Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 183

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 183

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George Fowlie acquired a thorough education, at- tending public schools in Waupaca County, Milton College and the University of Wisconsin. His higher education was paid for largely through his earnings as a teacher. He taught his first term of school at the age of fifteen. He was engaged in that work for seven years in Wisconsin, and in 1888 came to Montana. His first location was at Castle in Meagher County. Most of his time for ten years was spent in silver mining, and he then resumed the occupation of teaching for three years. Mr. Fowlie has the distinction of having taught the first school at Harlowton, now the county seat of Wheatland County. He was also in the hotel busi- ness at Harlowton about a year. Mr. Fowlie was elected county treasurer of Meagher County in the fall of 1904, and by re-election in 1906 completed two terms in that office. Then in 1908 came his election to the office of county clerk and recorder, and he has been administrative head of that office now for twelve years, being reelected in 1910, 1912, 1914, 1916 and 1918.

In the meantime he has acquired many valuable property interest, serving to permanently and influ- entially identify him with this part of Montana. He homesteaded in 1908 a claim four miles northwest of White Sulphur Springs. To that original. home- stead he has added other lands until he has about 1,000 acres, and in normal years runs between 100 and 145 head of cattle and also a number of horses. He has also been interested in mining projects and since January, 1919, has been a director in the Central State Bank of White Sulphur Springs., Mr. Fowlie is affiliated with Carbonate Lodge No.

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39, Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Harlow- ton, Lodge No. 27 of the Knights of Pythias at Twodot, and politically is a democrat.

In 1887 he married Miss Millie I. Chambers, also a native of Waupaca County, Wisconsin. Seven children were born to their marriage: Eva, George, James, Sadie, Freda, Frances and Mary. Eva is the wife of Harry C. Klock and the mother of three children. George enlisted in June, 1917, in the Marines and was on duty at Mare Island, California, and later at Galveston, Texas, and served until after the signing of the armistice. The son James also entered the service in 1917 in the Hospital Corps, received his early training at Camp Lee, Virginia, and less than sixty days after enlisting was sent overseas to France. He returned to the United States and received his discharge at New York in July, 1919. The daughter Sadie is the wife of Arthur F. Ford and is employed in Mr. Fowlie's county office. The daughter Freda is the wife of Prince Dimmitt.

GEORGE BENNETT NAGUES, who has served three elective terms as sheriff of Meagher County, has spent most of his life in Montana, is the son of a Montana pioneer, and is widely and favorably known over this section of the state both for his business and official service.

His father was the late James Nagues, who died at his home in Missoula February 15, 1917, at the age of seventy-nine. James Nagues was born in Cornwall, England, in June, 1838, and about two years later his parents, John and Priscilla Nagues, came to America. The family home was in North- western Illinois and Southwestern Wisconsin. About 1852 the Nagues family home was visited by the epidemic of cholera, and in a few days the parents and two of the children were taken away. James was fourteen years old at that time, and after that he had to rely upon his own energy to establish his position among men. He had only a common school education, and he learned the trade of harness maker. On April 19, 1861, he vol- unteered and was mustered into Company I of the Third Wisconsin Infantry. He saw more than three years of strenuous service. He was with the Fed- eral armies around Washington, took part in the Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, was at Cedar Mountain and the second battle of Bull Run, at South Mountain and Antietam, and in the terrific campaign that culminated in the great battle of Chan- cellorsville. Being disabled, he was in a hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, for nine months, and before he could rejoin the army his term expired and he was honorably discharged at Atlanta July 22, 1864, with the rank of corporal.

During an interval of his army service he had returned to Wisconsin and married, and on April 4. 1865, he started for Montana, making the trip with mule teams and incurring several skirmishes with the Indians. He reached Virginia City in July, and for the next two years did some mining in Last Chance Gulch at Helena. Returning to Wis- consin, he remained in that state three years, and subsequently engaged in the butcher business at Hampton, Iowa, in LaSalle County, Illinois, was on a farm in Kansas a year, was attracted to the min- ing regions of Colorado, and spent several other years in Iowa and Illinois. He was one of the gold seekers attracted by the discoveries in the Black Hills District in the Dakotas in 1876, and after some more or less profitable venture there came on across the country to Helena, where he engaged in the harness business. In the summer of 1877 his wife and three children followed him to the West, making

the journey by steamboat up the Missouri River to Cow Island, thence overland to Fort Benton and by stage to Helena. For two seasons James Nagues tried placer mining in Cave Gulch, and in 1881 re- moved from Helena to White Sulphur Springs. The next seven years he conducted a dairy ranch, and in 1888 moved to the Musselshell River and established a cattle ranch, where in association with his son George he continued active in business until 1910. It was as a rancher that he laid the basis of his modest fortune in Montana, and when he sold out in 1910 he retired and lived at Missoula until his death. He voted as a republican, had become a Mason in Illinois, and later demitted and became a member of Diamond City Lodge No. 7, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

March 15, 1864, James Nagues married Amelia Jane Rule, a native of Wisconsin and of English ancestry. She is still living at Missoula, at the age of seventy-six. Of five children, four are living : Emeline E., George B., Minnie and Jesse R.

George Bennett Nagues was born at Darlington, Wisconsin, March 12, 1868, and his early memories are associated with the family home in Illinois, Iowa, and Helena, Montana. He completed his education at White Sulphur Springs, and for about a quarter of a century was actively identified with his father in the cattle industry. After retiring from the ranch business Mr. Nagues located at White Sul- phur Springs and took up contracting and building, an industry he prosecuted with much success and with a complete and adequate organization for sev- eral years, excepting a period of about three months when he was in San Diego, California. In the fall of 1912 he was appointed under sheriff of Meagher County, held that post of responsibility for a year and a half in connection with his other business, and was then appointed to fill out an unexpired term as sheriff for six months. In 1914 he was duly elected sheriff, and re-elected in 1916 and 1918 and has been retained at this post of duty and has given a most satisfactory record of his office for over six years. He had previously served by election as county commissioner of Meagher County in 1908. Mr. Nagues is one of the men most deeply interested in and associated with the welfare and progress of White Sulphur Springs. For over twenty years he has served as a member of the school board there, and for six years, two terms, was a member of the city council. Fraternally he is affiliated with Diamond City Lodge No. 7, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is a past master, with Harlowton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons, Helena Consistory of the Scottish Rite, Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine, and he and his wife and their two daughters are members of Martha Chapter No. 11 of the Eastern Star, which he has served as worthy patron.

June 28, 1892, Mr. Nagues married Stella May Smith, who was born in Illinois. They have six children: Ella A., wife of Trevell DeLarhue, of The Dalles, Oregon; Maud May, wife of Steven H. Smith, a rancher near White Sulphur Springs; Ray- mond C., Madeline J., Beatrice M. and James Field- ing. The son Raymond, who was educated in the schools of White Sulphur Springs, enlisted June 10, 1918, at Helena in the Marines, was mustered in June 21st at Mare Island, California, and was trans- ferred to Galveston, Texas. He received his honor- able discharge January 29, 1919. The son is affiliated with Diamond City Lodge No. 7 of the Masons.

CHARLES W. Cook, now an octogenarian at White Sulphur Springs, was a member of one of the first important exploration parties to visit the Upper

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Yellowstone and the magnificent country now known as Yellowstone National Park. He was one of the first big sheep men in Montana, and for years his herds and flocks ran by the thousands over the country around White Sulphur Springs. Among the survivors of the original Montanans his is a name that stands conspicuous by reason of many experiences and achievements.

Mr. Cook was born on his father's farm in Unity Township, Waldo County, Maine, February 24, 1839, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Hussey) Cook. His father was a native of Kennebeck County and his mother of Waldo County, Maine, and the former died in 1880, at the age of seventy-five, and the lat- ter in 1889, aged eighty-nine. Daniel Cook was a ship carpenter and joiner, a contractor and builder, and also had a farm where he. indulged his taste for good horses. For many years he served as treasurer of his home township, was a whig and republican in politics, and a member of the Quaker Church. In the family were six son's, five of whom reached mature years, three now living, Charles W. being the fourth in age.

Charles W. Cook acquired a public school educa- tion in Waldo County, attended the Oak Grove Semi- nary in Kennebeck County, and at different times was a student of the Friends School at Providence, Rhode Island. Subsequent years Charles W. Cook spent on his father's farm to the age of twenty. He taught school one year and then moved to Provi- dence, Rhode Island, where he was superintendent of grounds for the Friends School and again entered there as a student, continuing his studies two years.

The beginning of his life of adventure in the great West came April 15, 1864, when he left home for the West, traveling by railroad as far as St. Joseph, Missouri, then the terminus of railway lines on the Missouri River. A steamboat carried him up the Missouri to Omaha, where he met an old schoolmate. Henry Kizer. They bought teams of horses and with another man started overland for Denver. They made the trip unmolested though danger from Indians threatened. June 20, 1864, they joined a caravan of six wagons with 125 head of herd cattle besides the work cattle, Mr. Cook being employed as cattle driver and started overland for Virginia City, Montana, reaching that point Sep- tember 20th. On the way they were held up by a party of Indians, but were permitted to resume their march after giving the Indians a steer. Reach- ing Montana, Mr. Cook participated in the usual activity of mining, soon went to Frenchtown and bought a load of flour, and secured a supply of potatoes at Hamilton. He paid $6 a sack for the flour, which he later sold at $1.25 per pound. The spring of 1865 found him at Diamond City, where he did mining and was also superintendent of the Boulder Ditch Company. The supply of water reaching the mines through the system owned by this company brought in a revenue of $10,000 a week, and Mr. Cook had the handling of many thousands of dollars worth of gold, and also the' responsibility of supervising a force of men twenty- four hours a day, twenty men working in the day shift and twenty men in the night shift. He handled this office until 1869, and for the following two years was receiver for the Old Gallatin Flour Mill.

A number of historical connections contains a pamphlet entitled "The Folsom-Cook Exploration of the Upper Yellowstone in the year 1869," embrac- ing an account of the expedition written by one of its members, David E. Folsom, whose article was published in Chicago in July, 1870, this pamphlet being a reprint of that article with a preface by Nathaniel P. Langford, who was the first collector

of internal revenue of the Territory of Montana. The article is an historic document in the annals of Montana and the history of Yellowstone National Park. In his preface Mr. Langford says: "The wonders of the Yellowstone National Park were first brought to the knowledge of the people of Montana by David E. Folsom and C. W. Cook. Mr. Folsom had often heard vague and uncertain rumors of the strange phenomena to be seen near the head- waters of the Yellowstone and Fire Hole rivers. He was told by an occasional trapper that the Indians, taking counsel of their superstitious fears, believed that region to be the abode of evil spirits, and in their nomadic journeyings carefully avoided all near approach to it. This story, gathering in volume and embellishment as it was circulated throughout the mining camps of Montana, so wrought upon his curiosity that in September, 1869, he and Mr. Cook made a partial exploration of the region to solve their doubts. Bewildered and astounded at the mar- vels they beheld, they were, on their return, un- willing to risk their reputations for veracity by a full recital of them to a small company whom their friends had assembled to hear the account of their explorations. Mr. Folsom, however, published a careful account of his expedition in the Chicago Western Monthly for July, 1870, and this, with such information as could be gleaned from him, led to the organization of the Washburn exploring expedition." Elsewhere in the preface Mr. Langford says: "We trace the creation of the park from the Folsom- Cook expedition of 1869 to the Washburn expedi- tion of 1870, and thence to the Hayden expedition (U. S. Geological Survey) of 1871. Not to one of these expeditions more than to another do we owe the legislation which set apart this pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

While this expedition was an important one it took only thirty-six days from the busy life of Mr. Cook. In the spring of 1871 he left Montana, going overland to California and Oregon, where he bought up a number of bands of sheep and had them driven through into Montana, wintering at old Gallatin City and in the spring of 1872 continuing the drive of about 1500 sheep into the Smith River Valley, southwest of where White Sulphur Spring now stands. He was the first to bring sheep in any num- her into this locality, and it is claimed that he was one of the first three men to engage in the sheep industry in Montana. Later he added cattle and horses, and at one time his holdings were repre- sented by the ownership in fee of 6,000 acres, besides 4,000 acres leased lands, and he ran as high as 10,000 head of sheep, 400 head of cattle and 300 head of horses.

Mr. Cook, who retired from ranching in 1900, was one of the organizers of the Central State Bank of White Sulphur Springs, and has been its presi- dent since January 9, 1917. He has served as mayor of his town and for one term was county com- missioner of Meagher County. Politically he is a republican. Mr. Cook is one of the oldest Masons in Montana, having held affiliations with Diamond Lodge No. 7, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Diamond City since August, 1867. He retains his Royal Arch affiliation with Dunlap Chapter No. 12 at China, Maine, is a member of Lewistown Com- mandery No. 18, Knights Templar, and Algeria Tem- ple of the Mystic Shrine at Helena. Both he and his wife are members of Martha Chapter No. 11 of the Eastern Star. Mrs. Cook has served as chaplain several times. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

At Helena, Montana, June 26, 1880, Mr. Cook married Miss Abbie W. Kennicott. She was born

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at Mayfield, New York, a daughter of James H. and Abbie (Wells) Kennicott. Her father was a native of Rhode Island and died in 1880, at the age of eighty-six, and her mother was born in Connecticut and died in 1894, aged eighty-nine. Mrs. Cook was one of twins, the last born in a family of three daughters and three sons, two of whom are still living. Her father was a blacksmith, and in 1859 moved to the frontier country of Nebraska, where he spent his last years. The Kennicotts were Meth- odists in religion. Mr. and Mrs. Cook had three children : Mary Elizabeth, who died at the age of twenty-one; Josephine, who is the wife of Oscar O. Mueller, a lawyer at Lewistown; and Donald H., who married Ruth Bronson, and is now a professor in the State Agricultural College at New Mexico.

CAPT. JOHN POTTER, of White Sulphur Springs, would be a conspicuous figure in any group of sur- viving pioneers of the '6os. For upwards of half a century he went about his business, as a miner, merchant, and rancher in various parts of the old territory, though his activities have been chiefly iden- tified with the region around White Sulphur Springs.

Captain Potter, who is further honored by his distinguished service as a Union soldier during the Civil war, and who had a son in the World war, was born on his father's farm in Onondaga County, New York, February 18, 1844, son of Heart and. Polly (Everingham) Potter. His parents were also natives of Onondaga County, and Captain John was the seventh in a family of eight children, only two of whom are still living. The father, a farmer, moved to Illinois and was one of the early settlers in LaSalle County, where he bought land at $2.50 an acre. He developed a farm and stock ranch mustered in at old Camp Douglas in Chicago, and there and later continued in the same industry in DeKalb County, Illinois. He was never concerned with public office, contenting himself with casting an intelligent vote, first as a whig and later as a republican. He died at the age of eighty-four and his wife at seventy-eight.

Capt. John Potter was nine years of age when he removed to Illinois, finished his education in public and private schools and at the age of seventeen answered Lincoln's first call for three months troops to put down the rebellion. In April, 1861, he joined Company C of the Tenth Illinois Infantry, being mustered in at old Camp Douglas in Chicago, and during his brief enlistment performing guard duty at Cairo, Illinois. He was discharged at the end of three months and in October of the same year re-enlisted at Ottawa, Illinois, in Company F of the Fifty-third Illinois Infantry. From St. Louis the regiment was sent down the Missouri River, and he took part in the Battle of Shiloh, was all through the Vicksburg campaign, and after the surrender of that city on July 3, 1863, moved East and was in the bat- tles at Jackson, Mississippi. July 12, 1863, he was wounded by a grape shot in the right leg, and after being in the hospital was granted a thirty days' leave, subsequently extended to sixty days. He rejoined his regiment at Natchez, Mississippi, was again at Pittsburg, participated in the raid around Meridian, Mississippi, was at Florence, Ala- bama, at Rome, Georgia, and saw many phases of the Atlanta campaign. He was made second lieu- tenant of Company F of the Fifty-third Illinois, was promoted to first lieutenant November 18, 1862, and on June 29, 1863, was appointed captain of Company F. At Altoona Pass he was detailed quar- termaster of the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, and later served as provost marshal of the brigade and also as ordnance officer.

Captain Potter after more than three years of service as a Union soldier and officer was mustered out August 5, 1864, and then became associated with his brother H. S. Potter in buying horses and mules for the United States Government. Thus he continued to serve the Government until the close of the war. Following that he was in the livery business at Aurora, Illinois, until November, 1868, at which time the western chapters of his life history began to be written.

From Omaha he traveled to Utah, and until the spring of 1869 was employed as a tie inspector by the Union Pacific Railway. He then made a trip to the Wind River mines at South Pass, Wyoming. Subsequently from Granger Station on the Union Pacific he started overland with mule teams bound for old Fort Ellis, Bozeman, Montana, where he arrived in September, 1869, with a four-mule team. He left there in company with some soldiers of the Seventh United States Cavalry, going to Camp Baker in Smith River Valley, and was associated with the United States Post Trader from November, 1869, until June, 1872. At the establishment of old Fort Logan he was in business at that fort for two years .and then bought a store at the Thompson Gulch Mining Camp, where he sold goods for about two years.

After disposing of his stock of merchandise Cap- tain Potter made his first venture as a sheep rancher, his location being five miles south of the present site of White Sulphur Springs. Four years later he sold out and returning to Illinois for the winter busied himself with the purchase of 300 head of full- blood sheep, which the next spring he shipped to Fort Benton at Sioux City, Iowa, and drove them across the country from Fort Benton to White Sulphur Springs, where he found ready sale for his flock to sheep men for breeding purposes. He repeated this enterprise the following year, and made another shipment of 300 head over the same route. His third shipment was made in 1883, and in addition to sheep he also brought five head of pure-blood Hereford cattle, these being the first high grade white-faced cattle brought into the locality of White Sulphur Springs.

In company with James H. Moe, Captain Potter established the Bank of Meagher County at White Sulphur Springs, and served as its president three years. The bank was then reorganized as the First National Bank, and Captain Potter continued as its president until 1896. He resigned from its man- agement to become associated with other men in the purchase of a large sheep ranch known as the Clendennin property at the fork of the Musselshell River, near Martinsdale. For ten years Captain Potter remained as manager of this sheep ranch, the company owning and leasing about 24,000 acres for their purpose. When he disposed of his interest in that enterprise he retired from active business, and has since enjoyed a well earned retirement at White Sulphur Springs.

Captain Potter has carefully kept his name from all political tickets as a candidate for office. He has been affiliated with Diamond City Lodge No. 7 of the Masonic Order since 1869, is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Loyal Legion, and in voting cast his ballot as a republican.

In April, 1883, at Sandwich, Illinois, he married Kate Vermilye, a native of that town. Their two children are John V. and Laura B. The son, John, was educated at White Sulphur Springs and in the Montana.Agricultural College at Bozeman, from which he was gradnated as electrical engineer. He took special technical training at the beginning of the World war with the Westinghouse Company at

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Springfield, Massachusetts, and in 1917 was com- missioned a first lieutenant in the ordnance depart- ment. He was on duty at Baltimore and Wash- ington as stores manager of the First Ordnance dis- trict, with jurisdiction over four states. Later he was sent for official service to Detroit, Michigan, and in March, 1920, was mustered out of service and now lives in White Sulphur Springs. Laura B. was born in White Sulphur Springs October 8, 1896, and lives at home. She graduated as a sten- ographer in Quincy, Illinois, and is now in the office of Ford & Linn, attorneys at law, of White Sulphur Springs.

JEFFERSON D. DOGGETT. No community can be any greater than its banking institutions, nor can it make any appreciable progress until it has located in its midst one or more financial concerns, backed by the substantial men of the region. Much of the advancement of Townsend therefore dates back to 1899, when the State Bank of Townsend was in- corporated. This bank has the distinction of not only being one of the most reliable in this section, but it is the oldest in Broadwater County, and one of the dependable men connected with it is Jefferson D. Doggett, its vice president.

Jefferson D. Doggett, familiarly known as "Jeff." was born at Virginia City, Montana, on October 31, 1863, a son of Moses Doggett, who was born at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1831, and died on his ranch near Townsend in 1896. His parents moved from Louisville to Indiana and later to Iowa, where they continued to live until claimed by death. In 1859 Moses Doggett, who had in the meanwhile been married at Blakesburg, Iowa, went to Colorado, be- coming one of the pioneers of California Gulch, and also of the mining region on which the present city of Leadville is now located, in both places being engaged in mining with considerable success. In the fall of 1862 he returned to Iowa, and spent a short time with his parents at Blakesburg.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 183

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