Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 64

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 64

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. Griffin engaged in diversified farming and continued it for twenty-eight years, leaving the farm in 1916 and locating his home at Chinook. The ranch developed by him consists of 800 acres, and includes both his own and Mrs. Griffin's homesteads and other land. The original "dugout" was succeeded by a log cabin, in which he and his bride began their housekeeping, and it forms the basis of the present ranch house, now occupied by the tenants.

Having been convinced of the need of the farmers

for better social and educational development Mr. Griffin long ago identified himself with the Patrons of Husbandry, of which organization he became state master in 1916, and held the office for almost three years, when he resigned on account of his affiliation with the Federal Land Bank.

As soon as he could get his papers, Mr. Griffin became a naturalized citizen of the United States. His first papers were taken out at Helena, his sec- ond at Fort Benton, and from the time of his cast- ing of his first ballot to the present day he has been a republican. His first official service was as rep- resentative for Blaine County in the lower house of the State Assembly, to which he was chosen in the fall of 1916 as successor to Jo Ostle of Harlem. Mr. Griffin entered the Fifteenth General Assembly and served under Speaker O'Connor of Livingston. He was placed on the Committee of Appropriations and seven others, and was one of a committee of three called the "sub-committee on appropriations," which consisted of Eilel of Beaverhead County and Harold Blake of Deerlodge County in addition to him. During the session of this body Mr. Griffin was interested in remedying the mortgage laws rel- ative to foreclosure without proper notice; and in the passage of a stream-pollution bill for the pre- vention of the pollution of streams, and the conse- quent killing of the fish, bills covering both of which subjects passed and became laws.

Mr. Griffin made such a record for himself in the house that he was returned without opposition, be- ing supported by the two old line parties and the non- partisan league, which was just about as strong an endorsement as any man could ask, and proof that the people of his district wanted him to continue as their representative. The Sixteenth Assembly had him, therefore, as a member, and a republican, Oliver Belden of Lewistown, was made speaker, Mr. Grif- fin was placed on a number of committees, the most important of them being those on public utilities, railroads and transportation, agriculture, fairs and expositions and employes of the state. During this session Mr. Griffin fathered and had passed a bill pro- viding for the eradication of the barberry bush, the great enemy to the wheat, causing it to "smut" on the stalk. He sat in both special sessions of the House, and in the "war session" he participated in the legislation passed for the elimination of enemy propaganda and seditious utterances, and stood with the administration in all patriotic legislation.

In the spring of 1917 Mr. Griffin was appointed appraiser of the Federal Land Bank of Spokane, with Montana as his territory. Among his first duties was to assist in organizing local national farm loan asso- ciations for the appraisement of lands and the mak- ing of loans through the Federal Farm Loan Bank.

For fourteen years Mr. Griffin has been actively interested in the Montana State Fair, and at pres- ent is superintendent of the dry land division. Dur- ing the San Francisco Fair he won the gold medal for the best display of alfalfa, and two silver cups for the best collective exhibits, which cups were pre- sented by J. J. Hill of the Great Northern Com- pany.

On February 15, 1896, Mr. Griffin was married at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to Miss Agnes Ag- new, born in that city November 23, 1872, a daugh- ter of Dr. Agnew, a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, who died in the prime of young manhood. He was the father of two daughters, Mrs. Georgiana Sharp, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and Mrs. Griffin. The latter was reared by Mr. and Mrs. James Brown, retired farmers of Hamilton, and she attended the country and high schools of the neighborhood. Dur-

Mansfield a. Daniel

881

HISTORY OF MONTANA

ing the World war she was very active in the local branch of the Red Cross, and was the leader of one of its drives for funds.

MANSFIELD A. DANIELS played a large and prom- inent part in connection with the development and upbuilding of Scobey-both the old and new towns- and his vigorous and well ordered activities made him a citizen of more than local influence. He be- came one of the representative men of Montana, where high honor and recognition have been ac- corded to his memory in the naming of a county for him. He was a pioneer of marked initiative and constructive ability, and of equal value to the splendid work which he accomplished was the influence which he exerted in community sentiment and action. His name merits high place in the history of Montana, to which great commonwealth his loyalty was un- bounded, and within the border of which he con- tinued to reside until his death, on the 15th of April, 1919.

Mr. Daniels was born at Addison, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1858, the eldest of the six children of John and Lavina (Turney) Daniels. He was but ten years of age when his parents became pioneer set- tlers in the State of Iowa, where both passed the remainder of their lives, their remains being there laid to rest in the Village of Albion. The father was a carpenter by trade, but aside from service at his trade he assisted in other ways in the further- ance of the development of the Hawkeye State.

Mansfield A. Daniels gained his youthful educa- tion in the public schools of Pennsylvania and Iowa, and at the age of fourteen years became a clerk in Mr. Wheeler's general merchandise store at Mar- shalltown, Iowa. While thus engaged he also took a course in a correspondence school, and after four years of service in the Wheeler store he was for four years associated with his father in work at the carpenter's trade. For the ensuing ten years he was a traveling commercial salesman in the handling of cigars, and in the meanwhile he married, his ambitious wife giving her attention to conducting a hotel and rooming house while he was "on the road." After retiring from the vocation mentioned he en- gaged in a mercantile business at Albion, where also he conducted a small plumbing establishment. Those were years of struggle, as his capitalistic re- sources were very limited, but even under these conditions he profited fully by his experience, as did he also in his later and essentially progressive busi- ness career. While he was gradually making ad- vancement in his business affairs in Iowa his health became impaired, and finally he determined to come to the West. In 1896 he and his wife arrived, via the Great Northern Railway, at Poplar, Montana. Concerning this stage in his career the following estimate has been given: "Being of the sturdy pio- neer type that seems to grow restless under the influence of civilization and ease, Mr. Daniels moved, in April, 1896, to Poplar, Montana, where he was destined to do his share in the carving out and making of a new empire. There he became identi- fied with the Government service and became a fast friend of Major Charles Richardson Anderson Scobey, who was then Indian agent for the Fort Peck Reservation-the man for whom the Town of Scobey is named. Mr. Daniels became the official carpenter at the Fort Peck Agency, and his wife served as Government nurse for the agency, and finally he received appointment to the position of United States land agent at Poplar. In 1901 Mr. Daniels made his first trip north to the present site of 'Old Scobey,' which is located on the west bank of the Poplar River, about two miles southwest of

the present Town of Scobey. Here he conceived the idea of starting in the farming and ranching business, and also of establishing a small country store. That was nineteen years ago, and we call this a pioneer country today. Settlers were ex- tremely few, and consisted almost entirely of stock ranchers, who lived many miles apart. It was the day of cayuse and lariat, bachelors and flapjacks- a time when the worst and best traditions of west- erner, now gone forever, were in full evidence the year 'round."

In that pioneer section of Sheridan County Mr. Daniels became the fifth settler, and those whom he found there when he came were Frank Crone, John Manternache, Joseph Bonnes and Charles Woodley. Mr. Daniels was accompanied by his brother-in-law, J. C. Timmons. The public domain had not yet been surveyed and opened for entry, and he was at first a squatter. He bought from Mr. Crone a re- linquishment, to which he subsequently acquired title, as did he also to the desert land, and through his energy and. the earnest assistance of his wife he continued to purchase lands from nearby settlers, and his accumulation of land continued until at the time of his death the Daniels ranch embraced an area of 2,260 acres.

On the 20th of January, 1909, Mr. Daniels con- tracted a second marriage, when Miss Mabel E. Brooks became his wife, she having been at the time a teacher in Vermont. In that year Mr. and Mrs. Daniels removed to Scobey and settled on a ranch, which still continues to be the home of Mrs. Daniels .. Scobey postoffice had just been estab- lished by the late Joseph Bonnes, another of the honored pioneers of this section, and was located about two miles south of "old" Scobey .. Mrs. Charles Woodley became postmistress after the resignation of Mr. Bonnes, and when Mr. Daniels started his little general store Mrs. Woodley resigned and was succeeded by Mrs. Daniels, who held the office until it was discontinued, about 1916.

Worthy of perpetuation in this connection is the following data concerning the career of the honored subject of this memoir :

" 'Mannie' Daniels, as he was known to his more intimate associates in those days, started in to build the foundations of his future home, and he built them well. After starting his store and getting the postoffice, he at once became the financial and busi- ness leader and the strong man of the community. Mr. Daniels was one of those big-hearted frontiers- men who were eternally ready to give or lend to those who needed. And he had his hands full- for they borrowed, they begged and they stole from Daniels. He was their storekeeper, their banker and their counselor-he was everything but the minister or priest, and in a large measure he was that. In partnership with Mr. Daniels was his brother-in-law, Jacob C. Timmons, who shared equally in the trials and hardships of building up the community and who eventually became chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Sheridan County.

"In 1912 Mr. Daniels began the erection of a beautiful home on a cozy little hill overlooking the west bank of Poplar River, and this cost him about $20,000. This house was made modern throughout and is one of the best in this part of the state, not- withstanding that every bit of material had to he freighted sixty miles overland, from Poplar. These were the days when Mr. Daniels wore himself out physically. A man of great physical stature and strength, he never thought of a breakdown, and he gave unreservedly of his body and mind to his mani- fold duties. He was a staunch republican in politics, but repeatedly refused to enter the arena as a con-

882

HISTORY OF MONTANA

testant for political office. He always said that he thoroughly believed that all a man gained by enter- ing politics was a host of enemies. In regard to enemies it is truthfully said that he had very few. In the winter of 1919 Mr. Daniels suffered a para- lytic stroke, from which he never recovered. He re- tained all of his faculties, but realized that the end had come, and gave evidence of this in many ways. The first move for the creating of a county bearing his name was started at this time, and he showed unmistakable signs of deep feeling when informed of the project. Mr. Daniels passed away April 15, 1919, while seated it a chair. We have always held in great esteem and veneration the deeds and lives of that class of God's noblemen who pioneer and blaze the trails into a new and unknown country. Of this class of men was Mansfield A. Daniels. He came, he hewed and he won. We can not call him back, but we have done a fitting thing in his honor- we have placed a new county on the map of Mon- tana and have named it in his memory, Daniels County."

Mr. Daniels was affiliated with the Blue Lodge . and Chapter of the Masonic Fraternity, under the auspices of which his funeral was held, and he was a member also of the lodge of Elks at Helena. His religious faith was that of the Lutheran Church. His old friends testify that he excelled as a conversa- tionalist and that had his inclinations so directed he might have developed splendid powers as a public speaker.

April 6, 1880, Mr. Daniels married Adele M. Tim- mons, a sister of Jacob C. Timmons, of Scobey. Her death occurred July 26, 1907, and she was not survived by children.

Mr. Daniels met his second wife at the Pan- American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, in 1901, she having been a friend of his first wife. Her maiden name was Mabel E. Brooks, and she was born at Royalton, Vermont, June 3, 1878, a daugh- ter of Selden Smith Brooks and Mary (Corbin) Brooks. Her father was born in the same house and same room as was Mrs. Daniels, and was a son of Austin and Susan (Smith) Brooks. The Brooks family is of colonial New England stock, formerly identified with Hancock, Vermont. The family furnished soldiers in the War of the Revolution and the War of 1812, and representatives of the name were numbered among the first settlers of Royalton, Vermont. Mrs. Daniels' father is still living in the Royalton locality, but her mother passed away April 13, 1919, Mrs. Daniels having been doubly bereaved, as her husband died only two days later. Her only sister, Mrs. Sarah Flanders, remains as companion of the venerable father. Mrs. Daniels was graduated in the high school at Bethel, Vermont, and there- after completed the teachers' training and prepara- tory course at Barre, that state. Thereafter she was for nine years a successful and popular teacher in the schools of her native state-until her mar- riage to Mr. Daniels in 1909.

Mrs. Daniels took an active and appreciative part in all that her husband planned, and to her en- couragement was due much of his success, as well as the prolongation of his life. She is one of the highly esteemed residents of the old Scobey locality. She was reared in the faith of the Congregational Church and has been active in various departments of church work, including the Sunday School. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels became the parents of three chil- dren, all of whom survive the father-Marjorie A .. Maydene A. and Selden Mansfield. S. Mansfield Daniels is the one male survivor of the immediate family of the subject of this memoir, save the

latter's brother, Ross Daniels, now in charge of the Scobey ranch.

HON. GEORGE E. FULLER. One of the interesting personalities of Blaine County, Montana, is George E. Fuller, mayor of Chinook and a man of business prominence here for almost twenty years. Although comparatively a young man, Mayor Fuller has had a wealth of experience, tending to the development of character and self reliance, and may well be numbered with the stable, representative men of this great section.

George E. Fuller was born at Lavalle, Sauk County, Wisconsin, August 7, 1870. His parents were Riley B. and Nancy (Bailey) Fuller, natives of the State of New York, where the ancestry can be traced many generations back. Their marriage took place at Groton, New York, and in 1850 they moved to Wisconsin and settled on a pioneer farm in Sauk County, near Reedsburg. When the Civil war came on Riley B. Fuller volunteered for service in the Union army, but was rejected because of physical disability, but his two brothers, Harvey and Jack Fuller, served through the war in New York regi- ments. Mr. Fuller devoted the rest of his active life to agricultural pursuits, and both he and wife survived into a peaceful old age, his death occurring in 1913, at the age of eighty-three years, and her death five years afterward, when aged eighty-four years. He was a republican in his political views. Their family consisted of two sons and two daugh- ters, namely : John, who was a railroad man, died at Reedsburg, Wisconsin, leaving a daughter and two sons; Hattie, who was the wife of Eugene Stafford, died at Duluth, Minnesota, leaving one son; Char- ity, who is the widow of Edwin Briggs, resides at Lavalle, Wisconsin; and George E., who has long been identified with the business and public inter- ests of Chinook, Montana.

George E. Fuller had country school privileges while growing up on the home farm, and possibly it was the monotony of rural surroundings that led the high-spirited youth to leave the farm when eighteen years old and enlist at St. Paul in the United States army. He became a member of Company B, Twentieth United States Infantry, Captain McCas- key and Col. Elwell S. Otis commanding, the latter becoming General Otis and after the United States acquired the Philippine Islands served as gov- ernor-general of the same. Private Fuller was sent with his regiment to Fort Assinniboine at once, and remained there until he was discharged as sergeant of his company in April, 1894.

In 1894, after his marriage, Mr. Fuller went to Reedsburg, Wisconsin, and for one year afterward was employed as instructor of the Reedsburg Mili- tary Band. In June, 1895, he returned to the Chou- teau region of Montana, and entered a homestead located twenty-five miles south of Havre, and moved on it with the determination to live there until he had secured his claim, and this determination he carried out, although it often entailed much hard- ship and self denial. Practical farm life had never appealed to him, and he soon had plans under way by which he could turn his attention in another more congenial line that would enable him to hire a com- petent farmer while. he was otherwise engaged. It was indicative of the decision of character that has always marked Mayor Fuller that this plan was suc- cessfully carried out through his perseverance in studying at night and perfecting his knowledge that his earlier country school training only touched, and this pertinacity resulted in his securing a teacher's

883

HISTORY OF MONTANA

certificate at Fort Benton and his appointment as a rural school teacher, with a salary of $45 a month. For five years he and his family lived in the log cabin of two rooms on his claim, Mr. Fuller provid- ing family necessities by teaching and also clerking for the Montana Supply Company at Havre.

Late in the fall of 1900 Mr. Fuller came to Chinook, and became associated with the Bogy Mer- cantile Company in March, 1901, as bookkeeper. He continued in this relation until 1912, when he was made manager of the company, also vice president for a time, when public interests more or less claimed him. This concern, in which Mayor Fuller is a large stockholder, is one of the T. C. Power asso- ciated stores, extensive business combinations of this section

At Fort Assinniboine Mr. Fuller was married to Miss Annie Herron, who was born at Fort McPher- son, Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents were Sergeant Frank and Mary (Larkin) (McCarthy) Herron, the latter of whom was born in Ireland. The father of Mrs. Fuller was born in North Carolina. He served under General Custer in the Seventh United States Cavalry at Fort Meade and Fort Lincoln, and went to Fort Assinniboine as company sergeant in 1881. His death occurred while on a visit to his old home in North Carolina. Mrs. Fuller had four brothers, one of whom, James Herron, died in the army while serving in the Philippine Islands. Mrs. Fuller was educated at St. Cloud, Minnesota, her marriage taking place shortly after she left college. Mayor and Mrs. Fuller have two daughters, May and Margie, the latter of whom is a student in the graduating class of 1921 in the high school at Chinook. The older daughter is the wife of Peter Motts, who is a graduate of Notre Dame Univer- sity, South Bend, Indiana. During the great war he went to Europe with the American Expedition- ary Forces as a lieutenant in an army engineering corps, and at present is with the engineering depart- ment of the State Highway Commission at Great Falls, Montana.

The first official service Mayor Fuller gave Chinook was as city alderman, and during his two terms as such his public spirit was evidenced and his business ahility emphasized by the influence he brought to bear in bringing about such desirable im- provements as concrete walks and elaborate electric lighting system. On April 5, 1920, he was elected mayor of Chinook, succeeding Hon. D. C. Kenyon, and is immensely popular with the people. It is promised that his administration will be careful and economic as hecomes the times, and in this he will have the hearty support of the best element. He is one of the wide-visioned, forward-looking men of the state, believing sincerely in the great future that awaits Montana, and is serving as local chair- man of the Montana Development Association.

During the great war Mayor Fuller was promi- nent, although unassuming, in all the patriotic move- ments inaugurated for the country's welfare and defense, accepting many responsibilities and serving gladly and freely, and during the greater part of the time was county chairman of the food administra- tion department. To the extent of his ability he forwarded the sale of war bonds, and both he and Mrs. Fuller were leaders in Red Cross activities at Chinook.

HERMANN J. LEHFELDT, secretary and treasurer of the Lehfeldt Company of Chinook, is one of the substantial men of Chinook, with which he has been identified since 1899. He was born in Crawford

County, Iowa, October 18, 1875, a son of Julius Lehfeldt, and grandson of Hans Lehfeldt

Julius Lehfeldt was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark, February 1, 1854. His father, Hans Leh- feldt, was a wool grower who had extensive inter- ests in the sheep industry not far from Hamburg, Germany, but in 1870 he brought his three sons and six daughters tot he United States so as to save his sons from the obligatory military training in the German army, and to let them have the use of the time they would otherwise have to spend in mili- tary duties. Julius Lehfeldt, the youngest of the three sons, was liberally educated, and learned to use fluently the French, German and English lan- guages, with the intention of engaging in the revenue service.

When the Lehfeldt family arrived in the United States they prospected from St. Louis, Missouri, through Kansas, Missouri and Iowa, and finding conditions in the last named state better suited to their purposes, located twelve miles north of Deni- son, Iowa. Later Hans Lehfeldt died at Denison. His widow survived him for some years, but when she died in California her remains were brought back to Denison and laid beside, his in the ceme- tery of that city.

When he attained to his majority Julius Lehfeldt became a citizen of the United States by naturali- zation at Denison, Iowa, and has been identified with the republican party ever since, although he has never taken an active part in politics. For some years he was in an implement business at Denison, and in 1890 came to Montana and located twelve miles south of the Big Sandy on a sheep ranch which he conducted for 91/2 years, and although his location was not a desirable one, under- standing the sheep industry so thoroughly he made it pay him good returns. However, in 1899 he dis- posed of it and took over the Lohman mercantile interests at Chinook, conducting the business under his own name until February 1, 1915, when the Leh- felt Company was incorporated, with him as its president and his son Hermann J. Lehfeldt as secre- tary treasurer. The company carries on a retail department store with a large implement depart- ment separate from the main store. Up to January 1, 1918, this company did a large credit business, but then changed its policy, and a practically spot cash basis was adopted, which has proven more satis- factory to all concerned. Since the incorporation the capital stock has been increased by $72,500.

Julius Lehfeldt was married to Adele Mundt, a daughter of Claus Mundt, a native of Germany, who came to the United States in young manhood and located near Davenport, Iowa, where Mrs. Leh-' feldt was born on July 10, 1857. She was the third in a family of three sons and three daughters. Her girlhood was spent on her father's farm and she was about eighteen years old when she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Lehfeldt became the parents of the following children: Hermann J., who was the eldest born; Augusta, who is the wife of Ernest Ward, a ranchman of the vicinity of Chinook; Mrs. Hor- tense Morton, of Chinook; Mrs. Melvina Martens, of Cleveland, Montana; Herbert, who is also with the Lehfeldt Company of Chinook; and Mrs. Sylvia Johnson, of Chinook, whose husband has charge of the implement department of the Lehfeldt Com- pany.

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 64

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