Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 44

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 44

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Mr. Matkin maintains his permanent home on the ranch, but the family spend the winter months in Plentywood in order to afford the children good school facilities. He met the lady who afterward became his wife at Judith Basin, where she was visiting a sister, and they were married at Glasgow, Montana. She was then Miss Edie M. Hall, and her home was at Edison, Washington. She was born in Marathon County, Wisconsin, June 4, 1883, a daugh- ter of Hugh P. and Georgianna (Olsen) Hall. The father, who was born in Wisconsin, spent his in- dustrial life as a farmer, and he is now living at Bow, Washington. Mrs. Hall was born in Norway. She was eleven years of age when she came to the United States, and she grew to mature years and was married in Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Hall be- came the parents of children as follows: Alfred J., of Bow, Washington; Martha H., wife of William Davis, of Sedro Woolley, Washington; Mamie L., the wife of G. C. Hopley, of Thomas, Washington ; Mrs. Matkin; and Thelma J., the youngest child and a resident of Bow, Washington. Five children have also been born to Mr. and Mrs. Matkin, namely : Judson D., Jr., Hugh Merrit, Forrest Hall, Gwen- dolyn Ellen and Edie Martha. The second son, Hugh Merrit, died of the influenza in 1918.

During the recent World war period Mr. Matkin was a member of the Sheridan County Council of Defense, and he was also active and a generous con- tributor in all other war relief funds and especially to Red Cross work. Mrs. Matkin was a member of the Plentywood Chapter of the Red Cross, and made her influence felt in promoting the interests of the organization. Mr. Matkin took his initial degrees in Masonry in Culbertson and became a charter member of the Plentywood Lodge of Masons, of which he is a past master, and also a member' of the Plentywood Chapter. He took the Shrine work in Helena, and belongs to Algeria Temple and to the Helena Consistory. In 1916 he attended the Grand Lodge of Masons. Mr. Matkin is a member and the vice president of the Farmers Grain and Mercantile Company of Plentywood.

JACK BENNETT. Among the Montana residents of the old regime, when cattle raising and ranching formed the chief industry of the commonwealth, is enrolled the name of Jack Bennett, the present sheriff of Sheridan County. He came into the region in 1900 as a.stockman, as one of the well remembered Bennett Brothers, who established themselves at Redstone and were connected with the cattle in- dustry in this region for several years.

Bennett Brothers identified themselves with Mon- tana first as stock shippers into the western part of the state for food purposes, obtaining their stock in Minnesota and Dakota and bringing them into this region in car load lots. They also brought in hogs from the East and slaughtered them in the mining

regions of the state, and this industry was carried on until 1902.

Jack Bennett first saw Montana as early as 1886, when but a lad of sixteen he came to this north- western region from Ontario, Canada, and stopped at Big Timber to work on the sheep ranch of Doctor Parberry, one of the landmarks of the locality of Lavina. The young lad spent one year in the Mussel- shell country, running cattle and shearing sheep, and then dropped back to the Bearpaw Mountains and became a wage worker on sheep ranches. He sheared sheep in the community surrounding Helena, near Silver City and that vicinity, and while in that region he also spent two winters in school in Haun's Business College, which completed his school days. Leaving that region, Mr. Bennett made his way out to Ogden, Utah, where he secured work as a book- keeper and remained for a year, returning then to Butte, Montana, and discovering the demand for hogs in that community, he joined his three brothers in the stock business, they establishing their headquar- ters at St. Paul.

When he gave up the business of shipping stock into Montana Mr. Bennett went to Duluth, Min- nesota, where he spent about five years as a wage worker, then again took up the business of dealing in hogs, shipping from Kansas and Missouri to the Pacific Coast towns of Seattle, Portland, Sacra- mento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He re- mained in that industry until 1902, although he and his brothers had previously established themselves near Redstone, Montana, and engaged in ranching. Mr. Bennett thereafter not only ranched and bred stock, but proved up a homestead at Redstone and developed a farm there. While thus engaged he was appointed sheriff of the Sheridan County, to succeed Tom Courtney, the first sheriff of the county, who lost his life while attempting to arrest a fugitive colored man. After serving out Mr. Courtney's term, Mr. Bennett was a candidate for the office, but met defeat at the polls, although since then he has been twice elected the sheriff of Sheridan County, succeeding Jack Dugan. His service as chairman of the Draft Board during the early period of the par- ticipation of this country in the World war made him an exceedingly busy man, about sixteen men having been mobilized into the service. His work was chiefly administrative.

Mr. Bennett was born in Cornwall, England, August 2, 1870, hut was brought by his parents to Ontario, Canada, in 1883, the family locating in Dur- ham County, where they engaged in farming. His father, William Bennett, was a landholder in Corn- wall, England. His last years were spent in On- tario, Canada, and he lies buried at Blackstone. He married Kezia Salmon, and they were the parents of the following children: John F., whose home is in St. Paul; Mrs. Catherine Feetham, also of St. Paul; Annie, wife of W. T. Towner, of the City of New York; Jack, the Sheridan County sheriff : Kezia, of St. Paul; and Sid, who is the mayor of Scobey, Montana. The mother of this family after the death of her husband followed her children into the United States and spent her last years in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she lies buried at Oakland Cemetery.

After locating in Sheridan County Jack Ben- nett was married to Miss Anna Davis, who was born in Abercrombie, North Dakota, a daughter of John A. Davis, who came into the region of Sheridan County about 1901 from Kalispell, Montana. Mrs. Bennett was liberally educated and taught school in Sheridan County. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett were mar- ried December 24, 1904. and she passed away in

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

February, 1907, leaving one daughter, Catherine. In 1910 Mr. Bennett was married to Nina L. Bogert, a daughter of N. S. and Lucinda (Styles) Bogert. The father was born in Vermont, and on his migration from the East to Montana he lived in the states of lowa and North Dakota. He devoted the active years of his life to agricultural pursuits. To this union have been born four children, Jack, Jr., Char- lotte, Bill and Sidney.

Mr. Bennett became a republican voter and cast his first presidential ballot for Benjamin Harrison in 1892 in Duluth. He has continued along with the party since, voting for Colonel Roosevelt in 1904, for Mr. Taft in 1908, in 1912 espoused the pro- gressive wing of the party and in 1916 supported the republican presidential candidate. He became a member of the Masonic order at Redstone, Mon- tana, and has taken the Blue Lodge work and is also a Shriner. He is a member of the fraternal society the Modern Samaritans and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

CHARLES E. CORYELL. The present county sur- veyor of Sheridan County is Charles E. Coryell, and to him also belongs the honor of being the first to fill that office in Sheridan County, to which he was elected in April, 1913. He has been identified with the State of Montana during the past thirteen years, locating here for the purpose of acquiring a home- stead, which he entered near Froid, now in Roose- velt County, and he remained thereon and improved his claim until he had complied with the Government requirements and secured title, leaving it only to assume the duties of the surveyor of the county.

Mr. Coryell brought with him to Montana the mental equipment as a civil engineer ample to enable him to perform efficient work in his capacity as a county surveyor, for he spent many years in railroad engineering work before his advent into the North- west. His chief work in his present capacity lies in the development and construction of highway systems for the county, and he originated the first road plan and started the first real road work of the county. More than 3,000 miles of established and opened high- ways have been given to the public use under his regime, about 250 miles of which is permanent work, one main line crossing the county from east to west, with connecting roads between the towns on the railroad lines. Sheridan County as originally cre- ated has also been mapped by Mr. Coryell, and another map, clearly showing its boundaries since it was divided from Roosevelt County, is under con- struction.

Mr. Coryell was born in Kent County, Michigan, . August 19, 1876, but when he was only ten years of age, in 1886, his parents established their home at Carlton, Minnesota, near Duluth, and there he spent the remaining days of his youth, attending the Du- luth High School, and serving in different salaried capacities, including a short time as a bank clerk, a cruiser on the iron range and a teacher in the public schools of Minnesota, all this occurring before he began preparation for his real life's work. He is a son of Charles E. Coryell, and this name has gone through five generations of the family. The grand- father, also named Charles E., was born in Lock- port, New York, was a life-long farmer and was the son of a Mexican war soldier. The first of the Coryell family in this country came from England early in 1700, and establishing his home in the State of New York he became a captain in' the Colonial army, although a brother served in a like office in the British army during the Revolutionary war.

Charles E. Coryell, the father of the Montana citizen, was born in New York, and spent the greater

part of his industrial life in the lumber business. He was a New York soldier in the Civil war, spend- ing more than two years as a member of the New York Mounted Rifles in Sheridan's Cavalry and tak- ing part in all the battles in which his command participated during the last eighteen months of the war, including the engagement of Winchester. He was a captain's orderly, and completed his military service on police duty in Virginia after the peace terms were signed. He was twice wounded, once with a bayonet in a hand-to-hand conflict with the Confederates and again in the leg from a bullet. Mr. Coryell continued a resident of Minnesota until after the death of his wife, when he joined his son in Sheridan County, Montana. He has always been actively identified with the work of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is one of the few soldiers left to wear the patriotic button of the order.

Charles E. Coryell, Sr., married Elizabeth Pitts, who was born in Jackson County, Michigan, and died in December, 1916, after becoming the mother of five children, namely: Zella, who died at Knox, Indiana, after becoming the wife of Henry C. Con- rad; Ella, the wife of Lewis Habhegger, of Wren- shall, Minnesota ; Charles E., of Plentywood; Ernest, a resident of Browns Valley, Minnesota; and Roy, who entered the navy in the United States service early in the present century and has never been heard from since.

Charles E. Coryell began his preparation for engineering work in the Northern Indiana Univer- sity at Valparaiso, graduating in civil engineering there in 1900. He had previously completed the scientific course and received the degree of B. S. in that institution, entering the university first in 1898, leaving at that time a clerkship in the Clark & Jewell wholesale grocery house in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he having become acquainted with Mr. Clark while cruising timber lands for him in Northern Minnesota. In 1901 Mr. Coryell became connected with the Soo Line Railroad, performing his first work for the company as a transit man on location in Minnesota. His first large piece of work was the location of the line from Thief River Falls to Kenmare, North Dakota, he having charge of the topography work of that survey. During the following summer he was engaged in construction work for the company at Russell, North Dakota, later was connected with the Drake-Garrison Cutoff of the Soo Line, also in North Dakota, and prior to this work he was engaged in smaller capacities with the company, and completed his services with that road in the construction of the Brooten-Duluth line, also platting for the company 160 acres at Mille Lac as a summer resort. During the seven years he was connected with the company his headquarters were in Minneapolis, but in season he had temporary offices in the field where the projects of the company were carried on. After severing his connection with the Soo Line Railroad Company he came direct to Montana. .

Mr. Coryell was married at Russell, North Da- kota, March 20, 1907, to Miss Minnie Bahn. She was born in North Dakota, as was also her mother, but her father was born in Germany .. She is a daughter of H. F. and Celia (Commons) Bahn, and was the first born of their children, three daughters and two sons. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Coryell, the eldest of whom also bears the name of Charles E., the four others being Harry, Sidney, and Deone and Ione, twin sisters. Mr. Coryell gave his first presidential vote to Major Mckinley, and he has given his allegiance to the party from that time to the present. He is now serving his third term in the office of county sur-

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

veyor. Since reaching the age of maturity he has' been a member of the Masonic fraternity, attaining the Royal Arch degree. He is also identified with the Odd Fellows order, and has his membership in both orders at Plentywood.

ADOLPH A. MAJOR, who is now serving Sheridan County as its clerk and recorder, has been promi- nently identified with the business and civic interests of Plentywood and its community since October, 1910. He was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, June 30, 1885, and he spent the early years of his life there, gaining his elementary education in its Second Ward school and subsequently entering high school. But before completing the high school course he matricu- lated in a business college in LaCrosse, and there gained a knowledge of shorthand and typewriting as well as bookkeeping and commercial law.

Mr. Major is a member of an early pioneer family of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, one which took up its abode within its borders during its formative period. The founder of the family in the United States was his grandfather, who was by trade a tailor, and he estab- lished the family in LaCrosse and now lies buried there. In his family were four sons and four daugh- ters, five of whom survive: Rudolph, Albert, Mrs. William Cooper, Miss Matilda Major and Mrs. Helen Madden.

Rudolph H. Major, who still maintains his home in LaCrosse, was born in New York City November 5, 1860, but when a young lad was taken by his pa- rents to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and there he has ever since resided. He learned and followed for a num- ber of years the cigar makers' trade, and then left his trade to accept the federal position of deputy stamp collector, while later he was made clerk of the Board of Public Works for the City of La Crosse, and for some years he filled that position. His next employment was in a clerical capacity for the Heilemann Brewing Company, later became the health officer of the city, but finally returning to the Heilemann Brewing Company he is now serving as the manager of the traffic department of that cor- poration.

Rudolph H. Major married Johanna Bach, whose mother was born in Germany, but Mrs. Major was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her father, Adam Bach, was for a number of years a stone mason at LaCrosse. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Bach com- prised three daughters, Mrs. Minnie Burkhardt, Mrs. Elizabeth Bernd and Mrs. Major. The fol- lowing children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Major : Adolph Alexander, whose home is in Plentywood; Lilah, wife of A. H. Voss, of LaCrosse; and Isabel, the wife of A. B. Hickisch, also of LaCrosse.

·Adolph A. Major had completed his educational training and was ready to enter upon a business life at the early age of seventeen, and on April 11, 1902, he accepted the position of stenographer and clerk with the Southern Minnesota Division of the C. M. & St. P. Railroad Company at LaCrosse, continuing in that capacity until the fall of 1906, when he accepted the office of stenographer and general clerk with the division freight and passenger agent of the same road there. In the fall of 1907 he went to Wheaton, Minnesota, to become the stenographer and office man for F. W. Murphy, the leading law- yer of that city, and while thus engaged Mr. Major had occasion to report testimony at coroner's in- quests, in justice courts, and for almost a term he was reporter in the District Court at Breckenridge, Minnesota.

With the hope of finding a wider and more re- munerative field in the Northwest for the exercise of his professional qualifications Mr. Major came

to Montana, arriving at Culbertson in March, 1910, and near that place he exercised his homestead right and proved up his claim. He soon, however, became associated with the Valley Land Company at Cul- bertson as secretary and stenographer to its owners, Messrs. Brown and Matthews, and in the course of his work with the corporation he reported testimony in contest cases coming before one of its members, who was a United States land commissioner. Mr. Major also reported other contest cases in Valley and Sheridan counties tried before various United States commissioners.

He maintained his home in Culbertson until ac- quiring title to his claim and then located in Plenty- wood. His first work here was as clerk in the assessor's office, was next a deptuy in the clerk and recorder's office, and in February, 1918, took up abstract work in partnership with Miss Funk under the name of the Abstract and Title Company. Mr. Major continued with that line of work until he was made the recorder and clerk of Sheridan County. His connection with this community has been that of a public spirited citizen interested in its civic welfare and upbuilding, and he proved his worth to Plentywood in its contest with Medicine Lake for county seat honors, his ability and work at reporting public meetings proving a valuable asset to his home town. In creating sympathy and interest in this county seat contest he also took an active part as a member of the Plentywood band, a service which his community lost no opportunity to commend.

When a boy Mr. Major studied instrumental music, becoming an efficient young pianist, and he gradually drifted into band work and became a trom- bone player. In Plentywood he became well known in musical circles, was made a member of the town orchestra and recently he organized the Major Or- chestra, which provides excellent music for com- munity dances, for moving picture shows and various other social functions. Mr. Major is the manager of the orchestra, in which he also plays the trombone.

Mr. Major's early political tendencies were shaped in harmony with those advocated by his father, who was an adherent of the democratic party, and the son gave his first presidential vote to William J. Bryan, but later, following his own convictions, he gave allegiance to republican principles and as a republican was elected to his present office.

At Wheaton, Minnesota, December 23, 1908, Adolph A. Major was married to Miss L. Pearl Warner, who was born near that city, a daughter of William A. and Edna (Tubhs) Warner, the father a native of one of the Canadian provinces and the mother was born in Wisconsin. They were the pa- rents of four children, the three surviving heing Mrs. Major, Mrs. Ellis J. Hutton, of Butte, Mon- tana, and Miss Gladys Warner, of Minneapolis, Min- nesota. Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Major, Beatrice and Marian Gene.

An interesting story is told of the origination of the name Major. It is related that it was given to members of one of the early generations of the family by a teacher who had the children of this Polish family in his school room. While making a record of the pupils of his classes he came to some who spelled their name "Mazurkiewicz." Regarding this as a burden which ought not to be horne through life by the little folks the teacher, with an air of disdain, said "Call it Major," and thus wrote the name which endowed future members of this Slavic family with a new designation.

CHARLES WILLIAM CHOWNING. Indomitable dc- termination, persistent effort and wise investments

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

have all aided in the production of the present pros- perity of Charles William Chowning, postmaster of Ennis, and proprietor of the leading mercantile estab- lishment of this part of Madison County. He is one of the old settlers of Montana, has passed through many of its periods of development, and can take justifiable pride in what he has himself aided in bringing about. Mr. Chowning was born at Louis- ville, Kentucky, June 29, 1860, a son of Charles W. Chowning and grandson of John Chowning, the latter a native of Virginia. Early in life he migrated to Kentucky, and after many years of profitable effort as a farmer he died in that state in 1864, when well along in years. The Chowning family is of English origin, and was established in Virginia prior to the American Revolution. On the maternal side of the house, Charles William Chowning's grandfather was Robert Wooden, of Virginia, who married Lucy Southey, brought in pioneer fashion by her parents to Kentucky when thirteen years of age. On this trip overland she and her brother drove thirteen head of cattle behind the three wagons which made up the outfit, and walked the entire way. After their marriage Robert Wooden and his bride set- tled at Peewee, Kentucky, where they were pioneers, and after enduring the hardships unavoidable in a new and undeveloped country, spent some years in comfort before they died, both passing away in Kentucky. Like the Chownings, the Wooden family was an English one, its representatives also settling in Virginia during colonial times.

Charles W. Chowning, son of John Chowning and father of Charles William Chowning, whose name heads this review, was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1821, and died at Paris, Missouri, in 1889. He was reared in his native county, and after his marriage located near Louisville, Kentucky, where he was engaged in farming until the early '6os, when he went to Paris, Missouri, continuing that industry the rest of his life. While never holding any public office, he exerted his right of suffrage and voted the democratic ticket. A consistent member of the Christian Church, he was an elder in that denomina- tion for many years. His wife was Isabelle Wooden prior to her marriage, which took place at Beard's Station, now Peewee, Kentucky, where she was born in 1826. Her death occurred at Paris, Missouri, in 1914. Their children were as follows: James T., who died at Paris, Missouri, when twenty years of age; Marietta, who died near Paris, Missouri, in 1886, was the wife of John E. Murphy, a farmer, who survives her and lives near Paris; John L., who died on the home farm in 1897; and Charles Wil- liam, who was the youngest in the family.

After completing the courses of the rural schools of Monroe County, Missouri, Charles William Chowning became a student at the Strother Insti- tute, a preparatory school near Paris, Missouri, and after he was graduated therefrom he entered the University of Missouri at Columbia and completed the junior year, but was then obliged to leave on account of ill health. Hoping to regain his normal strength, Mr. Chowning then spent two years in Texas, leaving that state for Montana in 1882. After a short stay at Helena he went to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad, heing employed in its land department as a reporter on lands: In this capacity he had charge of a crew during 1882, 1883, 1884 and 1885, covering Jefferson, Madison, Galla- tin, Meagher and Yellowstone counties. So satis- factory was his work in this connection that he was made land inspector of this road for the State of Montana, with headquarters at Helena, and held this position until 1888. In that year he severed his con- nection with the railroad to become manager for

the Montana Cattle Company, with headquarters at Helena, his work being principally in Meagher, Yel- lowstone, Dawson and Fergus counties. John T. Murphy was president of this company. Mr. Chowning remained with the company until the close of 1894, and in the spring of 1895 embarked in a mining enterprise, and from then on has been interested in this line, but has not confined him- self to it. Having married a daughter of William Ennis, founder of the Town of Ennis, Mr. Chowning was induced to locate here in 1898, and upon the death of his father-in-law entered the mercantile field formerly occupied by the elder man, and the establishment is conducted under the name of J. W. Chowning. With his entrance into the business new blood was infused, and he expanded every department, bringing the store up to the highest standards and making it the leader in this line in a wide area. The store is located on Main Street, and customers come to it from all over this and adjoining counties, as they realize that his stock is always complete and timely and that his prices are reasonable. Being a loyal democrat he has been honored by his party, and served as county commis- sioner of Madison County for six years. At present he is President Wilson's appointee as postmaster of Ennis. While he was on the school board of Ennis the modern schoolhouse was erected and also the high school building for Ora and Platta townships, which is conceded to be the best in Madison County. In addition to his other interests Mr. Chowning is a stockholder in the Southern Montana Bank of Ennis and owner of a 1,440 acre ranch of irrigated land at Moore's Creek, on which he raises grain and hay. His residence on Main Street, Ennis, is also owned by him. Mr. Chowning belongs to Vir- ginia City Lodge No. 390, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 44

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