An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 38

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Montana > An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 38

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In 1869 Mr. Dart began bis hardware business in Ban- nack, and carried it on successfully there, having all the business in his line in the town. In 1.82 when Dillon was started, seeing the advantage to accrue from being in a railroad town, he came hither and opened his business, which he condneted alone most successfully until 1887.

At our camp to-night there are the largest wil- lows I ever saw; they are from six to twelve inches in diameter, and from twelve to forty feet high, and straight enough for house logs. The country passed over to-day showed some good indications of gold; low, rolling hills, no timber, and not very well watered. Some two or three horses in the party are getting very weak. I am afraid some of us will have to walk before we get back. Traveled fifteen miles.

"18th .- Several snow squalls last evening. Crossed two main branches of the Gallatin river to-day, and camped on a small creek near its month; it comes from the northeast and runs about ten sluice-heads of water. The branches of the Gallatin are each about twenty-five yards wide, and there is a belt of good cottonwood timber on the south fork, about three quarters of a mile wide and twenty miles long. The valley embracing the two forks of the Gallatin

That year he took in as partners Mr. Wing and Mr. Knapp, and the three continued together until 1893, when Mr. Dart retired.

During the whole of his long business career in Beaver Ilead county, he has taken a deep and prominent interest in the improvement and development of the county, and by a most upright and honorable course has won hosts of friends. He was elected and served two years as Treas- urer of the county ; has served a number of terms on the City Council, and in 1890 was elected and served as Mayor of the city. He has done his full share in all the public enterprises of the city; has built several good buildings, including the large brick business house he occupied, and all movements intended to advance the welfare of Dillon ever find in him a hearty supporter. In addition to his property in the city be owns a section of land eight miles from Dillon, which is devoted to the production of hay, oats and other farm products.

Mr. Dart was married, August 28, 1877, to Miss Harriet A Fox, a native of the State of Wisconsin. They have two sons, both born in Dillon: George F. and Fred. W.

Mr. Dart was made a Mason in 1870. He is a Past Master and Past Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Montana. He is a member of the Pioneer So- ciety of Beaver Head county, and has served as its treasurer for a number of years. His pleasant residence be built soon after coming to Dillon, in 1882. Truly may it be said of him that no man in the county is more widely known or more highly appreciated and esteemed.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

is apparently very near circular and about twenty miles in diameter. It is the best valley for agri- cultural and grazing purposes that I have yet seen in the mountains. Since we crossed the Madison we have passed through a better grass country than either Deer Lodge or Bitter Root valleys, and they are hard to beat The valley is well watered by numerous small creeks from the mountains. The fork on the north side of the valley is bordered by a swamp, and is diffi- cult to cross. Saw plenty of black and white- tailed deer and antelope, also one band of about twenty elk. Fine weather, clear, calm and warm. There is a low gap in the mountains

CLARENCE B. GARRETT, Treasurer of the city of Hele- na, dates his birth in Virginia, January 29, 1859. His forefathers came to this country from Scotland. One of the three Garrett brothers settled in Canada, one in Maryland and the other in Virginia. This was previous to the Revolutionary war; the exact date is not known. From Mr. Garrett who settled in Virginia sprang that branch of the family to which Clarence B. belongs. Ira Alexander Garrett, the great-grandfather of our subject, fought in the Colonial army, and his son, also named Ira Alexander Garrett, was a Captain during the Mexican war. The son of Captain Garrett, John A. Garrett, was born in Virginia in 1823, and became the father of the subject of this sketch. He married Miss Mary Duke, also a native of the Old Dominion, and a descendant of one of the first families of Virginia. They are the parents of seven children, of whom six are living, Clarence B., being the eldest. A Southern gentlemen, John A. Gar- rett, was in the Confederate army, and at the battle of Bull Run received wounds which incapacitated him for further service. By the devastations of war their great wealth was swept away. He practiced law for a number of years, and for some time served as County Clerk of Albemarle county. He and his good wife still reside near Charlottesville, honored and respected by all who know them. He is a Presbyterian, and she a Baptist.

Owing to reverses which overtook his family during the war, Clarence B. Garrett was thrown upon his own resources at the early age of twelve years. His first em- ployment was that of cash boy in the store of Levi Broth- ers, in Richmond. After a year spent with them he be- came a newsboy on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad running between Richmond and White Sulphur Springs, and continued thus occupied for three years. Then he went to Washington, District of Columbia, and secured a position in the Ebbitt House, where he remained until he became of age. After that he went to St. Paul, Minne- sota, where he was chief clerk in the Sherman House.

about twenty miles southeast of our camp, and east from last night's camp. It is the way the Snakes and the Bannacks go to hunt buffalo on the Yellowstone, but we are following Lewis and Clarke's trail. We are about thirty miles from the three forks of the Missouri, and were about the same distance at last camp. We have seen plenty of geese, ducks and prairie chickens ever since we struck the Madison, and from there to this camp there are but few prickly pears, and the little valleys are composed of soil instead of rock and gravel. A great many of our horses' backs are becoming sore. Trav- eled twenty miles.

In 1881 Mr. Garrett came from St. Paul to Montana, and at Miles City formed a partnership with a Mr. Hill the firm name being Garrett & Hill, and for two years they did an extensive produce business. Mr. Garrett then returned East, but in 1886 came back to Montana, this time to Helena. For four years he was clerk in the Cos- mopolitan hotel. In the meantime he was elected a member of the City Council, and served two terms, and in 1892 his party nominated and ran him for County Treasurer, but he missed the election by forty votes. In the spring of 1893 he was nominated for City Treasurer, was re-elected in the spring of '94, and is now rendering efficient service in that position.

Mr. Garrett is a member of the Masonic fraternity, has taken all the degrees in the Yorke Rite, and is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and Elks. He has all his life affiliated with the Democratic party, and has ren- dered it valuable service. He was secretary of the City Democratic Central Committee. He is an obliging and capable business man, and during his residence in Mon- tana he has become widely and favorably known and en- joys the confidence and good will of his fellow citizens. He was married April 18, 1893, to Miss Mable A. Davis, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Major A. Davis, a prominent stock man of that State.

WHEELER O. DEXTER, of Fort Benton, came to the Territory of Montana in 1866, and has since been one of her active and reliable citizens. He was born in Steuben county, New York, on the last day of July, 1843.

His father, Bela Dexter, once a Colonel of the New York militia, married Miss Annie Snyder, of Thompson county, that State. He was a lumberman, and later in life was the proprietor of the Canostia Hotel. He had two danghters and a son, and died in his fiftieth year; his wife afterward married again, and died at the age of sixty years. One of the daughters is now deceased.

Mr. Dexter, of this sketch, was only seven years of age when he lost his father, and was left to his own resources.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

"Sunday 19th .- I was serenaded by a full band of wolves while on guard last night. We saw four or five black bear and plenty of deer and antelope to-day. Traveled up the small creek that we camped on last night, for about ten miles, to its head; then crossed over a small divide, and camped on a stream about twenty- five feet wide coming from the northeast and running west. I killed a black-tailed deer and an antelope, and Bostwick also killed a black- tailed deer. Plenty of red hills and burnt granite; a high mountain covered with snow a little east of south, about three miles from camp; broken hills to north and east. Onr

He was employed at whatever manual labor he could do in the summer and attended school in the winter, ending his schooling at Ithaca Academy. About this time Fort Sumter was fired upon and Mr. Lincoln issued his call for volunteers. Mr. Dexter, then in his seventeenth year, at once enrolled himself as a soldier for the Union, enlist- ing in April, 1861, under Captain Brown, whose company was to be connected with Colonel Baker's regimeut; but young Dexter had an uncle who claimed to have control of him and took him away. January 4, 1864, Mr. Dexter enlisted in Company F, Sixteenth New York Heavy Ar- tillery, and served in the Army of the James to the close of the war, participating in the brilliant struggle of the closing year. He was mustered out June 24, 1865.

He then went to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, where he was for a short time engaged in the sinking of oil wells. Next he came westward to St. Paul, Minnesota, and joined the Fisk expedition, and with it crossed the plains to Montana. The train consisted of 140 wagons and 400 men, women and children. Leaving St. Cloud June 6, Mr. Dexter arrived in Helena September 2. Here his first position was that of night clerk in the Tre- mont House. Next he was engineer in a sawmill at Dry Gulch; later he became the engineer of a quartz mill at Unionville for Major Ilodge and his son : and on the very day that Mr. Dexter commenced working here the Major had a shooting serape with a man, in which the latter was killed and the Major wounded. Such melees were com- mon in pioneer times throughout the great West.

Mr. Dexter continued there till October, 1867, when he came to Fort Benton and went on a prospecting tour for coal; and he discovered a vein five feet and eight inches thick, below Cow Island; but it was not within reach of the market, and Mr. Dexter turned his attention to another enterprise, namely, furnishing steamboats on the Missouri river with wood, and continued in this until 1874, meantime locating a ranch in Gallatin valley, which he improved and afterward sold. While in the wood

general direction of travel since we crossed Stinking Water divide has been northeast. Traveled eighteen miles to-day.

"20th .- Followed up the stream we camped on about four miles to its forks: crossed south fork and went up the ridge between the two for abont seven or eight miles; thence a little east of north to camp on a branch of same stream. IIad to travel out of our course to-day to get around snow drifts. Saw plenty of elk and few antelope. I killed one of each. Saw where an old buffalo bull had been killed about a year ago. Country very broken, with red hills, but not any washed gravel, and no quartz

business, in 1873, he went out shooting one day below Fort Benton, and killed two antelope and three buffalo; and while bringing them in on a sleigh the next day, and when going down a steep place, the sleigh was over- turned and Mr. Dexter was so severely crushed that the bones of his neck were broken. He was paralyzed and suffered a great deal for several weeks; but, as if by mira- cle, he recovered, and he is still a well preserved man. After this he was engaged in freighting between Cow Island and Helena, and handled large quantities of veg- etables. In 1875-76 he had a contract to cut hay at Fort Walsh, Canada, for the Government.

ITe piloted General Terry down the Missouri from Fort Benton to Cow Island; and he was also the bearer of the dispatches concerning the surrender of the Nez Perces Indians from Fort Benton to Fort Shaw, making a jour- ney of sixty-four miles in eight hours. At Fort Benton he had the honor of being a member of the first grand jury; and he also brought into the country the first steam thresher. 1Ie established a steam sawmill at Highwood, and furnished a large portion of the lumber used at Fort Benton. In 1876 he furnished the teams to convey Gen- aral Gibbon to the Yellowstone to meet General Custer, who was soon afterward massacred on the Little Big Horn river, Montana, by Sitting Bull Sioux Indians, while Mr. Dexter was returning from this trip.

In 1889 Mr. Dexter took up a ranch on the bench above Fort Benton, and three miles distant from this city he is raising wheat. He keeps a large number of horses, and is now running two threshers and a sawmill, beside his farm.

Ile is a member of G. II. Warren Post, No. 20, G. A. R., being now its Junior Vice Commander. He is also dun- ior Deacon of the Masonic Lodge here.

Mr. Dexter has had a remarkable life: has had many narrow escapes, and was of great value in the early days in carrying dispatches and in doing many things requir- ing great courage. Ile is a splendid rifle shot, a good

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of any kind. Warm, with light wind. Trav- eled fifteen miles.

" 21st .- This morning, for five miles, we traveled east, afterward east 20 degrees south, to camp on a branch of same stream. After camping, I went about four miles ahead, and found a good road for to-morrow's travel. We are about three miles from the divide between the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. North and east of last night's camp. the country is low; northeast twenty miles is a low mountain, south of east is another, and south and south- west there are high, snowy mountains. Saw about one hundred elk to day. I have difficulty

natural musician and a perfect genius as a mechanic, being able to do anything in the line of machinery. He was the builder of the first steamboat, the Swan, construc- ted at Great Falls; and in addition to his other good traits of character he is a man of integrity who keeps his obli- gations to the letter.

FRED C. STODDARD .- Among the active business men of the enterprising and beautiful city of Missoula is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch.

Mr. Stoddard was born in Concord, Jackson county, Michigan, August 18, 1857, and is of English descent, his ancestors having come to America and settled in Massa- chusetts previous to the Revolutionary war, and subse- quently removing from there to New York. In New York his father, Dr. Sampson Stoddard, was born, reared and educated. He removed to Michigan at an early day, being one of the first physicians to locate at Jackson, where he practiced his profession for many years. He was well known throughout central Michigan. Mr. Stoddard was twice married. By his first wife he had eight chil- dren, five of whom are still living. She died in 1852, and in 1854 he married Mrs. Emily T. Lathrop, of Concord, Jackson county, Michigan. She, however, was born in New York State, her parents being among the early pio- neers of Michigan. This second marriage resulted in the birth of two children, the subject of our sketch and Mrs. William E. Braggs, the latter of Stevensville, Montana. Dr. Stoddard lived to be eighty years of age, and his widow is still living, now in her seventy-sixth year. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which her worthy husband was also a member.

Fred C. Stoddard was reared in his native town, his education being received in the public schools and the Albion College, at Albion, Michigan. He began his business career as an office boy in Chicago. In 1880 he came to Missoula, Montana, and invested in land. He par- chased 160 acres, and had a half interest in 240 acres with a brother with whom he was engaged in farming opera-

in keeping the party from bombarding them while we are traveling. Bostwick went hunting after we camped and killed a grizzly bear; it attacked him before he shot it, but he got the best of the fight. About twelve of the party went abont three miles up the branch to see it, and nearly all of them got lively, for it was literally covered with vermin. Underwood and Watkins each killed an antelope; had ante- lope steaks fried in bear's oil for supper. High living! Traveled ten miles.

" 22d .--- Traveled southwest all day. I left the train in the morning and followed along the base of the mountain to the west. Saw many

tions two years, raising grain and stock. In 1882 he ac- cepted a position as bookkeepr and general manager in the store of Worden & Company, Missoula, and with this firm he was connected until 1886. At that time he was elected bookkeeper and assistant cashier of the Missoula National Bank (now the First National Bank), and this position he filled from July, 1886, until January 1, 1890, when he engaged in the real-estate and insurance busi- ness. In company with other gentlemen, he purchased eighty acres of land on the southwestern side of the city, which tract they subdivided and placed upon the mar- ket. He is handling his portion of this property and also has charge of other real estate which he is selling on commission. He represents the following insurance companies: Etna, of Hartford: the Home, of New York; the Phoenix, of Hartford; the Royal, of England; the - North British and Mercantile, of England; Firemen's Fund, of California; Hartford of Connecticut; Northern Assurance Company; Norwich Union, of London; St. Paul Fire and Marine, St. Paul, Minnesota; Insurance Company of North America, Philadelphia; Palatin, of Manchester, England; the Alliance Assurance Company, of London; Mutual Life Insurance Company, of New York: the Lloyds Plate Glass Insurance Company, of Philadelphia, and various other companies. Hle does a large and suc- cessful business in the insurance line, and aside from this and his real-estate deals he devotes considerable time to the Missoula Building & Loan Association, of which he is secretary.

Mr. Stoddard was married April 16, 1884, to Miss Minnie A. Freeman, daughter of Avery Freeman, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. They have two children, both natives of Mis- soula: Bessie Louise, born on November 8, 1885, and Frederick Thayer, January 28, 1888.

Mr. Stoddard is a member of the A. O. U. W. and of the K. of P. Politically, he is a Republican. Prompt, energetic and honorable and upright in all his dealings, he has acquired the reputation of being one of Missoula's most reliable business men.

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elk and antelope. We traveled down an open plain, averaging about eight miles in width. We are supposed to be on Shields river. Lewis and Clarke have played ns out; if we had left the notes and map of their route at home and followed the Indian trail, we would have saved four days' travel in coming from Bannack City here. The appearance of the country is about the same as last night, only we are eloser to the snowy mountains south of us, and which are evidently on the south of the Yellowstone. Traveled twenty miles.

"23d .- It began raining about four o'clock yesterday evening and continued until 10:30

CHARLES WILLIAM BERRY, County Assessor of Missoula county, and one of Montana's noted pioneers, was born in New Hampshire, February 25, 1827. His grandfather Isaiah Berry, was also born in that State, of English and Irish ancestry. Both he aud his son William were soldiers in the war of 1812. The former was a Whig in political matters, and served in the Legislature of his State a num- ber of years. Religiously, he was a member of the Con- gregational Church. He had seven sons, and lived to the age of eighty-eight years. William Berry, the youngest child in order of birth, and the father of our subject, was born in New Hampshire, in 1797. He married Miss Olive S. Lock, also a native of that State, and they had five chil- dren. Mr. Berry lived and died on the farm on which he was born, his death occurring in 1878. His wife, who was born in 1794, lived to the age of eighty years. Three of their children are still living.

Charles W. Berry, the fourth child in order of birth in the above family, was early inured to farm labor on his father's place, having attended school only a short time during the winters. In 1849, at the age of twenty-two years, he went to California, via the isthmus, and arrived in San Francisco December 20 of that year. The gold excitement was then at its height, and Mr. Berry mined on the south fork of the American river, three miles above Coloma, from spring until the following fall, and during that time took out about $2,000 in gold: he then returned to San Francisco.

From April, 1851, until July, 1861, he mined at Scott's Bar, on Scott river, Siskiyou county; also carried freight from Red Bluff and Crescent City into Siskiyou county; afterward went with his train and sixteen passengers east of the Cascade mountains, to Oro Fino; next freighted from Walla Walla to Lewiston and Elk City, and while engaged in that occupation came near losing his life. While guarding his mules at night he was standing near his fire, and an Indian shot at him, the arrow passing through his beard, just under his chin. He dropped

P. M. Cloudy to-day. Saw fresh buffalo signs and many elk, antelope and three white-tailed deer. We traveled along the east bank of Sheilds river, which runs a few degrees east of sonth. Crossed four tracks coming in from the mountain east of us; there is also a number of creeks coming in on the west side. Beautiful tableland on the east side of the river, and low, broken hills on the west. Prospected, and found a good color of gold on the river, but not enough to justify us to stop and prospect thoroughly. Since leaving Beaver Head we have seen but very few prickly pears until this afternoon, when we found plenty and of the

down in the deep grass, and crawled away from the fire. He saw nothing more of the murderous Indians, but many were the dangers, seen and unseen, through which the early pioneers passed. While in Idaho, October 24, 1862, Mr. Berry was attacked and robbed of $1,119. After securing help he followed the robbers to Walla Walla, where they were captured, and the sheriff started with them for Florence to be tried; but the people of Lewis- ton, fearing they would be rescued by others of the party, took them from the sheriff and hung them. Mr. Berry secured all his money, but, fearing the associates of the robbers would kill him, he left that part of the country.

In April, 1864, he came to Alder Gulch, Montana; after- ward took a pack train to Cow island, below Fort Benton, and returned; in the following spring he went with the stampede to Cœur d' Alene, where he found as many as 2,000 people; then began mining for $6 a day at Bannack, and six weeks later engaged in hunting and trapping in the Big ITole valley. With two companions he continued that occupation until December, and during that time caught seventy-six beaver, and killed many moose, elk, deer, mountain sheep and bears. Mr. Berry packed the meat to French Gulch, where he sold it to the miners. He spent one winter at Deer Lodge in a tent, and camped at Anaconda, when only one ranch had been located in this part of the country. In the spring of 1866 he went to Bear Gulch, and was engaged in whipsawing lumber, with which they made underground drains to bring water to the gulch in winters. Mr. Berry was offered $2,000 for a half interest in the works, but refused the offer. Hle afterward left it to bring his wife and child from Walla Walla, and after returning found the entire camp had gone to the headquarters of the Salmon river excitement. At about that time he was given a one-sixth interest in what was called the Fighting Mining claim, in order to help hold the claim. They built a fort of hewed logs around the mine, and in that way succeeded in working it for a year: and the $16,000 taken from the mine was

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largest size. I killed an antelope about half an hour before we camped. We do not carry any fresh meat with us, every day provides for itself. Camped on Shields river, about four iniles above its mouth. Traveled fifteen miles. " 24th .- It began raining about 3 A.M., and kept it up until morning, and was still sprink- ling when we packed and started. It rained nearly all day till sundown. It was more like an Oregon mist than a rain storm. We traveled fifteen miles nearly east to camp on a small clay creek. Very bad road; the horses sunk into the mud three or four inches every step and oc- casionally almost mired down. The character

divided among the six owners.

In 1868 Mr. Berry went to Lewiston, where he received from his brother, J. G. Berry, the appointment of Deputy Sheriff. In the following year he took a trip to the States, returned by rail to San Francisco, thence went to Portland and Walla Walla, next to Cedar creek, Missoula county, and while at the latter place again engaged in making lumber with a whipsaw. He sold the lumber for building and mining purposes, receiving from $150 to $200 per 100 feet. After following that occupation three months he took a ranch at the mouth of Cedar creek, in Missoula county, where he raised eleven crops of vege- tables and grain, selling the product to the miners on the creek. His potatoes sold as high as 15 cents per pound, and cabbage from 8 to 10 cents a pound. About twenty Indians and squaws were employed on the farm, receiving $1 per day, and the Indian children were also engaged in picking up potatoes, etc. In 1882 Mr. Berry was elected to the office of Sheriff of Missoula county, which position he held two years; then took 160 acres of land on Flat- head valley, and engaged in raising bay and stock. In 1887 he came to Missoula, where he was elected to the position of County Assessor, and after the State was ad- mitted to the Union was twice re-elected.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 38

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216