Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 190

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 190

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).

Mr. Bowman's father was Vincent Bowman and his mother was Elizabeth Calder before her mar- riage. Vincent Bowman was born in Brown County, Ohio, on January 19, 1831, a son of Vincent Bowman, the latter born in Amherst County, Virginia, on February 6, 1793. Entering Marshall County, Illi- nois, prior to the building of a railroad in the state, he spent his life there as a farmer, and was one of the pioneers of that region who hauled grain for 100 miles to the then Village of Chicago to market. It was his practice to kill from 50 to 100 hogs at a time, and his product was hauled to Lakin on the Illinois River, where old "Jabe" Fisher, the Boston . buyer, would stand, watching the weighing out, cry- ing "hog on-hog off" as each hog was weighed. So accustomed did he grow to this that he did it me-

chanically, and it is related of him that once while attending a religions service he went to sleep, and being suddenly ronsed horrified the congregation by shouting at the top of his powerful voice "hog on." The Bowman farm was on Grand Prairie, and a little stream called Sandy Creek meandered close to it. It was on this farm that the elder Vincent Bowman rounded out his career of usefulness, although his death occurred at Hamilton, Missouri, where he had gone with his son in 1865. He lived to be seventy- seven years old. In politics he was a whig, while in religious faith he was a United Brethren. His wife bore the maiden name of Jane McLean, and all of their nine children grew to maturity.

This branch of the Bowman family is one of the original ones in America, and it had its beginning here in the person of Drury Bowman, the great- . great-grandfather of Alfred H. Bowman of Hardin. Drury Bowman was a native of Switzerland, who went to England, and there a son, John, was born to him, probably in 1740. John Bowman was married to a woman of German birth, and he brought her with him to Amherst County, Virginia, and the elder Vincent Bowman was one of their children, and was born in that locality.

The younger Vincent Bowman, father of Alfred H. Bowman of Hardin, was given an excellent education for his time, and became a very good penman, never losing his skill in this art, and continuing to be an expert when eighty-three years old. Although a farmer in the main, he also went into lumbering in Missouri, for several years. Adopting his father's religious belief as his own, he became very active in the United Brethren Church. He was a republican from the organization of the party until his death. He and his wife, Elizabeth Calder, had twelve chil- dren, of whom the following reached maturity: Alfred H., who is the eldest; Maggie A., who mar- ried Frank Estep, of Garden City, Kansas; Mark L., of Lathrop, Missouri; Ida, who is the wife of Reo Elliott, of Lathrop, Missouri; Ellsworth A., who lives at Albuquerque, New Mexico; Frank, who lives at Hamilton, Missouri; Harry E., who is a resident of Hastings, Nebraska; Elizabeth, who is a resident of Vanorin, Illinois, is Mrs. Fletcher Hamilton; and Eva P., who is Mrs. John Stinson, of Cain City, Texas.

Alfred H. Bowman was married at Cameron, Mis- souri, on January 1, 1880, to Miss Charlotte Estep, a daughter of Joshua and Rhoda (Weller) Estep. Mrs. Bowman was born in Seneca County, Ohio, on Jan- nary II, 1854, and was eleven years old when her par- ents moved to Clinton County, Missouri, and she se- cured her education in the country schools near Cameron. Her father was born in Maryland and her mother in England, and they both died on their farm near Cameron. Their children were as fol- lows: Richard B., who is a resident of Fairport, Missouri; Mrs. Bowman, who is second in order of birth; Frank, who is a resident of Garden City, Kansas; James, who is a resident of the Cameron locality in Missouri; Fannie, who married John Wil- liams, of Powhattan, Kansas; William, who is of Fresno, California; and Katie, who is Mrs. William Schooler, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowman became the parents of the following children: Clara, who is the wife of Charles Haffner of Wyola, Montana, and has three children, Vincent, Virgil and Eleanor ; Elmer, who is chairman of the State Hail Insurance Company of Montana, lives at Helena, married Ruth Scofield, and they have five children, Margaret, Harry, Fred, Laur- ence and 'Charlotte; Alvin J., who is a farmer near Huntley, Montana, married Margaret Price, and they have four children, Alfred, Susan, Mary and Mar-

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garet ; and Carl, who is postmaster of Hardin, Mon- tana, married Mary Calahan, and they have a son, Alfred.

Mr. Bowman was chairman of the Big Horn Coun- cil of Defense during the participation of this coun- try in the World war, and carried a good share of the burden of buying bonds and raising funds for the Red Cross and other war work. He was made a Mason at Blue Hills, Nebraska, and passed through the lower lodges in that order while still a resident of Nebraska. He took the Consistory work at Helena, Montana, and he is also a Shriner Mason, belonging to the Temple at Lincoln, Nebraska. The Congregational Church is the favorite one with the Bowman family. The Bowman residence is one of the convenient, homelike ones of Hardin, and in it " the family take pleasure in entertaining their numer- ous friends.

CHARLES C. GUINN, one of the able lawyers of the Big Horn district, is carrying on an important practice at Hardin, and has lived in the state since 1913. He is a native of Fayette County, Illinois, having been born at Vandalia, that state, on August 2, 1884, and there attended school through the high school courses, following which he entered the state normal school at Normal, Illinois, and was gradu- ated therefrom. He then entered the profession of teaching, and in it earned the money to carry him through his law studies in the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and after completing his studies took the state exami- nation at Ottawa, Illinois, in 1913. He was ad- mitted to the bar of Illinois soon thereafter, and a little later in that same year to the bar of Mon- tana.

Deciding upon Montana as his place of residence Mr. Guinn visited various sections and decided that Hardin possessed excellent openings for the ambi- tious young man, and so located here permanently, continuing alone until 1919, when he formed a part- nership with D. W. Maddox, under the firm name of Guinn & Maddox. He had a little experience in his profession prior to coming to the state as an associate of his father at Vandalia.

Among some of the important legislation with which he has been associated was that of Wiggins versus the Industrial Accident Board of Montana, which attracted considerable attention. The ques- tion involved was whether or not injuries caused by "Acts of God" were subject to compensation. Mr. Guinn was counsel for the plaintiff in a suit for damages brought by the mother of young Higgins for his death by lightning while in the employ of Big Horn County. The lower courts rendered judgment in his favor, but this was reversed on question of facts by the Supreme Court, which, how- ever, held that no matter how a death was caused while in the performance of duty hy an emplove. the employer was liable for compensation for his death. This case settled the question of damages under like circumstances, and can be said to have established a precedent. The firm of Guinn & Mad- dox assisted in the prosecution of C. C. Blanken- ship, charged with the theft of several cars of cattle which he shipped from Lodgegrass, Big Horn County, that belonged to several owners. This wholesale theft created a sensation of great moment among the cattlemen. The first trial was a mis- trial, and the case is still pending.

Mr. Guinn entered into the spirit of goodfellow- ship and citizenship upon locating at Hardin, and has since then borne his share of the burdens of politics. Nominated hy the democratic party as its

candidate for representative to the Legislature in 1914, he was elected by a gratifying majority, took his seat and assisted in making George L. Ramsey speaker. Mr. Guinn was put on the committee on irrigation and waterways, and made its chairman, and he was a member of the committee on live stock. However, he was interested in the legisla- tion with reference to irrigation, such a live issue in this district, as well as that pertaining to the farmers, and helped to frame the present irriga- tion law which was his own measure. He intro- duced the bill for the reform of the primary law, amending it from an open to a closed ballot, which was lost by only four votes in the House. This bill contained, as to form of ballot, practically the same provisions as the present primary law. The new county law was enacted at that legislative ses- sion, and the prohibition referendum law as well as the workingman's compensation law all went through at that session, and Mr. Guinn supported all of them.

In 1914 Mr. Guinn was made president of the Hardin Chamber of Commerce, and was re-elected in 1915. He is a Master Mason, having been made such at Hardin, and he is also a Knight of Pythias and is past chancellor of the Hardin Lodge of that order. When Hardin was incorporated as a town- site Mr. Guinn became one of the stockholders, and continued as such until quite recently.

Mr. Guinn traces back his ancestry in this typi- cally old American family to Welsh ancestry. His grandfather Simon Guinn moved from Tennessee to Illinois at a very early day and all of his active years were spent in farming. He and his wife had four children and of them Francis M. Guinn was the father of Charles C. Guinn of Hardin.

Francis M. Guinn was born at Vandalia, Illinois, in 1855, and was there reared. He attended Eureka College and prepared himself for the practice of the. law while discharging the duties of the Chris- tian Church, was admitted to the bar in 1883, and has continued in a very active practice ever since. For some time he has been one of the eminent men of his calling connected with legislation in con- nection with the Anti-Saloon League of Illinois. He is a democrat and was the successful candi- date of his party to the State Assembly in 1893.

Francis M. Guinn was married to Dora M. Henry, a daughter of Rev. J. O. Henry, a direct descend- ant of Patrick Henry, and an emigrant into Illi- nois from Virginia. His father was, with Alexan- der Camphell, one of the organizers of the Chris- tian Church, and one of its charter members, and when he, too, came to Illinois from Virginia he was one of the pioneer circuit riders and early preach- ers of that denomination. Through the military service of this grandfather Mrs. Guinn was eligible to membership in the Daughters of the War with Mexico. Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Guinn had the fol- lowing children: James O., who is a resident of Vandalia; Bessie M., who died as Mrs. Donner in Chicago, Illinois; Charles C., whose name heads this review: Marian, who is the wife of Fred L. Lewis, of Chicago, Illinois; and Dora, who is mar- ried and is a resident of Chicago. Mrs. Guinn died when her son C. C. Guinn was still a child. so he had the misfortune of heing deprived of her care at a time when he needed it most.

Charles C. Guinn was married at Billings. Mon- tana, on June 6. 1916, to Miss Lillian C. Kopriva. a daughter of Peter P. Kopriva, now of Saint Paul. Minnesota. Mrs. Guinn was born at Faribault. Minnesota, the fourth in a family of eight children. She was educated at Langdon, New York. There

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are no children of this marriage. During the late war Mr. Guinn was chairman of the local exemp- tion board, and was a member of the legal advisory board. He also belonged to several committees having charge of the selling of liberty bonds and . the raising of funds for war work. The armistice was signed before his questionnaire was examined and his classification made, as he came in the second draft.

ETHAN A. HOWELL. The men of the country en- trusted with the handling of its finances have been selected because of a special fitness, partly gained from long experience, but largely due to natural qualifications. They are men with broad vision, keen powers of calculation, patient natures, cool judgments and remarkable powers of quick and de- cisive action. To the people of Big Horn County, Ethan A. Howell, president of the First National Bank of Hardin, does possess all of these general qualifications and others of a more individual char- acter, and they are proud of him, his record in finances, and also of the fact that he is now the oldest continuous resident of the city, as well as its pioneer banker.

Mr. Howell's advent into Hardin and the bank- ing business are co-incidental, and date back to October, 1907. He formed a partnership with J. B. Arnold and established the Bank of Hardin, a pri- vate institution, with a capital of $10,000, and this initial attempt has been expanded into the First National Bank, chartered as such in 1908. The capi- tal is $65,000, and there is a surplus of $35,000. The first officials of the bank were G. F. Burla. president; William Bender, vice president; and E. A. Howell, cashier. Changes later took place, Mr. Howell becoming vice president, and F. M. Lipp, cashier. In 1918 Mr. Howell and F. M. Heinrich purchased the interest of Mr. Burla, and Mr. How- ell was made its president and Mr. Heinrich, vice president.

Mr. Howell has also been interested in the de- velopment of irrigated and dry farming lands. Some years ago he assisted in incorporating the Hardin Townsite Company, which took over the Lincoln Townsite Company, and he is still inter- ested in the company, and he is secretary and treas- urer of it. His real concern for the locality in which he lives is now being shown in the efforts he is making to attract to it outside capital for the development of the vast natural resources and the securing of a permanent prosperity which in his judgment will develop as a result of increased popu- lation.

From the standpoint of politics Mr. Howell has shown his interest by voting to support good men for office, although in national matters he generally affiliates with the republican party Older mem- bers of his family were of a different political faith, but he could not agree with them on the question of protection for American industries. He is one of the charter members of Saint John Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is a member of Billings Consistory, and of Algeria Shrine at Helena, Montana. For many years he has been treasurer of the Hardin Congregational Church, and is one of its charter members.

Mr Howell was born at Mexico, Missouri, on April 24, 1882. He was reared in his native city and attended its schools 'until within a short time of his graduation. His entry into the business world came as an employe of the First National Bank of that city in 1901, and with the exception of about two weeks he has been engaged in that line

of endeavor continuously ever since. He went from the bank at Mexico to the old First National at Billings, Montana, and from there to Hardın. When he came to Montana he arrived without capital, and his rise has come without any outside influence, as the logical outcome of his own efforts. In erect- ing the third residence at Hardin, Mr. Howell gave practical proof of his faith in the place and his determination to make it his permanent home.

Mr. Howell is a son of John W. Howell, of Mexico, Missouri, who is a native of that state, and is now about seventy years old. He is a son of a Kentucky settler who moved to Lincoln County, Missouri, and located near Troy, Missouri, where his son, John W. was reared. He has been very actively engaged in a real estate and insurance business at Mexico for many years. John W. Howell married Nannie Garrard, a daughter of James Douglas and Jennie (Hull) Garrard, of the Kentucky Garrards from whom sprung Governor Garrard of Kentucky. Mrs. Howell died in 1910, as the mother of four children who reached ma- turity, namely : Ethan A., who is the eldest; Lu- cile, who is a resident of Kansas City, Missouri : Henry W., who is assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Hardin; and Helen, who is a teacher in the public schools of Miami, Oklahoma.

On June 14, 1905, Mr. Howell was united in mar- riage at Mexico, Missouri, to Miss Sallie Blythe, a daughter of Mrs. Bettie Blythe, a member of one of the old families of that community. Mrs. Howell was born near that city, was educated at Hardin College and was married not long after she com- pleted her education. She is the elder of two daugh- ters, her sister being Miss Mary Eva Blythe, an instructor in the Iowa State Universtiy at Iowa City, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Howell have two daugh- ters, Eloise Garrard and Elizabeth.

CARL RANKIN. The office of clerk and recorder of Big Horn County is presided over by Carl Ran- kin, one of the most efficient men in his line in this part of the state, and he has been connected with Hardin since its birth. He came into the neigh- borhood early enough to help stake out the town. which was done in Mav, 1007, and he became the local land agent for the Lincoln Land Companv. that had title to the town site. Mr. Rankin re- mained in charge of the affairs of this company until August, 1009, at which time he was called to the general offices of the company at Lincoln. Nehraska, and continued there until in February. 1912, when he went to Logan County. Nehraska. and took charge of the Loop Vallev Land Com- pany at Stapleton, staking out that town and serv- ing his company as its agent at that point until April, 1014, when he purchased the Stanleton Enterprise, a weekly newspaper, and published it until March, 1916, when he disposed of it and re- turned to his former home at Hardin.

Resuming his connection with the county seat of Big Horn County, Mr. Rankin engaged with A. L. Mitchell, president of the Hardin Townsite Com- pany, as office manager, continuing as such until January 1, 1919, when he bought the insurance and bond business from Mr. Mitchell, and still con- ducts it under the name of the Rankin Insurance Office. On May 4. 1010. Mr. Rankin was appointed . county clerk and recorder to succeed R. P. Ross. and assumed its duties on May 12 following. He was eminently fitted for the duties of this office, for he had an unusually thorough training in work of this nature, as in addition to his connection with townsite organization and development he had also

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been connected, under the careful supervision of his father, with the survey of the Crow Reserva- tion during its allotment, having come to Montana in July, 1901, for that purpose, and when that important work was completed he was engaged in civil engineering and surveying on the reservation until he came to Hardin.

Carl Rankin came to Montana from Lawrence, Kansas, where he was born on November 28, 1879, a son of John K. Rankin, one of the real pioneers of Kansas and a man whose personal record is inter- woven with the history of Douglas County and Lawrence, Kansas. He was born at Thorntown, Indiana, and secured his limited education in that state, which he left several years before he reached his majority. The family was left without a male head when his father died, and his widowed mother took her children into Tennessee some years prior to the war between the sections, but later returned north and took them into Kansas in 1854, when it was still a territory.

John K. Rankin became an Indian trader as a member of the old firm of Rankin & Watts, with stores at Pawnee and Quenemo. He was engaged in merchandising, first with the Indians and later with the white settlers who flocked to the Sun- flower State. In 1873 he sold his mercantile inter- ests and went into the banking business at Law- rence under the name of the Douglas County Sav- ings Bank. The panic of that year resulted in the failure of his bank, and he lost the savings of a life time and was forced to begin life over again.

In the early '8os John K. Rankin was appointed to a position in the pension office at Washington, and was occupied with its duties for a few years. In 1888 he was appointed United States allotting agent for the Government allotting of Indian lands, and he was occupied in alloting the Crow and Flat- head lands in Montana until 1909, when he returned to Lawrence, Kansas, and, buying an interest in an ice plant in partnership with J. D. Bowersock, spent the remainder of his life in that city which had been the scene of his former activities.

During the early and stirring days in Kansas John K. Rankin became an active factor in terri- torial politics, and was associated with its other leaders during the stormy session of the first meet- ing of the State Legislature, acting as doorkeeper of the Lecompton Legislature. He represented Douglas County in the Lower House of the As- sembly, was postmaster of Lawrence, and not only a republican of the strongest type, but a leader in his party in the Second Congressional District. When his country had need of his services he was not found lacking in patriotism of the right kind. and joined the Second Kansas Cavalry. was com- missioned a lieutenant, and began his field service near Springfield. Missouri, in the Battle of Wilson Creek. Later he was sent to join the Army of Ten- nessee, and at Chickamauga he became a member of General Rosecrans' staff, and remained with him until the close of the war. Following the declara- tion of peace Mr. Rankin was ordered to Omaha. Nebraska, and placed under the command of Gen- eral Mitchell, who made a campaign into the plains of the West after the hostile Indians. marching across Nebraska, uo the Platte River to Fort Lara- mie, Wyoming, and back through Kansas and down the smoky Hill River, thus completing the tour at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where Mr. Rankin was discharged. While he was wearing the uni- form of a Union soldier Quantrell's band of bush- whackers raided Lawrence on August 21, 1863, and the sons of this brave soldier were obliged to fight

their way out of the invaded city, and by hiding in a corn field saved their lives.

John K. Rankin was a Presbyterian, always active in church work, and inherited his religious views, for he came from a family of Scotch Presbyterians, and one of his brothers entered the ministry of that church. With the election of Grover Cleveland to the presidency Mr. Rankin's plans were changed, but with customary vigor he read law, was admitted to the bar in 1894 and practiced that profession for several years, when the return of the republicans to power enabled him to resume his work in land allotment. His first wife bore the maiden name of Laura Phinney, and they had two children: Robert C., who is now a business man of Lawrence; and Herbert, who died in the Philippines while in charge of the hospital of the Sixth United States Cavalry. The second wife of John K. Rankin was formerly Miss Augusta Fischer, a daughter of Carl Fischer, and a native of Czersk, East Prussia. Mr. Rankin died on October 29, 1914, leaving as the children of his second marriage: Carl, whose name heads this review; Anna, who married Roy M. Cross, of Salt Lake City, Utah; Alice, who is Mrs. Earl H. Gafford, of San Antonio, Texas; and Gretchen, who is married and lives at Salina, Kansas.

Carl Rankin was married at Lawrence, Kansas, on March 3, 1904, to Miss Bessie Eaton, a daugh- ter of Henry Eaton. Mrs. Rankin was born in Lake County, Ohio, near Paynesville, from whence the family moved to Rooks, Kansas, and later, when she was a child, moved to Douglas County. She was educated in the country schools and those of Lawrence. Mr. Eaton was a Union soldier from Ohio, and both in that state and Kansas was en- gaged in farming. His death occurred in Douglas County, leaving the following children: Charles, who lost his life in a railroad wreck while engi- neer on the Chicago & Alton Railroad; Dora, who is Mrs. B. C. Jewett, of Lawrence, Kansas; Lina, who married Jesse Wilson, of Lawrence; and Mrs. Rankin, who was born December 7, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Rankin have two sons: John Knox and Carl Eaton.

During the late war Mr. Rankin was secretary of the Liberty Loan Committee of Hardin and Big Horn County, and participated in all of the various war activities, while his wife was equally efficient in forwarding the work of the Red Cross, both per- sonally and as a member of the executive board of the local chapter. Mr. Rankin is a Master Mason. He and his wife are active workers and members of the Congregational Church.

FRANKLIN D. TANNER, county attorney of Big Horn County, and one of the alert and fearless young lawyers of this part of the state, has taken a convincing part in the history of Hardin and the development of the prestige and dignity of his call- ing in this part of the state. He came to Hardin in October, 1912. from Spencer. Medina County. Ohio, and since that time he has taken a forceful part in public affairs.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 190

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