Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 220

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 220

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. Donohue is also stockholder in the Western Montana National Bank, in the Irving-Whitehouse Company of Great Falls, stocks and bonds. He owns the large brick store building and several warehouses used in his business, and also has other real estate in Missoula including a modern home at 829 Gerald Avenue.

Mr. Donohue is a republican, a Catholic, is affili- ated with Missoula Council No. 1021, Knights of Columbus, being a third degree Knight, Hell Gate Lodge No. 383 of the Elks, and is president of the Missoula Country Club and a member of the Missoula Chamber of Commerce and the Rocky Mountain Club of New York City.

In 1893 at Butte Mr. Donohue married Miss Kate Hennessy. She is a native of New Bruns- wick, Canada, and is a graduate of the Girls College in the Dominion. Her brother, the late D. J. Hennessy, was a pioneer merchant of Butte, an associate and partner of the late Marcus Daly. Mr. and Mrs. Donohue have three daughters: Dorothy who is a graduate of the Sisters Academy at Missoula and the State University of Montana ; Eileen, a graduate of the Sacred Heart Academy at Missoula and of Trinity College at Washington, D. C .; and Kathryn, a member of the senior class of the State University of Montana.

JAMES L. GWINN. Energetic, enterprising and eminently practical, James L. Gwinn, superintend- ent of the Belmont Mine, of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, has achieved success in the vari- ous lines of industry with which he has been asso- ciated, his forceful individuality and business ability having proved his chief assets during his active career. A son of the late O. M. Gwinn, he was born May 17, 1872, at Kniths Landing, Yolo County, California, of Irish descent.

O. M. Gwinn, Sr., his grandfather, was born in Ireland in 1804. Immigrating in early manhood to

1435

HISTORY OF MONTANA

the United States, he spent a number of seasons in New York State. In 1850, lured by the wonderful reports concerning the discovery of gold in Cali- fornia, he trekked across the plains with his family to Yolo County, that state, but instead of working with pick and shovel decided to turn his attention to agriculture. Taking up a homestead claim of 160 acres, and pre-empting another 160 acres of land, he cleared and improved a valuable ranch, on which he resided until his death, at Kniths Land- ing, in 1879.

Born in New York State in 1841, O. M. Gwinn, Jr., was but nine years old when his parents re- moved to California, where he was reared, remain- ing on the parental ranch, and assisting in its management until twenty-five years of age. Locat- ing then in Woodland, Yolo County, he embarked in business as a butcher and stock raiser, in which he was very successful, having had an especially large trade while the Central Pacific Railway was being extended through California, supplying the men employed in its building with meat. In 1908, having acquired a competency, he moved to San Francisco, and there lived retired until his death, in October, 1913. He was a stanch democrat in politics, and as a man and a citizen was ever held in high respect.

The wife of O. M. Gwinn, Jr., whose maiden name was Dora Phillips, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1844, and died in Sacramento, California, in 1904. Five children were born of their union, as follows: James L., of this sketch; H. F., of San Jose, California; Grace, wife of F. H. Pierson, a well known capitalist of San Francisco; R. F., of San Francisco, is a buyer of cattle for Miller & Lux, the largest cattle company in the West; and Ethel, wife of M. Dineen, a clerk in the auditor's office of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, at San Francisco.

Having acquired the rudiments of his education in the rural schools of his native county, James L. Gwinn was graduated from the Woodland, Cali- fornia, High School in 1890, and from the Sacra- mento Business College in 1892. The following three years he was in the employ of the Wells- Fargo Express Company, at Sacramento, and for two years thereafter was engaged in stock raising on his father's cattle ranch. He was subsequently with the Wood-Curtis Company, wholesale commis- sion merchants, for two years. Coming to Butte, Montana, March 17, 1897, Mr. Gwinn was employed as an underground miner for the Boston & Mon- tana Copper Mining Company for two years, and since that time has been actively identified with the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Beginning work as a common miner, Mr. Gwinn, in 1907, was made shift boss at the Anaconda mine, and in January, 1908, was placed in the same position at the J. I. C. Mine. Transferred to the Belmont Mine in August, 1914, he served for more than a year as shift boss, and in November, 1918, was promoted to his present responsible position as superintendent of the mine, and in its management is meeting with unquestioned success, ably super- vising the work of the 500 men over which he has control. Mr. Gwinn's offices are at the mine, which is located at the corner of Grant and Mercer streets.

Mr. Gwinn, who has never married, resides at No. 631/2 West Broadway. He is a democrat in his political affiliations, and fraternally he is a member of Butte Aerie No. 11, Order of Eagles.

LAWRENCE WAKEFIELD. Human achievement in every community is the result of the character

found in the citizenship, and particularly in the purpose to serve others as well as themselves and to promote the common weal as well as lay up ma- terial treasure. Laying a proper foundation for society involves a civic respect for the Biblical in- junction "love thy neighbor as thyself" as well as the application of the golden rule "do unto others as you would have others do unto you." With the spirit of leadership in any community in har- mony with these accepted tenents of right living and dealing, its development is certain to be along right lines and its destiny is a progressive and enlightened course. Applying this recognized stand- ard of measurement to the aspiring municipal com- munities of Montana, Forsyth is readily passed as meeting the requirements and the opinion is ven- tured that with its continued direction by minds as versatile and discerning as those which have been and are in action today its commanding im- portance among the cities of the commonwealth is assured. Those most responsible for this favorable result are the men who have visioned the future and fashioned their conduct with an unselfish eye to the common good and the welfare of all, and among this company is the ranchman, land broker and man of affairs, Lawrence Wakefield.

Mr. Wakefield has not the distinction of being a pioneer, in point of time, but rather during the decade of his residence in the treasure common- wealth has been a pioncer in initiative, in leadership, in causing things to happen which had not hap- pened before. Best of all his work has been ani- mated by a purpose to accomplish something, not only for himself, but for others outside the realm of real estate and the ranch,

He came into this locality with an experience as a successful farmer and stock man and with a scientific as well as a practical knowledge of land. That knowledge made obvious his choice of the land business and the promoting of immi- gration to a region where good rural homes were awaiting the developer on terms easy to meet. As a means of showing his faith in this country and his sincerity in recommending it to others, he be- came a land owner and rancher himself, and thus his own toil and efforts have contributed to the material improvement of the locality where he cast his lot.

His methods of conducting business have been characteristic of the man. He did not wait in his office for a chance seeker, but placed his bargains before the traveling public in bold letters and as- sured buyers that he was handling lands at owners' prices and not resorting to the questionable methods that have brought the real estate game into dis- repute at times. For such boldness he was in- directly attacked by jealous competitors and others who could not see that his success was their own ultimate success as well. The poison of the knocker on another man's legitimate enterprise only boosts him and harms but the knocker himself, and thus Mr. Wakefield has continued to sing the praises of Montana and of Rosebud County. The homes es- tablished in this region through his agency are owned by emigrants from numerous states of the Mississippi Valley, and much wealth has been added to Montana because of his efforts in this and other directions.

Not all the money he has made for himself in such work has remained in his own purse. As the occasion arose he has encouraged community and state and even national movements which called for and received liberal donations from him. As a means of benefiting the youth he has contributed

1436

HISTORY OF MONTANA

numerous sums of educational institutions, has opened his purse to the promotion of the Gospel and church extension, promptly contributed to move- ments for the establishment of the work of the Young Men's Christian Association and has given time and money toward the Interchurch World Movement, thus putting himself on the right side of every educational and moral question. In the statewide movement for prohibition in Montana he was the chief contributor to the fund necessary to make the dry fight in his locality, and signed the petition circulated to start the battle and was one of the most active of the Forsyth men in the ranks. For his part in the work he was called from his home and assaulted by henchmen of the saloon interests with whom he had never had a personal difference, but the assaulting party picked himself up from the porch of the gritty law and order advocate a wiser man.

So much for his patriotism locally, but he also demonstrated his untarnished Americanism and su- preme loyalty to the flag when he gave four sons to the cause of freedom and universal liberty dur- ing the World war. One of these Legionaires went with the Expeditionary forces to France in 1917, and with the "Gypsy Division" helped win the first laurels for the United States at Cantigny with a record of six months on the firing line. He escaped death but came off with scars made by German gas and with promotion to a sergeant before the armistice was signed. Mr. Wakefield carried his portion of the burden of the Red Cross and other auxiliary work of the war, and emphasized his farming venture for the production of more food while the struggle was going on. He encouraged his sons in the trenches with letters and newspaper accounts of what was happening at home, and lent inspiration to the community by his public utter- ances upon the exigencies of the situation and pointed out the plain duty of every young man physically fit to fight the common and world enemy to a finish. For one of his addresses he received congratulatory messages from many of the leading papers, public men and heads of institutions, com- plimenting him upon being the father of four soldier sons and upon the sentiment of his address. Colonel Roosevelt said: "I appreciate your talk and thank you for it." The Literary Digest asked about the four Wakefield boys as did the War Department, and the president of his old college at Shenandoah, Iowa, wrote a congratulatory letter upon having so many sons in the service fighting the world's battles and upon the sentiment of his speech, endorsing "every word of it."

Lawrence Wakefield was born in Cass County, Iowa, December 25, 1869, and grew up in the home of a successful farmer, George W. Wakefield, who was born at Mercer, Maine, in 1825, and moved out to Iowa in 1853. He reared a large family of chil- dren to places of honor and responsibility in the world. After many years of residence in Cass County George W. Wakefield moved to Hazen, Arkansas, where he was a merchant and hotel man and altogether his business interests were prose- cuted with success, so that he left a good estate when he died at Omaha, where he spent the last years of his life at the home of his daughter. His death occurred at the age of eighty years ten months. He was a republican in politics and a Methodist. His wife was Miss Mary J. Clare, who was born near Lowell, Massachusetts, July 6, 1828, and died in Cass County, Iowa, in November, 1905, aged seventy-eight. She was the mother of twelve children, and those still living are: George

W. of Iowa; Charles, of Valentine, Nebraska; Henry H., of Crookston, Nebraska; Wilbur I., who was adopted by his aunt Mrs. Wingate of Marys- ville, California; Lawrence; and Mrs. May L. Keaton of Omaha.

Lawrence Wakefield is descended from Puritan stock, his first ancestors landing in Massachusetts in 1636. His forbears were John Wakefield of the first generation; James Wakefield of the second; John Wakefield of the third; John of the fourth; Ezekiel of the fifth; John of the sixth; George W. of the seventh; Lawrence being of the eighth generation. The genealogy of the family was pub- lished in a 374 page book in 1897 by Dr. Homer Wakefield of Bloomington, Illinois, entitled the "Wakefields of the World," a work that can be found in many of the national libraries, the pages abundantly testifying to their active work in the business, social and religious affairs of the many states and communities wherever they have cast their lot. The high standards and achievements of the family as measured in this volume have no exception in the career of Lawrence Wakefield.

He has always been grateful for the fact that his youth was spent on a farm where he acquired a vigorous constitution. He attended the common schools of Iowa, and in 1890 graduated from the Western Normal College of Shenandoah. For a year or two he taught in Nebraska, and began his career as a practical farmer southeast of Atlantic, Iowa, where he entered the sheep business. He soon became an authority on this industry, and lec- tured before Farmers Institutes and wrote many newspaper articles on the subject. There as in Montana he showed himself a leader in community affairs, served as secretary of the local telephone company, was census enumerator of his county in 1890 and in 1900, and was the first enumerator to finish his work in the county the latter year. A practical dairyman, he was for a time secretary of the Farmers Co-operative Creamery Company.

Eventually feeling that section of the Middle West too crowded, he sought a new locality, went to Nebraska and proved up a homestead in Knox Coun- ty, but later returned to Cass County, Iowa, and from there came to Montana in 1910.

In this state he invested much capital in lands in Rosebud County, and these holdings have con- tinued to expand with the passing years. In 19II he formed a partnership with Arthur Bland in the real estate business, and during the following seven years they did a business aggregating in value a million dollars. Since the dissolution of the firm in 1918 Mr. Wakefield has carried on the business alone.

Among his associates Mr. Wakefield has earned the reputation of being a very keen business man, a judge of men and affairs, properly conservative, but with a wonderful enthusiasm and energy when- ever committed by his judgment to any undertaking. For several years past he has given much of his time and influence to securing the success of one of the country's greatest inventors. In 1918 he became identified with the A. L. Powell Power Company, Incorporated, serving on its board of di- rectors over three years. Only after long and thorough investigation did he take up and enlist himself heartily in the lever mechanism invented by Mr. Powell, and after proving to his satisfaction that this invention was mathematically and scientifi- cally correct became next to Mr. Powell the heaviest investor in the corporation, and helped raise the money to finish the first gas engine which afforded an adequate test of the mechanism, Mr. Wakefield

1437

HISTORY OF MONTANA

has regarded it as the greatest honor of his life to be a director in the company. He was present at the test at Washington, D. C., March 12, 1921, when a 6-cylinder Franklin engine, equipped with the Powell mechanism, showed a gain of nearly 100 per cent increased efficiency with the same con- sumption of fuel. The invention doubles the work done by any engine through a technique of levers for transmitting the power of the piston stroke to the crank shaft. Mr. Wakefield has always been grateful to the Town of Shenandoah not only for the education he received there but because while attending college he won the wife and companion of thirty years. A few weeks after his graduation he went to Washington County, Nebraska, and on July 27, 1890, he and Miss Frances J. Van Valin were married at her home. She was born in Wash- ington County, Nebraska, daughter of Alfred and Adaline Van Valin, and finished her education in the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield are: Herbert E., a graduate of Iowa Agricultural Col- lege at Ames, a practical farmer at Howard, Mon- tana, who married Bertha Mace and has two chil- dren; Arthur R., now a senior in Bozeman College; Alfred W., a senior in the State University at Missoula; Wayne W., a student of vocational train- ing; Sylvia, who attended the State Normal School and is a teacher in the public schools; Rex R., an employe of the Jewel Tea Company at Billings; Esther T., a high school student; and Marjorie B. in the grade schools.

Lieut. Arthur R. Wakefield left college to en- list in April, 1917, and though rejected because of two missing fingers was accepted in the draft July 22, 1918, and remained with the colors until discharged in January, 1919. Alfred W. Wakefield enlisted June 26, 1916, in the Montana National Guard for Mexican border service, was mustered out of that service on the 5th of November of the same year, and a few months later, March 27, 1917, left college to join the National army and for fourteen months was in France, receiving his honorable discharge March 6, 1919. Wayne W. Wakefield enlisted from college April 20, 1917, and was the first Rosebud County soldier to go overseas. He participated in the battles of Cantigny, Soissons, St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest, and accompanied the Army of Occupation into Ger- many. He won a Croix de Guerre and Victory Medal with four bars. The fourth soldier son was Rex R., who enlisted at nineteen with the consent of his parents in the navy.

Such a spontaneous manifestation of patriotism from one family as shown in this record is rare indeed, and inspires a parental pride words can not describe. Moreover the service is a rare one in a state and distinguishes the community from which four members of one family are drawn at the call of patriotism. Thus Forsyth for a time held the attention of the nation as a center of inspira- tion and patriotism.

Thus Lawrence Wakefield has done more and is doing more than to make a success of his own business affairs. He has lived and labored so that some of the rewards of success might make it easier for some of the youth of Montana to be- come good American citizens. He has never sought wealth for the pleasure of possessing it, but has kept it busy in a judicious exercise of philanthropic purpose. He has achieved and is achieving the purposes which animated him in the beginning of his career, and in doing so escaped the public

criticism earned by those who live and labor and hoard.

FRED C. BURKS. Whatever may be the real cause, about which political economists, philanthropists and social service workers wisely differ, it remains true that in every community there exists certain indi- viduals so determined upon lawlessness that re- straint is necessary in order to protect the innocent. Hence laws have to be formulated and officers elected to carry them out and in the choice of these officers lies in great part the efficacy of the laws. This is particularly true in the selection of men to fill the dangerous and responsible office of sheriff of a coun- ty and comparatively few men possess every desir- able requirement for such position. Physical strength and endurance must be combined with calm judg- ment, and high order of personal courage, a keen in- tellect, dexterity and adroitness that will enable him to meet any possible advantage taken by the lawless with which class much of his duty is concerned. Thus endowed is Fred C. Burks who is now serv- ing as sheriff of Granite County.

Fred C. Burks was born at Havana, Illinois, May 12, 1872, a son of George W. Burks, and comes of Irish origin, the Burks having been established here by a forebear who came from Ireland to this coun- try long prior to the American Revolution, and lo- cated in Virginia. George W. Burks was born at Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1837, and died at Philips- burg, Montana, in 1913. In young manhood he went to Havana, Illinois, where he was married and be- came a shoe merchant, remaining in that line of busi- ness until 1903, when he retired and came to Philips- burg. All of his mature years he was a republican. The Methodist Episcopal Church had in him one of its faithful and working members, and he was equally consistent to living up to the ideals of the Masonic order of which he was a member. During the war between the North and South, he served in the Union Army. The maiden name of his wife was Frances Wheeler, she was born in what is now West Virginia, in 1840, and died at Havana, Illinois, in 1882. Their children were as follows: Sarah B., who married John B. Harris, an electrical engi- neer, lives at Philipsburg; Edwin who died at the age of twenty-one years; Lucy, who married A. S. Huffman, a grocer of Philipsburg, died in 1914, but Mr. Huffman survives her and has been chair- man of the county commissioners for twelve years; Sheriff Burks, whose name heads this review; and George O., who is a grocer of Deer Lodge, Mon- tana.

Fred C. Burks attended the public schools of Havana, Illinois, and was graduated from its high school in 1889. Following his completion of his studies, he came to Philipsburg, and was one of the pioneers of this city, working at milling and mining. When the Spanish-American war broke out, he enlisted, and participated in the Cuban cam- paign under General Shafter, being mustered out of the army in 1899 as first sergeant. Returning home he re-entered the mills, and was employed in them until 1908 at which time he engaged in the forest service of the United States Government, and re- mained a federal employe on through 1915. In 1916 he was elected sheriff of Granite County, and re-elected in 1918 on the republican ticket. His offices are opposite the courthouse. In addition to serving as sheriff, Mr. Burks made a record for him- self as marshal of Philipsburg following the close of the war with Spain. He belongs to the Pres- byterian Church, of which he is a trustee. Frater-

1438

HISTORY OF MONTANA

nally he belongs to Flint Creek Lodge No. II, An- cient Free and Accepted Masons; Philipsburg Lodge, Loyal Order of Moose, and of the Span- ish-American Veteran Association.

In 1900 Sheriff Burks was married at Philips- burg to Miss Elizabeth Gambell, a daughter of John and Margaret (Fulton) Gambell of Winfield, Iowa. Mr. Gambell died at Winfield, Iowa, being at that time a retired pioneer farmer. Mrs. Gambell survives her husband and continues to reside at Winfield. The children born to Sheriff and Mrs. Burks are as follows: Edwin, who was born April 21, 1901, was graduated from the Philipsburg High School in 1918, and is now in the. employ of the Cordts Reduction Mills of Philipsburg; Margaret, who was born July 29, 1902, is attending the Granite County High School; Carlisle, who was born Oc- tober 3, 1904, is attending the Granite County High School; John, who was born April 11, 1906, is also attending the Granite High School; Oscar, who was born October 7, 1907, and James who was born in April, 1909, are both attending the city public schools; and Ruth, who died at the age of six years.

Sheriff Burks is one of the fearless and efficient men of this part of Montana, a terror to criminals, and a source of comfort to the law-abiding element. While he is relentless in his pursuit of those who have broken the law, he is equally firm in insist- ing that those under his protection receive justice and will not tolerate any infringement upon his au- thority in this matter. Personally he has a countless number of friends and everyone respects him. His services to the county are invaluable, and to him is due much of the credit for the maintenance of law and order during one of the most trying periods in the history of the county.

MRS. MARY MONROE. The romance in the life of the aged lady, known to her tribe as the Fox woman, but to her white neighbors as Mrs. Mary Monroe, reads like a novel, but it is true, and the fact that she and her husband lived very happily together after consummating their love affair, is also authentic. Coming to the tribe of Blackfoot Indians a youth of eighteen years as a representative of the great Hudson Bay Company, Hugh Monroe, a Frenchman, was hampered in his dealings on account of his fear of them which grew out of his not understand- ing them or their methods of doing business. While trying to negotiate with them for the purchase of their furs, he happened to see the daughter of the chief, known to her people as the Fox woman, and a love which never died was kindled in his breast, but he was not permitted to speak with her, nor could he tell if he had made a favorable impression upon her, for the little Indian maiden modestly dropped her eyes and ran away. Rendered almost desperate through learning of the presence of another suitor who was a member of her tribe, Hugh Monroe sought some other means to recommend him to her father and in vain, until one day he saw the chief trying to light his pipe. Holding out his hand he motioned to the chief to let him have it, and the surrounding Indians thought that had sealed his fate, as this pipe was not for the hands of strangers. Probably, however, the chief knew more of this young man's character than he had hitherto ad- mitted, for to the surprise of all, he gave it to young Monroe and stolidly watched him. This was long before the days of matches, and travelers like young Monroe carried what was called a sun glass with them. By directing the sun's rays on the glass he was able to light the pipe, and after

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 220

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