Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 145

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 145

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In politics Mr. Nix is independent, using the franchise for such men as he deemis best qualified. Fraternally he is allied with the Knights of Pythias, holding membership in Rosebud Lodge No. 44.

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He was married at Billings in 1899 to Miss Maud E. Rozelle, a native of Nebraska, where she was born in 1880. Throughout his life of strenuous effort in various places Mr. Nix has won the com- mendation of his employers and the lasting good will of all with whom he has been associated. He is well esteemed in his present home, and looked upon as an upright, industrious and useful citizen.

W ILLIAM H. NORTON .- Beginning life for himself as a soldier in the Union army at the age of sixteen, and after arduous and trying experi- ences in the military service of his country, daring the dangers and enduring the privations of frontier life in the northwest, William H. Norton has devel- oped the firmness of fibre and flexibility of function which follows continuous, strennous and self-re- liant effort, and has won out of unfavorable con- ditions a substantial success. He was born at Concord, Adams county, Ill., December 24, 1847, the son of Charles H. and Lisetta ( Keller ) Norton, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of North Carolina. The Nortons were among the early Colonial families, William's grandfather being a gallant soldier in the war of 1812, and soon after peace was declared he died in Kentucky. His father, Charles H. Norton removed from Ken- tucky to Illinois, and is now residing in the latter state at the age of eighty-three. He has been a prosperous farmer, a man of influence in local affairs and a helpful factor in the development of the section of the country in which he has lived. His family consisted of ten children.

William Norton passed his school days in Illi- nois, and in February, 1863, when but sixteen years old he ran away from home and enlisted in the Fif- tieth Illinois Infantry. The regiment was ordered to Chattanooga, and there Mr. Norton was taken ill with pneumonia. Later he joined his regiment at Rome, Ga., and took charge of a number of Con- federate machine shops until after the fall of At- lanta. The command then went to Altoona Pass, which they successfully held against Hood's as- sault, and participated in the memorable campaign of Sherman's army in the "March to the Sea," taking part in many of the engagements which oc- curred. They went to Goldsborongh, N. C., and after taking part in the grand review at Washing- ton, were mustered out at Louisville, Ky., receiving an honorable discharge at Springfield, Ill., in July,

1865. He then returned to the old homestead and passed the winter. In the spring he came over- land to Montana, having a number of skirmishes with the Indians en route, in which one man was killed and several wounded. He reached Virginia City in October, 1866, and after wintering in Ruby valley he engaged in freighting for two years with excellent profits. He then quit freighting and be- gan prospecting and mining, which he continued for eight years with varying success. In the spring of 1875 he removed to the Yellowstone, about two miles above where Columbus now stands, and in partnership with Horace Countryman engaged in mercantile business for a year. The north side of the river being closed to settlement and placed in reserve by executive order, they closed out their business. At this time his wife was taken sick and he went to work for the government in the reserve, where he put in two and a half years. In 1883 he again engaged in mercantile business, being located at Stillwater, now Columbus, and prospered there for two years, when he sold out and went into the sheep business, which he con- ducted until 1899. Part of the town of Columbus is built on his farm of 160 acres, on which he has a fine brick residence of recent construction. He also has a ranch of 200 acres opposite the town.

In September, 1876, Mr. Norton was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Labey, a native of the isle of Jersey, England, who came to the United States with an older sister. Mr. Norton was a member of the territorial legislature of Montana in 1885, being the first representative from Yellow- stone county, and also a member of the First state legislature in 1889-90. He was postmaster of Co- lumbus for a number of years. He is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he is a Republican. In 1876 he received the first news of the Custer mas- sacre through "Muggins" Taylor, who brought the dispatch to Columbus and then sent it east, this being the first information of the event conveyed over the wires.

A BRAHAM F. MORRIS, one of the most popu- lar citizens of Armington, Cascade county, is heavily interested in the cattle business and the owner of two handsome and well equipped ranches in the vcinity of Belt. His first residence in Mon- tana dates back twenty years and during that per- iod he has built up an extensive and lucrative busi-

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ness. He was born in Dent county, Mo., on Janu- ary 16, 1850, the son of Caleb and Mary Morris. His mother was a native of Illinois, and his father, a successful farmer, was born in Kentucky. His political convictions were in active sympathy with the Republican party. The parents were active and devoted members of the Methodist church. Mrs. Morris passed away in 1866 and her husband on March 20, 1900.

In 1861 Abraham F. Morris was a boy in attend- ance at the district school. Yet, youthful as he was, he burned with patriotic fervor, and, not being able to secure admission into the volunteer service owing to his youth, he remained with the army and at last enlisted in the organized state militia. When peace was declared he became manager of the E. D. Kennedy farm in Dent county, receiving $12.50 per month and board for two years. After three more years passed in railroad construction and in other ways, Mr. Morris purchased eighty acres of land at $5 an acre, and engaged in stockraising. He was prosperous and his accumulations were put by year after year. He remained upon this place twelve years and in 1882 sold liis stock and came to Mon- tana, on the Missouri river to Fort Benton. In the fall he became a general helper for the promi- nent merchants, Murphy & Neil, receiving $90 per month. Mr. Morris later secured a contract to supply timber from the Highwood mountains to a firm at Fort Benton, in which he profitably con- tinued until the spring of 1883. He then located a homestead of 160 acres on Otter creek, eight miles east of Belt, and for seven years was here suc- cessfully engaged in the raising of horses, cattle and grain. He then sold the property to Mr. W. I. Baker for $3,500, who sold it to Barton S. Arm- strong for $11,000.

In the spring of 1890 Mr. Morris secured another claim where he kept his stock for a year, then sold the improvements and purchased a claim near Big Willow creek, twelve miles northeast of Belt for $700. This property he improved, purchased more stock and remained there for two years. Some parties then purchased the property for $2,000, but Mr. Morris never received his money, the pur- chasers taking advantage of the bankrupt law. This was discouraging to Mr. Morris, but he is not in- clined to be cast down by adverse circumstances, so in the spring of 1893 he purchased another ranch of 280 acres, on Big Otter creek, and here he re- mained prosperously employed until 1900. He had paid $3,900 for the property, had it improved, and

finally sold it for $6,000. He then purchased a ranch on Big Willow creek, ten miles east of Belt, from his son, Marcus Morris. This contained 320 acres of deeded land and two claims aggregating 320 acres more, paying $3,000 for the property. This is now his home. The cattle industry is his principal business. Three hundred acres of this land is arable and under cultivation. Mr. Morris also owns a ranch of 180 acres on Otter creek, and this property is being gradually improved to use in the cattle business. At present his address is Arm- ington, Cascade county, where he has a residence and eight town lots. On February 20, 1870, Mr. Morris married Miss Mary C. Johnson, a native of Tennessee and daughter of William F. and Louisa Johnson, also Tennesseeans, who removed to Mis- souri in 1866, and to Montana in 1882. (Probably the most noted of the Tennessee family of the name was President Andrew Johnson.) They settled on Highwood creek, where the father has been a suc- cessful rancher and is now retired from business. He is a Democrat and a member of the Christian church. Mrs. Johnson died on April 26, 1861. Two of the thirteen children of Mr. and Mrs. Mor- ris, William C. and Etta F., died in childhood; the others are John E., Marcus F., James A., Edgar B., Mary E., Van L., Charles M., Katie B. and Abra- ham F., Jr. The mother is a member of the Chris- tian church.

D AVID A. NOBLE .- This young farmer and stockgrower of Cascade county, where he has shown progressive spirit and business capacity, comes of good English lineage and was born at Iowa Hill, Placer county, Cal., on February 13, 1868, the son of David and Martha E. Noble, English people, who came from their native land with their respective parents to America, and to Pennsylvania. From that state the father even- tually removed to Nevada, then to Montana, where he was successfully engaged in farming and where he located on a ranch about four miles, east of Sun River crossing in Cascade county, where he has been successfully engaged in farming and stockraising. He sold his ranch to his son Charles S., and took up his abode on his present ranch, four miles north of Cascade. He is a successful stock- man and his stirring traits of character have gained unqualified respect and confidence. Politically he is a Republican and fraternally a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the

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Knights of Pythias. David A. Noble secured the educational advantages of the public schools of Virginia City, Nev., where his parents then re- sided, but in his early youth he there secured a clerkship in a store, holding this until 1886, when he accompanied his parents to Butte, and engaged in mine work for the Anaconda Mining Com- pany, his initial duties being the cleaning of lamps and rendering general assistance in the machine shops. From this modest position he was ad- vanced until he was placed in charge of the hoist- ing engine at the St. Lawrence mine, retaining this incumbency for six years. He then came to the Sun river valley in Cascade county, purchased one-third interest in a ranch located four miles east of Sun River, the ranch comprising 960 acres, of which amount 400 acres are susceptible of cul- tivation. Large quantities of hay are raised and attention is given to the growing of cattle, and Mr. Noble has been duly successful. In national issues he supports the Republican party, but in local affairs he is not bound by party lines. On April 12, 1891, Mr. Noble was united in marriage to Dors Rickard, born in California, the daughter of William T. and Mary Rickard, who came to America from England in their youth. They located in California in the early days, where the father was successfully engaged in mining. In politics he was a Democrat, and fraternally an Odd Fel- low. He and his wife are members of the Metho- dist church, as also are Mr. and Mrs. Noble.

ATOLAN & ARCHER .- Theodore F. Archer was born in Noble county, Ohio, on December 5, 1874, the son of Benjamin H. and Margaret (Mor- rison) Archer, of the same nativity as his own. The father was a farmer in Ohio, his principal in- dustry being raising tobacco and stock, which he did until 1892, when he removed to Missouri, where he still resides and follows the same occupation. Mr. Archer's school days were passed in Ohio and he remained with the family until 1897, when he came to Montana. For two years he worked on sheep ranches on Flat Willow creek. In October, 1899, in partnership with Mr. Nolan he procured a band of sheep and bought a ranch twelve miles north of Flat Willow, sold it two months later and wintered the sheep on Flat Willow. In August, 1900, the partners bought their present ranch, known as Willow Creek stage crossing, twelve

miles from Musselshell, and continued in the sheep industry, running about 5,000 head. Since start- ing their enterprise on the ranch they now occupy, and which has an area of over 1,000 acres, they have put up a commodious residence and four cab- ins, twelve miles of fence, a dam and ditch, and built one large sheep shed and completed another, and constructed two windbreaks ten feet high and 120 feet in diameter. They have also put a large acreage under irrigation, which they profitably cul- tivate. They have secured control of all the water within a radius of more than a dozen miles, giving them an inexhaustable supply.

Frank J. Nolan, son of Patrick Nolan, of Lein- ster Mills, County Kildare, Ireland, was born at the above place in 1866, and was educated at Clon- gowes Wood College in his native county, and emi- grated with his parents to the United States in 1883. They settled in Martin county, Minn., where, among the pioneers of that county, he became in- itiated into the art of American farming. He moved to Iowa in 1890, where he followed farming with varying success until 1899, when, tiring of the uncertainty of agricultural life, and moved with a desire to adopt the less arduous and more remun- erative occupation of woolgrowing, he moved to Montana in 1898, and by working on sheep ranches gained a small amount of capital and the experience essential to a successful start in that remunerative industry. Meeting Mr. Archer in 1890, a part- nership was formed, as stated in the sketch of Mr. Archer. These gentlemen are among the best known and most highly esteemed ranchmen in their section of the state. Their business is conducted with integrity, skill and enterprise, and they are recognized as representative citizens, hustling busi- ness men, prime social companions and of growing prominence in the stock industry of their county. Both are Woodmen of the World.

THOMAS J. NORVILLE .- Fifteen miles south of old Fort Peck, in Valley county, is the well improved ranch of Mr. Norville, one of the young men who are forging to the front in the great stock- raising industry of Montana. He was born at Booneville, Lincoln county, Tenn., on April 7, 1872, the son of William M. and Martha (Coriger) Nor- ville, both natives of Booneville, where the former was born in 1845 and the latter in 1846. The father was an agriculturist in Tennessee until 1896, since

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which time he has had his home at Decatur, Ala. Mr. Norville secured a good English education in the public schools, and in 1890, he went to Mans- field, Tex., where he was employed in a brickyard until April, 1891, when he engaged with the Good- night Cattle Company, in Briscoe county, and later went to Mobeetie, Wheeler county, and was em- ployed on a ranch until September, 1892. .

In the spring of 1893 he came northwest, engag- ing in the employ of the Bar X cattle outfit at Douglas, Wyo., coming up the trail with the same outfit, and later in the year he came to Montana and went to work for the Bryan Cattle Company, at Ashland, Custer county, until November, 1893. In the spring of 1894 he rode the range for the N N Cattle Company, in Dawson county, and was with them until June, 1897. In the fall of that year Mr. Norville came to Valley county and took up a ranch near Hinsdale, and engaged in cattleraising until the spring of 1900, when he sold out and lo- cated on his present ranch, which is most eligibly situated on the Big Dry creek, fifteen miles south of old Fort Peck and thirty-five miles south of Glasgow, the county seat, which is Mr. Norville's postoffice address. He has a good ranch, with an area of 480 acres, and the use of tributary grazing land in the open range, so that he has ample pro- vision for the successful raising of cattle and horses, to which he is giving his attention with discrimina- tion and energy. In politics he exercises his fran- chise in support of the Democratic party. At Hins- dale, on March 18, 1901, Mr. Norville was united in marriage with Miss Irene Davis, born in Texas in 1883, being the daughter of W. A. Davis, who is now a rancher of Idaho county.

L UCIUS A. NUTTING .- The subject of this biography is by heredity and his own course in life essentially a pioneer. His father, Lucius Nut- ting, was a native of Springfield, Mass., who in 1857 removed to Kansas, making the trip with teams and horses, becoming one of the early set- tlers of that state. In 1849, when the California gold excitement was thrilling the world, he joined the stampede as one of the "forty-niners." In 1879 he made the trip with mule teams, accom- panied by our subject and another son, to Tomb- stone, Ariz., and in 1881 came with his wife to Montana. His wife was Elizabeth Allison, a native of Pennsylvania. They had six children, four sons

and two daughters, of whom our subject was the third in order of birth.

Mr. Nutting was born in 1858, near Troy in Doniphan county, Kan., and secured a general edu- cation at Small College and Highland University. He left school in 1876, and remained at home dur- ing the next three years, working on the farm. The trip to Arizona in 1879, previously noted, is memorable from the hardships and privations in- cident to the journey, there they arrived in June, and after a short stay the father returned to Kansas. In the fall Mr. Nutting and his brother Wilder came to Montana, locating at Bozeman, helping to build railroads in Utah and Idaho .. They next re- moved to Virginia City and worked as carpenters on a barn, although later our subject spent a win- ter in Bozeman, working at carpentering for $4.00 per day. In 1888 he went to the National Park, where he remained three months, being employed by the government to take charge of the postoffice and supplies for a gang of men who were working under the supervision of Col. P. W. Norris. He then returned to Bozeman and worked on the Lamy block. In October of that year he was in the employ of Martin & Myers, and made a drive to Pumpkin creek to supply 1,600 cattle for Indians at Fort Keogh, hostile bands that had been fight- ing under Rain-in-Face, Gall and Spotted Tail, who had surrendered to Gen. Miles on Poplar river. Rain-in-Face being the one who killed Gen. Custer.

In 1881 Mr. Nutting went to Laurel, where he was joined by his father and mother. At that time there was no town of Billings, and none nearer than Old Coulson, about a mile and a half from the present site of Billings. He and his parents lived together until 1891, when he was married to Miss Lily E. Ellis, a native of California, whose father was drowned in a shipwreck on the Gulf of Mexico while en route from San Francisco to Norfolk by way of Panama. The women and children were taken from the ship in boats, but 470 men were drowned.

After his marriage Mr. Nutting took up his resi- dence on a ranch of his own. Since then he has built a house for his men, and all necessary barns, shops, sheds and other structures for successful farming and ranching, which he is conducting in a progressive and profitable manner. He has 600 acres of land, and produces annually large crops of hay, alfalfa and timothy, as well as oats and potatoes. Up to 1900 he also raised cattle, but in that year he sold them all, and has now but a

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small number of horses. He has two children, Ruth and Bryan, who are attending school at Lau- rel. In politics he is a Democrat, and takes an active interest in the affairs of his party, being their nominee for county commissioner in 1900. He is connected with the Modern Woodmen.

JOHN O'BRYAN, one of the small ranchers and stockgrowers of Choteau county, Mont., resides in a modest home two miles east of Cleveland. He is a Kentuckian by birth, born in Grayson county, February 13, 1847. It was in Nelson county that John O'Brien was reared and educated, and his home was on the farm of an uncle. At the age of eighteen he went to Colorado where he engaged for a number of years, with more or less success, in placer mining. In the fall of 1875 he came to Fort Benton, Mont., and for several years followed freighting, which at that time, before the advent of railroads, was quite a lucrative business. In 1879 our subject secured a ranch of 160 acres on High- wood creek, Choteau county, to which he from time to time added many improvements, and which he disposed of in 1888. He then came to his present fine property in the Bear Paw mountains, two miles east of the thriving town of Cleveland, since which period he has profitably engaged in cattlegrowing and in general farming quite extensively.

Mr. O'Bryan's marriage occurred in 1879, when he was united to Miss Catherine Righter. To them have been born ten children, namely: Henry, de- ceased; John F., Mary A., Rose E., Elizabeth, Daniel M., James S., Catherine J., Thomas F. and Lucy. Politically the affiliations of Mr. O'Bryan are with the Democratic party.

JAMES O'HERRON is one of the leading stock- growers and influential men of Choteau county. His life has been one of activity with the highest standard of rectitude in those relations to his fel- lowmen which tend to the best ideals of human possibilities ; hence the success which is his and none can begrudge it. Mr. O'Herron was born at Niagara Falls, N. Y., on January 3, 1854, the son of James and Mary E. (Stapleton) O'Herron, natives of the parish of Dunmore, Ireland, whence they emigrated in 1842, locating on their arrival in the United States in Niagara county, N. Y.

The father of our subject was a cooper and a skillful veterinarian, having graduated in the Grand Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons prior to coming to America and practiced his profession for some time in Ireland. After locating in the United States he gave his principal attention to the work of his trade. He was a man of fine mentality and became influential in his county, taking a very active interest in public affairs, and served his county as commissioner and also repre- sented the same in the legislature of the state. In politics he was an ardent Democrat, and his re- ligious faith was that of the Catholic church. He and his wife became the parents of six sons and five daughters, our subject being the fourth son. James O'Herron, Sr., died in 1873, his wife surviv- ing him two years, and they were laid to rest in the cemetery at Lewiston, N. Y.

James O'Herron, our subject, was reared and educated in the village of Niagara Falls, where he attended the public schools and later learned the trade of cooper under the effective direction of his father. In 1873 he went to Michigan and found employment in the great lumbering industry of that state, entering the employ of Russeagen & Co. in the capacity of foreman and was thus engaged for two years, after which he engaged in business for himself in the same line. In 1875 he removed to Wisconsin, and at Eau Claire en- gaged with the Eau Claire Lumber Company until winter, when he again engaged in taking out logs on his own responsibility. The following spring Mr. O'Herron made his way to the Black Hills, where he was employed in freighting between Pierre and Deadwood. In 1880 he went to South Dakota and devoted his attention to dealing in land for four years; later in railroad contracting with the Canadian Pacific Company. Subsequently he was employed in freighting for the Canadian gov- ernment in its expedition against the Reil upris- ing. In 1885 Mr. O'Herron came to Helena, Mont., and engaged in filling hay contracts for the Holter Lumber Company and wood contracts for the Anaconda Smelting Company. In 1886 he went to Cascade county, where he became fore- man for the firm of Peck & Lacy, extensive sheep growers, and at the expiration of a year, in com- pany with George W. Parker he purchased a half interest in a band of sheep, their operations be- ing conducted in the Willow creek district. In 1889 he came to his present ranch on Milk river, Choteau county, where he now has about 2,000

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acres utilized in the raising of sheep, horses and cattle, conducting operations on a large scale and having a well improved property.

Politically Mr. O'Herron gives support to the Republican party ; in religion he is a communicant of the Roman Catholic church, in which he was reared; and fraternally is identified with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Chinook. In 1878 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. O'Herron to Miss Susan E. Brader, a daughter of John Brader, of Minnesota. They are the parents of six chil- dren : Dora and Nellie (twins), Annie E., Ellen M., Elizabeth and James.

ORNELIUS C. O'KEEFFE .- Ireland has C

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 145

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