Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 17

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 17

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Isle, and was born in March, 1840. He received a common school education in his native land, and there learned the trade of shoemaker. In 1857 he emigrated to America, where he arrived in March, and located in Scranton, Pa., where he worked at his trade until 1861, when he journeyed to the far west, engaging in mining in Colorado until 1866, when he joined the stampede of miners to Alder gulch, Mont., where the richest of placer mines had been discovered. He remained at Vir- ginia City for a few months, in the fall removing to Blackfoot City, where he was engaged in min- ing until 1870, when he took up a ranch in the Nevada valley, Powell county, and there estab- lished a permanent home. The ranch is located three miles west of the Washington gulch post- office and comprises 320 acres of very fertile and productive land, much of which is under high cultivation, with the permanent improvements of the best order, making the place a most valuable and attractive one.

Mr. Gallagher here devoted his attention to agriculture and stockraising until his death, which occurred on January 7, 1900, and his widow has since conducted the business with signal discre- tion and ability, having shown herself capable of meeting all the exigencies incidental to the work of the ranch, and taking a deep interest in carrying on the enterprise inaugurated by her husband and by him brought to that success which insured to his family the retention of a good home and an insured income. In politics Mr. Gallagher belonged to the Democratic party, and at the time of his death he was incumbent of the office of school trustee, ever having taken a deep in- terest in educational affairs and also in all other agencies which tend to the advancement and pros- perity of his community. On January 3, 1886, in Deer Lodge county, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Gallagher to Miss Ellen Lynch, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, and six children were born to them, Margaret, Mary, John, Jo- hanna, Ellen and Francis, all of whom are with their mother on the old homestead.

W T ILLIAM J. GALAHAN is one of the ster- ling pioneers of Montana and a represent- ative business man of Madison county. He is a native of New York city, where he was born December 20, 1843. His father, Thomas Galahan,

was born in Ireland, and was a surveyor by pro- fession, and immigrated to America about the year 1836 and located in the city of Philadelphia, where he studied civil engineering and became an expert surveyor. In 1857 he moved to Kan- sas and there died in 1867. He was united to Miss Ellen Stokesbury, who likewise was born in Ireland, whence she accompanied her parents on their removal to the United States, the family tak- ing up their residence in New York city, where their marriage was consummated. Of this union seven children were born, the subject of this sketch being the second. The mother of Mr. Gala- han passed away in 1894. William J. Gallahan received his educational training in the public schools of New York city and Kansas, and in 1862, upon personally assuming the responsibili- ties of life he engaged for three years in freight- ing from the Missouri river to Denver, Colo. In 1865 he moved from Denver to Nevada City, located below Virginia City, in Alder gulch, then one of the most busy placer mining camps known in the history of gold seeking. In 1866 he en- gaged in mercantile business at Nevada City for one and a half years, when the mines at Rochester were opened up and caused an influx of pros- pectors and miners, and thereupon removed to that point and engaged in the sale of dry goods, clothing and furnishing goods for two years. Mr. Galahan then turned his attention to ranching, locating on a farm on Wisconsin creek, five miles south of Twin Bridges, his postoffice adddress. The ranch now comprises 160 acres, finely im- proved and devoted to diversified farming and stockgrowing. In addition to his ranching in- terests Mr. Galahan conducts a large feed, grain, flour and harness store in the village of Twin Bridges, which receives his personal attention, while one of his sons has practical charge of the home ranch.

In politics our subject is a stalwart Republican, and has ever taken a deep interest in all that makes for the progress and material prosperity of the county and state. He served three terms as road supervisor and is thoroughly public-spir- ited in his attitude. He is a popular and active member of the Masonic fraternity, affiliating with Westgate Lodge No. 27, A. F. & A. M., at Twin Bridges, in which he has filled all the official chairs. At Salt Lake City, Utah, in October, 1865, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Gala- han to Miss Isabella Tarbet, who was born at sea,

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off the coast of Newfoundland, while her par- ents were en route from Scotland to America, where her father engaged in the meat market business. Her parents both died during her child- hood and she was reared in the home of her brother. They removed to Omaha, Neb., and at Council Bluffs she formed the acquaintance of Mr. Galahan, the ultimate result being their mar- riage. They are the parents of seven children as follows : Thomas married Miss Mary Maloney and they have three children, he being one of the successful young ranchmen of the Ruby valley, Madison county; George is a contractor and is now residing in the state of Idaho; John C. is en- gaged in freighting; Amos A. has charge of the homestead ranch; Rosella is the wife of Clark Kemph, of Rochester, this county, and Walter and Harrison are in school.

JOHN D. GAINEY .- Identified with the rail- J way mail service of the government, and main- taining his headquarters in the city of Havre, Mr. Gainey is one of the popular and progressive young men of the state. He comes of fine old southern lineage and is a native of the beautiful old Crescent city, New Orleans, La., where he was born on August 29, 1873, the son of William H. and Anna (Hicks) Gainey. The father was born in Tallahassee, Fla., and for the past quarter of a century has been cotton inspector at New Orleans, his duties being to properly grade and classify cotton previous to its shipment. In 1869 was solemnized his marriage to Miss Anna Hicks, who was born in Columbus, Ga.

John D. Gainey received his education in the public schools and the Atlanta (Ga.) University. When eighteen years of age he became a travel- ing representative for the International Publish- ing Company, of Philadelphia, with which he was thus identified for thirty months, and for the next six months he was in the life insurance business in his native city, where he became identified with Vera Cruz Lodge No. 24, of the Masonic frater- nity, with which he is now affiliated, and where he enlisted in the Twenty-fifth United States Infan- try, with which he came to Fort Missoula, Mont., and where he was stationed three years, during which time he was a member of the band and edited the regimental newspaper, The Bugler, mak- ing a spicy exponent of the technical and social

life of the fort. At the opening of the Spanish- American war Mr. Gainey was connected with the quartermaster's department at Chattanooga, Tenn., where he issued clothing to all of the volunteer soldiers. He left the army in June, 1898, and returned to New Orleans, passed a civil service examination in 1900, and in 1901 came again to Montana, where he has since been employed in the railway mail service, and at present is on duty on the St. Paul & Havre R. P. O. of the Great Northern Railroad.

EDWARD M. GARDNER is a prominent and influential citizen of Bozeman, Gallatin county, engaged in the real estate and insur- ance business, formerly identified with the stock- growing industry. He has been a resident of Montana for more than two decades, held official position of trust and responsibility, and is known as an enthusiastic advocate of the cause of the Pro- hibitionists, his zealous efforts having done much to further the cause, and thus place him high in the councils of the party. Mr. Gardner was born in Northville, Wayne county, Mich., February 10, 1842. His father, Abram A. Gardner, was born in Vermont in 1811, moved to Michigan when a young man, later to Kansas and thence to Oregon, Mo., where he died in 1877. He was an able practicing physician and surgeon, and attained eminence in his profession. His wife, whose maiden name was Jennette C. Russell, was born in 1812 at Charlestown, Mass., now a part of Bos- ton, and her death occurred at Oregon, Mo., in 1880. The paternal grandparents were natives of Vermont, while the maternal grandparents were born in Scotland.

Edward M. Gardner received his early educa- tion in the public schools of his native village and of Detroit, Mich., and left school at the age of seventeen years. In 1860 he accompanied his par- ents on their removal to Kansas, where they pur- chased a farm near the town of Highland, where our subject found employment for two years, in cultivating the place. He taught school in High- land for one year, and turned his attention to freighting from St. Joseph, Mo., to Denver, Colo., and thus engaged from 1863 to 1866. He then purchased a farm of 500 acres in Nodaway county, Mo., remained there for a period of twelve years, extensively engaged in the raising of cattle and

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devoting especial attention to the breeding of high-grade shorthorn stock. Disposing of his farm and business in 1879, he started for Mon- tana, and arrived in Bozeman on June 2, where he bought a herd of cattle, together with their brand. He was associated in Gallatin county with his step-son, Charles F. Baker, for seventeen years in the raising of cattle, Mr. Baker having active charge of the business. In 1879 Mr. Gardner lo- cated in Bozeman, and in 1881 was appointed dep- uty clerk of the United States district court for the First judicial district, in which capacity he served for five years. Since 1886 he has been prominently engaged in the real estate and in- surance business and concerned in many extensive and important realty transactions. He controls a large insurance business, second to no other agency in this section of the state.

Mr. Gardner has been a Prohibitionist since 1884, and been prominent as chairman or secre- tary of the state central committee of the same. In 1892 he was the party's candidate for secre- tary of state, receiving the largest vote of any candidate on the ticket. The same year he was delegate to the national convention of the party, held in Cincinnati, which nominated John Bid- well for president ; and in 1900 he was delegate to the national convention in Chicago which placed John G. Wooley in nomination for the presidency. In 1894 Mr. Gardner was elected to the city coun- cil of Bozeman, re-elected in 1896, and was presi- dent of that body until the expiration of his term in 1898. Fraternally he is a member of Western Star Lodge No. 4, I. O. O. F., and passed all the chairs ; is past master of Bozeman Lodge No. 5, A. O. U. W., and a member of the grand lodge of this order in the state, having passed the various chairs and served as grand master in 1896; in 1898 he was supreme repre- sentative to the grand lodge of the United States, convened that year at Asbury Park, N. J.

At Highland, Kan., on May 4, 1870, Mr. Gard- ner was united in marriage to Mrs. Flora Baker, widow of John Baker and daughter of Findley and Rachel (Irvin) McCreary, and of this union have been born one son and three daughter: Arch R .; Mary W., wife of P. C. Waite, of Bozeman ; Mat- tie J. and Carrie P. Mr. Gardner, his wife and daughters are members of the Presbyterian church at Bozeman. He was elected elder and ordained in 1883, has done much for the upbuilding of the church in the city, and was commissioner to the

general assembly. in Pittsburg in 1896. He and his family occupy a prominent place in social circles of Bozeman.

A LBERT J. GATES, one of the progressive business men of Cascade county, who is largely and successfully engaged in the raising of stock, came to Montana in 1888. He was born in Elling- ton, Chautauqua county, N. Y., on June 10, 1836, the son of Ardil and Orilla (Hall) Gates, natives of Vermont. His father was a cabinetmaker until he enlisted in the war of 1812. He was taken prisoner near Plattsburg, N. Y., and was for three days without food. He died in Meeker county, Minn., in 1883, at the age of eighty-nine years, and his wife died at Le Boeuf, Erie county, Pa., at the age of sixty-three.

In 1844 Mr. Gates left Ellington and went to Dodge county, Wis., where he assisted his father in his farm work and attended the common schools. Here he remained until he was nineteen years of age, when he returned to Ellington, and was em- ployed on the farm of his brother, Joel Gates (father of Mrs. W. H. Betts), for nearly a year. In 1857 he went to Erie county, Pa., with his father's family, where they engaged in farming and fruitraising for seven years. During that time, in 1859, Mr. Gates went to Blue Earth county, Minn., and was associated with his brothers, Seth and David, in freighting, then the only method of transporting goods, as there were no railroads. On February 25, 1861, he went to Wisconsin, only staying until April 13, then returned to his Pennsylvania home and engaged in carpenter work. In 1864 Mr. Gates again went to Blue Earth county, Minn., where he was engaged in farming until 1880, and then removed to Stearns county, where he remained eight years.

In 1888 Mr. Gates came to Great Falls, Mont., and was taken sick on April 10 and confined to his bed for many months, being removed on a bed to his home on his present ranch. The lo- cation of this ranch is twelve miles south of Sand Coulee. Here he took up combined homestead and tree claims of 320 acres, and has, in a mea- sure, recovered his health. He cultivates forty acres.

In 1864 Mr. Gates was united in marriage to Miss Adaline Fairchild, daughter of George W. and Ruth (Beebe) Fairchild, of Union City, Pa.

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Of their ten children, one, Edward, is de- ceased. The living are Rowena Electa, Alberta Rosella, Marston Wellington, William Ardil, Dora Ada, Laura Mabel, Claudia Lewis, George Albert and Byron Ira. Mr. Gates has given his son his tree claim consisting of 160 acres of land, the transfer having been made in September, 1896; but he still has 160 acres, sixteen head of cattle and six horses. Since his first arrival in Mon- tana his health has been poor, and he has more and more desired to retire from active business.

F RANK GEHRING .- There is ever marked satisfaction afforded in reviewing the career of one who has attained success as a result of his efforts, and Mr. Gehring, one of the successful ranch men of Cascade county, where he is conducting operations on an extended scale as a cattle grower and farmer, is such a man. Mr. Gehring was born at Wabash, Adams county, Ind., on October 2, 1846, the son of John and Saloma Gehring, both of whom were born in Wittemberg, Germany, where the former followed tilemaking. Coming to the United States in 1845, he engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. They were devoted members of the Lutheran church, in whose faith the father passed away in 1849, his widow surviving him until 1872.

In the public schools of Indiana Frank Gehring received his education, but he early assumed per- sonal responsibilities, as he was only three years old when his father died. At fifteen he took active interest in the stockraising and farming of his mother's homestead, being thus employed until 1870, when he came to Helena, Mont., and he may be considered as a pioneer of the state, of which he has been a resident for over thirty years. He was employed at ranch work, and in 1873 he went to North Dakota, and worked there at ranching until the fall of 1874, when he returned to his old home in Indiana. In 1875 he returned to Montana and located at Silver City, where he took up a mining claim of twenty acres. This proving a failure, he abandoned it and engaged in teaming and stock- raising in which his success was excellent. In the spring of 1881 Mr. Gehring came to Sand Coulee valley, Cascade county, and entered a pre-emption claim of 160 acres and a homestead claim of equal area.

In 1890 he purchased 160 acres of his sister-in- law, Miss Ellen O'Connor, paying $600 for the

property, which adjoins his original claims. Here he has since been engaged in farming, dairying and stockraising extensively and with a due quota of success. His ranch is located eight miles south- east of Great Falls. Mr. Gehring in 1886 moved to Great Falls and built his present residence, No. 422 Fifth avenue, south, which has since been his home. In politics Mr. Gehring renders allegiance to the Populist party, while fraternally he is identified with the United Workmen of America. In 1875 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Gehring and Miss Julia M. O'Connor, who was born in Indiana, and the daughter of Michael and Ellen O'Connor, the former of whom was born in Scotland and the latter in Ireland, and both mem- bers of the Catholic church. The father died in 1873, and was survived by his widow until 1888. Mr. O'Connor was a successful farmer in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Gehring are the parents of ten children : Sarah A., Ellen E., William F., Julius W., Charles E., Jessie M., Francis G., Harry F., George D. and Helen Julia.

L EMONT A. GATES, M. D., is a member of a family which has given several distinguished physicians and scholars to England and America. Dr. Lemont A. Gates, of Bridger, Mont., seems to have a sort of hereditary right to his profession. Nevertheless his skill and learning therein have been secured by arduous and intelligent efforts on his part. He was born at Brookfield, Mo., July 28, 1873, the son of Edward E. and Emma (Thurs- ton) Gates, natives of New York and England, respectively. His grandfather came to America and settled in Oneida county, N. Y., where he was successfully engaged in the manufacture of candles until his death. His father removed to Missouri when he was a young man, and there engaged ex- tensively in the manufacture of boots and shoes, where he is still living, secure in the esteem of the whole community.

The Doctor received his elementary education in the schools of his native town, and after leaving them went to Chicago and attended the North- western University (medical department), study- ing medicine under the tutelage of an uncle, Dr. E. H. Thurston, who had been an army physician. After remaining at the University one year he en- tered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa, from which he was graduated with

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honors in 1898, afterward serving as assistant in the pathological and bacteriological departments, being demonstrator. On leaving this institution he went to Thermopolis, Wyo., and began the practice of his profession. He passed a year and a half there in successful practice and then came to Montana, locating at Bridger, where he has built up a large and lucrative practice. He has also opened a drug store at Bridger, which is conducted under his personal supervision and carries a large stock of standard drugs and other merchandise as properly belongs to this line of trade.

A granduncle of the Doctor, Alfred Mercer, who graduated in medicine in England, came to Amer- ica and practiced at Syracuse, N. Y., where he still resides. He was the founder of the medical department of the Syracuse University, and is now emeritus professor and lecturer in that depart- ment. He also has sons who are professors in the same institution. The Doctor was married December 25, 1899, tó Miss Janet Mowry, a native of New York state. He is an Odd Fellow and has passed the chairs. He is regarded as one of the leading physicians and surgeons of his section of the state, stands high in social circles in his com- munity, and has an influential voice in all mat -· ters of public interest.

H A. NOTTINGHAM .- Born in Pocahontas county, W. Va., June 7, 1855, on the western slope of the Alleghanies, in the midst of the cele- brated Pocahontas coal region, and reared with mountain and mining scenery all around him, it might not have been supposed that life in Mon- tana would present much that was novel or un- usual to Hilda Anderson Nottingham, the subject of this sketch, a well known and highly esteemed ranchman and cattleraiser of the Fort Benton neighborhood, Choteau county. And yet, so great is our country, and so various are its climates, pursuits and productions, that the same general physical conditions make necessary and exhibit so many widely different phases of life in different sections.

Mr. Nottingham's father, Henry Nottingham, was a thrifty farmer in Pocahontas county, of the mountain state cut from the bleeding side of thé Old Dominion by the relentless sword of Civil war, where he was born and reared, and con-

tinued to till the soil until 1869, when he removed to Iowa, locating near Iconium in Monroe county, where he died in 1887. His mother, Martha (Wanless) Nottingham, was born in Bath county, W. Va., and died at their Iowa home in 1889, two years after her husband passed away.

Mr. Nottingham was educated at the Brush and Potts district schools in his native county, and assisted his father on the farm until 1870, when he came to Montana and spent nearly six years in cattleraising and teaming at Boulder, the team- ing consisting mostly in hauling logs with a bull team. During this time he took the first cattle into the Musselshell country that were ever driven there, and for two summers trailed cattle to Chey- enne, Wyo. In the winter of 1876 he operated a trading post at the Big Bend of the Marias; and spent the summer of 1877 freighting from Fort Benton and vicinity. In the fall of that year he was at Cow island, where Gen. Miles was fighting the Indians. That fall and the next spring he moved his cattle from Boulder to Teton valley, and later to the Highwood country south of Ben- ton. In the winter of 1878 he established a wood yard at the mouth of Arrow creek on the Mis- souri river, and for two years furnished wood to the boats on the river. In the meantime he lo- cated a ranch at Highwood Gap, which he sold in 1882. In 1880-81 he was on the cattle round- up in Choteau county; and in the summer of 1882 he located the ranch on which he now lives, taking it up as a squatter claim, and since purchas- ing other claims until he owns a present acre- age of 1,500, besides leased lands and free ranges, all of which he devotes to raising cattle, horses and other live stock, and the grain and hay neces- sary for their maintenance.

Mr. Nottingham is a Democrat in politics, and in his county is prominent and influential in the or- ganization and work of his party. He is a member of Benton Lodge No. 25, A. F. & A. M., and finds much enjoyment in its meetings and the associations growing out of them. He was united in marriage in 1882, with Miss Ida Wareham, born near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They have three children : Ora Wesley, aged seventeen; Hilda Bernard, thirteen, and Mable Viola, eleven. His new home in the far northwest has yielded him an abundance of substantial prosperity, a position of consequence and weight among his fellows, and social environment and enjoyment of wide extent and a high order. '

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T HOMAS D. GEARING .- One of the repre- sentative stock men of Cascade county is Mr. Gearing, who was born at Picton, province of On- tario, Canada, on May 30, 1860, of stanch old Eng- lish lineage. His father, Collin Gearing, was born in England, from whence he came to Canada when a young man, locating at Picton, where he was en- gaged in merchandising until his death in May, 1891. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Barker, was born at Picton in 1834, where she was married in 1859, and where she still has her home.

Thomas D. Gearing attended school until he was fourteen and then was a clerk in his father's store for two years. The next five years he was employed on a farm of an uncle, near Picton, and, in 1881, came to Minnesota, where he devoted his attention to farming and lumbering until 1883. In this year he came to Fort Benton, Mont., and became a partner with J. C. McCuaig in herding sheep, which were "taken on shares" from Hon. Paris Gibson. This arrangement profitably con- tinued from 1883 until 1886, when Messrs. Gear- ing and McCuaig took up both homestead and timber claims at Dry Forks, Choteau county, and engaged in sheepraising on an extensive scale, running from 3,000 to 8,000 head until 1892, when Mr. Gearing sold his interests to his partner. In 1883 also occurred the marriage of Mr. Gearing with Miss Ida S. Strum, who was born in Minne- sota. They have two children, Grace and Ma- bel. That same year he went to Great Falls, where he was located three years, within which time he held the contract for furnishing stone for the central school.building. In 1896 he took up a desert claim of 160 acres, on Deep creek, Cascade county, and to this he has since added 320 acres, and here he has since been successfully engaged in the sheep business, having an average run of 4,500 head. His ranch is well located and improved. In politics Mr. Gearing is a Republican.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 17

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