Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 216

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 216

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Frank A. Maxham was born in Windsor County, Vermont, December 20, 1858. and he remained in that region until twenty years of age, when he left it, never to be again identified with it and never to return to it save but on one occasion. His father was Addison E. Maxham, who was born near the county seat town of Woodstock, Vermont. He followed various occupations during his life time, having sold monuments and dealt in agricultural machinery, and also for a time was engaged in the life insurance business. He passed away in his native locality in 1877, when forty-nine years of age, and his wife, who was before marriage Lizzie Kibling, died in 1870. Their children were: Frank A., the Montana ranchman; Fred, who died in Pennsylvania ; Ned W., whose home is still in Ver- mont; and Ben B., of Littletown, New Hampshire.

Frank A. Maxbam left his New England home for the middle west in 1878, and his first stopping place was Janesville, Wisconsin, where he soon found work as a farm hand. The locality at that time was new western country, where the Eastern lad found conditions very different from those in which he had been reared. He was given $18.00

a month for his farm work, a considerable advance over the farm wage he had received in Vermont two years previously, when $10.00 cash or $12.50 in farm produce was the prevailing wage paid. From Wisconsin Mr. Maxham continued his west- ward journey on to the Jim River country of South Dakota, where he worked as a ranch hand by the month. He arrived in that locality in 1881 and remained there but a short time, going on then to the Black Hills, where he spent a year in placer mining, however without success.

Deciding then to leave that country for Mon- tana, he sent home for a loan of $50.00 with which to make the journey, but before he reached Miles City he had little of the money left, for he assisted two companions to make the journey. They crossed over by the "burro route" and reached Miles City with two of these animals, worth $10.00 apiece.

When Mr. Maxham came to his present locality he was part owner with Frank Lowrey in a wagon, team and harness, two old ponies and about $35.00 worth of food. The young men lived together and improved the Lowrey claim first. Then Mr. Maxham sold his interest to his partner and moved to his own claim. He inaugurated his cattle in- terests by purchasing twenty head of mixed cattle for $200, and he turned them loose here on the range under the "FM" brand. He carried on the business by breeding and raising young stock, and in the zenith of his career as a stock man he ran as high as 200 head, making a practice of feeding his cattle during the winter months, a custom contrary to that of the other cattle men of the country. By successive additions of land under the entry acts he also expanded the boundaries of his ranch to contain 650 acres, and his farming activities have been largely devoted to the raising of hay. A threshing machine has visited his farm to shell out his grain but three times during all the years of his residence here on the Rosebud.

Mr. Maxham's first home was the usual log cabin of that early day in Montana. Its dimensions were 14 by 18 feet, with a lean-to kitchen, and he lived a bachelor's life there for ten years and carried on his stock industry. In 1898 the pioneer log cabin was replaced by his present frame residence of six rooms. Among the many other improve- ments which he has made on his ranch is his barn, a stone structure 28 by 78 feet, with mow room for twenty-five tons of hay. It is a combination horse and cow barn, and is one of the best along the creek. Granaries, machine sheds and stock shelters have also been built, and the Maxham ranch has been a busy place since the time when the range was open and the stock could come and go at will.

Mr. Maxham married at Sheridan, Wyoming, De- cember 13, 1893, Sophia C. Long, who has the distinction of being the oldest white person along the Rosebud born within the boundaries of Montana. Her birth occurred at Missoula January 24, 1877, and she is a daughter of John J. and Joanna (Childs) Long. The father came to Montana from Pennsylvania soon after the close of the Civil war. He was a Union soldier from Pennsylvania during that conflict, and was an officer in his company. For some time after locating in Montana he fol- lowed mining in the vicinity of Bannock, but sub- sequently secured a ranch south of Missoula and developed a farm there. He owned the tract of land on which the University of Montana now stands. A few years before his death he lost his eyesight as a result of a sunstroke, and he passed away in March, 1889, but he is still survived. by

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his widow, who now resides in Seattle, Washing- ton. The children of 'Mr. and Mrs. Long were as follows: Maggie, the wife of Ernest Edmunds, of Seattle; John L., who is a railroad engineer with home at St. Regis, Montana; Sophia C., who became the wife of Mr. Maxham; Mrs. Mary Smith, whose home is in Sheridan, Wyoming; and Richard C., a ranchman of the Rosebud Valley. Mrs. Maxham received a liberal educational training in the public schools of 'Missoula, and supplemented this training by a course in the Ada, Ohio, Normal College. In the Maxham home were born two children. The elder, Bertha Viva, was born Oc- tober 9, 1894, and is now the wife of Clifford A. Randall, of Birney, Montana. They have one son, Frank Walter Randall, born July 30, 1918. The only son of Mr. and Mrs. Maxham, Richard, was born May 18, 1896, and died on the 22d of Septem- ber, 1898.

When Mr. Maxham reached the age of maturity he exercised his right of franchise with the re- publican party, and he remained in its ranks until 1916. Since then he has been an independent in his political affiliations. Mrs. Maxham was the first woman to cast a vote in her precinct after the ballot was given to the women of the state. Her first presidential vote was given to Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

ABNER R. FARNUM. While those who go into a region in advance of the army of settlers certain to come after a way is blazed have the advantage of a choice of location and securing land at a very low figure, they earn everything they obtain be- cause of the privations and hard work inseparable from such an experience. Many of the pioneers of Montana faced other difficulties because of the scarcity of water and the lack of proper transporta- tion facilities which lost to these hardy settlers many thousands of dollars before lands were irri- gated and railroads had been built. The modern ranchman has no idea of what he owes to the efforts of these earlier laborers in the agricultural field, but to such men as Abner R. Farnum on Cottonwood Creek in Custer County they are very real, for he participated in them, and brought his present valuable property of 2,800 acres to its pres- ent condition through his own industry and fore- sight.

Abner R. Farnum is proud that he can trace his ancestry back to hardy Welsh stock, his pro- genitors having come from Wales some time prior to the American Revolution and sought better con- ditions in the New England colonies, locating in New Hampshire and Vermont. The Farnum family became very numerous in the vicinity of Concord, Vermont, and representatives of this honored name entered all of the professions and many of the callings, and are to be found all over the country. The great-grandfather Farnum served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and the grandfather, Abner Farnum, was a farmer and lumberman, who had six sons and three daughters. His son Hiram Farnum was the father of Abner R. Farnum, whose name heads this review, and he was born in New Hampshire, where he developed valuable interests both as a lumberman and farmer. He married. Lucretia Ramsdell, a daughter of a Vermont farmer, and their children to reach maturity were as fol- lows: Lucretia, who died in young womanhood; Ahner R .; and Joseph E., who is a resident of Miles City, Montana.

Abner R. Farnum was born at Concord, New Hampshire, August 13, 1850, and was there reared.

He was given the advantage of an excellent public school education, which was supplemented with at- tendance at Colby Academy. After completing this training he went into the lumber regions of the White Mountains and helped to get out millions of feet of pine and hemlock logs to the saw-mills. The last four years he spent in New Hampshire he was engaged in a milk business at Concord. Mr. Farnum was ambitious and the narrow confines of a New England village irked him, so with the optimism of youth he severed his business ties and started out for the West, arriving in Custer County, Montana, in April, 1883. He stopped on the Tongue River, in the vicinity of Garland, and looked after two bunches of cattle driven into Montana from Oregon by the Concord Cattle Com- pany, and while wintering there sought a perma- nent location for the company's ranch, finding one to his satisfaction on Mizpah Creek, and located at its mouth in 1884. This ranch is now owned by Frank Murphy. For three years he remained there as a squatter, and then, still acting as man- ager for his company, moved to Cottonwood Creek, eight miles above its mouth, bringing to it the stock he was holding. At that time the range was open all over this region and nothing interfered with the cattle industry until the building of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad opened up the land for settlers and the old grazing days were over. Realizing that he could no longer carry on his business in the old manner, Mr. Farnum sensibly entered his own homestead, on which he still resides and to which he later added two sec- tions of railroad land and he also leases other land, so that he has a large amount of property under his control. The little log shelter he erected on his homestead still stands, but it is almost hidden by the additions and improvements. As they were needed Mr. Farnum has erected barns, cattle sheds, granaries and garage, and he has built some five miles of fencing. He first handled high grade Durham cattle, but subsequently brought in for his company from Clayton, New Mexico, cattle of the Texas breed, which were grazed and pre- pared for market and shipped from Miles City. All these years he has been running under the brand . "3-2-Bar" and his ranch is known as the "E-2." Of recent years his cattle industry has been curtailed, as has that of every cattleman, by the settling up of the country, but he has turned his attention to other lines of agriculture. For a dozen years he operated a sheep ranch at Knowl- ton, Montana, but during the greater portion of this period the condition of the market was such that neither mutton or wool brought a price which repaid his expenditure, in fact he lost money to the extent of $3,000 on his flock until finally he was able to dispose of his holdings at a slight profit, which he invested in his cattle industry. Until 1907 he continued to act as manager for the old Concord Cattle Company, but during that year he bought the remnant of the business, much im- paired by the opening up of the public domain to settlers, and this concern went out of existence.

On February 21, 1871, 'Mr. Farnum was married at Concord, New Hampshire, to Mary P. Dow, a daughter of Horace P. Dow, her two sisters being Mrs. Clara Stevens of Ayers Village, Massachusetts, and Mrs. Edla Bean of Concord, New Hampshire. Mr. and Mrs. Farnum have the following children : Hiram C., a ranchman on Cottonwood Creek and stock inspector for Custer County, married Mary L. Johnson, and they have three children, Clayton, Abner and Esther; Edla married Reginald Billing,

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of Van Norman, Montana, a ranchman, and has six children, namely: Howard, Edith, Roswell, Curtis, Billie and Ruth; Edith May is the wife of John G. Milroy, a ranchman on Cottonwood Creek; and Glen B. was born in Custer County, Montana, May 22, 1892, married Elizabeth Bircher, has a son, named Glen Abner, and is engaged in ranching. As will be noticed, the sons are all ranchmen, and they are practical cattlemen, their father having started them as "cow punchers" when only ten years of age, and taught them every detail of wbat he ex- pected would be their life work. At the same time he did not neglect their minds while developing their bodies, but sent them all to school at Miles City, the schools in his neighborhood being then in a primitive state. In order that the children of the present generation might be educated at home he has exerted himself in their behalf and Cottonwood district now has excellent schools as a result. Mr. Farnum is one of the old school republicans, and has never failed to cast his vote for the presidential candidate since the time he cast his first one for General Grant in 1872. His fraternal connections are with the Knights of Pythias and Elks, and he is past chancellor of the former. Growing with his section, Mr. Farnum is typical of the West in its best phase. He has been engaged in the two lines of industry which have so developed Montana, cattle and sheep rais- ing, and has merged them into the more modern occupation of ranching, and in all of these callings has always been a hard worker and efficient man. Personally he is genial and sympathetic, and when- ever he goes makes friends, for he has the qualities which win confidence and affection and inspire re- spect.

GEORGE W. MYERS. The fabric of the men and women who have made the many colored tapestry of our state history is woven more often than not from good old Revolutionary stock. Of such sturdy and dependable stuff is George W. Myers, the register of the United States land office at Miles City.

The great-grandfather, William Paul, of Mary- land, died of wounds received in the Revolutionary war. Another, Robert Myers, enlisted from Kent County, Maryland, though very young, and served during the Revolutionary war. Later having mar- ried Polly Paul, daughter of William Paul and Keturah Eaglyn, he moved over the "Wilderness Trail" to Kentucky. Their eight stalwart sons and two daughters became well-known and respected citizens of Indiana, Missouri, California and Kansas.

Ephraim Myers, their eighth son, through his own efforts acquired a collegiate training, was ad- mitted to the bar and in early manhood moved from Kentucky to Illinois, thence to 'Missouri. Very active in politics, he represented his district several times in the Assembly and was a member of that body when General Price and Governor Jackson endeavored to take Missouri out of the Union. This act he vehemently opposed, although General Price had been his life-long friend.

His wife, Nancy Williams, was a direct descendant from Colonel Williams. They had five sons and five daughters, of whom Alfred, Ben and Maria, with their children, are also identified with the history of Montana.

Ephraim Myers died at the age of eighty-six, and his funeral was the epitome of the life of an active and well beloved man. It was under the auspices of the Masons, in which he had reached the highest degree, and over two miles long, and

in it could be seen every condition of life, every shade of color and every religious belief repre- sented in that state.

George W. Myers, the eighth child of Judge Ephraim Myers and Nancy Williams, was born on his father's plantation near St. Joseph, Missouri, March 1, 1851. He was admitted to the bar in 1874 in Missouri, and for a time practiced in An- drew County, but in May, 1879, being convinced that in the territory of Montana he could find the opening for which as an ambitious young man he was looking, he came to Bozeman, Montana, from Ogden, Utah, by stage. It had been his intention to engage in the practice of law in Bozeman, but discovering upon his arrival that there was a better opening for a stockman than a professional man, for a year he bought and sold stock in partnership with a Mr. Martin. Later his brother joined him and the firm of Myers Brothers was organized and Mr. Myers came to Miles City as the repre- sentative of the firm.

Upon his arrival at 'Miles City Mr. Myers called upon the acting commissary at Fort Keogh, as his firm had been awarded the contract for keeping this fourteen company post supplied with cattle for beef. General Miles was then in command at Fort Keogh, and a few months later completed the conquest of the Indians in this region.

At the time Mr. Myers reached Miles City, June 28, 1880, the place was a log and tent town of a few thousand people. His "pioneer" herd of cattle was run on Pumpkin Creek and Tongue River, in a county absolutely innocent of fence and almost of people for many years. The firm of Myers Brothers handled thousands of cattle, and besides those required for the military post, shipped many herds East. They were the first to ship Montana cattle over the Northern Pacific Railroad. The first two train loads were driven from the Shields River ranches across Montana to the railroad at Mandan, Dakota, and ferried across the river. They were grazed along the way and reached the rail- road as fat as cornfed animals. They were shipped to the commission firm of Adams Burke.

While giving considerable attention to his cattle interests Mr. 'Myers very soon opened a law office in Miles City, and has since been engaged in gen- eral practice. In capital crimes he always was for the defense and took part in the trial of a score of murder cases. He was chief counsel for the defense of Joe Hurst, charged and convicted of the killing of Sheriff-elect Kavanaugh, and al- though his efforts toward modification of the jury findings were unremitting and the case was carried to the highest authority, nothing was accomplished and Hurst paid the penalty. Associated with Mr. Myers in the case was C. R. Middleton.

One of the most noted civil cases Mr. Myers fought through the courts was that entitled "Bender vs. Northern Pacific Railroad Company." The com- pany held a patent for five years to the land Bender claimed. He fought them on and off for twenty years, and under the rulings of the Court of Ap- peals in the Nelson case he believed he could win a title in the suit, and it was brought by Mr. Myers. Bender was defeated in the local court, but in the higher court the railroad company submitted volun- tary and arranged a compromise with Bender, re- linquished title to the land, paid him damages and retired without prejudice.

Another hard-fought case which 'Mr. Myers de- fended was that of "Montana vs. Bailey." Bailey was charged with murder, was convicted and his counsel fought the case for two years, and the

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date for his execution was twice set, but upon the discovery of new evidence the court granted another trial to be held in Dawson County. A jury could not be found competent to try the case. and it was transferred to Miles City and an acquittal was secured.

Still another case was that of the State of Mon- tana against Harpster and others, which Mr. Myers fought alone and secured an acquittal for his client from the charge of stealing freight from the North- ern Pacific Railroad Company. At the crucial point the failure of the state to identify beyond ques- tion a manila rope served to convince the jury that the defendant was not guilty.

Mr. Myers began to take an active part in Mon- tana politics from the time he crossed the Yellow- stone River, which was regarded of such value that during Cleveland's administration he was ap- pointed register of the Miles City land office, then the largest and the most important in the United States. It comprised the vast scope of territory extending east of Helena to the Dakotas, and from Canada to Wyoming. Mr. Myers held the office during the administration of President Cleveland and was reappointed to the same office by Presi- dent Wilson, beginning his second term in May, 1915, and still holding this very important position with the Government. Now the territory of this local office is much smaller, but the office is the largest in the United States in point of business, exceeding others by about 800 entries a year.

In this region thousands of soldiers of the great war are seeking homes. Several oil fields are be- coming productive, and as a result the work of the register of the land office is really burdensome. None but he and his close associates know what it means to handle expeditiously and effectively the 800 to 1,200 signatures received daily.

Mr. Myers is one of the most capable men serv- ing the Government in this capacity, as he, as one of the old settlers of the state, knows conditions and values and not only attends to the duties of his office but gives expert advice to those seeking to found homes. There are few more enthusiastic supporters of the democratic principles than he, and he has attended almost every state convention of Montana since he arrived, and was alternate to the Chicago convention which nominated Wil- liam Jennings Bryan for President. He was at the national convention of his party held at Kansas City, Missouri, but only as a spectator.

George W. Myers was united in marriage Sep- tember 6, 1877, with Miss Mary E. Bowman, a daughter of Frank and Barbara Frances (Wood) Bowman, both descendants of Colonial families and fighters in the Revolutionary war.

Mr. and Mrs. Myers have two daughters. Mildred G. is the wife of Harry F. Schlosser, of Knowl- ton, Montana. They have three sons, Weyand Myers Schlosser, Fredericks G. Schlosser and John Bowman Schlosser. Alma May has been final proof clerk for several years in the local United States land office. Alfred, a son, died in infancy. Mr. Myers is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Elk Lodges.

ALBA M. VANNETT. It is proper to judge of a man's life by the estimation in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him at his work, in his family circle, hear his views on public questions, observe the operation of his code of morals, witness how he conducts himself in all the relations of so- ciety and civilization and are therefore competent to judge of his merits and demerits. It is not too

much to say that no family in Powder River County holds a higher position in the esteem of the people than that of Alba M. Vannett, who has been identified with Montana since 1884. The members of this well known family have conducted them- selves honorably in all the relations of life, their duty being well performed whether in private or public life. Industry and integrity have been the keynotes of their actions and the secret of the suc- cess which has attended their efforts.

Alba M. Vannett was born in Calhoun County, Michigan, on July 14, 1864, and is the son of Cicero . and Louisa (Bushnell) Vannett. Cicero Vannett was a native of Ohio. He became a carpenter by trade, later moving to Calhoun County, Michigan, where his remaining years were passed, his death occurring in 1876. He was survived a number of years by his widow, who died near Alzada, Mon- tana, in 1910. Alba M. was the only child born to that union. He was reared in Calhoun County and secured his education in the public schools of that community. When about eighteen years old Mr. Vannett went to Sac County, Iowa, where he was employed in a brick yard and on a farm. He had heard of the splendid opportunities in the great Treasure State for the man of ambition and energy, and in 1884 he came to this state, stopping first at Miles City, where he obtained employment on a dairy farm at a wage of $40.00 a month, which was almost double what he had earned in Iowa. He worked for others for several years, driving stage in winter on the Miles City and Spearfish trail and putting up hay or working for ranchmen in sum- mer. In the early 'gos Mr. Vannett engaged in business on his own account, starting with a few horses, in partnership with his stepfather, James Thomas. A few years later they exchanged the horses for cattle and continued to range the stock along Thompson Creek. About the time of his mar- riage he dissolved this partnership and continued the cattle business himself. Later he removed to "the Ridge" and a few months later went over into Wyo- ming, sold his cattle and engaged in the sheep business. A year later he sold out that business and spent the winter in the gold mines on Bald Mountain in the Black Hills. In the spring of 1899 he returned to Montana, settling on East Fork of the Little Powder River, where he leased a band of sheep and for three years conducted the busi- ness profitably. During the following few years he divided his attention between cattle and sheep, the latter proving profitable, but the former not so. He then moved over into the Pilgrims Creek Val- ley, bringing along a few head of horses. A little later he bought ninety head of cattle and branded them "AV," which is still the evidence of his own- ership of stock.

Mr. Vannett entered his homestead and a desert claim on East Fork, which he proved up and im- proved. In Pilgrim Creek Valley Mrs. Vannett en- tered desert land, and the family home is located on it. The residence is one of the most attractive homes in all this neighborhood. It was erected in 1913, comprises eight rooms, and is comfortably and conveniently arranged and tastefully furnished. Fine flowing water is at the door and the homestead improvements are of a character that indicate the owner to be a man of good judgment and com- mon sense. In addition to stock raising Mr. Van- nett also does some farming, raising corn and wheat, and also alfalfa, the latter especially proving a splendid crop, being irrigated from a reservoir which Mr. Vannett has constructed.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 216

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