Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 159

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 159

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).

g OFallary

825

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

and appreciated service along many lines in his state, which he considers one of the best and most promising in the Union. He has been closely and serviceably identified with the school system for many years, and has given it an impetus and a di- rectness of course in his county which is highly appreciated. He does not belong to any secret society, but is a firm believer and active worker in the Lutheran church, and was the originator of the congregation in his town.

Mr. Fallang was married on July 27, 1870, at Christiania, Norway, to Mrs. Inger Maria Olsen, who was born September 2, 1842, in the diocese of Swarstad, Laurdal, Norway, the daughter of a farmer. They have six children: Olga Bir- gethe, now Mrs. Carl Tangen, of Sweet Grass county ; Oscar Alfred, now sheriff of the county, and a veteran of the Spanish-American war, hav- ing been with the First Montana Volunteers in the Philippines; Herbert Christopher, a pros- perous electrician living in Seattle, also a veteran of the late war, having been with the Third United States Infantry in Cuba; Agnes Con- stance, now Mrs. Andrew Olsbach, of Ballard, Wash .; Inga Mathilde, now Mrs. Peter Mayelsen, of Sweet Grass county, and Samuel, a student at the Agricultural College, Bozeman. Mr. Fallang is a man of positive convictions and freedom and candor of speech. His views on any public ques- tion are never of a doubtful character. Although modest and unassuming he has been forced to a position of leadership among the people of his community because of his capacity.

Į JENRY M. ROSSLER is recognized as one of the popular citizens of Helena, where he has resided since 1892, and has control of valuable real estate interests. Mr. Rossler is a native of Switz- erland, born November 23, 1856, the son of Charles A. and Jannallie (Bruce) Rossler, the former born in Holland and the latter in Portugal. Charles A. Rossler devoted his attention to the raising of high-grade live stock and was very successful in his business enterprises. He was a Protestant in his religious faith and a prominent and influential member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he at- tained the thirty-third degree in the Scottish Rite. He was deeply interested in horticulture, and was president of the leading horticultural society of the locality where he maintained his home. He passed

into eternal life in July, 1887, having enjoyed the highest confidence and esteem of all who knew him. His wife, who is an ardent member of the Catholic church, survives him, maintaining her home at the old homestead. They became the parents of six children, all of whom are living at the present time, namely : Albert, Henry M., Jannallie, Matilda and Mary.

The subject of this sketch received ex- ceptional educational advantages, having at- tended the public schools until he had at- tained the age of thirteen years, when he entered the first thoroughly equipped horticul- tural university ever established, located at Achaff- burg, Bavaria, Germany. There he devoted his at- tention to the study of the art and science of hor- ticulture, continuing at the university until he had attained the age of eighteen years, when he went to London, England, where he studied floriculture for one and one-half years, thoroughly mastering the branches to which he had thus devoted him- self. In 1878 Mr. Rossler made a trip to South Africa with a prominent medico-botanical society to further his knowledge of plant growth and varie- ties. He returned to his home on December 27, 1879, and later made a trip to Paris, where he took a thorough course in hybridizing, or the method of changing the color and form of flowers, or other- wise adding to the beauty of such products by arti- ficial means. In 1880 he returned home, remained a brief interval and then started for America. Mr. Rossler located in the city of New York, where he became identified with the extensive business con- ducted by Charles Klunder, operations being con- ducted under the firm name of Klunder & Co. For the first eleven and a half years Mr. Rossler devoted his attention to landscape gardening in connection with the operations of the firm, gaining a high reputation for his ability and artistic con- ceptions. Thereafter he had entire charge of the business of the concern until 1892, when he came to Montana, located in the capital city and en- gaged in the florist's business, continuing to con- duct a large and successful enterprise until 1900, when he disposed of the same and has since given his attention to his real estate interests. He is a man of genial personality and has gained a host of friends in the city of his adoption. He has trav- eled widely and is conversant with several different languages, each of which he speaks fluently.

In politics he gives his support to the Demo- cratic party so far as national affairs are concerned,

826

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

but in local matters he maintains a somewhat in- dependent attitude. Fraternally he is identified with a number of the leading organizations in Helena, being popular in each and thoroughly ap- preciating and enjoying the society of his many warm friends. On April 16, 1900, Mr. Rossler was united in marriage to Mary Siebrecht, who was born in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, but has been a resident of Helena for many years.

D ANL. E. ROUSE .- Everywhere and under all circumstances it is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity; and no more impressive or beautiful example of filial harmony and mutual helpfulness can be found in the state than that furnished by the Rouse brothers, of Bozeman, who have lived and worked together without a hitch or jar of any moment for the entire term of their maturity. The elder, Daniel E. Rouse, was born in Washtenaw county, Mich., September 30, 1834; the younger, Elisha A., in Cass county, in that state, February 1, 1845. They are sons of Daniel G. and Hannah (Aldord) Rouse, both natives of New York state, where the Rouse family lived for several generations, the paternal grandfather of the brothers, Anthony Rouse, having settled Rouse's Point on Lake Champlain, and given it the family name. He was a prominent man in his day and section, and rendered his country valiant service in the war of 1812. In 1831 the father settled in Washtenaw county, Mich., and later removed to Kalamazoo and built the Kala- mazoo hotel, the first one built in the city. A few years after this he took up his residence in Cass county, where he remained until 1852, and went to California, leaving his family in Michigan, He never saw them again, dying in the mining regions of a fever contracted there.

About the time his father left for California, Daniel started to Minnesota, and after a few years was joined there by the rest of the family. They remained for a short time and then removed to Franklin county, Iowa; two years later to Sioux county in the same state. In 1861 the brothers started across the plains for California, making the trip overland with oxen as far as Red Butte sta- tion on the North Platte, where they stopped and allowed the train to proceed without them. They remained there for a year, haying during the sea- son and doing other work at times. In July, 1862,

they started for Bitter Root valley with a cayuse team, which they traded at the first convenient op- portunity for oxen. They made the trip without trouble by way of Lander's cutoff and on to Rattle- snake, finally locating in Pike's Peak gulch near Deer Lodge, where they engaged in mining, but without success. They next went to near Missoula and put in forty acres of fall wheat on rented prop- erty. Here Elisha remained and worked the land and Daniel made a trip to Bannack, from there to Gallatin City, and in company with others laid out the town and built some thirty houses. There his brother joined him and together they went to Three Forks, where they farmed one season, and in the fall made a journey to Salt Lake City for seed and other supplies, returning and locating in the Gal- latin valley in January, 1864. Here they took up property on Reese creek which they cultivated for a time. In July, 1864, Daniel took up the land on which the city of Bozeman now stands, he being the first to locate there. He laid out a town site, had four blocks surveyed, and erected the first building within the present city limits. The site is the one now occupied by the Wilson Company, on Main street. Since that time he has made his home in Bozeman, and has seen the city rise around him almost like an exhalation from the ground. After raising two crops on Reese creek, his brother joined him at Bozeman, and lived there two years or more. In 1866 he took up the ranch on which he now lives. It consists of 160 acres, located about five miles southeast of Bozeman, is highly improved with good buildings, fences ; all under irrigation, and produces large crops of excellent hay, oats and other grains. Daniel owns considerable valuable property in Bozeman, and has been in business there at different times. Among the incidents of his life which have impressed him deeply was the burial of the remains of Col. Bozeman, who went from the city which bears his name to the place of his tragic and untimely death. Mr. Rouse was one of the party who recovered the body and gave it decent interment.

Daniel Rouse has been married twice. The first wife was Miss Melissa Ingraham Wallace, of Michi- gan, whom he married in 1855. By this union three children were born: Wallace, Ida and Ed- ward. His second marriage was to Miss Susan Hitchcock, also of Michigan. It was solemnized in 1871, and Mrs. Rouse lived happily with him until she died in 1899. Elisha was married De- cember 26, 1875, to Miss Chastina Randell, a

827

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

native of Michigan. They have ten children, namely : Charles, Nelson Lee, Claude D., Guy, Lettie Pearl, Mattie Helen May, Rubie, Elsie, Ab- bie and Sadie. The third son, Claud, has developed quite an inventive genius which he has turned to good account in the invention of a patent gate which is opened by the wagon, and seems to be superior to anything of the kind on the market. The communion of interest, of labor, and of en- joyment, and the harmonious companionship which have characterized these brothers from their early life continues, and will continue to the end. Their tastes and habits have been molded together ; they are the same in excellence of character, good citi- zenship and social qualities; and they enjoy in an equal degree the confidence and esteem of their fellows.

TILLIAM RUPPEL .- Among the sturdy sons of the German fatherland who have cast in their lot with Montana and have here attained success is Mr. Ruppel, who has a fine ranch, located about one mile west of Twin Bridges, his postoffice address. Mr. Ruppel was born in Hessen, Ger- many, on February 22, 1856, the son of Henry and Margaret (Jacob) Ruppel, both natives of Hessen, and of good old German stock. Henry Ruppel was a farmer and a volunteer in the German army in the war of 1866. His death occurred in his na- tive land, where he was ever held in the highest esteem. His wife died at the same time and they were buried together.

William Ruppel was afforded an excellent educa- tion, completing a thorough course of study in the gymnasium. After leaving school he continued in the work of the homestead farm until 1882, when he came to America, and after landing in New York he made his way to Iowa, locating in Mount Pleasant, where he stayed eighteen months and started for Montana. He came to Twin Bridges, Madison county, and found employment by the day on various ranches. Eventually he was engaged in driving the "W. H. & N. P." cattle from Twin Bridges to Choteau county, and through his association in this line became so impressed with the possibilities for successful cattleraising that he remained in Choteau county from 1889 un- til 1898, within which time he was identified with some of the most extensive outfits in the northern part of the state. In 1898 Mr. Ruppel returned to Twin Bridges and purchased the Wilhart ranch of

652 acres. The estate is a valuable one, and is considered one of the best in the valley. Mr. Rup- pel gives his attention to the breeding and raising of high-grade shorthorn cattle, and his efforts have been so directed as to render success a natural sequence. The ranch is well-improved and its owner has every reason to congratulate himself upon the results of his efforts since he began opera- tions.

Politically he gives support to the Democratic party, and his religious faith is that of the Lutheran church, while fraternally he is identified with the Sons of Hermann and Ancient Order of Modern Woodmen. On September 15, 1896, in St. Paul, Minn., Mr. Ruppel was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Ammon, who was born in Bavaria, Ger- many, the daughter of George Ammon, an ex- tensive manufacturer of chicory, a business in which his ancestors had been long engaged, it be- ing handed down for many generations to the old- est son in each. Mr. Ammon is still living in his native province, of which he is one of the influential and representative citizens. Mrs. Ruppel came to the United States in 1884, locating in Utica, N. Y., where she had friends. Her father was an officer in the militia of Bavaria, and was made a colonel of volunteers in the Franco-Prussian war. Mr. and Mrs. Ruppel have three children-William Am- mon, born April 23, 1897; Henry George, born August 23, 1898, and John Frederick, born De- cember 13, 1900.

AMES R. RUSSEL, city librarian of Butte, has for many years been prominent and influential the Presbyterian ministry in Montana, being closely identified with the work of church building and in the extension of the general usefulness of that denomination. He was born in Kentucky, on September 6, 1847, the son of David A. and Susan (Crutchfield) Russel. The father was a native of Lynchburg, Va., born in 1795, and removed to Kentucky when he was ten years of age. He be- came a prominent merchant and was one of the founders of Center College, at Danville, Ky. He died in 1863. The mother was the daughter of John Crutchfield, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and passed away September 10, 1847.

James R. Russel was the youngest of nine chil- dren, and was graduated from Center College, Danville, in 1866. Subsequently he taught school

828

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

in Louisiana one year and a select classical school for the same period in Covington, Ky. In 1868 he entered Princeton (N. J.) Theological Seminary, and was licensed to preach by the presbytery of New York in 1870. During the summer of that year he supplied the church at North Wolfboro, N. H., after which he returned to Princeton and was graduated in 1871. He preached successively at Clover Port, Danville and Shelbyville, Ky., where he built a handsome church edifice. In March, 1872, he went to Denver, Colo., and in May was ordained by the presbytery of that state. Later coming to Helena, he organized a Presby- terian church and another at Deer Lodge and later one at Missoula. During his stay in Helena he successfully collected subscriptions amounting to about $3,000 for the erection of a church in that place. He was relieved by Rev. W. C. Rommel, and in 1874 he built the first Presbyterian church in Montana at Deer Lodge, and for four years con- ducted religious services at the Montana state penitentiary at that place. The same year he vis- ited the Yellowstone National Park with W. W. Johnson, United States deputy mineral surveyor. While still located at Deer Lodge in 1876 he began to hold regular services once a month in Butte, the population then numbering about 2,500. These services were continued until 1879 when he re- moved to Butte, where he built a beautiful church edifice, completing it in 1881. On account of the precarious state of his health he retired from the ministry, and engaged for several months in jour- nalistic work on the Butte Miner.

Following a canvassing trip to Oregon and Washington in 1884, he returned to Butte, and was elected city treasurer in the spring of 1885 and from 1886 until 1892 he served as superintendent of city schools. From 1893 to 1895 he was connected with Murray's private bank. He was also man- ager of the McNamara estate for the executor, and was then made city librarian, in which position he is now serving with the utmost satisfaction. In 1875 Mr. Russel was united in marriage to Mrs. Fannie Irvine, daughter of Maj. J. F. Forbis, formerly of Helena, and sister of John F. and Jas. W. Forbis, now prominent attorneys of Butte. Her children are Mrs. J. B. Wellcome, of Butte, and Perrin W. Irvine, a prosperous merchant of Shanghai, China. Mr. and Mrs. Russel have six children, of whom Donald Alston died at the age of six years. The living are Leilah R., Elza, Theodosia K., Charlotte Hough and Francis Forbis.

THE RUHE BROTHERS .- The brothers, Christian and Detlef Ruhe, are numbered among the enterprising and successful young men of Choteau county, where they are bending their energies to the sheep business and are attaining a position of prominence in this great industry which is giving to Montana a worldwide reputation. Christian Ruhe was born in the village of Hem- mingstead, Holstein, Germany, on December 27, 1861, one of the seven children born to Mitchel and Susan (Sticken) Ruhe, both of whom were natives of the same section of Germany, where they still maintain their home, the father being sixty-one years old and having devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. His wife was born in 1833.

Christian Ruhe received his educational discipline in his native place, continuing his studies until he reached the age of sixteen years and thereafter as- sisting in the operation of the old homestead farm until the age of twenty. He then, in 1881, bravely set forth to seek his fortunes in America. He first located at Denison, Crawford county, Iowa, and there was engaged in farm work until 1887, when he came to Montana and for the ensuing three years was employed on a sheep ranch near Bil- lings, Yellowstone county. In the spring of 1890 Mr. Ruhe came to Choteau county and located on the ranch now controlled and operated by him and his brother, the place being in the Bear Paw moun- tain section and on Birch creek, and thirty-five miles southeast of Big Sandy station on the Great Northern Railroad. The brothers have a well im- proved and valuable ranch of 800 acres, and here they devote their attention to the raising of high- grade sheep, also securing large annual yields of hay. They are ambitious and enterprising and are destined to take rank among the leading stockmen of this section of the state.

Detlef Ruhe was born in the same place as his brother, the date of his nativity being September 18, 1863. He was educated in the public schools of Holstein and remained on the parental homestead until 1888, when he joined his brother in the United States, being located at Denison, Iowa, until the spring of the following year, when he came to Montana and was thereafter employed on a sheep ranch near Billings until 1891. In the following year he entered into partnership with his brother, and they have ever since maintained this associa- tion, proving able coadjutors and carrying on their operations with energy and good judgment. Neither of the brothers is married.

829

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

E DWARD RYAN .- Of stanch old Irish stock Mr. Ryan has ever shown the characteristics of the race, and is one of the influential farmers and stockgrowers of Montana, of which state he is an honored pioneer, his finely improved ranch being located near Boulder, Jefferson county. He was born in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, on April I, 1839, one of the eight children of David and Euretta (Jenks) Ryan, both of whom were born in County Tipperary, Ireland, whence they came to America with their parents, both families locat- ing in Quebec, Canada, they later removing to On- tario, the marriage of Mr. Ryan's parents being there solemnized. In the public schools of Ontario he was educated, and in that province also he learned the carpenter trade, becoming a skilled me- chanic. In 1857 he removed to Illinois, and six months later went south and was for two years working at his trade in Memphis, Tenn. He then returned to Illinois, and started with horses and wagons from Bureau county for Denver, Colo. In that city he worked at his trade for a year, the second year engaging in ranching.

Mr. Ryan then joined a party outfitting for Montana, driving an ox team on this occasion. There were fourteen teams in the train, and most of the men were accompanied by their families. They had no trouble with Indians, though trains pre- ceding and following theni were attacked; with serious results, and the signal fires of the red men were seen on all sides. They also saw where whole outfits had been burned by the Indians, who killed the emigrants, stole the horses and cattle and then set fire to what remained. On the way a man joined them who was unkempt and unprepossessing in appearance, and the party took him to be a spy for the Mormons or Indians, and asked him to sleep in the corral, but he refused, preferring to sleep outside. Mr. Ryan was appointed to keep guard over him, which he did, after hiding the man's horse. After taking breakfast in the morning he rode away and was the first man Mr. Ryan met at Virginia City, and proved to be an entirely respect- able and worthy character, and he joked heartily over being under Mr. Ryan's guard. They arrived in Virginia City on July 2, 1864, and there Mr. Ryan remained until fall. when he removed to Boulder, passed the winter, then went to Last Chance gulch and engaged in placer mining until fall, when he purchased a band of cattle and brought them to North Boulder.

There he took up homestead and pre-emption claims of 160 acres each, which constitute a por-

tion of his present fine ranch. He engaged in rais- ing horses and cattle, and has continued success- fully in this enterprise upon quite an extensive scale. In 1870 he took a band of cattle to Horse- shoe Bend and pastured there for six years, when lie sold his cattle and returned to the home ranch, to which he had added by purchase until its area is now 1,400 acres. He usually winters about 500 head of stock, and has shown great dis- crimination and ability in his operations. He also has a ranch of 460 acres near Logan, Gallatin county. Mr. Ryan gives an unqualified support to the Democratic party, and he has been for many years a school trustee, was a member of the state board of stock commissioners, served for six years as county commissioner when Radersburg was the county seat, while in 1899 he was appointed to this office to fill a vacancy, and was elected in 1900 as his own successor. He is one of the chief stock- holders of the Bank of Boulder, of which he is vice-president, and no man in the county is held in higher esteem, both for his scrupulous integrity and his high regard for the rights of others. His success has been achieved by worthy means.

In December, 1864, at Virginia City, Mr. Ryan and Miss Ellen Lacey were married. She was the daughter of Patrick Lacey and wife, who settled in Savannah, Ga., where she was raised and edu- cated. The father died in Ireland. Later she and two brothers came to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have had seven children : Mary, wife of William Carpenter, of Logan; Nellie, deceased ; Kate, wife of Thomas Smith, of Three Forks; James, a successful rancher in Boulder valley ; Edward, deceased; Euretta, and Ada, wife of John McAuley, a rancher in Boulder valley. A sad fatality deprived Mr. and Mrs. Ryan of two of their children, Nellie and Edward, in 1895. They were on a trip to Logan with a wagon and three- horse team, and, in crossing the slough of Jefferson river, then much swollen, they were swept away by the freshet, the old crossing having been washed out. Only after an untiring and grief-burdened search of five weeks were their bodies recovered, Mr. Ryan finding the remains of his son at five o'clock in the morning in the Jefferson river near its junction with the Missouri, many miles below where the accident occurred. His daughter's re- mains were recovered at Great Falls. The shock of this disaster was a most severe one to the be- reaved parents, and their memory will ever retain something of the shadow which then encompassed them.

830

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

JAMES W. SACRY, one of the more successful ranchers and stockraisers of Madison county, who resides on his beautifully situated property, on Jefferson Island, was born in Garrett county, Ky., on January 26, 1834, the son of George and Mar- garet (Pickett) Sacry, both Kentuckians, and the father was a lifelong farmer in Kentucky. His son, James W. Sacry, was educated in private schools and, in 1851, at the age of seventeen years, he went to Ray county, Mo., on the Ohio river. In the spring of 1852 he took the long westward journey across the plains with ox teams to Cali- fornia. The trip was not an unpleasant one, how- ever, and upon his arrival at Suscall Ferry, Cal., he took charge of the ferry boat for four months. He then worked for Gen. Balejo at Sonoma City for some months and later removed to Santa Rose and passed a year and a half in farming. His next move was to the Redwoods, where he was for five or six years profitably engaged in lumbering.

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.

Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 159

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