Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 139

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1374

USA > Montana > Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1 > Part 139

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Mr. Logan first figured in connection with pub- lic office in 1888, when he was elected alderman from the first ward for a term of two years. Later he was elected justice of the peace, in which capac- ity he served two years, while in 1889 he was chosen public administrator, subsequently being again elected justice of the peace, which office he held until 1896. In 1890 he was appointed United States commissioner, in which capacity he served six years, and in 1899 he was again elected to rep- resent the first ward on the board of aldermen, being chosen president of that body, while upon the resignation of Mayor Webster the council elected him to the chief executive office of the municipality, and he served as mayor until May, 1901. In these various positions of trust and responsibility Mr. Logan has ever shown a marked appreciation of the duties involved, and has ad- ministered the affairs of each with a rugged hon- esty of purpose which has conserved the public interests. In politics he has given an unswerv- ing allegiance to the Republican party, and worked actively as a member of its county central com- mittee and otherwise been an active factor in the cause. Fraternally Mr. Logan is identified with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he was grand master of the Montana grand lodge in 1889, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, of which he is now grand master workman of the state, succeeding George Young. In 1880 was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Logan to Miss May Ford, who was born in Michigan. They have four children, Will- iam A., Bertha A., Elva A. and Claude G. The family occupies a prominent place in the social circles of Missoula, where they are held in the highest esteem.

M ORTIMER H. LOTT .- No state in the Union can boast of a more heroic band of pioneers than can Montana. Their privations, hardships and earnest labors have resulted in establishing one of the foremost commonwealths of the great west. They laid the foundation for its present pros- perity. Their indefatigable efforts and sterling characters were the building stones. Judge Lott is one of those who came to Montana when civ- ilization had a most precarious foothold, and here he had been conspicuously identified with the in- dustrial and social life of the territory and state. He is today one of the venerable citizens of Twin Bridges, Madison county, which was founded by him and his brother John. (See sketch elsewhere in this volume.) In the county and state Judge Lott is worthy of the esteem accorded him.

Judge Lott is a native of Pennsylvania and was born at Lottsville, Warren county, on the 25th of December, 1827. His father, Hewlett Lott, was born on Long Island, N. Y., whence he removed to Pennsylvania in the year 1814, in company with his father, Harmonous Lott, and they were found- ers of the town of Lottsville. The ancestors came from Holland to America during the Colonial period, settling at what was then New Amster- dam. Hewlett Lott was both a farmer and a lumberman. He was an old-line Whig, and a com- municant of the Protestant Episcopal church. Pos- sessing a strong mentality and force of character, his life was unblemished. Mortimer H. Lott, after attendance at the public school, completed his studies at the noted Fredonia Academy at Fre- donia, N. Y., leaving that school in 1852. From that time until 1857 he engaged in the work of the parental farmstead, then he went forth to seek his fortune in the west. He started for Minne- sota, but upon arriving at West Union, Fayette county, Iowa, in April, 1857, he changed his plans, and purchasing two horses and a wagon, and with his brother John proceeded to Marshall county, Kan., where they arrived in August and located. They, however, continued their trip, selecting lands to locate and enter, and traveled most of the sea- son through Nebraska. Kansas and Missouri. They went east to pass the winter, returning to their Kansas ranch in the spring of 1858. Judge Lott remained there until 1860, when he made the overland trip with horses and sulky, to Denver, Colo., while his four companions traveled on horse- back. On this sulky was carried the entire camp outfit. These companions were all men who had

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been employed on our subject's Kansas ranch. While en route they met fully 10,000 Ute Indians in one body, but they were friendly. Arriving in Denver in June, 1860, Judge Lott went to Cal- ifornia gulch, where he engaged in placer mining until fall, when he took a prospecting tour through New Mexico, going thoroughly through the ter- ritory and returning to California gulch the next July. With eleven companies, in the spring of 1862, he started for Montana. On reaching Fort Lemhi, on Salmon river, he began prospecting for gold, discovering the precious metal on the Big Hole basin, on a branch of Big Hole river, Pioneer gulch, and there gave his attention to mining until fall. He then went to Utah for pro- visions and returned to Bannack. He mined at Bannack until July, 1863, purchasing several claims, some of which were very productive, the richest, located on Jimmy's bar, having yielded $1,400 from the sluice box in a single day and an equal amount from one pan on the same day. Leaving Bannack in July, Judge Lott with his brother John, as Lott Brothers, located in Nevada City, where he opened a general store, John Lott having arrived in Montana in the fall of 1863. This firm had the only safe then in Nevada City and it was made the depository of large amounts of gold dust. The road agents, then menacing life and property on every side, often threatened to rob the store, and for this reason Judge Lott slept in the building. He was present at the hanging by the vigilance committee of the notorious outlaw, George Ives, one of the leaders of the road agents. In the spring of 1865 Judge Lott came to Twin Bridges, Madison county, building the first house at this point and acquired a large amount of land on the two rivers. The store building of Lott Brothers was removed from Nevada City to Twin Bridges and was here used as a general store for many years, these two buildings being the nucleus of the present thriving village. The brothers owned a tract three miles square, including the town site, and they gave away lots to encourage set- tlement and building. Thus the brothers were the founders of Twin Bridges, which was laid out and platted in 1890. In 1867 Mr. Lott and his brother constructed two bridges, one across the Beaverhead, the over over the Big Hole river. They also built a bridge over the Beaverhead at the Point of Rocks, about fifteen miles above. They also constructed roads, spending thousands of dollars in developing. Twin Bridges took its

name from the two bridges spoken of. The broth- ers have contributed much for the advancement of the community. Forty-five acres adjoining the town were donated for fair grounds and race track. One hundred acres were donated for the State Orphan Home, etc. Judge Lott has ever maintained a lively interest in the public welfare, and to him is due all honor for the part he has taken in the development of the commonwealth. He is a pronounced Republican and as such he served for years as judge of probate of Madison county. Fraternally he is identified with the Ma- sonic order as member of Westgate Lodge No. 27, A. F. & A. M., and of Virginia City Chapter No. 1, R. A. M., of Virginia City. He is past master of his lodge and has often been its repre- sentative in the grand lodge. On May 20, 1880, at Twin Bridges, Judge Lott was united in mar- riage with Miss Melvina Carson, who was born in Pennsylvania, whence she accompanied her par- ents on removal to Iowa, where she was prin -. cipally reared and educated. She was a success- ful school teacher, and came to Twin Bridges to follow her profession. Judge and Mrs. Lott have two children, namely: Marie E. and Mortimer J. Lott.

JOHN S. LOTT .- On other pages of this work will be found a sketch of the life of Judge Morti- mer H. Lott, a brother of John S. Lott, and in that will be found adequate details as to the family genealogy, while the two brothers, sterling pion- eers and prominent citizens of Montana, have been so closely associated in many of their enter- prises and operations that a segregation of their business records is almost impossible, and we have deemed it best to refer the reader to the sketch of Judge Lott.

John S. Lott was born at Lottsville, Pa., on the 25th of November, 1830, the son of Hewlett Lott. Such educational advantages as were afforded by the public schools were accorded to Mr. Lott in his youth, and to fit himself to properly assume the practical responsibilities of life he learned the trade of carpenter and joiner. After learning his trade he worked at it for a number of years in his native state. He accompanied his brother, Mortimer H., to Kansas in 1857, and the two became the owners of a ranch in Marshall county, that state. Judge Lott went to Colorado in 1860, and in 1863 John made the trip to Montana in an

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old-time Concord coach drawn by six horses and laden with general merchandise. In their train was also a bull team of five head and one buffalo, which had been broken and did effective work. They had also a team of six cows, which drew a portion of the merchandise. This buffalo was perhaps the first one ever successfully trained for driving and draught purposes. Mr. Lott purchased the animal at Fort Kearney, where it had been left by the original owner. While residing in Kansas our subject also bought a team of elks, which he broke and used for driving, though they we're never exactly satisfactory as beasts of bur- den. He kept them two years, and upon coming to Montana left them with Maj. Hook, on Green river. At Fort Laramie, while en route to Mon- tana in 1863, Mr. Lott drove his singular team of five bulls and one buffalo through a camp of fully 2,000 Sioux Indians, who had encamped there to wait for government supplies. He had been strenuously urged not to make the attempt, as the Indians would make vigorous objection, but he was not alarmed and was successful in passing through and continuing his journey. The buffalo gave excellent service, but was killed by a young Mormon at Three Crossings, the miscreant claiming that it was a wild animal and that any- one had a perfect right to kill it. Three Crossings was under government control, and Mr. Lott en- deavored to persuade the commanding officer to arrest the Mormon, but the official considered that this would be beyond his authority and refused to comply with the request. Mr. Lott purchased a bull to take the place of the buffalo, proceeded on his way, and finally arrived in Nevada City. Here he and his brother disposed of a portion of their merchandise, then purchased a store already established at that point, and continued in merchan- dising for a number of years.

Within a year of his arrival in Montana Mr. Lott was prominently concerned in the organization of the vigilance committee, and was captain of one of the companies, and also treasurer of the entire organization. Upon him devolved the duty of drawing up the oath subscribed to by the mem- bers of the committee. He was one of the most vigorous members of this wonderful organiza- tion, through whose efforts Montana was finally freed from the desperate characters whose pres- ence was a constant menace to life and property. He was a member of the jury before whom was conducted the trial of one of the leading ones, 46

the notorious outlaw, George Ives, and was pres- ent at his execution. The oath taken by the mem- bers of the committee was drawn up in Lott Brothers store and there signed by the twenty- four men who pursued and captured Ives. This renegade was brought to Nevada City after his capture, and he pleaded that he might be taken to Virginia City for trial. As the headquarters of the road agents was in that place he thought that he would there secure help from his friends. The Nevada City men thoroughly understood the motive which prompted the request, and when a large party of men came from Virginia City and urged that Ives be taken there, the captors claimed him as their prisoner and refused to permit him to be taken from Nevada City. Judge Lott, brother of our subject, mounted a pile of lumber near their store before the collected people and made a motion to have the prisoner retained in Nevada City, and this was carried. As the town had no jail Ives was held in duress in Lott Brothers' store for two nights and one day. When the trial came, Virginia City men demanded that twelve of their number be permitted to sit on the jury of twenty-four members, but this demand like- wise was refused. In neither of the towns could be found a lawyer intrepid enough to prosecute the prisoner. This duty was accepted by Col. W. F. Sanders, who was then residing in Bannack and is now one of the distinguished citizens of Helena and one of the most highly honored pio- neers of the state. The trial was conducted before Judge Byam, in Nevada City, and the prisoner convicted and hung.

In regard to the removal of the Lott brothers to Twin Bridges sufficient mention will be found in the sketch of Judge Lott. The "twin bridges" erected by the brothers were in use for twenty years. Mr. John S. Lott, who now gives his atten- tion to mechanical work and to farming, has ever maintained a deep concern in all that per- tains to the welfare and material progress of the town which he assisted in founding, and is honored as a pioneer and sterling citizen. He was never married.

In politics Mr. Lott is a free-trade Republi- can. He is endowed with a vigorous mentality and mature judgment, and signally independent in thought and action, and is able to defend any position he takes. He has a distinct rever- ence for the truly spiritual entities, but subscribes to no dogmas or creeds. Mr. Lott was the first

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auditor of the territory of Montana, appointed by Gov. Edgerton and confirmed by the legisla- ture, and in this capacity he served two terms.

J AMES H. LYONS .- At the confluence of Mill creek and Yellowstone river, in Park county, is located the fine ranch of Mr. Lyons and there he is successfully engaged in raising cattle and conducting a dairy. He was born in Tioga county, N. Y., on April 4, 1856, the son of Justus C. and Amanda B. (Southwick) Lyons, natives of Tioga and Orange counties, N. Y., who had six sons and two daughters. His paternal grandparents were Henry and Sarah (Dean) Lyons, both born in Tioga county, where the former died in 1898 at the venerable age of ninety-eight years. The great- grandfather, Jesse Lyons, a native of Eng- land, emigrated to America in the early Colonial days, establishing his home in New York city, on or near the site of Trinity church. Justus C. Lyons removed to Wisconsin in 1864 and engaged in farming and dairying until 1883, when he re- moved to Montana and located on Mill creek, where he is still living on his ranch ; his wife, how- ever, passed away in 1874.

James H. Lyons was about eight years of age when his parents removed to Wisconsin, where he attended the public schools, eventually gradu- ating from the Fond du Lac high school in June, 1877, then he went to Norway, Mich., and was clerk and bookkeeper in a hardware establish- ment until 1883, when he came to Montana, first locating in Livingston for one year, engaged in clerical pursuits, after which he worked mining property in Bear gulch for two years, meeting with fair success. He then removed to Cooke, in the southern part of Park county, purchased cows and conducted dairying nearly two years, passing the winter in Horr, and then coming to his pres- ent location, purchasing the Davis sawmill ranch, which is most eligibly located and has an area of 800 acres. Here he is extensively engaged in raising cattle, giving preference to the shorthorn type and having on hand from 100 to 150 head, where he also conducts a successful business in dairying.

He is energetic and progressive, and is highly honored in the community. He has just com- pleted a modern house on his ranch and a large barn, sparing no effort to make the place one of the

best in the locality. He gives his support to the Socialist party, and was chairman of the board of trustees for many years, while fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. On June 1, 1883, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lyons and Miss Ernestine Wellnitz, born in Buchue, Germany, where the family has been established for many generations, and the daughter of Fred Wellnitz. He emigrated to America in 1878 and located near Fond du Lac, Wis., where he died in 1882, and the mother still resides. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons have three children, Earnest, who was a student in the Ruskin College, Tenn., and later continued his studies in the Georgia college of the same name, and Etta and Mertie, students in the public schools of Park county. The children take a deep interest in music, much to the grati- fication of their parents, who will accord them every advantage in perfecting them in this, the most beautiful of fine arts.

W ILLIAM B. McADOW .- Among the pio- neers of Montana now resident of Gallatin county there is none who is held in higher esteem and honor than Mr. McAdow, who has played an important part in furthering the progress of this section of the state, having been long identified with industrial enterprises of importance and leav- ing the impress of his strong personality on the community. Mr. McAdow was born on July 13, 1840, in Platte county, Mo., the son of Samuel and Julia (Bean) McAdow, both Kentuckians, who removed to Missouri about 1837, as pioneers of Platte county. Samuel McAdow was one of the early argonauts who went to California during the ever memorable gold excitement. While return- ing from the New Eldorado, illness overtook him and he died at Panama in 1851, aged about fifty- two years. His widow resided on the homestead in Missouri until her death, at the age of about sixty-six years. Of their nine children, seven are yet living. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Mc- Adow were natives of Scotland, whence they emi- grated to America and here passed the remainder of their lives.

William B. McAdow was reared under the in- vigorating discipline of the old Missouri home- stead, securing his early education in the district schools and supplementing this by study in the Lexington (Mo.) College. While he was a student

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in this institution, there were also enrolled two others, who subsequently obtained distinction in Montana-William Y. Pemberton, formerly chief justice of the supreme court of Montana, and Ed- win W. Toole, a prominent attorney of Helena and a brother of the present governor of the state. Mr. McAdow made the long trip across the plains to Montana in 1863, having previously been more or less involved in the strenuous controversies which so disrupted Missouri antecedent to and during the Civil war. On the latter part of the journey to Montana ex-Gov. Samuel T. Hauser and the well-known statesman and pioneer, James .Stuart, were members of his party. Arriving at the Stinking Water river in the fall of 1863, he was identified with mining in Alder gulch until the fall of 1864, when he came to the Gallatin valley and joined his brother Perry, who had come to Montana in 1861 with Maj. Graham, who is well remembered by old timers.

Perry McAdow was born in Kentucky on July 28, 1838, and is now a resident of Florida. The two brothers formed a partnership which contin- ued until 1879, when it was dissolved by mutual consent, Perry McAdow then locating in Billings, where he amassed a large fortune. The brothers built and operated the first grist mill in the Gal- latin valley, erected and equipped it in 1865 near the site of Bozeman. After the partnership ended Wil- liam B. McAdow operated this mill until 1883, when he disposed of it, and has since lived comparatively retired from active business, though maintaining personal supervision of his fine ranch property and other interests. In 1864 he entered claim to a tract of land which comprises a portion of his pres- ent farm, and is located less than one mile from Bozeman postoffice, while the local station of the Northern Pacific Railroad is located on the place. Here he makes his home in a fine residence and owning 300 acres, all under most effective culti- vation. He has seen and passed through all phases of the vicissitudes of life on the frontier, and from the site of his present home has wit- nessed Bozeman develop from a cluster of two or three cabins to its present attractiveness as a thriving little city, with fine streets, beautiful homes and modern improvements.

His first house in this locality was a double log house, each being about 12x14 feet in dimensions which was larger and more pretentious than the majority of the early domiciles in this locality, as in connection with his farm and mill work he was

obliged to provide accommodations for quite a large number of employes. He is entitled to a tribute as having been one of the founders and builders of the great state of Montana, and he has ever been animated by that spirit of honor and that inflexible integrity that have made his life true in all its relations and thus insured the trust and high regard of his fellowmen. Such men be- come natural leaders.

In national politics Mr. McAdow renders a stanch allegiance to the Democratic party, and the first presidential vote which he cast was deposited in 1892 for Grover Cleveland, the franchise having been previously denied to residents of Montana in the presidential elections, as she was not then a member of the sisterhood of states. On local issues he maintains an independent attitude, vot- ing for men and measures rather than adhering to strict party lines, and giving support to whatever or whomever he feels will best serve the interests of city, county or state. In 1868 he was elected as- sessor of Gallatin county, serving for a term of two years. The family are members of the Protes- tant Episcopal church, and are prominent in the social life of the community, the beautiful home being one in which floats an atmosphere of re- finement and culture. On August 28, 1873, Mr. McAdow was united in marriage to Miss Florence V. Lamme, a daughter of Dr. Achilles Lamme. She was born in De Kalb, Mo., on August 7, 1853, and they have two children-Perry L., born July 30, 1877, a talented musician who is now prosecut- ing his studies in the east, and Louis H. was born on November 24, 1881, a student in the military academy at Lexington, Va. For the history of Mrs. McAdow's family we refer the reader to the sketch of her brother, E. B. Lamme, appearing elsewhere in this work.

JEREMIAH MCCARTY .- The claims of Ameri- can citizenship on the time and energies of a man who is willing and able to serve his fellows are great and continuous, for we are living in an age which gives no opportunities to laggards and no hope of advancement except to the industrious. Among the progressive men of Montana whose life-story is recorded in these pages, none has been busier, none more versatile, and none achieved a more distinctive or creditable success than Jere- miah McCarty. He was born in St. Lawrence

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county, N. Y., May 29, 1853. His parents were Jeremiah and Margaret (Shinnick) McCarty, na- tives of Ireland, who came to America in 1847. They were the parents of ten children, of whom our subject was the fourth. He was educated at the public schools and an excellent academy in his native county, and at the age of thirteen began the battle of life for himself by leaving home and working for a short time on some public buildings. He next secured employment from a waterworks company, and somewhat later for another at St. Albans, Vt. After that he worked at various places in Connecticut and Massachusetts until 1874, when he made his way to California and there engaged in the same kind of work, spending two years on constructive enterprises in Oakland. In 1876 he came to Montana and located at Dia- mond City, where he engaged in placer mining for a year and then removed to Virginia City and continued operations in this line until 1879. In the fall of that year he took up his residence at Butte, and after working at quartz mining for a time he began contracting for the construction of sewers and other public improvements. From 1885 to 1891 he conducted a successful wholesale liquor business. In 1894 he was engaged in the real estate business in Texas, spending the winters there until 1897, and doing some leasing in Butte. This last venture was not very profitable, and he gave it up in the winter of 1897 and went to Ross- land, British Columbia, in the hope of getting into some profitable mining deals, but returned to the United States without investing ; and in April of the year last named was elected city treasurer of Butte for a term of two years, and at the end of the term was elected mayor of the city. While he was thus serving the city he succeeded in securing the pass- age of many measures of importance to the de- veloping interests of the municipality. Among those to whom he gave his persistent personal at- tention was making provision for more water for the city's use by the Big Hole Water Company ; the reduction of street car fares to five cents within the city limits ; an expansion and improvement of the city sewer system; the filling up of Missoula gulch, thereby connecting and vastly improving four streets which were before cut apart and badly located for travel and building ; and the reduction of the hours of labor for the attendants in the pub- lic library from nine hours to eight. When he came to be the city's executive he was not a stranger to its needs and possibilities for advance-

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 139

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago Publication date: [19-?] Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1374