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

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 2

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Charles A. Beckstrom was taken from the pub- lic schools of his native country at the age of fourteen years and began to make his own living at the trade of a carpenter, his wages being $1.50 per day. In this line of employment he continued five years, and was industrious and frugal. In- spired by an ambition to better his condition he came to the United States in 1887. At that period Great Falls was beginning to emerge from the obscurity of the wilderness, and to this new city in Montana Mr. Beckstrom directed his footsteps in search of employment. This he secured in the line of railroad work, up to 1894, when he engaged in ranching and stockraising at Kibbey. He lias succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations, being the possessor of 640 acres of land and a herd of 100 cattle. His principal crops are oats and hay, which prove quite an additional source of income. Politically Mr. Beckstrom is in har- mony with the principles of the Republican party.

W ILLIAM H. BELL .- In Knox county, Ind., which borders on the famous Wabash, the theme of song and story, William H. Bell first saw the light of day, on March 9, 1843. His parents, Charles and Lydia (Bartley) Bell, were also natives of the Hoosier state and had six chil- dren, William being the third. He attended the country school near Oaktown until he was about

eighteen years, and then worked on the farm for five years. In 1866 he removed to Kansas, and was employed by the United States government under contract as butcher and supply man, and did freighting for three years. Returned to In- diana, he worked on the old homestead until 1874, then farmed for himself a number of years, and afterward conducted a meat business at Oak- town and Carlisle in the adjoining county until 1888. In that year he came to Montana, and, after spending a few months at Grantsdale, he and his sisters, Mary E. Bell and Mrs. Harriet Jordan, each took up 160 acres of land, 320 of it lying about two miles west of Hamilton and the other quarter lying across the river west of the town. Here they have a beautiful stone residence where they live together and raise abundant crops of grain, hay and fruit, along with numbers of superior stock. The business conducted on the ranch is prosperous and successful, and with such an estate as they possess, such evidences of thrift around them, and so much that is interesting and entertaining in the home life, their lot is blessed beyond that of most people, but does not exceed in good elements their fair and just deserts for the good they do and the example they give. In politics Mr. Bell is an ardent Democrat and in fra- ternal relations is identified with the Masonic order. He was married on April 19, 1874, to Miss Elizabeth Charley, at Oaktown, Ind., the home of her parents. They have two children, Mel- vina and Jessie.

H JERMAN E. BENNER, who holds the im- portant office of sheriff of Cascade county and who is a well known citizen of Great Falls, has proved that earnest endeavor and integrity of purpose will win a due reward. He has earned his own living since the early age of eight years, and it is not often that we find thus early the incep- tion of a selfmade man. Herman Ellsworth Ben- ner is a native of Ellsworth, Hancock county, Me., where he was born on August 18, 1866, the son of Hiram F. and Jane (Boynton) Benner, both of whom were also born in Maine. His father, a millwright and sawfiler, died at Still- water, Minn., in 1894, and his widow now makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Bertha McIn- tosh, of Stillwater. One son resides in St. Paul, Minn., two others at Shell Lake, Wis., one at

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Great Falls, Mont., where the other daughter, Nel- lie, Mrs. Wm. F. Brown, also lives.

Mr. Benner received his education at Stillwater, Minn., whither his parents removed when he was a child, and here he graduated in the high school in the class of 1886. During his school days he occupied his vacations as a sawfiler in the lum- ber mills of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and on leaving school he continued the same occupation until 1892, within which period, however, he had taught school two winters in Stillwater. In the fall of 1892 he came to Great Falls, where he be- came connected with the Great Falls iron works, and after two years he became manager of the company's store at Belt, a year. Returning to Great Falls, he worked a year for the Great Falls Hardware Company, and then became a traveling salesman for the Marshall-Wells Hardware Com- pany, of Duluth, Minn., resigning this position in six months, after which he returned to Great Falls. In 1896 he again took a position with the Great Falls Iron Works, and at the end of two months was promoted from the repair shop to head bookkeeper, in which position he served six months, when he was elected treasurer of the company and a member of its directorate. This incumbency he retained two years, until 1900, when he was elected sheriff on the Democratic ticket, having the distinction of being the first Demo- cratic sheriff elected in the county, which attests his popularity. He is also a valued member of Kenbrae Castle No. 201, R. H. In 1890 Mr. Benner was united in marriage to Miss Mar- garet Hanks, of Albany, Ill., daughter of D. C. Hanks, one of the oldest steamboat pilots on the Mississippi, and who was pilot and captain on a government boat during the Civil wat There are two children in the family, Kathryn and Grey.

F C. BERENDES, cashier and manager of the Bank of Boulder, first came to Montana in 1879, locating at Jefferson City. Since his arrival in the state he has led an active business and political life, achieving a success which is as well merited as it is pronounced. In all state, munici- pal and financial affairs he has ever taken a lively interest and his high social qualities are recog- nized by a host of warm personal friends. F. C. Berendes was born in Niles, Berrien county, Mich.,

on November 17, 1861. His parents were Frank and Jeannette (Dell) Berendes, natives of Ger- many. In early life they emigrated to Michigan and were married at Niles, residing there until their death in 1872. They had three sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and two daughters are now living. The maternal grandfather was head forester near Berlin for the German gov- ernment. After his death his widow and children came to the United States.

Mr. Berendes was reared and educated in Niles and in Milwaukee, Wis. He began business life as a clerk in Niles, where he resided with the ex- ception of the time he attended school in Mil- waukee until 1879. He then became imbued with the spirit of western enterprise and came to this state, first locating, as has been noted, at Jeffer- son City. Here he was employed by J. G. Sand- ers as a clerk and later he was with T. A. Wickes, at Wickes, Mont., with whom he remained until 1882. In that year the firm of Ellis & Berendes was formed and our enterprising and industrious young man was fairly launched in business and rapidly achieving the success due the judiciously ambitious. In 1884, however, Mr. Berendes had been elected county treasurer of Jefferson county, He served two terms of two years each, the firm of Ellis & Berendes ceasing to exist, and in 1888, with W. B. Gaffney and Daniel McNiell, he or- ganized the Bank of Jefferson County and was made its cashier. The original capital stock was $30,000. In 1891 the name was changed to the First National Bank and in 1893 to the Bank of Boulder, since which time Mr. Berendes has had control of the bank. He is also a partner in the Gaffney Mercantile Company. In 1886 he was united in marriage to Miss Annie Sloan, a native of Montana, and they have one child, Gladys. Politically Mr. Berendes has affiliated with the Democratic party, in whose various campaigns he has ever taken a lively interest and a leading part. He is also a Freemason, a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Odd Fel- lows and the Woodmen of the World. Since coming to Montana Mr. Berendes has formed an extensive business and political acquaintance throughout the state and is recognized as a man of the utmost probity and stability of character. All of his various enterprises have met with un- qualified success, showing that his financial abil- ity is of a high order, while in social life he is popular, possessing the heartiest esteem of all.

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S AMUEL BESSETTE .- Prominent among the leading stockmen and ranchers of the Dear- born district of Lewis and Clarke county, Mont., is Samuel Bessette, a Canadian by birth, a New England Yankee by long association and edu- cation, but now an enterprising westerner and a warm friend of Montana. He was born at St. John, P. Q., Canada, on February 28, 1849, the son of Leon and Masaline Bessette, Canadian farmers, but who lead a retired life in New Bed- ford, Mass., to which they removed in 1890. They are both Catholics, and the father is a Demo- crat. Samuel Bessette enjoyed but few advan- tages of schooling, for at the age of nine he be- gan to assist his parents and at sixteen he began work in the cotton mills for $1.00 per day, which was later increased to $2.00. He was thus en- ployed for eighteen years in New Bedford, whither his family had come when Samuel was but six- teen years old. Mr. Bessette came to Montana in 1884. Locating at Helena he secured employ- ment with Nicholas Kessler, for three years, his wages at first being $35 per month and afterward $45

But he had long determined to work for himself, and in 1887 he took up homestead and desert claims to the amount of 320 acres, and to this added 640 acres of pasturage land. This tract is located twelve miles northwest of Wolf creek, on the south fork of Dearborn river, in Lewis and Clarke county. Here he carries on quite an extensive business in ranching and cattleraising. The family of Mr. Bessette is surrounded by all the comforts of home, and around him is every con- venience necessary for the successful conduct of his enterprise. Mr. Bessette was married on Jan- uary II, 1870, in New Bedford, Mass., to Miss Me- linda J. Loiseau. She was born at Bel Oiel, P. Q., Canada, on September 28, 1850. She is the daugh- ter of Joseph and Celina Loiseau, Canadians. Her father was once extensively interested in tanning, but of late years he has been a hotel keeper. Both her parents are Catholics. Mr. and Mrs. Bes- sette have had six children, but four of them are dead, two dying in infancy. The survivors are Arthur A., born at Taunton, Mass., on May 14, 1882, and William W., born at Iberville, P. Q., Canada, on November 16, 1884. The parents are members of the Catholic church. Politically Mr. Bessette holds with the Democratic party and he votes its ticket upon all national issues, but in local questions he does not think it incumbent

upon him to always cast a straight ticket. In the community in which he resides Mr. Bessette is rec- ognized as a man of sound judgment and excellent principles. In the fall of 1900 Mr. and Mrs. Bes- sette made a visit to their parents and friends in the east, going to New Bedford and Taunton, Mass., then to Montreal and Chambly, P. Q., Canada, where Mrs. Bessette's parents are living. They had a pleasant trip of three months, but were glad to get back to Montana.

J EROME H. BETTS is one of the fortunate and prosperous ranchmen of Cascade county, Mont., located near Stockett. He was born in Blue Earth county, Minn., on July 2, 1869, a son of William H. Betts, further mention of whom follows this sketch. He was reared in his native county until he was six years of age. In 1875 the family removed to Missouri, and in 1877 came back to Minnesota and located in Stearns county. Here they remained eleven years, during which time Jerome attended school and assisted his father on the farm. They then came to Montana, settling seven miles south of Stockett. In 1891 Mr. Betts, then being twenty-two years old, took up a pre-emption claim and homesteaded 160 acres. He cultivates seventy acres and has forty head of cattle and fifteen horses. · In April, 1893, he was married to Miss Louisa Hirt, of Lansing, Iowa, daughter of Henry and Louisa (Holscher) Hirt, natives of Germany. Her mother died June 14, 1900, at the Columbus Hospital in Great Falls, at the age of seventy-two. Her father died at Lan- sing, Iowa, aged seventy years. Of the three children of Mr. and Mrs. Betts one, John Henry, is dead and the others are Raymond Joseph and Glenn J. Jerome is an expert engineer by trade. In 1891 he and his father engaged in threshing with good success. They have a sawmill in con- nection with their stock industry, and in both lines of enterprise are doing well.

W ILLIAM H. BETTS came to Montana in 1888, and located seven miles south of Stockett, Cascade county, where he now has a fine ranch well provided with cattle and all the conveniences for successful operations in this line

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of industry. He was born at Caanan, N. Y., on February 12, 1842. He is the son of James and Mary (Carr) Betts. The father was a cabinet- maker and died in June, 1848. His wife survived him many years, dying some years since at about the venerable age of seventy-five. William H. Betts left New York when a child of three years and went to Berkshire county, Mass., where, when he grew older, he worked on farms in the sum- mer and attended public school in the winter. In 1856 he came to Winnebago county, Wis., where he continued farming for wages until 1861. On August 20 of that year Mr. Betts enlisted in Company D, First Wisconsin Cavalry, and served until November 13, 1862, when he was honorably discharged at Madison, Wis. His service was in Missouri, commencing at Cape Girardeau and consisting mostly of raids after guerrillas and bush- whackers. After his discharge, in 1863, he re- moved to Blue Earth county, Minn., where, for the first time, he went into the business of general farming on his own account. Here he raised cat- tle and other stock, but in 1875 removed to Atch- ison county, Mo., and here continued farming un- til 1878. Thence he returned to Minnesota and settled in Stearns county, where he remained ten years.

In 1888 Mr. Betts came to Stockett, and took up pre-emption and tree claims as a part of his present ranch. Here he has since continued suc- cessfully in cattle raising, and has about sixty acres of this land under cultivation. In 1898 he purchased another 160 acres, making him a fine ranch of 320 acres, on which he has fine herds of cattle and horses. On June 25, 1868, Mr. Betts was married to Miss Emeretta Gates, of Elington, Chautauqua county, N. Y., daughter of Joel and Emeline Gates. Joel Gates, born in Vermont, was long a member of the mercantile house of Gates & Wheeler, of Elington, and a man of import- ance in the county. He died on March 18, 1899, in Blue Earth county, Minn., where he had been a resident from 1863. His wife, whose maiden name was Merchant, is now a resident of Blue Earth county. Her daughter, Mrs. Ader E. Fos- ter, is caring for her in her declining years. Mr. and Mrs. Betts had one daughter, Luella. who died. Their surviving children are Jerome H. Betts, Bernice I. (Mrs. John G. Abbott, of Spokane, Wash.), Leonard E., Darrow L., Flora B. and Elnora E. In the community in which he resides Mr. Betts is highly respected.

G EORGE W. BRADLEY .- Having been born on January 31, 1871, in Tama county, Iowa, on this side of the Mississippi, the subject of this review is distinctively a product of the west. His parents are William and Augusta (Parkins) Brad- ley, both natives of Ohio, where the former was born in 1845 and the latter in 1854. They are now living in Phillips county, Kan. The father re- moved with his parents, when a boy, to Tama county, Iowa, and after living there twenty-five years, made his home in Guthrie county, in the same state, where he was successfully engaged in farming for seven years. He then removed to Smith county, Kan., and later to his present home in Phillips county.

George Bradley was educated in the public schools of Iowa and Kansas, remaining with his parents until he was eighteen years of age. Then, after working two years as a farm hand in Iowa and Minnesota, in 1891 he came to Montana, lo- cating in the Rosebud valley and accepting em- ployment on the ranch of Messrs. Hubbard & Thompson, with whom he remained seven years. In the meantime, in the year 1894, he bought the improvements on a homestead claim, which is now a part of his home ranch that consists of 320 acres of good land and an open range, and is devoted to cattle, hay and general farming.

In politics Mr. Bradley is a Republican, but cannot be called an active partisan. He was mar- ried at Miles City in 1901, to Miss Hattie Mil- ler, who was born in Iowa in 1880, and was reared and educated in the beautiful Rosebud val- ley which is now her home.

H ENRY NELSON BLACK .- In all ages the great builders have been renowned among men and considered deserving of the highest hon- ors. And those who are engaged in beautifying our cities with imposing and convenient churches, schools and public buildings, hotels, halls and pri- vate residences, are also entitled to rank among the benefactors of mankind and be held worthy of general approbation and esteem. To this class of public benefactors belongs Henry Nelson Black, doing business as an architect with offices at Great Falls and Anaconda, Mont. He has had a singu- larly varied and busy professional career, the prod- ucts of his fertile brain standing forth in many cities as graceful, or elegant, or massive monu-

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ments to his taste, skill, inventive genius and pro- fessional attainments. He was born at Malden, Mass., on August 1, 1854. His father, Simon Black, a master mechanic, and his mother, Martha (Waite) Black, were also natives of the Bay state, descendants of Revolutionary soldiers, the pater- nal grandfather of Mr. Black being a Maj. Black who won distinction for gallantry under command of Lafayette.

Mr. Black, the youngest of four children, was reared and educated with much care. He went through all the grades of the schools of his native town and the Boston Latin School, then took a thorough course in the Boston School of Tech- nology, from which he was graduated in 1872, having chosen this technical school rather than Harvard, for which he had fitted himself, for the purpose of securing special instruction in his pro- fession. After his graduation he accepted a posi- tion as foreman of the architectural department in the office of Bryant & Rogers, extensive de- signers and builders of Boston, and remained with them five years. He then went to Philadelphia as assistant to a leading architect, but remained there only one year, when he returned to Boston and set up in business for himself in partner- ship with his former employer, Mr. Bryant. They opened an office in St. John, N. B., of which Mr. Black took charge. After about a year and a half of successful operation, the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Black went to Fredericton, N. B., in service of the attorney-general of tlie province, and also built churches, dwellings and other edifices. From there he went to Wood- stock and practically rebuilt the town after its destruction by fire. He did the same for East- port, Me., after its great fire, designing banks, the Masonic Temple and all other public and private buildings in that city and doing valuable engineering work for the city.

Mr. Black removed from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast in 1890, locating at Fairhaven in Washington, and immediately upon his arrival was employed by the townsite company. In 1895 he came to Montana as one of the competitors for constructing new state capitol, and located at Anaconda, afterwards opening an additional office at Great Falls. In Anaconda he has built several schoolhouses, many business blocks, a Methodist Episcopal church and a number of private dwell- ings. He also remodeled the city hall, and erected an annex to the State Insane Asylum. In Great

Falls he is at present the constructing architect of the new Methodist Episcopal church and also of the new Cascade county court house, which is to cost not less than a quarter of a million of dol- lars. From year to year and from place to place Mr. Black's reputation as a scholarly, conscien- tious and progressive architect has augmented, un- til he is now, perhaps, one of the best known and most eminent artisans of his craft in this section of the country. In addition to his special and tech- nical knowledge he has extensive general informa- tion and knowledge of the world, a rich fund of reminiscence, a ready wit and a genial manner, which make him a most agreeable companion, and a sincere, honest, hearty manhood, which consti- tutes him an excellent citizen.

M J. HEALY .- The subject of this sketch be- longs to one of the pioneer families of Mon- tana, and one that has for many years been prominent in the political and commercial affairs of the state. He was born in County Cork, Ire- land, March 1, 1860. His parents were also na- tives of Ireland, who immigrated to the United states in 1873, locating at Sun River. The father was William Healy, who died at his adopted home in 1892. The mother, nee Mary Collins, is still living at Sun River.

Mr. Healy received his education in the public schools of Sun River and Helena, Mont., and after leaving school, at the age of eighteen, he entered the employ of the Diamond R Freighting Com- pany, in whose service he spent ten years en- gineering mule teams over the vast territory cov- ered by the company's operations before railroads came into this section. In the meantime he also en- gaged in the cattle business on the ranges, begin- ning in 1881; and on leaving the service of the company in 1890, took up a 500-acre ranch on Beaver creek, two and a half miles from Havre. On this he has been extensively engaged in stock- raising and farming since that date, and has met with gratifying success in his venture.

In politics Mr. Healy is an ardent and active Republican. He has been potential in the service of his party, and has been called upon to serve his people in various official stations. In 1884 he was made under sheriff, by his uncle, Capt. John J. Healy, then sheriff of old Choteau county, and was stationed at Great Falls for a year. He was re-

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appointed to this position in 1886 by Sheriff Mc- Devitt, and again in 1889 by Sheriff O'Neill. In 1892 he was Chinese inspector for Havre district ; in 1898 was game and fish warden for Choteau county, and since the spring of 1900 has been in- spector of customs for Montana and Idaho, with headquarters at Havre. He is a member of Havre Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, to which he gives active attention and in which he finds much profitable enjoyment. In 1884, at Sun River, he was married to Miss Mary Healy. They have four children, namely: Michael J., Ligoura, Nora and John G. Both Mr. and Mrs. Healy have hosts of friends in their community and are highly esteemed wherever they are known.

W T ILLIAM C. BLANCHARD .- The son of distinguished ancestry on both sides of his house, and who gave prominent service to their country in every phase of its history, and inher- iting from them the characteristics of sterling man- hood and useful citizenship, William C. Blanchard worthily preserves the traditions and standing of his line and illustrates in himself its best fea- tures. He was born at Council Bluffs, Iowa, June 18, 1848, the son of John R. and Margaret (Cook) Blanchard, the former a native of Boston and the latter of Lancaster county, Pa. The Blanchards came to America in the seventeenth century, and have been closely identified with American history since their arrival. Mr. Blanch- ard's grandfather, John R. Blanchard, was a sol- dier in the Colonial army, and took part in the battles of Bunker Hill, Lexington and others of that period. His maternal grandfather, Stephen Cook, was also a gallant soldier in that struggle, and fought at Brandywine and other battles. The father, John R. Blanchard, was on the Consti- tution in the war of 1812, under Commodore Bainbridge. Later he took part in the contest with the Algerines, and in 1836 came west to Nauvoo, Ill., and when the Mormons were driven out of that state he kept on west to the Missouri river, on which he located about four miles north of Omaha, where he remained four years, conduct- ing a ferry across the river. In 1852 he went to Salt Lake City, locating in Farmington, Utah, where he remained until his death in 1881 at the age of eighty-nine.

William Blanchard remained at home until 1874,

when he removed to Cache county, Utah, where he passed four years engaged in raising stock with his brother, J. R. Blanchard, Jr., who had a large stock range. At the end of that time he removed to Bear Lake county, Idaho, and conducted a harness store in Montpelier until 1889, when he removed to Uinta county, Wyo. In 1894 he came to Montana and located his present home about seven miles south of Bridger, and has since engaged in raising stock, fruit and general farm prod- ucts. He is an industrious and progressive man, with good business capacity and excellent taste in arranging his place, which shows evidence of his skill and enterprise.

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

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