Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 37

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 37

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He gave up his personal supervision of the ranch and farm in 1914 and moving to Poplar engaged in the real estate and loan business as the C. R. Trinder Company. He is also a stockholder in the First National Bank of Poplar, is president of the First

National Bank of Brockton, and is a dealer in the Hupmobile, Maxwell and Chalmers cars, with terri- tory from Culbertson to Wolf Point on the west and from Scobey to Richey on the south.

In 1915 Mr. Trinder erected a substantial modern home, a story and a half house of bungalow outlines. He also built the office for his business, a stucco and concrete structure with basement, four rooms, and upper and lower vaults. Mr. Trinder has been a re- publican voter since he attained his majority and is a charter member of Poplar Lodge No. 125, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a working citizen at Poplar for raising funds for the prosecu- tion of the war and supporting other war auxiliary work. At Poplar in April, 1909, he married Miss Josephine Proctor, who was born in Edmonton, Can- ada, in November, 1892, one of the thirteen children of Peter and Anna (Knoir) Proctor. Her father was a native of Indiana and her mother of Montana. Her parents returned to Montana when she was a child and she grew up and received her education at Poplar. Mr. and Mrs. Trinder have four children, Thomas, Alice, Claude and Howard.

ALEXANDER Ross. Those who have never had the experience cannot in any measurable way under- stand what it means to develop a farm out of a wilderness. Many have taken a long chance in at- tempting it, and that some have succeeded even be- yond their earliest hopes gives proof that courage, perseverance and thrift are the factors that event- ually bring prosperity. One who has proved the possession of these sturdy qualities is Alexander Ross, who came many years ago to Blaine County and today is not only a man of substantial fortune, but one of the representative, prominent and useful citizens.

Alexander Ross was born at St. Peter in Nova Scotia, December 22, 1861, the oldest of seven chil- dren born to Finley and Isabella (McLennan) Ross. Both parents of Mr. Ross were born in Nova Scotia, the father in 1825 and the mother on August 20, 1837. They were married in Nova Scotia on De- cember 20, 1860, and the father died there in 1907, having been a farmer all his life. He was a man of upright life and from youth belonged to the Presbyterian Church.

In the public schools Alexander Ross acquired educational training and made himself useful to his father on the home farm until about twenty years old, then came to the United States and learned the carpenter's trade in the City of Boston, Massachu- setts. From there he journeyed westward to Sioux City, Iowa, where he worked at his trade for two years, in the spring of 1884 coming to Butte, Mon- tana, the rush of settlers in that year offering him fine opportunity in his trade, as people had to be housed. He continued there as a carpenter until in the summer of 1889, when he located on Govern- ment land in Chouteau, now Blaine, County. He had already been interested in the cattle business, buying his first bunch in the fall of 1886, but lost on that venture on account of the unprecedented cold that prevailed in the winter of 1886-7, during which period many range cattle died and stock loss was general. Since locating on his homestead Mr. Ross has made the raising of cattle his main business, al- though for five years he also raised sheep, selling his sheep in 1916. He now owns 4,000 acres of land and keeps from 300 to 500 head of cattle. In 1890 he built his comfortable farmhouse, covering it with the first shingled roof in the Bear Paw Mountain neighborhood, and it was an object of interest for many miles around.

On April 23, 1902, Alexander Ross was united in

alexander Ross and faculty

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

marriage to Miss Mary A. Ross, who was born at Alexandria, Ontario, Canada, and died in Montana November 17, 1917. Her loss to family and friends cannot be estimated. Their four children survive, namely: Finley G., who resides on the home ranch, married Rosella Faber; Thomas A., who enlisted in an artillery regiment in August, 1918, for service in the great war, received training at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, was commissioned second lieutenant and after the signing of the armistice was honorably dis- charged; Isabella, who is attending school at Los Angeles, California; and William D., who is at home. Another member of the household is the beloved mother of Mr. Ross, who came to Montana in 1908. Time has touched her kindly, and genuine hospitality, friendly interest and unusual compe- tency mark her manner and speech.

During his long residence in the county Mr. Ross, as a public-spirited citizen, has taken part in worthy enterprises looking to its development and at times has served faithfully in public office. In November, 1906, he was elected a member of the Board of County Commissioners of Chouteau County, and had much to do with important county measures at that time. He has always been deeply concerned in the public schools and has been clerk of the school board in his district since its organization. In political sentiment he has always been an outspoken repub- lican. His fraternal connections are with Havre Lodge No. 55, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and the Modern Woodmen. .

GUSTAV A. LUNDEEN, head of the Lundeen Mer- cantile Company of Poplar, has made a vigorous use of the time and opportunities of his brief career, and has rapidly forged to the front since coming to Montana six years ago.

He was born at Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Novem- ber 2, 1885. His father, Anton Lundeen, was a na- tive of Sweden, born in 1860, and came to Minne- sota in 1881, accompanied by his brother Magnus. The two located near Fergus Falls on wild and new land, the brother entering a homestead and Anton purchasing railroad land. These properties were de- veloped into farms and Anton is still a resident on the old homestead. He had no resources but his labor when he came here, and his original home was a log house of liberal dimensions. In it he began housekeeping and his children were born there. Later as he made money from the soil he removed the old landmark and erected a convenient and modern residence, more in keeping with the times. His business has been stock and grain raising, and his prosperity has enabled him to increase his holdings to 240 acres. He has been an active and effective factor in community affairs, did good work for the local schools and for years was a road commissioner. He took out citizenship papers at an early date and has been a republican. A Lutheran Church member, he early sold a part of his land for church purposes.

Anton Lundeen married Annie Lystrom, who was born in Sweden in 1863, a daughter of Fred Lystrom, a Swedish farmer, and was brought to the United States and to Minnesota when a girl of eight years. Anton Lundeen and wife had the following children : Gustav and Helmer, twin brothers, the latter a farmer at Fergus Falls; Hulda, wife of Christian Borgus, a farmer at Fergus Falls; Alfred, a farmer in the same locality; Alvida, wife of John Peterson, at Fergus Falls; and Leonard, who is the only one of the children still at home.

Gustav A. Lundeen acquired a district school edu- cation at Fergus Falls, and also took an academic

and commercial school course there. At Superior, Wisconsin, he pursued the study of banking and commercial law, and when that was completed he came west to Bainville, Montana, in 1914. At Bainville he entered the service of John Lundquist, head of the Lundquist Mercantile Company. He was with that firm until 1917 as head of the credit department and in charge of office details. He left Bainville and went to Poplar to take charge of the firm's business in the latter town, and at that time was a stock- holder in the company. In the spring of 1917 Mr. Lundeen established a business of his own under the name of the Lundeen Mercantile Company, and in three years has been able to see his affairs grow and prosper to a notable extent.

He is also a stockholder and director of the First National Bank of Poplar. He has served three years as a member of the council, is independent in local politics, and is a republican in national affairs. At Poplar he has been affiliated with the Masons and Odd Fellows, and during the World war did his part as a private citizen in behalf of patriotic move- ments. Mr. Lundeen has built at Poplar a modern eight-room stucco home.

At Bainville he married Miss Mabel Toll. She was born at Winthrop, Minnesota, August 30, 1887, daughter of John and Emma (Lundquist) Toll, who were Swedish people. Her mother was a daughter of Peter Lundquist. Mrs. Toll had a number of brothers and sisters, one of them being John Lund- quist, the Bainville merchant and business man. Mrs. Lundeen has two sisters: Effie and Myrtle, the former a teacher at Portland, Oregon, and the latter a sales clerk with the Lundeen Mercantile Company. Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lundeen, Margaret, born in 1915, and Janet, born in 1919.

MRS. ELIZABETH CARTER, who is the fine arts teacher in the Butte City schools, is a real teacher, a cultured woman who since the loss of her husband has devoted heart and hand to training and educating the artistic instincts.

She was born at Treves, Germany, daughter of Johann and Catherine (Lorscheter) Habermann, be- ing fifth in their family of eight children. She was only one year old when her parents came to America and settled at Sioux City, Iowa, where she was reared and educated in the public schools. She later graduated from the schools of Cassville, Grant County, Wisconsin. In 1907 she became the wife of James Edward Carter, a native of Cartersville, Kentucky, the old family home, and a son of Rev. Alonzo Carter. James E. Carter was an employe of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, with headquarters at LaCrosse, Wisconsin. November 24. 1908, while on duty, he met his death in a railroad collision. Thus the happy romance of a little more than a year was ended and Mrs. Carter returned to her father's home in Cassville. Soon afterward she entered the Normal School at LaCrosse, graduating in June, 1911, and in June, 1912, entered the Chicago Art School, where she specialized in art and music and subsequently earned also a post-graduate diploma.

Mrs. Carter has filled in a most satisfactory man- ner the following responsible positions: Music and art supervisor at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin ; music and art supervisor at Mandan, North Dakota; music and art teacher in the Flathead County High School at Kalispell; and fine arts teacher of the Butte City schools. One comment on her work is the following written by the superintendent of Mandan: "Mrs. Carter has rare tact and conducts her work without friction or complaint. She is the possessor of the

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

finest kind of character and is a good and useful member of any community. She possesses that pe- culiar faculty of getting things done and on time."

A lecturer at Farmers Short Course after visiting Kalispell wrote the following for the Portland Ore- gonian: "The art department in charge of Mrs. Carter was a busy place from two to five-thirty. The interest manifested in basket weaving was far in excess of the expectation of the management. Mothers are learning the art in order to be able to teach their children; teachers are learning in order to be able to give it to their pupils; and men are learning it in order to become convinced that some of the beautiful baskets on display at the high school art room were actually made by the students and not by Indians on the reservation. Even the lecturers are using their spare time making baskets to take home to their families."

Mrs. Carter enjoys a large circle of friends, among whom she is best known as Betty Carter. Her mother died in 1912 and her father in 1917.

Recently, when Col. A. A. White of Kalispell donated sixteen acres of land on the shore of Flat- head Lake for "The Mary Grove Summer Home of the Y. W. C. A. of America," he appointed Betty Carter secretary and treasurer of the Home, with Mary Grove as president.

C. W. JEROME is editor and proprietor of the Poplar Standard, and has been a resident of Montana since 1915. He is also interested in two other weekly papers in Roosevelt County, the Fort Peck Farmer and the Roosevelt County Review. He is secretary of the Roosevelt County Republican Committee.

HUGH C. WALKER has helped to make practically all the history of the Town of Poplar. He was one of the earliest of its permanent residents, and has been there as a business man and civic leader for over thirty years.

Mr. Walker is a Virginian by birth and ancestry. He was born in the City of Richmond September 28, 1860. His grandfather, Samuel Walker, was also a native Virginian, and spent his life as a planter in Appomattox County. He had numerous slaves, but lost them all during the war. He married a Miss Walton. Their children were: Walton, Mrs. Bettie Jones, Mrs. H. D. LeGrand, Edmund, Mrs. Jennie Babcock, Harrison, Isaac W., Nannie, Samuel, Mrs. Fannie Withers and Harvey, who lost his life while a Confederate soldier. All the sons except Samuel were in the Confederate army.

The father of the Poplar business man was Isaac W. Walker, who was born in Appomattox County on his father's plantation, acquired his education in the field schools of his home locality, and as a young man removed to Richmond, was trained in a broker's office, and engaged in that business for himself. Dur- ing the war he entered the Confederate army as a member of the Ambulance Corps, and he also served as deputy sheriff of Enrico County. After the war he was a commercial traveler for a Baltimore house for several years, and died while still on the road. He was a democrat, a Royal Arch and Knight Templar Mason, and late in life became affiliated with the Episcopal Church. He married Mrs. Cath- erine Taliaferro. Her father was Maj. Thomas W. Doswell, of a noted racing family of Virginia. She was born at Whitehall, Virginia, and surviving her husband thirty-five years died at Poplar in 1918 at the age of ninety. Her children were: Doswell, who died at Poplar, Montana, leaving a family in Greenville, Mississippi; Dudley L., deceased; and Hugh C.

Hugh C. Walker was reared in a period when

all the South was depressed by poverty. He at- tended private schools, the Bethel Military Academy, and finished his education in the Virginia Military Institute. The first work he did after leaving school was as waterboy for Col. C. E. Cutshaw, city en- gineer and contractor of having work done for the city by convict labor from the penitentiary. For a time he also worked in the city engineer's office at Richmond. The last service he did in Virginia was as station agent at Walker's Ford for the Richmond and Allegheny Railway Company. That company ordered him to new duties as agent at Lynchburg, but about that time he was induced by Minston Brothers, railway construction contractors, to come west.

This firm was J. S. Winston & Company, which deserves some particular notice at this point because of its pioneer interests in Montana. J. S. Winston, the head of the company, was a Virginian and be- came identified with railroad building in company with General Rosser, chief engineer of the Northern Pacific Railway. Hugh C. Walker joined the Win- ston Company while it was handling a construction contract for the Canadian Pacific in Canada. He went to Western Canada in 1883, working as a team driver, and for four years was timekeeper and did office work in Minnesota, North Dakota and Canada.

While Mr. Winston was doing construction work for the Great Northern he also established stores along the line of the road. In that he was asso- ciated with W. B. Shaw, a native of Delaware, and a St. Paul business man. Mr. Shaw was suttler through the Montana country with General Miles' army and opened the first store at Bismarck, North Dakota. Shaw & Winston had the mail contract from Fort Buford to Bismarck, a pony express, and both were interested in a store at Poplar.

When Hugh C. Walker came into Montana he was an office man and timekeeper for J. S. Winston & Company. On reaching Poplar his duties were shifted from Construction Company timekeeper to a part in the local mercantile house. In 1888 Winston & Shaw bought the post store of Leighton, Jordan & Henderson at Poplar, whose manager at that time was P. W. Lewis. Mr. Walker became a clerk in the trading store, Mr. Shaw being Indian trader. Since the year 1888, therefore, Mr. Walker has been closely identified with Poplar and has had a great deal to do with the development of the town and locality.

At the incorporation of the firm of Cosier-Patch Mr. Walker became a stockholder, and is still office head of the business. However, he has found a num- ber of other business, official and civic interests that are features of local history. He is manager and president of the Walker Opera House Company, also operates the Strand moving picture house in Poplar and is a stockholder of the Traders State Bank.

Governor Toole commissioned him the first notary public for this locality. The entire region was then in Dawson County, and without changing his resi- dence Mr. Walker has lived successively in Dawson, Valley, Sheridan and Roosevelt counties. He was the first justice of the peace of Poplar, the first school clerk, and filled that office for fifteen years.

The first effort at education in Poplar was sup- ported by the residents of the community through private subscription. The first schoolhouse was a small frame building, now used as a residence, and served until the educational needs brought forth an ample building standing upon a block of ground patented to the district by the Government, this being the first public school to be erected upon an Indian Reservation in the United States. In bringing this about Mr. Walker's service was a dominating factor.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

The right to use a site on the reservation was se- cured through the efforts of Senator Carter, who put through a bill in Congress confirming a portion of the reservation to use for public school purposes. The senator's interest was secured through the ap- peal of his friend and supporter, Mr. Walker. After the site, 300 feet square, was acquired the district voted $10,000 for a two-story building. The upper floor has been used as a community center hall for local entertainments. Mr. Walker was made man- ager of the hall. The bonds were issued for twenty years, but the income from the hall after paying all expenses paid off the bonds in five years and left a surplus in the treasury.

Mr. Walker was the first state senator from Sheri- dan County, elected in 1913, but there being some confusion over the election he declined to present his credentials. He is a republican, has taken an active interest in convention work in the state, at- tending both state and local conventions, and through this association came to know personally the old leaders of both parties. Mr. Walker is now serving his sixth term as secretary of Northern Light Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

At Poplar May 10, 1890, he married Mrs. Annie (Aherns) Early, who was born at Ellendale, New York, in 1863. Mr. and Mrs. Walker were the parents of three children. Harry is embalmer and undertaker of the Cosier-Patch Company at Poplar. William Shaw, also with the Cosier-Patch Company, was a member of Company K of the 163rd Infantry, part of the old Second Montana Regiment, and saw service overseas in France. James died in October, 1918, when almost twenty-three years of age.

OLE SANVIK. The chief characteristics of Ole Sanvik, well known citizen of Havre, Hill County, who is now rendering efficient service as county as- sessor, are keenness of perception, an unflagging energy, honesty of purpose and motive and every- day common sense, which have enabled him not only to advance his own interests, but also largely contribute to the moral and material advancement of the locality. He worked his way from a modest beginning, having landed from a foreign strand on our shores many years ago, "a youth to fortune and to fame unknown," step by step to a position of no mean importance. His individual efforts have been practically unaided, which fact renders him the more worthy of praise, for his life has been one of un- ceasing activity and the honorable and systematic methods he has employed have earned for him the commendation of all who know him.

Ole Sanvik was born on the twenty-ninth day of August, 1879, in Norway, the son of Ole and Katie (Haldoreson) Sanvik, both.of whom were also na- tives of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The father was born in 1857 and is still living; the mother was born in 1856 and her death occurred in 1909. The subject of this sketch is the first born of their six children, four of whom are now living. Ole San- vik, Sr., who was a stone mason by trade, came to the United States in 1883, locating in Juneau County, Wisconsin, where for about two years he worked at his trade. In 1892 he homesteaded a farm in Ed- munds County, South Dakota, but afterwards moved to Ottertail County, Minnesota, where he bought a farm, to the operation of which he devoted himself until 1909, when his wife died. He then came to Montana and made his home with his son, Ole, for about a year, at the end of which period he returned to his home in Minnesota for about two years. He then sold that farm and returned to his old home in Norway, where he now lives. While in this country he gave his political support to the republican party.

Ole Sanvik was but four years of age when brought to the United States by his parents, and was reared on his father's farm. In South Dakota, he was per- mitted to attend school a total of forty-three days, and to reach this school the lad was compelled to walk seven miles each way, a total of fourteen miles a day. Besides this he got two terms of schooling in Minnesota. His first money was earned in herd- ing cattle in South Dakota, for which the first year he received $4 a month and board, and the second year, $6 a month and board and shoes. In Minne- sota he worked at clearing land and cutting logs and railway ties up to 1899, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Weggeland, a small inland town in Ottertail County, Minnesota, under the firm name of Weggeland & Sanvik. In 1909 Mr. Sanvik sold his mercantile interests and traveled as invoice taker for a Minneapolis firm who had stores in Min- nesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Da- kota, following this work for about a year. He then came to Chouteau County, Montana, and home- steaded land in what is now Hill County, to the op- eration and improvement of which he devoted himself indefatigably, meeting with a gratifying de- gree of success as the legitimate result of his earnest efforts. In January, 1919, he entered the office of county assessor, which office he is still filling. Mr. Sanvik is progressive and up-to-date in his agricul- tural methods, the general appearance of his place indicating him to be a man of good taste and sound judgment. He raises all the crops common to this locality and is counted among the successful farmers of the county.

On March 29, 1907, Mr. Sanvik was married to Lena Berge, who was born in Ottertail County, Min- nesota, and their union has been blessed in the birth of five children, Selmar, Orris, Agnes, Obert and Liejan.

Politically a nonpartisan, Mr. Sanvik has given close and intelligent attention to the public affairs of his adopted country and uses wise discrimination in his support. of candidates for local offices. On November 5, 1918, he was elected to the office of county assessor, being the present incumbent of the 'office, and discharging the important duties of the position to the satisfaction .of the citizens of the county. At the convention in Great Falls of the Nonpartisan League that was held on the 23d of June, 1920, Mr. Sanvik was indorsed for state auditor. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and religiously he is a mem- ber and liberal supporter of the Lutheran Church. Personally Mr. Sanvik is a man of fine qualities of character, genial and companionable, and enjoys a marked popularity among his acquaintances.

SENATOR HENRY P. LOWE. While he has rendered distinguished service as the first state senator from Roosevelt County, Mr. Lowe is best known for the constructive work he has done in the development of the noted Mar Car Ranch, now famous all over the Northwest as a breeding center for registered Shorthorn cattle.

Senator Lowe, who was one of the early settlers of Northeastern Montana, and has been identified with the Culbertson locality since August, 1903, was born at Stordahl, near Trondjem, Norway, June 13, 1877, son of Peter and Carrie Lowe. When he was five years of age his parents came to the United States and settled at Canton, South Dakota. His father became a section foreman on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, and finally moved his family to Sanborn, Iowa, where he was a yard crew foreman on the same road. He is still at Sanborn and is still in the employ of the Milwaukee Company.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 37

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