An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 57

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 57

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entering the Union ranks. Accordingly, early in the spring of 1864, when he was seventeen, he enlisted in Company E, 131st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was with the forces that operated in Virginia and Maryland. At the expir- ation of his term of service he received an honorable discharge and returned home.

In the spring of 1866, in company with his brother Lewis and J. T. Clark, they purchased a mule team and wagon at Kansas City, Missouri, and started West. They came over the old Santa Fe route to Denver, Colorado, thenee to Salt Lake and from there to Alder Gulch, Mon- tana. At both Denver and Salt Lake they replenished their store of provisions, but when they landed in Mon- tana their provisions were gone and they were also out of money. They had good clothes, however, and William Coleman traded a coat belonging to his brother Lewis, for $15 to Major Boyee, now of Butte City, and on this amount they subsisted until they secured employment. Their first work was digging a ditch. When this was completed they started for Highland Gulch, where gold had been discovered and to which point the miners thronged from all directions, the wagon belonging to these young men being the fifth one to cross over into that sec- tion of the country, and the journey was a most difficult one owing to the steepness of the hills. There Mr. Cole- man spent the winter, teaming for wages, and in the spring we find him at the Mariposa stampede. Finding that the gold was not in paying quantities at the latter place, he returned to Highland Gulch, where he spent some time and money working the placer mines, and finally he and his associates found themselves $600 in debt. He then gave up the enterprise and went to work in Charles Wanderliek's shop. Soon afterward he was employed on the night shift in the Forrest Queen Tunnel Gold Company, at $5 per day and board. While he was at work there a little incident occurred which is worthy of note here, illustrating, as it does, the character of the man. One of the men in the mine kept constantly

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" Whereas, At a meeting of the citizens of Helena at the courthouse, held on Monday, the 11th day of February, 1867, for the purpose of considering the necessity of fixing a value upon certain gold dust now circulating in the com- munity at a value of eighteen dollars per ounce, and which is worth much less than said value, the undersigned were appointed a committee to consider the matter, and were instructed to re- port at an adjourned meeting of the citizens, to be held at the courthouse of Helena, on Mon- day evening, February 18, 1867. Now, there- fore, we the nudersigned committeemen do make this our report, and move the adoption of the same:

watching Mr. Coleman and after awhile the latter was so annoyed by it that he said, "Why are you constantly eye- ing me?" To this the man, Mr. Munday, replied, "Billy, I beg your pardon; but I think it is because I have seen and known you somewhere before." In the course of conversation it was found out that the two had met during the war, and Mr. Munday exclaimed, "You were the boy who bronght supplies and fed me when I was a rebel prisoner and you were conducting us from Baltimore to Camp Chase." "Yes," replied Mr. Coleman, "I saw you were suffering, and borrowed the money with which I purchased those supplies." It is unnecessary to say that as long as they remained together at Highland Gulch these two were warm friends.

In the spring of 1869 Mr Coleman and three others went on a prospecting tour to the Big Hole country, but as they were not successful they returned to Highland Guleh. About that time an excitement broke out over discoveries made at Loone Creek, in Idaho, and to that place they directed their course, and, as they found notli- ing, they started across the mountains to Salmon City, meeting with many difficulties in making the journey, be- ing lost for eight days and five days of that time having nothing to eat except flour and water. Finally, however, they reached their destination. After purchasing sup- plies, they made their way to Bannack and there engaged in mining in the old fashioned way until cold weather set in. Mr. Coleman made a pump of his own invention and succeeded in getting to bed rock in the main channel, and secured considerable gold. In his operations he employed a number of men, some of them rough characters who tried to rob him of his property, but with a six-shooter he succeeded in standing them off. At last he was injured by a falling timber in the mine and was disabled for fur- ther work of that kind.

August 11, 1871, Mr. Coleman opened up his general merchandise business in Deer Lodge, and has continued in business here ever since, also at various times having branch stores at other points, his operations thus being ex- tended over a large territory and being uniformly success ful. In 1873 he opened a branch store at Pioneer, which

" Resolved, That the article of dust known as first quality mill retort be received and paid out by this community at a value of $16 per ounce. " Resolved, That the article of dust known as Silver Bow dust be received and paid out by this community at the value of $16 per ounce."

Resolved, That clean gulch gold dust, free from rock and sand and other impurities be re- ceived and paid out as heretofore, at $18 per ounce, save and excepting Silver Bow and Boise dust."

" Resolved, That all gold dust receive'l or paid out by this community shall be free from rock, black sand and other impurities to be of the value above mentioned.

he ran one year; from 1875 until 1880 had a branch store at Phillipsburg; and from 1877 until 1884 had a branch business in Butte City. In the spring of 1884 he formed a partnership with W. J. Matthews and opened a store in Anaconda. This he closed out in 1889. That same year he erected his fine brick business block in Deer Lodge, it being the finest block in the town. But Mr. Coleman's enterprise does not stop here. As has been already stated, he is still engaged in mining operations, now being in- terested in no less than tifty different mining claims in Montana. He has also acquired a large amount of real estate both in Montana and in Washington. And in addi- tion to the energy and enterprise he has put into his own business, he has constantly been the leader in all the on- terprises intended to help his town. In 1887 he and two others, N. J. Bielenberg and Willard Bennet, organized the water company which has since supplied the city with pure water, Mr. Coleman giving his personal atten tion to the putting in of the works. He was also one of the organizers of the Electric Light Company, in which he is a stockholder and vice-president. He built the ele gant brick residense which he and his family occupy, and both directly and indirectly he has done all in his power to make Deer Lodge the pleasant and desirable town fo live in which it has become.

Mr. Coleman was happily married Angust 2, 1875, 10 Miss Lucy Hammond, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of William Hammond. Her father emigrated to Montana in 1865 and is now a resident of Phillipsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman have two children: Alice and Jo seph L.

Fraternally, Mr. Coleman is a charter member of the George 11. Thomas Post, G. A. R .: is Deputy Grand Master of the I. O. O. F., and is also Deputy Grand Patriarch of the Encampment: and is an active member of the Masonic order. Politically, he is a Republican. Mrs. Coleman and the children are members of the Episcopal Church.

Much more might be said of the life of this worthy pio neer, but enough has already been given to show that he is one of the leading business men and pioneers of the State.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

" Resolved, That this agreement shall take effect on and after the first day of March, 1867.

" Resolved, That a committee of three be ap- pointed by this meeting to secure the signatures of the business men, and others of this com- munity, to these resolutions. James King, S. M. Hall, C. B. Stephenson, James HI. Pierce, A. G. Clark, E. S. Wihley, W. G. Gibson, J. G. Smith, G. P. Dorriss, committee. G. M. Tutt, John Kinna, Kerr, Levy & Co., Parchen & Paynter, Moyher & Redfield, A. S. Laine, John W. Reins, D. Orion, George Aitchison, Maniard & Berliner, J. M. Sweeney, Loeb & Bros., Wm. Senior, G. G. Wentz, Ch. Knock, Griswold & Johnson, J. Riley, J. Combs, King

ROBERT VAUGHN, the pioneer settler of Sun River val- ley and now one of the most publie-spirited citizens of Great Falls, is a native of Wales, born in Montgomery- shire, June 5, 1836. His parents, Edward and Elizabeth (Davis) Vaughn, were industrious farmers and respected members of the Episcopal Church. They had six chil- dren, all of whom are living except the eldest. Mr. Ed- ward Vaughn died in the sixty-eighth year of his age, and his wife lived to be seventy-four years old. Mr. Vaughn and his brother Hugh, who is a well-to-do farmer in McLean county, Illinois, are the only two members of the family who came to America.

The gentleman whose name forms the caption of this biographical account, the third in the above family, had but limited opportunities for au education in his native land; nevertheless, in the hard school of experience he became an intelligent and well-informed, self-made man. Leaving home at the age of nineteen years he went to Liverpool, England, to work for himself and to learu the English language. Ile spent over a year in Liverpool, employed at flower-gardening, and acquired the English language well enough to express himself fairly well. Ile then took passage on the steamer Vigo, bound for the United States, and after an exceedingly stormy passage of twelve days he landed at New York city, in October, 1858.

During the first winter in this country he stopped with his brother, who was working on a farm near Rome, New York, and there Mr. Vaughn suffered a severe attack of typhoid fever. In the spring, after he had sufficiently recovered to travel, he went to the home of an uncle in Palmyra, Ohio, and was employed on the farm there about two years, and next in the coal mines at Youngs- town, same State, three years; and for a short time after this he was again employed upon a farm, that of his brother, in MeLean county, Illinois.

March 4. 1864, he left Livingston county, Illinois, in company with James Gibb, James Martin, John Jackson and Sam Demister and wife, destined for Alder Gulch, Montana: their mode of travel was with four horses and

& Gillette, Frank Abt, Frank Walker, A. Fier- her, Riddle & Co., Wm. Woodruff, Wm. F. Powers, Weir & Pope, B. F. Maguire, Dow & Wilson, Jacob Smith, Hiram Lusk, Gans & Klien, Kercheval, Cannon & Co., J. Schonfeld & Co., Clark, Conrad & Miller, Leopold Auer- bach, Higgins & Hagadorn, Gay, Lewis & Co., John How, Rhine & Redlich, Cole Saunders, Agent, M. Roineg, R. & A. H. Lencan, N. Millen, Clay Thompson, H. P. Klow, H. Hen- nus, LaCroix & Owens, M. Goodman, E. B. Ebert, S. Stilinger, I. Harris, B. Levy, Poz- nainsky & Behm, M. Kaiser, Morris & Bro, L. H. Duff, Garrett, Caldwell & Co., Edwards & Cassady, Simpson & Warner, Cornelins Sul-

a lumber wagon. The greater portion of Illinois and Iowa through which they passed was then a very thinly settled part of the country, and sometimes they would travel almost a day without seeing a pioneer settler. Council Bluffs was a small frontier settlement, and Omaha had scarcely 1,200 population. How different these popu- Jous cities now are!

At Omaha they made up a train of 100 wagons to cross the plains, with an average of four. men to the wagon. Their trail was on the north side of the North Platte river as far as to Fort Laramie, following most of the way the surveyors' stakes on the line of the Union Pacific Railway. At Laramie they camped some three days to recruit their stock and make arrangements for complet- ing their long journey. There they met the noted fron- tiersman, Bozeman, the founder of Moutana's city of that name. He sought to organize a train of 100 wagons to take a cut-off route east of the Wind River mountains; but Mr. Vaughn and party had already joined Joe Mc- Knight's train, which was to skirt these mountains on the west. MeKnight was a famous scout, versed in the language of every Indian tribe from the Platte to the Saskatchawan, and was both feared and respected by all of them. He was a brave and true man, whose tact and courage on more than one occasion resulted in avoidance of trouble with hostile redskins.

After many hardships and dangers the party arrived at Alder Gulch July 13, 1864. At that time no one had the least idea of establishing a home in Montana, and in truth the field just then was not an inviting one for the home-seeker. All worked for gold and nothing else. Nearly every one had made up his mind as to the amount he wanted, after obtaining which he would return to the States to enjoy it. Many made fortunes and carried out precisely this program; but the great majority were not so fortunate. Among the latter was Mr. Vanghn. He was not ready to return at the end of the first, or even the second, year.

Being an observing man, he had noticed, with others, that the miners' ponies and work cattle fattened readily on

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livan, Ellis & Bro., Howard & Co., T. Helter & Co., Lehman & Bro., John J. Lowry, R. S. Hale, S. T. Nickelson, J. F. Taylor, G. R. Nel- son, J. & B. Maupin, John T. Murphy, HI. Epson, McCormick & Ohle, L. Bluementhal, D. C. Corbin, A. B. Sampson & Co., F. Schar- witz & Co., H. Resenfield & Co., Alex. Kemp, Lewis & Hale, Wm. H. Wenair, L. W. Stick- ney, Weber & Wolf, Joseph Kuhnworth, Sims & Bro., King, Curtin & Co., P. Howard, A. Cohen, Allison & Cole, Sparks, McPherson, Hall, Taylor, Thompson & Co., Frank St. Mary & Co., Tutt & Donald."

The swift scene shifts and men come and go at Silver Bow as they come and go in the great whirl and excitement all over the stage in the climax of a drama. and all up and down both

bunch grass, and would live on it even during the winter without care or shelter; that the meat of the deer, elk and buffalo were in prime condition even in the dead of winter; that experiments on a small scale in raising veg- etables and grain in the valleys were highly successful, and that the climate of the country gave health and vigor to both man and beast. In the light of these observations he concluded that Montana was a country good enough for him to live in; and he has never since changed his mind. Accordingly, in the early years he engaged in the live-stock business, selling meat to miners, and in this way accumulated sufficient means to conduct the business on a larger scale. In 1869 he located a farm and stock ranch in Sun River valley, twelve miles above the present city of Great Falls, which in time became one of the finest and best stock ranches in Montana. That he was a pio- neer of pioneers in Northern Montana is shown by the fact that this tract of land was the first in that region to be entered at the United States Land Office. He was also the first in that region to give attention to the raising of high-bred horses and cattle; some of the finest roadsters were raised by him. At each Territorial fair his stalls were always an attraction, and usually he had one or two winners on the race course.

He resided on this farm for twenty years, and in 1890 sold it for $45,000, with some of the stock on it, to Captain Thomas Couch. He then took up his permanent abode in Great Falls. From the beginning of the enterprise, by Paris Gibson, of building a town at the falls of the Mis- souri river, Mr. Vaughn was an enthusiast as to the future of the place, and was ready at any time to measure words with the scoffer and unbeliever. From the very start he was one of Mr. Gibson's trusted counselors and abet- tors, showing his faith by deeds as well as words. Ac cordingly he became one of the earliest investors in Great Falls property, and he is to-day the sole owner of two splendid blocks which he has had erected in the heart of the city, and which are a credit both to him and

sides of the " Shining mountains." In a little time the new town had only its name left. It drifted to a new location near by, and all the time men rushing at such a pace that no man could follow them far or continuously and correct- ly and not forget all else. The tide went out and the tide came in. Forty men with "rockers" and five women is the nearest estimate from "the oldest inhabitant" in 1866. In 1867 the site of the present Butte was laid out.

" Yes, they have laid out Butte at last," said a doubting Thomas in a moan of despondency ; " and if it had any friends, now that it is laid ont, they would bury it."

the city of his choice. Ile also owns much other valuable property, both improved and unimproved, and his faith in the city's future has never faltered; and he proposes to see it a city of 100,000 population. He is an enterpris- ing, progressive citizen, contributing even more than his quota to promote the weal of Great Falls and surround- ing country; and in every undertaking for the public good Mr. Vaughn is found at the fore front.

August 25, 1886, is the date of his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Donahue, a native of Toronto, Canada, born March 19, 1855, the daughter of Mathew and Jane Dona- hue. After a brief wedding tour they returned to the pleasant home which he had provided, and which her presence completed as a paradise; but within sixteen short months, namely, January 13, 1888, she had to leave for the future world! Their little daughter, born on the first day of the same month, and named Arvonia Eliza- beth, is a lovely little girl. Mrs. Vaughn was a most amiable Christian lady, and her loss was to her husband and infant daughter an unbearable affliction. During his great grief Mr. Vaughn addressed a most loving and fath- erly letter to his little infant daughter, in most affection- ate language, giving her the story of her birth and the very happy Christian death of her mother,-the letter showing him to be a man of the tenderest and most loving heart, passing through a most trying ordeal with Christian fortitude. The last words of his wife were, "Tell the folks I die happy." Mr. Vaughn's little daughter is still spared to him.

January 17, 1893, Mr. Vaughn was again married, this time to Miss Ella De Vee, an amiable Christian lady, who is a native of Indiana, and they are enjoying together their pleasant home in Great Falls, highly esteemed by all who know them.

In his political principles Mr. Vaughn is a Republican. He has been elected County Commissioner, but he has never sought public office, as he prefers a quiet, peace- able life.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

But the great tidal wave which was to bear Butte to the top of the crest was coming. By the finding of new gulches or new lodes? Nothing of the sort; but by the help of per- sistent Yankee ingennity. The story of fail- ure after failure in attempts to reduce the ores and make them give up their triple treasures is a very pathetic part of brave Butte's drama. Fortune after fortune fell out of sight and left only idle sinoke-stacks as sad and lonely memen- toes of failure. But we must not anticipate. It was years, even yet, before the great full tide came surging in. The year 1867 found only 300 men and about forty women in Butte. The

BENJAMIN W. TOOLE, of the firm of Pauton & Toole, dealers in hay, grain and all kinds of feed, Billings, Mon- tana, is one of the enterprising business men of Yellowstone county. Mr. Toole has figured conspicuously in Montana affairs, yet he is so modest and unassuming that he takes no pleasure in asserting what he has done in developing the resources of the State.

He was born in Missouri in 1840, son of Edwin and Lucy S. (Porter) Toole, and a brother of ex-Governor J. K. Toole, of Montana. It was in 1864 that Benjamin W. came out West and engaged in placer mining at Helena, continuing that occupation on a paying basis for some time. Later, in 1887, he settled in Yellowstone county, and for more than three years served as Clerk of the Dis- trict Court. In November, 1892, he was appointed by Judge Milburn to fill a vacancy on the Board of County Commissioners, in which position he served most accept- ably. He has never sought official honors, preferring to give his attention to his own business affairs and to enjoy the quiet of home life. He is, however, eminently quali- fied to fill any position, and is just such a man as the pub- lic needs in a responsible capacity. In 1893 he became associated with Mr. Pauton in their present business, in which the latter has had several years' experience.

Mr. Toole was married April, 1878, to Emma R. Wood- worth, daughter of William W. and Lucy (Stephens) Woodworth, natives of Iowa and New York respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Toole have had four children, three of whom are living, C. Walter, May and Nell. Their third born, Lester E., died at the age of fifteen months.

Mr. Toole is a member of the Knights of Pythias at Billings, and has been identified with the Democratic party all his life.

ETHELBERT S. BECKER, a prominent merchant and banker of Forsyth, Montana, is a member of the firm of Alexander & Becker, extensive dealers in general mer- chandise, and bankers.

lle was born at Selma, Alabama, in 1863, a son of Duane O. Becker, a prominent business man of Selma.

gold, like that of the old Comstock, was made cheap with silver; but the silver-blackened rock or quartz of Butte was new to the miner, quite unlike that of Nevada. Butte had the gold and silver, but not yet the science to get hold of it.

The gold of Florence was yellow with cop- per, instead of being white with siver, as in Butte. And this gold of the first famons mines of Idaho was the prettiest gold to look upon ever seen. It was of uniform size, the grains of dust almost like wheat grains in size, shape and color, not a particle of adhering rock, no pyrites of iron or sand of any sort. It E. S. Becker received a good, practical business educa- tion, came to Montana in 1883, and in the spring of 1889 became associated with Thomas Alexander in the general mercantile business, which he had established in 1883. They have built up a large trade and are doing an exten- sive mercantile and banking business. The bank was established March, 1892, and is named the Merchants' Bank. Cash capital, 820,000; Thomas Alexander, presi- dent; E. S. Becker, cashier. Mr. Becker is also largely interested in the sheep industry and in real estate, and has a fine residence. He is a modest gentleman, a prac- tical, safe business man, and well and favorably known. Is a Democrat. He and Mrs. Becker are social favorites in Custer county.

Mr. Becker was married in December, 1888, to Miss Matie Sears, a daughter of J. D. and Mary A. (Devall) Sears, of Glendive, Montana. Her father is a rancher and stockman in Dawson county, this State, and is a native of the State of New York. Mr. Becker has two children,-Leland S. and Helen.

DR. T. J. MURRAY, founder of the Murray-Frennd Hos- pital, at Butte City, Montana, is a gentleman of intrinsic worth as a benefactor to his race. He ranks with the leading members of the medical profession in Montana, and is therefore entitled to more than a passing notice on the pages of this work. A resume of his life is as follows:

Dr. T. J. Murray was born in Newport, Tennessee, July 30, 1855. The Murrays were early settlers of Vir- ginia, and later were residents of Tennessee, and it was in Greene county, Tennessee, that James C. Murray, the Doctor's father, was born and reared. He removed from there to Cocke county, where he was a successful grain and stock farmer. His wife, nee Elizabeth Manning, was also a native of Tennessee and a descendant of one of the old families of the South. They reared a family of seven children, all of whom are living, occupying honor- able and useful positions in life. The parents are worthy members of the Baptist Church, and are as highly es- teemed as they are well known.

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looked as if it should be worth quite $20 per ounce. It passed current for $16, as had prime dust in California from the first, but there were buyers of gold dust that paid as high as $17.50. When I left the mines there and sold out my share in Mossman's express lines, I put all my money in this beautiful red gold dust of Flor- ence, and, taking it to Tracy & King, Port- land, or my very home, had it melted into bars and assayed, although a dealer in gold dust had called at my hotel and offered mne $18 per ounce. My bags of gold dust assayed a fraction less than $9; and more than half my hard- earned fortune was lost, although I had been

Dr. Murray is the eldest in his father's family. IIe was reared in his native county and was given the best of ed- ucational advantages. After attending a private school for some time, he took a course in Roanoke College, Vir- ginia, and then devoted his time and attention to the study of medicine, first attending lectures at Nashville, and later at Philadelphia.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 57

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