An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 85

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 85

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Henry Harmon Clark, the second child in order of birth, assisted his father on the farm, and attended the public schools. In early life he began working at the carpen- ter's trade, and followed that occupation for a number of years. In 1850, full of the spirit of adventure, he made the voyage to California by way of the Isthmus, mined

at Vancouver in 1858-9, and as I was teaching near there I was admitted to him once each week, so that he could help me along in my Latin. It was his own offer. Ile did not try to make me a Catholic, but he did try hard to make me a man. He had crossed and re-crossed the Rocky mountains long before any of the great traders and explorers now famous in song and story, but was as modest as one of his seminary girls in speaking of it. I know well that he was one of those who, with the vicar of the archbishop of Quebec cathedral, celebrated the holy sacrifice of mass on the summit of the Rocky mountains in Montana late in the year 1838.

for two and a half years on the North Yuba river, and earned about $10 a day while in that State, his largest day's earnings having been $112 in gold dust. In 1853 Mr. Clark returned to his native town; and the residence he built at that time still continues to be one of the best in the place. Soon after his marriage he moved to Inde- pendence, Iowa, where he was engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1864, and in that year crossed the plains to Montana. After arriving in this State he began mining at Big Indian, but, not meeting with the same success as in Callfornia, he abandoned that occupation and embarked in agricultural pursuits. Ile first took a meadow ranch of 160 acres in Prickly Pear valley, to which he after- ward added eighty acres, and in 1867 he was joined by his wife and two children, James S., and Jennie R. The latter is now the wife of Frank Donaldson, and resides near her parents. After residing on his ranch eight years, Mr. Clark bought the Prickly Pear Hotel, now in East Helena. While engaged in running the hotel, he became the owner of 160 acres of land, and in 1888 joined Mr. Riggs in the platting of East Helena. He now resides on a farm of ninety acres, where he is engaged in the rais- ing of vegetables and small fruits, and also has 480 acres adjoining this place. Mr. Clark rents his valley farm and is now practically retired from active business.

Mr. and Mrs. Clark have had three children born in Montana. The eldest, Minnie L., is now Mrs. John W. Dudley, and resides in Bismarck, North Dakota. Nettie Irene died at the age of three years, and Noble Henry departed this life in his eleventh year. The latter died of congestion of the brain, having been sick only four days. Ile was a brilliant young scholar. In political matters, Mr. Clark has been a life-long Democrat. He has served his county as Commissioner four years, was School Trustee at East Ilelena a number of years, held the office of Register of Elections, and has the honor of being the first Postmaster of East Ilelena. Mrs. Clark is

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE GEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS OF MONTANA-THE YELLOWSTONE PARK-ARE THE GREAT GEYSERS NEW OR OLD?

T HE ponderous reports, covering a dozen years, of Dr. Hayden, so long at the head of our geological surveys, are gold mines of information. Every bird, beast, fruit, flower, whether of sea, river or lake or dry land, that is or ever had been in Montana, is set down here with such precision of detail that I despair of doing anything nearly equal in this department, and shall leave these things as they came from this learned man's pen in an abbrevi- ated and carefully digested appendix.

The official history of the establishment and maintenance of a national park at the head- waters of the Yellowstone river is given in the second volume of his Surveys, under date of 1883:

a member of the Presbyterian Church. The family have the good wishes and esteem of the entire community.

JOHN A. LANDRAM, Treasurer of Ravalli county, Mon- tana, was born in Pike county, Missouri, February 11, 1842, and is a descendant of Highland Scotch ancestors. The Landrams settled in Kentucky previous to the Revo- lutionary war, and were prominently identified with the early history of that State, some of the family having fought for independence. A. D. Landram, the father of John A., was born in Kentucky, as was also our subject's mother, whose maiden name was Ann Lindsey. The Lindseys settled iu Kentucky about the time the Land- rams did. Their family was represented in the Revolu- tion, the war of 1812 and the great Civil war. During the last named struggle there was nearly a regiment of the relatives engaged in the conflict, some on one side and some on the other. A. D. Landram was a merchaut and a minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. He re- moved to Missouri about the year 1839, where he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1861, in the fifty-eighth year of his age. His good wife passed away in 1865, in her sixty-fifth year. Four of their five children are now living, John A. being the youngest of the family.

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL

SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES, Washington, D. C., February 1, 1883.

SIR: In presenting what may be regarded as a very complete report on the Yellowstone National Park it may be proper to preface it with a brief history of its inception, at least so far as it relates to this survey.

The first exploraation of the region in which the park is now located, by the survey under my charge, was made during the season of 1871. It was continued under more favorable auspices in 1872. Prior to that time no regular scien- tific examination had been made, but several private parties had visited it. In the Annual Report for 1871 I gave a brief sketch of their explorations.

In 1869 Messrs. Cook and Folsom, of Mon- tana, ascended the valley of the Yellowstone river to the lake, and thence over the divide

John A. Landram was reared to manhood in Missouri. In the spring of 1861 he enlisted in the Windsor Guards of the Confederate army, and for a time was on duty as one of General Price's body guards. Later he was in an independent battalion and served in the Second Missouri Cavalry. During the last two years of the war he was in Wood's Battalion. His first battle was that of Cold Camp, after which followed the numerous other engagements in which he participated, among them being those at Wil- son's creek, Fort Scott and Dry Wood creek. About this time, receiving news of his father's death, he was per- mitted to go home and settle up affairs there. In De- cember, 1861, he returned to the army, and his next en- gagement was during the retreat from Springfield to Elkhorn and the fight that occurred at the latter place. He was then sent to join Beauregard's forces at Corinth, Mississippi, was in numerons engagements in Mississippi, spent most of the winter of 1862-3 in Jackson, and in the spring of 1863 joined the forces that operated on the west side of the Mississippi. He was in the raid with General Price in the fall of 1864, and participated in every battle that General Price was in during the war, except at Lex- ington and Booneville. At Otterville, Missouri, he was captured, but made his escape in a few hours and re- turned to his command.

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into the geyser basin of the Madison river. They made no special report of this trip. A second party, under General Washburn, surveyor- general of Montana, penetrated to this region in the summer of 1870. He was accompanied by N. P. Langford and Lientenant G. C. Doane of the United States Army. Both these gentle- men gave to the world most interesting accounts of the wonders of this region, which excited much attention.

A rapid reconnaissance of the Yellowstone distriet was made by Colonel J. W. Barlow, United States Engineers, during the summer of 1871, and an interesting report was published the following spring.

The results of the surveys under my charge during the years 1871 and 1872 were published in the form of two annual reports with illustra- tions and maps. Though the maps were not based upon a careful triangulation, and were not, therefore, entirely accurate, they were a great advance upon any work which had been performned previously in this region.

The exploration of the Yellowstone region, in

After the war he became engaged in contract work on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He helped to build the first dwelling house in Sedalia, Missouri, and worked in the car shops at that place for two years. In 1875 he came to Montana and for two years ran a sawmill. Then he took claim to 160 acres of Government land, located seven and a half miles north of Stevensville, to which he soon afterward added until he became the owner of 320 acres. On this property he lived and prospered until 1888, at which time he removed to Stevensville in order to give his children the advantage of better educational facilities.

Mr. Landram was married in 1869, to Miss Hollie Em- mett, a native of Virginia and a descendant of an old Virginia family. They have two children, Eva and Etta.

All his life Mr. Landramı has been a supporter of the Democratic party. In 1888 he was elected a Justice of the Peace, and upon the formation of the new county of Ravalli he received the appointment from the State Legis- lature as Treasurer of this county, in which capacity he is now (1893) serving most efficiently. He has passed all the chairs in both branches of the I. O. O. F., and has represented his lodge in the Grand Lodge of the State. He is also a Past Master of the A. O. U. W.

Ever since coming to Montana Mr. Landram has been thoroughly identified with all its interests. When the Nez Perces Indians made a raid upon the settlers of the Bitter Root valley, Mr. Landram was prompt in organ- izing a company, of which he was elected Captain, and with it marched against the hostiles IIe is a citizen of the highest integrity, and enjoys to the fullest extent the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

1871, together with the reports upon it, excited so much attention throughout the country that Congress, during the session of 1871 and 1872, became very much interested in its preserva- tion. Numerons articles, which were published by the periodical press, aided very much to increase this interest among the people. So far as is now known, the idea of setting apart a large traet about the sources of the Yellowstone river as a national park, originated with the writer.

Montana holds, and must through all time hold, the keys to Yellowstone Park, although men may, at favored seasons of the year, climb over the walls instead of passing up the Yel- lowstone river through the one entrance gate. Here is what the very first official explorer says of the difficulties attending the approach from the sonth:

" Beyond these [referring to Pryor's river, Clark's Fork, Big Rosebud, and Beaver river]

FRANCIS M. DURFEE, a respected Montana pioneer of 1864, now residing et Phillipsburg, was born in Scho- harie county, New York, September 15, 1839.

Mr. Durfee is the eldest of his father's family and is a brother of Judge David M. Durfee, of Phillipsburg, and of whom prominent mention is made elsewhere in this work. For a history of the family the reader is referred to the sketch of Judge Durfee.

Francis M. was reared in Schenectady county, New York, receiving his education in the public schools, and when he started out in life for himself it was as a farm hand. In 1863 he made the journey from Leavenworth, Kansas, to St. Joseph, Missouri, with oxen, and from there across the plains to Denver he traveled with mules. That fall and winter he worked in the Bobtail mine, and the following May (1864) started for Montana He was at Julesburg at the time of the big flood, and he aided in the boating of wagons across the river. Then with an am- hulance lie went to Fort Laramie, and from there, with Henry Colvin, he continued the journey to Bannack. At Bannack he leased ground and mined, but without suc- cess, and from mining he turned his attention to cutting cord-wood. Ile was among the number that went to the Big Hole excitement. In the spring of 1865 he returned to Helena,and shortly afterward went to Blackfoot, where, with Mr. J. Myres, he was engaged in stripping placer mines, continuing thus occupied until July 4. At this time he was the victim of mountain fever and came near dying, but finally rallied, and when sufficiently recovered returned to Helena and secured employment. A little later he purchased an interest in a sawmill on the Prickly Pear river. In 1867, about the time Phillipsburg got its

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is the valley of the upper Yellowstone, which is as yet a terra incognita. My expe- dition passed entirely around, but could not penetrate it. My intention was to enter it from the head of Wind river, but the basaltic ridge previously spoken of intercepted our route and prohibited the attempt. After this obstacle had thus forced us over on the western slope of the Rocky mountains, an effort was made to recross and reach the district in ques- tion; but although it was June, the immense body of snow baffled all our exertions, and we were compelled to content ourselves with listen- ing to marvelous tales of burning plains, im- mense lakes, and boiling springs, without being able to verify these wonders. I know of but two white men who claim to have ever visited this part of the Yellowstone valley-James Bridger and Robert Meldrum. The narratives of both these men are very remarkable, and Bridger, in one of his recitals. described an im- mense boiling spring that is a perfect counter- part of the geysers of Iceland. As he is uncd- ucated, and had probably never heard of the

first start, Mr. Durfee came to the town. Soon afterward he became interested in the Apache Hill, and spent all he had made in trying to develop it, helping to sink a a shaft 130 feet deep and make a tunnel 30) feet long, all of which proved a failure, as they did not find paying ore. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Durfee returned to Helena, and from that time until the spring of 1875 he ran his sawmill there. He then moved it to Rock creek, eighteen miles west of Phillipsburg, where he continued to make lumber until 1882. He then took claim to a tract of land a mile and a quarter east of Phillipsburg, this claim comprising 180 acres. Soon afterward he added to it another 160 acres, and three years later purchased 320 acres more, making in all 560 acres, a splendid farm which he still owns and occupies. A portion of this land is well adapted for hay, and on the rest of it he raises grain. This year, 1894, he raised 1,800 bushels of grain, and his farm annu- ally brings him between five and six thousand dollars.

Mr. Durfee has invested most of his surplus funds in mining enterprises, and now has several valuable claims, both silver and gold. In 1889 he organized the Sunrise Mining and Milling Company, of which he is president and a large stockholder. This company has a 100 horse- power and a len-stamp mill, and expects soon to put in ten stamps more, the property being located six miles west of Stone Station. The Sunrise mine is now produc- ing about $6,000 per month.

The year before he located his present ranch, Mr. Dur- fee returned East, and February 28, 1882, was married to Miss Eva Robrback, a native of Ohio and of German de- scent. Bringing his bride back with him to Montana, he settled on the farm where he has siuce resided and which he has improved with a comfortable and attractive resi-

existence of such natural marvels elsewhere, I have little doubt that he spoke of that which he had actually seen." -- Captain Reynolds' Re- port on Expedition up the Yellowstone River; page 10.

Dr. Hayden says this is the first official mention ever made of Yellowstone Park. Cap- tain John Mullen says, in his report on the military wagon road: "As early as the winter of 1853, which I spent in these mountains, my attention was called to the mild open region lying between the Deer Lodge valley and Fort Laramie. * * * Upon investigating the peculiarities of the country I learned from the Indians, and afterward confirmed by my own explorations, the fact of the existence of an infinite number of hot springs at the head- waters of the Missouri, Columbia, and Yellow- stone rivers, and that hot geysers, similar to

dence, and here he and his family have everything that goes to make life happy. His children, Marion C. and Ruby, are both attending school.

Mr. Durfee is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and affiliates with the Republican party. The success be has attained tn life, as briefiy outlined in this sketch, is ample evidence of his business ability, his perseverance, and his faith in the State of his adoption

DAVID M. DUNGLEBERG, one of the prosperous farmers of Hell Gate valley, Granite county, Montana, has been identified with this State since 1862. Of his life we make the following record:

Mr. Dungleberg's ancestors originated in Germany and some of them were among the early settlers of Pennsyl- vania. His grandfather, Joseph Dungleberg, served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary war, and the father of David M., also named Joseph, was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1806. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Mary Maleck, was also a native of Pennsylvania and was of Ger- man descent. Joseph and Mary Dungleberg had a family of seven children, David M. being next to the oldest and one of the four who are now living. The father died in the seventy-fifth year of his age, and the mother when she was sixty-six, both passing away at the old home where they had spent the whole of their married life. They were members of the Lutheran Church and were respected and esteemed by all who knew them.

David M. Dungleberg was born on his father's farm February 4, 1839, and was reared a farmer boy, attending the district school in winter, and remaining at home until he was nineteeu. At that youthful but ambitious age he bade adieu to bis home and friends in Pennsylvania and

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those of California, existed at the head of the Yellowstone; that this line of hot springs was traced to the Big Horn."

Dr. Hayden, in tracing the earliest traditions touching this marvelous region, says:

"John Colter, or Coulter, was probably the first white man who ever saw any of the springs or geysers of this wonderful region. He was connected with Lewis and Clarke's expedition, and on their return, in 1806, left the expedi- tion to go back to the headwaters of the Mis- souri to trap and bunt. After a narrow escape from the Blackfeet Indians, he lived for some time with the Bannack Inidans, who ranged through the country in which the park is located. In 1810 he returned to St. Louis and told wonderful tales of the region, which were not believed. 'Coulter's Hell' was the term afterwards applied to the region. *

started West, his objective point being Kansas. In Kan- sas he rented a farm and remained one year. This was in 1859. In 1860 he went to Pike's Peak. Soon after- ward we find him engaged in mining in California Gulch, now Leadville, where he worked for wages two years, and from whence he drove an ox team toMontana in 1862. At Bannack he leased ground and mined a short time and afterward was engaged in whipsawing lumber. In the fall of 1863 he went to Alder Gulch, where he mined suc- cessfully till the following year and while there he took out about $5,000, fully half of which he saved. He then went to British Columbia to the Kootenai excitement. There he purchased a claim, which, however, proved to be of little value, and he soon returned to Montana. At this time he settled on 320 acres of land at the place where he now resides, and to it he has since added, now having 480 acres of choice farming land. Here he has built a comfortable residence and has made various other im- provements, and to-day is ranked with the most prosper- ous farmers of this part of the county. He has all these years given considerable attention to the raising of cattle and horses. At one time he had 500 head of cattle.

In 1885 Mr. Dungleberg and Colonel Morse built a flour- ing mill at New Chicago, which has proved of great value to this vicinity. Mr. Dungleberg is also engaged in quartz mining. He discovered several claims in the mountains, from one of which $20,000 has been mined. He also has a gold mine at the head of Gold creek.

Mr. Dungleberg was married in 1876 to Miss Josephine Hanley, a native of Pennsylvania. They have two chil- dren, Frank H. and Cora.

"As far back as 1844, James Bridger, one of the best and most noted of Rocky mountain guides, is said to have described some of the wonderful springs and geysers, but his stories were supposed to be made out of the whole eloth, and although it is said he endeavored to get some of the western newspaper men to pub- lish some of his tales, they were so marvelous that no one would do it .*

"In 1863 a party of prospectors, of which Capt. Walter W. De Lacey was one, ascended the Snake river, and from Shoshone lake (which was named De Lacey's lake afterward by Gen- eral Meredith, surveyor-general of Montana) erossed to the lower geyser basin, one branch of the party having visited the springs and geysers of the Shoshone geyser basin. No de- scription of the Shoshone geysers was pub- lished by them. Captain DeLacey, writing of

Our subject is a Republican and takes laudable interest in public affairs, but has always declined office.

PROF. J. BRUCE SIMPSON, formerly principal of St. Pe- ter's School, Helena, Montana, is a native of Edinburg, Scotland, born January 11, 1860. His ancestors were low- landers of Scotland, and he was the only child of James and Helen (Bruce) Simpson, his mother being a deseen- dant of one of Scotland's most famous chieftains. James Simpson served in the British Navy in the Crimean war, and in 1862 died from the effect of exposure incurred dur- ing his service. Eight years later his widow died, the subject of our sketch thus being left an orphan at the early age of ten years. For some time he made his home with an unele.

Professor Simpson was educated at Stewart's College in Edinburg, and was so proficient in his studies that in 1876 he, among 1,500 boys, was the recipient of a gold medal. Then he entered the University of Edinburg where he soon attained high standing, taking the first class prizes in Latin and Greek and receiving a gold medal for his proficiency in rhetoric and English litera- ture. In 1880 he graduated with the degree of M. A. Following his graduation, he for a time taught in Scot- land and Norfolk, England, and later in Stewart's Col- lege, where he was employed until 1887. That year he came to Helena. Ile spent one year in the office of the

*The Historical Society says of Bridger that although a good guide, he was a great liar, and would lie even about the distance on a military road with mile-posts. This authority also throws doubt on the veracity of Colter.

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the lower geyser basin in the paper by him published in the 'Contributions to the Histori- cal Society of Montana,' says they reached the valley on the 9th of September, 1863."

My own personal knowledge of at least some portion of Yellowstone Park began in 1861, as before said; but when with my father on Bear river between Fort Hall and Salt Lake at a place then known as Steam boat Spring, in 1852, a trapper told us that there were thousands of such springs at the head of the Yellowstone, and that the Indians there used stone knives and axes. We had Lewis and Clarke's as well as some of Fremont's journals, and not finding any of these hot springs and geysers mentioned in their pages, we paid little attention to the old man's tale, and I should have forgotten it but for the story about stone knives and axes. And

here let me introduce an idea which, so far as I can find out from books, is new. I believe that these geysers are growing,-growing gradually, in splendor and force and area. I hesitate to urge this on any one, but I can almost say I know it to be true.

A man in his early years sees things at their best and biggest, and they lose nothing in his memory as time rolls on; but it is a fact that these wonders were twice as wonderful to me nearly thirty years later when I was sent there to report for the New York Independent. From the edition of that paper for September 26, 1889, I extract a portion of one of my reports, as follows:

Half a day on down the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains, through grassy valleys, over willow-lined creeks, under great basalt and granite and sandstone bluffs, and we pull up at

Surveyor General, and in 1888 was elected principal of St. Peter's School, in which position he did excellent work for five years, having terminated his connection with the school within the year 1893. One of his pupils, Lewis Davis, passed the Yale preliminary examination at the age of sixteen years.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 85

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