Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 97

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 97

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).

he entered the University of West Virginia at Mor- gantown and was graduated therefrom in 1916 with the degree of Bachelor of Scientific Agriculture and as a member of Phi Kappa Sigma Greek Letter College Fraternity. He also belongs to the Skull and Key, a sophomore honorary college fraternity, and the Sphinx, a senior honorary college fraternity.

In 1916 Mr. Gordon came West to Arlee, Mon- tana, as instructor of agriculture in the Consolidated High School, and held that position for seven months, when, in April, 1917, he was sent into Powell County at the time of this country's entrance into the World war for emergency agricultural work. After a short time he was transferred to Townsend, arriving in this city on May 22, 1917, and continued to do emergency work for the Government until the close of the war. This emergency work had for its object the increasing of agricultural production un- der the United States Department of Agriculture . and the land grant colleges, co-operating, in other words, with the other agricultural colleges. The results were so gratifying and beneficial that the Government has made this work permanent, and Mr. Gordon has been made county agricultural agent for Broadwater, and is carrying out this same work today. His offices are on Broadway, and he resides at the Commercial Hotel.

In his political views Mr. Gordon is independent. He belongs to the Christian Church. Well known as a Mason, he is a member of Valley Lodge No. 21, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Helena Con- sistory No. 3, in which he has been made a thirty- second degree Mason, and Algeria Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Helena, Montana. Mr. Gordon is not married. Along other lines he is educating the agriculturists to take ad- vantage of such important aids as irrigation, dry farming, selective plant and animal breeding, special- ization in crops, fertilizers and cold storage, and is introducing and disseminating technical and prac- tical information relative to crops, methods of culti- vation, markets, prices, and similar topics.'

JUDGE EDWARD H. GOODMAN, judge 'of the Dis- trict Court and one of the most distinguished jurists of this part of the state, is claimed as a resident by the people of Townsend, who are proud of the fact that their community has given to the bench of Montana a man of his caliber. Judge Goodman was born at Meeme, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, on September 14, 1855, a son of Thomas F. Good- man and grandson of Patrick Goodman, the latter a native of the north of Ireland, who came to the United States in the early forties and settled in New York State, later leaving it for Chicago, Illinois, where he died.

Thomas F. Goodman was born in the north of Ireland in 1831, and coming to the United States, settled at Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and later bought land and went into the hotel business at Meeme, Wisconsin. In 1855 he went to Sacramento, Cali- fornia, and in 1861 enlisted in the Second California Volunteer Cavalry for service during the war he- tween the states. His death took place at Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1863, when he was sent to that city on account of difficulties with the Mormons. He married Mary Roberts, who has survived him and makes her home at Watseka, Illinois, being now an aged lady, as she was born in Wales in 1833. Their children were Robert J., who was a retired farmer and died at Watseka, Illinois, in 1917, and Judge Goodman, who was second in order of birth. After the death of Mr. Goodman his widow was married to Meltire Nye, who was a brick manufacturer and farmer of Watseka, Illinois, and who died at that

998

HISTORY OF MONTANA

place in 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Nye had two children, William R., who is a farmer of Michigan, and Mary, who married Fred Myers, a carpenter and builder of Watseka.

Judge Goodman attended the public schools of Chicago, to which city his mother had moved in 1862, taking the high school course. In 1870 he went with his mother to a farm near Watseka, Illi- nois, and assisted her on the farm until 1879. He then took the scientific course at the Northern In- diana Normal School at Valparaiso, Indiana, from which he was graduated in 1881, with the degree of Bachelor of Science, and in 1883 was graduated from the department of law of Valparaiso Univer- sity with the degree of Doctor of Laws. That same year he was admitted to practice law by the Supreme Court of Indiana. The subsequent year he went West to Emporia, Kansas, was admitted to the bar of Kansas, and remained there for a year. In June, 1885, he came to Townsend, Montana, and was one of the pioneers of this town, teaching its first school and remaining as its principal until 1888, when he entered upon the practice of his profession, becoming one of the most eminent attorneys this part of the state has ever produced.

Always a democrat, he was elected on his party ticket attorney of Broadwater County, and served as such from 1897 until 1902. In 1889, 1890 and 1891 he represented Townsend in the State Assem- bly, serving in the First and Second Sessions. At that time Townsend was in Meagher County. Judge Goodman was on the judiciary committee during both sessions, and was chairman of the Code Com- mission during the Second Session. In December, 1919, Judge Goodman was appointed judge of the District Court, comprising Broadwater, Meagher and Wheatland Counties, by Gov. S. V. Stewart, and his offices are now in the Court House.

Judge Goodman belongs to the Broadwater County Bar Association, the Montana State Bar Associa- tion and the National Bar Association. During the World war he took a very active interest in all local war activities, and was head of the Red Cross Chapter of. Broadwater County and assisted in putting over all of the drives.

Since coming to Townsend he has been active as a worker in the Episcopal Church. Judge Goodman is very active as an Odd Fellow, belonging to North Star Lodge No. 19, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, of which he is a past grand, and he is also a past grand of Montana, and served for six terms as grand representative in the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the World, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a member of Townsend Camp No. 365, Woodmen of the World, of which he is past counsel commander, having been the first to hold that office in this camp, and he is now head watchman of the Head Camp, comprising nine Western states. Not only has he served in the Head Camp for four sessions, but he has served on the legislative com- mittee of the Head Camp for several years.

Having always had a lively faith in the future of Townsend, Judge Goodman has not hesitated to invest in its realty. He owns a fine modern resi- dence, one of the best in the city, located on Cedar Street, and it is well supplied with all conveniences. He also owns an office building on Broadway, where he still maintains his law offices, and other pieces of valuable property at Townsend, and a ranch of 480 acres of partially irrigated land 11/2 miles northeast of Townsend.

In June, 1888, Judge Goodman was married in Wyoming to Miss Eva Allen, a daughter of E. A. and Sebrina Allen, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Allen was a lumberman of Wisconsin who came to

Montana in the early eighties and was engaged in the lumber industry in this state. Judge and Mrs. Goodman have one daughter, Mary Z., who is at home.

Judge Goodman is a man whose comprehensive knowledge of the vast and intricate questions of his profession is almost unlimited, and has been ac- quired through a long experience at the bar, all of which he feels has been of educational value. As a citizen his tangible and practical efforts to raise the standards of real Americanism have been ani- mated by the highest motives, and his liberal views and public spirit have endeared him to the people of the Broadwater country. His advancement has never been spectacular, although many honors have been conferred upon him, but he has risen because of his firm grasp of his profession, his love of hu- manity and his complete realization of the need for a fair and impartial administration of affairs and a sound and just enforcement of the law. The coun- try has too few men of the caliber of Judge Good- man not to show appreciation of him and what he has accomplished in his section. He is fitted by training and years of experience as well as natural temperament for the larger and broader experience of his office, and is already making a record in it which promises to reflect new distinction upon him and his community.

FRED A. JOHNSON is a Helena building contractor, head of a growing and prosperous business de- veloped through his initiative and out of a number of years of practical experience as a carpenter.

Mr. Johnson is a native son of Montana, born at Helena, July II, 1888. His father, John A. John- son, was born in Sweden in April, 1851, grew up in his native country, and had some training in the regular Swedish Army. In 1870, when about eight- een years of age, he set out for Australia and did farm work on that continent for two years. He then embarked as a sailor, and was on freighting vessels plying to nearly all ports of the world for nearly ten years. Several times he rounded Cape Horn. About 1882 he came to the United States, remained in Chicago a short time, and in 1886 set- tled at Helena, Montana, where he has been a resi- dent for the past thirty-five years. He is a carpen- ter and builder and is still at work, being a member of the organization owned by his son Fred. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, belongs to the Carpenters Union, and is a member of Garnet Camp No. 105, Woodmen of the World, and the Woman's Woodcraft of the World. He married Josephine Anderson, born in Sweden in 1858. Besides Fred A., the oldest of their children, there are: Agnes, wife of Glen Lenhart, a janitor in the State Capitol and a resident at 819 Eighth Avenue; Olga, wife of Axel Larson, a miner at Butte; Arthur, a ma- chinist at Helena; Carl, an electrician ; Elmer, a car- penter; and Ernest, an electrician, the three latter also living in Helena.

Fred A. Johnson was educated in the public schools of Helena up to the age of nineteen. His first regular employment was with the Northern Pacific Railway, beginning as call boy and eventually being promoted to foreman of the switch engines in the yards. He left railroading in 1910 and became an apprentice carpenter and followed that trade from 1910 to 1918. He then took up contracting inde- pendently, and established and is proprietor of the Northwest Construction Company, whose offices are at 130 Sixth Avenue, East.

Mr. Johnson is a member of the Carpenters Union and is active in the Helena Commercial Club, serving on the committee promoting the building campaign

WILLIAM HODGSKISS AND FAMILY

999

HISTORY OF MONTANA

now in progress in Helena. He is a republican voter and a member of the Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Johnson and family reside at 310 Howie Street. He married in Helena in August, 1913, Miss Ruby Longstaff, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Longstaff, the latter now deceased and the former manager of the Continental Oil Company in Helena. Mrs. Johnson is a graduate of the Helena High School. To their union have been born two chil- dren : Raymond, born May II, 1914, and Lila, born August 21, 1916.

SHERWOOD S. CROSS. One of Montana's ex-service men who shared in the splendid record of achieve- ment made by the American Engineers in France, Sherwood S. Cross was recently appointed and is now giving his entire time to his duties as county surveyor of the new County of Glacier, with home at Cut Bank.

Mr. Cross was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 23, 1893, son of David W. and Mary C. (McLaren) Cross. His mother was born in Ontario, Canada, and both parents were of Scotch ancestry. Sherwood S. Cross, one of four children, completed his early education in the Minot High School in North Dakota, and subsequently entered Leland Stanford University in California, where he spent two years, 1913-14, pursuing a general engineering course. After leaving university he was employed as a transit man by the Great Northern Railway Company and the Canadian Pacific, but was only fairly started in the work of his profession when America entered the war. He volunteered and was mustered in at Fort George Wright, Spokane, in Company F of the Twenty-fifth Engineers. Soon afterward he was sent to Camp Devens, Massachu- setts, had a period of intensive training, and sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey, on the old · German steamship America, landing at Brest, France, Jan- uary 2, 1918. At Bordeaux he was employed for six months in the construction of the Army Base in S O S. Subsequently he was on front line duty, and was in the great fighting through the Argonne region, culminating with the taking of the historic city of Sedan. He was gassed while on the Meuse. Later he was returned to Brest, where as an engi- neer he took part in the reconstruction of the camp and remained on duty there until May 14, 1919, when he returned to the United States on the Kaiserine Auguste Victoria. Mr. Cross was honorably dis- charged at Fort D. A. Russell, Cheyenne, Wyoming, June 4, 1919.

He had been out of the army only a few days when on July 15, 1919, the Board of County Com- missioners of Glacier County appointed him to his present office as county surveyor. This office in a new county involves important responsibilities, but he is well equipped by previous experience and tech- nical skill for their performance. Mr. Cross is a republican, a member of the Masons, and the Amer- ican Legion, and was reared in the Presbyterian Church, the church of his parents.

ORY J. ARMSTRONG. A native son of Montana who saw actual service on the western front in France, Ory J. Armstrong returned to his native state to find the duties of civil office awaiting him, and was soon called from the ranks to his present duties as deputy clerk and recorder of the new Glacier County.

He was born at Choteau in Teton County, Mon- tana, May 29, 1893, son of James W. and Amelia (Smith) Armstrong, being one of their nine children. He acquired a good education in the Choteau High School, and spent one year in the University of Iowa

and another year in the Salt Lake City Commercial College.

·Soon after completing his education America en- tered the war with Germany, and he volunteered at Fort William H. Harrison at Helena, being mus- tered in May 15, 1917, in Company M of the Second Montana, later the 163rd Infantry. He was trans- ferred to the 102nd Infantry, Company E, July 15, 1918, and November 14, 1918, became a member of Company A of the 127th Infantry. In the meantime he was with the troops that sailed from New York December 14, 1917, reaching Liverpool the day be- fore Christmas and landing at LeHavre, France, January 1, 1918. For the first three months he was with the S O S at Bordeaux, following which he entered the Army Training School at Langres, and on July 9th was commissioned a second lieutenant and assigned to the 102nd Infantry. Lieutenant Armstrong participated in the historic campaigns of the Argonne and St. Mihiel, and after the signing of the armistice he was with the Army of Occupa- tion from November 14 until April 25, 1919. He was with the troops recalled to Brest April 25th, sailed from that French port on the 5th of May, and reached New York Harbor May 15th. He was honorably discharged at Fort Russell, Wyoming, May 23, 1919, and at once returned to Montana and engaged in ranching until the Board of Commis- sioners of Glacier County called him to his present duties as deputy clerk and recorder on December 28, I919.

Mr. Armstrong is a prominent member of the American Legion Post and also belongs to the Thirty-second Division Veterans Organization. He is a republican and is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity.

WILLIAM HODGSKISS, a Northern Montana pio- neer, a prominent ranch owner and business man of Choteau, is a citizen of world-wide travel and ex- perience. He was born in England and as a young man while in Australia developed especial skill in the art of shearing sheep. Even today a skillful sheep shearer follows an itinerant vocation, commanding very high wages, and many of them follow their work wherever the season's demand takes them, whether north or south of the equator.

Mr. Hodgskiss was born in Staffordshire, Eng- land, April 12, 1852, son of John and Ursula (Yard- ley) Hodgskiss. His parents were natives of England and spent all their lives there as farmers. His father died at the age of eighty-one and his mother at sixty-seven. William was the fifth of their seven children, five of whom are still living.

William Hodgskiss grew up on his father's Eng- lish farm and acquired a common school education. He spent one season farming for himself in Eng- land, and for six years of his early life was a member of the Queen's Royal Yeomenry of Cav- alry in Staffordshire. In 1881 he went to Australia and did work mostly in sheep shearing. Altogether he spent six years in Australia and New Zealand, and his services were in great demand in the shear- ing of sheep.

Mr. Hodgskiss came to America in 1888, spending a few months in New York and then going to the California and Nevada sheep ranges found employ- ment as a sheep shearer during 1888-89. He also worked for sheep outfits in Idaho, Oregon and Montana. In the fall of 1889 Mr. Hodgskiss came to Teton County, Montana, and located at Choteau. Here he conducted the pioneer hotel, the Choteau House. In 1892 he engaged in the cattle and horse ranch business, and when the range was free and open he frequently had from 600 to 800 head of

1000

HISTORY OF MONTANA

cattle on the pasture and about the same number of horses. For nearly thirty years he has been a factor in the ranch industry, and still owns a valu- able ranch adjoining the Town of Choteau, and is one of the largest owners of city property. Besides these holdings he owns about 5,000 acres of ranch land in Teton County and 320 acres in South Dakota.

Mr. Hodgskiss is a republican, and while never caring for public office, served one term as county assessor of Teton County, being elected in 1894. He has affiliations with Choteau Lodge No. 44, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Choteau Chapter No. 19, Royal Arch Masons, Helena Consistory of the Scot- tish Rite, and Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine àt Helena.

In December, 1890, he married Miss Margaret Gyldenskog, a native of Norway. To their mar- riage were born five children: John E., William L., Ursula Caroline (who died in December, 1918, at the age of twenty-two), Ruby Florence and Grant H. These children are all graduates of the Mon- tana State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts at Bozeman.

IDEN M. RASMUSSON, the first and present clerk of the District Court of Glacier County, is an hon- ored ex-service man from Montana, who served nearly two years during the World war. He is one of the active members of the American Legion.

Mr. Rasmusson was born at Willmar, Minnesota, a son of Peter and Carrie Rasmusson, being one of a family of five children. His parents came to Montana during his youth and he completed his edu- cation at Cut Bank and for one year was a student in the Wesleyan University at Helena. After leav- ing college he was employed in the First National Bank of Cut Bank and also took up a homestead. His good mother, a devoted Christian woman, died in 1916, mourned by a large circle of friends.

Mr. Rasmusson was early in the service of his country when America entered the war against Ger- many. He was mustered in at Fort William Henry Harrison at Helena July 30, 1917, being assigned to Company H of the 163rd Infantry. The detailed record of his service is as follows : On detached duty at Blossburg, Montana, August 28th to Sep- tember 30th; left Helena for Camp Mills, New York, October 26th; from Camp Mills was sent to Camp Merritt, December 6th; from Camp Merritt to Ho- boken, New Jersey, December 14th, and the same day embarked for foreign service on the converted German steamship Leviathan and landed at Liver- pool December 24, 1917; arrived at Camp Morn- Hill, Winchester, England, December 25th, and after a brief stay left that camp December 30th, crossing the English Channel and landing at Le Havre the 3Ist; arrived in Carbon Blanc January 4, 1918, and at Camp Genicart January 8th, leaving there for St. Aignan March 19th and arriving March 20th. Left St. Aignan for Montrichard June 5th, where he remained continually training troops arriving from the States and then conducting them to the lines of defense when called for. His duties in training and instructing troops continued until after the signing of the armistice. Leaving Montrichard for Brest January 24, 1919, he arrived in that port January 26th, and started for home again on the United States steamship Leviathan February 3rd, reaching American shores February 1Ith. On the 12th he left Hoboken for Camp Merritt, New Jer- sey, thence to Camp Dix on the morning of the 16th, arriving the same day, and soon afterward was sent to Fort Logan, Colorado, where he arrived February 26th and was discharged March 6th.

He immediately returned home and on April 1,

1919, was appointed by the Board of County Com- missioners as clerk of court for the new County of Glacier. He now gives all his time to his official duties.

Mr. Rasmusson is a republican in politics, is affili- ated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Masons and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He stands high in his home community not only for his record as a soldier but for his sterling character and ability as a citizen.

GEORGE F. INGRAM, a resident of Helena, where he has been well known in official and business life, has been emphatically a man of action, and a record of his changing experiences, beginning in the early days of Montana Territory, has much of the value of real history.

George F. Ingram was born at Princeton, Cald- well County, Kentucky, son of George J. and Mary (Martin) Ingram, being one of their thirteen chil- dren. He attended the public schools of his native town and also Cumberland College up to the age of sixteen.

Strenuous life began for him at the age of seven- teen, when he entered the Confederate army. He was a member of Company G of the First Ken- tucky Cavalry, his early commander being the great cavalryman General Forrest, while later he was with Gen. John Morgan and for the last two years of the war his company was a body guard to another conspicuous Confederate leader, Gen. Joe Wheeler. At the capture of Fort Donelson Mr. Ingram was made a prisoner, spent several months at Camp Morton, Indianapolis, and at the end of six months was exchanged at Vicksburg. He was then attached to the Eighth Kentucky Infantry until remounted. As a cavalryman he was constantly on the move, and nearly every day was exposed to the hazards and hardships of raiding and scouting expeditions. One of his experiences involved another well known Montanan, Col. A. A. White of Kalispell. Mr. Ingram under General Forrest commanded a small troop that descended suddenly upon the City of Memphis, Tennessee, driving in the picket lines, the express object of the expedition being the capture of Maj. Gen. C. C. Washburn of Minneapolis, who with several other Union officers had his headquar- ters at the Gayosa House at Memphis. The at- tack failed of its ultimate purpose because Sergeant White, of the Union picket line, with the aid of a fleet horse was able to get to the hotel before the arrival of Forrest's men and arouse the sleeping generals, who fled with their trousers over their arms to the safety and protection of a fort and garrison a half mile away.

Mr. Ingram at the close of the war was in Ala- bama and came north through Tennessee to Ken- tucky and after a few weeks, in 1865, set out for the Far West. He went to Virginia City, Nevada. went back to Salt Lake City the same year, and in the fall made a trip to Boise City. After spending the winter of 1865-66 at Salt Lake he started for Montana as assistant wagon boss of Gilman and Saulsbury, freighters. He left the train at the head of Black Trail Canyon and rode by coach into Virginia City on July 2, 1866. The following morn- ing he took a coach for Helena, and in that mining camp, now the capital city, he worked for his brother in a wholesale and retail grocery. He left that to establish a restaurant opposite from the present site of the City Hall. He lost that business and all his accumulated capital and then went to placer min- ing at Montana City. From Octoher, 1866, to the end of the year he was in the Gallatin Valley, and on the first of January returned to Helena and soon

1001

HISTORY OF MONTANA

afterward took charge of a herd of cattle on which his brother had a mortgage at Crow Creek. The first of April, 1867, he returned to Helena and six days later started for the Salmon River country of Idaho, where he remained during the summer. He embarked in the grocery business there and again was unfortunate, returning to Helena in the spring of 1868 with a debt of $2,200 dollars. He then bought a bull outfit and engaged in freighting out of the Gallatin and Madison valleys. One sea- son he bought all the potatoes raised in that coun- try and freighted them to Helena, driving one of the teams himself. Another trip he made with his wagons to the Oneida Salt Works eighty miles east of the present site of Idaho Falls, and brought to Montana six loads of salt, three wagon's drawn by nine yoke of oxen each. On this trip he passed over the site of the present City of Butte, then merely the Silver Bow mining camp, and sold one load of salt to the late A. J. Davis for chloriniza- tion purposes. His next stop was at Deer Lodge, where he sold another load to the late Ed Lar- ribie, then proprietor of a small grocery store on Main Street and afterward one of the great bank- ers of Montana. The third load of salt he brought to Helena. From there he went to Fort Peck on the Missouri River, twelve miles above the mouth of Milk River, for the purpose of taking freight from boats that were unable in that season to pro- ceed higher up the stream. Lieutenant Townsend of the Thirteenth Infantry with a company of troops was on guard for about 300 teams bringing freight from Fort Peck to the wreck of the Amelia Poe, a boat sunk below the mouth of Milk River.

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 97

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