Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 164

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 164

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A LFRED VAN CAMP .- The early ancestors of this gentleman on coming to America set- tled in Massachusetts, and later removed to New York. The paternal grandfather, Peter Van

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

Camp, was a royalist of the Revolution, who then settled in the township of Matilda, in Canada, where William, the father of Alfred, was born and reared, as was also his mother, Jane ( Brad- burn) Van Camp, and there also Alfred Van Camp was born on March 5, 1845, one of nine children. Mr. VanCamp remained on the old homestead forty miles west of Toronto until 1864, when he started for Montana, but when he reached Omaha he concluded to try Colorado, where he located in Central City. While crossing the plains his party one day passed a train of about a dozen wagons, and within an hour thereafter a band of Indians surprised this train while the men were at dinner and massacred the entire party, except two women whom they carried into captivity, but who were subsequently rescued, one of the women having at the time of her capture a small child in her arms. Mr. VanCamp engaged in min- ing during his first winter in Colorado, and the next April started for Montana, equipped with horses and wagons, but, finding the roads very bad, he sold the wagons and used the horses as pack animals for the rest of the journey, which was by way of Soda Springs, and he experienced no trouble from Indians, arriving at Virginia City on May 21, 1865. A week later he removed with a friend to Last Chance gulch and there mined for a few weeks, then went to White's gulch and pros- pected, but with unflattering results. The next winter he spent at Diamond City, and White's gulch, and the next summer he passed in prospect- ing, wintering at New York gulch, in the spring of 1867 removing to Cooper gulch, where he re- mained until 1872, engaged in mining.

In 1872, however, he relinquished mining and went to work for Capt. Stafford at farming, and in 1874 personally engaged in the cattle business. After several years in Sweet Grass county, in 1879, he took up property on the Musselshell, where his home ranch is located west of the village of Two Dot, and contains nearly 2,000 acres. On this ranch he has a fine residence, an abundance of other superior buildings, sheds, barns, corrals, etc., and has a feature of unusual interest in a large veget- able garden whose products are the wonder of the country side, potatoes often weighing three pounds each and cabbages and turnips fifteen pounds each. Mr. VanCamp has four other ranches, the Hall ranch at Delpine of 200 acres, well improved and in a high state of cultivation; one of 320 acres on the Daisy Dean creek, ten

miles from the homestead, and which is given up to stock and hay, and two others of 160 acres each. One of the most extensive farmers and ranchmen in the state, he is a wide-awake, enter- prising and progressive man in every particular, a benefit to Montana, a credit to his community, possessing great influence and usefulness. Mr. Van Camp was married on February 24, 1885, with Miss Annie Doores, daughter of Edwin Doores, a prosperous carpenter and builder residing on the Musselshell and successfully engaged in busi- ness until his death in 1897. The VanCamps have six children, all of school age and living at home. They are Forrest E., Alfred T., Ethel, Henry D., Mary and Earnest A.

REV. F. VAN CLARENBEEK was born in the province of the Rhine, Germany, on July 9, 1867, the son of Lambert and Catherine (Roelofs) Van Clarenbeek. Lambert Van Clarenbeek was a man of wealth and influence and removed from his native Holland to Germany, where he main- tained his home until his death in 1899. His Ger- man wife is still living there. Of their seven chil- dren all are living. Francis Van Clarenbeek attended the sisters' school at Beek, Holland, and later entered St. Louis College, at Roermond, where lie continued his studies for seven years. At the age of fourteen he en- tered St. Michael's Seminary at St. Michaels, Gestel, and there remained six years, pursuing his scholastic work.' In order to further prepare himself for the work of the ministry he went to Brussels and Louvain, Belgium, where he was a student in the American College for four years, and then returned to Holland and was ordained in 1892, at Bois-le Duc, under the episcopal hands of Bishop Henry Van de Ven. Returning to the college he continued his studies until April, 1893, when he started for the United States, coming to Helena, Mont., and becoming assistant at the cathedral of the Sacred Hearts for four years. Bishop Brondel then assigned him to a charge in Kalispell for the winter of 1896, and the following year he came to Billings as priest in charge of St. Joachim's parish. On his assuming work the con- gregation was worshiping in a small church, with rather meagre accessories. Father Van Clarenbeek has thoroughly vitalized the parish, has expended $2,000 in beautifying the interior

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of the church, and in 1898-9 erected the priest's hotise and St. Vincent's hospital. His zeal and devotion has been shown in a practical and tangi- ble way, receiving the hearty co-operation and sympathy of his people. The church now has about 170 communicants and is in a most pros- perous condition. A mission is also maintained at Columbus, and receives due care and attention from Father Van Clarenbeek. Not only has he shown strong executive ability, but a most ele- vated, spiritual faith and potency, so that he has drawn his people closely together and infused a greater spiritual devotion and consecration.

DR. C. E. K. VIDAL, the leading physician and surgeon of Belt, Cascade county, is a man well and favorably known. Just in the prime of life, having been born on February 6, 1870, in Sussex, England, he has acquired high reputation as a skillful practitioner, as well as the confidence of a large circle of friends. He is the son of B. H. and Kate Vidal, also natives of England. Mrs. Vidal died in 1884. The father, who is a promi- nent Freemason and a colonel in the English army, is stationed at Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Vidal was excellently grounded in all the elementary branches in the schools of Toronto, Canada, and this education was richly supplemented in the technical and scientific branches of his professional education by attendance at the Bishop Medical College of Montreal, and the University Medical College at Toronto, where six years of diligent study were devoted and where he was graduated simultaneously with the attainment of his majority.

His first medical practice was as an assistant physician at Lethbridge, Alberta, and he then located at Neihart, Mont., where he was in the successful practice of both branches of his pro- fession until 1895, when he located at Belt. Dr. Vidal is one of the broad-minded, progressive men of Montana, who has been eminently success- ful in life and is accorded the esteem of all with whom he is acquainted. Politically his support is with the Democratic party and he manifests a lively interest in its campaigns. On July 4, 1893, Dr. Vidal married with Miss Mabel Macrae, of Montreal, Canada, daughter of George and Rose Macrae, of Scotland, who, like himself is a com- municant of the Episcopal church. Her father was legal counsel and attorney of the Grand Trunk

Railway, and prominent in Masonic circles, and also in the Episcopal church, dying in 1892. His wife, also a member of the same church, is still living. Of the four children of Dr. and Mrs. Vidal one died in infancy, the survivors being Lawrence R., John F. and an infant.

NELCE VIELLEAUX .- This hardy pioneer, a much-traveled man of many occupations, a wide range of experiences, a long succession of thrilling adventures and a wealth of interesting reminiscences, familiarly called "Capt. Nelce" by everybody, is one of the best known men in north- ern Montana and southern Canada, having led an active and adventurous life in these sections for nearly half a century. He was born near Mont- real, Canada, some seventy years ago, and never had any education except that gained in the hard but thorough school of experience, whose teach- ings bring quickness of perception, readiness for action, knowledge of men and other valuable ele- ments of character. When he was fifteen years old he went to Brooklyn, N. Y., and worked two years in a sawmill. But his temperament was of the out-door kind and could not brook the re- straints of work in regular hours day by day. So he made a trip to Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Cin- cinnati and St. Louis, an extensive trip for those days, seeking for occupation suited to his high endowments in certain lines; at last arriving at the locality where it could be found. At St. Louis he attracted the attention of some Misisssippi steamboat men, who saw promise in him of future usefulness as a pilot, and after making a few trips under instructions he became a regular pilot at a monthly salary of $500, and soon justified the confidence he had inspired.

He was a pilot on the southern rivers for fifteen years, seeing every phase of a unique and pictur- esque life that now has passed away forever. When at length modern innovations had taken from life on the river its most entertaining features he abandoned piloting and for a year ran a small trading boat of his own from St. Louis to La Salle, Ill. The next two years he was manager of the James Bovee stock ranch near Laramie, Wyo., and then, after a visit to his old home at Mont- real, he came to Montana, reaching Virginia City during its first mining excitement. He "struck it rich" on Stinking Water creek, and soon sold

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

one of his claims, No. 1I, for $5,000. From Vir- ginia City he went to Fort Benton, when there was nothing there but the old fort, and passed a number of years engaged in buying and selling horses and in trading with the Indians. While making Fort Benton his home, he there erected several buildings, including a residence, a livery stable and a saloon, and he yet owns valuable property in this pioneer town. He later engaged in freighting for the government, under contract furnishing hay, horses and other supplies, and was frequently employed to carry the money for the soldiers' pay at the different posts when that ser- vice involved greater danger and constant risk ..

Capt. Nelce was by this time well known to all the officials and business men on both sides of the boundary line between this country and Can- ada, and because of his great courage, prudence, shrewdness and knowledge of the country, was frequently employed as a scout and guide. Nearly a quarter of a century ago he settled down to a quiet life at his present home in the Teton river valley about twenty miles from Fort Benton, where he has a ranch of 1,200 acres, owning also a timber tract of 140 acres in another part of the valley, and has from that time devoted his attention to an extensive raising of cattle and horses. His name is a household word through- out the state, as connected with one of the best types of the early men of the Rocky mountain region. He was married at Fort Benton about 1860 to Julia, an Indian woman, who died at Ben- ton in 1892, after a life of faithful devotion to her husband and her family. Their five children are Orietta, Philemon, John, Nelce. and Oliver, the last named now occupying a responsible position in the British army in South Africa.

H ON. GORDON C. VINEYARD, of Anaconda, Mont., has had an interesting and varied ca- reer, having been closely identified with the growth and development of Montana since 1864, and no one has contributed more to the upbuilding of the institutions of the state. Among the very earliest of the pioneers, he has seen the wilderness changed by civilization into a great and prosperous state with thousands of happy homes. Mr. Vineyard was born at Booneville, Cooper county, Mo., on March 13, 1836. His parents were John and Ma- tilda (Witt) Vineyard, both natives of Virginia.

whence they emigrated to Missouri in its pioneer days. They were farmers, both in Virginia and Missouri, and both died in Monitor county, Mo., the former in 1855 and the latter in 1858. Com- pelled by circumstances to leave school at the early age of eighteen Mr. Vineyard became a clerk in Seeley's store at Round Hill, Mo., where he re- mained for five years, and in 1861 he was mar- ried, near Tipton, Mo., to Miss Theresa Ann Fin- ley, a native of Monitor county. (Their son, Wal- ter W. Vineyard, is now a resident of the Big Hole Creek valley.)

Mr. Vineyard soon afterward received an ap- pointment as under-sheriff, and the duties of the office he discharged with conceded ability until he tendered his resignation in 1864 that he might join an expedition to Montana, which came by steain- boat up the Missouri river to Fort Benton, where it arrived on July 2, 1864. From Fort Benton Mr. Vineyard went to Last Chance gulch, and then to Alder gulch and Virginia City, staying at the lat- ter place until November and following mining. Returning then to Last Chance gulch he took up a ranch in Lewis and Clarke county on Silver creek in the Prickly Pear valley. Later he followed min- ing in Last Chance gulch with varying success. Having sent for his wife to join him in his new home, he proceeded to Fort Benton in June, 1865, to meet her upon the arrival of the steamer. The trip from Helena to Fort Benton was then one of peril, as the Blackfoot Indians were on the warpath. Mr. Vineyard made the trip in safety, although he had several narrow escapes from the Indians. His wife arriving without unusual incident, they pro- ceeded during the summer to Helena, where Mr. Vineyard worked placer mining claims in Grizzly and Dry gulches. In 1866 he discovered and lo- cated valuable placer mines in Lone Tree and Mitch- ell gulches, and successfully operated them until 1871, when, during the spring and summer, he mined at the Race Track diggings in Deer Lodge, now Powell county. In the fall he discovered and located several valuable claims in Hoodoo gulch, where the town of Carroll now stands. These mines he operated successfully until 1874. In 1872, how- ever, he had taken up a ranch on which a portion of the city of Anaconda is now located. This prop- erty he improved with the intention of making it his permanent home. In 1874 he engaged in min- ing in the new camp of Philipsburg, and also had a large wood contract with the Northwestern Com- pany that continued from 1874 to 1877. He re-

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turned to his ranch at Anaconda in 1877 where he was occupied in mining, farming and stockraising until 1883.

Selling his ranch for a large sum to the Anaconda company as a site for one of its great smelting plants, he engaged extensively in teaming and trans- ferring in Butte for about two years, and during his residence in Butte, he purchased some valuable "city property. In 1885 he returned to Anaconda and built the Warm Springs livery stable. Dis- posing of this property, he has since been engaged in mining and prospecting. He is the owner of val- uable sapphire and garnet claims on Warm Spring creek, thirteen miles from Anaconda, and is one of the proprietors of a dredging company at George- town Flat. Politically Mr. Vineyard has been act- ively and prominently identified with the Demo- cratic party all of his life in Montana. From 1867 to 1870 he was one of the county commissioners of Jefferson county, when the county seat was at Montana City. He was also a county commissioner of Deer Lodge county from 1880 to 1882, and made a record as a capable and a conscientious officer. He is a valued member of Acacia Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Anaconda. Mr. Vineyard is a leading and highly respected citizen of the city of his home, and, although his life has been full of busy activities, he is still as keen in business and as in- terested in public and local affairs as in his younger days, and looks forward to many years of activity.

JOHN H. VIOL .- While "What's in a name?" is not a question for discussion here, it is some- what significant that the life of John H. Viol, the subject under immediate consideration in this sketch, has been spent amid a "concourse of sweet sounds," and that he is a master alike in the science and the art of music. Mr. Viol was born in the county of Cornwall, England, January 5, 1848, the oldest of the ten children of John and Mary (Hooper) Viol, also natives of England. The father was a hardworking, prosperous miner, but his children were obliged to begin the battle of life early for themselves. And so it happened that at the age of ten our subject was obliged to leave the public schools in which he was making good progress, and go to work around the mines at such jobs as he was able to do. He spent two years at this labor, and the next seven at harder work in the mines. But in the meantime, at the

age of fourteen, he began to learn band music, and showed such a high talent for it and succeeded so well in the mastery of its intricacies, that at the early age of nineteen he was leader of three cornet bands and soloist in another, of which his brother was the conductor. Prior to leaving England he was leader of two artillery bands. In 1875 he immigrated to America, locating at Georgetown, Colo., where he went to work leasing for himself, and was at once asked to take the leadership of a good band at that place. A few months later the band gave a public concert under his leadership, and he was presented with a cornet which cost $175 as a tribute to his skill and services, which covered instruction to the band through all the range from amateur to military music. In 1878 he removed to Cherry Creek, Nev., and worked in the mines there until April, 1881, when he made a visit to his old home in England. In August of that year he returned to America and settling at Butte, Mont., went to work in the mines, but was asked to take the leadership of the Alice band at that place, and was its successful conductor until March, 1888. Under his instruction the band improved rapidly, and during his connection with it won many notable triumphs over rival organi- zations in friendly competition. In 1888 he was induced to make his home in Granite and become the conductor of the Granite Cornet Band. At first he engaged in mining and prospecting ; then built the Ruby hotel and conducted it for awhile. Later he went into the shoe business ; in 1890 he quit the hotel business, but continued the other enterprise until 1893, when the financial crash drove him out of business. He then returned to Butte and remained for a year or two, but went to Granite in 1898 and opened a shoe store, which he is still conducting. Mr. Viol has prospered in business and accumulated considerable property. He owns a fine home in the town and the building in which his business is conducted ..

He has identified himself actively with public affairs-was chairman of the school board for a term or two, and was an unsuccessful candidate for assessor, his party being defeated at the elec- tion. He is a Republican in politics. Fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Safety Fund Society. He was married in England, when nine- teen years old to Miss Salina Webb. They have ten children, namely: Rose, John A., Lilly E., Annie, Stella, Louise, Cecil, Percival, Mabel and

G. C. H. L. Siegling

andrew J. Voight

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

Ruby. Mr. and Mrs. Viol are members of the Episcopal church. Mr. Viol continues his musical services to the community, arranging selections and adapting the works of the masters for pub- lic occasions, as well as producing original com- positions of decided merit.

NDREW J. VOIGHT .- In the development A

of the business interests of Armington, Cas -. cade county, there has been no more diligent or progressive worker than Mr. Voight. He is a broad-minded, liberal-spirited German-American, who, by thrift and industry and superior business judgment, has developed near Armington an en- terprise that has added largely to the valuable industries of the state. He was born in Geneva, N. Y., on New Year's day, 1858, the son of John and Emma Voight, natives of Germany. In early days they came to the United States and the father engaged successfully in the meat business until 1890, when he retired with a competence and now re- sides at Waverly, Iowa. Both himself and wife are members of the Congregational church. His political convictions are in sympathy with the Re- publican party, and fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, the United Workmen and the Odd Fellows.

Andrew J. Voight received an excellent business education, and later engaged with his father in the meat business, beginning as early as his fifteenth year. Remaining with his parents until he at- tained his majority, in 1879, he removed to Lead- ville, Colo., where he followed various occupa- tions, butchering, prospecting, exploring and min- ing, the latter proving the most successful. At all periods and under all circumstances he made a good living, and in 1885 he came to Helena, Mont., but soon went to Butte, where he again worked at mining there and at Marysville and Castle mountain. In 1895 he went to Armington, and developed the fire-brick field lying one-half mile east of the town that he had discovered in 1892. He gave all of his energetic resources to the es- tablishment of a valuable plant for the manufac- ture of fire and pressed brick, until the cacapity of his kilns was 3,000 per day, and the valuable products werc in great demand in all principal points in Montana and adjacent states, and he sold it in 1901 for a handsome consideration. The do- mestic life of Mr. Voight dates from January 22,

1894, when he was married to Miss Josephine Larson, a native of Mona, Mitchell county, Iowa, daughter of Christian and Mary Larson. They were born in Norway and emigrated to the United States, locating in Dakota in early days. In his early life Mr. Larson was a wheelwright, but later he became a successful farmer in the country of · his adoption. His political affiliation is with the Republican party. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Voight consists of four children, one, Emma, is their own child. The others, Arthur, Glen and Melvin, are theirs by adoption. The fraternal as- sociations of Mr. Voight are with the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America, and politically he is an active Democrat.

C HRIS. VOLLQUARDT .- An industrious, progressive and enterprising ranchman, a good citizen, an esteemed neighbor and friend, Chris. Vollquardt of near Roundup, Mont., is a . credit both to the land of his nativity and that of his adoption. He was born in Schleswig, Ger- many, on June 18, 1863, and was there educated and later engaged in the sheep industry with his stepfather. In 1887 he came to America and located in Iowa for thirteen months as a farmer. In the spring of 1888 he came to Montana and took employment as a sheep herder near Billings, remaining there until the autumn of 1891, when he engaged in sheepraising on his own account, feeding in Yellowstone county for a year. He then removed to a ranch which he had taken up on the Rosebud near Absarokee, where he remained until the fall of 1900, when he sold the ranch, which he had improved with good buildings. He then returned to Germany with his family, re- mained eight months, and in June, 1901, came again to Montana and soon purchased of J. H. Witt a half interest in the ranch on the Mussel- shell near Roundup, where he is now located. In this enterprise he has a partner, Henry Koch, and the firm name is Vollquardt & Koch. Their prop- erty consists of about 28,000 acres, in which there is a large amount of flat land suitable for culti- vation. They run about 9,000 sheep in winter, Cotswolds being their favorite. Their land is well supplied with water and well adapted to their purpose. On December 8, 1896, Mr. Vollquardt was married to Miss Bertha Ritz, a native of Ger- many, whose father came to America and settled

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in North Dakota, where he still resides and is engaged in farming. The Vollquardt family has one child, Margaretta.

ISADOR WAGNER .- A valuable contribution 1 of Germany to the needs and the admirable productive force of Montana, Mr. Wagner was born on October 15, 1851, at Baden, Germany, the youngest of the nine children of his parents, who were also natives of Germany. He diligently applied himself to study in the public schools until he was nineteen years old, then emigrated from Germany to New York, where he passed a few years in the state engaged in farming. But feel- ing a desire for the greater opportunities seem- ingly offered by the great west, he removed to Illinois and farmed there for a year. In 1875 he crossed the plains to Montana, located a mile and a half north of Florence, in Ravalli county, on an excellent ranch of 160 acres which he has been occupying and developing ever since. It is well located for his purposes, adjoining the prop- erties of his brothers, Joseph and Sebastian. He has given it the benefit of his best efforts for im- provement, and it shows evidence of advanced views of farming intelligently applied. Mr. Wag- ner has always been a Republican, but not an act- ive partisan. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and its adjunct organiza- tion, the Daughters of Rebekah. He was married in 1885 to Miss Anna E. Haub, of near Florence, whose home was in Germany up to the time of her marriage. They have a daughter, Miss Rosie Wagner, who adds much to the attractiveness of their home, where they delight to receive and en- tertain their hosts of devoted friends. Mr. Wag- ner's two brothers own and occupy adjoining properties, as has been noted, and all work har- moniously for their common interests and for the benefit of the community.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 164

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