Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 53

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 53

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).

William C. Whipps was born near Lexington, Ohio, August 30, 1856. He was educated in common schools, attended college at Oberlin, Ohio, and ac- quired a general commercial education and took a course in telegraphy. In 1872, at the age of sixteen,

he went to the Nebraska frontier and as an operator for the Union Pacific Railway was stationed at McPherson. McPherson was the home of Buffalo Bill, the late Col. W. F. Cody; Texas Jack, whose real name was Jack Omohondro, and Doctor Carver, the famous rifle shot. Mr. Whipps became an in- timate friend of these celebrities and was dubbed "Buffalo Bill, Jr." The town was on the frontier, in the midst of Pawnee, Sioux and Cheyenne In- dians, and many of its white characters were gam- blers, horse thieves and murderers. From McPherson Mr. Whipps was transferred to Sidney, Nebraska. He shared in the excitement and romance of the time, and eventually he gave up his position at Sidney with the railroad and joined a party of five on an expedition to the Black Hills. To reach the Black Hills reservation required a hazardous journey over 200 miles, and the Indians were known to be hostile to every advance of the white men. In order to reach the coveted country the party of five left Sidney at one o'clock in the morning June 26, 1875, and traveled chiefly by night, hiding through the day. They arrived at French Creek, near Harney's Peak, July 16th and was the first party to reach there. They located claims on Spring Creek, and were soon at work prospecting and developing their claims. July 29th General Crook ordered all miners to leave by the 10th of August or suffer the penalty of being carried as prisoners to Fort Laramie. There was no other course but to obey, and the men divided their supplies and returned to Sidney, being reduced to starvation rations before they reached that town. Mr. Whipps again entered the service of the Union Pacific Railway as agent and operator, was assigned to duty at North Platte, and subsequently as express messenger was at Denver and Salt Lake. In 1881 he left the railroad and came to Dillon, Montana. He entered the service of the well known firm of Sebree, Ferris & White at Dillon, and was soon promoted to head bookkeeper and cashier of the forwarding department. In January, 1883, the company sent him to Livingston to establish a forwarding house, Livingston being then the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway. Not long afterward he joined the Merchants National Bank of Helena, becoming its manager, and in 1891 left the capital for Demers- ville, then the metropolis of the Flathead country. He organized the Northwestern Bank, the first bank in Flathead County, and subsequently organized the First National Bank of Kalispell, erecting for its home the first brick building in the town, He re- mained as cashier and manager of the First National of Kalispell until 1898. The following five years he was receiver of the United States Land Office, and at the close of his official term engaged in the mercantile business under the name of W. C. Whipps & Son. In 1904 Mr. Whipps erected the Whipps Block, the largest and best building in Kalispell. He is also owner of some fruit land on Flathead Lake, has a summer home there, and is owner of several ranches near Kalispell.

His summer home in Glacier National Park was the first to be built for private use. When the For- restry Department was contemplating the sale of the timber to private parties at Lake McDonald, Mr. Whipps proved himself an aggressive friend of con- servation and took the matter up directly with President Roosevelt, describing the wondrous beauty and other attractions of the region, and suggesting that it be made a national park. President Roose- velt with characteristic energy acted upon the sug- gestion, and as a result Americans enjoy today a park second to none in the world for its peculiar advan- tages. The action he took in behalf of the Glacier National Park has been characteristic of Mr. Whipps'

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entire record as a Montana citizen. He has done everything possible to promote the growth of Kali- spell. He became its first elective mayor in 1893 and served three consecutive terms. As mayor he carried out a complete system of sewerage, paved the principal streets and several of the handsome tree lined thoroughfares date from his administra- tion. In 1910 he again yielded to public demand and became mayor. During this administration he brought about the reclamation of 43 acres of marsh lands and transformed it into the beautiful city park named Woodland Park. Mr. Whipps was also one of the prime movers in building the Masonic Temple. He is a Knight Templar and thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Mystic Shriner, and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, Knights of Pythias, Elks and the Episcopal Church.

At Helena October 20, 1886, he married Miss Annie E. Osterhout. They have two children, William O. and Caroline Louise.

ANGUS L. MCLAUGHLIN. Specific mention is made of many of the worthy citizens of Montana within the pages of this work, citizens who have figured in the growth and development of this favored sec- tion of the Union and whose interests are identified with its every phase of progress, each contributing in his sphere of action to the well-being of the com- munity in which he resides and to the advancement of its normal and legitimate growth. Among this number is he whose name appears above, a gentle- man of large and successful business interests and who for nearly three decades has played a con- spicuous part in the development of his section of the country.

Angus L. Mclaughlin is descended from sterling old Scotch ancestry, his grandfather having emi- grated from the land of hills and heather to the Dominion of Canada at an early day. There he fol- lowed farming pursuits, but his death occurred dur- ing one of the great cholera epidemics, he himself falling a victim to that dread disease, the event occurring prior to the birth of the subject of this sketch. One of his sons, Lachlan Mclaughlin, was born in the Province of Ontario, Canada, in 1820, and his death occurred in the same locality in 1898. His vocation had been that of a dairyman and farmer. He took an active interest in political mat- ters, in which he took an independent or liberal attitude and served as reeve (supervisor) of his county. He served in the historic rebellion of 1837- 38 and in many ways exhibited traits of character that stamped him as a man of more than ordinary personality. He married Flora McDougald, who was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1834, and who died there in 1896. Their children were as follows: Angus L .; Dan, who is general road master for the Great Northern Railway at Sprague, Washington; John, of Livingston, Montana; Ernest, a miner at Butte, Montana; James, who is an official of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company at Winnipeg, Canada.

Angus L. McLanghlin was born in the Province of Ontario, Canada, on April 1, 1861. He was edu- cated in the public schools of his home locality and until twenty-seven years of age assisted his father on the home farm. Then for a while he was em- ployed in construction work on the Canadian Pacific Railroad, but in 1890 he came to Montana, locating at Livingston, where he entered the bridge and building department of the Northern Pacific Rail- road, in which he was employed for fifteen years. He then became president and manager of the Liv- ingston Building and Manufacturing Company, which at that time handled many large and important con-

tracts in the State of Montana. In 1912 Mr. . Mc- Laughlin entered into a partnership with D. Joseph O'Neill, under the firm name of Mclaughlin & O'Neill, which has proven one of the strongest com- binations in its line in Montana. The firm is en- gaged in a general contracting business, the con- struction of business blocks, cement walks, sewers, water works and bridge work of either frame or concrete. Among the contracts the firm has satis- factorily handled are the Big Timber Garage, the water works extension at Laurel, the sidewalk and curb district in the Town of Columbus, the Belgrade sewer district, the completion of the sewer district in the City of Livingston, the Livingston Water Works, the Finck Factory, the Lehrkind business block, the Harvat Block, the residences of D. J. Fraser and Dr. E. V. Foster, besides many other business blocks and residences.

Politically Mr. Mclaughlin is a democrat, while his religious membership is with the Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of the Livingston Council, Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of For- resters and the Highlanders. He is an active member of the Livingston Chamber of Commerce and takes an active part in promoting every movement look- ing to the advancement of the best interests 'of his city and community.

On October 4, 1890, Mr. Mclaughlin was married to Jeanette McRae, of Ontario, Canada, the daughter of John and Flora (McDonald) McRae. Her father, who was a railroad contractor, is now de- ceased, and his widow resides at Strathcona, Alberta, Canada. To Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin have been born the following children: George, who was an employe of the Northern Pacific Railroad at Liv- ingston, served one year in the army during the World war, being stationed at Camp Lewis, with the rank of sergeant. He is now associated with his father in business. John was a sergeant major in the United States army, being assigned to the medical department of St. Louis, and he saw nine- teen months of border service in New Mexico. He is also associated with his father in business. James A. enlisted in the military service of his country in 1917 and was sent overseas in January, 1918. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant and took part in the famous Argonne drive and other en- gagements where victory crowned the American arms. His death occurred on April 12, 1918, of disease contracted in the performance of duty and he lies with many of his comrades beneath the soil of France; Lachlan, who is attending the Mount Saint Charles College in Helena, was also in military service, having attended the officers training camp at Mount Saint Charles, at Helena; Ernest is a student in Park County High School. The record of this family for loyalty is a proud one and a heritage of which their descendants will never have cause to be ashamed. In every avenue of life's activities to which he has applied himself, Mr. Mc- Langhlin has proved faithful to every responsibility and today he enjoys the unreserved confidence of his fellow citizens.

OTTO J. SIMMONS, of Red Lodge, has to an ex- ceptional degree made abundant use of his oppor- tunities and his time, and at a comparatively early age has established himself as one of the independ- ent business leaders of Carbon County.

He was born at Oweeta, Arkansas, October 13, 1887, and received his early education in the pub- lic schools of Jenny Lind in his native state. His parents moved to Red Lodge, Montana, in Sep- tember, 1900, when he was thirteen years old, and he attended grammar school there and graduated

A. L. IF Laughlin

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from high school in 1906. He was then nineteen years of age, and the following two summers he worked in the drug store of H. J. Armstrong, and for eight months drove a wagon for the Red Lodge Laundry Company. He was next employed by the Carbon Mercantile Company until February, 1911, when he was made assistant manager of the gro- cery department with the Montana Co-operative Mercantile Company, and was with that corporation until 1915. During 1915-16 for two years he was deputy county clerk. His experience in that office brought him to what he regards as his permanent field, the abstract business. He is now secretary and treasurer of the Red Lodge Abstract & Title Com- pany, which was established in April, 1915, and is the leading abstract company for Carbon County. The offices of the company are in the Savoy Block.

Mr. Simmons is a republican, is chairman of the board of trustees of the Congregational Church, is past exalted ruler of Bear Tooth Lodge No. 534 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and a member of the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce. He owns a good home at 217 North Villard Avenue. Mr. Simmons answered the call for military duty during the great war, going to Camp Lewis in the State of Washington in August, 1918. He was mustered out and given his honorable discharge January 24, 1919.

He married at Red Lodge, October 4, 1912, Miss Jessica Dunn, a daughter of Frank W. Dunn. Her father was born in Pennsylvania in 1855, settled in Northern Iowa, near Mason City, in 1884 and was a farmer and is still living at Mason City. He is a republican, and has served as township assessor, and is an active member of the Baptist Church. Frank W. Dunn married Miss Brown, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1857. Mrs. Simmons is a graduate of the Iowa State Normal School at Cedar Falls, was a teacher in Mason City and on coming to Red Lodge, Montana, in 1910, taught in the pub- lic schools for two years before her marriage. She is an active worker in the Congregational Church and a member of the Woman's Club.

EDWARD B. BLOOM is one of the younger busi- ness men of Red Lodge, enjoys great popularity with all that community, and his ability and pleasing personality have had much to do with the success of the Kaleva Co-operative Association, of which he is the general manager.

Mr. Bloom has the added distinction of being a native son of Red Lodge. He was born there May 3, 1893. His father, Abram Bloom, was born in Finland in 1861, a son of Jacob Bloom, who spent all his life in that country as a farmer. Abram Bloom came to the United States when a young man and soon went west to Rawlins, Wyoming, and in 1888 came to Montana. In 1890, at Great Falls, he married Josephine Jokela, who was born and reared in Finland, her birth occurring in 1865. After their marriage they moved to Red Lodge, where Abram Bloom followed the business of coal mining. He died in 1910. He was a democrat and a member of the Finnish Lutheran Church. His widow is still living at Red Lodge and is the mother of six children: Emma, wife of Martin Rapp, a miner at Red Lodge; Edward B .; Anna, wife of Andrew Wilmonen, a farmer at Boyd, Montana; Elmer, a farmer at Roberts, Montana; Bertha, wife of Ray Houton, of Red Lodge; and Jennie, a tele- phone operator living with her mother.

Edward B. Bloom has depended largely upon his native talents and experience for his success in life. He attended country schools to the age of eleven, then went to work on a farm for four years and at the age of fifteen became a clerk in the

Kaleva Co-operative Mercantile Association. His abilities and industry have been such that the di- rectors of the association afterward promoted him to general manager. The business is general mer- chandise at 3 South Broadway, and is one of the leading establishments of its kind in Carbon County.

Mr. Bloom is a republican, is a member of Gar- field Lodge No. 36, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Bear Tooth Lodge No. 534, of the Elks, and Red Lodge Camp of Modern Woodmen of America. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Bloom owns a modern residence at 10 North Haggin Avenue. He married Miss Esther Erick- son at Red Lodge in 1915. Her mother is deceased and her father is Herman Erickson, a retired busi- ness man of Red Lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Bloom have one son, Walter, born January 20, 1916.

HAROLD S. CROONQUIST. This is a family that has been well known in several communities of Mon- tana for over thirty-five years. For nearly twenty years it has been especially prominent at Red Lodge, where the leading business is known as the Croon- quist Mercantile Company. The manager of this is Harold S. Croonquist, one of the young and ener- getic business men of the city.

Harold S. Croonquist was born at Livingston, Montana, October 16, 1891. His father, A. Croon- quist, founder of the business at Red Lodge, was born in Sweden in 1862, and was abont twelve years of age when he came to the United States. He finished his education at St. Paul, Minnesota, and for several years was a railway mail clerk on the St. Paul Railroad. He came to Montana in 1882, when the Northern Pacific Railway was being con- structed. For about ten years he was engaged in the confectionery and cigar business and in 1893 moved to the Yakima Valley in Washington, where he busied himself with his farming interests. Dur- ing 1897-99 he was a merchant at Livingston, Mon- tana, then established a business at Carbonado and in 1900 came to Red Lodge and established the dry goods and shoe store at 13 North Broadway, which is the leading mercantile enterprise of its kind in Carbon County and is now operated under the business title of Croonquist Mercantile Com- pany. Several years ago he retired from busi- ness and is now living at Spokane, Washington. While in Red Lodge he served two terms as a mem- ber of the city council and was in every respect a public spirited citizen. He is a republican and a member of the Congregational Church. Mr. A. Croonquist married Miss Mabel E. Harrison, who was born at Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1869. They have a family of seven children : Alfred H., a mem- ber of the Croonquist firm at Red Lodge; Harold S .; Hugh A., who spent 1918-19 as a soldier with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, is a stockholder in the Croonquist Mercantile Company and resides on his farm at Opportunity, Washing- ton; Mabel, wife of O. L. Cornwall, a veterinary surgeon at Coeur D'Alene, Idaho; Stanley M., who was an ensign in the United States navy; Ella and Alice, both at home.

Harold S. Croonquist has spent most of his career in Red Lodge. He graduated from the high school of that town in 1909 and the following two years was employed in his father's store. During 1911-13 he was a student in Grinnell College in Iowa, com- pleting the work of the junior year. On leaving college he went to St. Mary's, Idaho, where he was in a store until 1916 and then returned to Red Lodge and became manager of the Croonquist Mer- cantile Company. His father is president of this corporation, his brother, A. H. Croonquist, is vice

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president, while Harold Croonquist in addition to his duties as active manager is secretary and treas- urer.

He is a member of the local Chamber of Com- merce, has served as treasurer of the Congrega- tional Church, is independent in politics and a mem- ber of Star in the West Lodge No. 40, Free and Accepted Masons, and Bear Tooth Lodge No. 534 of the Elks. Mr. Croonquist married Laura Curry at Red Lodge, April 9, 1919. Her parents are Joseph and Martha (Bullock) Curry, residents of Renton, Washington, her father being a black- smith.

J. J. GERONDALE, who has been a resident of Red Lodge for the past ten years, is a practical dairy and butter expert, and as a professional and business man has done much to advance the interests of the dairy industry in Carbon County. He is president of the Carbon County Creamery Company.

Mr. Gerondale was born in Brown County, Wis- consin, April 27, 1885, and gained his primary knowledge of dairying in the heart of the dairy- ing district of America. His family is of Belgian ancestry. His grandfather Gerondale came from Belgium and was an early settler in Wisconsin, where he followed farming. He died in Brown County, that state. John Gerondale, father of the Red Lodge business man, was born in Brown Coun- ty in 1862, and spent his early life there as a farmer. In 1904 he moved to Wallace, Michigan, and has since been a farmer, lumberman and lumber job- ber. He is still active in business. He is inde- pendent in his political affiliations and is a member of the Catholic Church. His first wife was Pauline Bassine, who was born in Brown County, Wiscon- sin, in 1864, and died there in 1887, the mother of two sons, Charles and J. J. The former is in the drug business at Detroit, Michigan. For his sec- ond wife John Gerondale married Anna Lemense, of Wisconsin. She died at Wallace, Michigan, in 1907, and her children, four in number, are: Almand, who is employed in an automobile factory at De- troit ; Leona, who is married and resides at Pestigo, Wisconsin; Norbert, who was a soldier and was a victim of the influenza at Missoula, Montana, in October, 1918; John, living with his father.

J. J. Gerondale attended the public schools of In- galls, Michigan, and as a youth had much practical experience in dairying. Later he took technical courses and graduated in 1907, after completing the butter and cream making courses at the University of Wisconsin. The following year he spent at work in his technical line at Milwaukee, another year at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, six months at Manistique, Michigan, and then for a year was traveling sales- man for a line of cream separators in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Mr. Gerondale came to Red Lodge in 1909, and was the expert technical man of the Carbon County Creamery Company for several years. In 1916 he and Walter Helm bought out this industry, which was established in 1906 and has been justly consid- ered the corner stone of the dairy industry of Car- bon County. In 1917 another creamery was estab- lished at Bridger, and these are the only two cream- eries in Carbon County. Mr. Gerondale is president and Walter Helm secretary and treasurer of the company. The plant is at 423 North Haggin Avenue. The patrons of the creamery are dairy farmers all over Carbon County and some in Stillwater County.

Mr. Gerondale is an independent democrat in politics, a member of the Catholic Church, and in 1918 was exalted ruler of Bear Tooth Lodge No. 534 of the Elks. For the past seven years he has

been city milk and dairy inspector of Red Lodge. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

In the fall of 1909, at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, he married Miss Lillian Helm, a daughter of Chris and Sophia (Colemorgan) Helm. Her parents are both deceased. Her father was a hotel man for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Gerondale have two children : Jack, born May 12, 1912, and James Robert Gerondale, born April 14, 1919.

HENRY H. FORMAN. Montana has drawn to it energetic young men from all over the country, the possibilities of this magnificent state attracting those who are willing to exert themselves and render effective service to their municipalities and com- munities. Red Lodge is particularly fortunate in the character of the men who have made this city their permanent home, and Carbon County has brought into its courthouse to administer the af- fairs of this section some of the very best of these residents. One of them, Henry H. Forman, county auditor and responsible man of affairs, had a wide experience prior to coming to Red Lodge in 1917. He was born near Winchester, Clark County, Ken- tucky, August 15, 1880, a son of Henry Hamilton Forman, and grandson of Henry Forman, born in Kentucky in 1803, and died at Mount Sterling, Ken- tucky, in 1883, where he had been engaged in farm- ing all of his mature years. During the Mexican war Henry Forman enlisted in defense of his coun- try, and served it during that conflict.

Henry Hamilton Forman was born in Kentucky in 1835, and he died at Indian Field, that state, in 1897, having been in his native state all of his life with the exception of his period of service during the Civil war. In 1861 he enlisted in a Ken- tucky infantry regiment, and served until the close of the war, during that period being wounded very severely. Returning home after peace was declared, he engaged in an undertaking business, and was also active as a farmer and stockman. In politics he was a republican and he was very active in. civic affairs, holding various local offices. A Mason and a Presbyterian, he lived up to the highest ideals of his fraternity and church and was one of the most upright and conscientious men of the community. His wife bore the maiden name of Sarah Rice, and she was born in Kentucky in 1850, and was killed by an automobile in the City of Oklahoma in 1906. Their children were as follows: W. C., who is the owner of a garage of King City, Mis- souri ; Charlotte, who married Douglas Shephard. died at Edmond, Oklahoma, but he survives and carries on an insurance business at Edmond ; B. C., who was a carriage manufacturer, died near Paris, Kentucky: R. G., who was a rancher and stockman, died at Fort Concho. Texas, in 1008; W. C., who was a telegrapher, died at Indian Field. Kentucky, in 1898; Henry H., whose name heads this review; O. G., who is in an automobile business at Detroit, Michigan; D. R., who is a druggist of El Paso, Texas; O. L .. who is in a real estate business at Los Angeles, California ; and Ethel Leora, who mar- ried and lives at Los Angeles, where her husband is engaged in the clothing business.

Henry H. Forman attended the common schools of Clark County, Kentucky, and assisted his parents until he was twenty years old, at which 'time he began ranching and was so occupied in Kentucky, Texas and Wyoming, and then in 1808 made his first trip to Montana, going through the state buy- ing and selling blooded horses. Later he located at Cheyenne. Wyoming. In 1916 he returned to Montana, and was engaged in ranching at Belfry for a brief period, leaving it for Red Lodge in 1917.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 53

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