Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 123

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > Montana > Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2 > Part 123

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Mr. Annin has been the secretary and general manager of this company from its formation, and under his supervision it has grown rap- idly and has taken a high commercial stand- ing. It is securing a prosperous trade from a productive farming and ranching territory, and satisfies its large number of patrons by both the character of the stock it carries and the courteous and obliging manner in which it is offered for sale. The postoffice is located in the store, and Mr. Annin brings to the office of postmaster a valuable experience acquired in a similar position at Coke- dale. Mr. Annin was married on July 15, 1889, to Miss Janet Haldane, a native of Scotland and daughter of John Haldane, who came to Wyoming in 1885, and thence removed to Montana in 1890. He is engaged in ranching and the cattle business on the Yellowstone. Mr. and Mrs. Annin have two children, James and Burt, both attending school. In politics Mr. Annin is an active Republican, and serves his party as chairman of the county central committee. He was county commissioner from 1897 to 1901, and has been school trustee for many years. Fraternally he holds membership with the Woodmen of the World.

'HARLES E. AVERY .- This prominent and C successful miner, active promoter and skillful engineer is a native of Sullivan county, N. Y., where he was born on March 2, 1850, the son of Amos and Maria (Wakeman) Avery, also natives of Sul- livan county, who usefully passed their lives there, the former dying in 1890 and the latter in 1894, their ancestors on both sides being among the earli- est settlers of that country. Mr. Avery was edu- cated in the district schools and remained with his parents aiding on the farm until he was twenty-three

years old. In 1873 he came to Montana, locating in the Gallatin valley until after the winter of 1874. He then joined the Big Horn expedition to the Yellowstone, following the Northern Pacific sur- vey to the Rosebud valley, also visiting the Little and Big Horn valleys on the trip, which was one of exciting incidents. He returned to Bozeman in the autumn and in the winter put in the big Norwegian irrigating ditch at Pony, in Madison county, and in the same year made one of the valuable discoveries at the famous Pony mines and secured interests in the Boss Tweed and other claims. He remained at Pony four years, and in 1882 sold his interests and moved to Butte. From 1872 to 1878 he was prospecting and mining in Beaverhead, Madison, Jefferson, Silver Bow and other counties in Montana and also in Idaho, and now has interests in many valuable undeveloped quartz claims. For a number of years he has been engineer at various working mines during the win- ter, passing the summer season in prospecting. In politics he is a Republican ; fraternally a Freema- son, holding membership in Bannack Lodge No. 16.

E 'DWIN BAILEY .- The ancestors of this gen- tleman on either side were among the early settlers of New England, and stood representative of stanch old English and Scotch stock, and Mr. Bailey is one of the prosperous farmers and stock- growers of Teton county, where he has maintained his home for eight years. He was born in Haver- hill, N. H., on July 26, 1854, the son of Azro Bailey, a native of Vermont, where he was born in 1804, the son of Abner Bailey, a native of Massachusetts, and the son of Gen. Jacob Bailey, who took a very prominent part in the war of 1812, the family hav- ing early come from England among the first set- tlers in New England. Azro Bailey was a lifelong farmer and his death occurred in Haverhill, N. H., on August 10, 1874. The mother of Edwin Bailey, whose maiden name was Hannalı Lang, was born at Bath, N. H., of Scottish ancestry, and she died in Haverhill, in 1881. Edwin Bailey secured his education in the public schools and the historic and celebrated academy of Haverhill, graduating as a member of the class of 1870, at the age of six- teen years. He was employed at farmn work until 1873, and after his father's death assumed charge of the old homestead farm, where he remained until 1895. After the death of the mother his sis-

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ter Mary, who is now a resident of Helena, at- tended to the duties of the household. In 1893 Mr. Bailey came to Teton county, Mont., and was employed for one year on the ranch of Charles McDonald, near Choteau, then took up a home- stead claim at Farmer's coulee, near Muddy creek, purchased a band of sheep, and has since been en- gaged in the raising of sheep, having since added 240 acres to his original claim. The place is well improved and he has been duly successful and holds standing as one of the representative ranchmen of that section. In politics he supports the Re- publican party. In Great Falls, in 1897, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage with Mrs. Florence Coch- rane, who was also born in Haverhill, N. H.

JACOB SCHMIDT .- There are but few surviv- ing pioneers who came to Montana earlier than the subject of this biographical sketch, Mr. Jacob Schmidt, who is now residing near Browning, Teton county. In his long experience in this country, covering forty-seven years, he has witnesssed many wonderful developments, endured many privations, and formed many acquaintances. He was born at Ettlinger, in the vicinity of Heidelberg, Germany, August 8, 1832. The limited education which he re- ceived was gained by two hours a day in a factory school at Ettlinger, the balance of the time being devoted to hard work until he was sixteen years of age. Having served a four-years apprenticeship at the tailor's trade in Ettlinger, and at Frank- fort-on-the-Main, he worked his way across the Atlantic to New York city, arriving in 1853. From the metropolis of the Empire state he went to St. Louis, Mo., and the same year embarked on a steamboat en route for Fort Benton, Mont., via the Missouri river, arriving there in the spring of 1854. Employment at his trade was secured from James Dawson, with whom he remained until 1863, when he removed to Deer Lodge, and in the spring of 1864 to Silver City, Lewis and Clarke county, where he opened a grocery store.

At this period the county seat of Lewis and Clarke county was in the store of our subject, and, as he says, it was removed to Helena in 1865 by Col. W. F. Sanders, who "came and carried away the county seat, consisting of a few books of record." This act Mr. Schmidt freely admits is the reason why the seat of government of Lewis and Clarke county is now located at the capital city of the state. But it is evident that Mr. Schmidt

soon followed the county seat, for in 1865 he re- moved his grocery store to Helena and added to the enterprise a bakery. At that period flour cost $120 per hundred, and tobacco $10 per pound. One year later he removed to Fort Benton where he built the Overland Hotel, conducting the same one season, thence going to Silver City, where he re- mained through the winter with William Kizer. In 1867 we find Mr. Schmidt at 'Old Mission, near where is. at present located Ulm station on the Great Northern Railway, and here for the fol- lowing two years he engaged in the stock business. From 1869 until 1874 Mr. Schmidt was settled at St. Peter's mission, twelve miles from Cascade, continuing the same enterprise, thence removing to Haystack butte, upon the South fork of the Sun river, where he engaged in general farming and cattle raising. During the following sixteen years he resided at Choteau, Teton county, where he amassed considerable property, and during the summer of that year his family secured 400 acres of Indian allotment land on Cut Bank river, same county, which, with the use of the adjoining free ranges, afforded ample facilities for the breeding of cattle and horses and the raising of hay, while the original 400 acres is completely fenced and con- veniently improved in many other directions.

At 'Fort Benton, December 25, 1856, Father Jo- seph officiating, Mr. Schmidt was united in mar- riage to Miss Margaret Miller, of German an- cestry, daughter of "Jack" Miller, one of the earliest pioneers in the western country. To this union were born eleven children, of whom those living are Millie and Robert (twins), Julia, Carroll; George, and Jennie. Those who have been called from earth are Julia, Edward, Martha, Robert, Rosa and Hattie. The mother of Mr. Schmidt is still living at the advanced age of eighty years. One of the most active and influential workers in Democratic political circles is Mr. Schmidt, who manifests a keen interest in all the issues of the successive campaigns, in both state and local affairs. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Choteau, in which he has filled all the chairs, and was a delegate to the grand lodge meeting at Deer Lodge in 1898.

W ILLIAM E. BARNARD .- A native of West Haven, Conn., where he was born in 1857, and endowed by nature with the restless activity characteristic of New England, William E. Barn-

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ard has traveled with thoughtful intelligence over a large part of the United States, and has had many adventures and interesting experiences. His par- ents were Thomas and Rebecca (Helm) Barnard, the former a native of England who came to America when he was eight years old. He was a gold and silver refiner, and died in New York state. The mother was a native of Philadelphia. Of their family of eight children William was the youngest. The family removed to Westchester county, N. Y., when he was four years old, and there, after leaving school he engaged in the milk business for himself, and continued in its success- ful prosecution until 1878, when he went south, and with a partner traveled through that section of the country selling novelties and household articles. In 1882 he landed in New Mexico, where he engaged in the cattle business, and three years later selling his ranch and buying a flock of sheep, he drove them to Kansas and Nebraska. This he did annually for three years. The first two drives were very profitable, but the third one was disas- trous, and after that he remained in Kansas and, trading a portion of his remaining sheep for land, sold the remainder, abandoning an enterprise that at first promised wealth.

In the fall of 1888 he came to Montana, and, locating at Powderville, in Custer county, engaged in general merchandising and in raising horses, cattle and range stock for market, enterprises he is still successfully conducting with an increasing volume of trade and widening body of patrons. In politics Mr. Barnard is an active and zealous Republican, always industrious and efficient in the service of his party. He has been the postmaster at Powderville for the last six years, adminis- tering the duties of the office with general satis- faction. In fraternal relations he is identified with the rapidly growing Order of Elks. In business circles, in political relations, in all matters of local interest and in social intercourse he is influential for good, and is esteemed as a leading man, worthy of and secure in the respect of all his fellow citizens. One incident in his busy and adventurous life, which has been a source of great disadvantage to him, should not be omitted from this brief re- view. In 1896 he was "held up" in his store by desperadoes and in the struggle was shot in the head, in consequence of which he lost the sight of one eye and the hearing of one ear. He yet carries the bullet in his head and at times it is quite troublesome.

ORD A. AYNSLEY .- This gentleman can trace an ancestral line of patrician and distin- guished order and the lineage is of stanch old English stock, both the agnatic and cognatic lines being of influential and prominent character. He was born at Brockley Hall, Northumberland, Eng- land, on April 11, 1862, the son of John Aynsley, who was born on inherited ancestral acres near the same place in 1822, and who there devoted his at- tention to the extensive raising of live stock, hav- ing an estate of 1,240 acres and making a specialty of breeding and raising fine grades of cattle and sheep. He represented the second oldest family descended from the Duke of Northumberland, the early family occupancy of land in England be- ing recorded in the Domesday Book. He died at the family home in October, 1900, honored by all who knew him, and his father, John Aynsley, had preceded him on the same soil as a farmer and stockgrower. The maiden name of the mother of Ord A. Aynsley was Miss Elizabeth Mary Arm- strong, and she was the daughter of Ord Arm- strong, a wealthy farmer and an influential citi- zen of Northumberland. She was born in 1838, and her demise occurred in October, 1900, only three weeks after that of her honored husband.

Ord A. Aynsley received his education in the Rothbury Grammar School, at Rothbury, England, where he was graduated in the literary and land- commissioner's courses with the class of 1880. He then continued his residence at the old home- stead until he had attained the age of twenty-five years, when, in 1887, he came to the United States and almost directly came to Philbrook, Fergus county, Mont., where he was for six months employed on the ranch of E. J. Morrison. He then individually engaged in the sheepgrowing business, taking a band of sheep on shares in com- pany with G. M. Stone and J. C. Hauck, and in 1890 entered into partnership with Mr. Stone, and this association obtained for about seven years, their ranch of 1,400 acres being devoted to sheep and horses. In June, 1897, Mr. Aynsley removed to Teton county and rented the ranch of William Ralston, near Choteau. One year later he pur- chased the Howard & Childress ranch of 1,000 acres, located on Wood creek in the same county. In 1899 he sold this place to Rev. Martin Mertz, of Helena, and rented his present ranch of 2,000 acres, located near Collins, on the banks of the Teton river. Here Mr. Aynsley is successfully eu- gaged in the raising of sheep and cattle, running an

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average of 2,500 head of the former and about fifty of the latter and maintaining a high grade of stock in both lines. Having been familiar with this line of industry from his youth, Mr. Aynsley brings to bear a marked discrimination in the con- ducting of operations, and his business methods insure the best results against the ordinary con- tingencies to be encountered. He is alert and public-spirited and held in high esteem, and his religious faith is that of the Protestant Episcopal church. At Rothbury, England, in 1887, was sol- emnized the marriage of Mr. Aynsley and Miss Mary Jane Carmichael, the daughter of William Carmichael, an extensive and influential farmer of West Ray, Northumberland, England ; her mother's maiden name was Jane Donkin, and the families on both sides are wealthy and prominent mem- bers of old families of that county. It may be noted incidentally that the four brothers of Mr. Aynsley, John, Joseph, James and Lionel, are operating the two English estates of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Aynsley have two children, William Carmichael and John Armstrong.

J OHN B. BECK,-After an active and successful career in various line of activity, John B. Beck, late of the Gallatin valley, Mont., an ener- getic and prosperous stockman and rancher, sur- rendered his trust on February 25, 1894, his death being due to pneumonia. He was born in Alsace- Lorraine on May 30, 1830, and came to America when he was but six years old. He was reared at Booneville, Cooper county, Mo., and when the Mexican war broke out, being too young to enlist as a soldier, he engaged as a teamster and in that capacity went through the entire war. After its close he returned to Missouri and remained there until 1849, when he went to California, and was engaged in mining in that state and other portions of the northwest until 1866. He then located in the Gallatin valley, Mont., and con- ducted operations as a farmer and stockman, in which he was eminently successful, until his death. In his business and in all his relations with his fel- low citizens Mr. Beck was seriously handicapped from his inability to read and write the English language. He could speak it and was proficient in German, French and Spanish, but never learned to read and write in English. Yet with his naturally strong mentality and personality, his fine executive

ability, and his business capacity enabled him to tri- umph over this difficulty. He was a man of integ- rity and force of character, continuous industry and indomitable will, yet withal of a genial and companionable disposition. In 1872 he made a visit to his old home in Missouri, and there was united in marriage with Miss Anna M. Rogers, of that state, a daughter of John Rogers, a native of Vir- ginia, where he was born in 1806. His wife, nee Mary Hogan, was also a native of Virginia, and was a niece of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Mr. and Mrs. Beck had three children, John S. H., Charles F. and Walter, all of whom are residents of the Gal- latin valley, John living in Bozeman.

RODNEY A. BARNES .- This gentleman, now one of the successful ranchmen of Choteau county, has been long identified with the wild life of the frontier, and has had many interesting and varied experiences. Mr. Barnes is a native of the Empire state, born in Oneida county, N. Y., on February 8, 1854. His father was born in Cat- taraugus county, N. Y., in 1820, and his death occurred at Sioux Falls, S. D., in May, 1888. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah E. Trask, was born at Troy, N. Y., in 1830, and now maintains her home in Sioux Falls. Rodney A. Barnes at- tended the public schools until he had attained the age of twelve years, when he accompanied his parents to the west, and continued his studies in the schools of Sioux City, Iowa, where he began his individual business career, being there en- gaged in the buying of wheat for seven years. At the expiration of that time he then started westward, making the trip on horseback from Sioux City in 1875, stopping at Deadwood in the Black Hills, where he remained until 1878, after which he came to Miles City, Mont., in which local- ity he was prospecting, trading with the Indians, hunting, etc., until the spring of 1874, when he went to the Assinniboine country, riding the cattle range. The ensuing winter he devoted to hunting and prospecting in the Belt mountains, and for two more years he was engaged in trading with the Indians and in hunting in that section of the state.

From 1882 until 1883 Mr. Barnes held a clerical position in Col. C. A. Broadwater's store at Fort Assinniboine, and the winter of 1883 he occupied himself in trapping, while in the spring of 1884 he started on a prospecting tour in the main range

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of the Rocky mountains. The next winter he came to the Sweet Grass district of Choteau county, where the next spring he took up a homestead claim. To this he has since added by taking up claims and by purchase of school lands until he has a fine ranch property comprising nearly 1,000 acres, and here he has since been successfully en- gaged in the raising of cattle, while he secures a large amount of hay each year. His ranch is located near the village of Gold Butte, which is his postoffice address. In politics Mr. Barnes gives an earnest support to the Republican party. In 1887, at Lethbridge, N. T., Mr. Barnes was united in marriage to Miss Belle Quort, who was born at Winnipeg in 1860, and they have six children, June, Josie, Wayne, May, Ruth and Grace.

DETER V. JACKSON .- Seminaries, colleges and universities may do much for a man in preparing him for the battle of life, but after all the best of what we learn is what our own experi- ence teaches. They are doubly prepared, however, who have the benefit of both lines of schooling, as is the case with Peter V. Jackson, of Sterling, the subject of this review. He was born on October 8, 1844, at Rochester, N. Y., the son of Joel and Julia A. (Southworth) Jackson. Both Joel Jack- son and Julia A. Southworth were born, reared and thoroughly educated in Dutchess county, N. Y., in the healthful atmosphere of Quaker homes with its elevating influences which gave stability and in- tegrity to their originally noble characters. Here they were married and thence they removed to Monroe county, N. Y., where, close to the beautiful city of Rochester, was made their permanent home. Mr. Jackson from the force of his character attained and held a high place, not only in the Friends Society, but in the public and commercial circles of Rochester for long years. He descended from the strong Scotch-Irish ancestor who came to Massachusetts colony in very early days from the north of Ireland, with reminiscences of the Prince of Orange and of Londonderry clinging to him, and whose virile blood flowed strongly through the veins of his New York descendants. His wife de- scended from the early Pilgrim settlers, an an- cestor being among the 102 passengers that landed from the Mayflower on Plymouth Rock in 1620. With such parents we must look for more than ordinary strength of character in their children.

Their son, Peter V., was reared and educated in his native city, graduating from Rochester Univer- sity in 1866. Soon after his graduation Mr. Jackson accepted a position as accountant and hookkeeper for the Midas Mining Company, and came to his field of labor by the Missouri river in the spring of 1867. When the company suspended operations in 1869 he was left in charge of the works, and becoming part owner of the property, continued in charge until 1871, when he became assistant superintendent for the Columbia Mining Company at Unionville for one season, retaining his interest in the Midas company. After that he was en- gaged in assaying and dealing in gold and silver bullion at Sterling for nearly ten years. Mr. Jack- son was married in June, 1875, to Miss Henrietta Fletcher, a native of Allegany county, N. Y., whose ancestors were of Scotch and English descent, and all noted for uprightness of life and strong relig- ious convictions. Of the eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson four are living : M. W. and Emily M., students at the Wesleyan University in Helena, and John T. and Peter V., Jr.

In 1877 Mr. Jackson began operations in ranch- ing and stockraising. He has several thousand acres of land, much of which is very productive and yields abundant crops of grain and hay. He gives his attention especially to Norman horses and short- horn cattle, of which he always has several hundred on the ranch. He is a large owner of mineral lands among them being the Galena mine at Sterling and the Boaz at Red Bluff. It is a part of his plan of operation to give worthy men an opportunity to work for themselves on his properties, and in this way he helps many to a good living and comfort- able homes. He has been successful in his ventures, and, having great sympathy for others less for- tunate, is willing to aid them. He is a progressive and enterprising citizen, an active and influential force in church and temperance work, an inspira- tion to his social circle, and a hospitable and en- tertaining host at his charming home in Sterling.

A RTHUR BARNEY .- This progressive and en- terprising citizen of Carbon county, Mont., who is an ornament and of great service to his section of the state, was born at Fort Bridger, in what is now Wyoming, on September 3, 1852, the son of Lewis and Elizabeth (Beard) Barney, natives respectively of New York and Virginia. His

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paternal grandfather was Charles Barney. In July, 1847, Lewis Barney crossed the plains with the first party of Mormons, and was one of the founders of Salt Lake City, Utah. He returned to his former home in the fall, remained five years and then went back to Salt Lake, taking his family and while en route the son Arthur was born. The father did not long remain in any place, but kept on the frontier, following it as it moved west- ward, and conducting lumbering, sawmilling and farming. He took part in the Black Hawk war, and was injured in the service, for which his widow draws a pension. She is living with her son at the age of seventy-one. Her husband died No- vember 5, 1894, aged eighty-six. They were the parents of nine children.

Arthur Barney remained with his parents until 1880, and then started to make his own living, beginning in Utah. In 1889 he went to Wyoming, and, passing four years in that state, came to Mon- tana in 1894, locating on the land now occupied by the town of Bridger. Owing to the difficulty of getting water for irrigation this was of little value for farming purposes, and Mr. Barney en- gaged in freighting with good success. In 1900 he sold the property to the Bridger Coal Company, and bought the ranch where he now lives, and where he follows farming and stockraising with profit and advantage. He was married on May 12, 1880, to Miss Mary H. Strong, of Utah, a daughter of Hiram Strong, a native of Iowa, who removed to Utah many years ago. They have five living children, Rowena, Matilda, Malinda, Herbert and Leslie. Two sons, Arthur Owen and Chauncey Harold, are deceased. Mr. Barney is arranging for the introduction of water on his place, and contemplates going into the cattle business and making a specialty of it.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 123

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago Publication date: [19-?] Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1092