Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 144

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 144

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1164

HISTORY OF MONTANA

His arrival in Northeastern Montana was on August 20, 1913, at which date he opened his store at Redstone. He was attracted to this region because it was new and open to settlement and promised opportunities for business. While preparing for his merchandise opening he was engaged in freighting his stock from Plentywood, and housed it in the store building erected first at "the old town" of Redstone by Olaf Berghand & Son, of whom it was purchased and by whom it was moved to the new Redstone when the railroads came and that village was laid out.

Before coming to Montana Mr. Christianson also had a brief experience in business at Crosby, North Dakota. He arranged a partnership for his Montana venture with Andrew Ingwaldson and C. C. Peterson. The firm name chosen was the Red- stone Mercantile Company. This was one of the two pioneer stores to initiate commercial enterprise at Redstone but is now the only one that has stood the test of time under various adverse circum- stances. The same firm also furnished most of the capital and enterprise for the Flaxville Mercantile Company, which established a business at Flaxville March 1, 1916. The manager of that is Mr. Oscar Aslakson who came into the firm as a partner at that date. Mr. Christianson has always had the active management of the business at Redstone. The original stock of goods was valued at $3,500, but at the end of four months goods double that value were on the shelves of the store. The business has been growing and prospering and is now one of the substantial bulwarks of this part of the Big Muddy Valley. Mr. Christianson has also used some of his resources to invest in farming property and intends to push farm development as fast as the country improves and conditions justify. He began voting as a republican, casting his first vote for Mr. Taft. He not only stands for protection but for temperance and prohibition and is a strong enemy of the drink traffic. While in Minnesota he served as a clerk to a committee chairman in the State Senate. He and Mrs. Christianson are members of the Methodist Church, and he took his degrees in Masonry in Eagle Lodge No. 103 at Redstone and has served the order as treasurer.

At Fosston, Minnesota, July II, 1914, Mr. Chris- tianson married Miss Thora Hegland. She was born at Arneberg, Norway, not far from Christiania, February 3. 1884, and in 1897 her father, Ole Heg- land, brought his family to the United States and established a home on a farm near Fosston, Minne- sota, where Mrs. Christianson was reared. She ac- quired a liberal education, being a graduate of the State Normal School at Moorehead, Minnesota, and was granted a life teacher's certificate. For eight years she taught country schools, also did work in the grades at Erskine and her last school work was done in Montana as principal of the Froid schools in 1914. Mrs. Christianson was the second of four children. Her oldest brother, Thomas, is a farmer on the homestead in Minnesota. Her sister, Tina, is a trained nurse who was in the Red Cross service at Camp Lewis, Washington. The other sister, Miss Joren, is a teacher and for four years was in the schools at Redstone. Mr. and Mrs. Christianson have two children, Gwendolyn and Roger.

REGINALD G. TYLER. It would hardly be fair to regard the experiences and achievements of Regi- nald G Tyler as a farmer in the Homestead locality of Sheridan County as typical of that district though they illustrate the possibilities of the region for un- usually energetic and ambitious young men. On the basis of what he has done Mr. Tyler is a firm be-

liever in the great agricultural prosperity of North- eastern Montana. He is actively identified with banking and other organizations at Homestead, and is also one of the present Board of County Com- missioners of Sheridan County.

Mr. Tyler was born near Mazomanie, Wisconsin, October 7, 1882. His grandfather Tyler took his family West from New York State to Wisconsin at an early day, and cleared away the timber and made a farm in the wooded section of Southern Wisconsin. He was the father of several children, including John G. Tyler and Aby Tyler. The latter became the wife of John Preston and died in Wis- consin. John Gaylord Tyler, father of the Home- stead business man, was reared in Dane County, Wisconsin, acquired a country school education, and spent all his active career as a farmer. He ac- quired a homestead in Dane County, developed a farm, and left his home and business affairs to enter the Union army at an early date in the Civil war. He served as a private until the struggle ended with the downfall of the Confederacy. His fellow citi- zens always showed complete confidence in his abil- ity and judgment, and honored him with the office of township supervisor for a number of years and as chairman of the board. He was a republican, and rather late in life united with the Congregational Church. John G. Tyler, who died in 1893, married Amelia Watson, who also came of a family of Wis- consin farmers, and she died in January, 1897, at the age of sixty-two. They were the parents of three sons : Robert W., of Homestead, Montana; Algernon S., of Spirit Lake, Iowa; and Reginald G.

Reginald G. Tyler completed the work of the Mazomanie High School, also attended the Univer- sity of Wisconsin at Madison, and his experiences before coming to Montana were of a nature to sharpen his business faculties. After leaving school he taught for two years. then sold school supplies for eighteen months, for several years lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where for a year and a half he was a street railway conductor and for a similar time receiver in the car sheds for the St. Louis Transit Company.

He had also gained a practical knowledge of farm- ing during his youth in Dane County. He was twenty-four years of age when he arrived in Mon- tana in May, 1906, and from the first has been identified with the Homestead locality. He came West for the purpose of acquiring a free home. At that time the Government had not completed the survey of the lands, though some filings had been made on the part first surveyed. Mr. Tyler, there- fore, was a squatter, his settlement being three miles northeast of the present site of Homestead. In conformity with Government regulations he put up a small one-room frame shack, though his home was mainly with his brother until he married. He and his brother Robert W. were associated in the stock business and planned to make that their per- manent enterprise. These plans had to be changed since as soon as the lands were surveyed and opened there occurred a great rush of settlers and the domain was quickly parceled out among individual claimants. The Tyler brothers had in a measure foreseen this contingency, and had made prepara- tion to cultivate and make a living from their claims. Reginald Tyler has since developed his homestead into a permanent and productive propo- sition, and has increased his quarter section to 480 acres. This is now one of the leading wheat farms of the region.

Mr. Tyler has sown wheat seven times, has har- vested a crop every season, his lightest yield being six bushels to the acre, the greatest drought year

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

in the history of the region, 1919. The products taken from the land has also comprised some flax, and he is now experimenting with sweet clover. To take the place of his pioneer abode he has con- structed an eight-room bungalow with basement under all, making a modern home, with a Delco lighting system. A frame barn 34 by 60 feet, with cattle sheds, granaries and garage, constitute a valuable group of building improvements. His farm is on the main road leading from Culbertson to Plentywood and is about equidistant from these points.

While his principal business and the chief source of his prosperity has been farming, Mr. Tyler has lent his influence and personal resources to the commercial development of Homestead. He is president of the Homestead State Bank, an in- stitution founded in 1909, and operating with cap- ital stock of $20,000, surplus and undivided profits of $5,000 and deposits of $148,000. The vice presi- dent is I. C. Marindahl, the cashier, H. N. Stu- verud, and other directors are H. E. Borreson and Guy Casper. Mr. Tyler helped organize the Farm- ers Elevator at Homestead, and has continuously been president of the stock company. He is also a director and secretary of the Northeastern Mon- tana Auditing Association at Plentywood.

Mr. Tyler has taken the degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry at Plentywood. He cast his first presi- dential vote for Colonel Roosevelt, but in 1916 sup- ported Mr. Wilson for president. Mr. Tyler was appointed a member of Board of County Commis- sioners March 1, 1919, as the successor of John Anderson. His colleagues on the Board are J. D .. Matkin, of Plentywood, and J. C. Timmons, of Scobey. Beside routine matters the Board has called two special bond elections, one for drought relief, which failed to carry, and Mr. Tyler was enlisted in the opposition to the proposition when considered by the Board. The other election is for bonds for permanent road building, and was held April 23, 1920. Another important matter before the Board is the movement for a county division, looking toward the creation of a new county out of the west part of Sheridan County.

Mr. Tyler had been in this region about three years and had made considerable progress toward the development of his claim when he found his wife. December 19, 1909, near Homestead, Miss Hattie Bennett became his bride. She was born at Iola, Wisconsin, August 30, 1883, a daughter of Palmer J. Bennett and Louisa (Larsen) Bennett. She was reared and educated in Wisconsin and at the age of sixteen became a teacher. The last work she did in the schoolroom was in the Home- stead community of Montana just before her mar- riage. She also took a homestead near that of Mr. Tyler, and they were neighbors and fellow pioneers before they united their fortunes in one home. Mrs. Tyler is the oldest of three children, the others being Mrs. James Honaker, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, and Alvin L. Bennett, of Lemmon, South Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler have a son, Stanley Clyde, born June 30, 1914. During the World war the Tylers were interested in seeing their com- munity do its part in the different drives for funds, and Mrs. Tyler was also busily engaged in knitting at home and doing the work of the local Red Cross Chapter.

GEORGE C. EPLER. This is one of the names most intimately identified with the growth and commer- cial development of the Town of Dooley from its infancy. Mr. Epler is cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Dooley and is also officially connected with

other local concerns and has been associated with other public spirited citizens in working out the destiny of this young and thriving town of North- eastern Montana.

Mr. Epler was born on a farm in Ottertail Coun- ty, Minnesota, August 8, 1882. His father, Jacob H. Epler, went West from New Jersey and became one of the first settlers of the Territory of Minne- sota, taking up a claim at Austin in 1854. He farmed in that community for several years and then moved to Ottertail County and died at Austin in 1910. When the Civil war came on he left his farm to enlist in Company K of the Fourth Min- nesota Infantry, and was a Union soldier three years and seven months. He was in Sheridan's army, marched from Atlanta to the sea, and was wounded by a musket ball in the leg in a skirmish at Jack- son, Mississippi. He never had the advantages of a thorough education but was a patriotic American, was a student of events and times, and always a great reader. In politics he was a republican, was a Mason and a Methodist. Jacob H. Epler married Anice M. Chandler, who is now living at Pasa- dena, California. She was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, and as a child came to the United States with her parents, William and Mary (Phelps) Chandler. Her father was a farmer and spent his last years at Austin, Minnesota. Of the ten chil- dren in the Chandler family three sons became Union soldiers and one of them died during the war. The children of Jacob H. Epler and wife were: Cora, wife of F. D. Cruikshank, of Dooley, Montana; Helen A., wife of O. A. Robertson, of Washing- ton, D. C .; William D., who has a farm in Saskat- chewan, but lives at Outlook, Montana; Starling, of Billings, Montana; Joseph W., of Scobey, Mon- tana; George C .; John C., a merchant at Dooley; and Edna F., living with her mother at Pasadena.

George C. Epler grew up in a country district in Minnesota, graduated from the high school at Per- ham, and took the normal course in the Minnesota State Normal School at Moorhead. For several years he lived at Hanaford, North Dakota, going there as a teacher, and later was in the implement business. For one year he was cashier of the State Bank of Revere, North Dakota, and then moved to Dooley, Montana, where with his previous knowl- edge of banking he organized the Citizens State Bank. His associates were William D. Dooley, J. L. Ueland and Andrew L. Ueland, and the bank was chartered under its present name with a capital of $20,000. The officers are: Mr. Dooley, president ; J. L. Ueland, vice president ; Mr. Epler, cashier ; while subsequently H. C. Hanson became assistant cashier. The other director is N. K. Markuson of Medicine Lake, member of the Markuson-Epler Com- pany, Ford distributors.

Mr. Epler is also one of the partners in the Hunter Lumber Company at Dooley, is secretary and treas- urer of the Farmers Elevator, and is one of the proprietors of the Montana Motor Company of Plentywood and the Markuson-Epler Company of Medicine Lake.

While his father was a strong republican Mr. Epler and four of his brothers became democrats. George C. Epler cast his first presidential vote for Judge Parker in 1904. During the World war he was chairman of the Liberty Loan drives in Dooley and had the pleasure of seeing the community go over the top at every campaign. He is a Master Mason, his membership being at Cooperstown, North Dakota.

At Hanaford, North Dakota, June 1, 1910, Mr. Epler married Miss Ella O. Jackson, daughter of Claus and Ida (Hegge) Jackson, the former a na-

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

tive of Norway and the latter of Cresco, Iowa. The Jackson family were early settlers in North Dakota, where they homesteaded near Hanaford. Claus Jackson served two terms as sheriff of Griggs County, and for a number of years has been a merchant at Hanaford. In the Jackson family were five children: Mrs. Clara Kencke, Mrs. Epler, Chester, Mrs. Edna Markuson and Miss Inez. Mr. and Mrs. Epler have four children, named Lois, Deane, Eleanor and Bernice.

OLIVER P. WALLER, who is prominently identified with the town of Antelope as a merchant, has been a citizen of this community since 1910. In July of that year he arrived in Sheridan County from North Dakota, and his first business identification here was as a banker, having assisted in founding the first banking enterprise of Antelope, the Citizens Bank, a private institution belonging to the Wilson line of banks and which has since been incorporated as the Citizens State Bank. Mr. Waller was made the cashier of the bank and opened it for business in September, 1910. The bank was incorporated while he was connected with it, and he then became its vice president and a member of its board of directors. Mr. Waller continued in the active man- agement of the institution until 1916, when he left the banking business to engage in merchandising in the town of Antelope.

The Antelope Mercantile Company, comprising Mr. Waller, his brother Olaf P. Waller and E. O. Teigan, purchased the hardware stock of C. M. Island and in time changed the line to include gen- eral merchandise. Mr. Waller is one of the man- agers of the Antelope Mercantile Company, and he is also one of the well known farmers of Sheridan County.

Oliver P. Waller was born in Norman County, Minnesota, near Twin Valley, July 20, 1879, a son of Peter O. Waller. The father immigrated to the United States from his native land of Norway about the year 1868, when a young married man. He was born at Grue in Soler, near Kingsvinger, in December, 1835, and was married to Christina Christianson, who was born in the same locality about a year later than her husband. She died in 1901, and Mr. Waller passed away in 1914. Their children were: Christian P., of Seattle, Washing- ton ; Olaf P., a member of the Antelope Mercantile Company, and who has been prominently identified with the interests of this locality since 1911; Henry P., whose home is in Amidon, North Dakota; Peter P., of Antelope; Clara P., a resident of Coopers- ville, Michigan; Tina, wife of Joseph Sherrick, of Colvin, North Dakota; and Oliver P., of Antelope.

Peter O. Waller made his first settlement in the United States in Goodhue County, Minnesota. He arrived in this country without capital, without a dollar to his name, and was a laborer during his residence in Goodhne County. From there he went to Norman County in 1871 and took up a home- stead, which he proved on and there demonstrated his success as a farmer. As soon as possible he became a naturalized citizen of the United States and espoused the cause of the republican party. He acquired but a limited knowledge of the English language. Both he and his wife were earnest in their support of the Lutheran Church.

Oliver P. Waller obtained his educational train- ing in the public schools of Red Wing, Minnesota, in the Lutheran Seminary and in Concordia College at Moorhead, Minnesota. He then hegan a com- mercial experience as a clerk for his brothers, Olaf P. and C. P., and on leaving their employ he went to Rogers, North Dakota, and obtained the position

as store manager. After four years in that position he was elected cashier of the First State Bank of Rogers, and after another four years had passed he came to Antelope and resumed his banking enter- prise with the Wilson line of banks, as already noted.

Mr. Waller has shaped his political course after his father's affiliations. His first presidential vote supported Major Mckinley in 1900, and he has ever since cast his ballot for republican presidential candidates. He was made a Mason at Leal, North Dakota, and retains his membership there.

While living at Rogers, North Dakota, on the 3d of March, 1909, Mr. Waller was married to Miss Susie Mason, who was born at Sheridan Illinois, August 24, 1891, a daughter of Fred Ben- ton and Clara (Copies) Mason, both of whom were born in Illinois. In their family were three daugh- ters and two sons, namely: Josie, wife of C. N. Yule, of Woodworth, North Dakota; Mrs. Waller, the second born of the children; Fred B., Jr., who served as a North Dakota soldier in the World war, went with the Army of Occupation to Ger- many, was injured there, and is now in the Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Hospital; John, of Minneapolis, Minnesota ; and Margaret, whose home is in Wood- worth, North Dakota. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Waller: Marion, eight years of age; Laverne, six years old; Eugene, five years of age; and Clair, one year old.

MICHAEL GEARY. A long life and a busy one has been that of Michael Geary of Helmville. Mr. Geary is a Montanan whose experience dates back fifty-five years. From a limited enterprise of a small homestead he has accumulated a splen- didly located and valuable ranch, has been a cattle- man for half a century, and has done much to promote the welfare and upbuilding of his home community.

Mr. Geary was born in County Waterford, Ire- land, June 29, 1844, and is a member of one of the oldest Irish families. The farm he was born on was the life-long place of residence of his father and grandfather, and has been in the Geary family for over four hundred years. His paternal grand- mother was Julia Cunningham, also a life-long resi- dent of County Waterford. The family record of the Gearys has been traced back to the ninth cen- tury, when one of Mr. Geary's ancestors was in the service of the King of Munster and was arch- bishop of Cashel.

Patrick Geary, father of Michael Geary, was born in 1807 and died in 1883, spending all his life as a farmer in County Waterford. He was a conserva- tive in politics and a Catholic in religion. He mar- ried Alice Cleary, also a life-long resident of County Waterford. Their oldest child, John, came to America, was a lumberman, and died at Dundee, Illinois. James was a farmer and died at Helm- ville, Montana, in 1900. Margaret died at Helm- ville, the wife of William Hyde, a farmer who also died there. Julia died at Helmville, wife of I. H. Helm, a pioneer rancher who died in 1898 and for whom the town of Helmville was named. Patrick is a resident of County Waterford, Ireland, Michael is the sixth in age, Daniel was a farmer and died at Helmville in 1907, William died in infancy.

Michael Geary acquired a thorough education in his native county of Ireland, and the training he received in schools has been widely supplemented hy reading and experience among men and affairs. He came to the United States in 1864, and in the same year arrived in the Boise Basin of Idaho, fol- lowing on the heels of the first immigration to

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

Idaho territory. His first efforts both in Idaho and Montana were in placer mining. In 1867 he home- steaded eighty acres at the present site of Helm- ville. He also preempted 160 acres, and he still owns that original 240 acre tract. His possessions have grown until he now has 3,200 acres in his home ranch. Hard work, perseverance and good judgment have enabled him to rise above the cir- cumstances of his early life, and he is regarded as one of the most successful pioneers of that section of the state. He owns a fine residence on his ranch, with a splendid barn and other buildings. For some years he has specialized in pure bred Shorthorn cattle. and has about 600 of that fine stock on his ranch year in and year out. His land is largely devoted to the raising of hay and grain. Mr. Geary was formerly a democrat but is now affiliated as a republican in politics. He has always taken an interest in the educational advan- tages of his home locality, serving as school trus- tee. In 1901 he was elected a member of the Legislature, serving during the seventh session, representing Powell County, and was a member of the federal relations and other important commit- tees. Mr. Geary is a Catholic, and is affiliated with Deer Lodge Council No. 1810, Knights of Columbus. In 1883, at Helmville, he married Miss Anna McLaughlin, a daughter of Patrick and Mary (Dwyer) Mclaughlin, now deceased. Her father was a copper miner in Michigan and died in that state. Mrs. Geary, who died in 1900, at Helmville, was the mother of eight children. Agnes, the oldest, is the wife of Ed Ellsworth, a business man at Helmville. She is a graduate of St. Vincent's Academy at Helena and is the mother of five chil- dren, named Annie, Ira, Edward, Frances and Mar- garet. Michael, the oldest son of Mr. Geary, enlisted in 1918, was sent to Camp Lewis, Washing- ton, then to the Presidio in California, was trained as an infantryman and mustered out in March, 1919, and is now assisting his father on the ranch. Patrick John, the third of the family, also assists on the home ranch, as does Clemence Celestine. Mary Casilda is the wife of Asa Ellsworth, living on a ranch near Helmville. Anna Ita and Gertrude Viola are both graduates of Sacred Heart Academy at Missoula and at present are at home with their father. James Carroll, the youngest, assists his father on the ranch.

EDWARD G. KANE. Thoroughly conversant with the most approved methods used in mining opera- tions, and possessing marked executive and busi- ness ability and tact, Edward G. Kane, superin- tendent of the Bell-Diamond Mine, is an active assistant in maintaining the reputation of Butte as one of the busy centers of the mining industry. He has the distinction of being a native born citi- zen, his birth having occurred in this city on Octo- ber 7, 1888.

John P. Kane, his father, was born in 1857, in County Waterford, Ireland, and while yet in his 'teens immigrated to the United States, settling in' the copper regions of Upper Michigan. Going from there to Baltimore, Indiana, he remained there for awhile, in the meantime helping build the water works of that place. Following the pathway of the pioneer, he came to Montana in the '6os, and soon became foreman of a mine belonging to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, later filling a similar position for the Montana Ore Purchasing Company, which belonged to F. A. Heinze. Subse- quently returning to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, he was a mine foreman, or superintendent, until his death in 1911. He was a steadfast demo- Vol. III-93

crat in politics; a faithful member of the Roman Catholic Church; and belonged to the Woodmen of the World.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 144

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