Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 152

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

USA > Montana > Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II > Part 152

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

April 19, 1895, he married May Barnard, of Butte. They have one daughter, Rita Barnard.

EDGAR GIFFORD. Among the able and influential members of the Montana bar no attorney holds a more honored position than Edgar Gifford, of Bil- lings, who by reason of his scholarly attainments, comprehensive knowledge of law, and his legal abil- ity has won distinguished success in his chosen pro- fession. The descendant of one of the earlier fami- lies of New England, he was born May 24, 1869, at North Dorset, Vermont, which was likewise the birthplace of his father, the late Jerome Gifford. He comes of Scotch ancestry, the founder of the branch of the Gifford family to which he belongs having immigrated from Scotland to America in 1632, set- tling in Salem, Massachusetts. His great-grandfath- er on the paternal side served in the Revolutionary war, holding a captain's commission.

Ezra Gifford, grandfather of Edgar, spent his entire life in North Dorset, Vermont, being en- gaged in the independent calling of a farmer. He was a veteran of the War of 1812. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Tabor, was born in Ben- nington County, Vermont, and died in North Dor- set. She, too, belonged to a colonial family of note, one of her distinguished cousins having been the late Senator Tabor of Colorado.

540

HISTORY OF MONTANA

Born in 1821, Jerome Gifford succeeded to the ancestral occupation, and during his earlier life car- ried on general farming in his home town, North Dorset, Vermont. He subsequently moved with his family to Michigan, and having bought land near Port Huron there continued his agricultural labors until his death in 1911. From the formation of the republican party he was one of its most ar- dent supporters. A man of strong religious ten- dencies, he was for seventy-one years an active member of the Presbyterian Church. He married Amanda Powers, who was born at Woodstock, Ver- mont, in 1823, and died in Michigan, near Port Huron, in 1913. They were the parents of the fol- lowing children: Henry D., who died near Port Huron, Michigan, in 1870, was then studying for the ministry; Lucy, who died at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in the summer of 1917, was the widow of Henry Mellick, who died on his home farm a short time after their marriage; Rev. Myron W., a Metho- dist Episcopal minister, resides near Lansing, Michi- gan; Albert, engaged in the insurance business at Forestville, Michigan; and Edgar.

A studious lad, fond of his books, Edgar Gifford attended first the rural schools of St. Clair County, Michigan, and in 1889 entered the Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois, and in 1893 was there graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He has never relinquished his interest in his alma mater, retaining his membership in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, and in the Greek Letter Social Fra -- ternity, B. O. T. Entering the field of journal- ism, Mr. Gifford was for two years editor of the Valley City Times Record at Valley City, North Dakota, in the meanwhile devoting all of his leisure to the study of law. Going to Minneapolis, Min- nesota, in 1896, he was receiver for the Republic Mining and Lumber Company of Seattle, Washing- ton, until 1912, assisting while there in the reor- ganization of the concern. The ensuing four years he taught law in the Minneapolis College of Law, proving himself a most competent teacher. Com- ing to Montana in 1916, Mr. Gifford was engaged in the practice of his profession at Columbus until April, 1918, when he located at Billings, with offices at 215-16-17-18 Securities Building. Devoted to the best interests of his many clients, he has built a large general civil and criminal practice, which is constantly increasing in extent and importance, and he is now one of the leading attorneys of Southeast- ern Montana.

A democrat in politics, Mr. Gifford has but little time to devote to public affairs, his legal business demanding his entire time and attention. One of the most faithful and trusted members of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, he has filled practically all of the lay offices, having been a trustee and a steward in Minneapolis, and having served as superintendent of the Sunday school. Fraternally he is a member of Valparaiso Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Valparaiso, Indiana; of Fargo, North Dakota, Consistory, being a thirty-second degree Mason; and of the Knights and Ladies of Security. He is also an ex-member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He likewise belongs to the Yel- lowstone County Bar Association, being an active member. He resides at the Martha Hotel in Bill- ings.

Mr. Gifford married, in 1894, at Detroit, Michigan, Miss Emma Wright, a daughter of Thomas and Anna Wright, neither of whom are now living. Mrs. Gifford passed to the higher life in 1909, her death occurring in Detroit. Mr. Gifford has one child, Marie, who was educated at Alma College, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, and is now teaching in Detroit, Michigan.

ROBERT B. KELLY, safety engineer for the Ana- conda Copper Mining Company, is one of the valued men of the corporation, whose experience and fore- sight are recognized. He was born in Grundy Coun- ty, Illinois, March 28, 1863, a son of Timothy Kelly, and grandson of Robert Kelly, born in County Mayo, Ireland, who died in LaSalle County, Illinois, about 1856. A substantial business man in Ireland, he was there well known as a tavern keeper, but after he came to the United States in 1853 he engaged in farming. His wife bore the maiden name of Ed- wards, and she, too, was a native of County Mayo, Ireland.

Timothy Kelly was born in County Mayo, Ire- land, in 1822, and he died on his home farm in Nor- man Township, Grundy County, in 1901. He was a young man when he came to Canada, joining his mother's brother at Montreal, and there he com- pleted his education by taking an engineering and mathematical course. Later he came to the United States, and for a time was in the employ of the City of Detroit, Michigan, in an engineering capac- ity, but subsequently went to Chicago, and was employed on the construction work of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, in the engineering department. Moving to Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois, he formed a partnership with Frank Edwards, and they carried on a large contracting business until Mr. Kelly left for New Orleans, Louisiana. The out- break of the Civil war prevented his making any permanent connections there, and he returned to Ot- tawa, and continued his operations with Mr. Ed- wards until he bought a farm in Norman Town- ship, Grundy County, which comprised 160 acres of land, to which he later added eighty acres, mov- ing on this farm and making it his home the re- mainder of his life. It is still owned by his heirs. A democrat, he served as township supervisor of Norman Township for a number of years, and also as road commissioner, being largely responsible for the construction of the bridges in Grundy County. A man of superior education and sound practical ideas, Mr. Kelly made many improvements, and was the first man in Grundy County to lay tiles to drain his farm, thus redeeming many acres of low land, and becoming one of the most successful agri- culturalists of his region. All his life he was a devout member of the Roman Catholic Church. Timothy Kelly was married to Margaret Killale, born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1837. She sur- vives him and makes her home at Seneca, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly had the following children: John, who died when eighteen years of age; Robert B., whose name heads this review; Edward, who resides at Seneca, Illinois, is employed in the main- tenance department of the Illinois & Michigan Canal ; Mary, who died at the age of 21/2 years; Timothy, who is an attorney, real estate dealer and post- master at Seneca, Illinois; Margaret, who is un- married, lives with her mother; and J. W., who is an attorney, lives at Denver, Colorado.

Until he was twenty-one years old Robert B. Kelly lived on his father's farm and attended the rural schools. He then left home and going to Chicago secured employment in the motor power department of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and when that company extended their line west of the Missouri River Mr. Kelly went to Horton, Kansas, and remained in the motor power and mechanical department of this road until the spring of 1889. In that year he came to Montana and was in the same department for the Northern Pacific Railroad at Livingston until 1894. He then left railroad work and for a year conducted a gro- cery at Livingston, when he entered the employ of the Livingston Lighting & Power Company, con-

Per. I M O Brien.

541

HISTORY OF MONTANA

tinuing with it until 1901. That year saw Mr. Kelly's advent at Anaconda, and the beginning of his con- nection with the Anaconda Copper Mining Com- pany when he started in the mechanical and electri- cal department, rising by 1905 to the position of master mechanic. In 1913 Mr. Kelly was pro- moted to be safety engineer, which position he still holds, with offices in the machine shop building of the Washoe Reduction Works, two miles east of Anaconda. Mr. Kelly is firm in his adherence to the principles of the democratic party, and was chairman of the board of county commissioners for four years while residing at Livingston, and was candidate for state senator on his party ticket of Park County in 1900. The Roman Catholic Church holds his membership. Mr. Kelly belongs to Ana- conda Lodge No. 239, Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks, and Anaconda Camp No. 6039, Mod- ern Woodmen of America. The Kelly family resi- dence is at No. 1892 Elm Street, Anaconda.

In 1892 Mr. Kelly was married to Miss Margaret Ralph, a daughter of Thomas and Ella (Thompson) Ralph, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. Ralph came to Gallatin County, Montana, in 1875, and was one of the pioneer farmers of that region. Mr. and Mrs. Kelley became the parents of the follow- ing children : Robert T., who lives at home, is a civil engineer in the employ of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, was graduated from the Univer- sity of Montana at Bozeman, with the degree of Civil Engineer ; Jean D., who is also at home, was graduated from the agricultural department of the University of Montana at Bozeman, and is now in the employ of the Goodyear Rubber Company at Butte, Montana. He enlisted in May, 1917, for the great war, was sent to Presidio, California, and after taking the course was commissioned a second lieutenant, assigned to Camp Lewis, Washington. After receiving his commission as first lieutenant he was detailed to Camp Perry, Ohio, where he was qualified as a sharpshooter, and was returned to Camp Lewis, where he was detailed as fire control officer. Still later he was commissioned captain, and just prior to the signing of the armistice he was detailed for Siberian service, and was twenty hours out at sea when the expedition was recalled, and he was mustered out of the service in February, 1919. '

Mr. Kelly is a man who holds the confidence and respect of all with whom he is associated. He has always had the good of the community at heart, and is generous in his donations of time and money for the betterment of civic conditions, possessing in marked degree those qualities always conspicuous in the best citizenship.

JOHN MILTON MURPHEY, who came to Butte from Spokane, Washington, where he was in the insur- ance and real estate business, has been an active associate since 1898 with Gen. Charles S. Warren in mining enterprises.

Mr. Murphey, who was born at Des Moines, Iowa, March 19, 1869, represents some lines of the old Colonial Quaker ancestry of the Carolinas and East- ern Indiana. His grandfather, Robert T. Murphey, was born at Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1789. At an early date he moved to Eastern Indiana, and married there Sarah Burgess, who was born at Rich- mond, Indiana, in 1795. Miles Milton Murphey, father of the Butte business man, was born at Mil- ton, Indiana, October 10, 1829, was reared and mar- ried in that community and then removed to Mid- dletown, Indiana, where he took up a business that attracted the attention and enterprise of many in- dividuals at the time, pork packing. In 1868 he removed to Des Moines, Iowa, and continued in the same line of business for six years. In 1885 he moved

his home to Auburn, California, where he entered the real estate business and in 1911 retired to Eugene, Oregon, where he died in 1914. In politics he was in- dependent. Miles Milton Murphey married Mary Vir- ginia Yount, who was born at Middletown, Indiana, February 17, 1837, and died at Omaha, Nebraska. Her parents were Joseph E. and Sophia Yount, both natives of Virginia.

John Milton Murphey acquired his early education in the public schools of Des Moines, also attended Drake University in that city, and was about sixteen years of age when his parents moved to California. In 1889, at the age of twenty, he engaged in the fire insurance and real estate mortgage loans busi- ness as a member of the firm of Alonzo M. Murphey & Company at Spokane, and remained there until 1898, when he came to Butte. Mr. Murphey is sec- retary and director of the Revenue Consolidated Gold Mines, and in the past twenty years has been identified with other concerns of the group headed by General Warren.

Mr. Murphey in 1889 served as a member of Company C of the Second Regiment National Guard of Washington. He is a republican, is a member of Lodge No. 228 of the Elks at Spokane, and in re- ligion is a Protestant Episcopal. January 19, 1898, in All Saints Cathedral at Spokane, he married Mary Alice Warren, daughter of Gen. and Mrs. Charles S. Warren of Butte. They have one daugh- ter, Katherine Warren Murphey, now a student in the University of Montana.

REV. MICHAEL T. O'BRIEN. There is no earthly station higher than the ministry of the Gospel; no life can be more uplifting and grander than that which is devoted to the amelioration of the human race, a life of sacrifice for the betterment of the brotherhood of man, one that is willing to cast aside all earthly crowns and laurels of fame in order to follow in the footsteps of the lowly Nazarene. It is not possible to measure adequately the height, depth and breadth of such a life, for its influences continue to permeate the lives of others through succeeding generations. One of the self-sacrificing, ardent and loyal spirits who has been a blessing to the race is Rev. Michael T. O'Brien, chancellor of the diocese of Great Falls, and a man who holds the unequivocal confidence and esteem of the people among whom he has labored.

Michael T. O'Brfen was born in Barre, Massachu- setts, on April 1, 1862, and is the son of Patrick and Johanna (Callahan) O'Brien, both of whom were natives of Ireland. Patrick O'Brien was born on March 17, 1823, and in young manhood left his native land and went to Canada, where for some time he followed agricultural pursuits. Later he went to Barre, Massachusetts, where he located on a farm and where he spent the remainder of his days. Politically he was a democrat. His wife, who was born in 1822, died in 1890. They were married in Canada and became the parents of five children, of whom two are living.

Michael T. O'Brien attended the public and parochial schools, and then was a student in St. Hyacinth's College in the province of Quebec, Can- ada; was a student in Holy Cross College, Worces- ter, Massachusetts, where he was graduated on June 25, 1885, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts ; then he attended St. John's Ecclesiastical Seminary at Bos- ton, Massachusetts. He was ordained to the priest- hood in Holy Cross Cathedral, Boston, on June 22, 1889, by Most Rev. John J. Williams, Archbishop of Boston. He was at once assigned to St. John's Church at Worcester, Massachusetts, where he re- mained for fourteen years. He was then placed in charge of St. Mary's Church at Orange, Massachu-

542

HISTORY OF MONTANA

setts, being the first priest to be stationed at this church. From there he was sent to Sioux City, Iowa, where for three years he was in charge of the cathedral. In October, 1910, he came to the Mussel- shell Valley, Montana, with a colony of his people and established what came to be known as the O'Brien Colony, and which became the nucleus for as fine a community of souls as settled anywhere in Montana. There he built a church and hall, subse- quently built a church at Ryegate, and in 1913 he also built a church at Columbus. In 1916 he built two more churches, one at Reed Point and one at Ab- sarokee. The parish was divided in 1917 and Father O'Brien was placed in charge of the churches at Columbus, Big Timber, Reed Point and Absarokee. He promptly took hold of this work and had just finished the building of a parish house at Columbus when Bishop Lenihan called him to Great Falls and placed him in charge of the cathedral. He was made chancellor of the diocese and also has direct charge of the school, with about two hundred and eighty students. He brought to the work here the ripe ex- perience of years and an enthusiasm which was bound to overleap all obstacles, so that the efforts and labors of Father O'Brien at Great Falls have borne abundant fruit. A ripe scholar, forceful and elo- quent in utterance, systematic and methodical in his administration of the affairs under his charge, he has impressed his personality on the varied interests of the diocese, and enjoys to a remarkable degree the love and esteem of the people among whom he labors.

HARRY W. TURNER, who is president of the Mon- tana Electric Company of Butte, made applied elec- tricity his profession at an early stage of its de- velopment, and was handling the interests of elec- trical companies in the Northwest when about the only use to which electricity was put was electric lighting, and when great power plants and hydro- electric development had hardly begun.

Harry W. Turner was born at Madison, Wiscon- sin, September 27, 1863, son of Dr. Henry W. and Sarah (Noland) Turner. His father. born in New York in 1836, was a successful physician and sur- geon and practiced in Iowa many years. In the Civil war he was a hospital steward, regimental sur- geon, and was mustered out with the brevet rank of major of the Sixteenth Wisconsin Infantry. He died in Iowa in 1876. His wife, left an orphan, was adopted by Simeon D. North, president of Ham- ilton College in New York, and was liberally edu- cated. While at college in Wisconsin she married Doctor Turner, and she spent her last years at Butte, where she died in 1900.

Harry W. Turner went to Northern Iowa with his parents in 1865, and at the age of twelve had to leave school and contribute his labor to the sup- port of his widowed mother. He had some rugged experiences during his youth, was driver of a stage coach, taught school, clerked in stores, and also read law.

In 1887, about the time the first electric street railway lines were being built in the United States, he entered the service of the Thomson-Houston Electric Company 'at St. Paul, Minnesota, and ac- quired a practical knowledge of the industry. In 1889 the company sent him to take charge of its business at Portland, Oregon, and later made him manager of its sales agency at Helena, Montana. In 1892 Mr. Turner removed to Butte and took charge of the plant and business that is now the Butte Electric and Power Company. During the successive years under his management the com- pany's service doubled many times, and enormous sums were expended in development and extension

of its working plant. Mr. Turner continued the general management until 1910, and is still finan- cially interested in the industry.

The Montana Electric Company, of which he is president, is a wholesale concern dealing in electric supplies and equipment and was established by Mr. Turner in 1895. Later a similar business was estab- lished at Spokane known as the Washington Elec- tric Supply Company, and Mr. Turner is also presi- dent of that corporation.

Mr. Turner has been one of the live and enter- prising citizens of Butte for nearly thirty years. He is a member of the Montana Society of Engi- neers, the Silver Bow Club, the Butte Country Club, the Rocky Mountain Club of New York, is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner and also an Elk. Politi- cally he is independent.

He married at St. Paul September 7, 1891, Mary N. LeBeau, and they have one daughter, Frances Maried, born at Helena in 1892. She was graduated from the Marlboro School for Girls at Los Angeles in 1912.

HARRY A. GALLWEY. That Montana offers plenty of opportunities to the brainy man is proven many times over by the rapid advancement of those who have selected this state as their field of operation, and among them one worthy of special mention is Harry A. Gallwey, general manager of the B. A. & P. Railroad, and former senator of the State As- sembly. He was born at Virginia City, Nevada, August 16, 1866, a son of Dan Gallwey, who was born at Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland, in 1832, and died at Virginia City, Nevada, February 5. 1885. Reaching mature years in his native land, Dan Gallwey then left Ireland for the United States and coming west to San Francisco, California, was engaged for a time in acting as purser on a boat running between that city and the Isthmus of Pan- ama. In 1852 he went to Virginia City, Nevada, being one of the pioneer miners of that place. In politics he was a democrat, and in religions faith a Roman Catholic. He married Ellen Hickey, who was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1834, and died at Virginia City, Nevada, January 31, 1885. Their children were as follows: Harry A., whose name heads this review;' Margaret, who married James Farrell, a grocer and general merchant of Butte, Montana; William, who was an electrician in the employ of the Hennessy Company, died at Butte, Montana, in 1899; and Daniel, who died in infancy.

Harry A. Gallwey attended the public schools of Virginia City until he was sixteen years old, at which time he began working and for two years was a telephone operator for the Bell Telephone Com- pany, leaving it to become bookkeeper for the West- ern Union Telegraph Company, rising to be manager of the company's office at Reno, Nevada, in 1886, and holding that position for a year, when he re- signed and became bookkeeper for J. R. Douglas, a stock broker of Virginia City, Nevada, with whom he remained for six years. Mr. Gallwey then went to Sutro, Nevada, to engage as bookkeeper for the Sutro Tunnel Company, leaving them after eighteen months to come to Butte, Montana, and spent a short time during 1804 in that city, but then re- turned to Virginia City, Nevada, and was deputy county clerk and treasurer of Story County. In October, 1895, he came back to. Butte, Montana, and for a year was bookkeeper for the Pat Mullen grocery store. Once more he left Montana, and for a year was bookkeeper for the De Lamar's, Ne- vada, Gold Mining Company of De Lamar, Nevada. At the expiration of that period he became book- keeper at Butte, Montana, for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company and was promoted to be general

543

HISTORY OF MONTANA

manager of the Parrott Silver & Copper Company at Butte, and held that position until I911, when he was made general manager of the Butte, Ana- conda & Pacific Railroad, having worked his way up to this position by hard work and faithfulness to his responsibilities. His offices are in the general office building of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railroad on West Commercial Avenue, Anaconda. His division extends from Butte to Anaconda, and he has under his immediate supervision some 500 employes.

Always a strong democrat, Mr. Gallwey has been called upon to represent his district, and in 1899 was a member of the Lower House of the State Assembly from Silver Bow County, Montana, and during his period of service was chairman of the committee on privileges and elections, and a mem- ber of other important committees, upholding the in- terests of his constituents and assisting in the pass- age of some very constructive legislation. His rec- ord was such that he was re-elected several times, serving in all twelve successive sessions the last two times being a member of the Upper House. For years he has been a member of the Democratic State Central Committee, and was its chairman sev- eral terms. While in the Senate he was on the judiciary, mines and mining, and the railroad and transportation committees, as well as others of im- portance. For a number of terms he was chairman of the County Central Committee of his party, and has always been very active in party matters. The Roman Catholic Church holds his membership. He belongs to Butte Lodge No. 240, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he was exalted ruler in 1910, and district deputy in 1911. The Ana- conda Club, the Anaconda Country Club, the Rotary Club, the Silver Bow Club, and the Country Club, all furnish him social relaxation. For some time he has been an active member of the Butte Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Gallwey belongs to the Ameri- can Institute of Mining Engineers. He at one time was president of the Independent Telephone Com- pany of Butte, having been active in securing its organization. The Gallwey family residence is at No. 207 North Excelsior Street, Butte, Montana.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 152

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