Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 206

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 206

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Mr. Mitchell traces his family ancestry back to the Mitchells of Pennsylvania, where both his parents were born, they being Josephus M. and Elizabeth (Strawn) Mitchell, the latter a daughter of Jehu Strawn. The American founder of the Mitchell family was the great-grandfather of Mayor Mitchell, who was of Scotch-Irish stock, but came to Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania, from England.

Josephus M. Mitchell and his wife, Elizabeth, had the following children: Mary F., who is Mrs. J. D. Nicholson, of New Virginia, Iowa; James A., who is a resident of Osceola, Iowa; Alonzo L., whose name heads this review ; Walter R., who is a resident of Indianola, Iowa; and Jesse L., who is a resident of Hardin and a ranchman of considerable import- ance. The Mitchell family was taken from Penn- sylvania to Iowa in 1870, and the parents lived out the remainder of their lives on a farm near New Virginia.

Josephus M. Mitchell was a democrat until 1900, when he became a republican on account of the issues

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which arose through the candidacy of William Jen- nings Bryan, and Mayor Mitchell cast his first presi- dential ballot for William Mckinley, and he has never swerved in his devotion to republican prin- ciples since. He is a Scottish Rite Mason and be- longs to Billings Consistory and Algeria Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Helena, Montana. . Mayor Mitchell is also an Odd Fellow, a Pythian Knight and an Elk, his home lodge of the last named fraternity being at Billings.

Mayor Mitchell was married at Lennox, Iowa, on December 25, 1902, to Miss Mary V. Gibson, born in Taylor County, Iowa, on March 26, 1878, a daugh- ter of James G. and Martha (Trusler) Gibson, natives of Kentucky. Mrs. Mitchell was one of a family of one son and four daughters, was liberally educated and became a teacher. Mayor and Mrs. Mitchell have two children : Martha K. and Josephus Alonzo.

During the World war Mayor Mitchell was county chairman of the Food Administration, and also of the poor, and he had charge of one of the Liberty Loan drives for the county. He was also chairman of the Big Horn Chapter of the Red Cross, and still holds that office.

When Mr. Mitchell came to Montana he was with- out capital, but he possessed something more valu- able than mere money, the broad vision and initiative which enabled him to first see the wonderful pos- sibilities of the Big Horn Valley, and then to de- velop them into actualities. Few movements have been carried to completion since he came here with- out his approval and co-operation, and he is proud of the fact that he was one of the organizers of Big Horn County, the largest, richest and probably the most historic agricultural county in the state. A man of high principles, Mayor Mitchell has great faith in the good intentions of his fellow citizens, is a strong supporter of educational and religious in- stitutions, and makes it a regular practice to donate one-tenth of his income to church and charities. He also strongly advocates the expenditure of large amounts for community enterprises. Both he and his wife belong to the Methodist Church, but he is not hidebound, recognizing the good in any honest belief, and he is supported politically by those of all creeds, for they recognize in him a capable, upright and thoroughly representative man, whose honor is unblemished and whose spoken word is as binding as another's written bond.

JOHN VANDER PAUWERT. It is now forty years since John vander Pauwert came to 'Montana. He was a child then, but in a few years had the respon- sibilities of a range rider, and between riding the range, farming and doing duty as an officer his name and work have become widely known all over the old area of Custer County, included in the present county of Treasure, where he resides at Hysham.

He was born at Brabant, Holland, November 17, 1873, son of Henry and Henrietta (Joosten) vander Pauwert. In Holland his parents were city people, the father being a surveyor by profession. In 1880 the little family, including John, then seven years of age, sailed from Rotterdam for New York. They made the voyage without incident, and their destina- tion was Montana. By railroad they traveled through the eastern states and over the middle west as far as Bismarck, and thence a boat carried them up the Missouri River to Miles City. The rest of their journey was made by stage, and on June 13, 1880, they unloaded about the middle of Pease Bottom.

It had been a long and tiresome journey. Henry vander Pauwert was attracted to Montana by the presence of John Joosten, his wife's brother. John

Joosten had lived in America a number of years, knew the people and the circumstances of this sparse- ly settled district of Montana, and was of invaluable service to the newcomers, in establishing their home. Henry vander Pauwert entered a claim, now the farm of Ole Muri. He had little capital. and his first team was a pair of Indian ponies. With the aid of these ponies he was able to raise a crop of potatoes, do some other farming and the necessary hauling. Buffalo meat and other smoked meat bought from the Indians supplied a large part of the family diet. Their home was a log house, and in it they made their abode as long as they remained on the Bottom. Their neighbors were few, and those still surviving and residents of the community are Mrs. Isaac and Wiley King. Others who were their neighbors but have since died or left the district were Robert Guy, William Mouat, William McKeen, Robert Darcy, William O'Brien and W. B. S. Hig- gins. Most of these men had had experience either in the Civil war or Indian wars. John Joosten, brother of Mrs. Henry vander Pauwert, had been a soldier, and his father had been killed at Port Hudson, Mississippi. The vander Pauwert family remained in Pease Bottom until 1887, when the father moved out to Washington and became a truck farmer and gardener at Fair Haven. In 1912 he re- turned to Montana, and is a venerable citizen, rancher and farmer on Sarpy Creek in Treasure County. His good wife passed away in May, 1916. They were the parents of four children: Rena, wife of M. C. Lowrey, of Chehalis, Washington; Henry, a rancher on Sarpy Creek, Montana; Mrs. Louise vanden Biesen of Sarpy Creek; and John Daniel.

John Daniel vander Pauwert began his education in a little community school in Pease Bottom. He learned to ride almost as soon as he learned his letters, and about the time his parents moved out to Washington he was drawing regular wages as a range man. Among the old outfits of the region for whom he worked were the "7UX," the "171," the "79," the "R. L." and finally with the "FUF," for whom he was employed running and corraling wild horses. Mr. vander Pauwert left the range to enter the sheriff's office at Forsyth as deputy and under sheriff to Sheriff Guy. His appointment to this work was largely due to two years of prior experience under Sheriff John Gibb at Miles City when all this region was a part of Custer County. He remained the deputy of Mr. Guy four years, and was then ap- pointed stock inspector and detective for the Mon- tana Stock Association. He performed the arduous and frequently dangerous duties of this position for three years. He then became under sheriff to Wil- liam Moses, and a year later, upon the death of his chief, who was killed by John Burgess, he was appointed sheriff and filled out the term. Then followed another year as stock inspector for the Montana Association, and he became under sheriff upon the creation of Treasure County. Thus he has given seventeen years to the duties of a peace officer, and while his official jurisdiction has been mainly in one locality, the county governments he has served have been successively Custer, Rosebud and Treasure counties.

Mr. vander Pauwert is a thoroughly democratic citizen as well as a member of the democratic party. He cast his first presidential vote for Mr. Bryan, and was a supporter of the famous Nebraskan every time he was a candidate. Mr. vander Pauwert is past grand of Victory Lodge No. 130 of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows at Hysham.

In Pease Bottom Mr. vander Pauwert married Miss Sedonia Heyneman, who was born in Ger- many, a daughter of Bruno Heyneman. She died

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May 23, 1911, the mother of a family of seven chil- dren, namely: Jack, who died at the age of sixteen; Leo, deceased; Edith, wife of A. B. C. Davis, of Hardin, Montana; Claude, who died as a soldier at Camp Lewis, Washington, during the influenza epi- demic; Harry, of Hysham; and Gladys and Mar- garet. August 26, 1913, at Miles City, Mr. vander Pauwert married Miss Verne Keithler, daughter of I. and Jennie (Dragoo) Keithler, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio. Mrs. vander Pauwert is the oldest of five children, the others being Howard, Gertrude, Oswin and Jennie. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. vander Pauwert, Keith and Leo.

AZARIAS G. VINCELETTE, one of the prosperous ranchmen and farmers of Fallon County, has been a resident of this region since 1903, and during that period has developed into one of its most rep- resentative men. He was born at New Bedford, Massachusetts, on January 24, 1874, a son of Charles G. Vincelette, the latter having been born at Saint Alphons de Granby, Quebec, Canada, on January 6, 1850. He was a son of Nazaire Vincelette, of French ancestry, but born in Quebec, Canada, his father being a farmer who founded the family in the province of Quebec. Nazaire Vincelette and his wife had three sons and three daughters, the survivors now being as follows: Mrs. Cordelia Massey, of New Carlisle, Indiana; Charles G., who lives at Ollie, 'Montana; Cordelia, who is the wife of Harry Herring, of Montreal, Canada; and Hubert, who lived to be married and have a family, but is now deceased.

Charles G. Vincelette secured a fair education in English and at the same time acquired a knowl- edge of French by himself to such an extent that he can speak, read and write that language. He learned the trade of a stonecutter and worked at it in Canada, Maine and Massachusetts, in all of which communities he maintained his home, and he was also engaged in farming before he left Canada. In 1879 he left Canada to become a permanent resident of the United States, selecting Deadwood, South Dakota. It was during this period that so much excitement was displayed with regard to the discovery of gold in the region of the Black Hills, and it was because of it that Mr. Vincelette came to Deadwood. For a time he worked as a quartz millman for the Homestake Mills, and did some prospecting, but later was attracted to a stock ranch near Deadwood, realizing that there was more likelihood of permanent prosperity in raising stock than in looking for gold. His sons concurred in his opinion and all became employes of this ranch.

As they earned and saved money, they invested in cattle, and when they came to Montana they owned 825 head, which they drove with them. These cattle were run under the brand "V4," which is still used. These cattle were of the Hereford strain, and by giving attention to them the Vincelettes have bred their cattle up to the highest grade to be found between the Black Hills and Fallon County, and they have topped the Chicago market with their stock for twelve consecutive years. During the high water mark of the Vincelettes they ran some 1,400 head of cattle, and also bred and raised many horses, but did not attempt to handle any other kind of stock.

When the Vincelettes came to Montana in June, 1903, selection was made of the old "MC" ranch, an historic location, established by Frank Preston, who disposed of it to the Connors, who in turn sold

to the Vincelettes. The beginnings of the Vin- celette prosperity were small, but Charles G. Vin- celette was fortunate in having the co-operation of his sons, and their interests now include almost five sections of deeded land, and eleven sections additional which are leased. The old headquarters of the "MC" ranch were first used as a family home, but were not suitable, and subsequently a frame structure, 12 by 24 feet, was erected on the ranch of Arsidas Vincelette, who is a brother of Azarias Vincelette, and this was occupied until pioneer conditions passed away.

Charles G. Vincelette was married to Alphonsine Savage, a daughter of Joseph Savage, who was a native of the Quebec region, and a farmer by calling. Both the Vincelette and Savage farms in Quebec are owned by members of the family. 'Mrs. Vincelette died on the Montana ranch on October 12, 1918, having borne her husband the following children : Arthur, who was drowned near the Dead- wood ranch, was a stockman; Arsidas A., who is a part owner of the Vincelette ranch, married Eva Doody, and his daughters are Blanche and Beulah; Azarias G., whose name heads this review; Alida, who is the wife of Edwin Berry, of Fallon County, has a daughter and three sons; and Amanda, who married Jonas Griffith, died near Baker, Montana, leaving a son and a daughter. Charles G. Vincelette became a citizen of the United States through naturalization, and participated in all of the political campaigns as a voter, keeping himself posted on current events. Although he cast his first presi- dential vote for James A. Garfield, he has since been a democrat.

Azarias G. Vincelette first attended a French school at Saint Alphons, Canada, and later was a pupil of an English school at Deadwood, South Dakota. He remained with his parents and con- tributed his wages to the common fund of the family for some years after he attained his ma- jority. He earned his first dollar digging potatoes for a farmer who lived ten miles north of Dead- wood and paid him at the rate of 50 cents per day. Subsequently he went into the mines of the Homestake Company, and spent two years doing actual mining work, and all of this time his wages, together with those of his father, went into cattle with which later they stocked their Montana ranch, and they were thus able to advance much more rapidly than if working alone. At the expiration of the two years he went on a stock ranch, and has continued to be engaged in ranching and farm- ing ever since.

With his marriage Azarias G. Vincelette sepa- rated himself from the homestead headquarters and established his residence ten miles north of Baker. His home is modern and supplied with light, hot and cold water, sewerage and other appliances, and is a two-story with basement dwelling, con- taining twelve rooms. It was built in 1914 and is surrounded by a grove of elm, boxelder, poplar and evergreen trees, planted and grown by Mr. Vincelette. His barn is regarded as the best in Fallon County. This ranch was originally the old Gupton one, and has been noted since its estab- lishment for its fine spring water and its magnifi- cent native timber. This ranch was conducted for a number of years by B. J. Gupton, one of the early and successful beef producers of Montana.

On November 29, 1906, Mr. Vincelette was united in marriage with Miss Gertrude Thompson, a daugh- ter of John V. and Juliette (Goble) Thompson. Mr. Thompson was a farmer of the Black Hills region before he came to Montana, and is a native

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of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have the fol- lowing children : Mrs. Vincelette, who is the eldest; Wesley, who is engaged in ranching near his par- ents; Sibyl, who is the wife of Taylor Cook of Fallon County; and Muriel, who is engaged in ranching in the vicinity of Baker. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Vincelette are as follows : Douglas, Sibyl, Gladys, Paul, Roy, Jessie, Garnet and Flora. Mr. Vincelette is one of the trustees of the Vin- celette School District No. 48, which is located on his ranch. He votes the democratic ticket in national matters, but locally usually supports the best man. All of the Vincelette family are mem- bers of the Catholic Church. Mr. Vincelette is a stockholder and one of the directors of the Baker State Bank. During the late war the Vincelette family showed their patriotism by generously donat- ing to the Red Cross and other war organizations, and buying liberally of all of the issues of Liberty bonds, Azarias Vincelette being especially active along this line. He had a number of relatives in the American uniform as well as many in that of the British, who went out from Canada.

ROY E. SUTTON. Fallon County numbers among its leading farmers and county officials Roy E. Sutton, who cast in his lot with the early resi- dents of Montana in April, 1907. His first act as a settler was to secure a homestead, entering his claim four miles from Ollie, then a new and untamed region, where only a few cabins had been erected to shelter Montana's new population. He brought with him a team of horses and a cow in addition to his family effects and a little lumber to build his shack of one room. His cash capital amounted to $13.40, and he figured he had nothing to lose but all to gain in this westward venture.

During his first summer in Montana Mr. Sut- ton broke sod on thirty acres of his land, planted it to wheat and oats and harvested a fair crop. During the three years he was acquiring title to the land he made a living from the place, although he also spent some time working for others when he could find work to do. His improvements now include a splendid six-room residence and a three- room house for his help, a barn 60 by 28 feet, with a shed, and other shelter for his stock sufficient in emergency to house 140 head. He has also placed IIO acres of his homestead under cultiva- tion, and is farming 600 acres.

While Mr. Sutton has found the key to the secret of successful farming in Montana his main hobby, if it can be so called, is pure bred Belgian horses. He introduced this strain in 1911, buying a pure bred stallion and breeding up his stock to all reg- istered animals. He has found his market prac- tically at home and at prices sufficiently remunera- tive to make the business a profitable one, and even during the' dry years of 1918 and 1919 the market for his class of horses was good, whereas the range horse became a drag on the market, and in many instances was left to die of starvation on the range.

When the first efforts were made to secure a' school in his community Mr. Sutton assisted in the construction of the pioneer school house with his neighbors, donating his time and whatever else was necessary for its establishment, and secured an edu- cational mecca four miles from his claim. His school district is No. 6.

Mr. Sutton's settlement in this community was made when all this region was embraced in Custer County, and he joined heartily in the move to create Fallon County. His work was done independently in circulating petitions for signatures, and his com-

munity went strongly for the county division. He was elected a county commissioner in the fall of 1918, taking the place vacated by H. W. Sparks, and he is serving on the board with Commissioners Schofield and Pepper. The chief work of this board has been road building and holding elections for road making and for drouth relief seed for plant- ing the 1920 crop. Mr. Sutton is a republican in his political affiliations, and his first presidential vote was cast in Minnesota. .

He is a native son of Wisconsin, born near Sham- rock on the 7th of April, 1879. By the time he had reached his eighth year he was orphaned by the death of his parents, and the educational training which he received was self acquired. He attended school through the eighth grade, making his way by working out, by following the race track and fast horses, and by working as a farm hand through- out the years. He later spent three years in Min- neapolis, Minnesota, teaming for a year and then working for a transfer company. He also married while living in that state, and he and his wife finally decided to cast their lot with the new north- west and try and gain a competence in this region of vast opportunities. They reached this decision owing to the public land distribution then going on, and without capital save willing hearts and hands they made their way to Montana and took up the burden of the homesteader.

The father of Mr. Sutton, Alanson Sutton, was a soldier in the Civil war, and this service hastened his death, which occurred in 1885. He served as a member of the Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry in General Sherman's army, took part in the Atlanta campaign and the march of the army to the sea, was wounded in action and carried the bullet until it finally made its way into a vital spot and ended his life. He had married Elsie Hyde, who survived him but two years and died in 1887, and they had the following children: Mrs. I. E. Bergen, who died in Minneapolis and who proved a real mother to her young brother Roy; Alberta, who is married and living in Rockford, Iowa; Emmet, who died in Iowa; Nora, the wife of Will Davies, of Los Angeles, California; Belle, the wife of Orlie Snow, of St. Paul, Minnesota; and Roy E.

The marriage of Roy E. Sutton occurred at Princeton, Minnesota, April 7, 1900, on his twenty- first birthday, when Jane Orton became his wife. She is a daughter of N. G. Orton, a farmer who removed from the state of New York to Minne- sota and became one of the early settlers of that state. His mother was the second white woman to enter Millelacs County, and when entering their land they passed over the present site of Minne- apolis. Mrs. Sutton is the oldest daughter and second child in her parents' family of four sons and four daughters, and she has become the mother of two children, Mabel and Marion. Mr. Sutton is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, holding his membership in Ollie, Montana.

WILLIAM WILSON WOODBURN, senior member of the firm Woodburn Brothers, merchants at Wibaux, was one of the early business men to institute activi- ties at what is now the county seat of Wibaux County.

Mr. Woodburn has for almost half a century been identified with the northwestern country. He was born in Washington County, Iowa, at the Village of Riverside, September 9, 1861, a son of James Law- rence and Harriet Maria (Cole) Woodburn He acquired his early education in Montgomery County, Kansas, near Coffeyville, where his parents lived on

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a farm. In 1877, when he was sixteen years of age, the Woodburn family set out for Kansas with one ox team and a mule team, and after two months arrived at Spearfish in the Black Hills of the Dako- tas. It was a small party, and they went through the danger zone without encountering Indians, though almost at the end of the trip they heard firing and . came upon the scene of recent hostilities between the red men and the whites.

The Woodburn family in 1878 established a hotel at Spearfish, and the following year began a mer- chandise business. They also had ranching interests, and in these interests William W. Woodburn and his brother may be said to have grown up. He and his brother Burl.have nearly always been associated in ranching, and since 1916 they have also been as- sociated as merchants at Wibaux.

From Spearfish the Woodburns moved to Minne- ola, South Dakota, conducted a general store there a few years, and accompanied the county seat on its removal to Bellefourche about 1891. The father spent his last days in the Soldiers' Home at Fort Leavenworth and the mother, who survived him, continued the merchandising business at Bellefourche until her death.

The Woodburn Brothers brought their cattle and horses to the western edge of North Dakota in 1901, and still own lands and run a bunch of horses in that vicinity. William W. Woodburn had been trad- ing at Wibaux while ranching, and conceived the idea of establishing a business there. He bought the grocery stock of Thomas Lovell, and for four years was active head of the firm, and then in 1916 was joined by his brother.

Mr. Woodburn is a republican in politics, and has been satisfied merely to cast his vote. He took his degree in Masonry at Bellefourche in 1895, and later demitted and became a charter member of Wibaux Lodge. Besides his store building he erected another business house in Wibaux, a brick 30 by 100 feet, two-story block, this being a part of the Chappell Hotel.

The Woodburn Brothers married sisters, daughters of Peter Myers. Mrs. William Woodburn was be- fore her marriage, which was celebrated at Dead- wood in the Black Hills country, February 11, 1910, Mrs. Alice Dowdell. Mr. and Mrs. Woodburn have three children, Will, Alice and Burl.

BURL WOODBURN is junior partner of the firm Woodburn Brothers, merchants at Wibaux, one of the largest and oldest concerns handling merchan- dise in this section of Eastern Montana.

The Woodburn brothers have spent nearly all their lives in the great west. Burl Woodburn was born in Washington County, Iowa, April 27, 1868. His father, James Lawrence Woodburn, a native of Pennsylvania, acquired most of his education by his own efforts and was a well informed man for his time. A wagon maker hy trade, he worked for seven years with the Bain Wagon Factory at Keno- sha, Wisconsin, and that gave him the capital en- abling him to marry. Afterward he was a resident of Washington County, Iowa, until 1870, when he settled in Montgomery County, Kansas, as a farmer, and in 1877 migrating with his family, his son Burl then being nine years of age, to the Black Hills country. He established his home at Spear- fish, was one of the early merchants of that town, but after four years left there and for several years was in California and then returned east and lived in Kansas and died at the Old Soldiers Home at Fort Leavenworth at the age of seventy-three. During the Civil war he was in the Twenty-fifth Iowa Infantry, and saw some of the hardest fight-

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 206

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