Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 157

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 157

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JOHN H. SMITH, who since his location in - Butte, has built up a most extensive and profit- able business, was born in Nova Scotia in 1861, the son of Nathaniel and Rachel (Hawley) Smith. The father, a Nova Scotia farmer, was born in 1826 and died in 1889. The mother, born in 1828, is still living. John H. Smith was the sixth of a family of fifteen children. In the public schools he received a fair education, and at the age of eighteen came west, locating in Idaho, and engaging in lumbering, which he followed for eight years quite successfully, but only about eighteen months in Idaho. Afterward he came to Montana, and was successfully located on Moll creek, near Anaconda,

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

at Big Hole, Warm Spring creek, Empire, Wolf creek and Great Falls. At the latter city he dis- posed of his lumbering interests, and has since been engaged in merchandising in Butte, holding also mining interests with W. H. Patterson and T. P. Newton. In 1889 Mr. Smithi was married to Miss Lillie M. Turner, of Helena, a daughter of Joseph Turner. Mr. Turner was of English ancestry and was interested in rolling mills, mining and in luni- bering. He died in Butte in March, 1894, leaving his widow, Elizabeth (Smith) Turner, to survive him. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two children, Al- freda and Irwin, both residing at home. In the various enterprises in which Mr. Smith has en- gaged in Montana he has been exceptionally suc- cessful, and enjoys the good will and esteem of many friends.

JAMES H. SMITH .- One of the earliest of Mon- tana's pioneers, a man who came here in the early 'sixties and later joined the grand rush to the newly discovered gold fields of Alder gulch, one who has fought Indians and endured many hard- ships, witnessed many exciting scenes and is well and favorably known by a host of friends through- ont the state, is James H. Smith. His present resi- dence is at Augusta, and he was born in Liberty, Clay county, Mo. His parents were William and Elizabeth Smith, who were born in North Caro- lina, but early emigrated to Missouri where the father was a farmer and one of the first to erect in that country the old-fashioned horsemills of that day, and politically he was a "dyed-in-the-wool" Democrat, and died with the Democratic harness on. Both himself and wife died in 1849. James H. Smith at the early age of eight years was at work with a Cary plow in his father's fields, and he con- tinned to assist his parents until he attained his majority. His first important business experience was in 1860 with a band of 1,000 sheep which, in company with James T. Riley, he drove to Texas. They sold the sheep at a fair profit, but being com- pelled to accept a portion of their pay in Con- federate money, they suffered an unexpected loss. Mr. Smith returned to Missouri overland, and then decided to seek his fortunes in Montana. In com- pany with T. F. Campbell, the first probate judge elected in Lewis and Clarke county, he arrived at Alder gulch early in June, 1864, and engaged in hanling logs and in general teaming, for which he received $125 in gold dust per month. He remained

at Alder gulch for some time, eventually driving a four-mule team to Salt Lake on his own account. He there made large purchases of potatoes and onions, which he disposed of at Alder gulch at a good profit. He then started with several others down the Yellowstone river for Missouri in row- boats, passing Bozeman, which then consisted of a solitary cabin. They were frozen in on the Yellow- stone and compelled to carry their packs, provisions, etc., overland to Fort Union, which was then used as a trading post and base of supplies and was garrisoned by one Choteau, a Frenchman of St. Louis, also by 100 United States soldiers. Dur- ing the trip to the fort their provisions became ex- hausted and they subsisted on game for a week. From Fort Union he went east and located near Nebraska City, Neb., until the following October, when he visited Texas again for a short time, and in the spring of 1866, went back to Missouri mule- back. In the spring of 1867 he came overland to Montana, and on this expedition he had numerous severe engagements with hostile Indians, and in one battle his cousin, Benjamin McCulloch, was killed. Many of the horses and mules of the party were stolen, and the trip was a most disastrous one. Having arrived in Montana, being six months on the trip, two weeks were passed at Willow creek, in Jefferson county, and then Mr. Smith came to Helena and engaged in the sawmill business for Sanford, Jurgins & Co. The following spring he engaged in freighting between Fort Benton and Helena, and he subsequently worked for E. Beech in the placer mines on the east bank of the Missouri river, half a mile below Stubb's ferry at the Gates of the Mountains, on a bar known as M. C. Cues' bar. They dumped the tailings in the river, filling it up to such an extent that one could almost throw a stone to the other side.

He then secured a homestead claim of 160 acres where the Hebrew cemetery is now located and improving it began ranching in a small way. Owing to the scarcity of water the enterprise was not a success, and he sold the property to Hon. S. Orr for thirty head of cattle, with which he con- ducted dairying for four years, with fair suc- cess. In 1876 he purchased railroad land near Helena, adjoining the present college site. Here Mr. Smith continued in the cattle business until the "boom times" of 1889, the year of Montana's admis- sion into the Union, and he was the first man in the vicinity to sell out at a good profit. In May, 1889, he came to the ranch where he now resides. This

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is one-half mile south of Augusta, and comprises 480 acres, of which 240 acres can be cultivated and he is now engaged in general ranching and stock- raising. Mr. Smith was married to Miss Emma L. Riley on July 29, 1867. She was born in Missouri, a daughter of Hezekiah and Caltha Riley, both na- tives of Kentucky. The father, a farmer, came to, Missouri in pioneer days. Mr. and Mrs. Riley were both members of the Christian church and they died at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are also members of the Christian church and are highly esteemed. They have had six children, one dying in infancy. The living are Luther L., Will- iam B., Hattie H., Arthur B. and George R.

JOHN T. SMITH .- The profession of law in Montana has been honored and dignified by the scrupulous and signally able services of Mr. Smith, who is one of the prominent and representative members of the bar of Park county. John Thomp- son Smith was born in Kirksville, Adair county, Missouri, on July 17th, 1850, being the son of Capt. John T. and Sarah Ann (Goode) Smith, both of whom traced their agnatic lineage to English ex- traction, while both families early became identified with the annals of the south, having been established on American soil for many generations and ever exemplifying sterling character and strong intel- lectuality. John T. Smith, Sr., was born in Knox- ville, Tenn., February 25th, 1813, and his wife was born in Casey county, Ky., on the 29th of October, 1818. His paternal grandparents were Josiah and Martha (Plexco) Smith, the latter being of Hol- land Dutch descent, while the former was a son of Isaac Smith, a native of England, who came to America in the colonial epoch. In the maternal line the ancestry of Mr. Smith traces back to Richard Goode, who was born in Cornwall, England, in 1558, and thence in direct line as follows: John Goode, born in England, in 1620; Joseph Goode, born in Isle of Wight county, Virginia, in 1688; Daniel Goode, born in Virginia, in 1715; Campbell Goode, born in Virginia in 1745, died in 1810; William Goode, born in Virginia, in 1770, died in Palmyra, Mo., in 1844. The last named was the grandfather of our subject.

Jolın T. Smith, Sr., accompanied his parents to Howard county, Mo., in 1834. As a young man he removed thence to Adair county, Mo., where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. In 1859 he or-

ganized at Kirksville a branch of the old State Bank of Missouri, of which he became president on its organization. He represented his county in the state legislature in 1857-8, and during his in- cumbency formed an intimate acquaintanceship with Prof. J. M. Swallow, securing him the appointment as state geologist of Missouri, Prof. Swallow being the first incumbent of this office and later attain- ing distinction in connection with geological ex- plorations in Montana. In the spring of 1864, while living at Kirksville, Mo., Capt. John T. Smith, owing to the animosities of the then pending Civil war, decided to come to Montana. Property in Missouri was being indiscriminately confiscated, while many good and harmless citizens were called to their doors only to meet a volley of musketry, and these conditions were sufficient to make refugees of many of the prominent families in that locality. The Captain thus started on the long and weary journey across the plains, starting out in company with his two eldest sons, a negro named John, a neighbor named Alexander Foster and a nephew, Porter Smith. They outfitted with two ox teams and two yokes of cows, and upon arriving at Nebraska City, Neb., they were joined by many other refugees, forming a company, over which Capt. Smith was placed in command. On learn- ing of the discovery of gold at Alder gulch, they started for that point, and at Renshaw's bridge fell in with Capt. Bozeman, who had formed a com- pany, and the two parties arranged to keep in touch on the forward journey. On the site of the present Fort Phil Kearney one of the men in the company was badly torn by a bear. Game was most plentiful, and the party celebrated the 4th of July by killing more than a hundred buffalo. After striking the Yellowstone river, near where the city of Billings now stands, the company separated, Capt. Smith finally locating in the Gallatin valley, where he engaged in ranching, meeting with good success from the start. In 1868 he returned to Missouri for the purpose of educating his children, and in 1879 he came again to Montana and con- tinued to reside on his ranch, in the Gallatin valley, until his death, which occurred on the 29th of June, 1896. His wife passed away in October, 1889.

John T. Smith, Jr., passed his boyhood in Kirks- ville, Mo., attending the public schools and later completing a course of study in the State Normal School in that place, graduating as a member of the class of 1872, carrying off the honors and being the youngest member of the class by four years.

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Having pledged himself to continue at the normal school as a teacher of chemistry, history and geology, he accepted the chair covering these three branches and filled the position for one year, when he resigned, in order to devote himself to the study of law, which he had decided to adopt as his voca- tion in life. He pursued his technical study under the effective direction of the firm of Ellison & Elli- son, Kirksville, and was admitted to the bar of the state in 1874, entering upon the active practice of his profession in Butler, Bates county, Mo., and there continuing until 1890. In 1876 he was elected county attorney, serving for a term of two years. He gained marked precedence in his profession, hav- ing a large business and retaining the clientage of important corporations, bankers and other repre- sentative business men. He came to Montana in 1890 bearing the highest endorsements of the lead- ing men of Missouri, and settled in Livingston, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession and here he has gained that prestige which is the just reward of his talent and his in- tegrity in all the relations of life. He is a deep student, is thoroughly informed on the science of jurisprudence, is versed in a wide field of literature, especially in the domain of history and physics, and upon questions of law his opinions invariably com- mand respect. Since coming to Montana he has been retained in a number of cases of more than local celebrity, while as a counsellor his services have been in demand in connection with interests of wide scope and importance. He is at present en- gaged as attorney in some of the largest water- right suits that have ever been brought in the state. He has recently purchased about 2,800 acres of land which is all enclosed and stocked with cattle and horses. He gives his political allegiance to the Democratic party, and on several occasions has been the choice of his party for offices of trust and re- sponsibility, and has received large complimentary votes. In 1899 he was elected mayor of Livingston, giving a most able and discriminating administra- tion of municipal affairs.

On the 7th of September, 1877, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Ida Alice Jacobs, who was born in Youngstown, Ohio, March 17, 1855, the daughter of Abraham D. and Elizabeth (Kirk- patrick) Jacobs, natives respectively of Washing- ton county, Penn., and Youngstown, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had three children: Kirk, Vard and Louise Goode, the last named having died November 24, 1889, at the age of eight months.

Fraternally our subject is identified with the Ma- sonic order, in which he has been raised to the master's degree, and with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the A. O. U. M.

S CHUYLER C. SMALL, the present county treasurer of Valley county, is an admirable type of the vital and progressive young men who have contributed so materially to the development of the state of Montana and to maintaining her prestige at high standard. He is practically a native son of the northwest, since he was an infant at the time when his father took up his residence in this section of the Union, and has been reared, educated and played well his part in connection with the practical ac- tivities of life.

Mr. Small was ushered into the world in the far distant Pine Tree state, having been born at Lud- low, Aroostook county, Me., June I, 1867. His father, David W. Small, was born in the same place in 1836, being a representative of one of the promi- nent old families of New England. In the fall of 1868 he came to Bozeman, Mont., and was engaged in farming for two years near Hamilton, now known as Manhattan, Gallatin county. At the ex- piration of this period he removed to Walla Walla, Wash., where he was engaged in the livery business from 1870 until 1895, but since then has been identified with mining enterprises in Alaska, mak- ing his home in Lewiston, Idaho. His wife, whose maiden name was Martha Bradbury, was born in North Dakota, and died at Ludlow, Maine, in 1868.

Schuyler Colfax Small, the immediate subject of this review, attended the public schools of the old city of Walla Walla until 1879, when he came to Helena, Mont., and completed a course in the Engle- horn Business College, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1884. In the following year he engaged in the cattle business near Miles City and continued operations until 1887, when he took his stock to the Musselshell country, where he conducted the same line of enterprise until 1891, when he took up a ranch near Saco, Valley county, filing on a homestead claim of 160 acres, and soon afterward pre-empted a claim of equal area near Glasgow and has since devoted his attention to the raising of cattle and horses on his two ranches.

In politics Mr. Small has been an active worker in the cause of the Democratic party, and at the election in November, 1900, he was elected treasurer

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of Valley county. His personal popularity and he has come in contact. The firm is now known as public appreciation of his eligibility for this re- the Smith Brothers, and is quite popular among the business men of the town. In politics he es- pouses the cause of the Republican party, having be- come a naturalized citizen. On October 24, 1900, Mr. Smith married, at Malta, Miss Mildred Tress- ler, a native of Fergus county, Mont. sponsible office were made clearly manifest at the time, being the only candidate elected on the Demo- cratic county ticket. In 1899 he was appointed un- der sheriff by R. L. Conatser, and in each of his official positions has shown himself well worthy the trust reposed, and has given a most careful adminis- tration of the financial affairs of the county since his induction into office. Fraternally he is identified with North Star Lodge No. 46, A. F. & A. M., at Glasgow, of which he is secretary at this time, and with Northern Light Lodge No. 33, K. of P. at Glasgow. At Saco, Mont., September 20, 1899, Mr. Small was united in marriage to Miss Georgia F. Wilson, who was born at West Union, Minn., the daughter of Chas. and Halla (Moxt) Wilson, the former residing at Billings; the latter died in 1895.

OB. L. O. SMITH .- The provinces of the Do- R minion of Canada have contributed well to the citizenship of Montana, and among those progressive young business men who claim the dominion as the place of their nativity is Mr. Smith, now engaged in the livery business at Malta, one of the thriving little towns of Valley county.

Mr. Smith was born in Cumberland county, Nova Scotia, July 10, 1873, being the son of John and Jane (Black) Smith, both of whom were born in Nova Scotia. The father gave his attention to agricultural pursuits until 1884, but in that year moved to the province of Assinniboine, Northwest Territory, where he has since been engaged in farm- ing and stockraising. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of six sons and four daughters, the subject of this review being second in order of birth.

Rob. L. O. Smith received very good educational training in the public schools of his native county, and was a lad of ten years at the time when the family moved to the wilds of the northwest. He assisted in the work of the homestead ranch in Assinniboine until 1893, in the spring of which year he came into Montana, located in Malta, and for six years was employed on various ranches in this lo- cality. In 1899 he rented the livery stable and equipment of George Jones, and in December, 1901, in company with his brother, Fred K., purchased the outfit and has from that time conducted a very satisfactory business and won the confidence and esteem of the citizens of Malta and all with whom

DEUBEN W. SNOOK .- Born in Center coun- ty, Pa., June 27, 1833, and reared and edu- cated in that sturdy old commonwealth, Reuben W. Snook brought to Forsyth, Mont., the qualities of industry and frugality for which the people of his native state are distinguished, and has put them to good and productive usefulness. His parents, Levi and Margaret (Wohlfort) Snook, were born in Pennsylvania and they there died; the former in 1879 and the latter in 1881. Their ancestors on both sides of the family came to the United States with a German colony in 1684, and settled near York, Pa., where they were profitably engaged in farming for generations. Reuben Snook remained at home working on the farm and attending the district schools in his neighborhood as he had opportunity until he reached the age of maturity. After leaving school he learned the trade of a carpenter. He worked in his native state as a journeyman and rail- road bridge builder until 1883. In the spring of that year he brought his wife and children to Mon- tana and located at Forsyth. There he followed the business of contracting and building for eight years, and erected most of the frame buildings that were put up in the early growth of the town-about forty in all. In 1893 he quit working at his trade and homesteaded a ranch on the Yellowstone which he sold soon after and removed to his present ranch, one mile from Forsyth. This ranch, comprising 168 acres, was purchased by Mr. Snook in 1890, and is devoted to horses, cattle, farming and dairying. Mr. Snook also owns valuable town property in Forsyth. In politics he is a Republican, and has rendered faithful service in various official stations. He was a justice of the peace for a number of ycars, was appointed public administrator in the spring of 1901, and was census enumerator in 1900 for district No. 104, then in Custer county.

Mr. Snook was married in Center county, Pa., in 1858, to Miss Mary Walker, a native of that state, who died there in 1873. He contracted a second marriage in 1874, at the same place, being

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united on that occasion with Miss Margaret Near- hood, also a Pennsylvanian by nativity. They are the parents of seven children : Annie, wife of W. H. Armstrong, a stockman near Forsyth; William, liv- ing at home; John and Howard, cowboys; Edward, an Alaska miner ; and Lizzie and Maggie, living at home. The children of the first marriage are : Aus- tin, married and living at Johnstown, Pa .; Emma, wife of Amos Fehl, a tanner at Clearfield, Pa .; Helen Martha, wife of Ira Blumgard, a farmer in Center county, Pa .; Rebecca, wife of Rice Wester- by, living at Forsyth, Mont., and Sadie, wife of J. H. Kenealy, a dairyman, near Forsyth.

MITH BROTHERS .- Among the more suc-

S cessful stockmen and ranchers near Augusta, Mont., are Arthur B. and Luther L. Smith, brothers who are successful and enterprising business men. They are Montanians by birth, Arthur having been born near Helena and Luther in the capital city. (See sketch of James H. Smith, elsewhere in this work.) Arthur B. Smith, born on February I, 1877, attended school during the winter months at the district schools and assisted his father on the farm in the summer seasons. When he was twenty- one years old he and his brother Luther purchased 400 acres of land from Albert Dupee for $3,000. This ranch is located five miles south of Augusta; one hundred acres of it they devote to general ranch- ing, and the rest affords splendid range for their fine herd of cattle. On September 12, 1890, Arthur B. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Alice Daniels, a native of Missouri and daughter of Wil- liam B. and Gertrude Daniels. Her father was born in Kentucky and her mother in Missouri. They were a family of agriculturalists and came to Montana in 1881, locating at Belt. They are both active members of the Christian church. Luther L. Smith was born September 28, 1870. Until he was of age his time was passed in attending school and in general farm work. Since attaining his ma- jority he has been engaged with his brother in the cattle business. In 1890 Mr. Smith had a remark- able escape from death. He fell from the top of Haystack butte, 100 feet in perpendicular height, receiving but slight injury. Politically he is an ac- tive supporter of the Democratic ticket, and frater- nally he belongs to the Woodmen of the World. He is an energetic business man of sound judgment and integrity and is highly esteemed.

H ARRY SOMMERS .- Of the men who have displayed unusual business ability in electrical work is Harry Sommers, superintendent of the Bell Telephone Company for Helena and contiguous territory, a position to which he has risen by in- dustry and capacity from the ranks of the service. He was born in 1864, at Davenport, Iowa, the son of John and Catherine (Kirker) Sommers, the for- mer a native of New York state and the latter of Switzerland. They settled in Iowa early in their married life, but soon removed to Missouri, where the father followed farming and his trade of car- penter until his death in 1867. The mother then made her home in Denver and in that city her son, Harry, received his early education. When he was thirteen years of age he started out to make his own way in the world, entering the employ of the West- ern Union Telegraph Company at Denver as a mes- senger, and for a number of years worked in this capacity during the summer months, attending school in the winter. He was connected with the telegraph service in various places and capacities until 1888 when he came to Helena, Mont., and in- stalled the district messenger service, and then on September I of that year was appointed superinten- dent of the Rocky Mountain Telephone Company in Helena, a position which he still holds, and the duties of which he is discharging with eminent satisfaction to the company and the public. Mr. Sommers is a Democrat, and has been active in the service of his party, and represented his ward two years in the Helena city council. Of the fraternal societies he belongs to the Freemasons and the Elks, holding membership in their Helena lodges. In 1891 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Houser, a native of Virginia City, Mont., and daughter of Christian and Mary E. Houser of that city. In 1893 she passed to those activities that know no weariness, leaving one child, William H. Sommers.

THOMAS A. SNIDOW .- The American mind is essentially elastic and recuperative as well as resourceful and self-reliant. When the conditions of life are obdurate and unfavorable, it persuades or compels them to fruitfulness. When reverses of fortune come, out of the very wreck it frequently finds the means to greater prosperity and success. This truth is well illustrated in the career of Thomas A. Snidow. He was born near Madison, Monroe county, Mo., January 31, 1863, the son of J. M.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 157

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