Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 133

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 133

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Mr. Higgins was soon after commissioned by the United States government as captain of the military force and ordered to subdue the Indians, and continued in that service until 1856, after which he was assigned to the quartermaster de- partment until 1860, having in the meantime served two years in Walla Walla as agent for the govern- ment. In 1860 he bought Mr. Isaac's interest in the firm of Worden & Isaacs at Walla Walla, and shortly after, packing seventy-five animals with merchandise, came into the Hell Gate canyon, and engaged in business. In 1865 he located the town- site of Missoula, and removing his business thither continued in company with Mr. Worden until the death of the latter, and he continued to retain an interest in the business established by them until his death, which occurred on October 14, 1889. In 1865 they erected a lumbermill and a flouringmill at Missoula, and, in 1870, erected the old Higgins- Worden block. In 1870 he engaged in the banking business that has since been merged with the First National Bank, of which Capt. Higgins was presi- dent for many years. He was for a long time en- gaged in the raising of horses and cattle, and in 1883 bought the stock owned by Buck, Myers & Co., of Choteau county.

Capt. Higgins owned good real estate in Port- land and Seattle, several valuable farms in the vicin- ity of Missoula and also eligible property in that city and was largely connected with mining in- terests. In 1889, just prior to his death, he erected the Higgins block, one of the best business struct- ures in Missoula, and had consummated all ar- rangements for the opening of a new bank when death's inexorable summons put an end to his earthly labors. He was a man of broad business capacity and indefatigable energy. His judgment was mature and his counsel was often sought by the people, whose confidence in the man and in his admonition was unlimited. In politics Capt. Hig- gins was a Democrat, and he rendered efficient ser- vice in a number of county offices. He was reared in the Catholic church, and ever maintained a high regard and reverence for the essential ethics repre- sented by the Christian religion, but was tolerant in his judgment of his fellowmen and charitable in his religious views. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, with which he became identified in his later years. His death was a great loss to Missoula, whose people felt a personal bereave- ment when he was summoned into eternal rest, after a life of signal usefulness and honor. On March 30, 1863, Capt. Higgins was united in mar- riage to Miss Julia P. Grant, who was born at Fort Hall, Idaho, in 1843, the daughter of Richard and Helen (McDonald) Grant, of whom the former was born in Canada and the latter in Oregon. Richard Grant was an employe of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Hall at the time of Mrs. Hig- gin's birth. He had many perilous and exciting encounters with the Indians, was one of the earliest of the western pioneers and his death occurred at Walla Walla in 1862. Captain and Mrs. Higgins became the parents of nine children, of whom six are now living, as is also the widow of our honored subject. She still maintains her home in Missoula, hallowed by the associations and memories of the past. The living children are: Frank G., lieuten- ant governor of Montana; George C., Arthur E., Hilda, Ronald and Gerald.

J B. BOOTH .- On the Big Muddy creek, in Valley county, is located the well improved and ably conducted stock ranch of Mr. Booth, who has here carried on a successful business for the past decade. He is progressive in his methods, and his course has ever been such as to retain to him the

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esteem and confidence of those with whom he has been thrown in contact. He is a native of Michi- gan, born in Plymouth, Wayne county, on April 26, 1854. His father, George W. Booth, was born in New York, and, a farmer by vocation, he lived successively in New York, Michigan, Illinois, Min- nesota and Iowa, his death occurring at Osceola, Iowa, in 1889. His wife, formerly Helen Britton, was likewise born in New York, and she now maintains her home at Prescott, Iowa. To the pub- lic schools of Michigan and Minnesota Mr. Booth is indebted for his early education, and after leaving school he assisted his father in his farming occu- pations until in 1873 he came to the northwest, working in Washington territory, on the construc- tion of the Northern Pacific Railroad for three years, and thereafter being identified with the train service of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In 1879 Mr. Booth located in Minne- sota, where he entered the employ of R. L. Frazier as a shipping clerk. In 1881 Mr. Booth came to Miles City, Montana, and for three years devoted much of his time to the hunting of buffalo. From 1884 until 1886 he was employed on the Canadian Pacific Railroad, in British Columbia, and, in the winter of 1886-87, he worked on the construction of the Cascade tunnel on the Northern Pacific. In the spring he went to Williston, N. D., where he ran a stock farm until 1891, and then located on his present ranch, and here he has since been suc- cessfuly engaged in the raising of sheep, cattle and horses. In politics he gives allegiance to the Re- publican party and through his well directed en- terprises he is contributing to the material progress and prosperity of the state.

JAMES HELMER .- From his boyhood depend- ent upon his own resources, and coming to the northwest when a mere lad, and in an early day, Mr. Helmer has had many interesting experiences and has a fund of attractive reminiscences of life on the frontier. He is well known in the northern part of the state and in the Dakotas to his hosts of good friends as "Montana Jim." He is now one of the sucecssful stockgrowers of Valley county, where he has a fine ranch property and is held in esteem. He was born in Clinton county, Iowa, on March I, 1850, and his schooling was limited to a few years' attendance in the schools of Rochester, Minn. He early began the practical duties of life by

working diligently at such labor as he was able to perform and ever afterward standing ready to turn his hand to an honest occupation. When still a boy Mr. Helmer was found at work chopping and hauling wood in the Dakotas at Abercrombie and Fort Ransom, N. D., and working at other occupations opportunity presented. In 1870 he con- ducted a woodyard at Lincoln, N. D., and in 1871 came to Helena, Mont., and thence to Salt Lake City, Utah, still working at whatever occupation offered. In the spring of 1873 he returned to Fort Ransom, N. D., and there remained until the spring of the following year, when he came to Fort Carroll, Mont., where he entered the employ of the Diamond R. Company for two years. In 1876 he was pros- pecting and mining in the Black Hills, passing the winter at old Fort Reno with Gen. Crook, and in the spring he went to old Fort Pease on the Yellowstone river, and, within the same summer, to the cantonment on the Tongue river, where he aided in laying out the townsite of old Miles City.

From the fall of 1877 until 1883 Mr. Helmer devoted his time to hunting, and incidentally fight- ing Indians, in the section between Miles City and Saco, Mont., and in 1883 he went to Calgary, N. T., and remained until 1886, trading in stock, furs, etc. During the winter of 1886-87 he was employed in the construction of the Northern Pacific road in Washington, and in the spring came to Valley county, and engaged in stockraising on the Mis- souri river near Culbertson, continuing operations here for two years and then for two years on Redwater creek. In 1894 Mr. Helmer located on the Big Muddy creek, twelve miles north of the town of Culbertson, where he now conducts an ex- tensive and prosperous enterprise in the raising of sheep, cattle and horses. He has made the best of improvements on his place and is one of the most progressive and popular men of all of this section. In politics he gives loyal support to the Republican party, taking a deep interest in local af- fairs of public nature. At Williston, N. D., in 1889, Mr. Helmer was united in marriage to Miss Anna Manning and they have five children : Lillie, Emily, Annie, John and an infant.

CI CHARLES C. HOAGLAND .- This enterprising ranchman and fruitgrower, whose career is a credit to American citizenship and whose contri- butions to the growth and development of Mon-

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tana have been substantial and important, is the descendant of an old Holland family, long promi- nent in that country, and for generations well known and esteemed in Hunterdon county, N. J., where he was born on November 8, 1864. His parents are Howard and Catherine (Hickson) Hoagland, natives of the place where they still re- side, on the old homestead first occupied by the great-great-grandfather, who emigrated from Hol- land before the Revolution, in which he bore a conspicuous part. Mr. Hoagland passed his school days in New Jersey, and at the age of seventeen started west, and after passing three months at Cherokee, Iowa, removed to Wessington, S. D., where he remained until 1883, He then came to Montana, and, locating at Glendive, remained in that vicinity until 1888. During his residence there he frequently met Theodore Roosevelt, now presi- dent of the United States, on the range, and was well acquainted with him and liked him well as did others who knew him there. In 1888 Mr. Hoag-

land removed to Billings and engaged in freighting and teaming until 1892, when he located his present ranch six miles north of Gebo, and engaged in farming and raising stock. His land is all irrigated and has been brought to a high state of cultivation by industry and skillful farming. It yields large annual crops of grain and hay, and supports gener- ously valuable herds of cattle and horses. In the latter Normans are his favorite breed, and of them he has a number that are finely bred. He has also set out a large assortment of fruit trees and berries, and has the promise of a good productive orchard. Nothing that he takes hold of is allowed to languish for want of intelligent attention, as he is an ener- getic and wide-awake man, giving due attention to all matters affecting the general welfare of the com- munity as well as his own private business.

JOHN G. HOBBS .- The paternal grandfather of John G. Hobbs, who was the first American ancestor of the family, immigrated to this country from Cornwall, England, early in the 'forties, and settled at or near Racine, Wis., being a pioneer in that state. There he engaged in farming for a number of years, and then removed to LaCrosse, Wis., where he died. His name was Achilles Hobbs, and he was a fine type of the sturdy, self- reliant Cornishman, and made a success of every- thing he undertook. The same characteristic of

self-reliance and resolute determination distin- guished his son, John Hobbs, who came with him in childhood to the New World, and here has displayed the family traits in a career of success- ful farming in Wisconsin, remaining there until 1897, when he came to Montana and died in 1899. His wife was Mary Newcomb, a native of Penn- sylvania. John G. Hobbs passed his school days in Wisconsin, remaining on the homestead until 1883, when he came to Montana, and locating at Red Lodge, engaged in raising stock, teaming and other pursuits. After eight years of success- ful operations in this locality, he leased a ranch property in the neighborhood of Joliet, on which he lived two years, and then took up his present property, three miles south of Bridger, where he has since resided and continued farming and stock- raising. His land is well adapted to the cereals and alfalfa, and produces them abundantly. It is plentifully irrigated, well cultivated and supplied with good buildings. Mr. Hobbs has not occupied it long, but it already shows the impress of his thrifty and progressive spirit, and his neat herd of Hereford cattle, although not large, is well selected and displays the judgment for which he is noted in this respect and the skill and care in breeding which he exercises. He is a representative man in his section, and both in his business and as a citizen is highly esteemed.

'HRISTIAN HOKANSON .- Born on April C 22, 1861, in Sweden, a son of Nels and Elizabeth (Swanson) Hokanson, both natives of Sweden, where the latter passed her entire life, her death occurring in 1886, Mr. Hokanson has attained a gratifying success in connection with the industrial life of Montana, and he has so or- dered his ways as to gain and retain the highest esteem of those with whom he has been thrown in contact. His father was born in 1816, and was engaged in horticulture in Sweden until 1889, when he came to America and has since made his home with his sons in Adams county, Iowa, hav- ing attained a venerable age, receiving a true filial solicitude. Christian Hokanson attended the pub- lic schools of Sweden in his youth and there also completed a course of study in a business college in the ancient city of Lund, in the laen of Malmo. After leaving school he served for nine months as a cadet in the Swedish navy, and in 1883 he

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determined to seek his fortunes in America, and, after arriving in the port of New York, he came to Iowa, where he remained one year, and then made his way to San Francisco, Cal., where he held clerkships in the Rush House and Palace Hotel, continuing his residence in the California metropolis for five years and there gaining a wide circle of friends. In 1889 Mr. Hokanson came to Montana and accepted the position of clerk in the International hotel at Helena, where he remained one year, after which he was iden- tified with the hotel business at White Sulphur Springs and also with the ranching industry.

In the spring of 1892 Mr. Hokanson came to Choteau county and located upon his present ranch, taking up homestead and desert claims and now having a fine property with an aggregate area of 640 acres. The ranch is eligibly and pic- turesquely located in the Bear Paw mountains and traversed by Birch creek. It is thirty-five miles distant from Big Sandy station, on the line of the Great Northern Railroad. Here Mr. Hokanson is very successfully engaged in the raising of sheep, running at the present time an average of 4,000 head, while he also secures large yields of hay. He is alert and enterprising and his prosperity is certain to be cumulative. In pol- itics he is one of the wheelhorses of the Republi- can party in Choteau county, an active worker in its cause and being a member of the Choteau county central committee of the party. He main- tains a lively interest in public affairs of a local nature, and is ever ready to lend his influence and aid in the support of worthy projects.

On January 16, 1888, at White Sulphur Springs, Mr. Hokanson was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Osterman, who was born in Germany, on June 6, 1870, and to them four children have been born, Agnes Elizabeth, Nels Hendrick, Ruth Katharina and Emma Matilda.

D ENNIS HOLLAND .- As a notable type of the selfmade men of Montana Mr. Holland is conspicuous, as by his unaided efforts he has conquered adversity and lived to achieve a com- petence. At present he resides on his extensive ranch in Teton county, near Bynum, and is prof- itably engaged in the cattle business. He was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1852. His father, Dennis, and his mother, Nora (Leary) Hol-

land, were natives of Ireland, where they died sev- eral years ago. Dennis Holland never received the advantages of a school education. He came to the United States when he was seventeen years old, and for four years was employed in the cop- per mines of Michigan. With him the attractions of the west proved strong and in 1877 he came to the territory of Montana, locating first at Marys- ville, where he continued prospecting and mining for eight years. While he acquired a number of promising placer claims, they hardly fulfilled his expectations, and in 1885 he abandoned the busi- ness and secured a ranch of 320 acres at Black Leaf, twenty miles from Choteau, Teton county. Subsequently he added to this property 120 acres, 480 all told, and upon this farm he has since been unqualifiedly successful in cattlegrowing ; and politically he is a Democrat.

D AVID W. HENNESSY .- Born in Boston, Mass., on October 31, 1837, the younger of the two sons of William and Nora (Mellan) Hen- nessy, who were Irish by nativity, coming to America in their early married life. After wandering through many sections of this country and Canada, and following many callings and occupatons, David W. Hennessy, their son, has seen plenty of variety in his life, and has had experience covering a wide range. In his childhood the family removed to La Salle county, Ill., and settled on a farm near Peru, where David attended the public schools until he was twelve years old, and then worked with his father on the farm for three years. At the age of fifteen he boldly took up the battle of life for himself, and went to California, working at any- thing which he could get to do and in many places for six years. In 1858 he went to the Fraser river of British Columbia, where he worked at placer mining for a year. He then went from camp to camp in Nevada, prospecting and doing other work until he made a visit to his old home in Illinois. Six months later he returned to Colorado, and spent the next two years mining in different parts of the state. In 1862 he came to Montana and worked in many mining camps, among them Alder gulch, Bannack, Helena, Blackfoot, Lincoln gulch and Bear gulch, settling permanently in Hender- son gulch in 1866. He has a pleasant home on a fine ranch, well improved and stocked with superior cattle and horses. During his residence here he

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has been variously occupied, at times in freighting, butchering, merchandising and also in mining; and through all has succeeded, but in different degrees, accumulating an estate of considerable value and also winning the confidence, esteem and cordial re- gard of his fellow men, to whom he has rendered good service in a number of official stations. He was a justice of the peace when his present lo- cality was a part of Deer Lodge county, and prior to that time was constable. He is now one of the commissioners of Granite county, and is discharging the duties of the trying office with satisfaction to all classes. He has been, in times past, a member of several fraternal orders, but is not now affiliated with any. In religious faith he is connected with the Catholic church. Mr. Hennessy was married January 1, 1871, to Mrs. Mary Clancy, of Deer Lodge. She had two children by her previous mar- riage and she has borne three to Mr. Hennessy, Mary J., Margaret F. and Thomas J.

JOHN M. HOLT .- As one of the represent- atives of the great cattle industry in Mon- tana and as a man who has achieved a worthy success and holds the confidence and esteem of the public we present a brief review of his career in connection with many others of the progres- sive citizens of Custer county, where he has re- sided for a score of years. Mr. Holt claims Mis- souri as his birthplace, as he was born in Andrew county in 1848, fourth of the seven children of Benjamin R. and Sarah (King) Holt, the former of whom was born in North Carolina, whence he emigrated to Missouri about 1830, becoming a pioneer farmer of that state, where he passed the residue of his life ; his wife, who likewise died in Missouri, was born in Tennessee. In the pub- lic schools John M. Holt received his early edu- cation, and continued his studies in Westminster College, at Fulton, Mo. After leaving college, prior to the completion of the full course, he iden- tified himself with the cattle business and was thus engaged until the spring of 1865, when he turned his attention to freighting from Nebraska City, Neb., and St. Joseph, Mo., to Denver. He had his full quota of experiences with the wily Indians, who were a constant menace. In December, 1865, Mr. Holt returned to Missouri, and in 1866-67 was again a student in Westminster College.

In 1868 he again became concerned in farm-

ing and stockgrowing in Missouri, where he oper- ated until 1880, when he came to Montana and located in Custer county, bringing cattle through from Madison county, and he has since continued operations on a large scale, with extensive hold- ings of fine grazing land and raising cattle of a high grade. His ranches are eligibly located on the Powder river and he has a cattle feeding farm near Omaha. He is one of the most dis- criminating and progressive stockmen of the state, and for three years held the presidency of the Mon- tana Stockgrowers' Association, and he is now vice president of the National Livestock Associa- tion. The family home is in Miles City, and here Mr. Holt is on the directorate of the First Na- tional Bank, in which he is a large stockholder. In politics he has ever given support to the Demo- cratic party, and he was a member of the Four- teenth and Fifteenth general assemblies of the territorial legislature as a representative of Custer county. Fraternally he is identified with the lodge and chapter of the Masonic order at Miles City and the commandery of its Knights Templar at Glendive, while he also holds membership in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Miles City Club. In Missouri he was a member of the state militia and in 1864 was in the Union service for six months. Mr. Holt was united in marriage to Miss Rachel Stephenson, also born in Missouri, and they have one child, Edward B., born in 1876, who has received the best of edu- cational advantages afforded by the military acad- emy at Faribault, Minn., and the celebrated Uni- versity of Chicago. He now renders his father able assistance in his stockgrowing and financial interests, being a young man of fine character and distinctive ability.

H ENRY F. HOLMES, of Great Falls, Mont., was born at Jordan, Minn., on December 17, 1858. He attended the public schools of his native town until he was thirteen years of age, when he was employed by Foss & Wells in their flouring mills for four years. He then went to Baraboo, Wis., where he remained until 1883, then returning to his native town he devoted himself to the draying and delivery business for about two years. In March, 1888, he came to Great Falls, Mont., which has since been his home, and where he has been very active and successful in

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various business enterprises. He was connected for some time with J. H. McKnight, of Fort Shaw and Great Falls. In 1890 he started in the draying business in that city, and in 1898 organ- ized and became vice-president and manager of the Great Falls Transfer & Ice Company.

In 1883 Mr. Holmes was married at Baraboo, Wis., to Miss Katie Kramer, who was born at Waukesha, Wis., in 1858, and died at Great Falls in August, 1901. They had one child, George, who passed away at Baraboo, Wis., in 1886. Mr. Holmes is of American parentage, his father, Will- iam Holmes, being born in Vermont in the his- toric year of 1812, while his mother, Susan (Shook) Holmes, was born at Henrytown, Ill., in 1832. The father departed this life at Jordan, Minn., in 1872, where the mother still resides. Mr. Holmes is an active Republican and was elected alderman of the Third ward in Great Falls in 1892 and is also a member of the Rainbow Lodge of Odd Fellows. He has the reputation of being a thoughtful, upright and respected citizen.

W ILLIAM N. HUNTER .- A progressive and representative citizen of Carbon county, Mont., enjoying in a marked degree the respect and esteem of all classes of her people, and a busi- ness prosperity which he has built up by his own energies and capacities, Mr. Hunter is an example of what thrift, diligence and sagacity will do for a man in this land of great opportunity. He is a native of County Huntingdon, Quebec, where he was born on December 17, 1858, a son of Alexander Hunter, a native of County Kerry, Ireland, and Eliza Ann (Nisbett) Hunter, who was born and reared in County Huntingdon, Quebec. The father emigrated from Ireland to Quebec when he was a young man, and thence to Lowell, Mass., where he remained nine years, at the end of which he returned to Quebec, where he still resides, and is engaged in farming. His family consisted of seven sons and three daughters. William N. Hunter re- mained at home until he was of age, attending the district schools in the neighborhood and working on the farm in the intervals between the sessions. When he left home in 1879, he first went to New York for eighteen months, then came to Montana arriving at Bozeman in April, 1881. There he en- gaged in ranching for four months, and then went to work for Nelson Story, with whom he passed six years, the first two in teaming, later

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 133

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