Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 50

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 50

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GEORGE W. KING, M. D .- The medical pro- fession in Montana has an able representative in Dr. King, whose ability as a physician and sur- geon is undeniable. Dr. King was born at Malone, N. Y., October 20, 1854, a son of Cyrus W. and Louisa E. (Duncan) King, the former born in Ver- mont of sterling old English stock, while the latter is a native of the city of Quebec, Canada, and daughter of James Duncan, of Scotch birth and lineage, and an early settler in the province. Cyrus W. and Louisa E. King were the parents of six sons and four daughters, of whom George W. was the ninth, and the only one of the family to locate in Montana. The paternal grandfather of the Doc- tor served in the Continental army during the American Revolution, and was with Washington at Valley Forge.

Dr. King, after his education in the public schools, took a special course in Cornell Universi- ty, where he began to prepare for his chosen pro- fession, subsequently entering the medical depart- ment of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated with the class of 1877. His class standing and effective clinical work were

so pronounced that he was appointed assistant sur- geon at the university, remaining one year after his graduation, thus fortifying his technical knowledge through study, original research and practical work. A year later he located in Kempton, Ford county, Ill., where he was in practice for two and one-half years, then for one year in New York city, after which he located in Chicago, where he was in active medical practice in 1883, when he was tendered the position of surgeon for the Montana Mining Com- pany, with headquarters at Marysville. Accepting this Dr. King went to Marysville in July, 1883, and entered upon his professional duties, and establishing himself in a general medical practice. In 1889, Dr. King removed his family to Helena, that his children might avail themselves of the superior ed- ucational advantages of the capital city. In 1897 he personally located both his home and profes- sional headquarters at Helena, but continuing his position as surgeon for the Montana Mining Company, leaving Dr. Jordan as resident physician at Marysville, which place he visits as exigency demands.

In 1896, holding as ultimate nothing less than the highest possible attainment, Dr. King made a trip abroad, taking a special post-graduate course and visiting many of the leading hospitals in London, Paris, Berlin and Italian cities, and meeting many of the most eminent European physicians. In Hel- ena he has built up a practice distinctively repre- sentative in character, and is recognized by his professional confreres as one of the most eminent physicians and surgeons of the northwest, while he is frequently called for consultation in critical cases and to distant points. He is essentially a student, and is thoroughly en rapport with his pro- fession, keeping constantly in line with the ad- vances made in medicine and surgery. He is a con- tributor to leading medical journals, and the author of several technical works that have met with hearty appreciation by the medical fraternity. He has also invented valuable appliances for surgical use, one being a device for facilitating the setting of fractured limbs, and another an effective appa- ratus for carrying injured men out of the mines. In 1896-7 he took a special course in New York city on treatment of disease by the application of electric- ity, and now has in use the most expensive and im- proved appliances, and is thoroughly informed re- garding the technical and therapeutic values of electrical treatment, his finely equipped offices in the Power block having a most elaborate electrical

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machine for this purpose, while his facilities for the employment of the Roentgen or X-rays are of the latest and most approved order.

Dr. King is distinctively unselfish in his observa- tion of the professional ethics, and is never reluc- tant to give his fellow practitioners the benefits of his researches and experiments, aiding them through his published articles and his active associ- ation with medical organizations. He holds mem- bership in the Montana State Medical Society, in which he has been honored with the presidency, also member of the Rocky Mountain Inter-State Medical Society and the American Medical Asso- ciation.

In politics the Doctor supports Republican prin- ciples, and fraternally holds membership in the Ma- sonic order and the Knights of Pythias. He is a gentleman of pleasing presence, ever courteous, and showing a ready sympathy with those "in any way afflicted in mind, body or estate," so that he enjoys marked popularity. On July 25, 1881, Dr. King was united in marriage with Miss Aramilla J. Griffin, born at Sterling, Ill., the daughter of Elisha F. and Debora (Courtwright) Griffin, na- tives of Pennsylvania, and two bright daughters, Georgia E. and Mildred L., enlighten their home.

SENATOR C. W. HOFFMAN .- When a new state is being founded the conditions are not always such as meet the best ideals of government. The moral elements may be held in abeyance by overpowering influences that take the place of law and strangle justice. Sometimes, however, the in- fluence and example of a straightforward, clean, courageous and resourceful man, such as Montana had in her early days, whose life among her citi- zens has been an inspiration and a creative potency of great value, can turn the tide of action and save to posterity that germ of good government which grows and expands in consonance with ever chang- ing conditions. And such a man is Senator Hoff- man, born at Niles, Mich., September 2, 1846, who there spent his first twelve years attending the pub- lic schools. The family then moved to Detroit. Mich., and two years later Mr. Hoffman went to Burlington, Vt., to attend school, where he remained till 1862. After leaving school he began the battle of life for himself at Fort Randall on the Missouri river, a battle destined to be sharp and severe for

a time, and to bring him into contact with many adventures and dangers. When the military post was established at Fort Buford, in 1866, he was ap- pointed post sutler there, and being in the very heart of the Sioux country, and finding the fort al- most constantly surrounded by hostile Indians, his days and nights were full o1 hazard and were thrilled with constant apprehension. In the tall of 1868 he made a visit to the east, and while there was married at Buffalo, N. Y., April 27, 1869, to Miss Elizabeth B. Penfield, daughter of George W. and Jane Eliza (Van Ness) Penfield. To this union two children have been born, Eugene B., born December 3, 1870, who is an attorney at Bozeman. and Mary L. (deceased), born December 25, 1871. He had been appointed sutler at Fort Ellis, Mont., and brought his bride west with him directly after the marriage, and made his home at Bozeman, where he has since resided. Here the Senator has been connected with many leading commercial and industrial enterprises, including coal mining, mer- chandising, farming, stock raising and banking, in which he is still generally engaged on a large scale and with great activity. At this writing (1901) he is president of the Bozeman National Bank, and his influence in all financial matters in the com- munity is pleasantly felt and universally acknowl- edged.

In the politics of his city and state he has taken a leading and very active part, showing such un- usual capacity and judgment in the administration of public office that his party's behest is always upon him for the performance of some public function whether he wishes to or not. He has always been an active Democrat and has served as alderman of the city of Bozeman, county commissioner of Gal- latin county, representative in the Fifteenth terri- torial assembly of Montana, joint member of the council for Gallatin and Meagher counties in the Sixteenth assembly, senator in the First state legis- lature and was re-elected to the Second state senate and made president pro tempore of that body, of which he has been a member since that time.

He was appointed quartermaster-general on the staff of Gov. Leslie in 1888, was re-appointed by Govs. White, Toole and Rickards, and was retired at his own request at the close of Gov. Rickard's administration.

This narrative is but a brief resume of a career exhibiting elevated manhood, conspicuous business capacity and usefulness and distinguished public service, which have passed into the history of Mon-

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tana as part of the foundation of that greatness now dawning and soon to command the wondering at- tention of the civilized world.

The family of which our subject is a scion has been distinguished in the annals of America for generations. His great-grandfather, John Conrad Hoffman, was a native of Germany, where he was born in 1750. His death occurred in New York city February 4, 1831. He was married in 1781 at Halifax, N. S., to Mrs. Sophia Steinfort Allgood, daughter of Sir John Steinfort, king's commis- sioner at Halifax, and widow of Col. Allgood, of the British army. They had two children, William and Leonard Hoffman, both born at Halifax ; Will- iam, September 29, 1782, and Leonard, September 6, 1785. Of these William, grandfather of the Sen- ator, was married to Catherine Driscoll, daughter of Adam and Mary Driscoll, of Norwich, Conn. The marriage occurred in New York city August 31, 1803. They were the parents of the following children : John Driscoll, who died in infancy ; Henry Bates, William, George Washington, Mary Ann, Sophia Kedney, John Brady, Alexander Thompson, Catherine Smith, Amelia Frances and Satterlee.

This William Hoffman began for the family a record in the United States army that is truly re- markable. His career is briefly stated in the Army Register, United States Army, as follows: "Wil- liam Hoffman, born in New York city (sic), Sep- tember 27, 1782. First lieutenant Forty-first In- fantry, November, 1813; transferred to the Second Infantry on May 17, 1815 ; captain on May 1, 1819; major of the Sixth Infantry November 4, 1838; lieutenant-colonel of the Seventh Infantry July 15, 1845." To be more specific, he entered the service of the United States and was commissioned first lieutenant in Capt. Gilbert's company, Forty-first Regiment, United States Infantry, Col. Robert Bo- gardus commanding, in November, 1813, and served in that arm of the service until his death. He saw much of the danger and hardships of life on the frontier, being stationed respectively at Sackett's Harbor, Sault Ste. Marie, Fort Niagara, Fort Mackinaw and at Fort Smith, Ark., during the Seminole war, all then frontier stations. His wife accompanied him during all his frontier serv- ice, and her devotion and courage were subjects of much remark among her acquaintances. On one occasion, when Gen. Scott was about to leave Fort Sault Ste. Marie, after making an inspection of the post, he apologized to the officers for having to leave when it was too early for him to call on their

families, but added : "I will call upon Mrs. Hoff- man ; her quarters are always ready for inspection, and her husband's and her children's knapsacks packed ready for marching orders." William Hoff- man died at Corpus Christi, Tex., as lieutenant- colonel of the Seventh Infantry, United States Army, November 26, 1845. His wife, Catherine Driscoll, who was born at Norwich. Conn., March 22, 1782, died at Davenport, Iowa, August 14, 1873.

Their son William, uncle of our subject, who was born December 2, 1807, in New York city, received his education before entering the Military Academy at West Point, from the young officers at the vari- ous posts at which his father was stationed. Among the instructors were Kingsbury, Hannibal Day and Kirby Smith, who were then lieutenants. He was graduated from West Point in 1829, and after serv- ing the usual period on the frontier, saw more active service in the Seminole war and the war with Mexico, in the latter of which he was twice bre- vetted for gallant conduct. He was unable to take any part in the Civil war, because at the time of its outbreak he was in command of the Eighth In- fantry, but was unable to join his regiment before its surrender. He was made a prisoner of war, and, being released on parole, went to New York, and in 1661, while still under parole, was appointed commissary-general of prisoners, an office which he held throughout the war. The sphere of action was then a new one and required executive ability. of a high order and much tact in the performance of its duties. For his service in this capacity, which was distinguished, he received the brevets of briga- dier and major-general, United States army. In May, 1870, after forty years of active service, he was retired on his own application. His brother, Alexander T. Hoffman, who bore a commission as second lieutenant of the Sixth Infantry, died at St. Augustine, Fla., from disease contracted in the Seminole war. Satterlee, another brother, was killed at the battle of Churubusco in the war with Mexico while serving as second lieutenant First Artillery, United States Army, on August 20, 1847. at the early age of twenty-two. The daughters of this family all married into the army, as follows : Mary Ann, to Capt. James W. Penrose; Sophia Kedney, to Capt. James M. Hill; Catherine Smith, to Capt. I. B. S. Todd, and Amelia Frances, to Capt. E. B. Alexander. The military records of all are to be found in the war department at Wash- ington. Penrose and Alexander died either as majors or major-generals.

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George Washington Hoffman, father of the Senator, was born Ocober 10, 1809, in New York city. He was married to Miss Esther Louise, daughter of Preserved Wheeler and Polly Johnson (widow of Isaac McNeill). The marriage occurred at Beardsley's Prairie, Mich., September 18, 1834. They were the parents of five children, namely : Catharine Louisa, Caroline Amelia, Charlotte Wil- liam, George Brown and Charles Wheeler, all of whom are now deceased except George Brown, a resident of Hoffman, Park county, and Charles Wheeler, the immediate subject of this review, a resident of Bozeman, Gallatin county, Mont.

George W. Hoffman, as a civil employe of the government, left Mackinac in 1824 at the age of fourteen and went to Jefferson barracks, where he remained in the civil employ of the government un- til 1830. In 1831 he went into business at Niles, Mich. In 1857 he removed to Detroit as cashier of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad. In 1866 he be- came secretary of the Corn Exchange Insurance Company in New York, and in 1871 returned to Detroit as state agent for the Aetna and other in- surance companies, and continued as such until he retired from active business. During his residence at Niles he held the office of clerk of the village for six terms; was justice of the peace, and in 1840 was probate judge. His death occurred at Detroit, January 5, 1886, and his remains are buried at Niles, Mich., where his wife, Esther Louise (Wheeler) Hoffman, died July 31, 1856. Charles Wheeler Hoffman, the person whose distinguished name initiates this sketch, was their fifth child and second son. It is enough to say of him in con- clusion that, as will appear in the beginning of these paragraphs, he has borne out in his character and career the attributes of sterling manhood, ex- ceptional business capacity and good citizenship for which his family has been universally noted since their advent into American history.

J W. KING, of East Helena, Mont., is the popu- lar and genial proprietor of the Prickly Pear Hotel, one of the landmarks of the days when the stage coach was the principal medium of overland transportation. Among his ancestors are numbered gallant heroes of the Revolution, and the patriotic fervor that inspired them had not lost its fire when the country called for defenders during the dark days of the Civil war. Mr. King was born at

Granville, Mass., on January 15, 1834. He is a son of Edmund and Clarissa (Bancroft) King, and is a descendant of William King, an English emi- grant, who settled in Birmingham, Mass., coming to that place from Westfield, Mass., in 1730. Capt. George King, his son, was born about 1720. He was a soldier of the Revolution, dying at Ticon- deroga in 1777. His son, Asahel, was born Sep- tember 25, 1754. He was the grandfather of J. W. King, and married Rebecca Barlow, and died at Granville, Mass., on September 5, 1823. Edmund King was born on October 17, 1795, and died on December II, 1854. He married Miss Clarissa Bancroft on January 2, 1796, and died April 29, 1859. Their children were Edmund Major, born June 12, 1820, died August 2, 1895; Sybil C., George T., born October 22, 1826, died March 30, 1881; Ansel, born December 20, 1828; Justus W., born January 15, 1834. On the maternal side Mr. King is descended from John Bancroft, who came from Lynn, England, in 1632, and was the colonial registrar of Massachusetts. Enoch Bancroft was the son of Samuel, and the maternal grandfather of J. W. King. He was a lieutenant in the Revo- lution, and a member of the Massachusetts legis- lature in 1775. He married Miss Sarah Stow and died at Granville, Mass.

J. W. King was reared and educated at the pub- lic schools of his native place and his early life was passed on his father's farm. On leaving school he learned the cooper's trade, which he followed until 1854. In 1861 he enlisted in Company F, Twenty- seventh Massachusetts Infantry. After serving three months, he was honorably discharged on ac- count of being under regulation size. He moved to Independence, Iowa, in 1866 and engaged in the furniture and undertaking business for three years. Then he sold his establishment and followed the carpenter trade until 1871 when he moved to Bridgeport, Conn., and was employed in the cabinet department of the Howe Sewing Machine Company. In 1875 he again came west to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but the same year came to Helena where he con- ducted a boarding house. In 1887 he purchased the Prickly Pear. Hotel. In this old time popular hotel he has made great improvements, enlarging it until he has twenty-three rooms for the accom- modation of guests. The table service is excel- lent, and the house as attractive as the most fastid- ious guest could demand.

In 1857 Mr. King was united in marriage with Miss Harriet A. Rose, daughter of S. P. Rose, of

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Granville, Mass. During the Civil war Mr. Rose was drum major of the Twenty-seventh Massachu- setts Volunteers. Mrs. King was a descendant on her father's side of Gen. Ephraim Howe, of the Revolution. Her grandfather, Justus Rose, was also a soldier of the Revolution, and Mrs. King is a member of Mercy Warren Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Mr. and Mrs. King have two sons, Myron J. and Henry E., both commer- cial travelers.

Politically Mr. King is a Democrat. Though strong in his political convictions he is not a nar- row-minded partisan, and his liberality toward all opinions and creeds is well known. Mr. King cut a stick of red cedar on Mt. Helena out of which he turned a gavel. This, just previous to the assem- bling of the first state legislature in 1889, he pre- sented to Charles Blakeley, the speaker of the house, and he used it to call that body to order.

He is a justice of the peace for East Helena, and fraternally he is a member of the Pendo Society. Mr. King is a broad-minded, progressive, wide- awake man, a loyal, patriotic citizen and a genial host. Throughout the state he is well known and highly esteemed.

EORGE W. KINNEY is one of Montana's (I citizens who has been favored in securing a fine ranch property in the beautiful Gallatin valley, where he has been located since 1887.

Mr. Kinney is a native of Appanoose county, Iowa, where he was born March 21, 1859, being one of the eight children of Jackson and Mary F. (Dugan) Kinney, both of whom were born in the state of Indiana, whence they removed to Iowa, where the father devoted his attention to agricul- tural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1867. The mother of our subject is now a resident of Oklahoma. George W. Kinney passed his school days in Iowa and assisted in the work of the homestead farm until 1880, when he started for Montana, coming by railroad as far as Red Rock, Beaverhead county, and thence by stage to Helena, where he remained about a year. In the fall of 1880 he went to Judith basin with 2,900 head of sheep, but during the winter all perished, with the exception of 190 head, owing to deep snow and rigorous weather. He then returned to Helena and was employed on the Flowergarden ranch for one year. Thereafter he was on a hay and grain

ranch in the vicinity of the capital city, and then went to Teton county and pre-empted a claim, but sold it two years later. In 1883 he devoted a year to the completion of a sub-contract, under Col. W. F. Sanders, of Helena, in the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. After his return to Hel- ena, in 1886, he took a contract for the supplying of wood and ties, and this occupied his attention during the ensuing winter. In 1887 Mr. Kinney came to the Gallatin valley, where he leased the Calvin Beach ranch, which he operated for nearly ten years and then purchased his present fine ranch of 320 acres, located at Cedar View, which is his postoffice address. The major portion of the farm is under effective irrigation. The East Gallatin river traverses the ranch; on the east side the water for irrigation is secured from Dry creek, while the tract on the west side is supplied from Cowan creek. Mr. Kinney devotes his attention principally to the raising of oats and annually se- cures large yields; he also has excellent crops of hay each season. He also is extensively engaged in raising shorthorn cattle. The ranch has excellent improvements, including an attractive residence and well equipped outbuildings, and the place gives unmistakable evidence of the care bestowed by its progressive owner. In politics Mr. Kinney gives his support to the principles and policies of the Re- publican party.

On October 23, 1884, Mr. Kinney was united in marriage to Miss Ella Beach, who was born in Missouri, August 12, 1864, being the daughter of Calvin Beach, a native of Ohio, whence he removed to Missouri and finally to Montana, being a pioneer of the 1864 period. He had considerable difficulty in crossing the plains, and not until four years la- ter did he return for his family. They drove through with a mule team, delaying their trip at an intermediate point until a sufficient number of emi- grants had arrived to make a train sufficiently large for mutual protection from the Indians. They lo- cated near Helena and Mr. Beach died in 1898, but Mrs. Beach is living with her children. Mr. and Mrs. Kinney have six children : Annie, Wesley, Clara, Mabel, Gertrude and Percy.

M ATTHEW E. KING .- It will assuredly not prove uninteresting to the reader to ob- serve the varying nationalities, early environments, and personal accomplishments of those who are rep-

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resented in this volume, and specially a resume of the life history of Mr. King, a popular and influ- ential farmer and stockgrower of Lewis and Clarke county, whose career has been marked by varied and interesting experiences. Matthew E. King was born in Linwood, Renfrewshire, one of the smaller counties of bonnie Scotland, on Jan- uary 9, 1844, the son of Matthew and Annie (McEwan) King. The family came to the United States in 1869 and located in North Orange, N. J. Our subject secured his educational training in the public schools of Scotland, and in early life was an operator in the cotton factory at Linwood, Ren- frewshire. At the age of eighteen years he went to sea in the capacity of fireman, shipping at Liver- pool, from which port the vessel sailed, touching at various Mediterranean ports. Mr. King visited Lisbon, Leghorn, Naples, Genoa, Alexandria and other historic cities of the continent. He finally returned to Scotland on a visit to his parents and then returned to Liverpool, where he found em- ployment as a member of the "shore gang," whose duties were to overhaul the engines and boilers of Atlantic liners of the Cunard Company and subse- quently made two trips across the Atlantic as fire- man on the steamship Persia. Coming to the United States for the purpose of making permanent location, he arrived in New York on the day when the re- mains of President Lincoln lay in state at the city hall. Earnestly desiring to view the remains as a mark of respect to America's deceased statesman, in company with a friend he joined the assembled throng, but found it difficult to gain admission, but finally did so. After remaining about six months with an uncle in New Jersey, Mr. King secured a position in a brassfinishing foundry and store in New York city, and afterward was for three years stationary engineer in the same establishment. Hav- ing determined to try his fortunes in the far west. Mr. King went to St. Louis, Mo., thence by steamer up the Mississippi and Missouri to Fort Benton, Mont., where he arrived in June, 1869. He at once proceeded to what is now the capital city, arriving there on the morning when it was practically de- stroyed by the memorable fire of that year. He tar- ried but one day, proceeding thence to Lincoln gulch where he devoted his attention to mining for several years. He subsequently passed a year at Penobscot prospecting, but returned to the vicinity of Lincoln, then in Deer Lodge county, and took up a tract of land on which he settled down to ranch- ing, his home being one and one-fourth miles east

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 50

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