil- dren-Alex, Frank, Joseph, Peter, John, An- nie, Alice and Evangeline.
JOHN DROSTE is one of the men who have labored to develop the country in the valley of Pumpkin creek, in Custer county, and his labors have met with reasonable suc- cess, as he is a man of industry and energy. He was born in Germany, on October 7, 1840, the son of Christ and Margarette ( Beck- mann) Droste, both natives of Germany and now deceased. After receiving a good educa- tion in the schools of his native country, our subject was occupied in mining and mill work until the time of his migration to the United States in 1869. His objective point was Michigan, and there he sought out the mining portion, and was soon occupied in the world- renowned Calumet and Hecla mines. For a decade he was engaged thus, and in 1879 he came west, deciding to view the west for him- self, of which he had heard many good things. He soon decided to cast his lot with Montana, and selected a pre-emption on Pumpkin creek and began the cultivation of his place and also engaged in raising cattle and horses. After he had pre-empted, he decided to homestead his place, and did so, and now owns a quarter section of valuable land. The period of Mr. Droste's residence in Montana entitles him to be classed as one of the early pioneers, and he certainly has seen the wilds developed and the prairies changed to farms and stock ranches. In it all he has had his share and his place is one that has been wrested by his own hands from the wilds of nature, as the others are the testimony of the arduous labors of the pioneers.
Mr. Droste has never seen fit to desert the
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ranks of jolly bachelors for the responsibilities of matrimonial life. He is in political belief a Democrat, and has given a proper time to the political questions, although in 10 sense of the word a politician nor an office seeker. He is counted one of the substantial men of the valley and has many friends.
WILLIAM B. NUTTING was born in Doniphan county, Kansas, September 3, 1861, and comes from an old Massachusetts family, prominent on the Atlantic coast since the earli- est days of colonial settlement. Dr. Lucius Nutting, the father of William B., was a native of Massachusetts. Being educated in that state and at Knox college, Illinois, he then studied medicine and graduated from Rush Medical college in 1849. His attention was given to the practice of medicine in vari- ous portions of the west, including Illinois, Kansas, California and Montana, in the last three of which he was also engaged in mining and agricultural pursuits. He now resides at Bozeman, in this state. On April 24, 1849, Dr. Nutting married Miss Elizabeth Allison, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania. and the daughter of William Allison. Six children were born to this marriage, Mrs. Julia Cowan of Springfield, Illinois: Wilder, manager of a coffee plantation in Mexico; Lucius A., William B., Roy H. and Lillie, residing in Montana. Mrs. Nutting died at Bozeman, Sunday morning. October 6, 1901, aged eighty.
Referring more particularly to our immed- iate subject, we find he was educated in Kan- sas, removed to Dodge City when fifteen, and a year later went to Leadville, where he mined for five years. In 1881 he came to Montana and located on the Yellowstone, where he farmed for nine years. At the end of that period he sold and removed to the vicinity of
the Wyoming line, where he embarked in stock raising, handling the best lines of sheep, horses and cattle, including the famous Shorthorns. So well was he prospered that the industry grew to large proportions and he organized the Bennett Creek Sheep Company in 1886, and managed the concern for three years. At this time he opened a livery stable in Red Lodge in connection with a lumber yard, and con- ducted them successfully till 1893, when he sold out these interests and again took the personal management of the Bennett Creek Company, having purchased the entire stock of that company. Four years he remained in this capacity and then sold out entirely and repaired to Red Lodge, where he opened a real estate office, and since that time has done an extensive business here. Mr. Nutting is interested in the Bridger Lumber Company, and in 1902 was instrumental with others in promoting and organizing the Red Lodge State Bank, he being installed as its first presi- dent. April first of that year the bank opened its doors for business with a capital of $20,000, J. N. Tolman being vice president and L. O. Caswell cashier.
Mr. Nutting has always manifested a lively interest in public affairs and politics and in 1900 was chosen county commissioner and be- came chairman of the board. Fraternally he is connected with the Elks and Woodmen of the World. The marriage of Mr. Nutting and Miss Eva C. Sellers, a native of Kansas, occurred April 9. 1888. Samuel Sellers, the father of Mrs. Nutting, removed from Kansas to Texas, and in 1880 came to Montana, locat- ing on the Yellowstone, where he engaged in stock raising. Mr. and Mrs. Nutting have one son, Roy Allison.
JAMES K. WHITBECK has resided steadily in Montana since 1881, the year of his arrival, and for nearly one-fourth of a century
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he has continued steadily in the related occu- pations of ranching and stock raising with good success, being counted one of the sub- stantial men of the section today. His place is some fifteen miles southeast from Miles City, up Pumpkin creek. He was born in Pennsylvania, on the 19th of April, 1842. His father, Gilbert Whitbeck, was born in New York state in 1813, and was a molder by trade. He followed this business in Scranton, Penn- sylvania, for years, and then quit, owing to rheumatism he had contracted in his labors. After that he did farming until his death in 1901, being then eighty-eight years of age. He had married Miss Charlotte Moss, a native of New York state, where, also, their wedding occurred. They went thence to Pennsylvania, thence returned to New York and there Mrs. Whitbeck died. Our subject was educated in the common schools where the family resided in his younger days, being much of the time in Illinois. When the call came for men to defend the flag. he responded and enlisted in the Fifty-eighth Illinois, under General Grant, and fought through the battles of Fort Don- elson, Shiloh, Corinth, and then was trans- ferred to the detachment under General Smith which went up the Red river to aid General Banks. This detachment consisted of 10,000 troops, and when they joined Banks they were well worn out and poorly clad. so General Banks put them in the rear. However, they took part in the battle of Pleasant Hill, and after that when they were passing through the country, General Banks turned his command over to General Stoneman, who in turn trans- ferred it to General Smith, and while this march was being made Smith's men foraged. Later, when Banks assumed control, he caused the arrest of General Smith on this charge, and Smith's reply was that he had 10,000 commis- sary sergeants in his command, and so the matter ended. On their march they returned to Yellow Bayou and there burned nine sugar
houses. Being wounded here by a bullet through his thigh, our subject was discharged and returned home, and to this day he feels the effects of the wound while walking. As soon as he was able he re-enlisted, this time under General Canby, and fought the last bat- tle at Spanish Fork, and had they waited two days, they would have heard of Lee's surren- der. After this they started for Montgomery, Alabama, intending to join Sherman, who had invested Atlanta. In due time they learned of the surrender of the Confederate leader and they were stationed at Montgomery, where he served his time out, then returned to Illinois to take up farm work. Later he removed to Iowa and there followed tilling the soil until he came to Montana in the fall of 1882, set- tling on his present ranch, where he has con- tinuously resided since, engaged in raising cattle and horses and doing general farming.
On December 30, 1866, Mr. Whitbeck married Miss Cornelia Hayes, a native of New York state, and who came with her parents to Illinois in early days. To this union have been born the following named children : Peter, December 8, 1867, at home: Guy, in 1869, married and dwelling on his ranch near Miles City; Viola, wife of C. W. Kelly, living in Miles City : Dewella, wife of W. A. Shreves. living in California; Mary, wife of Edward Williams, living at Forsythe: Lottie, wife of John Hollister, at Junction, Montana ; Ed- ward, married and living at Beebe, this state. engaged in the stock business; Gertrude, de- ceased ; George, employed by the Bow & Ar- row Cattle Company ; John and Zonria, both at home.
Mr. Whitbeck is a Republican and always shows a keen interest in the campaigns. He has met with reasonable success in his labors in life, did well the part of a defender of the Stars and Stripes, and has shown himself a substantial pioneer, willing to put his shoulder to the wheel to open the country and develop it.
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DANIEL G. O'SHEA came from his native place, the county of Cork, Ireland, where he was born February 6, 1863, to the United States, in 1881, landing in New York city. His father, Patrick O'Shea, a native of the same county, has there passed his entire life. Daniel received educational training as opportunity offered, which at the best was meagre, as he was born to the excellent for- tune to make his own way in the world, and his subsequent successful life proves how well he has accomplished that work.
He soon made his way to Montana and for a time was engaged in prospecting and mining and in 1887 located permanently in Carbon county. Being identified with the Rocky Fork Coal Company, he filled successively the vari- ous positions from the minor stations to that of paymaster and bookkeeper, the latter being from 1893 to 1899. His excellent services earned him a standing with the company so that at the last date he was installed as resi- dent manager of the entire property of the large concern, and since that time his talents and time have been engaged to forward the interests of the company and the results have been gratifying in a very high degree. He has installed many improvements for his com- pany, has erected a number of dwellings, owns one of the finest brick blocks in the city, and many are the enterprises that show Mr. O'Shea to be one of the leading business men of this section and deeply interested in the welfare of his city, county and state. He is president of the Rocky Fork Town & Electric Company, was one of the chief promoters of the Carbon County Bank, and has many other important interests. Mr. O'Shea's residence. located on Hauser avenue, is one of the espe- cially attractive home places of Red Lodge.
From the day he landed in this country. our subject has always had a true respect for the dignity of honest labor and because of this he has risen from the ranks of those in humbler walks, being pushed forward by reason of real
worth and energy, and today he has that specially valuable quality and talent of wise discrimination that enables him not only to perceive value in character, but to assist his fellows to develop and bring it forth. What more worthy labor is given to mankind? Thus we find Mr. O'Shea genial, kind and a friend to all, while his loyalty to his friends and his country have given him a very warm place in the hearts of the people of Carbon county.
Mr. O'Shea takes an active and keen inter- est in public matters and politics, yet he has always refused to allow his name placed in nomination. Once, however, during his ab- sence, his party, the Democratic, nominated him for the state senatorship. In 1900 he was one of the presidential electors for his party.
In June, 1901, occurred the marriage of Mr. O'Shea and Miss Eleanor Cavanagh. Mrs. O'Shea was born in Ireland, the daughter of Edward Cavanagh, who now resides in London, England.
GRANT MILLIGAN, who is well known as the proprietor of the Cottage Hotel in Frid- ley, is one of the hustling young men of the county and has made a very good record as an energetic business man. He, like most of the inhabitants of Montana. is native of an eastern state, Iowa being the one, and Mount Pleasant the place of his birth. This event occurred on January 8. 1868, and his father, Samuel Milli- gan, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Iowa in early days and settled on a farm covered by timber. He cleared 240 acres and there re- mained until his death. He had married Miss Elizabeth Williams, a native of Pennsylvania, where she was married. She came west with her husband and shared the labors and success of his life in the Iowa home. Our subject was educated in the schools of Iowa, and when nineteen years old left home and came to Liv- ingston, Montana. He soon. found employ-
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ment in a livery barn and later he rode the ranges. Soon he rose to the position of fore- man for D. P. Rankin, a large stock owner. and for four years he held that position. In the spring of 1893 Mr. Milligan went to rais- ing cattle for himself and two years later he bought a ranch on the Rosebud in Carbon county. In 1898 he removed from that prop- erty and returned to Park county, where he engaged in contracting for three years. After that he took charge of the hotel where we now find him and in connection with the hotel Mr. Milligan is conducting a livery barn and en- joys a good patronage in both lines of occupa- tion.
In the spring of 1893 Mr. Milligan mar- ried Miss Vertie Fisher, and they have become the parents of three children, Ethel, Austa and Florence. Mrs. Milligan was born in Free- port, Illinois, and came with her parents when a child to Montana. Her father, Al Fisher, was a pioneer of the state. Her home in Mon- tana has always been in the vicinity of Living- ston. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are well and favor- ably known and handle a nice business at Fridley.
SWAN YOUNGSTROM, one of the leading ranchers of the county of Carbon, and a popular citizen, born in Omaha, Nebraska, November 7. 1871, at present resides on a fine ranch three miles southwest of Linley. His father, George, was a native of Sweden, immi- grating to the United States while a young man and locating in Omaha. In this city he remained until his death. The mother, Carrie (Bowers) Youngstrom, was born in Illinois, moving with her people to Nebraska when quite a small girl. Here she remained until her death.
In the public schools of Nebraska our sub- ject laid the foundation of a good business education, and March 12, 1891, he came to
Red Lodge and for a while worked for wages. February 3. 1896, he made the location where he now resides, a most eligible point, and since then he has purchased another valuable ranch.
March 23. 1904, Mr. Youngstrom was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Clear, a nat- ive of Johnson county, Missouri, who had come to Montana in October, 1903. Her father. Thomas Clear, was born in Boone county, Missouri, and was one of the earliest settlers of the state. He came from Kentucky. Her mother, Mary (Adams) Clear, was born in Johnson county, Missouri, her father being, also, one of the pioneers of the state.
BEN HOGAN. Fifty years ago, January 22, 1856, the subject of this sketch was born in Norway. He at present resides three and one-half miles west of Billings in one of the most fertile portions of the Yellowstone valley. His parents were Hans and Martha (John- son ) Hogan. The father, a native of Nor- way, came thence to Minnesota. This was in 1880. In that state he purchased a small farm which he successfully cultivated until his death, which occurred in 1902, October 31st. He was born in 1817, and was at the time of his decease eighty-five years of age. The mother of our subject came to the United States with her husband and is at present liv- ing with her son near Billings, hale and hearty at the advanced age of eighty-five years.
It was in Norway that Ben Hogan received a good common school education, and, on at- taining his majority he came across the water and located at first in Minnesota. Here he remained only about one year and then came to Montana, where he secured a homestead, on which he now lives, and is numbered among the earliest settlers in this locality. Even after Mr. Hogan had taken his homestead he found it necessary to work for wages, which he did
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industriously and at last achieved the success due to merit and hard labor. At present he has a fine ranch of one hundred and sixty acres of land, all under a practical system of irriga- tion and nearly all of this property arable land susceptible of the highest state of cultivation.
December 28, 1903, Mr. Hogan was united in marriage to Anna Schubert, a native of Germany. At the early age of six years she had come to the United States with her par- ents, who at first settled in Nebraska, and here she lived ten years, removing to Sheridan, Wyoming, when sixteen years of age, when she was united in marriage to the subject of our sketch. She is the daughter of Henry and Amelia Schubert, both natives of Germany. Their union has been blessed with two chil- dren, Amelia and Benjamin Harrison. Mr. and Mrs. Hogan are both devout and con- sistent members of the Lutheran church.
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