Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 138

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1144

USA > Montana > Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III > Part 138

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On May 24, 1869, Mr. Morgan was married at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to Miss Alice Jane Collins, born in Clayton County, Iowa, a daughter of Henry Clay and Mary Lucinda (Walker) Col- lins, the former of whom was born in Kentucky and the latter in Missouri. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Mrs. Morgan was the eldest, and she came into the world in 1850. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan had four children, but only one survived infancy, their daughter, Ruby Luella. She

first attended school in Cherokee County, Iowa, and later in Kalispell, but her studies were interrupted on account of impaired eyesight. She is now the wife of J. M. Parsons, a ranchman of Rollins, Montana, and they have a son, Manford Morgan Parsons, who was born July 15, 1915.

After they had succeeded in developing their Iowa farm Mr. and Mrs. Morgan decided to move to Mon- tana, and selected Kalispell as their future home. At that time it was a typical frontier settlement, but Mr. Morgan had faith in its future and has been spared to see his judgment backed up by the develop- ment here, in a great part of which he has taken an active share. Mr. Morgan came on ahead of his family, and as he was unable to secure any kind of a house for them, had a carpenter erect a small frame house for temporary occupation. Mrs. Mor- gan and the little daughter joined Mr. Morgan and they moved into this house before it was completed. This first house is still standing in the Morgan back yard, and is a sample of the shelter the pioneers of the town had to accept. Mr. Morgan was a mason by trade and soon had all he could attend to in brick laying and stone work, and he carried on a contracting business for some years. His life had been one of constant industry, and numerous houses at Kalispell and Creston and throughout the county attest to his skill. His fellow citizens proved their confidence in him by electing him public adminis- trator in 1917. While in Iowa he was a justice of the peace for eight years.

Although far advanced in years, Mr. Morgan is seen every day on the streets of Kalispell, and is hale and hearty for his years and the hardships he has endured. Both he and Mrs. Morgan are held in the highest esteem, for they are the very salt of the earth, generous, sympathetic and helpful. No one is ever turned away from their hospitable door. Their hearts are always big enough to admit one more friend, and their kindly natures take pleasure in sharing the sorrows as well as the joys of their intimates.

Mr. Morgan has taken a deep interest in politics in national elections, and he has always supported the republican ticket.

Proud of his family and his American descent, Mr. Morgan cherishes many relics of earlier days, among them being a letter from Plymouth, Vermont, dated May 1, 1816. It would be difficult to find another man in this section who has done more for his country in both peace and war than Mr. Morgan, and his many experiences and good judgment make his counsel valued in his community and his advice is often sought by those who desire to benefit by his wisdom and knowledge of men and affairs.

ALMERON D. MORRILL. The residence of the Morrill family in the Fairview community of the Yellowstone Valley, while covering a period of only eighteen years, has in every respect been a most substantial contribution to the development and im- provement of the land, the establishment of new standards of education and civic enterprise, and a later generation will undoubtedly owe a big debt to the work and character of such people as the Mor- rills.

For several generations the Morrill family lived in the Pine Tree State of Maine. Almeron D. Mor- rill was born near Bangor in Penobscot County of that state April 7, 1862. His father, Castanas Mor- rill, was born at Belfast, Maine, and for sixty-two years lived as a farmer on the old home place. When he left Maine for the west he settled tempo- rarily in Oklahoma, and in 1910 moved to the Yel- lowstone Valley of North Dakota, where he died in

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

August, 1911. He married Sarah Allen, daughter of a Maine farmer at Bangor. Both the Allens and Morrills were of English stock. Sarah Allen Morrill died about twenty years before her husband. She was the mother of six sons and five daughters, and the six now living are: Edwin, Henry and Mrs. Laura Coyt, all of Bangor; Philip, of Utah; Mrs. Mary Elkins, of Fairview, Montana; and Almeron D.

Almeron D. Morrill grew up on a farm, had a country school education, and left home at the age of seventeen. At that time he went to what was considered the far west, at Lyons, Nebraska. In that locality he worked as a farm hand at $8 a month, four years later became a tenant farmer, and was married in Nebraska and had no reason to be dissatisfied with what he accomplished there as a farmer and home maker. His removal to the Yel- lowstone Valley was due to some advertising which came into his home, and desiring to place his children in a new country where land might be acquired through the exercise of homestead rights he sold his Nebraska possessions, farm lands already having reached a comparatively high price there. Thus in the month of June, 1902, the Morrills began their residence in the Yellowstone Valley. The central part of the Morrill farm today was originally the claim of a member of the Benoit family, which ar- rived here two years earlier than the Morrills. For the possession of this Mr. Morrill paid $200. The improvements consisted of a log shack 12 by 12, which Mr. Morrill occupied as a shelter until his family arrived. Then they began the construction of the nucleus of a better home, a part of which is still occupied by the family. Mr. Morrill acquired his first income in this new region by breaking land at $2 an acre. He planted no crop the first year, but made preparations for the following season, at which time he harvested 400 bushels of wheat, 1,000 bushels of oats and 100 bushels of corn. Though this is not regarded as a corn country he has had several good crops of corn since then. Mr. Morrill was a pioneer in the grain business and broke almost the first acreage of land for farming ever plowed in the entire district. That enterprise he made profita- ble for several years as a dry farming project before artificial irrigation was introduced. While the irri- gation ditch was under construction the activities furnished a ready local market for the surplus grain and feed raised on the Morrill land. One year, says Mr. Morrill, his 7,000-bushel granary was full of oats' and 1,000 bushels piled on the ground outside. The efforts of Mr. Morrill at breaking up the land, de- stroying the grass and the grazing did not appeal to his neighbors, mostly old-time cattle men. However, he soon demonstrated the wisdom of his course by the practical results he obtained, and in a year or so his skeptical neighbors were following his example. His demonstration work really became convincing when he paid $6 an acre for more land, broke it up, and his first crop paid $90 to the acre.

Besides proving up and patenting his own claim, Mr. Morrill acquired much land at an average price of $6 an acre, and after growing grain on it for several years sold out at a large profit. Unlike many of the settlers even of his time, his efforts at stock growing have been measured by only what his farm needed.

Mr. Morrill gave his sole attention to farming until his enterprise had earned him a surplus capital, which he has used for investment in other enter- prises and to perform its proper service in the gen- eral development of the community. He took stock in the First National Bank of Sidney when it started, also in the Security State Bank of Fairview, and was

a member of the board of directors of each and vice president of the latter. He helped start the Co- operative Elevator, and was president of that insti- tution for a time.

No schools and educational facilities were in readiness for the Morrill family when they came to the region. They have readily encouraged and supported all such efforts, the first schoolhouse being built near their home. Mr. Morrill helped put the logs together for the building, and his daughter Maude had the distinction of teaching the first term. Mr. Morrill was also a member of the first school board. The region was equally lacking in religious activities, and the Morrills quickly allied themselves with other church-going members of the community and organized a Presbyterian congregation. In this Mr. Morrill became a trustee and elder and super- intendent of the Sunday-school. His daughter Maude was the organist of the church while his daughter Dora was teacher of a Sunday-school class and his son William was secretary and treasurer of the Sunday-school.

Politically Mr. Morrill was brought up in a home which stood for the democratic party, and he cast his first presidential vote for Mr. Cleveland and has supported that party in all the subsequent campaigns.

Early in his farm experiences in Nebraska Mr. Morrill married Miss Eleanor Woods. She was born near London, England, March 25, 1864, and came to the United States at the age of ten years with her brother. Her parents were Charles and Emily (Wade) Woods. Mrs. Morrill grew up at Oakland, Nebraska, and acquired a country school education. Her only brother, Frederick Charles Woods, is now general manager of the Union Telephone Company at Galesburg, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Morrill have five children. The oldest, William, now has the chief responsibilities of the home farm. Mande, the pio- neer teacher of the community, is the wife of Charles Staley, of Lander, Wyoming, and has a son, Melroy. The daughter Dora, is Mrs. William Klaus, of Fairview Montana. Eleanor Morrill is a student at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. The youngest, Allen Wade, is still on the farm, and has also con- tributed his part toward the general family success in Montana.

SAMUEL J. HARDY, of Fairview, is one of several brothers who have been responsible for some of the permanent development along the Yellowstone River, and who were early settlers of their respective localities.

Mr. Hardy, whose early interests were identified with ranching on the public domain and who in later years has by his own example stimulated the wide- spread growing of the wonder crop of alfalfa in the Lower Yellowstone Valley, was born in LaCrosse County, Wisconsin, July 13, 1872. His father, Wil- liam Hardy, was a native of Ireland, an early settler in Wisconsin, and spent his active life as a farmer near Lacrosse. His numerous children have scat- tered through the west, many of them having been residents of Richland or adjacent counties in Mon- tana. Samuel J. Hardy acquired a public school education and lived at home until long past his ma- jority.

On coming west he joined his brother Charles at Anaconda. Montana, and learned the trade of cook under his brother's direction. That trade has stood him in good stead during his later years, since he has never married and has maintained a home of his own. For six months Mr. Hardy worked as a "flunkey" or second cook at Anaconda for a rail- road construction company engaged in building what is known as "the figure eight" at the smelters. Be-

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

cause of the slowness of the job, and having been reared on a farm and used to its activities. he then decided to seek something more in line with his ex- perience and preferences. He therefore joined his two brothers and came to the Yellowstone country near the mouth of the river around Fairview. He settled and homesteaded in the valley within the limits of North Dakota. The three brothers com- bined their capital to engage in the cattle business and started with a herd of Minnesota "dogies." The raising of cattle and the production of beef occupied Mr. Hardy for nine years in association with his brothers. By that time the settlers were encroaching upon the domain of the cattle men, and it became necessary to resort to farming.

Mr. Hardy's pioneer home was a log house which still serves as his domicile, and is a place of comfort and satisfaction to him. It consists of two rooms, the roof is still covered with dirt, and it has the distinctive advantages of "adobe construction," being warm in winter and cool in summer. Mr. Hardy oc- cupies it as a bachelor and his brothers lived with him until the spring of 1913, when they made homes of their own.

The farm of Mr. Harding comprises a half sec- tion. Besides his homestead he bought an adjacent quarter in the same section 33, township 104 north and range 101 west. When driven by necessity to farming he began breaking the soil, and the entire half section has been brought under the plow. For some years his crops were altogether grain. Then, in line with advanced ideas of good soil develop- ment, and to supply a growing market for hay, he and his brothers began sowing alfalfa and have been pioneers in the introduction of that crop in this sec- tion of Montana. Much of the Hardy farm is now in alfalfa and he plans to concentrate all his facilities upon that crop in the near future. While the Hardy brothers were pioneer alfalfa growers, their early efforts were not altogether encouraging. At one time they had tons and tons of alfalfa with no mar- ket. Eastern feeders had not learned to appreciate the value of western alfalfa, and for a time the Hardy brothers fed their alfalfa to sheep. During the past four or five years there has been no lack of demand for this staple article, and while at one time the brothers were satisfied with the price of four dollars a ton, the demand was such that in 1920 there was a ready market at thirty dollars a ton.

Samuel J. Hardy was one of the local parties who built the first school in his district. The logs were cut along the Yellowstone and the patrons of the district did the construction work. Mr. Hardy was long past voting age when he came to Montana and his first presidential vote was cast in Wisconsin for Mr. Mckinley. He deviated from republican regu- larity when he supported Mr. Wilson in 1912, and also gave his vote to the democratic candidate four years later. He is serving as clerk of his township in Mckenzie County. Many of his interests are centered at Fairview, where he was a stockholder and director in the Bank of Fairview from its found- ing until 1918, when he sold out. He is now a stock- holder in the Fairview Land Company, a real estate corporation of which L. E. Newlon is president.

JOHN ANDREW, BENOIT. In the spring of 1900 there came into the valley of the Lower Yellowstone a settler of French blood, who has since been one of the permanent settlers and useful citizens of the Fairview community.

John Andrew Benoit was born at Montreal, Can- ada, April 26, 1844, son of Godfrey Benoit, whose father was a Canadian Frenchman and descendant

of one of the pioneer French families of Quebec. Godfrey Benoit married Catherine Masse, and they spent their lives as farmers. A number of the Benoit family have been identified with the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, where Delia, a sister of John A., is still living. John A. Benoit was the second in a family of six sons and three daughters.

He lived at Montreal to the age of seventeen and acquired a good education in both French and English. Then coming to the United States he lo- cated at Springfield, Massachusetts, and for six years was employed as a clerk and then learned silver plating, an art he followed until he came West.

His first western experience was at Winnipeg, Canada, and failing to find public land he left that city in a Red River cart drawn by an ox team, with destination Turtle Mountain, Manitoba. He stopped at Bay St. Paul, where he took up land and lived for five years. Ambitious again to resume his connec- tion with the country over which floated the stars and stripes, he crossed the United States boundary at St. Johns and established a home at Rolla, North Dakota, where he lived about fifteen years as a merchant.

It was with an extensive experience as a business man and rancher that he arrived in the Fairview community in the spring of 1900. He made this move by means of wagon, and brought with him over the trail 350 head of "dogies" or range cattle. For the next five years he was a rancher on the public domain, running his stock under the brand "A with a lazy B" on the left hip. The market to which he sent his finished stock was St. Paul. Hav- ing in view the purpose of making a permanent settlement in the valley Mr. Benoit and family ex- ercised their four homestead rights on the Dakota side of the state line not far from Fairview. These claims were all proved up and improved, but all have since been sold out of the family except that of Mrs. Jennie Hardy. Owing to the encroachment of set- tlers at the end of five years Mr. Benoit had to sell his stock, and then located at Ridgelawn and opened a small country store. Two years later he changed his location to Ray, North Dakota, where he again sold goods for two years. Contracting the mountain fever, he moved to Mountain Home, Idaho, a place then being widely advertised as the poor man's country and with wonderful prospects in view because of a planned irrigation system. He was at Mountain Home five years, doing business as a mer- chant. The failure of the irrigation project to achieve the things expected of it disappointed him and he abandoned the country and returned to Mon- tana. At that time an irrigation project was being developed in the Yellowstone Valley under the auspices of the Federal Government. Once more in the Fairview region Mr. Benoit opened a store, and has continued as a merchant, though in 1918 he sold his original business to his son, J. M. Benoit. At the present time he conducts what is known as "The Farmers Exchange" buying cream, furs, hides and other farmers' produce.

Mr. Benoit is one of the few residents of Montana who can claim the distinctive honor of having voted for Abraham Lincoln. It was his first vote in this country, and he supported the martyred president for a second term in 1864. He also voted for General Grant in 1868, and had the opportunity of shaking hands with the great American general at Hartford, Connecticut, while Grant was on a campaign tour. Mr. Benoit is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his wife were brought up as Catholics and reared their children in the same faith.

At Hartford, Connecticut, Mr. Benoit married

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

Miss Alvina Lucas. She was born at Champlain on the St. Lawrence River, in the Province of Quebec, November 9, 1850, daughter of Philip and Annie (LaMotte) Lucas. Like her husband she is the second child in a family of six sons and three daugh- ters. Five of them are still living. Besides Mrs. Benoit there are two who claim United States citi- zenship, Napoleon Lucas of Brooklyn, New York, and Reney Lucas of Hilo Island in the Sandwich Islands. Mr. and Mrs. Benoit have a goodly family of sons and daughters and also a number of grand- children. The oldest daughter, Mary, is the wife of Alfred Collins of Lucky Strike, Alberta, and mother of nine children; Mrs. Charles Hardy lives at Fair- view, Montana; Minnie is the wife of George Lamp- here, of Spokane, Washington; Rose is the wife of Arthur Northey, of San Francisco; Aristide is a resident of Croteau, Alberta; Ada married Martin Anton, of Bismarck, North Dakota; Henry, the oldest son, is in Portland, Oregon; John M. is the successor of his father as merchant at Fairview, and for nineteen months was with the colors during the World war, being nine months overseas in France. He married Lena Block. The youngest, Arthur, a resident of Salt Lake, Utah, was also in the army, doing his service at Camp Lewis, Washington.

SIDNEY M. LOGAN. A thorough and .profound lawyer, whose connection with much law business has made him a more or less familiar figure in the courts of Flathead County and the State of Mon- tana, Sidney M. Logan typifies the best class of legal mind, and his high standing at the bar is unques- tioned. Further, he is a stirring and stalwart citizen, a friend of progress and advancement and, although he would be the last to admit it, a leader in his profession in this part of the state.

Mr. Logan was born at St. Augustine, Florida, March 2, 1867, a son of Capt. William Logan, who was born in County Louth, Ireland, December 9, 1830. He was a son of Thomas D. and Margaret (Rohan) Logan, natives of Scotland and Ireland, respectively. Of their eight children Captain Logan was the only one who came to the United States. He was graduated from famous old Trinity College in 1847, and the next year left Ireland for America and located in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was an assistant engineer in the city's employ, but resigned to enlist in Company I, Seventh United States Infantry, as a private for service during the Mexican war. After participating in that campaign under General Taylor on the Rio Grande River, and also under General Scott, until the fall of the City of Mexico, he received promotion to the rank of sergeant, and, remaining in the service, was detailed to guard the frontier between Texas and Mexico. In 1862 he was in the Army of the Potomac, and being severely wounded at the battle of Fredericks- burg was sent to the hospital on David's Island in New York harbor, and after his recovery was de- tailed for duty as hospital steward until he fully regained his strength. Rejoining his regiment, he took part in the battles of Chancellorville and Sneck- er's Gap, and was promoted to a lieutenancy. After the surrender of the Confederate forces under Gen- eral Lee, Lieutenant Logan went to St. Augustine. Florida, and there served as quartermaster general until 1869, when he was sent with his regiment to Fort Steele, Wyoming, to guard the Union Pacific Railroad, then in process of construction. He moved on to Fort Beaufort, North Dakota, and to Montana in 1872, taking part in the Yellowstone expedition, as well as the campaign of General Baker against the Sioux Indians, which lasted from 1872 until 1876, and during a greater portion of that time he

was stationed at Fort Shaw. In 1875 he was com- missioned captain, and did recruiting service at Dubuque, Iowa, returning to his regiment, then un- der General Gibbon, to resume operations against the Sioux Indians. Captain Logan was on the ground the day following the memorable disaster which resulted in the death of General Custer. Re- turning to Fort Shaw in 1877, Captain Logan was removed to Fort Missoula and accompanied General Gibbon on the expedition which resulted in the battle of Big Hole on August 9, 1877, where he met his death at the hands of a vengeful squaw. His death was universally recognized as a distinct loss to the United States Army, and he was mourned alike by his men and fellow officers. He rests in the National Cemetery on the Custer battlefield.

The biography of this gallant officer would be in- complete without reference to an incident following his death at the battle of Big Hole. One of his an- cestors was a member of the illustrious family of Bruce. This history of Scotland relates that it was the ambition of the great Bruce to visit the Holy Land, and not being able to realize it, he asked the Douglas to carry his heart to the place of the cruci- fixion. Complying with this request, Douglas placed the heart of the Scotch king in a silver casket, and in a battle with the Saracens threw it in the midst of the fight, crying "Go first brave heart in battle, as thou were wont to do and Douglas will follow thee." The casket was later found pierced with a barbarian spear. This account became a part of Scottish history and tradition. Walter and Robert Logan were in that battle. One 'was killed, the other married a daughter of Robert Bruce, a grand- daughter of the great Bruce. The Logan crest has since then been a heart pierced with an arrow. When William Logan started for America his father gave him a ring with the family crest engraved on a violet colored stone. At the time he left Florida his Ma- sonic friends gave him a ring engraved with Masonic emblems. After he was killed the Indians mutilated his hand in order to obtain possession of these rings. After twenty-three years the rings were recovered by chance from Indians, Captain Logan's friends recognizing them when they saw them on the hands of these Indians.

Captain Logan was married to Miss Odelia Fur- long, a native of Strasburg, Alsace-Lorraine, Ger- many.

Sidney M. Logan was only ten years old at the time of his father's death, but remembers him dis- tinctly and has always held his memory in loving esteem, endeavoring to shape his actions so as to be a credit to his forebears. In order to earn the money for his legal studies he was engaged for a time in the cattle industry, but after his admission to the bar in May, 1889, he entered at once upon the practice of his profession, first at Helena, Montana, then at Seattle, Washington, and then, in the spring of 1891 he located premanently at Kalispell, where he has since remained. During the Spanish-Amer- ican war Mr. Logan helped organize a troop of cavalry, and was elected second lieutenant, but it was not called out, as the war was over before their services were required.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 138

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 1144

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1144