Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 4

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 4

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Mr. Berkin was born at Boulder in Jefferson County, Montana, March 25, 1869, son of William and Sarah Jane (Hall) Berkin. The career of

HISTORY OF MONTANA

his father is sketched on other pages. Mr. Berkin at- tended the public schools of Boulder and his first em- ployment was on a cattle ranch and later, in 1882, he located at Lewistown and learned the carpenter's trade. In 1885 he returned to Boulder and became a contractor and builder. For fourteen years he was also engaged in the mining business. His ranch location was on Smith River up to 1907. He had a large tract of land devoted to horses, cattle and sheep. In 1907 he became proprietor of the Day Hotel at Lewistown, and operated that well known hostelry for two years. He then resumed his asso- ciation with ranching and since 1910 has been en- gaged in ranching and farming in the eastern part of Fergus County, near Flat Willow, which is his postoffice. He owns one of the most complete farms in the county, having 480 acres thoroughly devel- oped. He cuts three crops of alfalfa every sea- son and also large crops of corn and other grain. He also runs about 100 head of livestock.

Mr. Berkin has for several years been deputy sheriff of Fergus County, and he is also a game warden of the state. His official home is at Lewis- town, though he spends much of his time at his farm.

Mr. Berkin is affiliated with Lewistown Lodge No. 456, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Po- litically he is a democrat. May 8, 1894, he mar- ried Mabel L. Coburn, a native of Iowa.

WALTER MANSUR BICKFORD came to Montana in 1884, a young lawyer, after several years of practice in the East. He at once became prominent in ter- ritorial politics, served as a member of the last Territorial Council, was a member of the State Constitutional Convention and of the State Capitol Commission. At the first state election he was an unsuccessful candidate for justice of the Supreme Court of Montana.

Mr. Bickford, whose home is at Missoula and for many years practiced with offices at Butte, was born at Newburg, Maine, February 25, 1852. He was educated in the Maine Central Institute at Pitts- field and in 1878 was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar. Judge Bickford enjoys high rank as a cor- poration lawyer and is vice president of the Mis- soula Light and Water Company, the Missoula Street Railway Company and the Western Lumber Com- pany. He represented Montana as executive com- missioner at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. He is a democrat in politics.

October 16, 1878, he married Emma W. Woodford, of Jamestown, New York. She died June 17, 1915, leaving one daughter, Edith M., now the wife of W. L. Murphy, who is associated with Judge Bick- ford in practice. On September 25, 1916, Judge Bickford married Zelma M. Nash, of Missoula, who died July 1, 1917.

CARL C. NISSLER, city engineer of Lewistown, and a man of wide and varied experience in engineer- ing and other business affairs, was absent from his official position in Lewistown the greater part of 1918 serving in the Engineer Corps of the National army, with the rank of first lieutenant.

Mr. Nissler represents a pioneer family of Mon- tana and was born at Silver Bow, Silver Bow County, August 6, 1884. His father, Christian Niss- ler, was born in Sindlefingen, Wuertemberg, Ger- many, in 1836 and spent the first sixteen years of his life in his native country. Coming to America, he soon went to Philadelphia and learned the trade of baker and confectioner. In 1856 he went to San Francisco around the Isthmus, worked at his trade in Sacramento County, and prospected for

gold in California, Oregon and Idaho, and finally located in the silver mining district of Virginia City, Nevada, where he learned the brewing trade.

In 1865 he left Nevada bound for Montana. He traveled by trail to Salt Lake City and thence by pack horse, being twenty days on the road and tramping at night with no protection except his blanket. He has some varied experiences in the mining camps of Montana, his most successful claim being in Bear Gulch. He invested the profits of this claim in a brewery at German Gulch and in 1871 moved to Silver Bow. He brought the logs from a building at Butte City to Silver Bow and set it up as his brewery and some years later erected a complete plant. He spent the rest of his life in Silver Bow, where he died in November, 1901. He was a democrat in politics and became a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in California in 1860. In 1878 he married Miss Chris- tiana Konzelman, also a native of Wuertemberg, Germany. She died in 1892. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are still living.

Carl C. Nissler was the first son and fifth child in his father's family and received his education in the public schools of Silver Bow, in All Hallows College at Salt Lake, in Notre Dame University at South Bend, Indiana, and in the Bishop Scott Mili- tary Academy at Portland, Oregon. He took his engineering work in the University of Michigan, graduating in 1908. On returning to Montana he was in the city engineer's office of Butte, Montana, for two years and then engaged in professional practice for himself at Great Falls and Lewistown. In 1912 Mr. Nissler organized the Lewistown Com- mission Company, wholesale fruits and produce, but sold his interest in 1916. He then took charge of the Domestic Steam Laundry, and in 1917 began his duties as assistant city engineer of Lewistown and was appointed city engineer in January, 1918.

Mr. Nissler had been in office only a few months when on May 7, 1918, he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Engineers Reserve Corps. He was called to active duty on the 12th of May, being sent to Camp Lee for training. June 13th he was assigned to the 605th Engineers at Camp Forrest, Georgia, and was made camp exchange officer. He organized the engineers sub. depot and was com- manding officer of the 474th Engineers Depot De- tachment. He was also assigned as officer of camp morale. After nearly nine months of active service for his country he received an honorable discharge February 10, 1919, and at once returned to Lewis- town and resumed his responsibilities as city engi- neer. He is a man of thorough qualifications in his profession, and is a member of the Society of Mu- nicipal Engineers. He is also a member of the Rotary Club at Lewistown and is a past master of Lewistown Lodge No. 37, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and in politics is a republican. Mr. Nissler married Miss Lillian Vivian, daughter of Joseph and Clara Bell (Labram) Vivian. Her parents were both born in Michigan and are now living at Butte, Montana. Mrs. Nissler, who is the oldest of four children, has one son, Carl Chris- tian, Jr.

W. P. SMITH, M. D., located at Columbus, Mon- tana, in 1910, and took up the work of his profes- sion as a physician and surgeon with well trained abilities and is regarded as one of the most capable medical men in Stillwater County. He has acquired, has developed and owns some extensive ranch prop- erties near Columbus.

Doctor Smith was born at St. Louis, Missouri, June 6, 1881. His father, Andrew P. Smith, was

Walter n. Bickford.

HISTORY OF MONTANA

born in Scotland in 1849, and came to the United States about 1869. For many years he was a mer- chant at St. Louis, Missouri. He was married at London, Ontario, Canada, to Meurissa Baker, who was born in London, Ontario, in 1857. She died at Chicago, Illinois, in 1904 while Andrew P. Smith died while visiting in Billings, Montana, in 1916. He was a republican and a very devout Presby- terian. The children were: John E., who resides at Los Angeles and is Pacific Coast representative of Marshall Field & Company at Chicago; Dr. W. P .; and M. A. Smith, who is also a representative of Marshall Field & Company and lives at Port- land, Oregon.

Dr. W. P. Smith attended public school at Chi- cago, graduating from a high school in that city in 1902. He then spent two years in the preparatory department of the University of Illinois, and in 1909 graduated with the M. D. degree from the Medical Department of that University. He is a member of the Phi Rho Sigma medical fraternity and the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical fra- ternity. From 1908 to 1910 Doctor Smith served as assistant to one of Chicago's most eminent physi- cians and surgeons; Dr. Alexander Hugh Ferguson. Since 1910 he has been engaged in a general medical and surgical practice at Columbus, his offices being in the Columbus State Bank Building. At least twice a year he keeps in touch with advanced ideas and practices of his profession, attending clinics and lectures in Chicago and Rochester, Minnesota. He specializes as a surgeon. He is a member of the Stillwater County and State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association, and has served as County Health Officer.

Doctor Smith owns 1,500 acres ten miles south of Columbus, a large part of it irrigated land and devoted to crops and livestock. He also has a modern home in Columbus. Doctor Smith is a republican, a member of the Presbyterian Church, is affiliated with Chicago Lodge of Masons, Bill- ings Chapter No. 5, Royal Arch Masons, Aldemar Commandery No. 9, Knights Templar, at Billings, Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Helena, Columbus Lodge of Odd Fellows, and Billings Lodge No. 394, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

He married Miss Grace Peterson, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Peterson, of Helena, at Colum- bus in May, 1913. They have one son, W. P., Jr., born June 18, 1915.

REV. FRANK BRADLEY LEWIS, A. M. The subject of this review enjoys distinctive prestige among the citizens of Bozeman, where he now lives in honorable retirement after a life of ceaseless in- dustry in the cause of Christ and humanity, and which was crowned with success. As a neighbor and citizen he is highly esteemed by all who know him, for in every relation of life, religious, political or civic, his voice and his influence have been on the side of right as he has seen and understood the right.

The Lewis family from which the subject of this sketch is descended is of rugged old Welsh stock, the family home having been on the border of Wales, whence came Benjamin Lewis to the shores of America in 1635. He first settled in Massachusetts, but soon afterwards located perma- nently in Connecticut, where the family has been established for many generations. The subject's grandfather, Cyrus Lewis, was born in 1783 in Hunt- ington, Connecticut, where he spent his entire life, his death occurring there in 1864. He was a farmer and because of his extended military service was called captain. He married Alice Hawley, also a

native of Huntington. Among their children was the subject's father, George Thomas Lewis, who was born at Huntington, Connecticut, in 1814. He was a carriagemaker by trade, spent his entire life in his native state, and died at Stratford on August 18, 1897. He was a democrat in politics and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a member and active supporter of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

George Thomas Lewis was twice married, first to Eleanor Banks, a native of Connecticut, and who died at Fairfield, that state. To them was born one child, Eleanor, who died at Trumbull, Connec- ticut, in 1918, and who had been the wife of David B. Curtis, a farmer and who also is deceased. After the death of his first wife, George T. Lewis mar- ried Mary Bradley, who was born in 1820 in Fair- field, Connecticut, and who died at Stratford, Con- necticut, in February, 1903. To them were born three children, namely: Frank B., the immediate subject of this review; Alice, who died at New Haven, Connecticut, and George Fred, who gradu- ated from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, and from the medical department of Yale College, and is now a leading physician and surgeon in Strat- ford, Connecticut.

Frank Bradley Lewis was born at Fairfield, Con- necticut, on July 25, 1844. He received his elemen- tary education in the public schools of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and then attended Fairfield Academy, in Herkimer County, New York, where he prepared for college. He then entered Yale College, where he was graduated with the class of 1868, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1871 he received from his alma mater the degree of Master of Arts. During the following two years he was a senior tutor in St. Mark's School at Southboro, Massa- chusetts. He then entered the Berkeley Divinity School, at Middletown, Connecticut, from which he was graduated in 1871 and was ordained as a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was assistant to the rector of St. Andrew's Church, Meri- den, Connecticut, for one year, and then for about the same length of time he served as rector of St. Paul's Church at Brookfield, Connecticut, relin- quishing this church to become principal of Oxford Academy at Oxford, Chenango County, New York, where he remained for seven years. In 1879 Mr. Lewis came to Bozeman as rector of St. James Church, and thus began a period of service which lasted for more than three decades, the relation of rector to the church being maintained for thirty- two years actively and since 19II as rector emeri- tus. He is now practically retired from active labor, though he still maintains general oversight of two missions, at Belgrade and Manhattan. During the period of his active labors here, Mr. Lewis proved a tower of strength for the forces of righteousness and ever stood ready to support and encourage every movement looking to the advancement of the best interests of the city and community. An effective speaker and able sermonizer, his pulpit service was characterized by earnestness and power, and during all the years of his identification with the church life of Bozeman he stood among the spiritual leaders of the people.

Politically Mr. Lewis supports the democratic party. Fraternally he is a member of Bozeman Lodge No. 18, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; Zona Chapter No. 12, Royal Arch Masons; St. John Commandery No: 12, Knights Templar, of which three bodies he is secretary; Butte Con- sistory of the Scottish Rite (thirty-second degree), and of Bagdad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. In 1919 he served as

HISTORY OF MONTANA

Grand Captain General of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Montana.

On June 6, 1871, at Nichols, Connecticut, Frank B. Lewis was married to Georgia Frances Ambler, the daughter of Charles and Mary (Curtiss) Am- bler, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. Ambler was a maker of saddle trees and prior to the Civil war enjoyed a large business. To the subject and his wife have been born the following children : Arthur Franklin was graduated from the Hopkins Grammar School in New Haven, Connecticut where he took preparatory work for college. He was grad- uated from the college department of Yale Uni- versity in 1894, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 1898 he was graduated from the General Theological Seminary, New York City, and was ordained a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He is now rector of the Episcopal Church at North Haven, Connecticut. Alice Elizabeth be- came the wife of Iremaeus Kneeland Wisner, who died on his farm near Bozeman in 1911, since which time she has lived at home with her parents. She was graduated from the Bozeman High School, and then attended the State Normal School, at New Haven, Connecticut, after which she taught school in Bozeman for several years. Mary Curtiss gradu- ated from the Bozeman High School, attended the State Normal School at Dillon, Montana, and is now a teacher in the Bozeman schools.

ANDREW P. STEPHENSON. The men of this coun- try are developing vision and initiative and learning to look forward in the establishment and expansion of their business concerns. Those of them who are succeeding upon a broad scale are the ones who recognize that conditions are in a transition period that requires careful planning not only to meet present day demands, but to provide for future possible shortages in raw materials and man power. This is an era of extraordinary conditions far out- classing any other in the history of the world, and to meet them and compete with others in the same line requires sagacity and practical knowledge of no mean order. One of the men who is proving in his everyday conduct of his large business that he is the right man in the right place is Andrew P. Stephenson, proprietor of the Stephenson Lumber Company of Butte, Montana.

Andrew P. Stephenson was born at Dallas, Texas, on February 26, 1875, and belongs to a very old American family, which was founded here during the seventeenth century by his ancestors that came here from England. For some generations the family was well represented in that part of the country now included in West Virginia, and Charles B. Stephenson, father of Andrew P. Stephen- son, was born at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, in 1829, and he was there reared and educated and imbued with a love of the South which made him espouse its cause in the conflict between that section and the north, and he served as a brave soldier in the Confederate army. With the end of the war he found conditions in his native region so discourag- ing that he decided to migrate to the west, and came to Montana in 1866. For a time he was one of the pioneer merchants of Helena, and was also interested in mining and freighting, the same qualities which made him a good soldier aiding him in business life. He was interested in the "Only Chance" Mine at Highland City, Montana, one of the first gold mines to be developed in the state. In 1872 his at- tention was attracted by the successful experiments in cotton production in Texas, and he removed to Dallas, Texas, where he spent the remainder of his

life, although his death occurred at Chicago, Illinois, where he had gone on a visit in 1905. A strong democrat, he never wavered in his support of the principles and candidates of that party. For many years he was a consistent member of the Episcopal Church. His fraternal connections were those he maintained with the Knights of Pythias. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Virginia Mitchell, was born at Richmond, Virginia, in 1840, and there they were married. Her death occurred at Dallas, Texas, in 1890. Of their six children, two were born at Helena, Montana, and the other four at Dallas, Texas. These children were as follows: Ella, who married P. P. Tucker, an in- surance broker of Dallas, Texas; Caroline, who married S. W. Wolfe, a clothing merchant of New York City, New York, died in that city, as did her husband; Charles, who is deceased, was in the ex- press business at Dallas, Texas; Elizabeth, who is the widow of Dr. C. C. Fite, a physician and surgeon, is a resident of New York City, New York ; Roberta Lee, who is the widow of Dr. W. T. Blythe, a physician and surgeon of Dallas, Texas, where Mrs. Blythe is now residing; and Andrew P., who was the youngest.

After attending the public schools of Dallas, Texas, Andrew P. Stephenson was a student in the Agricultural and Mechanical College at Bryan, Texas, for two years. Leaving college he went to Chicago, Illinois, and was employed in a wholesale shoe house for a number of years. He then went to northern Michigan and worked in the iron mines of that region for quite a long period, and then, still maintaining his connection with the iron in- terests, he returned to Chicago, Illinois. In 1899 he went to British Columbia and formed connections with a large saw-mill outfit, which developed into a lumber business that he operated in Canada until 1908, and in July of that year he came to Butte. In order to gain a practical working knowledge of the lumber situation in Silver Bow County and its neighborhood he entered the employ of the Largey Lumber Company, and remained with it until the summer of 1915, when he resigned his position as manager, for he had risen to be in charge of its affairs, and founded the Stephenson Lumber Com- pany, with plant and offices at Nos. 90 to 100 East Front Street, Butte. This company is incorporated, the officers being as follows: Eleanor Stephenson president, and Andrew P. Stephenson, secretary and treasurer. The company owns the plant and offices and the ground on which they stand. This is one of the largest lumber concerns in Butte, and handles lumber, building material and fuel, and does an im- mense business. In addition to his other interests Mr. Stephenson owns his modern residence at No. 1923 Argyle Street. In politics he is a republican, but has not cared to enter public life, his business absorbing his time and attention. In the teachings of Christian Science Mr. Stephenson finds expres- sion for his religious convictions.

Andrew P. Stephenson was married at McLeod, Alberta, Canada, to Miss Eleanor Patterson, a daughter of J. L. and Eleanor Patterson. Mr. Pat- terson was a successful pioneer rancher of the Bozeman district in Montana, and is now living in retirement at Bozeman, his wife having died some years ago. Mrs. Stephenson was graduated from the Milwaukee Normal College at Milwaukee, Wis- consin. Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson have two chil- dren, namely: Eleanor, who was born August 20, 1904, and Ann, who was born November 9, 1905. Mr. Stephenson has not only attained to a material success, but he has won and holds the confidence

Garminty Baldum

HISTORY OF MONTANA

of his fellow citizens. As a sound, dependable busi- ness man, he has few equals, and his knowledge of the lumber business is intimate and was acquired from personal experience at the source of supply. As a citizen he measures up to high standards, and while he has not desired political preferment, he has always shown an intelligent interest in the de- velopment of the community and a proper pride in civic matters.

CLEMENT J. BALDWIN. One of the most distin- guished men of his part of the state is Hon. Clement J. Baldwin of Bridger, representative from Carbon County in the State Assembly, and a man whose progressive spirit has animated his associates and section for some years. He is a man who reaches the heart of things, and, understanding the needs of his people, seeks the most effective manner of relieving them and building up new defences against the inside foes every state has to fight. During his long and arduous service as a legislator he has fathered and supported a number of very construc- tive measures, and the people of Montana owe him a heavy debt for what he has accomplished and for the campaign of education he has started to bring about other changes and reforms.

In 1900 Mr. Baldwin was united in marriage at Clement J. Baldwin comes of one of the old fami- lies of this country, representatives of the Baldwin family having emigrated from Scotland to the American Colonies long prior to the Revolution.' He was born at Willmar, Minnesota, May 2, 1878, a son of Corydon Josiah Baldwin, born in Farmington, New York, in 1849, who is a resident of Seattle, Washington. After attaining to manhood's estate in his native place C. J. Baldwin became a pioneer of Willmar, Minnesota, and for many years was a railroad engineer on the Great Northern Railroad, but is now retired. The Episcopal Church holds his membership. He is a republican, but not very active in his party. Mr. Baldwin belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and Woodmen of the World. C. J. Baldwin was married to Anna John- son, born in Christiania, Norway, in 1853, and she Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Miss Mary Bertha Moore, born at Janesville, Minnesota, who was graduated from the Manning School of Oratory and Dramatic Art at Minneapolis. There are no children. Mr. Baldwin is a Christian Scientist. He belongs to Golden Fleece Lodge No. 66, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Algeria Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Helena, Montana; the Helena Consistory, in which he has been raised to the thirty-second degree; Red Lodge Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Red Lodge, Montana; Red Lodge Lodge, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks; and Montana Council, United Commercial Travelers. He is a director of the American National Bank of Bridger, and is in- terested in a public-spirited way in the growth of all of the business concerns of Carbon County, for he is died at Willmar in 1899, having been reared and . thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the West and believes in encouraging legitimate expansion and the development of natural resources. Such a man as Mr. Baldwin has a great future before him, and the people he represents are certain of receiving scrupu- lous and efficient service and a whole-souled appre- ciation of them in every action.

educated in Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Baldwin had the following children: Albert N., who is a railroad engineer for the Great Northern Railroad, lives at Minneapolis, Minnesota; Edward, who is also a railroad engineer for the Great Northern Rail- road, lives at Watertown, South Dakota; Clement J., who is the third in order of birth; Clara Josephine, who married Elmer C. Culp, a farmer re- siding in the vicinity of Billings, Montana; Anna Evelyn, who married Charles Arthur Gibson, a civil engineer by trade, resides at Seattle, Washington.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 4

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