Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 184

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 184

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).

Calvin West received his preliminary education in the public schools of Missouri, after which he entered the Sedalia (Mo.) Collegiate Institute, and completed a course in the commercial depart- ment, graduating in the class of 1879, then remain-

957

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

. ing on the old homestead until the spring of 1881, where he journeyed to Gallatin county, Mont. Here he was successfully engaged in pedagogic work until 1893, when he located on Fall creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone, and became a rancher in partnership with Charles A. Shorthill, to whom individual reference is made hereafter. The firm now has 760 acres of arable land, 200 acres under effective cultivation, excellent crops of hay and grain being secured. They raise both cattle and hogs, giving preference to shorthorn cattle and wintering from sixty to 100 head. The ranch is eligibly situated fifteen miles south of Livingston and is finely supplied with water for irrigation. Mr. West is a young man of intel- lectuality and executive ability, progressive in his methods and retaining the respect of all who know him. He manifests lively interest in relig- ious and educational work and the advancement and well-being of his county.

A NDREW J. WHITE .- Coming from stanch old Colonial stock, meriting consideration as a pioneer of Montana, holding a position of distinc- tion in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in other fraternal associations, Andrew J. White has led a life of marked activity and usefulness, and is one of the representative citizens of Montana's metropolis. He was born in Calais, Washington county, Vt., on January 18, 1832. His father, Jacob White, born in Boscawen, Merrimack county, N. H., was a carpenter and bridge builder and prominently identified with railroad bridge construc- tion in various sections of the Union. His father, John White, was born in Londonderry, N. H., and he had a brother who was actively engaged in the war of 1812. The maiden name of the mother of Andrew J. White was Clara Porter, and she was born in Danvers, Mass., the daughter of Israel Porter, whose first American ancestors settled in historic old Salem, Mass. Jacob and Clara ( Por- ter ) White had six children, two of whom are now living, Andrew Jackson White being the second.

The early education of Andrew J. White was re- ceived in public schools and he continued his studies until he was twenty years old, paying particular attention to civil engineering. After his school days Mr. White was associated with his father in the construction of railroad bridges and thus con-

tinued until he was twenty-eight years old, his operations being principally in Vermont and New Hampshire for the first two years of his practical work, in which he became an individual contractor. In 1856 he removed to Illinois and engaged in con- tracting and here he was elected county surveyor of McDonough county. There Mr. White made his home until 1864, when he started forth on that journey across the plains which gave him title to be one of the pioneers of Montana. He drove an ox- team and experienced no trouble front the Indians .. Mr. White arrived in Virginia City on July 27 and was engaged in contracting and building for two years, after which he was prospecting for some time. In 1868, as foreman, he built the old court house in Deer Lodge, then the capital of Deer Lodge county, which included the present counties of Silver Bow and Powell. In 1868 Mr. White made the voyage down the Missouri river from Jefferson island to Sioux City, with a flatboat. From Sioux City he went to Ohio, where his family then resided. In that state he was employed to take charge of the construction of a tram road at a coal mine, and became superintendent of the mine. In 1870 Mr. White removed with his family to Afton, Iowa, and carried on contracting and bridge building until 1879. In 1873 he was elected county surveyor of Union county and did important work for some years. He located in Butte, Mont., where he has. since maintained his home, in 1879, and he was a prominent contractor here until 1890, at which time he practically retired from active business, though his official positions in fraternal organizations have demanded his attention and the exercise of his marked executive ability.

Mr. White is one of the prominent and popular members of the Odd Fellows, with which order lie has been identified for twenty-six years. In 1886 he was elected grand secretary and grand scribe of the grand lodge of Montana, and in this dual office he has since served consecutively. When twenty- one years of age Mr. White became a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, to the advance- ment of whose interests he has contributed in a large measure. He is now the chief of records and collector of wampum of this order. In politics he gives allegiance to the Democratic party. On March 8, 1855, Mr. White was united in marriage to Miss Kate Day, who was born in Ohio. Their children are : Clara, born January 16, 1856; Nellie. born December 29, 1857. died October 19, 1860; Flora, born October 4. 1860, died April 3. 1890:

958

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

Seymour, born May 31, 1863; Clarence, Febru- ary 26, 1870; Mortimer A., August 25, 1874. None of them are married.

G EORGE F. WHITE .- Among the pioneers of Montana and one of the native sons of the northwest, Mr. George F. White is recognized as one of the leading citizens and business men of Madison county, which he has represented with distinction in the legislature. He was born at Spanish Fork, Utah, on November 29, 1858, the son of Peter White, a native of Pennsylvania. A blacksmith by trade, he removed from his native state to Ohio, where he enlisted as a soldier in the war with Mexico, and served in the command of Gen. Zachariah Taylor. Returning to Ohio after the war, he returned to Pennsylvania, and re- mained there until 1849, when he started as one of the historic band of "Forty-niners" that opened up the gold fields of California. He came overland to Salt Lake City, Utah, arrived there early in 1850, and then abandoned his westward journey and continued his residence in Utah until 1863. In 1864 he came to Montana, locating at Nevada City, where he engaged in mining, and also fol- lowed his trade and operated a sawmill. In his later years he gave entire attention to mining. He died in Madison county, an honored pioneer, in 1884. In Salt Lake City he was known to Brigham Young and other prominent Latter-Day Saints, ås the "little Gentile blacksmith." He was a fine workman and the year before the memorable Mountain Meadow massacre he made more than $2,000 worth of spades, plowshares, saws, etc., for the unfortunate victims of that tragic event. In 1854, at Draperville, Utah, he married Miss Susan Terry, born in Canada, whither both her father and grandfather had emigrated from the United States, where they were born. While in Canada they were converted to Mormonism and removed to Nauvoo, Ill., where Joseph Smith first established the Mormon headquarters, and the maternal grandfather of Mr. White was one of those who crossed the plains to Utah and assisted in found- ing Zion, or Salt Lake City. Peter and Susan White had five sons and three daughters, of whom George was second.

George F. White was a typical child of the plains, and without school advantages in his youth, he learned the alphabet by rudely marking the let-

ters with charcoal on the hearthstone of his cabin home. He has been one of the world's workers, and has gained a broad fund of information by observation which effectively supplements his meagre education. He was but ten years old when his parents removed to Montana, and when thir- teen years old he began trapping in the Madison, valley, later manufacturing charcoal and cutting timber and wood for the Heckley Company, at Glendale. In 1881 he engaged in freighting with an outfit of two four-horse teams, and freighted to the various mining districts in this section for one year, after which he took up a ranch which he con- ducted for a year. In 1883 he built an arastra at Rochester, the plant having a thirty-two-feet over- shot wheel. In 1885 he sold this property and erected another arastra four miles farther up the gulch which, in company with his brother, he still owns.

In 1888 Mr. White and William Owsley erected a quartz mill, later selling his interest to his part- ner. He then traveled in different sections in search of a location for nearly a year, but returned to Twin Bridges, where he bought the store of Lott Brothers and also that of the Pomona Com- pany, and here he has since conducted a large mer- cantile business. In 1895 Mr. White erected a fine brick store, undoubtedly the finest business block in the county. In 1897 he erected a similar build- ing on an adjoining lot, and the upper floor of both buildings is a commodious and attractive public hall, 26x102 feet in size, one of the best auditoriums in the state. He owns other valuable realty, im- proved and unimproved, and is one of the pro- gressive and public-spirited citizens of Twin Bridges. He owns valuable mining claims, and is now making a specialty of the handling of mining properties and promoting their development. He sold the Thistle mine to Butte capitalists, as did he also the Bobtail, while he now holds an option on the Noble mine, which has already yielded half a million dollars.

In politics Mr. White has been an unswerving Democrat, and his qualifications for office gained recognition in 1900, when he was nominated as a representative of Madison county in the Seventh legislature of Montana. He was successful at the polls and proved himself a wise and conservative legislator. He was chairman of the printing com- mittee and held membership on the important committees of appropriations, internal improve- ments, state boards and officers, and state insti-

959

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

tutions. Largely through his influence an appro- priation of $60,500 was secured for the state or- phans' home at Twin Bridges. In the legislative dead-lock in the election of United States senator, Mr. White, as a Democrat, vigorously supported H. L. Frank, and he had the distinction of cast- ing the deciding vote which conferred the sena- torial toga on Hon. Paris Gibson, his vote being transferred to Mr. Gibson upon Mr. Frank's with- drawal from the contest. At Butte, Mont., in 1891, Mr. White was married to Miss Annie Miles, born in Litchfield, Ill., but who was reared and ed- ucated in Kansas City, where she was graduated from the St. Theresa convent. Through a col- lateral line she is connected with the old Jameson family of Boston, the original representatives of which settled there in 1647. On the maternal side she is a cousin of Gen. Lew Wallace, the dis- tinguished author and diplomat. Mr. and Mrs. White have three sons,-George M., born in 1893; Erving, born in 1897, and Clair, born in 1899.

JOHN F. WHITE .- Among the native sons of Montana who have become prominently identi- fied with her industrial activities is Mr. White, whose father is one of the honored pioneers of the state and one to whom individual reference is consistently made on other pages of this work, in a sketch to which we would direct attention in this connection for data concerning the genealogy of our subject. John F. White was born in Gallatin county, one of the most beautiful sections of the state, on August 27, 1869. His parents are John and Pamley (Roberts) White. His early scholas- tic advantages were such as were afforded in the somewhat primitive, but none the less effective, pioneer schools, and he continued to assist in the work of the homestead ranch until 1890, when he bought a tract of 160 acres, which is now a part of his present fine ranch property of 550 acres the accretions having been made by the purchase of adjoining tracts. The entire ranch is under effect- ive irrigation, and Mr. White secures large yields of wheat, oats, barley and hay, while he also raises fine road horses, though not on an extensive scale. He is essentially alert and progressive in his methods, which are directed with discrimina- tion and judgment, and has not been denied that success which is his just due.

He has made excellent improvements on his ranch, and is held in the highest esteem in the

community which has represented the field of his energetic labors. His pleasant home is located two and one-fourth miles south of the village of Manhattan, which is his postoffice address. The water used in the irrigation of his farm is secured from the West Gallatin river and the supply is ever adequate to meet emergencies and regular de- mands. His attractive residence is surrounded by fine shade trees and substantial barns, a fine new granary and other well equipped outbuildings all indicate the success which has attended his efforts. Mr. White takes a deep interest in all that concerns the general welfare of the community and has served for three years as a member of the board of school trustees. His political proclivities are strongly in favor of the Republican party, of whose cause he is an active supporter. In addition to his ranching industry he has a fine threshing machine, of the most modern and approved design, and has operated this in seasons since 1890, the outfit being in demand over a quite extensive radius of country, for he has threshed as high as 70,000 bushels of grain in one season. On February 1, 1894, Mr. White was united in marriage to Miss Icy May Lemon, born in Missouri, the daughter of James and Texana (Hamblett) Lemon, likewise natives of Missouri, whence they came to Montana in 1878, locating near Salesville, Gallatin county, where the father has since been extensively engaged in farming, and one of the representative men of the county. In his family are seven children, of whom Mrs. White was the second. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. White died in infancy.

J OHN WESTON .- Incumbent of the office of county clerk and recorder of Silver Bow county and standing as one of the progressive men identi- fied with the industrial life of Montana, John Weston merits consideration. He is a native of the good old Hoosier state, born in Harrison county, Ind., on February 1, 1848, the second of the seven children of Willison and Phoebe (Wright) Weston, both of whom were born in Indiana, where they passed their lives, the father being there engaged in merchandising and mill- ing for many years. He was a son of Jacob Weston, who removed from Lancaster county, Pa., to Indiana in the early days, as one of its pio- neers. John Weston supplemented the educa- tion received in the public schools by a course of

960

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

study in the Indiana State University, at Blooming- ton, and after technical training in law he was admitted to the bar of the state in 1867, when but nineteen years of age. He was thereafter identified with the abstracting business, connected with a firm of extensive operations. In 1882 Mr. Weston removed to Manitoba, where he was vari- ously engaged until June 13, 1887, when he came to Montana, locating in Butte, where he was for some time retained in various capacities in rail- road work. Later he was five years the chief clerk of the Lexington Mining Company. He then went to the Kootenai mining district for a time, but returned to Butte and entered the em- ploy of the Anaconda Company. He was also engaged in mining operations at Camp creek, and, by the kindness of the late Marcus Daly, was en- abled to attain gratifying success, but by unusual hard luck eventually lost all he had thus ac- quired. He has since made large investments in mining properties, and is one-half owner of the Pappoose mine, in Silver Bow county.

Mr. Weston was a Populist. In 1896 he was elected to the office of clerk and recorder of Silver Bow county, and served during 1897-8, and, after an interregnum of two years, was again elected in November, 1900, for a term of two years. His religious faith is that of the Protestant Episcopal church, and fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. On August 10, 1886, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mr. Weston was united in marriage to Miss Clara E. Cox, who was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England. In their family are four children: Marian Cox Weston, Catherine Cox Weston, John Cox Wes- ton and Clare Cox Weston.

T `HOMAS KENT is a native of Westmoreland county, Pa., where he was born January 3, 1842. He is one of the eleven children, five sons and six daughters, of Samuel Kent, of Pennsyi- vania, where his mother, Mary Brown, was also born. His grandfather was Jacob Kent, a native of Germany, who came to America in early life with his father. His maternal grandfather was Thomas Brown, of Maryland, who removed from that state into Pennsylvania, taking with him about sixty negro slaves, all of whom he set free in the early 'twenties. One of them, however, refused to accept his freedom and remained with Mr. Brown until his death.

In 1852 Mr. Kent's father removed with his family to Iowa, and made that state his home until his death in 1860, conducting successfully a large farm and extensive speculations in cattle, horses and sheep. Mr. Kent himself spent his early life in Iowa, attending the public schools and working on the farm. In 1860 he removed to Nebraska, where he remained two years trading and carrying on various kinds of business. . He then returned to Iowa and remained until the spring of 1864. March 24 of that year he started with a four-horse team for Montana. He found the trip full of adventure and enjoyment. Arriving at North Platte he intended to go up White Tail Deer creek, but hearing that the Indians were bad in that district he took another course, and after traveling about 120 miles around, came up the Dry Fork of Powder river and by Big Horn moun- tains. As the country was covered with buffalo he frequently found it necessary to turn his cattle and horses into a corral made of the wagons to prevent the buffalo from stampeding his train. There were 125 wagons, with James Bozeman as captain. Mr. Bozeman took charge at North Platte, and said at the start: "I want none but brave men, as we are going through a hard country, and the cowards had better stay back." After crossing the Big Horn Mr. Kent saw a number of Crow Indians. and met two Frenchmen with whom the Indians had made an exchange of outfits, very much to the advantage of the Indians, the Frenchmen, in fact, not being consulted about the exchange. His party had the Frenchmen in company, and a few miles above Clark's Fork fell in with the Indians and compelled them to restore the outfits they had so unceremoniously taken. Below Clark's Fork they were obliged to let their wagons down the mountains by ropes. They arrived in Virginia City July 27, 1864, and Mr. Kent went to work for Jamies Gamble, on Stinking Water. After six months farming and freighting in this locality, he returned to Alder gulch, and for the next eighteen months successfully engaged in min- ing. He then joined the stampede to Last Chance. and later that to Blackfoot. Afterward he went successively to Bed Rock, Belly-Up and California gulch, then to Yellowstone, where he spent the winter in hunting, getting together some 700 big wolf skins. The following year he spent in trap- ping and prospecting, then located at Mission Creek agency, where he spent six years in the. service of the government. He then engaged in:

Thomas Kent

961

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

trading with the Indians on a large scale, and at a profit of more than one hundred dollars a day. In 1878 he took up the ranch he now occupies, covering nearly 1,200 acres, and engaged in cattle raising, afterward having at one time more than 25,000 sheep. He experienced, of course, many of the ups and downs of the business, having in one season as many as 500 fine horses stolen from him. Mr. Kent is now farming in a general way, with about 1,000 acres of excellent land, well irri- gated and under vigorous cultivation, raising mainly timothy, blue joint and alfalfa.

On April 10, 1874, Mr. Kent was married to "The White Shield," now called "Mary Kent," daughter of "Old White Head," chief of the Crow tribe of Indians. The fruit of this union was five daughters, who mingle freely among the best classes of citizens in the neighborhood, and are well esteemed by all who know them. Mr. Kent himself is acknowledged to be one of the most useful and substantial men of Montana. His ranch is a model of thrift and taste in all its ap- pointments, and he has the cordial regard of his fellowmen, who have at times solicited him, with- out success, to serve them in various official ca- pacities. One incident in his busy life has made a deep and lasting impression on his mind. In 1873, when the Soux Indians were on the war path, Dr. Frost and two other men and two women and a baby were killed by the savages in his pres- ence, and he helped to bring in the bodies for burial. In fraternal relations Mr. Kent belongs to the Knights of Pythias.

JOHN WHITE .- No uncertain valuation is to be placed on compilations which touch in any degree the pioneer history of the great northwest, and in records perpetuated as are those in this work will be found for all time data which will be cumu- lative in value as the years fall into the abyss of time and the pioneers here represented have been gathered to their fathers. Among the sterling pioneers of Montana is Mr. White, and England was the place of his nativity, for he was born in County Cornwall on New Year's day, 1841, and, though he has passed practically his entire life in the United States, he inherited many of the sturdy characteristics which have made the Cornish- man a power wherever he has been located. His parents, William and Margaret Ann White, were 61

likewise born in Cornwall, of stanch old Cornislı lineage, and of their fourteen children, John was the fifth in order of birth. William White was a farmer in his native country, but, believing that better opportunities for individual accomplishment were afforded in America, he brought his family to the United States in 1843, his son John then being only two years old. After a short stay in Pennsylvania they removed to Illinois, locating in Guilford, Jo Daviess county, where Mr. White was engaged in farming until his death, on May 5. 1861. and his wife also died in that state on November 10, 1861.

John White received a public school education in Illinois and early became inured to work on the homestead farm, his father having been one of the pioneers of the county, educational advantages were not maintained at the high standard of the later years. Mr. White assisted in the carrying on of the homestead farm until 1864, when he set forth for Montana with a horse team and encountering no serious difficulties on the long trip, safely reached Bannack, the original capital of the territory, and continued on to Virginia City in Alder gulch, then the great center of placer mining in Montana. After a short time spent in Virginia City he went to the Madison valley and passed the winter, and was employed in the mines of Alder gulch during the following summer. In the fall of 1865 he returned to Illinois, making the journey on a saddle horse. While he had no encounters with Indians, parties both preceding and following his company were by no means as fortunate. He passed the winter in Illinois, and the next May again started for Montana, accompanied by his wife, to whom he had been united in marriage in 1863. The trip was made with two yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows, while several extra cows were driven through. There were only three wagons in the train and thus the danger from attack by the Indians was intensified. The little company came up the North Platte river to Fort Laramie, Wyo., from which point the Indians of the Sioux tribe were just departing after having made a treaty with the government. There were several thou- sand of them assembled at the fort.

Mr. White and his little party continued their journey to the Black Hills region, and at Brown Spring they overtook a large train with which they had previously encamped, and discovered that trouble of some order was menacing, as the train was corralled, with the cattle in the center. Mr.

962

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

White's party made haste to join the larger com- pany and they remained in corral for two days, the Indians having attacked the emigrants to secure their stock. In the conflict seven men were killed, besides the captain or wagon boss, and when his body was found, just as the train was about to continue on its way, it was discovered that he had been beheaded by the Indians, and the train tarried long enough to bury the body of the unfortunate man, and came onward to their destination. Mr. White came through the Gallatin valley and located on the Madison river, about seven miles from Gallatin City, and here engaged in stockraising. He thus continued operations until 1881, when he sold his original ranch property and purchased his present homestead, then known as the Joseph Kent ranch. He has a finely improved and well equipped estate of 540 acres, and practically the entire tract is under effective irrigation and devoted principally to the raising of wheat, oats and barley, of which cereals magnificent crops are yielded, the peculiarly fertile land having given as high as ninety-six bushels of oats to the acre. Upon the ranch is a large and attractive residence of modern architec- tural design and equipments, while all other perma- nent improvements are of the best order, showing the owner to be a discriminating and progressive business man.

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 184

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