Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 89

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 89

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).

T ILLIAM THOMPSON .- At the time of his death William Thompson held prestige as one of the prominent and influential citizens of

Butte, where he had maintained his home for a long term of years. He was from early pioneer days intimately identified with the industrial and productive activities of Montana, and through his business abilities accumulated a comfortable for- tune. He was a man of inflexible integrity and utmost honesty of purpose, and on his life, ended in the fullness of years and well earned honors, there rests no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He was born in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, on March 1, 1838, the son of William and Mar- garet (Maguire) Thompson, the former of whom was born in Scotland, whence he emigrated to Canada in an early day, and as a carpenter, there passed the rest of his life. His wife was born in Ireland, and she also died in Canada. Their son William received limited educational advantages in the excellent public schools of Cobourg, but left home when a mere lad and for a number of years was a common sailor on the great lakes. From the age of twelve years, being the eldest of the children of his then widowed mother, he con- tributed to the family support until the mother died and his sister was established in a home of her own.

In 1860 Mr. Thompson came to what is now North Dakota, where he engaged in contracting and building, and here erected the government fort and houses at Jamestown. All these buildings were burned by the Indians before he had taken payment for his labor and he never received from the government the amount due. This misfortune left him without financial resources. In 1863 he came to Virginia City, Mont., and employed his time during the first winter in manufacturing window sash from common poles, receiving ten dollars for each sash. In 1864 he built a number of boats, with which he conveyed a party down the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers to Omaha. The Indians made several attacks on the venture- some voyagers, and the trip was an exciting one. Mr. Thompson brought a stock of merchandise and miners' supplies with him on his return and, lo- cating in Virginia City, formed a mercantile part- nership with a Mr. Griffith, who was part owner of the goods he brought from the east. About 1866 Griffith & Thompson engaged in lumbering in Virginia City, and there Mr. Thompson re- mained until 1876, when he removed to Glendale. Beaverhead county, where he made his home and . base of operations until 1879, when he came to Butte and established a lumber yard. The busi-

454

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

ness grew to be of importance, and was continued until his death. Mr. Thompson was essentially a business man, and his great ability and mature judgment made him successful in most of his en- terprises. He was interested in many mining en- terprises, but did not realize from these any large profits. He owned an interest in the Shannon mine, at Clifton, Ariz., at the time of his death, and this property promises to be valuable.

In the early days, when many desperate char- acters infested the state and menaced life and property, Mr. Thompson was one of the active members of the vigilance committee, organized by the law-abiding settlers and miners as the only means of doing away with these desperate outlaws, who were made to expiate for their many crimes by hanging, and was a prime mover in the organi- zation of the committee in Butte. As a Republican Mr. Thompson was called to positions of trust and responsibility. He was a member of the last two territorial legislatures and also of the First state legislature. In 1895-6 he was mayor of Butte and gave a business-like and economical administra- tion, the city indebtedness being reduced $80,000 during his holding of the office. He was often a member of the board of aldermen and ever main- tained interest in all that concerned his city and state.

Fraternally he was prominently identified with the Masonic order. He was grand high priest of the grand chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of Mon- tana, was also a member of Montana Commandery No. 3, K. T., and had advanced to the thirty- second degree in the Ancient Accepted .Scottish Rite. His religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church. On May 15, 1900, occurred the death of this honored pioneer, and the city of Butte mourned his loss as that of one of her ablest busi- ness men and most highly esteemed citizens, one whose life had been filled with good works and kindly acts. About 1867, in Virginia City, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Thompson to Miss Annie M. Boyce, born in Missouri, the daughter of Major J. R. Boyce, who was born in Virginia, from which state he removed to Missouri, and afterwards to Montana in 1864. He died in Butte in 1897. Mrs. Thompson died in 1893. Three sons and two daughters survive: William Boyce, James R., J. Edwin, Flora M. and Mabel M. The sons are all married and are residents of Butte, except William B., who lives in Boston, Mass. They are all progressive young men. The daughters are still at school, fitting themselves prop- erly for life's duties.

D ANIEL C. SWEENY, county auditor of Lewis and Clarke county, and one of the enterprising citizens of Helena, was a native of Montana be- fore it was admitted to statehood, and was born in Helena, November 30, 1868. His parents were Timothy and Eliza (Weckman) Sweeny. The pa- ternal grandfather was Daniel Sweeny, who came from Ireland about 1835, when his son Timothy was yet a child, to Brooklyn, N. Y., and engaged in dairying. While in New Orleans, to which place he had gone to visit friends, he was stricken with yellow fever and died, and of his seven children all are dead. Timothy Sweeny was reared in New York city. In 1849 he made the journey to Cali- fornia, going by the Panama route, and as he was one of the earliest miners in the state he did a very profitable business for some years in placer mining. From California he went to British Columbia and continued mining in that country for several years. In 1865 he first came to the Treasure state, Mon- tana, locating at Virginia City. Shortly afterwards he came to Helena, then Last Chance gulch, where he mined extensively, and also engaged in the mer- cantile business in which he remained until his death in 1880. His wife, who was previous to her marriage Miss Eliza Weckman, of German origin. is still living.

It was amid Montana scenes and among the pio- neers of Montana that Daniel C. Sweeny was reared. And it was in Helena that he received his education. Following this he began to learn the trade of a jeweler, but relinquished this and sub- sequently worked for C. K. Wells in the stationery business, and was also, for a short period, with the Helena Lumber Company. In 1896 Mr. Sweeny was elected auditor of Lewis and Clarke county, was re-elected in 1898 and again succeeded him- self in 1900. Politically he has been a lifelong Democrat, but has been very popular with all parties, as is evidenced by his large vote at the November election of 1900, when he received nearly double the number of votes that his Republican op- ponent received. Fraternally he is a popular and valued member of the Woodmen of the World. During his successive terms of office as county au- ditor Mr. Sweeny has served the people efficiently and courteously and is a young man of intelligence and great personal popularity.

" EYMOUTH D. SYMMES .- One of the pro- gressive young men of Lewistown, Fergus county, is Mr. Symmes, who holds the responsible

455

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

position of manager of the Power Mercantile Com- pany, one of the most important business enter- prises of this section of the state.

engaged in farming. Weymouth D. Symmes was Canada, where he was born on the 30th of Janu- ary, 1870, the son of Thomas and Mary (Wey- mouth) Symmes, who were born in Canada and the state of Vermont, respectively, and who still re- tain their residence in Canada, where the father is engaged in farming. Weymouth D. Symmes was reared and educated in Canada, from whence he came to Livingston, Mont., in 1889. Here he was for a time associated with Charles Berg and was also in the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company for one year. In March, 1892, he came to Lewistown and here became a delivery man for the Power Mercantile Company. Later becoming bookkeeper of the company until 1894, upon the death of Mr. N. M. Erickson, he was promoted to his present position of manager of the business. In 1898 he was one of the organizers of the Utica Mercantile Company and the Gilt Edge Mercantile Company, which established business centers in two of these towns of Fergus county. Mr. Symmes is now secretary and treasurer of each of these com- panies, and he has interests in coal properties in this section of the state.

Though taking no active part in political af- fairs, Mr. Symmes has not been neglectful of the duties of citizenship, exercising his franchise as a Republican. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, in which he has taken the capitular degrees, affiliating now with Lewistown Lodge No. 37, A. F. & A. M., and Hiram Chapter, R. A. M., and is also a member of the Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks, Lewistown Lodge No. 456. It is gratifying to note his success, since he came to Montana a poor boy and has worked his way by his own merits and ability to his present re- sponsible standing.

On the 31st of August, 1898, Mr. Symmes was united in marriage to Miss Ione Long, who is a native of California and the daughter of Dr. W. A. Long, a prominent physician of Lewistown. Mr. and Mrs. Symmes have two winsome little daughters : Dorothy I. and Elizabeth.

B URRYLL S. THRESHER .- One of the dis- tinguished members of the bar of Montana and one whose fame as a legist has been signally heightened by his identification with important

criminal cases, is Burryll S. Thresher. His career has shown consecutive industry and close appli- cation, and he has gained reputation in his pro- fession. He is one of the representative lawyers of Silver Bow county and an honored citizen of Butte. Mr. Thresher was born in the village of Burksville, Ky., June 19, 1865, the eldest of the twelve children of Isaac M. and Mary (Moore) Thresher, natives of Tennessee, whence they re- moved to Cumberland county, Ky., in 1864, where the father was a farmer. The paternal grand- father of Mr. Thresher was a native of Ireland, who emigrated to the United States, settling in Virginia, where he passed his life. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Thresher, a midshipman on the "Essex" during the war of 1812, was born in the United States of Scottish lineage.

Burryll S. Thresher in 1882 matriculated in the State University of Kentucky, where he was for two years a student in the scientific course. In 1884 he went to Texas, where, while engaged in ranching, he gave attention to the reading of law. In 1886 he entered Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tenn., where he studied one year, and returned to Texas, where he continued his reading of law until he had secured admission to the bar of the state at the youthful age of twenty-two. He was elected mayor of Saint Jo, Montague county, in 1888, by the Democracy, and, also in 1888, was elected to represent the county in the state legislature. He served. during the session of 1889 and proved an active and influential men- ber. He continued legal practice in Texas until 1891, when he came to Montana, located in Boze- man, and devoted himself to his profession until 1895, since which time he has been one of the members of the bar of Butte. Mr. Thresher has attained distinction as a criminal lawyer, and dur- ing his residence in Butte he has been attorney in fully seventy-five per cent. of the murder cases brought before the local courts. The most cele- brated of these was the Gillman case, in which Mr. Thresher appeared for the defendant, who was accused of the murder of Dan D. Sullivan. By his masterful handling of the case Mr. Thresher secured a verdict of acquittal, although public sentiment was very hostile to Gilman and two attempts were made to assassinate him. Mr. Thresher is a forceful and convincing speaker, not given to rhetorical flights but, being a master of dialectics, he presents his arguments with co- gency and marked conciseness, while his knowl-

456

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

edge of the law and precedents makes him a safe and valuable counsel.

In politics Mr. Thresher has been unswerving in his allegiance to the Democratic party, in whose councils he has been an influential factor. Fra- ternally he is identified with the Masonic order. He was raised to the master's degree in Saint Jo Lodge No. 384, at Saint Jo, Texas, in 1891. From this lodge he was dimitted and became a member of Gallatin Lodge No. 6, at Bozeman, of which he is a past master. He is considered one of the most able exponents of the work of the third de- gree of ancient-craft Masonry in the state. He is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and in 1899 was patron of the chapter of that order in Butte. While a resident of Texas Mr. Thresher held membership in the militia from 1887 until 1891, holding commissions as first lieutenant and major, and was for a time inspector of arms. From 1888 to 1891 he was the proprietor of the Saint Jo Times, of which he was also editor and publisher, making it an excellent exponent of the Democracy and of local interests. During these years he was correspondent for leading metropolitan dailies. In 1888 Mr. Thresher was united in marriage with Miss Leona E. Philpott, who was born in Kentucky, and whose death oc- curred in 1894. She left one son, Raymond, born on May II, 1889, now a student in the public schools of Berksville, Ky.

LION. C. OSCAR GRUWELL .- The life story of this enterprising, public spirited and useful citizen if told in detail would make as thrilling and romantic a narrative as any the great novelists have ever written. It would be full of startling adventures, hairbreadth escapes, heroic achieve- ments, business reverses and valued public ser- vices. He was born in Lee county, Iowa, on De- cember 18, 1837, the son of Robert and Melissa (Davis) Gruwell, the former born near Dayton, Ohio, in 1804, and the latter at the same place about 1807. She died at San Jose, Cal., in 1859. About 1828 Robert Gruwell removed to Quincy, Ill., where he traded a few cattle and hogs and an old gray mare for a farm on which a portion of the city of Quincy now stands. In 1837 he went to Lee county, Iowa, and buying a section of land followed farming and stockraising there for eleven years. This fine farm, which was highly improved,

well stocked and equipped, he sold in 1849 for $1,100. Not many years later it was worth a hun- dred times that amount. With his family he joined the great stampede in 1849 to California, making the trip from Salt Lake to Los Angeles over the old Fremont pack-trail known as the southern route. His train of sixty wagons was the first to make the trip over this trail. It started from Iowa in April, 1849, and arrived at Los Angeles on De- cember 22, of the same year. During the next twelve years he was engaged in mining, farming. and stockraising in various parts of the state. In 1861 he located on an excellent farm near San Jose, and remained there until his death in 1878.

Hon. C. O. Gruwell finished his academic ed- ucation at Santa Clara College, Cal., and in 1863 went to Virginia City, Nev., seeking a suitable business engagement. After a few months he moved to Paradise valley, where he and his brother, Mel- vin L., worked for the Hill Beachey Stage Com- pany until the spring of 1865, being constantly engaged in warfare with the Piute Indians and finally driven out by them. In July, 1865, he arrived in Helena, Mont., and soon after was ar- rested by the vigilantes as a suspicious person on account of having come into town in company with "Coyotte" Evans, who was known to be a bad character and whom he had first met on the way thither. Evans made haste to leave Helena and Mr. Gruwell had no trouble in proving his identity before the court convened to try him. In the summer of 1865, while prospecting in New York gulch, he discovered in Rattlesnake gulch near by a rich prospect, and opened a mine which he sold at a good price in the fall and bought a team of mules with which he made two trips be- tween Helena and Fort Benton, buying potatoes at seven and selling them at twenty cents a pound. In the winter of 1865 he cut cordwood on the Missouri river, and in 1866 conducted a horseshed and stable at Benton, doing a thriving business until fall, when he entered the employ of Carroll & Steel, of the Diamond R Freighting Company, as wagon boss, hauling government supplies from Camp Cook to Sun River crossing. He remained with this company until January, 1867. He then joined in the Salmon river, Idaho, stampede, and lost in mining ventures several thousand dollars he had accumulated. The expedition was not, how- ever, altogether devoid of good to him, for by it he gaine.1 a wife who has been both his com- panion and helpmate through many dangers and

yours truly

457

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

tribulations. With her he left Idaho in October, 1867, located in Deer Lodge county, Mont., and engaged in mining in Lincoln and Henderson gulches, and running a hotel at the former until July, 1868. During the next year he was cutting hay for the government at Fort Benton and con- ducting the Overland hotel, and a stable and a dairy. He spent the winter of 1869 in Helena, and in the next spring went to Pilgrim Bar, Deer Lodge county, and conducted a dairy and hotel until fall. In the fall of 1870 he bought a ranch of 640 acres on Flint creek, near Philipsburg, on which he put in sixteen hours a day for fourteen years in farming and stockraising, but feeling all the while somewhat like the old Missourians who, it is said, "used to live in prairie schooners in order to be ready at all times to move away from the terrors of civilization." He sold this ranch in 1883 to Patrick Brogan, but while he owned it in 1879 he brought the first sheep to Montana across the Coeur d'Alene mountains from Washington. When he sold the ranch he drove his sheep and cattle to the Big Horn basin, in Wyoming, and remained there a year. In the fall of 1884 he bought a ranch in Froze-to-death valley, Custer county, and removed his stock to it. Two years later he sold to Edward Jones, who still owns it, and bought another on the Yellowstone, one mile from Junction City, where he engaged in stockraising until 1893, when he rented the place and in April, 1894, took up his residence in Billings. In 1897 he sold the place to Griggs & Ellis. He still continues in the sheep business, having usually from 10,000 to 18,000 on the ranges. He is also largely interested in real estate in the city, owning' several business blocks on the principal street, in- cluding the Gruwell block, erected in 1901, at a cost of about $50,000, one of the finest buildings in the city. He also owns a number of dwellings.

Senator Gruwell is a zealous and active Demo- crat. He served as commissioner of Yellowstone county four years, and in 1898 was elected state senator from that county for a term of four years. In the senate he was a prominent supporter of Hon. W. A. Clark, and rendered good service to his United States senatorial cause in both sessions of the legislature in which he served. In the ses- sion of 1901 he was the first member of his dele- gation to cast his vote for Hon. Paris Gibson, and thus opened the way for his election. He also took a prominent part in the stubborn sectional fight over the creation of the new county of Rose-

bud. During at least fifteen years of Senator Gruwell's life in Nevada, Idaho and Montana, much of his time was passed in killing Indians and buffalos, and his adventures would make an in- teresting volume. One, which occurred in Para- dise valley in 1864, will serve as a sample: The Piutes were on the war path and murdering the whites, burning their homes and stealing their stock. While alone on a trip through the valley one day, Mr. Gruwell learned that the women and children of several families that had sought refuge in a stock corral were surrounded by about 100 savages, who were only waiting for darkness to execute their murderous designs. He determined to try to rescue them, but of the few white men left in the valley only five would join in the undertaking. They armed themselves as well as they could and, acting upon a carefully arranged plan, succeeded in enter- ing the corral with such a rush and number of war whoops as to make the Indians believe there were several hundred in the company and they hastened to withdraw. The rescuers were overwhelmed with gratitude by the fair prisoners, some of whom are still living in the valley, women now but little girls at the time.

Senator Gruwell was married at Leesburg, Idaho, on October 7, 1867, to Miss Sarah Jane Bohanon, a native of Dubuque, Iowa. They have had seven children : Frances, born in July, 1868, the second white child born at Fort Benton, and now the wife of Charles Spear, of Billings; Nettie, who was the wife of Dr. Johnson, of Butte, and died there in February, 1900; Robert E., who is married and lives at Omaha, Neb .; Oscar, who died at Billings, at the age of nineteen; Dora, the wife of Arthur Blair, of Butte; and Maud and Warren, who are living at home.

H ON. W. E. TIERNEY, one of the most prom- inent men of Townsend, Broadwater county, was born in County Fernagh, Ireland, on Sep- tember 2, 1839, the son of James Tierney, who emigrated from Ireland to America in 1848 and settled in the mining district of Wisconsin, where he died in 1850. The family engaged in mining until 1864, when W. E. Tierney came to Montana and located at Virginia City, in Alder gulch. Here he engaged in mining, passing one year in that localty; he then removed to Confederate

458

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

gulch, where he passed several years, and then went to Cave gulch. The time and the circum- stances seemed propitious for successful mer- chandising, and he opened a general store and was in successful trade here for five years, until 1870, when he removed to Indian gulch, now Hassell.

He continued a profitable trading business here also for five years, and in 1875 removed his mer- cantile activities to Canton, in the Missouri val- ley, meeting here also with considerable success. In 1883 Mr. Tierney arrived at Townsend, which has since been his home, and where he has built up a business of good proportions and lucrative pro- fits. Here he was the pioneer merchant, opening the first store in Townsend under the firm name of W. E. Tierney & Co., continuing in trade until 1899 when he sold out and opening again in his present quarters. In 1883 Mr. Tierney was elected to the Montana state legislature, and again in 1892. He was county commissioner of Meagher county for twelve years, and he was elected to the state senate of the Montana legislature in 1898. He has always been a stanch and active Democrat, taking a lively interest in all affairs of that party. He has been a generous contributor to as well as a worker in some of the hardest fought cam- paigns in the state. But notwithstanding this he is popular with men of all shades of political opin- ion, who recognize in him a man of high principles and a conscientious, patriotic citizen. He is a valued member of the United Workmen, and in the municipal affairs of his home town he is ever alert, and is in all respects one of the broad minded, progressive men of the state.

Mr. Tierney was one of the chief promoters and is largely interested in the Missouri valley canal, one of the most important industrial enter- prises of the state. Although yet in process of construction, when it is completed this magnifi- cent ditch will irrigate 40,000 acres of land. Mr. Tierney was united in marriage to Miss Isabel McDonan, a native of Canada. Their only daughter, Ray, is a student at the Sisters' school in Tacoma. There is probably no man in Mon- tana better informed than Senator Tierney in all matters relating to its mining and other industrial resources. He has ever been a man of observa- tion and discernment, holding broad, progressive views. As a selfmade man, upright and liberal in his dealings, he has won universal esteem and confidence.

AMES TRAVIS .- Born in Somersetshire, Eng-

land, in 1830, and in the public schools of his native land receiving his educational discipline. James Travis emigrated to the United States in 1869, locating in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he was employed as a engineer in the coal mines, having been similarly employed in his native land. He remained at Wilkes-Barre until 1872, when he came to Montana, locating in Helena, which was his home until his death, October 17, 1898. He engaged in placer mining on Ten-mile creek, and this was his business until his life's labors were terminated. He was known as one of the progressive mining men of the state. He was a man of inflexible integrity in all the relations of life, was energetic and progressive in his endeav- ors. An industrious and worthy pioneer, he was successful in his mining operations and a useful citizen.

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 89

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