Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 18

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 18

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).

WILLIS C. WELLS grew up in Wisconsin, in the heart of the great dairy district of that state, was a practical dairyman when only a youth and sub- sequently became a recognized expert as a butter maker and creamery man. For a number of years he was in that business in Wisconsin. He has also been manager of a number of creameries in the northwest, and has put several such establishments on their feet in Montana. Mr. Wells is now pro- prietor of the Hamilton Creamery, and has done much to make that institution a stimulus to the dairy industry of Ravalli County.

Mr. Wells was born in Dodge County, Wisconsin, November II, 1868. His people were Wisconsin pioneers. His grandfather, Newton Wells, was born in 1815 and was an early settler in Wisconsin, where he developed a farm. He died at Neosha in that state in 1865. Mathias N. Wells, father of the Ham- ilton citizen, was born in Vermont in 1844, and began his career as a farmer in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Since 1879 his home has been at Neills- ville in that state. He continued farming until he retired. For three years he was a Union soldier, serving with the Seventh Wisconsin Battery. Most of his service was around Memphis, Tennessee, and on the western border. He is a republican in politics. Mathias Wells married Alberta Pettingill, who was born in Vermont in 1846. They were married in Dodge County, Wisconsin. Willis is the oldest of their children. Burton H. is connected with an un- dertaking establishment at Neillsville. Hattie May is the wife of Ed Lloyd, a farmer near Columbia, Wisconsin.

Willis C. Wells acquired his early education in the rural schools of Clark County, Wisconsin. He lived on his father's farm until 1891, and while there ac- quired a practical knowledge of farming, dairying and the creamery business. In 1895 he took the but- ter-making course at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He then took charge of the creamery, known as the Farmers Co-operative Creamery at Strum, Wisconsin. In the fall of 1896 he was called back to Madison to serve as instructor in butter- making, and gave his services to the University for one term. The following two years he had charge of the Farmers Co-operative Creamery at Edmund, Wisconsin, for three years was creamery manager

at Arcadia, Wisconsin, and then left his native state to take charge of the Farmers Co-operative Cream- ery at Corona, South Dakota. After nine months, on account of rheumatism, he was compelled to give up his work and on December 26, 1900, he reached Kalispell, Montana. He bought a farm in the Flathead district, and operated it for six years. On leaving the farm he spent a year as manager of the creamery at Yakima, Washington, and then for two years followed various lines of employment at Columbia Falls, Montana. He returned to Kalispell to take charge of the Farmers Co-operative Cream- ery, and after nine months bought the plant and operated it with increasing success and profit for five and a half years. At the end of that time he re- turned the plant to the farmers and patrons.

Mr. Wells came to Hamilton in March, 1917, leas- ing the Farmers Co-operative Creamery. At the end of two years he bought it and is now sole proprie- tor. . The plant is located at Sixth and North streets, and it handles a large bulk of the cream produced over a territory fifty miles around.

Mr. Wells is a republican and a member of the Methodist Church, and is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He resides on Fifth Street, North. He married near Strum, Wisconsin, in 1896, Miss Theoline H. Soland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Soland. Her father, now deceased, was a Wisconsin farmer, and her mother lives at Blair in that state. Mr. and Mrs. Wells have two children : Mabel, who received a high school edu- cation and is at home and Lawrence, who lives at Portland, Oregon.

ELBERT HYMER was the pioneer real estate man and has the leading real estate business at Red Lodge. He has been a resident of Red Lodge for a number of years, and has had a very active career, his range of experience including everything from farm work to engineer in coal mines.

Mr. Hymer was born near Holdrege, Nebraska, on a homestead. The postoffice at that time was called Sacramento. His grandfather, John B. Hymer, was a native of Ohio, and was of Scotch- Irish ancestry, his wife being Irish. He spent a number of years at Holdrege, Nebraska, where he died in 1896. His trade was that of stationary en- gineer. W. E. Hymer, father of Elbert Hymer, is a well known resident of Red Lodge. He was born in Illinois in 1854 and after his marriage moved to Sacramento, near Holdrege, Nebraska, and took up a homestead. He moved into Holdrege in 1884 and was engaged in the implement business and later as president of the Holdrege National Bank. In 1891 he came to Red Lodge, Montana, and was an important factor in developing the coal mines in that part of the state and also owned one of the important portions of Red Lodge, known as the Hymer Addition, most of which has since been sold. He is now living practically retired. He is a re- publican, a member of the Methodist Church, and is affiliated with Lincoln Lodge of Elks at Lincoln, Nebraska. W. E. Hymer married Mary E. Dunlavy, who was born in Illinois in 1853. They had six children : Otis, a newspaper man at Bakersfield, California; Katherine, who is the wife of George E. Blanchard, a physician practicing at Pomona. Cali- fornia; Clarence E., who was killed by a sheave wheel in the mines at Red Lodge at the age of twenty-five; J. A., who is in the automobile business at Los Angeles; Elbert; and Evangeline, at home with her parents.

Elbert Hymer attended public school at Holdrege, Nebraska, to the age of twelve. The following year he left home and went to work, doing farm labor,

JOllar typREN

HISTORY OF MONTANA

accepting other employment and on going to Lin- coln, Nebraska, drove a delivery wagon. Later he took the preparatory course in the Nebraska Wes- leyan University, and that finished his education. Mr. Hymer first came to Montana in 1895, spending one summer at Red Lodge. For a number of years he followed the business of stationary fireman and hoisting engineer in mines, and he worked in the Red Lodge mines for two years beginning in 1905. From 1907 for five years he was a hoisting engineer in the mines at Butte, and when the mines were shut down he found work with the Northern Pacific Railway as a locomotive fireman.

Mr. Hymer returned to Red Lodge in 1912 and en- gaged in the real estate and farm loan business. His offices are in the Meyer-Chapman Bank Build- ing. He is individually owner of some fine ranch lands to the extent of 661 acres in Carbon and Yellowstone counties. He also has a modern home at 324 North Platte Street.

Mr. Hymer is a republican, is affiliated with Bear Tooth Lodge No. 534 of the Elks, and a member of Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce. At Helena, Montana, December 10, 1898, he married Miss Mabel E. Terry. Her mother is Mrs. Sarah E. Terry, of Butte. They have one child, Elmer Clare, born March 22, 1913.

HENRY ELLINGSON, president of the Ellingson Mercantile Company at Big Timber, has been a Montanan for many years and has made his time and energies count for successful achievement as a farmer, rancher and business man, and has en- joyed high standing among his fellow citizens, who have twice elected him to the Legislature.

Mr. Ellingson was born near the famous cathedral city of Trondjen, Norway, September 9, 1846. His father, Elling Gaustad, was born in 1809 and died in 1887, having spent all his life on a farm near Trondjen. He was a Lutheran in religion. He married Gertrude Langorgen, who was born near Trondjen and died there in 1873. They had two sons, Ole the older dying on a farm near Trondjen in 1910.

Henry Ellingson was educated in Norwegian schools, and lived on his father's farm until 1866, when, at the age of twenty years, he came to Amer- ica, spending a short time in Chicago and then going out to the northwestern frontier and settling in Fillmore County, Minnesota. Both in Chicago and the first year he spent in Minnesota he attended American schools for the purpose of learning the English language. In the spring of 1867 he moved to Stevens Point, Portage County, Wisconsin, and worked in the pineries four years. He then re- turned to Fillmore County, Minnesota, was a farmer there eleven years, and then established his pioneer home in Montana, at what is now Melville in Sweet- grass County. He located on railroad land and followed farming there for twenty-five years. His next location was in Bear Creek in Carbon County, where he was a pioneer merchant. He sold out his business in the fall of 1913, and then took a rest from business cares, spending about fifteen months on the California coast. On returning from California Mr. Ellingson joined his son Edwin H., at Big Timber, where they established the Motor Inn Garage, one of the first two enterprises of that kind in Big Timber. The business is conducted by the Ellingson Mercantile Company, of which Mr. Ellingson is president. He owns the garage building on McLeod Street and Second Avenue, where they have floor space 60x140 feet. Recently they purchased the building on Second and Ander- son streets, including four lots, the building being

Vol. 11-5

50X140 feet. They not only do general garage service but repair and handle automobile accessories and sell the Overland car, the Oil-Pull Rumely tractors, the Monarch Never-Slip tractors and handle a general line of threshing machinery and trucks. Mr. Ellingson also owns his home at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Bamble Street.

He was elected on the republican ticket to the House of Representatives from Carbon County in 1912, serving during the session of 1913. In 1916 he was chosen by Sweetgrass County to the State Senate for a term of four years. In the Senate he has served on the county and towns, public lands, public buildings, public morals, irrigation and water rights and other committees. Mr. Elling- son is a member of the Lutheran Church and is a member of the Big Timber Lodge, Knights of Pythias.

In 1870, in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, he mar- ried Miss Gina Becken. She was born in Norway, a daughter of Hans Becken, who brought his family to the United States in 1857, and was a pioneer homesteader in Portage County, Wisconsin, where he died in 1872. Mrs. Ellingson was educated in Portage County. Her mother, Siegred Becken, was born in Norway in 1827 and died at Big Tim- ber, Montana, in 1911.

Mr. and Mrs. Ellingson have had seven children: the oldest is Edwin H., his father's active business partner. Edwin was born in Fillmore County, Min- nesota, in 1872, was educated in the common schools there and at Big Timber. Susanna, the second child, is the wife of George Rostad, a rancher at Big Timber. George, the third in age, died in 1889, at the age of thirteen. Emma is the wife of a farmer near Tacoma, Washington, Marks Smaby. Oscar is one of the firm and has charge of the office of the Ellingson Mercantile Company at Big Timber. John G., is in the insurance business at Big Timber, while Hilma, the youngest, is the wife of Oliver O. Bekken, a mechanic at Big Timber.

CHARLES F. KINMONTH. A man of energy and enterprise, possessing good business ability and judgment, Charles F. Kinmonth, of Billings, has for several years been actively identified with the agricultural interests of Yellowstone County, and holds a position of note among the extensive land holders of this section of the state. A native of Iowa, he was born in Lucas County October 22, 1868, a son of the late O. F. Kinmonth. His pa- ternal grandfather, Alexander Kinmonth, was born in Scotland in 1809, and there married a Miss Foote. Soon after that happy event he emigrated with his wife to the United States, settling in Hobart, Dela- ware County, New York, where both spent their remaining years, his death occurring in 1889. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker by trade, and also became owner of quite a tract of land, on which he carried on general farming to some extent.

O. F. Kinmonth was born in Delaware County, · New York, in 1834, and grew to manhood on the home farm. As a young man he migrated to Illi- nois, and soon after the breaking out of the Civil war enlisted in the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, and with his comrades saw hard service on the field of battle. Subsequently engaging in agricultural pur- suits, he spent a year in Stark County, Illinois, and then removed with his wife to Lucas County, Iowa, where he improved a good farm and became promi- nent as an agriculturist. He lived to a ripe old age, dying in Russell, Iowa, in 1904.

The maiden name of the wife of O. F. Kinmonth was Esther Ann Atherton. She was born in Stark County, Illinois, in 1849, and is now residing in

HISTORY OF MONTANA

Russell, Iowa. Seven children were born of their union, as follows: Roderick, a farmer by occupa- tion, died in Russell, Iowa, aged thirtv-six years; Charles F., the subject of this brief sketch; Mande, wife of C. A. Currier, who is engaged in farming at Chariton, Iowa; Alexander, a farmer in Ballan- tine, Montana; Orin, living on the home farm in Russell, Iowa; Mabel, wife of Arthur Pyle, a mail clerk on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road, residing in Russell, Iowa, and Belle, wife of Neil Lonychan, who is engaged in agricultural pur- suits in Russell, Iowa.

Having laid a substantial foundation for his future education in the rural schools of Lucas County, Iowa, Charles F. Kinmonth completed a course of study at Elliott's Business College in Burlington, Iowa. Having as a youth become thoroughly ac- quainted with the various branches of agriculture, he chose the independent calling to which he was reared, and was engaged in farming in his native county until 1904. Migrating then to Western Ne- braska, Mr. Kinmonth operated a threshing outfit, and did a good business as an auctioneer for four years. Coming from there to Ballantine, Montana, on April 16, 1908, he took up in Yellowstone County a homestead claim of eighty acres of land, and to this original tract he has since added other valuable tracts, having title now to 1,280 acres of fine Mon- tana land. Leaving his homestead in November, 1916, Mr. Kinmonth assumed possession of his beau- tiful residence at 114 Avenue B, Billings, and has since devoted his time and attention to auctioneer- ing, a business in which he is an expert.

Mr. Kinmonth married in 1897 at Kearney, Ne- braska, Miss Dessa Larimer. Her father, J. R. Lari- mer, was born in Ohio in 1834, and died in Kearney, Nebraska, April 2, 1918. During his earlier life Mr. Larimer was for many years engaged in the grain and elevator business at Bloomington, Illinois. In 1884 he removed with his family to Kearney, Nebraska, where he continued as a farmer and commission broker until his death. He was a stanch republican in politics and an active and prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Dur- ing the Civil war he served for three years in the Fifty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, doing his duty faithfully as a soldier. Fraternally he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife, whose maiden name was Margaret E. Jones, was born at Arrowsmith, Illinois, in 1851, and is now a resident of Billings, Montana.

Mr. and Mrs. Kinmonth are the parents of four children, namely: Maurine, a graduate of the Bill- ings High School, is the wife of Preston Trask, of Ballantine, Montana, a well-known and successful ranchman; Clarice, now, in 1919, a junior in the Billings High School; Mildred, an eighth-grade pupil in the public schools, and Eleanor, who is attending school in the first grade. In his political affiliations Mr. Kinmonth is independent, voting for the best men and measures without regard to party preju- dice, and fraternally he is a member of Kearney Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Kear- ney, Nebraska.

JOHN A. HARADER began his career as a teacher. He was connected with schools in four or five different states in the West and Northwest, which was followed by a period of newspaper and con- vention reporting. But he found the true field for his energies and abilities as an executive in com- mercial affairs. He is the present manager of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, and has made that one of the livest and most influential commercial bodies in Montana.

Mr. Harader was born at Mount Aetna, Iowa, January 12, 1878. His is an uncommon family name, and probably all the Haraders in the United States trace their ancestry back to his great-grandfather, who was one of two brothers coming from Switzer- land on the French border and settling in Virginia in 1812. One of the brothers never married. The great-grandfather established his family in Virginia. His son Jacob, grandfather of John A., lived in Virginia for a number of years and after his mar- riage took his family to Indiana, then to Iowa. He was a farmer and flour miller. He was a stanch Union man, and during the Civil war joined the Union army and was killed in an engagement in Texas. A. Harader, father of John A., was born in Virginia in 1843, and when a boy accompanied his parents to Indiana and then to Iowa. At the age of eighteen, in 1861, he enlisted in the Fourth Iowa Infantry, and served as a gallant and faithful soldier all through the war. He was at Shiloh, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, and with Sherman in many of his campaigns. He received a gun shot wound through the chest at Chattanooga. Follow- ing the war he returned to Mount Aetna, Iowa, married, and settled down as a merchant in that locality. In 1883 he established the pioneer store at Mount Vernon, South Dakota, then a territory. Later he farmed in South Dakota and about 1898 moved to Cottonwood, Kansas, where he continued farming until he retired. He is now living at Cassoday, Kansas, past seventy-five years of age. He has been prominent in politics in different locali- ties as a republican. At Mount Vernon, South Dakota, he was police judge. He is one of the lead- ing members of the Dunkard Church. A. Harader married Jane Magness, who was born in Ohio in 1851. They had ten children: Ada, wife of M. G. Mckenzie, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a member of the Missouri Conference; Jacob, who died in infancy; Jennie, wife of W. A. Bell, a hardware merchant at North Yakima, Wash- ington; Maggie, who died in Texas at the age of thirty-five; William, a merchant at Burns, Kansas ; John A., who is the sixth in age among the children ; Ward, a teacher in the public schools at Enumclaw, Washington ; Mabel, a resident of Seattle, Washing- ton, wife of Wid Vinson, who was with the Amer- ican Expeditionary Forces and the Army of Occupa- tion in Germany; Blanche, wife of Samuel Vinson, a farmer living at Clements, Kansas; and Benjamin, who received military training at Camp Lewis and was recently mustered out and returned home.

John A. Harader received a public school educa- tion. He graduated from the high school at Mount Vernon, South Dakota, in 1897 and spent the fol- lowing year teaching in Davidson County, that state. He went to Cottonwood, Kansas, with his parents and for a year was principal of the schools at Home- stead, Kansas. He is a graduate of the Commercial Department of the Kansas Wesleyan University at Salina, and also attended for one year the State Normal School at Emporia. For four years, be- ginning in 1902, Mr. Harader was connected with a business college at Superior, Wisconsin. Coming west to Payette, Idaho, he engaged in the real estate business, then traveled through Colorado and on returning to Payette joined the Chamber of Com- merce as manager. In 1914 he was called to Yakima, Washington, as manager of the Chamber of Com- merce, remaining there two years, when his services were requisitioned by the business men of Bozeman. He has been manager of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce since 1916, and his business offices are in the Story Block. The organization comprises 300 members, and its membership and effectiveness

HISTORY OF MONTANA

are in the main a tribute to the organizing and executive abilities of Mr. Harader. 'Mr. Harader is president of the Montana Association of Commercial Secretaries for the years 1918-19.

For over a year he had all his time and energies enlisted in war work, being chairman of the War Chest at Bozeman, serving as County Food Admin- istrator, working in every Liberty Loan and other campaign, and was also secretary of the Council of Defense. He has been prominent in all move- ments to develop the state.

Mr. Harader is an independent in politics. He has become affiliated with several fraternal organi- zations in different towns where he has had his home, including Yakima Lodge of Masons, Bozc- man Lodge No. 463, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Payette Lodge of Knights of Pythias.

Mr. Harader and family reside at 401 South Eighth Avenue. He married at Payette, Idaho, in 1909, Miss Edith M. Wood, a daughter of A. E. and Elizabeth (Gerould) Wood. Her parents reside at Payette, where her father is a real estate broker. Mrs. Harader is a graduate of the Payette High School. To their marriage were born three chil- dren, all members of the home circle, as follows: Gerould, born in August, 1910; Marcus, born in November, 1912; and Frank, born March 17, 1915.

THEODORE REINBOLD. As a boy in his native city of Newark, Ohio, Theodore Reinbold became inter- ested in automobile mechanics. He tinkered with some of the first practical makes of cars. For a number of years he has been recognized as a. past master of everything propelled by a gasoline engine. At Hamilton, Montana, he has developed the largest automobile and garage business in Ravalli County.

Mr. Reinbold is still very young, having been born August 30, 1891. His parents were Christian and Mary Reinbold, both natives of Germany. His father was born in 1859, and as a young man settled in Ohio, where he married, and since his marriage has lived in Newark. He is a stationary engineer and Theodore inherits his mechanical ability. The father is a democrat and a member of the Lutheran Church and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. His wife was killed in a railroad accident at Newark in 1907. They were the parents of five children : Fred, man- ager of the C. L. Adams lumber yard at Stevens- ville, Montana; Elizabeth, wife of John Freednour, a glass blower at Newark; Carl August, owner of the Reinbold plumbing and heating establishment at Newark; Theodore; and Otto Christian, an auto- mobile mechanic whose present home is at Spokane, Washington.

Theodore Reinbold acquired a public school edu- cation at Newark. He left school at the age of fourteen and went to work in the Ford Garage of that city. 'He operated cars and did general re- pair and mechanical work there until 1911. In that year he came to Stevensville, Montana, and for two years had full charge of the cars and trucks owned and operated by the Sunset Orchard Corporation. Another year he spent at the Spokane headquarters of the Holt Manufacturing Company, makers of the celebrated Caterpillar tractor. Mr. Reinbold estab- lished a garage and Ford agency at Stevensville, Montana, in 1914. The firm was Stratton & Rein- bold, which was continued until May, 1918. At the latter date Mr. Stratton sold out to H. O. Bell of Missoula. The firm is now Bell & Reinbold, and there is a third partner, Harold Holt. Mr. Bell has charge of the H. O. Bell Company, a Ford agency at Missoula, while Mr. Reinbold is in complete charge of the Ford agency and garage at Hamilton.

His garage occupies three city blocks, at the corner of Main and Third streets. He handles Ford cars and Fordson tractors and all accessories.

Mr. Reinbold is an independent in politics. He is affiliated with the Lutheran Church and is a mem- ber of Ionic Lodge No. 38, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, Hamilton Chapter No. 18, Royal Arch Masons, Crusade Commandery No. 17, Knights Templars, Bagdad Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Butte, and is a member of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. He owns a modern home on South Fourth Street.

August 12, 1916, at Missoula, he married Miss Vivian Marguerite Stratton, daughter of R. A. and Theressa (Stiern) Stratton, residents of Stevens- ville. Her father is president of the Montana Farm and Livestock Company. Mrs. Reinbold was edu- cated in the Stevensville High School and in a girls' seminary at Spokane. Mr. and Mrs. Rein- bold have one son, Theodore Robert, born Febru- ary 13, 1918.

THOMAS G. ARMSTRONG came to Montana more than thirty years ago. His services have proved valuable tò several mercantile organizations and for a number of years past he has been president and director of the Big Timber Supply House and has also acquired and owns some important ranch- ing interests.

Mr. Armstrong was born at Ausable Forks in Clinton County, New York, November 2, 1862, and represents the third generation of the Armstrong family in this country. His grandfather, Thomas Armstrong, was a native of Durham, England, and on coming to America became a farmer in Vermont. He died at Brandon in that state in 1878. George W. Armstrong was born in Vermont in 1842, but spent the greater part of his life in New York State. While at Ansable Forks he managed a large mercantile establishment and was also a superin- tendent in the J. & J. Rogers Iron Company. In 1899 he removed to Plattsburg, New York, and was bookkeeper for the Davis Provision Company. He died at Plattsburg in 1915. In politics he was a democrat and served a term as clerk of Clinton County. Outside of business and family his chief interest was his church membership as a Methodist. He married Sarah Hodgson, who was born on the Isle of Motte in Lake Champlain in 1837, and is still living at Plattsburg at the advanced age of eighty-two. Thomas G., is the oldest of her six children. Norman, the second in age, is a farmer at Anoka, Minnesota, while Harry, the youngest, is an electrician at Duluth, Minnesota. The other three reside at Plattsburg, New York. Mrs. Nellie Cason is the wife of a bookkeeper, Mrs. Annie Agnew's husband is an attorney, while Ethel is un- married and lives with her mother.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 18

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