An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 45

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 45

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Mr. Buford was married January 4, 1877, to Miss Katie A. Cooley, a native of Canada, their marriage occurring in Virginia City. Eight children have been born to them, four of whom are now living, namely: Henry W., Effie, Simon R, Jr., and Ruth.

Fraternally, Mr. Bulord is identified with the I. O. O. F. and the A. O. U. W., and is Past Master of the latter. In

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day after the discovery of Fairweather or Alder Gulch was known, became permanent citizens. Mullen tells us that more than a thousand im- migrants passed over the Mullen road previous to this discovery. How many were on the road and suddenly arrested their course when Alder creek was found no one can say,-several hun- dreds, even thousands, perhaps. Immigrant trains, great and small, were also nearing Mon- tana from Salt Lake, bound for Salmon river and elsewhere in the farther West at this date. What need of going further? Here was the one thing for which the whole commercial world was in quest-gold!

politics he has always been a reliable Democrat. He has served both as Alderman and Mayor of Virginia City. As a member of the Montana constitutional convention he rendered most efficient service, and at this writing, 1893, lie is State Senator from Madison county.

Mr. Buford's is a well-rounded character-a worthy citizen, a prosperous business man of more than ordinary ability, and an official in whom his constituents take a just pride.

DANIEL WEBSTER TILTON is a Montana pioneer of 1863 and the oldest book and stationery dealer in Montana.

He was born at Silver Creek, Chautauqua county, New York, July 3, 1839, and is of English descent on his fath- er's side and French on his mother's. John Tilton, his father, was born in the State of Maine, December 11, 1811. Some years later he removed to New York, where, in 1838, he was married to Miss Angaline Taylor. He was a mechanic and for many years was engaged in house build- ing. Later he turned his attention to the manufacture of oars. He was a Republican and a stanch old Presbyter- ian, and he lived to an advanced age, dying an hour and fifteen minutes after he had passed his eighty-second birthday. His good wife is still living at the old home place in Silver Creek, she having attained her seventy- ninth year. Their only child is Daniel Webster Tilton, the subject of our sketch.

Mr. Tilton attended the public schools of his native town until he was sixteen. Then he entered the employ of Henry Lock wood, dealer in books and stationery, and remained with him two years and a half. In 1859 he went to Buffalo and took a course in the Bryant & Stratton Business College of that place. After his graduation he returned to Silver Creek. His father then gave him $100, and he started out to make his own way in the world. At St. Joseph, Missouri, he secured a position as clerk in the office of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, at a salary of $40 per month, and while he was thus employed the Pike's Peak excitement came on, and he among others

It is is still more difficult to give a true esti- mate of the number of Indians at that time on what is now Montana soil; for as spring opened into summer the Ichmaelites were constantly roaming about, here to-day, there to-morrow, as inclination, superstition, fear of enemies, or favorable opportunity to plunder dictated. But this shall be attempted. It is a good time to " take stock," as a storekeeper would say when a big spring trade was expected. The Government reports give Montana soil for 1863 -in round numbers; Blackfeet, 19,000; Flat- heads, 15,000; Crows, 5,000: Sionx, 5,000 other roving Indians, 5,000. Thus you see

started Westward. The incidents of this trip are still fresh in his memory. Indeed, the long and tedions jour- ney overland in those days made a lasting impression on all who crossed the plains.

Mr. M. C. Keath was sending out teams to the West, and it was as driver of one of these teams-a mule team- that Mr. Tilton secured passage, and paid $35 for the privilege of going. He was not accustomed to handling mules and his experience in driving them can be better imagined than described. Suffice it to say that he per- formed his part of the contract to the best of his ability and landed safe in Denver, having $15 left when he reached that place. The first brick building in Denver was then being erected, and he secured a joh carrying brick at $2 per day. After he had worked half a day and received a dollar, he went to the Platt House for din- ner, and was there employed as clerk and bookkeeper, entering at once upon his duties. There he found that in connection with his other duties he would also have to act as bar-tender, and as he did not like that part of the work he resigned his position in the evening. Then he hired out as express messenger on an overland coach, and was thus employed for a year. At the end of that time he was taken with mountain fever, was very sick for a long time, and, although the express boys offered to make up a purse and send him home, he declined their offer, saying he intended to remain in the West. After his recovery he was successively at Georgia Gulch, Cali- fornia Gulch and Central City, at the last named place running a soda fountain and later, also, a book and station- ery business. Ile continued at Central City until 1863. That year he came to Virginia City. He loaded a team with dime novels and stationery, sent a man with it, and he himself traveled by coach. At Red Rock the stage broke down and the passengers camped while the driver went on to Bannack for repairs. The passengers beside Mr. Tilton were two notorious women and a Spaniard. The Spaniard afterward became a road agent and was shot

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the Indians bad about 50,000 souls on the ground at a very rough estimate. But there were the Missouri Sioux set down at 20.000 and close at hand, to say nothing of Indians to the north and to The south and to the east and to the west.

As an example of the audacity and treachery of these bloody people who ontnumbered the white men at least fifty to one,-for there were as many on the four sides of Montana at this time probably,- I shall here introduce Mr. Hanser's account of the night attack by the Crows in the Stnart Yellowstone expedition of 1863, which, as before noted, resulted in the dis-

at Bannack. While they were camped, as above stated, some Colorado boys came along and Mr. Tilton joined them and continued his way to Virginia City, landing there October 8, 1863. Ile bought a piece of land, put up a log building and hung out the sign, "City Book Store." This store had a board floor in it, the lumber being whip- sawed and procured at a cost of twenty-five cents per square foot. He and John Ming claim to have started in the book business there about the same time, and they were the pioneer book men of Montana. At first they sold newspapers at fifty cents apiece and other things proportionately high. He continued in business there until 1884, when he removed his stock to Butte City and here he has since remained.

When he came to Montana Mr. Tilton brought with him a little army hand press, and from time to time he did a little job work with it. He recalls the fact that he printed twenty-five ball tickets for J. B. Chapin, at $1 each; and that the charges for attending the ball were $25. He was there. The second printing press that was brought to Montana arrived here August, 1864. It was John Bu- chanan who brought it and along with it a little blank paper, and with this outfit Mr. Buchanan issued, August 27, 1864, the first number of the Montana Post, a Dem- oeratie paper. After he had issued the second number he sold it to Mr. Tilton, for $3,000, the latter continuing it as an independent paper, issuing its next number on the 10th of September. From $5 a year he raised the price to $7.50. Among distinguished persons who wrote for it we mention Colonel W. F. Sanders, Judge II. N. Blake, Judge Chumesero and Captain James II. Mills. Benja- min Dittes purchased a third interest in this paper. In 1868 Mr. Tilton sold his interest to Mr. Dittes; the paper was then removed to Helena, and later was discontinued.

Mr. Tilton was in Virginia City during all the exciting times with the road agents, and saw five of them hung at once. In 1866 he published 5,000 copies of a little book entitled "The Vigilants," giving an account of the detec-

covery of Alder creek. S. T. Hanser, like the Stuart brothers and William F. Wheeler, the first United States Marshal of Montana, was not only a great soul and a greatly conspicuous figure in the history of Montana from the first, but, as will be seen by this sketch, a man of remarkable literary precision. Nothing ever thrilled me more than has this:

" On that dreadful night our lives were saved only by an accidental circumstance in the first place, and afterward by his wisdom and heroic bearing. As an illustration of his sagacity and mountaincer knowledge, I would state before going into the details of that dreadful night,

tion, eapture and punishment of the robbers and murder- ers that infested Montana in its early history. This little book soll at first for $2 in gold dust or 82.25 in currency. He has «ince published a second edition of 5,000 copies, which now sell at fifty cents apiece.

Before leaving Virginia City Mr. Tilton was engaged in the grocery business with his father-in-law. ITis mar- riage occurred May 2, 1868, to Miss Helen Elvira Barber, a native of Pennsylvania and daughter of Hon. O. B. Bar- her of that State and a pioneer of Montana in 1866. Six children came to bless their home, of whom five were born in Virginia City and one in Butte City. Their names are Webster Barber, John, Orlando B., Charles L., Helen and Iloward. John died in 1885, at the age of fourteen years. Four of the children are now attending school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and their mother is with them, while the oldest son is with his father, running the job printing office, which they run in part to do their own ad- vertising in connection with the book store.

When Mr. Tilton came to Butte City he purchased the ground on West Park street, where he erected the build- ing he has since occupied. Ile has also invested in other city property, and he has expended about $20,000 in de- veloping mines in the State, for which he has not yet re- alized a dollar. This illustrates the uncertainty of mining.

Mr. Tilton was made a Mason in 1863, and he is now a Knight Templar. He also belongs to the A. O. U. W. and is a Seleet Knight of the latter order. In Masonry he was a charter member of Montana Lodge No. 2, and was for four years its Master; and he was Eminent Commander of Virginia City Commandery No. 1. Hle and his wife are efficient members of the Episcopal Church, of which he is now Junior Warden. In politics, his principles are in harmony with those of the Republican party.

The above sketch, although brief and imperfect, will serve to show something of the life of this worthy and re- spected pioneer.

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that as we were riding along the day before, he remarked that we were being dogged by a war party. As I saw no Indians, nor any signs of any, I asked him how he knew. He replied: ' Do you see those buffalo running at full speed off there next to the mountains?' Looking in that direction, some six or eight miles, I saw what he described, and answered that I did. " Well,' said he, 'you will shortly see those others a couple of miles or so ahead of them start also.' Sure enongh, in the course of about half an hour they too stampeded, thus showing clearly that they were frightened by something traveling in the same direction that we were, and it was also

HON. WILLIAM THOMPSON .-- One of the quiet, unassnm- ing citizens of Montana is Hon. William Thompson of Butte, who is not in the least given to boasting about his frontier record, and yet it covers a period of nearly forty years.

Mr. Thompson first saw the light at Coburg, Ontario, Canada, March 1, 1838. Here he lived until he was fifteen years old, receiving his edneation in the public schools. The father having died, Mrs. Thompson removed with her children to the United States, locating in Detroit, Michi- gan, in 1853, where William learned the cabinet and car- penter trades, and has been from that time to this a worker in wood, either as jonrneyman, manufacturer, or employer of the craft.

At the age of eighteen, William set out to carve his own fortune and proceeded first to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, going from there to High Forest, Minnesota. This was in 1856, and fligh Forest was then a frontier settlement. He saved a little money by working at his trade, and in 1859 pushed farther West, in company with Hon. Moses Arm- strong, afterward delegate to Congress from Dakota. They crossed the Dakota plains by way of New Ulm, Lake Benton, Pipestone Quarry and Sioux Falls, to Yank- ton, on the Missonri river, then the extreme frontier in the Northwest, arriving in the fall of 1859. In August of 1862 the Sioux took the war path, and the massacre at New Ulm and the outrages committed elsewhere by them, created considerable alarm at Yankton. The set- tlers gathered at the latter place and prepared for war. A militia company was organized, of which young Thomp- son was a member, for home protection, but fortunately active service was not required. Thompson had at that time the contract for the erection of the capitol building, or the one that was to serve as such for the Territory of Dakota, of which Yankton was then the capital. His material was all on the ground, and in the "war" emer- gency it was appropriated and nsed to build barracks for protection against the expected hostiles.

evident that was something beyond them, for they all ran toward us. This convinced me that he was correct, and after he had explained and drawn my attention to the circumstance it was easy enough to comprehend.

" Reaching the spot selected for camp, we busied ourselves with our various duties-some preparing supper, others starting off with pick, pan, and shovel to prospect, etc .; but I noticed that the captain quietly took his rifle and started off alone for the rolling hills next to the moun- tains. In about an hour he returned, and throw- ing down some pemmican, remarked: 'Those thieving scoundrels are close around here: so

In the fall of 1861, a party came down the Missouri river in mackinaws from Fort Benton, then the head- quarters of the American Fur Company in the Northwest. They stopped at Yankton and exhibited a considerable quantity of gold, which they said came from the monn- tains south of Fort Benton. The next spring, 1862, a small party from St. Louis and other cities went up the river on a steamboat to Fort Benton in search of treasure, and from that point penetrated the mountains. Among them were two brothers named Hulbert. They got as far as Prickly Pear valley, near where Helena now stands, and fonnd some gold at or near Montana City, being undoubtedly the first discoverers of these diggings, which afterward proved rich and extensive; but some of the party, becom- ing discouraged, returned the same fall to Yankton, mak- ing the journey from Fort Benton in mackinaws. The HInlberts worked that winter for Mr. Thompson and gave him such an account of the mountain country and its probable treasure that he lost no time in the spring in starting for that region. As there was no certainty of a steamer, he started from Yankton with a wagon and two yoke of oxen, accompanied by one of the Hulbert broth- ers. At Omaha they joined a wagon train and crossed the plains. They went direct to Bannack and then to Alder Gulch, arriving at Virginia City, September 16, 1863.

During all these years on the frontier, Mr. Thompson stuck tenaciously to his trade and did not vary the rule even in Alder Gulch, where nearly every one else was ex- pecting to dig a fortune out of the ground in a short time. He took his kit of tools along with him and found them of great service. The first winter, when most of the peo-

ple of the camp were idle waiting for the mining season to open, Thompson was diligently at work making doors, frames, sash, etc., the material for which he hewed out of pine trees, and earned easily from $10 to $15 a day. He soon formed a partnership in the building business with a Mr. Gritlith, the style of the firm being Griffith & Thompson. They built many of the first houses in Vir-

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close that, in their haste to keep me from see- ing them, they dropped that, and if we don't look sharp, we will get set afoot tonight.'

" As night approached, it elouded up and threatened rain; so we earried in all our flour and most of our other baggage, saddles, etc., and placed them around next to the walls of the tent, making our beds inside of this circle, which proved to be a providential act.

" Night coming on, the captain remarked that there would have to be a sharp watch kept, as he felt confident the Indians would make an attempt to get onr horses, and said he would .go on guard himself. As it grew dark we all re-

ginia City, and amongst them the one which, in an un- finished condition, was used by the vigilantes as a con- venient gallows on which hung, at one time, Boone Helm, Jack Gallagher, Frank Parish, Haze Lyon and "Club Foot George." This occurred in the month of January, 1864. The following spring, Thompson and his partner purchased claim No. 2 above "Fairweather" discovery, from James Fergus, and worked it that season. In the fall of the same year he organized a party of 168 men who wanted to return to the "States" and piloted them down the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers on mackinaws, charging each man $25 for the trip. He had the mackinaws built at a point on the Yellowstone about where Livingstone now stands, where the party em- barked on the 10th of October. There were thirteen boats in the fleet, and for the first few days the swift cur- rent took them along rapidly; but, reaching the lower Yellowstone, it was found necessary to ply the oar and also to hoist blankets for sails so as to make better time, as the danger of being frozen in was imminent and every effort had to be made to hasten the journey. After reach- ing the Missouri they made better progress, but here had to run the gauntlet of the "cut-throat" Sioux, who were ready and anxious to lift a scalp whenever the oppor- tunity offered. They reached Yankton in safety, how- ever, after several narrow escapes both by land and water, on November 21st, where the party disbanded.

Mr. Thompson returned to Montana the following spring, 1865, by steamboat up the Missouri river to Fort Benton, from there going direct to Virginia City by way of Helena. He engaged with his partner, Griffith, in the general building and merchandise business, and, besides other work, erected four or five of the first quartz-mills constructed in the Territory. In 1866 the firm commenced operations in Helena, erecting the King & Gillett, Tay- lor & Thompson and several other blocks, executing contracts to the amount of $78,000.

As early as 1868, Mr. Thompson purchased and operated

tired to rest except the two guards, without any misgivings; for during the last three weeks the Indians had been around our tents nearly every night, trying to steal our horses, and as they had never attempted to fire into or molest ns, since our first meeting, when we stood them off, we liad ceased to have any apprehension that they would attack us. The only precantion we took (that of taking our rifles and revolvers to bed with us) was to be ready, in case they at- tempted to stampede our horses by dashing in among them.

" The only one who seemed to have any pre- monition of the coming tragedy was Watkins,

a steam sawmill near Virginia City, and has been in the sawmill business ever since, operating iu Madison, Beaver- head, Deer Lodge, Missoula and Silver Bow counties. Ile is now vice president and general manager of the Mon- tana Lumber & Manufacturing Company of Butte and Helena, one of the most extensive and successful institu- tions of its kind in the State.

While always an active mechanic or business man Mr. Thompson has ever been willing to give a share of his time and talents to promote the public welfare. He did his part willingly in the first years of the Territory to bring law and order out of chaos. He served in the City Council of Virginia City in 1873-4, and after removing to Butte, represented the people of Silver Bow county three different sessions in the Legislature-in the House of Rep- resentatives of the fifteenth session, in the Council of the sixteenth session and again in the House of Representa- tives of the first session under the new State Government. In his capacity as a lawmaker, Mr. Thompson served his State ably and conscientiously.

Mr. Thompson was married at Virginia City in 1867, to Annie M. Boyce, daughter of Major Boyce. They have five children,-three grown sons and two daughters. The eldest, William B. Thompson, is in charge of the business of the Montana Lumber & Manufacturing Company in Helena, and James R. and Edwin are faithful lieutenants of their father at home. The daughters, Mable and Flora, are seven and twelve years of age, respectively.

WILLIAM R. KENYON, now standing at the front in the hardware business in Butte City, is a native of the State of New York, and was born December 2, 1839.

Ilis ancestors came from old England in the early set- tlement of America, and both his grandfathers fought in the Continental army during the Revolution. His father, Samuel Kenyon, was born in Albany, New York, and married Miss Freedora Gillman, a native of Connecticut; they were carly settlers of Oswego. He owned a farm and spent the whole of his life there, living to the ad-

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who several times during the day had called my attention to the mournful cooing of a dove, say- ing that it made him sad, and caused him to thing of his boyhood days and of his mother's home, and that he couldn't get over it, etc. It was strange to hear him talk in that strain, for he was one of the most reckless of the party, and usually did not seem to think of home, death, or anything else. Drew Underwood and I slept under the same blankets; and in the same tent were also York and McCafferty. Gerry, Bostwick, Ives and Watkins occupied a tent, as did also Bell, Vanderbilt and Blake an- other; while Hauxhurst and Roach did not put

vanced age of eighty- nine years, his death occurring in 1878. His wife had died in her seventy-sixth year. They had ten children, of whom only three now survive.

William R., the youngest, was reared to manhood and received his education in the public schools in his native town. He first embarked in the hardware business in In- dependence, Iowa, in 1867, and continued there for six- teen years, then sold out and came to Butte and opened his business here in 1883. The firm of which he is a mem- ber handle general hardware, but they make a specialty of handling machinery and supplies. They sell their goods throughout the whole of Montana and Idaho, and it is believed that they have the largest retail hardware trade in the United States. Mr. Kenyon is thoroughly informed in all the details of the business, and is a man of large business capacity, genial, pleasing, kind-hearted, and of course everybody esteems him highly. These traits of his character are doubtless the secret of his success.

The name of the firm is now the Kenyon-Connell Com- mercial Company, and, having unlimited capital, they are able to buy their supplies at the very lowest figures and on the very best terms. Of course they carry a very large and complete stock. Mr. Kenyon also has several pieces of mining property, and he was one of the builders of the opera house in Butte.

In his political views, Mr. Kenyon is a Democrat. He has been twice elected Mayor of the city of Butte, and now has the honor of being chairman of the State Central Committee of his party. He stands high in the estima- tion of the business men of Montana.

JULIAN M. KNIGHT, a representative business man of Virginia City, came to Montana in 1866, and is therefore ranked with the pioneers of the State.

Julian M. Knight was born in Erie county, Pennsyl- vania, November 12, 1838, of English descent. His an- cestors were among the early settlers of Vermont, and both of his grandfathers fought in the Colonial army dur- ing the Revolution. Mr. Knight's father was born in the

any tent, but simply spread it over their bed. " We all fell asleep without fear, having be- come accustomed to having Indians around camp trying only to steal our horses, as we had learned to suppose, when I was startled by the captain shouting, ' Keep close to the ground!' Instantly following his voice came the most un- earthly yelling and firing that I ever heard, and that so very close that the crash seemed to be directly against my head and inside the tent. I was fairly lifted to a sitting position, and my first realization of what was the matter, was hearing Underwood say, ' I'm shot through and through.' ' My God, this is awful,' was my

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 45

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