Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 99

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 99

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351

HISTORY OF MONTANA

Ulster County. Mrs. Solomon Krom's two old- est children, Roy Hastings and Bessie, died in infancy at the old home in New York. The third, J. Merwin, died at Billings at the age of twenty- one, Frank is manager of the home ranch at Bill- ings and Mary J. is the wife of A. J. Turco, a stockman and farmer at Big Timber, Montana.

S. R. Krom was eleven years old when brought to Montana. He attended public school in his birthplace, and completed the junior year of the Billings High School course. He also finished the preparatory course in the State Agricultural College at Bozeman. On leaving college in 1907 he was for eight years connected with the Bill- ings postoffice, beginning as a clerk and was finally superintendent of the money order and postal sav- ings division. During 1915-17 Mr. Krom was dili- gently engaged in preparing himself for a bank- ing career, working in banks in Chicago, Minneapo- lis and Billings. He then entered the Northwestern National Bank of Livingston as assistant cashier, and in January, 1919, succeeded Mr. H. B. Miller as cashier. He is also secretary of the affiliated institution of the Northwestern National, a mutual building and loan association.

Mr. Krom is a young and energetic and public spirited citizen, and interested in all local move- ments. He is a member of the Railway Club of Livingston, the Commercial Club and Chamber of Commerce, and is affiliated with Livingston Lodge No. 32, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Liv- ingston Consistory of the Scottish Rite, Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Helena, and Liv- ingston Lodge No. 246 of the Elks. Politically he is a republican. Mr. Krom and family reside at the Ebert Apartments on Callender Street. He married at Billings in 1913 Blanche J. Spicer, a daughter of Joseph B. and Nellie (Randolph) Spi- cer. Her parents are both deceased, her father having been a farmer in Illinois. Mrs. Krom fin- ished her education in a seminary in Tennessee.

LOUIS D. BLODGETT. Unless a man possesses real business ability he will not continue to be honored by his associates and placed in positions entailing heavy responsibilities and requiring certain specified attainments. Thus it is that such continued ex- pressions of confidence indicate stability of char- acter and business experience, and the people of Three Forks, Montana, have every reason to rely upon the good judgment of Louis D. Blodgett, vice president of the Adams Realty Company, vice president of the American National Bank, and a ranchman of large interests. He was born at Waukegan, -Illinois, April 4, 1876, a son of A. Z. Blodgett. His paternal grandfather was born at Amherst, Massachusetts, but came to Illinois at an early day, becoming a pioneer of the region now known as Downer's Grove in Du Page County, where he died before his grandson, Louis D. Blod- gett, was born. He was a farmer and blacksmith, and made one of the first mold board plows ever used in Illinois. The Blodgett family is a very old one in this country, representatives of it hav- ing come to Maine from England during the colonial period, and going from there to other colonies.

A. Z. Blodgett was born in a covered wagon at Fort Dearborn in 1833, his parents having taken refuge there from the Indians, and he died at Wau- kegan, Illinois, in 1916, having spent his entire life in Illinois. Prior to the war between the states he was land commissioner and agent for the North- western Railroad. With the declaration of war, he felt that his duty lay in the army, and he en- listed in 1861 in Company D, Ninety-sixth Illinois Vol. II-23

Volunteer Infantry, serving all through the war with Generals Grant and Sherman, and was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga. Returning home after his honorable discharge, he resumed his duties and continued to discharge them until his retirement at the age of sixty-five years on a pension. A strong republican, he was the successful candidate of his party for mayor of Waukegan upon several occasions. The Presbyterian Church had in him a consistent member. Well known as a Mason, he rose in that order to the Thirty-second degree, and he was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. A. Z. Blodgett was married to Mary E. Porter, born at Belleville, Ontario, Canada, in 1835, who died at Waukegan, Illinois, in 1899. Their children were as follows: Henry, who re- sides at Gooding, Idaho, was made registrar of the land office created under the Carry Land Act; Cyrus, who is in the freight department of the Northwestern Railroad at Waukegan, Illinois; John, who is manager of the Underwood Typewriter Com- pany at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Frank, who is chief train dispatcher for the Northwestern Rail- road at Mason City, Iowa; and Louis D., whose name heads this review.

Louis D. Blodgett attended the public schools of Waukegan, and was graduated from its high school in 1892. Following the completion of his education, Mr. Blodgett was in the employ of the Northern Trust Company of Chicago for two years, and then went on the road handling cigars for the Fred F. Greenleaf Cigar Company, covering North Dakota and South Dakota, and operating from Sioux Falls. In 1899 he left the road and for six months was with the Power Mercantile Company at Lewistown, leaving that concern to engage with the Lewistown Commercial Company, owners of a general store. After some years, Mr. Blodgett became manager of the Spring Creek Coal Com- pany, and still later became interested in ranch- ing. In 1913 he assumed charge of the Lewistown Chamber of Commerce, although he retained his ranch, and still owns 1,000 acres of land in Fergus County, Montana, and 160 acres in Saskatchewan, Canada. In 1917 Mr. Blodgett located permanently at Three Forks, assuming then the duties pertain- ing to the vice presidency of the Adams Realty Company, which is one of the largest real estate concerns operating with their own properties in Montana. This company owns 16,000 acres of land in the vicinity of Three Forks, and carries on farming on an extensive scale. In addition to this large tract the company also owns property all through Eastern Montana, along the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul Railroad, and also handles farm loans. The company headquarters are at Three Forks, and Mr. Blodgett's associates are: J. Q. Adams, president; J. A. Siffert, secretary; and C. B. McCulloh, treasurer. The company is in- corporated and has a capital stock of $500,000. The offices are located in a suite of rooms at No. 121 Main Street. Mr. Blodgett is also president of the Judith Ranch Company, vice president of the Ameri- can National Bank and was elected first president of the Glacier and Geysers Association. Like his father, strong in his adherence to the principles of the republican party, Mr. Blodgett takes an in- telligent interest in public events. He is an Epis- copalian. Fraternally he belongs to Three Forks Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Three Forks Chapter, No. 29, Royal Arch Masons. The Chamber of Commerce of Three Forks has in him a forceful member. In addition to his ranch holdings he owns a modern residence at No. 120 Birch Street, Three Forks.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

In 1909 Mr. Blodgett was maried at Buffalo, North . Dakota, to Miss Adalaide M. Thompson, a daughter of David and Mary Thompson, both a pioneer in the grain and elevator business at of whom are now deceased. Mr. Thompson was Hastings, Minnesota. Mrs. Blodgett was gradu- ated from the University of Minnesota at Minne- apolis with the degree of Bachelor of Science. There are no children of this marriage. Mr. Blod- gett's rather remarkable advance in his business affairs is but the legitimate outcome of intelligent and persistent effort, and the adherence to the principles of uprightness instilled in him by his parents during the formative period of his life.

WILLIAM H. BRENNAN. Few of the old timers have had more varied and useful experiences in Montana than William H. Brennan, of Missoula. He has been in the great west nearly fifty years. Mon- tana has been his home the greater part of this period. He has been a prospector, gold and silver miner, has taken out several fortunes from the lodes of Montana, has been a contractor in the construc- tion and equipment of railroads and industrial plants, and even now, though well able to retire and enjoy leisure, is giving his daily supervision to a pros- perous mercantile business at Missoula.

Mr. Brennan was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, November 29, 1856. His father, James Brennan, was born in County Carlow, Ireland, in 1813, and at the age of eighteen came to Canada and spent the rest of his life as an Ontario farmer. He died in 1905, at the advanced age of ninety-two. He was a conservative in politics, but had no desire for office, though he once served as reeve in Howland Township. He was an active member of the Catholic Church. His wife was Clarissa Keys, who was born at Prescott, Ontario, in 1824, and died in that prov- ince in 1900. Thomas, the oldest of their children, was a Western Union telegraph operator, received a sunstroke while at work in Arizona, and then went back to Canada and died two years later, in 1887; Margaret, whose home is at Owen Sound, on Georgian Bay, Canada, is the widow of William Malone, who was a farmer; William H. is the third in age; Eliza is the wife of John Vasey, a black- smith at Newark, California; John is a lumberman in California; Edward is in the bakery business at Missoula; Mrs. Ellen Fogarty is the wife of a plas- terer and contractor in Ontario; Marcella is the wife of Thomas Coffey, a mine operator at Oak- land, California; James is a farmer in the Bitter Root Valley of Montana; and Nathaniel lives at Winnipeg, Canada.

William H. Brennan attended the separate schools of Ontario and lived at home until he was fourteen years of age. Two years later, in 1872, he went to California. A year and seven months he worked as a ranch hand, then entered the service of Gov- ernor Latham at Menlo Park, California, operating the governor's gas works for the manufacture of gas, and also pumped water for the lawns a year and seven months. This experience enabled him to take a position in the San Francisco Gas Works for seven months. He drove a horse car rine months and was a street railway conductor for nine months in San Francisco, following which he was superintendent of the horse car lines of that city for two years. He did his first mining in Bodie, California, working in the mines there for eight months, then spent four months installing machinery at the Silver King Mine. After a brief stay at San Francisco Mr. Brennan came to Silver Bow, Mon- tana, in 1879. He prospected over a large district for the next several years and in 1882 went with

the Gloucester Mill, near Helena, and under the boss process was engaged in amalgamating silver and gold for fifteen months. After a vacation of three months spent at Helena Mr. Brennan took a con- tract for the Helena Mine to sink a shaft two hun- dred feet and run a fourteen hundred foot level. This contract required a year, eight months and one day for its performance. While engaged in this work Mr. Brennan kept his horse picketed four miles from Helena. A party of Indians coming along scared the horse, so that it jerked out its picket. On examining this picket Mr. Brennan dis- covered evidences of gold and silver in the dirt that clung to the stake, and he immediately made a claim there and began taking out ore. Three carloads were shipped to the Wicks Smelter and it assayed seventy-two ounces of silver per ton and $18 in gold. This claim accidentally thus discovered gave Mr. Brennan a start as a money capitalist.

In 1887 Mr. Brennan began contracting, furnish- ing all the bridge timber to be used by the Montana Central Railway between Butte and Helena and also the timber for the section houses and snow fences. During two years he furnished more than four mil- lion feet of lumber to that road. He entered the field of lumber manufacture by the purchase of two sawmills, one at Philipsburg and one at Ellison. He also invested $8,000 in railroad grading and construction .outfit. He sold a third sawmill to Harry Mclaughlin. His first sawmill at Clancy Gulch was the first saw milling machinery shipped into Montana. His business as a lumber producer continued with prosperity from 1887 to 1891. In the meantime he also used his railroad outfit for building the Pipestone road. Mr. Brennan came into the Bitter Root Valley with Marcus Daly, and for more than a year had a contract to furnish the Anaconda Copper Mining Company 1,500,000 feet of timber per month. The mill he operated for this contract he later sold to the Bitter Root De- velopment Company.

Mr. Brennan has the distinction of having erected the first house in the present thriving town of Ham- ilton, Montana. That was in 1892, and he was en- gaged in an extensive business as a stonemason con- tractor, with Hamilton as his headquarters, until 1891. One work he did at that time was the con- struction of the dam across the Bitter Root at the mouth of Sleeping Child. Mr. Brennan, with a partner, Joseph Farrell, erected a mill at Pony, Mon- tana, in 1901, also established a lumber yard there, conducting both plants for two seasons. About that time he was seized with the mining fever, and did some prospecting and spent a year as shift boss in the Garnet mine and was then promoted to fore- man. After eight months the mine shut down and was never opened again. In the course of his pros- pecting Mr. Brennan went up into the Boss Tweed district of Madison County, discovered a body of gold ore, and getting a lease on the property for three months with his partner, Ed Smith, he took out $25,000 worth of gold, the dirt assaying at $80 a ton.

Among the many varied experiences of Mr. Bren- nan he has been a successful rancher. After the mining venture just noted he bought a ranch two miles from Harrison, Montana, his associate being his brother-in-law, Joseph Farrell. They paid $19 an acre for 920 acres, and when they sold the prop- erty in 1918 the purchase price was $70 an acre. In 1918 Mr. Brennan moved to Missoula and bought the O. K. Trading Company's property, consisting of a general store and residence at the corner of South Fifth and Arthur streets. This is the busi- ness to which he now gives his time and attention.

I Hh Brennan

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

Mr. Brennan is an independent democrat. While living at Hamilton he served as town marshal. He is a member of the Catholic Church and is a third degree Knight of Columbus, being affiliated with Missoula Council No. 1021, and is also a member of Pony Camp, Modern Woodmen of America.

In 1889, at Helena, Mr. Brennan married Miss Rosie Ferrell, daughter of Brown and Elizabeth (Denning) Ferrell. Her parents live at Pony, Mon- tana, her father being a retired farmer. Brown Ferrell is a real Montana pioneer, having located at Virginia City as early as 1863. For many years he was a pioneer prospector and placer miner, and later went on a ranch. Mrs. Brennan has the dis- tinction of being one of the oldest native daughters of Virginia City, where she was born March 22, 1866. Clarissa, the oldest of Mr. and Mrs. Brennan's children, is the wife of Fred Carman, a rancher near Harrison ; James is with the Interstate Lumber Com- pany at Whitehall, Montana; Francis, who is now assisting his father in the store, spent fourteen months overseas with the 248th Aerial Squadron, be- ing trained as a mechanic in England for eight months and for six months was in France, and he has a record in the air of sixty-eight hours; John, who also assists his father in business, enlisted, but the armistice was signed before he was able to get into active service ; William is a student in the Loyola High School at Missoula; while Rose and Mary Alice, the youngest, are pupils of the Sisters Aca- demy.

IRVING U. DANLEY. It is quite possible that no other resident of Montana can, lay claim to the cer- tain distinction that belongs to Irving U. Danley, a representative business man and prominent citizen of Manhattan, Montana, that of having a great-grand- father's name perpetuated by inscription on the monument that commemorates the battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary war. Later members of the family have added military glory, Mr. Danley's grandfather, Col. James Danley, being an officer in the War of 1812, and his father, the late S. K. Danley, was a wounded veteran of the Civil war.

Irving U. Danley was born at Chicago, Illinois, August 24, 1865. His parents were S. K. and Ada- line (Randall) Danley, the latter of whom was born in Oneida County, New York, in 1827 and died at Marseilles, Illinois, in 1900. S. K. Danley was born in 1817 in an ox cart on Kentucky soil while his parents were enroute from Virginia to Missouri and his death occurred at Marseilles, Illinois, in 1905. He was reared in Missouri, learned to be a horse- shoer, moved to Wisconsin and was married at Mil- waukee, and some time afterward moved to Chi- cago, where he lived five years and worked at the carpenter trade. Early in the Civil war he enlisted and became a member of Company A, Eighty-eighth' Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served through the war, participating in many battles and campaigns. He was at Shiloh and was with Sherman on the march to the sea, and later was wounded in an en- gagement on the bank of the Hiawatha River.

In 1866 Mr. Danley moved to Marseilles, Illinois, where he lived during the rest of his life, during his active years working as a carpenter and builder. In politics he was a republican, and he was active in the Grand Army of the Republic. For many years he was a deacon in the Congregational Church. His children were the following: Stella, who died at Marseilles, Illinois, was the widow of William Parker ; Irving U., and Nettie, who died in infancy.

Irving U. Danley was graduated from the high school at Marseilles in 1881. He early developed interest in mechanics and his first work was done on

the Rock Island Railway as a fireman, later being promoted to a locomotive engineer, and as such he worked in Illinois and Iowa. Later as a stationary engineer he was employed in the City of Philadel- phia. His work and pleasure have made him an ex- tensive traveler, and in pursuit of one or the other he has visited every state in the Union, together with Canada, Central America and Mexico. In 1884 he came to, Montana and worked as a stationary en- gineer at Butte and also at Helena, and afterward at Grand Mere, Canada. In 1900 he came to Man- hattan, Montana, and undertook the job of putting in the machinery and starting the paper mills here, which required three years to complete. Following the successful closing of that contract he went in with the Sanborn Company, general merchants, and remained four years. In 1910 he opened a garage, which he has developed into the largest enterprise of its kind at Manhattan, and the business done is probably of more volume than any other garage business in the county. It is situated on Railroad Avenue, with floor space of 50 by 100 feet, well equipped for the handling of automobiles and ex- hibition of Franklin cars, of which he is a selling agent. This is a business that interests Mr. Danley and he is doing exceedingly well. He carries a full line of automobile accessories.

At Bozeman, Montana, in 1908, Mr. Danley was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Haskins, a lady of education and social accomplishments and a graduate of the Montana State College. She is a daughter of C. H. and Kate (Bell) Haskins, the latter of whom resides at Bozeman. The father of Mrs. Danley died at Bozeman, being a retired ranch- man and pioneer. Mr. Danley has always been con- sistent in his adherence to the principles of the re- publican party. He has long been identified with Masonry. He was the first master of Manhattan Lodge No. 59, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and belongs to Zona Chapter No. 12, Royal Arch Masons; St. John's Commandery No. 12, Knights Templar; Livingston Consistory No. 1, Thirty-sec- ond degree; and is also a member of Algeria Tem- ple, Mystic Shrine, at Helena. He was the first patron of Sweetbrier Chapter No. 49, Order of the Eastern Star. He is an active member of the Com- mercial Club and is interested in every business " project that promises to be of substantial benefit to the city.

E. L. HEIDEL, cashier of the Belgrade State Bank, of Belgrade, Montana, is a worthy representative of the younger financial element of his county. To a very considerable extent it is this element in any community, especially outside of the great cities, which infuses spirit and zest into the activities of the place. It is this element whose entrance upon the arena of active life dates back only comparatively a few years which monopolizes a large part of the vigor, zeal and pushing energy which keeps the nerves of the financial world ramifying through all the towns of the country strung to the full tension of strenuous endeavor.

Mr. Heidel was born at Valley City, North Da- kota, November 13, 1891, a son of C. E. Heidel. His grandfather, August Heidel, was born in 1836, in Germany, and was twelve years of age when he came to the United States with his father, being reared in Missouri, where he was also married. He was subsequently a pioneer settler in the vicinity of St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was engaged in farm- ing until his death in 1912. C. E. Heidel was born in Missouri, in 1861, and was reared there and in North Dakota, being for some years a general mer- chant at Valley City. In 1893 he removed to Min-

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

neapolis, where he was city agent for the Sleepy-Eye Milling Company, and left that concern to become a traveling representative for the North Dakota Implement Company, covering North and South Dakota and Minnesota for ten years. Mr. Heidel then became the organizer of the Black Rock Min- ing Company, going to Butte, Montana, in 1903, but after three years sold out to the Butte-Superior Mining Company, which later turned out to be one of the richest mines in the state, and, having re- ceived a good remuneration for his share, he practi- cally retired from business and settled at Helena, Montana, where his death occurred in 1914. He was a member of Butte Lodge, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and while residing in North Dakota was a lieutenant in the National Guards of that state. He was married at Valley City, North Da- kota, to Miss Hattie Weiser, who was born in 1864, at Shakopee, Minnesota, and died at Pomona, Cali- fornia, in 1902. They were the parents of three chil- dren : C. S., a graduate of the Minnesota School of Mines, University of Minnesota, and now a resident of Helena, Montana, where he is state hydrographer and assistant to A. W. Mahon, state engineer ; A. W., a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Law, degree LL. B., formerly assistant to Attor- ney General C. S. Ford, and at one time assistant to the United States district attorney, now a resident of Broadus, Powder River County, Montana, where he assisted in the organization of the Powder River County Bank, of which he is cashier, although he will later resume his law practice; and E. L., of this notice. .

E. L. Heidel attended the public schools of Min- neapolis, Minnesota; California; North Dakota, and Sioux City, Iowa, and in 1909 was graduated from the Central High School, Minneapolis. At that time he entered the Security National Bank of that city, starting his banking experience at the bottom in the humble capacity of bank messenger and being pro- moted through the various stages until he reached the post of assistant credit manager. In the mean- while he was devoting himself to the study of law in the night school of the University of Minnesota, and wbile he has never engaged in active practice his experience and knowledge in this connection have been of incalculable value to him in his financial work. In 1913 Mr. Heidel became identified with the Commercial National Bank of Bozeman as tel- ler, and after one year went to Great Falls, Mon- tana, where he became connected with the Great Falls National Bank in the capacity of assistant cashier. In September, 1917, he transferred his serv- ices to Belgrade, where he became cashier of the Belgrade State Bank, a position which he occupies at this time. This bank was established in 1902 as a state bank, and is accounted one of the most sub- stantial and successful in this part of the state. Its officials are: president, Louis Accola, of Bozeman ; vice president, George J. Heck, of Belgrade; and cashier, E. L. Heidel. The capital of this institution is $50,000, its surplus and profits amounting to $60,000, while its deposits amount to $500,000. The banking house is situated on Northern Pacific Ave- nue, at the corner of Broadway. Mr. Heidel is an exceptionally enferprising young man and is uni- versally recognized as thoroughly competent in all matters of finance. He is the owner of a ranch in the Judith Basin of Montana, near Stanford, and of a modern residence at the corner of Broadway and Madison Avenue. He is a democrat, but has taken no active part in political matters, and his religious connection is with the Methodist Episcopal Church, while as a fraternalist he holds membership in Bel- grade Lodge No. 68, Ancient Free and Accepted

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 99

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