Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 142

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 142

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On June 7, 1886, Mr. Menard was united in marriage to Miss Philomene Rouleau, who was born in 1864 in St. Norbert d'Athabasca, Canada, being the daughter of Moses and Vitaline Rouleau, both of French extraction, the father being a suc- cessful farmer until his death, which occurred in 1866, his widow surviving until 1889. Both were consistent members of the Catholic church. Mr. and Mrs. Menard have two sons and one daughter : Raoul I., born in Helena, Mont., January 5, 1890; J. Melvin Brondel, born in Helena, Mont., April 18, 1897, and Marie S., born in Mitchell, Mont., May 23, 1899.

D AVID L. MILNE .- The Milne family, of which David M. is a member, has been domes- ticated at Montrose, Forfarshire, Scotland, for many generations, and there he was born on June 5, 1842. His parents, Andrew and Betsey (Brown) Milne, are still living there profitably engaged in farming. In 1854, when he was but twelve years old, he went to New Zealand, where he passed eleven years in successful mining and farming. In 1866 he came to America and for three years was engaged in farming. He then came to Montana, and starting from Red Bluff, he drove a band of sheep to Helena and wintered them near the town, as prices were too low for profitable sale. In the spring he drove the sheep down the Yellowstone, intending to take them to the Black Hills, but on account of danger from the Indians, he wintered

them near Fort Keogh. During the winter a large number were butchered for the soldiers at the fort and others, and in the spring the rest were sold to the pay-master, A. W. Miles. Mr. Milne remained for a year in that vicinity hunting and also put- ting up hay which he sold to the government. He then went to White Sulphur Springs and had charge of a band of sheep for William Ford, which later he brought to the Musselshell and fed for three years, taking up a ranch for the purpose where the Crawford brothers are now located. At the end of the three years the sheep were divided and Mr. Milne sold the ranch and brought his por- tion of the sheep to his present location, seven miles south of Musselshell. Here he has a home- stead, partially irrigated, and improved with a good residence and other buildings in keeping, and with pleasant surroundings, and here he has some 8,000 sheep and also a number of superior cattle. He was married on January 10, 1896, to Miss Mary Beause, a native of Minnesota. He is an energetic man and highly respected.

G EORGE METCALF .- Scarcely any office in the gift of the people has more important or more delicate functions for its incumbent to per- form than that of the sheriff of a county. He is not only the guardian of the peace, the promoter of good order and the custodian of persons and property, but is the executive to carry out the man- dates of the court and has himself a quasi-judical power. It is a fortunate circumstance, therefore, that political parties usually exercise care in the selection of their candidates for this position. This was particularly so in the case of Sheriff Metcalf, of Granite county, who has shown a decided capa- bility for the discharge of his duties in a vigorous and masterly manner. Mr. Metcalf was born at Brigham City, Utah, March 4, 1857. His parents, Anthony and Mary (Rader) Metcalf, were na- tives of England who came to America in 1851. They were the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom George was the sec- ond. He attended the public schools until he was fourteen years old, in Cash valley, Utah, and then worked about mining camps for a year and a half. At the end of that time he removed to southeastern Idaho, and drove teams freighting between points in Idaho and Montana, having charge of ten yokes of cattle and three wagons. In 1876 he started

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freighting business of his own at Virginia City, and continued it until 1880. He then went back to Idaho and freighted between Wood river and Challis for two years, when he returned to Mon- tana and located at Marysville. From there he moved to Anaconda and went to work for the Anaconda company, hauling wood and working on the power plant. In 1888 he took a contract on the construction of the Butte & Gallatin Railroad, returned to Anaconda in 1891, and in the latter part of that year removed to Philipsburg and put in a branch railroad from the depot to the bi-metallic mills. Afterward he worked at hauling for the same company until 1893, and since then has been ranching. He now owns a ranch seven miles out of the town, stocked with horses and cattle. He has been school trustee for seven years, and in 1898 was elected sheriff of the county on the Silver Republican ticket, and re-elected in 1900 on the Fusion ticket. Mr. Metcalf was married Septem- ber 18, 1880, at Malad City, Idaho, to Miss Sarah Richards. They have six children, three sons and three daughters. The children are George Leo, William E., Margaret, Mollie, Cleveland and Rob- ert ; another son, Charles, is deceased. The family is an interesting one, and a source of great pleasure to the parents and their circle of devoted friends, which is very large.

M RS. MARY MILLER .- It is not given to every woman to become prominent in business in the same lines and in direct competition with the masculine element of society, but it is noticeable that in many cases when they do so compete their success is as pronounced as it is meritorious and deserved. A striking illustration of this fact is presented in the career of Mrs. Mary Miller of Butte. She was born in Darke county, Ohio, on July 8, 1850, a daughter of Joseph and Jennie (Tarnice) Smith, who came from France to the United States on their wedding tour in 1834. Her father was, by trade, a stone and brickmason and carried on contracting extensively in connection with farming until he passed from earth in Ohio in 1853. Her mother survived him until 1859.

Mrs. Miller attended the public schools of Ohio, but at the age of twelve began to make her own living, engaging in housework and making her home with one family for twenty years, within which period she was married to Ford Hunt, of

Piqua, Ohio. Eighteen months afterwards Mr. Hunt died, leaving one child, Grace, now Mrs. Harry Kurtz, now of Akron, Ohio. They have two children, a girl and a boy. Mrs. Miller con- tinued to reside with the family of a Mr. Scudder until she married Henry Miller, on September 2, 1882, in Chicago, and made that city her home until the fall of 1884, when she came to Montana, where Mr. Miller followed his trade as a barber. In 1887 he went to San Francisco, Cal., where he engaged in the wholesale liquor business, then lived in Vir- ginia City, Nev., for one year, and eventually re- moving to Denver, Colo., he resumed the tonsorial business. Mrs. Miller then removed to Butte, where she was first employed in a hotel and sub- sequently filled various positions of responsibility, residing in one family for nine years. In 1898 she built the handsome Miller block, at 551 South Main street, which she at present occupies. Fraternally she is a charter member of the Butte division of the Daughters of America. She is a lady of superior intelligence and possesses business capacity of a high order.

G EORGE F. MILLER has been identified with the farming and stockgrowing industries of Montana for a full score of years, and by his well- directed enterprise has attained success, while his sterling character has gained for him public esteem and confidence. He has an excellent ranch in Teton county, located four miles northwest of Belleview, his postoffice address. Mr. Miller was born on April 29, 1858, on Prince Edward Island, Lower Canada. His father, George Miller, who was also a native of the Dominion of Canada, was born in 1822 and where he was engaged in agricul- tural pursuits until his death in 1869. The maiden name of his wife was Jane Farquharson; she was born in Canada in 1832, and always lived in the dominion, her death occurring in 1881.

George F. Miller received his education in the public schools of his native island, but abandoned his studies at the age of thirteen years to assist in the work of the parental homestead, where he re- mained until he had attained the age of twenty years. He was thereafter engaged on various coasting vessels plying between Halifax and St. John and other ports, and in 1881 he came to Montana, and took up by pre-emption a claim of government land located on Willow creek, sold it to George I. Smith in 1884, then took up a home-

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stead claim on the north fork of Willow creek, and to this he has added acreage until the area of his ranch now aggregates 2,000 acres. The place is well improved, having good buildings and fences and indicating discriminating care bestowed by an enterprising owner. The ranch is well stocked with horses and cattle and considerable quantities of hay are raised. In his political proclivities Mr. Miller is a stanch Republican, while in matters of local concern he maintains a public-spirited atti- tude. In the village of Choteau, in 1885, Mr. Mil- ler wedded Miss Ella Cox, who was born in White- side county, Ill., in 1867, the daughter of John Cox, a prominent and influential farmer of that county. Of this union five children have been born, Robert, Fred, Harry, Carrie and Ida.

ĮJON. SAMUEL MITCHELL .- As a member of the state senate from Teton county, as one who has been prominently concerned in the public life and the industrial activities of the state, and as worthy of all honor as one of the pioneers of Mon- tana, Mr. Mitchell deserves particular mention in a volume of this character. He was born near the city of Coleraine, in County Derry, Ireland, on July 10, 1842, the son of John and Martha Jane (Lammond) Mitchell, who were also natives of that county. The father passed his life as a linen manu- facturer, dying in his native county. The mother came to the United States with her sons in 1852, and her death occurred in Philadelphia in 1894. Samuel Mitchell was but ten years of age when he accompanied his mother to the United States. He thereafter attended the public schools of Phila- delphia and in that city prepared himself for · industrial usefulness by learning marble cutting, to which he devoted his attention until the first call for volunteers for defense of the Union in 1861, when he enlisted in Capt. Beck's company of the regiment commanded by Col. Small, and proceeded from Philadelphia to Baltimore with the Sixth Massachusetts, en route to Washington.

Mr. Mitchell was not as yet provided with arms, and in the riots in Baltimore he received a severe cut on the head. The regiment was soon returned to Philadelphia, as its members had never been mustered into the United States service, and before its services were in demand Mr. Mitchell had en- listed in the navy as assistant engineer of the Union, the vessel being assigned to the work of car-

rying supplies to blockading fleets. The ship sprung a leak at sea, but Mr. Mitchell and the caulker of the ship succeeded in stopping the leak before appreciable damage was done. Mr. Mitchell was later assigned to the construction department of the Philadelphia navy yard, where he worked on the Hartford, the Kansas, the Pocahontas, the Arkansas and many now historic vessels of the Federal navy, also doing work on the new Iron- sides. He was thus employed until 1863, when he was transferred to the navy yard at Mare Island, Cal. He soon thereafter tendered his resignation from the service and in company with his two brothers, who were also in California, he started for the Boise basin of Idaho, where they arrived in the fall of 1863. They remained in Idaho until the spring of 1865, then went to Oregon and out- fitted for Montana, coming overland with horses from The Dalles, Ore., to Boise, Idaho, where they sold their horses, and thence came by stage to Vir- ginia City, where they arrived in April, having been sixteen days and nights on the road.

Mr. Mitchell engaged in mining, first in Alder gulch and next in Confederate gulch, where lie passed the fall and winter of 1865. In the spring of 1866 he removed to Helena, and was employed in the mines for a time, and then proceeded to Washington gulch and the Blackfoot district and followed mining operations in an extended area until 1872. In that year he located near Flathead lake and engaged in the stock business for a time, but located in Missoula in 1873 and there devoted his attention to butchering and the meat business for a full decade. In 1884 Mr. Mitchell entered into partnership with Capt. Higgins, and located near Choteau county, and there engaged in the rais- ing of cattle and sheep, with which industry he has since been successfully identified. He.now owns residence property in the village of Choteau and valuable ranch property in Teton county. While he for a time brought his stock interests down to a minimum, he is again entering the field and pre- paring to conduct it on a very extensive scale. Mr. Mitchell has ever given an unwavering sup- port to the Republican party. He was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1889 as a delegate from Choteau county, and was elected a representative from that county as a member of the lower house of the First state legislature. He introduced in the house the bill for the erection of Teton county, but after passing the house, the measure was defeated in the senate. Two years

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later the same bill was introduced and was endorsed by both legislative bodies, resulting in the organiza- tion of the county. In the fall of 1897 Mr. Mitchell was elected to represent his district in the state senate, and was one of the active and valuable working members of that body, his term extending through two years. During the last legislative as- sembly he served on seven of the senate committees. Mr. Mitchell has ever maintained a lively interest in all that conserves the best interests of his county and state, and enjoys a distinctive popularity.

S P. MITCHELL .- Serving with signal ability and discrimination in the office of county com- missioner of Valley county for the past four years, and recognized as one of the representative citi- zens and successful stockgrowers of this section of the state, Mr. Mitchell was born in the town of Licking, Texas county, Mo., on October 12, 1861. His father, Spencer H. Mitchell, was born in the same state, being a representative of one of the pioneer families and he there devoted his attention to agriculture until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he espoused the Confederate cause, enlisting in a regiment of Missouri volunteers, which was as- signed to the command of Gen. Morgan. He was made lieutenant of his company and remained in service until attacked by fever, which resulted in his death, at Little Rock, Ark., in 1863. His wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Bradford, was likewise born in Missouri, where she still retains hier residence at Licking, having attained the age of nearly three score years and ten.

S. P. Mitchell attended the public schools until he had attained the age of seventeen years, and in February, 1881, went to Colorado City, Texas, and was employed on stock ranges until 1885, when he came to Glendive, Mont., and for five years was employed on the stock ranch of Colonel Hodson. In 1890 Mr. Mitchell became associated with the late C. W. Hedderich, who was engaged in the mercantile and stock business at Fort Buford, N. D., just over the line from Valley county. Mr. Hedderich died in 1894, but Mr. Mitchell has since been associated with the successors of his honored employer, and is foreman of the stock business of the firm of Hedderich Brothers, who have ex- tensive livestock enterprises in Montana and North Dakota. In 1891 Mr. Mitchell took up a ranch on Shotgun creek, Valley county, about fifteen

miles east of the town of Culbertson, and here he has since conducted a very successful individual enterprise in the raising of cattle and horses, having a well improved ranch, eligibly located. The creek which traverses his ranch was named by him from his having found a shotgun stuck in the muddy bed of the stream. In politics Mr. Mitchell gives an un- qualified allegiance to the Democratic party, and he has been an active worker in its cause in this section of the state. In the fall of 1898 he was elected a member of the board of commissioners of Valley county, for a term of four years. In this capacity, which has so much to do with the conservation of the progress and material prosperity of the county, his labors were signally well directed, gaining him the endorsement of all classes of citizens and the reputation of being a thoroughly able and honor- able official. Fraternally Mr. Mitchell is identi- fied with the time honored order of Freemasonry, being a member of Glasgow Lodge No. 46, A. F. & A. M. On November 2, 1892, at Culbertson, Mr. Mitchell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Hurley, who was born at Prairie du Chien, Wis., ‘ on October 26, 1875. Mrs. Mitchell was called from earth on January 4, 1900, at Culbertson, being deeply mourned by a large circle of friends whoni she had drawn to her by her gentle and womanly character. She left three children : Maggie, Spen- cer and William.

J ACK MILLER, recognized throughout Teton county as one of the leading stockraisers in the vicinity of the Blackfoot reservation, was born at Fort Burned, Mont., twelve miles below Fort Ben- ton, in 1846. His father, Jacob Miller, was a Bavarian, who for many years was connected with the Northwestern Fur Company at Fort Benton. His mother, Mary Miller, was a full blooded Piegan and reared with that tribe; and her Indian name was Bouch-so-toe. She is yet living at the ad- vanced age of ninety years. Jack Miller, thus hav- ing Indian blood in his veins, speaks fluently many Indian dialects, and his life has been a succession of sensational episodes and adventures. The earl- ier days of his manhood were passed with Fort Benton for headquarters, and he engaged in various pursuits, of which freighting was promi- ment, his route being for several years between Fort Benton and Choteau. Mr. Miller relates a number of exciting experiences in those days with

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Indians, whose chief occupation then appears to have been the committing of all kinds of lawless- ness and depredations among the industrious set- tlers. One of his fortunate escapes occurred in April, 1885, when he suddenly came upon the camp of twenty-five Crees, who were trying to run off forty head of stolen horses. Mr. Miller was going from Fort Benton to Kipp's trading post at Fort Conrad with a load of freight. All of the savages but two were away from the camp, but these two, thinking to guard the stolen property, opened fire on Mr. Miller and killed his horse. Before they could reload, however, he killed them both, and the horses were later recovered by their owners. In 1888 Jack and his family took up Indian allotment claims, comprising 320 acres, lying on the Cut Bank river, six miles from Blackfoot station on the Great Northern Railway, which is now handsomely improved and provided with proper conveniences for the successful prosecution of the stock busi- ness, and his herd numbers between 400 and 500 head of cattle. Mr. Miller was married at Choteau on January 2, 1873, to Tanataki (Pretty Woman). They have an adopted daughter, Rosa, now Mrs. William Sharp. Millie, their own daughter, died at Choteau in 1878. Although Mr. Miller never had the advantages of schools, he has acquired a fair business education and is known to the community as a shrewd, intelligent man of up- right character.

A UGUSTUS MOMBERG, one of the leading stock ranchers of Teton county, and now resid- ing near Browning, was born in Pettis county, Mo., on November 7, 1859. His father, Louis Mom- berg, was born in Germany on October 3, 1815, and immigrated to the United States in 1836, on at- taining his majority, and died at Kansas City, Mo., on August 27, 1900. The mother was before her marriage Annie Gitz, a native of Germany, who came to this country and was married with her husband at St. Louis, Mo. She died at Wyandotte, Kan., in 1876. Augustus Momberg was educated in the public schools of Wyandotte, and began a course of instruction at Kansas City, but when twenty years of age, in 1880, he came to Helena, Mont., where he was employed in various pur- suits. In the spring of 1883 he removed to Cho- teau, where he conducted both a meat and a livery business until 1896. He then took up two Indian

allotment claims, comprising 720 acres of land, on Cut Bank river in the Blackfoot reservation, and here he has since devoted his time to profitable farming and stockraising. His land is very pro- ductive and is worked to its full capacity. Mr. Momberg is an industrious, energetic man of in- telligence and good judgment. Politically he is in sympathy with the principles of the Republican party, and fraternally is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mr. Momberg secured as his life's partner Miss Julia Smith, of Choteau, where their marriage oc- curred. They have three children, Louis Jacob and Bessie and Maud, who are twins.

G EO. S. MENDENHALL .- A prosperous and enterprising merchant, ranchman and hotel keeper, who has shown business capacity in several lines of activity, and has won a place in the regard of the people as an influential and representative citizen of Rosebud county, George S. Mendenhall, of Rosebud, presents in his career a theme replete with interest. He is a native of Palmyra, Mo., where he was born on March 7, 1859. His parents were Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth (Schweetz) Mendenhall, the former born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1821, and the latter in Delaware in 1826. They emigrated to Palmyra, Mo., in 1856, and for thir- ty-seven years thereafter the father practiced med- cine at that place, at Monroe, Mo., and in Chicago, Ill. He is now living retired at Monroe, Mo., where his wife died in 1881. Their son, George Mendenhall, was educated at Monroe (Mo.) Acade- my and St. Paul's College at Palmyra. In 1878 he removed to Leadville, Colo., where he passed three years prospecting and mining. In March, 1885, he came to Montana, and took up a squatter's claim in the Rosebud valley, on what became the Chey- enne reservation, and was there engaged in raising cattle until 1893. He then sold this property and after visiting in Missouri for a few months re- turned to Montana, and opened a general store in the town of Rosebud. In 1894 he admitted C. F. Rothwell as a partner, and they conducted business until a fire destroyed the property in the summer of 1896. For the rest of the year Mr. Mendenhall was in business alone, and the enterprise was then merged in the Rosebud Supply Company, which was owned by him and John McRae. Later the

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firm name was changed to the Forsyth Mercantile Company, with one store at Forsyth and another at Rosebud, known as the McRae Supply Com- pany. Of these Mr. Mendenhall acted as manager until August 13, 1900, when he retired from mer- cantile life, and on October 10, 1901, opened the Cottage Hotel at Rosebud. Mr. Mendenhall is an active Democrat, and fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias lodge at Forsyth and that of the Modern Woodmen at Rosebud. He was married at Forsyth in 1895 to Miss Pearl Choisser, a daughter of William Choisser, a promi- nent stockman on the Rosebud. She was born in 1875 at Eldorado, Ill. They have three children, Mary Elizabeth, five years ; Ernest C., four years, and Flora, eight months old.

A BRAM N. MITTOWER .- Recognized as one of the public-spirited and thoroughly repre- sentative men of the Bitter Root valley, where he has a fine ranch property and other business inter- ests of importance, Mr. Mittower is a native of the old Empire state, and was born in Dresden, Yates county, N. Y., on September 16, 1850, the second of the seven children of Martin and Susan (Nor- man) Mittower, both of whom were born in New York state, where the families were pioneers. Abram N. Mittower was reared under the sturdy and invigorating influences of the old homestead farm, and pursued his studies in the public schools until he was eighteen. Thereafter he assisted in the management of the old homestead until he was twenty-six years old, when he removed to Illinois, where he engaged in agriculture until 1880. He then determined to cast in his lot with Mon- tana, and upon his arrival he came to the Bitter Root valley, and here he has ever since held prestige as one of the representative farmers and stock- growers of this signally favored section, while he has accumulated landed interests of marked value. He located four miles north of the present little city of Victor, and this has ever since been the homestead ranch. He has made the best of im- provements, including a commodious residence of modern architectural design, and it is conceded by all who have visited this valley that a more beautiful or more prolific agricultural section can scarcely be found in any division of the entire Union. Five miles south of Victor Mr. Mittower has another excellently improved ranch, and four

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 142

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