Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 140

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

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ment. He has served as a member of its board of aldermen from 1884 to 1886, and as the first chief of its fire department, which was at the start a vol- unteer organization.

Mr. McCarty was married September 21, 1899, to Miss Georgia M. McNeill, a Virginian by birth, and daughter of August D. and Emily (Daven- port) McNeill, also natives of the Old Dominion and of distinguished ancestry. Her father was a prominent planter in that state, who removed to Nebraska in 1889, where his death occurred in 1896. He was a descendant of a close friend of Washington and one of the confidential officers of the great commander during the Revolution, and was with him on the ill-fated expedition to Fort DuQuesne. He was firmly attached to the cause of the colonies, and when their army was in need of financial assistance, he contributed liberally of his private fortune to their necessities. This fine gentleman and patriot was the great-grandfather of Mrs. McCarty. Her mother's family was re- lated to the Robert E. Lee family of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. McCarty have only one child, Jeremiah Florence, who is still an infant. In politics Mr. McCarty is an ardent Democrat.

JACOB P. McCLAIN .- Numbered among the honored pioneers of Montana and representa- tive farmers and stockgrowers of Missoula county is Mr. McClain, whose life in the west has been an eventful one, since he has done his quota of Indian fighting and has been concerned with the industrial development of Montana from its early territorial epoch. He was born in Henry county, Iowa, on April 1, 1846, the son of Jacob D. and Olive (Wilson) McClain, natives of Virginia, and representative of stanch old southern families. They removed to Iowa in 1845, becoming pioneers of Henry county, whence they removed to Polk county in 1851, and there the death of the mother occurred in 1860, while the father survived until 1891, having retained his residence there during all the long intervening years. He served two years as county assessor, and was for an extended period incumbent, a justice of the peace, and one of the popular and influential men of his county. He was the father of seven sons, four of whom are now residents of Montana.

Jacob P. McClain was reared and educated in Polk county, Iowa, where he attended the public

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schools and assisted in the work of the parental farm until he had attained the age of seventeen years, when the military excitement incidental to the Civil war so fired his patriotism and ardor that he ran away from home in 1863, and enlisted in Company L, Second Nebraska Cavalry, walking over 300 miles to Falls City, Neb., to tender his services. One of his brothers accompanied him and joined the same regiment. The young men were not to see service in the south, however, for their regiment was ordered to Dakota, to aid in quelling the outbreak of the hostile Indians. Here Mr. McClain participated in a three-days fight with the savages at Whitestone Hills, within which time the military forces lost sixty men, while 300 Indians were classified with the only "good" Indians, the dead ones, as a result of the conflict. Mr. McClain continued in the service for nine months and was mustered out in December, 1863, having served under Gen. Sully and Col. Furness. He then returned to his home, where he remained until 1867, when he started for Montana, where civilization as yet maintained a precarious foot- hold. He made the trip by the Missouri river to Fort Benton, the popular mode of travel being by the primitive steamboats, and from the fort he made his way to Helena and thence to German gulch, where he was engaged in mining until 1871, when he located on a ranch in Deer Lodge valley, where he resided until 1874, when he came to his present home, which is located two and a half miles north of Carlton, Missoula county.

Mr. McClain has a fine ranch of 600 acres, well improved, and here he devotes his attention to farming and raising stock, his efforts having been directed with such discrimination as to render to him the maximum of success. He has maintained a lively interest in political affairs, and given sup- port at all times to the Democratic party, of whose principles he is an ardent advocate. In 1878 he was elected a member of the board of county com- missioners, resigning the office in 1880, since which time he has held aloof from public prefer- ment. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the Grand Army of the Republic. On February 18, 1865, Mr. McClain was united in marriage to Miss Emily E. Coon, who was born in Indiana, and whose death occurred in 1893. She left six chil- dren, Carrie V., George D., William H., Albert P., Charles A. and Frederick H. In 1898 our sub- ject consummated a second marriage, being then

wedded to Miss Hannah R. Rhodes, a native of Ohio, and the daughter of Daniel and Sophia Rhodes, who are now deceased. The family home is an attractive one, and here is dispensed a genuine hospitality to a large circle of friends.

M AJOR MICHAEL M. MCCAULEY, one of the honored pioneers of Montana, is a native of County Lathrop, Ireland, where he was born on February 26, 1824, the son of Patrick and Kate (Mahn) McCauley, likewise born in the Emerald Isle, where they passed their lives. Four of their sons lived to manhood, Michael and Dennis being the only ones to come to America, where they arrived in 1849. Major McCauley acquired his education in the public schools of Ireland and he early as- sisted his father, a dealer in produce in Dublin. From 1849 until 1851 Mr. McCauley was located in New York city, when he joined one of the Cali- fornia expeditions, making the trip by the isthmus route. At San Francisco he joined a volunteer company organized to fight the Indians, who were showing hostility. He was made captain of his company, and was in active service for six months in Lower California. They participated in many engagements, in which fifteen men were killed.

Major McCauley next turned his attention to buying cattle, bringing the stock north and dis- posing of it. Then he went to the Columbia min- ing district, and for seven years worked at placer mining, which he later followed at Knight's Ferry and vicinity until 1864 when he came to Montana. While in California in 1858 Maj. McCauley was appointed second lieutenant of the Mounted Rifles of the First Brigade, Third Division of California Militia, by Gov. John B. Miller, and in 1860 Gov. John G. Downey appointed him captain of the Stanislaus Guards, in which capacity he served one year. Upon coming to Montana he first located at Virginia City, but only for a short time, soon removing to the Blackfeet mining district, where he devoted his attention to mining until he was appointed agent for the Flathead Indians by Presi- dent Johnson in 1868, while Gen. Grant later ap- pointed him agent for the Blackfeet Indians, an in- cumbency he retained for one year. In 1871 Maj. McCauley located upon his present ranch, in Mis- soula county, near the mouth of the Bitter Root river, and five miles southwest of the city of Mis- soula, his postoffice address. He has been suc-

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cessful in farming and stockgrowing, is well known and is held in high esteem as one of Montana's sterling pioneers.

In 1870 was solemnized the marriage of Maj. McCauley to Miss Margaret McCarty, born in Ire- land, whence she came to the United States in 1864. Of this union seven children were born, and four are yet living, Robert, Charles, George N. and Louisa M.

The Major has been a zealous worker in the local political field, formerly in the Democratic party, but of late in the ranks of the Populist par- ty. He was the founder of the paper known as the Farmers' Alliance, which name was changed to The Populist, and, as the official organ of the Pop- ulist party in Montana, this journal exerted a marked influence. Maj. McCauley was chairman of the Missoula county central committee of the Populist party for four years. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, and has the dis- tinction of being the oldest Mason in the state in length of identification with the fraternity, into which he was initiated in 1850. The religious faith of the family is Catholic. This resume of the life history of one of Montana's representative pioneer citizens will be of cumulative interest and value in the days to come, when the early settlers will have all been called to "that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns."

JOHN MCCLELLAND .- The subject of this review is one of the aggressive and successful young business men of Choteau county, where, by industry and good management, he has secured a fine ranch property; and conducts a thriving enter- prise in the operation of a sawmill. He is a native of the province of Ontario, Canada, having been born in the town of Kincardine, on October 31, 1868, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Walsh) McClelland, both of whom were born in Ontario of stanch old Irish lineage, the date of the for- mer's birth having been 1845 and that of the latter 1850. They are now residents of Montana, making their home with their son, the subject of this re- view. John McClelland attended the public schools of his native town until he attained the age of fifteen years, when, in 1884, he went to the state of Michigan, and for six years was employed in the great lumbering districts of that state. In 1890 he came to Montana,. located at Sun River

and engaged in freighting and ranching for two years. In 1892 he located on his pres- ent ranch, contiguous to the Bear Paw moun- tains and eligibly situated on Eagle creek, twenty- five miles from the nearest station on the Great Northern Railroad. Here our subject is success- fully engaged in farming and cattle raising. In 1897 he erected a sawmill which he has since oper- ated to good advantage, being in frequent req- uisition by the numerous settlers in this section of Choteau county. In politics Mr. McClelland is a stanch Republican. His postoffice address is Big Sandy.

JACOB M. McCOLLEY .- Through the trying scenes of pioneer life in the middle west and the arduous struggle of the Civil war, Jacob Meyers McColley, late of Madison county, Mont., whose useful and creditable career ended in 1898, almost in the meridian of its course, was born in Iowa in 1844. His parents, Charles D. and Adaline (Buck) McColley, were natives of New York state, and removed to Iowa in the early days of its settlement. They were the parents of ten children, of whom Jacob was the third. He obtained what education he was able to secure in the primitive public schools of Iowa, and then learned the trade of a harnessmaker, at which he worked until the beginning of the Civil war, when he promptly en- listed as a member of Company B, Thirty-third Iowa Infantry. After participating in many en- gagements and at the siege of Vicksburg, he was discharged for physical disability incurred in the service. In 1870 he came to Montana, and after spending two years on the Ruby, located on the Madison, where he was a rancher, having 160 acres on which he raised good crops of hay and maintained fine herds of cattle, making the business profitable and growing continually in the good opinion of his fellowmen. His death occurred in 1898. He left no children, but a widow survives him. She was a Miss Eva H. Perdue, a native of Ohio, and was married to him in 1888. At the time of his death he was an active and zealous member of the Grand Army of the Republic and a devoted member of the Christian church.

Mrs. McColley was educated in Ohio and at the State Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind. She is a lady of superior scholastic attainments and fine culture, and came to Montana in 1886 and taught school at Ennis until her marriage. Following the

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intellectual bent of her character, she expects to spend much of her life in travel and the pursuits of studies and observations which are to her taste. In Montana, the state of her adoption, she has a large body of cordial friends, and enjoys the es- teem of all who have the pleasure of her acquaint- ance.

ROBERT L. McCULLOH .- Mr. McCulloh's career in Montana for more than thirty-one years has been of such activity and resultant suc- cess in business enterprises of great scope and im- portance as to make his personal experience a val- uable feature in a work containing reminiscences of the life labors of those who have been instru- mental in fostering the development of the com- monwealth. The firm of Broadwater, McCulloh & Co., whose operations extended over more than a decade from 1882, operated very extensively in merchandising, freighting, trading, etc., gaining a wide reputation and causing their enterprises to be of such general ramification and progressive in- fluence as to make the record of its operations dur- ing that period an essential element in the history of the state. Of Col. Charles A. Broadwater, with whom Mr. McCulloh was so long and intimately associated, a fitting memoir appears on other pages of this work. Robert L. McCulloh was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., on September II, 1845. His father, Robert McCulloh, was born in Chambersburg, Pa., where his death occurred in 1852, after a long and successful career in the tanning business. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth W. Gleim, was born in Baltimore, Md., in 1808, and died in Tipton, Mo., in 1883, having attained to more than the psalmist's three score years and ten.

R. L. McCulloh was a pupil in the public schools of Chambersburg, Pa., until he had attained the age of eight years, when he went to St. Louis, Mo., and attended the schools of that city for about three years, thereafter holding a clerkship in a commission house and steamship agency in that city until 1862, when his sympathies were en- listed in the cause of the Union, and he enlisted in the Second Missouri Cavalry for service in the Civil war. After serving nine months he was honorably discharged that he might accept the position of paymaster's clerk, in which capacity he was retained for three years. Mr. McCulloh in 1867 became bookkeeper in a wholesale commis-

sion house in St. Louis and was incumbent of this office for two years. The following year he was identified with a general merchandising business at Tipton, Mo., and in 1870 he came west to Corinne, Utah, with the celebrated overland Diamond R freight line, operated by E. G. Maclay & Co., in whose employ he continued until the firm's dis- solution in 1879. In September of that year he came to Fort Assinnaboine, Mont., with Col. Charles A. Broadwater, and in April, 1882, was made post trader at that point, and at the same time the well-known firm of Broadwater, McCulloh & Co. was formed. The business consisted of merchandising, freighting, trading and filling gov- ernment contracts, and the extended operations of the firm became an integral part of the history of the state.

In the fall of 1891 Mr. McCulloh went to Helena as cashier of the Montana National Bank, retain- ing this incumbency until 1893. In May, 1892, oc- curred the death of Col. Broadwater, one of the most public-spirited and valued citizens on the scroll of Montana's eminent and honored men, and in his will Mr. McCulloh was named as executor of his estate. He assumed the duties thus assigned by his deceased friend and associate, and had charge of the affairs of the estate until his resigna- tion in December, 1893. In the meanwhile he had been elected vice-president of the bank, and held this office for a number of years. He returned to Fort Assinnaboine in 1894, and was there promi- nently engaged in the cattle business until the fall 1898, when he sold this interest to Simon Pepin. His association with Col. Broadwater extended over a period of twenty-two years prior to the lat- ter's death, the affairs being closed in 1894, when a final dissolution of the partnership occurred, though Col. Broadwater had passed away two years previously.

At the present time Mr. McCulloh practically devotes his entire time and attention to his mining interests, having investments at Neihart and inter- ests in numerous other properties in various sec- tions of the state and the Black Hills, which are now in process of development. He has been one of Montana's prominent and honored business men and influential citizens and is to be noted as one of the sterling pioneers of the state. In poli- tics he has given a stanch and unwavering sup- port to the Republican party, and has done effect- ive service in its behalf, though never an aspirant for official preferment. On November 23, 1873,

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Mr. McCulloh was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Blanchard, who was born in Utah, and they have had two sons, Edgar Gleim McCulloh, born on September 26, 1874, died February 3, 1877, and Carroll Blanchard McCulloh, born on Septem- ber 16, 1876, who is now associated with his father in his enterprises.

ANIEL McDONALD .- It is not to be feared D

at any time that art will consign nature to oblivion. Place anywhere side by side the most perfect mechanism and the man who works it, and the latter, even though he be an ordinary factory hand, will gain in dignity and importance by the comparison. And when he has within him the powers of leadership, of organization and of direction of his class for their common good, his rank above the machinery with which he labors is infinitely higher. Of this class Daniel McDonald furnishes a fine illustration. He was born at Glengary, County Picton, Nova Scotia, on No- vember 18, 1868. His father, John, and his mother, Jane MacDonald, who through life adhered to the old Scotch way of spelling the name, were also natives of Nova Scotia, where the father was a thrifty and well-to-do farmer. Ten children blessed their union, of whom Daniel was the fifth. He attended the public schools in his boyhood, but left when sixteen to learn the trade of an iron moulder, which he worked at two years in Nova Scotia, and then went to San Francisco in 1887, remaining in that city and Sacramento until 1890, all the while working at his trade. In 1890 he re- moved to Salt Lake City, and from there in 1891 to Butte.

He early became interested in labor organiza- tions, and joined the Moulders' Union. When he went to Salt Lake he was president and secretary of that body and its delegate to the Utah Federation of Labor. In Butte he was elected recording secre- tary of the Butte Moulders' Union, and in July, 1892, was made its president. From that time he has been a prominent figure in all labor organiza- tions in this part of the country, and has repre- sented his section in many of the national bodies. In 1895 he was a delegate to the Chicago con- vention of the Iron Moulders' Union of North America, and served on the committee on the con- stitution and on that appointed to consider a special resolution touching the Debs proposition,

Mr. Debs being then in jail for alleged complicity in the riots at Chicago just before the meeting. Mr. McDonald was a delegate to the Silver Bow Trades and Labor Union continuously from 1891, was president of the assembly of this union for years, and was elected president of the Western Federation at its creation in May, 1898. He was a member of the executive committee of the Mon- tana Trades and Labor Council, and as such called the convention that met at Salt Lake City on May 10, 1898. He was an active promoter of the organ- ization thereby effected, and was chosen its first president, a position to which he has been elected every year since. The headquarters are in Butte, and the jurisdiction of the body embraces all the states west of the Mississippi. Its object is to . amalgamate all western labor unions into one ef- fective body. Mr. McDonald was also for three years an organizer for the Montana Trades and Labor Union. In politics Mr. McDonald belongs to the Labor party, but he never held or sought public office. He is, in fraternal relations, a Knight of Pythias, an Odd Fellow and a Wood- man of the World. He was married in Butte, June 26, 1893, to Miss Kate Lowney, a native of Michigan. They have no children. Mr. McDon- ald had an uncle, also named Daniel MacDonald, who was killed in one of the battles of the Civil war.

JOHN McDONNELL, who lives on his ranch one mile west of Bozeman, was born in Ireland, near the beautiful and classical river Shannon, in 1835. When he was but fifteen years old he began to consider starting out in life for himself; but at that time America had still a far-away sound for persons living in the old country. He kept think- ing of it, however, as a land where those who would work could surely have a home of their own, and finally nerved his young heart for the long trip across the heaving ocean. Bidding his friends a tearful farewell, and receiving his mother's bless- ing, he started on what proved to be a long and tedious voyage. But at length he reached New York, and went with friends to New Jersey, where he remained working on a farm during the sum- mer and attending school in winter for a period of two years. Determined to make a more am- bitious effort in his own behalf he migrated to Iowa, and there farmed on leased land until 1864. On April 5, of that year, he was married to Miss

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Harriet C. Stuff, a native of Maryland, whose fam- ily live in Illinois, near Chicago. Still thinking something better awaited him in the west, on May 16, 1864, he started with his bride from Des Moines, Iowa, across the plains for Montana, or Idaho, as it was then called, willing to take the risks of the perilous journey with the hope of en- larged opportunity and a well established home of his own in the new territory. They reached Vir- ginia City August 26, 1864, after an eventful and . interesting trip. Their team consisted of horses, and their route was through the Black Hills. They were in constant apprehension from the Indians who hung upon their track, threatened their lives and harassed them generally. A party of emigrants just ahead of them had all their stock stolen by the savages, and returned to get aid from the fort for their recovery. The two trains joined forces, and were later joined by others. But not- withstanding the size of the train by this time and the number of men attached to it, the Indians at- tacked them one day and took sixteen of their horses. They pursued them, and when they came up with them had a fight in which one of the white men had his leg broken by a shot. After that they had no further trouble, but came on by the Bridger trail to their destination.

After remaining in Virginia City for three weeks, Mr. and Mrs. McDonnell took up some land about five miles from Gallatin City, on the Madison river, and engaged in dairying and stockraising un- til 1880. They were successful in the business, but desiring to live where they could have the ad- vantage of good schools for their children, they removed to their present home, which consists of 320 acres, and is one of the most inviting in the neighborhood, being well improved with a very comfortable and substantial dwelling and all neces- sary outbuildings and appliances, furnishing abundant evidence of skillful cultivation. The dwelling is surrounded by beautiful grounds and ample shade trees ; all arranged and disposed in a tasteful manner. They also own 2,600 acres of pasture and hay land on the Madison river, which is all fenced and contains a comfortable house in which the man whom they have hired to look after their interests on this property lives. Their land is all under irrigation, and produces good crops of wheat, oats, barley and clover hay. It is abund- antly stocked with small fruits and other general farm products.

Mr. and Mrs. McDonnell have three sons,

namely: William L. and Edwin, prosperous ranchmen on land adjoining their father's; and Robert E., a successful civil engineer in Kansas City, Mo. Of these there is further and more specific mention on another page of this work. A daugh- ter, Annie L., who was born May 31, 1865, passed away November 12, 1879. Our subject and his wife are highly respected by all their neighbors, and everything about them bears the appearance of thrift, prosperity and a comfortable competency of this world's goods.

J E. McDONNELL .- The war between the states was well over and peace had returned to 'scatter plenty o'er a smiling land" when John F. McDonnell was born in Madison valley, Gallatin county, Mont., July 22, 1872. But the Nez Perces Indians were on the warpath against their pale- faced brothers at the time, doing violence every- where around them. They made a raid into the valley, killed several white men in the fight which resulted, and then retired with a number of horses and considerable other booty. It was in the midst of this excitement that his life began. He is the second son of John and Harriet C. McDonnell, and a younger brother of William, all more fully mentioned elsewhere in this work. He was edu- cated in the district schools of Gallatin county and at Bozeman College. After leaving college, he entered into partnership with his father and older brother in the cattle business, and is so engaged with them at present. He joined them in the enter- prise when their cattle were removed from Shields river to Cherry creek, where he has been in active and responsible control of the herds ever since, being the main reliance of his father who desires to retire from active business on account of in- creasing age and failing health, feeling that all interests will be safe and receive conscientious and skillful attention in the hands of his son. The manner in which he has so far managed the prop- erty, a ranch of some 4,000 acres, with an average herd of from 500 to 1,500 head of superior short- horn and Hereford cattle, the profitable results he has achieved from the business and the unusually attractive and thrifty appearance of the ranch, house, barns, corrals, gardens, and in fact every- thing about the place, are sufficient indication that the confidence is well placed. The young man has great pride in his work, keeps the farm well

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 140

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