Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 15

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 15

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In politics Mr. Lohman has ever accorded stanch allegiance to the Democratic party and is one of its leading representatives in Choteau county. In 1898 he was the candidate of his party for state senator, but as the county's normal political complexion is overwhelmingly Republican he nat- urally met defeat, though he ran 160 votes ahead

of his ticket. Fraternally he is a member of Hel- ena Lodge No. 193, B. P. O. E. His religious faith is that of the Catholic church, in which he was reared. On December 25, 1886, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lohman to Miss Lily Mar- tin, a daughter of John and Ellen Martin, of Butte, and of this union two daughters have been born, Lillian E. and Mary Loretta. Mr. and Mrs. Loh- man occupy a prominent position in the social life of Chinook, and their pleasant home is á center of gracious hospitality. Mr. Lohman was elected the first mayor of Chinook, being elected in May, 190I.

G OWAN FERGUSON, M. D., a young physi- cian and surgeon of Great Falls, stands high in public estimation and was born in County Sim- coe, Ontario, Canada, on July 16, 1866, of Scotch- Irish ancestry. His grandfather was an officer in the English army, bringing his family with him to Canada in 1842, and locating in County Simcoe. This included his son Isaac, Dr. Ferguson's father, who was then a mere boy. Isaac Ferguson was married in Toronto to Miss Emily J. Gowan, a native of Brockville, Ontario. She was a daugh- ter of Lieut .- Col. Ogle R. Gowan, of the Queen's Royal Borderers, and a member of parliament. All of their six children are living, the Doctor be- ing their second child. Isaac Ferguson died in 1889 at the age of fifty-eight. The mother, a member of the Episcopalian church, as was the father, is still living.

Dr. Ferguson was early prepared for college and his advanced literary education was obtained at the Upper Canada College, and his medical one in the University of Toronto and the New York Polyclinic School, from which he was graduated in 1888, strongly equipped for excellent results in his subsequent practice. Dr. Ferguson entered upon his professional career in Toronto and herc he was in practice for two years. He came to Great Falls, Mont., in May, 1891, since which period he built up a remunerative and an appreci- ative practice. Both as a gentleman of estimable qualities and as a physician of superior ability he is held in high esteem, holding also a high stand- ing among his professional associates. He is a member of the Northern Montana Medical Associ- ation, of which he has been secretary. He also belongs to the Montana State Medical Society and the Medical Society of Toronto. His qualifica-

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tions for able work were enhanced in 1896-7 by extended and thorough studies in the leading hos- pitals of England and Paris, including the Univer- sity College Hospital and the King's College Hos- pitals of London, and he has a high standing in both realms of his profession, having rare success as a surgeon. In 1898 Dr. Ferguson was married to Miss Willie Maupin, a native of Alabama. She is the daughter of Judge R. L. Maupin, of Mobile. They have one son, Robert G. Fraternally Dr. Ferguson is a member of the Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Olks and the Foresters. Aside from his medical practice Dr. Ferguson has de- voted some attention to real estate, in which he has some capital invested.

L YCURGUS FITZPATRICK .- One of the most respected and esteemed citizens of Meagher county, a thoroughly representative and public-spirited man, whose beautiful home three miles west of Harlowton is a center of refined and soulful hospitality, is Lycurgus Fitzpatrick, whose ranch of more than 10,000 acres lies for four miles along both sides of the Musselshell and extends seven miles south and five miles north from the river. He was born at Columbiana, Ohio, Decem- ber 19, 1841, the son of John and Margaret (Albert) Fitzpatrick, the former a native of Ohio and the lat- ter of Pennsylvania. The grandfather, Charles Fitzpatrick, was one of the early pioneers of Ohio, where the family continued to live for three gen- erations. The ancestors of the mother, the Al- berts, were of Huguenot stock, and, when driven out of France, settled in Holland, from whence some of them later came to America and located in Pennsylvania, crossing the Atlantic in "the good ship Brindle Cow." The Fitzpatricks originally came from the north of Ireland, and were early ar- rivals in America. John Fitzpatrick conducted an extensive carriage manufactory at Columbiana, Ohio, and was a highly respected and useful citi- zen and a leading spirit in all movements for the welfare of the community. He was a strong abo- litionist and was active in the working of the un- derground railway. He passed his life in the town of Columbiana, and his family of eight children were all born and reared there.

His son Lycurgus received his early education in the public schools of his native city, and after leaving school was associated for two or three

years with his father in the carriage business. The father then retired and the business was carried on by himself and his brother, J. B. Fitzpatrick, until 1872, when Lycurgus sold his interest and started a similar enterprise in Findlay, Ohio. This he conducted for five years with success, then sold out and engaged in the drug business for three years, when he sold out and came to Montana, located on his present property and began opera- tions in the sheep industry. His location is par- ticularly well adapted to the industry. It is well sheltered from severe weather, has an extent of 10,000 acres well supplied with water by the Mus- selshell which runs through it for a distance of four miles, making it highly productive, about 500 acres being under close and skillful cultivation and yielding abundant crops of hay and grain. Mr. Fitzpatrick has a band of about 12,000 Merino sheep, and conducts his business so as to make it profitable. He has a fine residence, good barns and other outbuildings, with every device for the work of his ranch that is known to be of service.

On June 25, 1879, he married Miss Eva Church, of Findlay, Ohio, whose ancestors emigrated from Wales in early Colonial days. Her parents were Chester and Barbara (Crumrine) Church, the for- mer a native of New Jersey and the latter of Pennsylvania. Two children have been born to the Fitzpatricks, Harold, who was educated at Shattuck Military Academy at Faribault, Minn., and is now an employe of the Mellville Mercantile Company, of Harlowton; and Lycurgus, Jr., who is at home receiving his education from a gov- erness. Mrs. Fitzpatrick is a highly educated and cultivated lady, and has taken great pains in the education of her family. After her graduation from the college at Findlay, Ohio, she accepted a position as teacher in the schools of that city and was rapidly advanced to higher positions, for some years previous to her marriage being the principal of the Findlay Normal. Mr. Fitzpatrick has mounted the Masonic stairway through lodge, chapter and commandery, holding membership in the various bodies at Findlay, Ohio.

RICHARD J. FITZGERALD, the senior mem- ber of the firm of Fitzgerald & Foster, pro- prietors of the Gem restaurant, one of the largest and most popular establishments of the kind in Great Falls, and one of the progressive young busi-

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ness men of the city, was born on the parental farmstead in Minnesota, February 27, 1861. His father, Richard Fitzgerald, was born in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1823, and emigrated to Amer- ica about 1851, locating in Scott county, Minn., where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits for about a decade, after which he removed to Minne- apolis, where was his home until his death in 1878. Richard Fitzgerald, Sr., was married to Catherine McMahon, in Troy, N. Y., and she like- wise was a native of County Limerick, and her death occurred in Minneapolis, Minn., in 1897.

Richard J. Fitzgerald, Jr., attended the public and private schools of Minneapolis, thus receiving excellent educational advantages up to the age of fifteen, when he secured work in the celebrated Wasburn & Crosby flouring mills, three months before this great plant was destroyed by a fearful explosion, supposedly of flour dust. Of all who were in the building not one was left to tell the story of the disaster, which occurred at night, Mr. Fitzgerald owing his life to the fact that he was on the day shift. Mr. Fitzgerald then became a flour packer in the Hinkle Bros. flouring mill, re- maining with this firm for eleven years, after which he formed a partnership with his brother, James W., and the two became proprietors of the Gem restaurant and a fruit store in Minneapolis, con- ducting them for three years, when Richard sold his interest to his brother who still continues the business. Mr. Fitzgerald came to Great Falls, Mont., in the spring of 1891, and here he estab- lished the Gem restaurant, being still associated with his brother, James W., who disposed of his interests to L. E. Foster in 1896, whereupon the present firm name was adopted.

The Gem is one of the most attractive resorts of the kind in the city, great care being taken in the cuisine and in catering to a discriminating and representative patronage. The proprietors enjoy a personal popularity in the city, and this incidentally has an effect in advancing the interests of their ably conducted business. In politics Mr. Fitzger- ald has been an active worker in the local political field as a Democrat, and in the spring of 1894 was honored with election as alderman from the First ward of Great Falls, and was re-elected in 1896, serving one year of his last term, when he was elected to the chief executive office of the munic- ipality, in 1897. He served as mayor for two years, giving the city a capable and satisfactory adminis- tration. In July, 1900, he was a delegate from

Montana to the Democratic national convention at Kansas City, Mo., and he is recognized as one of the wheel-horses of his party in the state.

Fraternally Mr. Fitzgerald is identified with the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, having been a charter member of Plymouth lodge of the former order in January, 1895, also becoming a member of the Knights of Pythias about the same time. While his business interests have been so inexorable as to prevent his filling official positions in these fraternities, he maintains a deep interest in them and is a popular member of each. Mr. Fitzgerald has five brothers and one sister: John P., formerly clerk and recorder, and now under sheriff of Cascade county ; Henry W., an engineer on the Eastern Minnesota Railway; James W., of Minneapolis; Michael R., clerk for the North American Telephone Company, at Minneapolis, and Katie, also of Minneapolis.

A LFRED E. FLAGER, of Red Lodge, Car- bon county, Mont., is a prominent representa- tive business man and citizen, and is president and manager of the Carbon Mercantile Company, whose business is one of wide scope and import- ance. He has long been prominent in public af- fairs of this section, having taken up his resi- dence in Red Lodge prior to the completion of the Rocky Fork division of Northern Pacific Rail- road to its terminus at this point. Mr. Flager was born in the city of St. Louis, Mo., on February 5, 1860, a son of Bernhardt and Rose Flager, natives of Baden, Germany. The father of our subject came to the United States when a young man and located in St. Louis. At the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion he enlisted as a pri- vate in Company D, Third Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and rendered loyal service in support of the cause of the Union. His death occurred in 1866 in St. Louis. His widow now resides in Red Lodge. Alfred E. Flager was reared in his native city, was educated in the public schools and graduated from the high school. He gave in- ception to his long business career by entering the employ of J. &. J. Beaky, dealers in stoves, in St. Louis, with whom he remained six years, and was house salesman for some time prior to severing his connection with the concern. He then removed to Kansas City and became a sales- man for the wholesale cigar establishment of J.

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A. Bachman. At the expiration of one year he returned to St. Louis and entered the employ of the W. D. Gurnsey Furniture Company as col- lector, and a year later secured a position with the Greely-Burnham Grocery Company, starting in as private secretary to the secretary of the company, and was successively promoted until he held the office of manager of the city department, which he retained for several years and up to the time of coming to Montana. In January, 1885, Mr. Flager set out for Montana, and upon his arrival located in Miles City, where he accepted the position of bookkeeper for J. H. Conrad & Co. In 1889 the firm closed out the business in Miles City and opened a general store in Red Lodge, placing Mr. Flager in charge as manager. During the great financial panic of 1893 the firm was forced into liquidation, and the subject of this sketch became assignee, devoting one year to settling up the affairs of the concern. He then effected the organization of the Carbon Mercantile Com- pany in April, 1895, and was made its president and general manager, and is still its business head. The Carbon Mercantile Company conducts a gen- eral merchandising business, its trade covering a wide area of country tributary to Red Lodge, the enterprise being one of the most important in this section of the state. The company occupies a large building in the business center of the town, and is equipped with a full and select line of gener- al merchandise, catering to a discriminating pat- ronage. The energy and executive ability of the president and manager have been the chief agencies through which the large and successful business has been built up, and no man in the county is held in higher regard in business and social circles.

Mr. Flager has ever maintained a public-spirited interest in all that concerns the advancement and material prosperity of the city and county, and he was a member of the first aldermanic board of Red Lodge, and held the office of city clerk for two years. He was the framer of the greater portion of the city ordinances during the first two years after the incorporation of Red Lodge, and was among the influential and zealous promoters of the fine water system of the city. He gives unquali- fied allegiance to the Republican party, and at the present time is chairman of the county central committee. He was one of those chiefly instru- mental in the organization of the Red Lodge & Wyoming Telephone Company, of which he is still a stockholder also a director of the local

building society, whose corporate title is the Red Lodge Building & Loan Association. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, the Benev- olent Protective Order of Elks and the Woodmen of the World. On July 24, 1884, Mr. Flager was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Daniels, who was born in the city of St. Louis, the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Daniels, natives of Bir- mingham, England. Mr. and Mrs. Flager have an interesting family of four children, namely : Howard, Harold, Ruth and Marie.

PATRICK FLANAGAN, JR .- This young business man is a successful farmer and stock- grower of Fergus county, where he has resided for the past decade, taking advantage of the oppor- tunities afforded and winning success through in- dustry and good judgment in the direction of his efforts and affairs.

Mr. Flanagan is a native of County Clare, Ire- land, where he was born on the 25th of March, 1872, the son of Patrick and Katherine Flanagan, who emigrated from the Emerald Isle to Amer- ica in 1891, coming directly to Montana and lo- cating in the Antelope district of Fergus county, where Patrick Flanagan, Sr., the father, is still engaged in ranching, his place being located one and one-half miles southeast of Utica. He is a Democrat in politics and both himself and wife are devout members of the Roman Catholic church. They have ten children: Mary, Mar- garet, Patrick, Jr., John, William, Benjamin, Ann, Lena, James and Katie.

Patrick Flanagan, Jr., attended the parochial schools of his native land for a brief period only. At the early age of five years he assisted his father on the little farm in Ireland, and had the duty of harnessing the farm horses when he was of so diminutive stature that he had to stand on a chair to do this. He labored with and for his parents until 1891, the year they all came to Mon- tana. Upon reaching Fergus county the young man secured employment as a ranch hand at $40 per month. He closely husbanded his re- sources, his ambition being to become independent and to secure a ranch of his own. He took up a claim of land and soon sold it for $250. In 1896 he located on his present ranch, which comprises 160 acres and is situated one mile east of his postoffice town of Utica. Mr. Flanagan has not

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been denied prosperity. He raises hay and oats, but devotes his attention more particularly to the growing of high-grade cattle. He is one of the popular young men of this section of the state. His right of franchise is utilized in support of the principles and policies of the Democratic party. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic church, under whose discipline they were reared.

On the 3d of January, 1894, Mr. Flanagan was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Reiley, who was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Mat- thew J. and Bridget Reiley, who were likewise born in Pennsylvania, of stanch Irish lineage. They, too, came to Montana in the pioneer days and located in Fergus county, where Mr. Reiley was engaged in the cattle business. Selling his interests in Montana in 1897, he is now a resi- dent of Capt Town, South Africa. Mr. and Mrs. Reiley were Catholics, in which faith she died on the 12th of September, 1895, leaving three daugh- ters, Nellie, Mary C. and Maggie. Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan are the parents of one daughter and two sons, Lillie L., Lear and Victor D.

T THOMAS FLANAGAN is one of the represent- ative farmers and stockgrowers of Montana, and has been a resident of the state for a quar- ter of a century. His life has been one of activity and usefulness, and at all times has he retained the confidence and good will of his fellowmen, his integrity of purpose being beyond question. A native of Missouri, Thomas Flanagan was born in Washington county, on August 19, 1855, being the son of Thomas and Sarah (Northcott) Flana- gan, the former of whom was born in County Galway, Ireland, and the latter in Kentucky. Thomas Flanagan, Sr., immigrated in the early 'thirties to America, locating in Missouri. He there engaged in farming and stockraising until his death, in 1896, having attained the venerable age of eighty-six years, his wife passing away at the age of sixty-six years. They became the parents of eleven children, all living at the present time. Thomas Flanagan, Jr., the immediate subject of this review, passed his school days in his native county and early contributed his share of labor on the old homestead farm and grew to man- hood under its invigorating discipline. There he

remained until 1877, when he started for Mon- tana, making the trip up the Missouri river on one of the light draft steamboats then in use on the upper waters and tributaries of the Big Muddy. He first located at White Sulphur Springs, his headquarters for a period of twelve years, and was engaged in various occupations, working for wages. He worked as a hand on a ranch on the American Fork, in Sweet Grass county, John Flanagan having charge, being in the employ of Dr. Wm. Parberry for a period of four years, and then came to his present location, on the south side of the Yellowstone river, in Sweet Grass coun- ty, the district then being a portion of the Crow Indian reservation, but was thrown open to set- tlement in the fall of 1892, when our subject se- cured title to his property. Here he engaged in the sheep business, and it is gratifying to note that his success has been excellent, coming as the natural result of discriminating and energetic ef- fort. His ranch comprises 320 acres, eligibly lo- cated, upon which he has made permanent im- provements of the best order. He has erected fine barns and corrals which afford excellent shelter for stock and accommodations for the products of the ranch, while his residence is a neat two-story structure of modern design and conveniences. In. 1878 Mr. Flanagan entered into partnership with his brother John, an association that exists. They conduct an extensive enterprise in the raising of sheep and cattle, running an average of 7,000 sheep of the Delaine type, and giving preference to the Hereford and shorthorn cattle, of which they us- ually keep about 300 head. The ranch owned by John Flanagan is located across the line in Carbon county, and yields excellent crops of hay each year. His home is in Carbon county, on the Big Rosebud creek.

In politics the brothers give their allegiance to the Democratic party. Thomas was a member of the first board of county commissioners upon the formation of Sweet Grass county, both are men of sterling integrity and are held in the high- est esteem in the community. On November 25, 1890, Mr. Thomas Flanagan was united in mar- riage to Miss Mary J. Bardott, who was born in Franklin county, Mo., the daughter of Joseph Bardott, who was born in France, whence he came to America and located in Missouri, where he passed the remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan are the parents of four children: Will- iam Ray, Mary Teresa, Clara May and Mabel

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Verna. On October 27, 1899, Mr. John Flanagan married Miss Lizzie Bardott, a sister of his broth- er's wife, and they have one daughter, Mary Elizabeth.

DEV. THOMAS W. FLOWERS .- As a clergy- man of the Methodist Episcopal church South, Mr. Flowers labored zealously and indefatigably until the weight of years necessitated the aban- donment of the more active labors of the ministry, and he is now engaged in business in the attrac- tive little city of Victor, Ravalli county, where he is well known and highly honored. He was born in Meadville, Franklin county, Miss., on October 24, 1828, the thirteenth of the fourteen children of Ephraim and Annie (Havis) Flowers, who were born respectively in Georgia and South Carolina, representatives of prominent old southern fam- ilies. His early education was secured in private schools, and these he attended as oportunity af- forded until he had attained his legal majority, and thereafter he was employed in the manage- ment of various plantations until 1861, being li- censed to preach in 1860 by the M. E. church South, of which he was a devoted member, when he enlisted in the Confederate army as a private in the Seventh Mississippi Regiment. After a year he was promoted to lieutenant and finally became chaplain of his regiment. He partici- pated in the battle of Haines Bluff and other engagements.

When peace returned Mr. Flowers engaged in ministerial work, being first assigned to the Sun- flower circuit of Mississippi in the M. E. church South. He held various charges in Mississippi until 1871, when he came to Montana, where has ever since been his home. Here he first had charge of the Diamond City circuit for two years ; there- after was in the city of Deer Lodge for three ycars, and in 1876 he took the Stevensville charge, which included the entire Bitter Root valley, in- cluding the city of Missoula, and after laboring with marked efficiency in this wide field for four years he was placed in a supernumerary relation- ship, but in 1891 he accepted an assignment to Grantsdale, retaining it until 1893, when he was placed upon the supernumerary list. Since 1894 Mr. Flowers has been engaged in the confection- ery and notion business in Victor, where he has secured an excellent patronage. His establish- ment is located in a building owned by himself,

while he is also the owner of real estate in Stev- ensville. He will bequeath his property to the new training school, recently established by the church of his adoption at Stevensville.

In politics Mr. Flowers has ever supported the Democratic party, in whose cause he has been an active worker. In 1898 he was the Demo- cratic nominee for representative of Ravalli county in the lower house of the legislature, but was not successful at the polls, owing to political exi- gencies which affected the entire party ticket. For many years he has been prominently identified with the Masonic order. On November 16, 1852, in Franklin county, Miss., Mr. Flowers was united in marriage to Mrs. Martha C. Crabtree, the daughter of Elections Williams, and the widow of Frederick P. Crabtree, by whom she had one son, Fred Crabtree, since deceased. Mrs. Flowers passed over to those activities that know no weariness on March 3, 1901. and was deeply mourned by a wide circle of devoted friends, her life having been ever animated by that faitlı which makes faithful.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 15

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