Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 100

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1126

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Masons; Great Falls Lodge No. 214, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and the Alpha Tau Omega, Greek letter college fraternity. He is like- wise a member of the Belgrade Commercial Club and has a number of social and civic connections.

In 1910, at Minneapolis, Mr. Heidel married Miss Frances Brown, a native of Louisiana, and they have two children : Charles, born July 12, 1914; and Eva Lee, born June 7, 1917.

HELMER HAGELIE. The beautiful little City of Man- hattan, Montana, has developed and prospered largely because of the sterling character of its citi- zens. They have been clearsighted enough to wel- come to their midst able and enterprising business men, and the result has been progress along every line. Particularly has this been true in the mercan- tile trade, for in the Manhattan Mercantile Com- pany the city has an organization that compares favorably with any in the state. Credit for a large part of this commercial importance is due Helmer Hagelie, a member of the corporation and who has been the company's able, indefatigable and judicious manager for the past six years.

Helmer Hagelie was born at Ossian in Winne- shiek County, Iowa, February 1, 1882. He is a son of Chris and Martha (Osheim) Hagelie, and a grandson of Halvor Hagelie. The grandfather was born in Norway, in 1809, and came to the United States and settled as a farmer in Iowa prior to the Civil war, in which he served as a soldier in an Iowa regiment. In 1892 he retired to Buxton, North Dakota, and died there. The father of Helmer Hagelie was born at Ossian, Iowa, January 12, 1858, and remained there engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1892, when he went to Buxton, North Dakota, where he has farm interests. The mother was born at Ossian in 1863 and also survives. They are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church at Buxton. Of their children, Helmer was the first born, the others being as follows: Clara, who is the wife of Ole Foss, a farmer living near Buxton; Gilbert, who is a farmer near there; Cora, who married and lives near Bux- ton; Bennie, who is a farmer near Buxton; Liva, who resides with her parents, is a teacher in the public schools of Buxton; Martha, who is also a teacher there; Albert, who is a student at Bux- ton; Agnes, who was graduated from the Buxton High school in 1919, and Reuben, who is a student in the high school at Buxton. The son Bennie en- tered the army in September, 1917, and was in over- seas service in the Fourth Division and saw active service until the armistice was signed. He received his discharge in August, 1919. He was wounded twice during this time. The parents, deeming edu- cation an important asset, have given their children every advantage in this line in their power.

Helmer Hagelie entered Hauges Seminary at Red- wing, Minnesota, where he remained a student until 1897, leaving in his senior year. He then accepted a clerical position in the store of Oscar Sorlie at Buxton, and during the three years he continued there applied himself closely to learning business details, and by 1900, when he became connected with a store at Thompson, Iowa, was a competent clerk. Two years later he went into John Paulson's general store at Hillsboro, North Dakota, one year later . leaving in order to go into business for himself, and for the next three years was the senior partner in the firm of Hagelie & Murphy at Reynolds, North Dakota. In 1908 he came to Montana and for two and a half years was manager of the dry goods department for the Heisberg Mercantile Company at Conrad, then went to Helena as a department man- ager for T. C. Power, and for two years was with

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the Bogy Mercantile Company at Chinook, Montana .. As a result of these various changes Mr. Hagelie had become thoroughly acquainted not only with the trade but with different trade territories and their needs and demands. and when he came to the Man- hattan Mercantile Company, in the spring of 1913, he was a man of matured judgment in regard to the mercantile business and well qualified for the re- sponsible position of manager of this large business. It is the leading establishment of its kind in Gallatin County, and with its numerous special departments carries a complete stock of seasonable gools that under present careful managerial inspection repre- sents the best in the market. The store is an im- posing building with 100 by 80 feet floor space and is ditional business interests, being treasurer and a di- rector of the Trident Store Company, of Trident, Montana, and his two ranches, comprising 480 acres near Chinook, Montana, demand some attention. He also owns a handsome modern residence on Broadway, Manchester.

At Reynolds, North Dakota, in 1904, Mr. Hagelie was united in marriage to Miss Marie Bridston, who is a daughter of H. O. and Dorothy Bridston, the former of whom is a substantial farmer. Mrs. Hagelie completed her liberal education in the Maysville Normal School at Maysville, North Da- kota, and before marriage was a teacher for some time. Mr. and Mrs. Hagelie have two children, namely: Verna, who was born December 6, 1906; and Raymond, who was born October 21, 1910.

Although his life has been one of business care and responsibility, Mr. Hagelie has never deemed politics or public service other than citizenship duties, and has honestly endeavored to be useful in such relations to his community. On April, 1919, he was elected a member of the City Council of Man- hattan, on the democratic ticket, his fellow citizens thereby showing their approval of his thorough way of doing business and bringing about substantial re- sults. He is serving also as secretary of the Com- mercial Club. Mr. and Mrs. Hagelie are members of the Lutheran Church.

FRED M. BYRNE. In the less extensive and popu- lous cities of the West the postmaster is very likely to be brought into contact with a greater number of the inhabitants and at more frequent intervals than almost any other member of the community. Few are the individual residents of either sex who do not become familiar with his presence and deportment and cognizant of his habits and characteristics, and there are likewise few, on the other hand, whom he has not learned to know. With such an intimate relationship existing between the man conducting the postoffice and the townspeople depending upon it, fortunate is the incumbent of that office when all the residents of the place have for him only words of commendation. Such is the favored posi- tion of Postmaster Fred M. Byrne, who located at Belgrade in 1910 as agent for the Chicago, Milwau- kee & St. Paul Railway, and who a few years later was appointed postmaster, a position which he had held with marked fidelity and efficiency to the pres- ent time.

Mr. Byrne is a member of a family which settled in colonial days in Virginia, where his grandfather was born and where he died. Himself a native of West Columbia, West Virginia, he was born Janu- ary 12, 1873, a son of Thomas Marshall and Hannah (Boyce) (Kay) Byrne. His father was born in 1823, in Braxton County, West Virginia, where he was reared and first married and where he was originally in the oil business, although he later took

up merchandising. During the late '50s he moved to West Columbia, West Virginia, where he continued to occupy himself as a merchant until his death in March, 1897. He was a democrat, but took only a good citizens part in public affairs. His second wife was Hannah (Boyce) Kay, who was born in 1840 in England, and still survives her husband as a resi- dent of Wheaton, Minnesota, and they were the parents of six children: George, formerly a black- smith of Olivia, Minnesota, who died in 1898 at the age of twenty-six years; Fred M .; Betty, the wife of E. A. Johnson, in the machinery and hard- ware business at Huntington, West Virginia; Ralph E., station agent for the Chicago, St. Paul & Mil- waukee Railway at Bowman, North Dakota; Frank uty sheriff of Three Forks, Montana; and Minnie, the wife of E. G. Hammond, a grain buyer of Wheaton, Minnesota.

situated on Railroad Avenue. Mr. Hagelie has ad- . P., twin of Ralph E., ex-postmaster and present dep-

Fred M. Byrne was educated in the public schools of West Columbia and Charleston, West Virginia, and at seventeen years of age left school to take up the study of telegraphy, although for two years he also applied himself to truck gardening. Upon mastering his chosen vocation he began working for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and in the fall of 1910 was sent to Belgrade, Montana, as agent for his company. For three years he faithfully discharged the duties of his position, and in 1914 was appointed by President Wilson as postmaster, and has since acted in this capacity. His continuous conduct of the office up to this time has met with the hearty commendation of the people, and in addition to being a conscientious worker in an endeavor to elevate the service, is the possessor of those quali- ties of candor, sincerity, faithfulness and affability which give the best class of public officials a high standing in the estimation of those whose interests are entrusted to their care.'

Mr. Byrne is a stanch democrat and unwavering in his support of the principles and candidates of the party which he joined at the time of the attainment of his majority. He belongs to Belgrade Lodge No. 68, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Belgrade Camp, Modern Woodmen of America, in both of which he has numerous friends, and is also a mem- ber of the Belgrade Commercial Club. His career has been successful from a materialistic viewpoint, and in addition to being a stockholder in the Farm- ers Bank of Belgrade he is the owner of a modern, attractive and well furnished home, where his many friends are always sure of a cordial welcome, located on Quaw Boulevard.

In 1903, at Olivia, Minnesota, Mr. Byrne was united in marriage with Miss Lillian Pfeiffer, daughter of John and Mary Pfeiffer, former farm- ing people of Minnesota who are both deceased. Mrs. Byrne, who is a graduate of the Winona (Min- nesota) Normal School, was a schoolteacher before her marriage, and is a lady of many graces and ac- complishments. They are the parents of two chil- dren: Margaret, born February 10, 1905, a freshman in the Belgrade High School; and Marshall, born April 24, 1907, who is attending the graded public school at Belgrade.

TORJUS LUNDEVALL is a banker of long experience and training, and since 1917 has been actively iden- tified with the banking, financial and other business interests of the city of Scobey. He was associated with other Minnesota business men and bankers who organized the Citizens State Bank at Scobey about nine years ago.

Mr. Lundevall was born at Kviteseid, Norway,

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

October 29, 1871, son of Olaf and Aasne (Groven) . cian of this thriving and enterprising little city his Lundevall, who spent all their lives in the Norwegian achievements have been such as to mark him as a man of the highest ability and professional capacity, and his services have been such during his compara- tively short residence here as to strengthen the repu- tation which he won both professionally and per- sonally in long years of practice in other parts of the country. country. Of their five children the four sons are still living, Torjus being the only one in America. He grew up in Norway and was very well educated both in literary matters and for business. He at- · tended a teachers' seminary, the Government Latin School and the Government Business College in . Norway. For one term he taught in a country community, and was bookkeeper in a wholesale dry goods house at Christiania until he immigrated to the United States. From Christiania he sailed on the ship Angelo to Hull, crossed Britain by rail to Liverpool, and came to New York on the Gallia. His destination was Crookston, Minnesota, where a friend of his father lived. He reached there with. $15 in cash, and sent that back home as soon as he found work. The first summer he taught in a Nor- wegian parochial school, following which he com- pleted a course in a business college at Minneapolis, and for one year was employed as a stenographer at Montevideo, Minnesota. Mr. Lundevall acquired a very thorough knowledge of banking in the State Bank of Milan, Minnesota, an institution with which he was connected for eight years, beginning as book- keeper and terminating his service as cashier. For twelve years he was associated with the State Bank of Greenbush, Minnesota, successively as cashier and vice president, and was actively identified with its management for twelve years. It was from Green- bush that Mr. Lundevall came to Scobey in 1917. He had become interested in the establishment of the Citizens State Bank as early as 1911, when he became a stockholder in the private bank of T. An- derson, Oie & Company, who subsequently chartered the Citizens State Bank. However, his active asso- ciation with the bank and its related enterprises be- gan only in 1917. He is now vice president of the bank, president of the Citizens Loan Company and secretary of the Citizens Realty Company, all of which have come into existence as auxiliaries of the mother institution.

Mr. Lundevall had been in America only a short time when he applied for his first citizenship papers and completed his naturalization in about five years. His father's old friend told him that whatever he did politically, "do not be a democrat." He cast his first presidential vote for Major Mckinley and has supported the principles of his party since. His only public official service has been as a member of Village Councils and Boards of Education. He took the lodge degrees of Masonry at Appleton, Minne- sota, and is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America. During the war, like other patriotic citizens of Scobey, he actively contributed to the purchase of bonds and worked in behalf of the Red Cross. Mr. Lundevall since coming to Scobey has built a modern eight-room house on Timmons Street.

At Albert Lea, Minnesota, June 22, 1898, he mar- ried Miss Evenna Groven, who was born in Minne- sota, March 16, 1872, only child of Evan and Annie (Harelson) Groven, natives of Norway. Mrs. Lundevall attended the Lutheran Academy at Al- bert Lea, and prior to her marriage was employed as a clerk in a business at Northwood, North Da- kota. Mr. and Mrs. Lundevall have two children, Valborg Astoria, a student in St. Olaf College at Northfield, Minnesota, and Dagmar, attending the public schools of Scobey.

WILLIAM JEWETT KRESS, M. D. The entire absence of competition cannot account for the professional success and personal prestige of Dr. William Jewett Kress, of Belgrade, for while he is the only physi-

Doctor Kress was born in Vancouver, Washing- ton, September 6, 1873, and belongs, to a family which originally came from Germany during Colo- nial days and settled in Pennsylvania. His father, General John A. Kress, who resides in retirement at No. 5030 Vernon Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, was born in 1841, at Cory, Pennsylvania, and had a long and brilliant military career. Graduated from West Point Military Academy, he entered the United States Army as a first lieutenant, and served all through the war between the states, during which he rose to the rank of captain. Later he saw much fighting during the border Indian warfare days, and later took an active part in the Spanish-American war, being retired at the age of sixty-four years with a splendid record and the rank of brigadier general. He is a republican in politics, a Mason, and a member of the Episcopal Church. General Kress married Lydia Homet, who was born in 1854 in the state of New York and died at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1885, and they became the parents of seven chil- dren : Frederick, a graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy, class of 1886, who was an officer in the United States Navy and died at Benicia, California, when but twenty-three years of age; Marion, who died at the age of twenty years as the wife of the late Frederick Richardson, who was a ranch owner near Los Angeles, California; Helen, who died at St. Louis, aged twenty-nine years, as the wife of the late Fred Gurley, a railroad man; Dr. William Jewett, of this review; Frances, of St. Louis, widow of Lieutenant John Morrison, United States America, who met a soldier's death during the Philippine campaign ; Clarence C., a physician anl surgeon, and past assistant surgeon of the United States Navy, now stationed on the United States Steamship Minnesota ; and John. A., Jr., who died at the age of twenty-one years at San Antonio, Texas, where he was a ranch owner.

William Jewett Kress received his early education in the public schools of St. Louis, Missouri, where he was graduated from high school in 1890, follow- ing which he entered Washington University and was graduated with the class of 1894, receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine. Subsequently he took post-graduate work at the New York Poly- clinic and at Bellevue Hospital in 1895, and in 1896 began the practice of his calling at Butte, Montana, where until 1898 he was in partnership with Dr. George H. Wells, with whom he conducted a private hospital. In 1898 he went to St. Louis, where he continued in practice until 1915, and in that year returned to Montana as a mine physician at Sand Conlee. In 1918, Doctor Kress embarked in prac- tice at Belgrade, where he is the only physician, and where he carries on a general medical and sur- gical practice with offices in the Belgrade Building. He has a pleasing and confidence-inspiring per- sonality, and his professional and general equip- ment has led him far toward the realization of a broad and exceptionally useful life. In the ranks of his calling he has advanced to a high place in the esteem of his fellow practitioners, and he is a valued member of the Gallatin County Medical Society, the Montana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. In the capacity of city health officer he applies his conscientious energies to pre-

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serving the health and sanitation of the city of his adoption, and for a time he also acted in the capac- ity of health officer of Gallatin County. In his poli- tical adherence he maintains an independent stand, voting for man rather than party, and in all civic movements can be found allying his influence with the forces making for progress and advancement. His fraternal connection is with Belgrade Lodge No. 82, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Doctor Kress owns his own modern home at the corner of Broadway Street and Central Avenue.

In 1908, at Poughkeepsie, New York, Doctor Kress was united in marriage with Miss Blanche Ella Taylor, daughter of Lyman P. Taylor, a native of Illinois and railroad man who died at Omaha. He married Mary Ellen Van Wormer, a native of Rome, New York, who resides with Doctor and Mrs. Kress, and through whom Mrs. Kress is a direct descendant of Anika Jans, who came to America at the time of Peter Stuyvesant.

JOHN H. CONGDON. Extensive mercantile and min- ing interests serve to make John H. Congdon, a foremost business man of Manhattan, one of the men of independent fortune of Gallatin county, Montana, and that his portion in the financial world has been largely due to his own energy and enterprise is all the more creditable.

John H. Congdon was born at Dover, New Jer- sey, November 6, 1866, and is a son of William and Mary (Shears) Congdon, the latter of whom resides with her son at Manhattan. William Cong- don was born in England, in January, 1840, and died at Manhattan, Montana, April 17, 1919. He came to the United States in 1862, went to Michigan and at first worked in the copper mines, but later be- came a contractor in ore mining and lived at Mount Hope, New Jersey. In 1872 he came west again and until 1874 was concerned in silver and gold mining at several points in Nevada, then went to Grass Valley, California, and became a gold miner. He remained on the Pacific coast until 1877, then re- turned for a year to New Jersey, but in 1878 came to Colorado, where he leased both gold and silver mines. In 1880 he became interested at Leadville, in gold and silver mining, and for a number of years afterward was connected with the Small Hopes Consolidated Mining Company there. In 1891 he gave himself another year of rest in his New Jersey home, but 1892 found him at Butte, Montana, interested in copper mining with the Amalgamated Company, and he remained there as foreman and also in an official capacity until 1912, when he came to Manhattan. Here he built a handsome residence, which his son John H. now owns, and here his last years were spent in great comfort. He was a re- publican in the political field and for many years was a member of the Masonic fraternity. His ac- quaintance was wide in mining circles and his judg- ment was considered worth while, for he had thor- ough experience, often in virgin fields. Of his chil- dren, John H. is the eldest, the others being: Anna, who is the wife of Newton Ely, a retired merchant tailor living at Dover, New Jersey; A. C., who is a resident of Butte, Montana, is a member of the mercantile firm of Evans & Congdon, also is at the head of the Economy Grocery Company, and is an extensive rancher in the Upper Madison District, Montana; and Lucy, who resides with her mother and brother at Manhattan and looks after their home comfort.

John H. Congdon attended the public schools and after his high school course spent eighteen months in Coleman's Business College at Newark, New Jersey, but prior to this had spent two years at

Leadville, Colorado, attending school during the winters and working as a shipping clerk for his father during the summers. After completing his education he went to New York and worked there in a grocery house until 1892, when he came to Butte and was employed in a store in that city until 1899. He then embarked in business for him- self by establishing a general merchandise enter- prise which he conducted under the style of the J. H. Congdon Company until 1908, when he sold to Evans & Congdon, his brother, A. C. Congdon, being the junior member of the firm. In the same year he became interested in prospecting and min- ing in German Gulch at Twin Mountains, where at present he owns extensive interests. In 1909 Mr. Congdon came to Manhattan with the San- born Company, merchants, and continued finan- cially interested in this company until 1915, in which year he bought his present store, in association with his brother A. C., as sole owners, and the business is conducted as the Congdon Company. It is a large establishment situated on Railroad Ave- nue, and is one of the important business houses of the place. Mr. Congdon is a stockholder and a di- rector in the Home State Bank, and he is secretary and treasurer of the Garfield Mining Company, a large development proposition, and both copper and gold have been located by a tunnel of 1,690 feet. Mr. Congdon owns, as mentioned above, the family home at Manhattan and has a large amount of other city property. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, is a republican in political attitude. and belongs to Lodge No. 80, Odd Fellows, at Man- hattan. Personally Mr. Congdon impresses one most favorably, his face indicating strength and business purpose, and his manner friendliness and sincerity.

. MYRON STANLEY CARPENTER. Of the journalists of Montana whose experiences in newspaper life have covered a period of more than a quarter of a century, few have found in their chosen careers greater contentment or more material success than that which has come to Myron Stanley Carpenter, owner and publisher of the Belgrade Journal. Like numerous others of the guild, he began his con- nection with the business at the case, and his long identification with the editing and preparing of publications has covered a wide range of expe- riences and an extensive stretch of territory. At Belgrade, where both he and his paper are perma- nently located, he has become one of his commu- nity's most prominent and influential citizens and a molder of public thought both through the col- umns of his journal and in his capacity as a public official.

Mr. Carpenter was born at Ripon, Wisconsin, April 16, 1872, a son of Seth Bell Carpenter, and a member of a family which traces its ancestry back in this country to the landing of the May- flower passengers. Seth Bell Carpenter was born in Vermont, in 1836, and was a young man when he took up his residence and engaged in the meat business at Ripon, Wisconsin. In June, 1872, he removed with his family to Green Lake, Wiscon- sin, where he embarked in the same line of busi- ness, and where he spent the rest of his life, with the exception of two years passed in Kansas and four years in the north central part of Wisconsin. He died at Green Lake in 1898, in the faith of the Congregational Church, of which he had been a lifelong member and generous supporter. Po- litically a republican, he was one of his party's influential men in his community, and served as roadmaster at Green Lake for a number of years. Fraternally he was affiliated with the Masons. Mr.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 100

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 1126

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1126