Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 3

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 3

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On October 12, 1867, Mr. Blanchard was united in marriage with Miss Jerusha C. Walker, a daughter of Lorin and Lavina (Smith) Walker, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York. Mrs. Blanchard's mother, Lavina Smith, was the oldest child of Hiram Smith, a brother of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church. The Blanchards have ten children: Will- iam Perry, living in Idaho; Margaret Cook, now Mrs. Campbell, of Wyoming; Lavina Irene, now Mrs. Lee, of Golden, Carbon county, Mont .; Bertha Isabel, now Mrs. Kennington, of Wyom- ing ; Helen Jerusha, now Mrs. McBride, of Golden, Mont .; Hiram Frank, Don Carlos, Gilbert Leroy, Jesse L. and Clarence Eugene, all living at home.

H OWARD A. BICKFORD is a native of Pe- nobscot county, Me., where he was born August 14, 1854. His father, Jabez, and his mother, Anna Dollif, were also natives of Maine, and passed their lives in that state, the father, who was a successful farmer and lumberman, dying in 1886, and the mother in 1876. Mr. Bick- ford began his education in the public schools of Bangor and finished it in those of Oshkosh, Wis. In 1873 he removed to Minnesota, and worked in the pine lumber woods about four years. In 1877 he went to Bismarck, N. D., and joined a govern- ment expedition as driver of an ambulance team during the Nez Perces raid. After eight months of this service he spent the winter of 1881 hunt- ing buffalo along the Yellowstone and its tribu- taries, and during the same year took up a squat- ter's claim on Fox creek, in the most fertile part of the Yellowstone valley, where he has since continued to reside and now has a beautiful ranch

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and an elegant home. Here he devotes his attention to raising thoroughbred Hereford cattle and a high grade of horses, and through them has been in- strumental in materially raising the standard of the stock in his neighborhood.

In politics Mr. Bickford has been always an act- ive and zealous Republican, and has been fruitful in good service to his party, having been a mem- ber of its county central committee during the last six years and doing faithful work in all its campaigns. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a mem- ber of Lone Tree Lodge No. 63, at Sidney. In 1884 he was united in marriage with Miss Barbara Stewart, a native of Ontario, Canada, where she was born April 26, 1865. The marriage occurred at Newlon, Mont. Mr. and Mrs. Bickford have three children, namely: Randall, aged sixteen ; Eva, seven, and Marion, five. Mr. Bickford is a very progressive and enterprising man, with breadth of view and skill in his business, has an earnest desire for the advancement of his neigh- borhood and state along every good line of im- provement. He is of a genial and obliging dis- position, with a wide range of general information gathered by varied experience and an intelligent observation of men and events. He is highly es- teemed wherever he is known, and looked upon at home as one of the most useful and represent- ative citizens of the community.

JOHN W. BLYTH has lived to fully realize J the vast difference between conditions in Can- ada at an early day and the present prosperity that he enjoys in Cascade county, Mont. His handsome property is located on Otter creek, eight miles southeast of Armington. He is a native of Canada, born July 22, 1856. His parents were Alexander and Rachel Blythi, natives of Scot- land. Up to the age of twenty-two years the father was a linen weaver; he then followed the charcoal business, combined with farming. He was a member of the Presbyterian church; the mother was a Methodist. Four children survive them: John W., Thomas, George and Margaret J.

John W. Blyth received but a limited education. At the age of eight years he was compelled to blow the bellows in a blacksmith shop for the extremely low wages of $1.50 per month. At this

business he continued eighteen months and then engaged in farm work for the same munificent salary and continued it nearly two years. Subse- quently his wages were raised to $4.00 per month, and he then began to think he could save some money. At the end of eighteen months' service he went to Lawton, Mich., where he secured em- ployment in cutting wood, hauling wood and char- coal and brickyard work. For this labor he re- ceived $9.00 per month. Being attacked with the western fever in 1870 he removed to Se- dalia, Mo., secured employment in a nursery and worked at the business for two years with fair suc- cess. In 1872 he returned to Canada, where he remained four years employing himself at various occupations, but generally with poor success. Re- moving to Painesville, Ohio, he again worked in a nursery at fair wages for Storrs & Harrison, but remained there only two and one-half years, going thence to Massillon, Ohio, where he worked as gardener and coachman at $20 a month for George Harsh. He returned to Canada in the fall of 1880 and purchased some land on which he conducted a garden, but in the eighteen years he was there he only made $50 a year, al- though he worked hard, and spent nothing for liquor or tobacco. In 1898 he came to Montana and here he has prospered. For one month he worked on a ranch for W. K. Floweree, and then for A. W. Baur & Co. for $35 per month, re- maining with that firm eighteen months. It was a lucky strike when Mr. Blyth purchased 160 acres of land from C. T. Stark, part of his present ranch. The price paid was $3,000. Since then he has added thereto 480 acres. He is extensively engaged in the cultivation of vegetables. His- markets are Neihart, Monarch and Great Falls.

On October 18, 1880, Mr. Blyth was married to Miss Mary M. Schwyer, a native of Stark county, Ohio, a daughter of George and Margaret Schwyer. The father was a native of France, the mother was a Swiss. The father devoted his time to agri- cultural pursuits and was a Granger. Both were devout members of the Lutheran church. Eleven children survived them, viz: Emanuel, Samuel, Sarah, Daniel, Malinda, John (killed in a railroad accident at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1885), Mary Ann, William, George, Louisa and Katie. To Mr. and Mrs. Blyth have been born six children : Alton S., Roy A., Omar A., Joy L., Mary E. and George C. The parents are members of the Methodist church.

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A LLEN BLACK is descended from a long line of sturdy and thrifty ancestors who made their way in the world without the favors of fortune or propitious circumstances, carving out of hard con- ditions successful and creditable records. He was born November 8, 1857, in Schuyler county, Mo., whithier his parents, Andrew and Elizabeth (Low- rie) Black, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania, had settled in the early 'fifties and engaged in farming. They remained there until 1898, and then removed to Montana, where they are now ranching on Cow creek, a tributary of Rocky Fork of the Yellowstone. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom nine are still living.

The grandparents of our subject were Christian and Phoebe (Elliott) Black, the former born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Virginia. The great-grandfather was Andrew Black, a native of Pennsylvania and the descendant of a German family whose name was originally Schwartz. The Elliotts were of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and were old Colonial settlers in America. Mr. Black's grandfather on the maternal side was engaged in the war of 1812, and made a creditable record in the service. He was a member of Col. Drake's regiment, one of the fighting commands of the army. Our subject's father was also a soldier, be- ing a member of Company C, Twenty-seventh Mis- souri Volunteers, under Col. Curly, and was at the siege of Vicksburg and numerous other engage- ments. In times of peace he was a builder and contractor, and acted as interpreter for his Ger- man friends.

Mr. Black, the immediate subject of this re- view, lived in Missouri until 1877, when he deter- mined to start in business of some kind for him- self. He traveled through various parts of his native state, Kansas and Iowa, finally reaching Montana in 1883. He located at Dillon and spent ten years in ranching and farming in that neigh- borhood. He then sold out and removed to Car- bon county, settling first on Rocky Fork near Red Lodge, but removing from there to the ranch he now occupies, one mile west of Carbonado, where he is successfully engaged in carrying on a ranch and general farming. His land is well irrigated, highly productive and improved with good buildings, fences, etc. It yields good crops of grain and hay, and supports his large and val- uable herd of shorthorn cattle together with the band of Clydesdale and Shire horses which he has on the place.

On December 29, 1885, Mr. Black was married to Miss E. S. Dodge, a native of Boston, Mass., and daughter of the late George Dodge. She was engaged in teaching school a number of years prior to her marriage. They have three children : George, Elbert and Herman. They have an at- tractive home, and in all respects are progressive and up with the times. Mr. Black has taken great interest in the development of the community and rendered good service to his fellow citizens in several capacities. He was a justice of the peace for a short time and has been a school trustee. He enjoys a liberal share of popularity and the con- fidence and esteem of all classes of the people around him.

JOEL J. BOND .- The offspring of two old Ken- tucky families which were prominent in its civil and military history for generations, Joel J. Bond has in his own record shown how forceful and productive are hereditary traits when given a fair opportunity for proper exercise. He was born on February 1, 1841, in Cole county, Mo., near the city of Jefferson, a son of William and Sarah (Sul- lens) Bond, who were early emigrants from Ken- tucky to Missouri, the ultima Thule of western civilization. He was educated at the pub- lic schools, and when he was twenty years old started a finishing course of instruction in the State University at Columbia, but relinquished it by reason of ill health. From the university he went to Denver, Colo., engaged in freighting into Wyo- ming and New Mexico for nearly two years, re- turned to Missouri and at Columbia conducted a stock and dairy business for ten years, then taught for six years at Centre Town, Mo., and came to Montana in April, 1881, where he was a successful educator in and near Victor for sixteen years, with the exception of two years service as county superintendent, a position to which he was appointed when Ravalli county was created.

While he was teaching school in the winter Mr. Bond was engaged in farming operations during the summer, and since he has abandoned the edu- cational field he has given especial attention to farming, owning a one-third interest in the H. D. Moore fruit farm at Victor. In 1895 his fellow citizens showed their appreciation of his services in behalf of local affairs of a public nature by elect- ing him as their representative in the Fifth state legislature. In this office he displayed legislative

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abilities of a high order. For eighteen or twenty years Mr. Bond has been a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, holding every office in the gift of his lodge. He has also been an active member of the Baptist church since 1860, and has shown a lively interest in its advancement and pros- perity. He was married on May 9, 1867, at Colum- bia, Mo., to Miss Elizabeth J. Baker, daughter of Barnabas and Leah Baker, whose father was a prominent and popular Baptist minister. Mr. and Mrs. Bond have five children, Anna J., Jessie H., now Mrs. C. B. Cates, of Victor ; Hattie L., Judson B. and Daisy S.

Mr. Bond and his son were students at the same college, the State University, located at Columbia, Mo., and his wife and daughters are all gradu- ates of the Stevens College, of Columbia. Mrs. Bond is the postmistress of Victor, a position she has held for a number of years, and the duties of which she has discharged in a manner so gracious and satisfactory to all classes of the people as to win universal commendation. In political relations Mr. Bond is a consistent and ardent Democrat, and, while seeking none of the honors or emoluments of polit- ical preferment, has always evinced a keen and lively interest in the success of his party. His home, his family and his business absorb his time and energies except that he devotes to the general wel- fare of the community, in which he is deeply in- terested and in which he has the high respect and cordial regard of all his fellow citizens.

G EORGE B. BOURNE .- Born at the old town of Smithfield, Va., on the historic James, Octo- ber 25, 1868, whither his father, Thomas B. Bourne, had removed from Maryland, his native state, many years previously, and had been profitably engaged in farming, and losing both his parents before he reached manhood, George B. Bourne early experi- enced the afflictions of orphanage and the comforts of generous friendship. His father died in 1874, when he was six years old, and his mother, Louise (Maurice) Bourne, a native of Erie, Pa., of French antecedents, died in 1874, when he was sixteen. Mr. Bourne was educated at St. Joseph's College, Baltimore, Md., and St. John's College, Fordham, N. Y., and in 1885 was adopted as a son by John A. and Margaret Hamilton, of Washington, D. C., parents of his cousin and present partner, John A. Hamilton, with whom he made his home for

three years thereafter, being employed as book- keeper by the Washington Brick Company. In 1888 he and his cousin and foster-brother, who had been schoolmates and boon companions through- out life as well, came west and located in Cascade county, Mont., near Great Falls, where they at once engaged in cattleraising. They were success- ful in their undertaking, and in two years had made such headway that they were able to locate on their present valuable and attractive ranch of some 3,000 acres on Coral creek in the Sweet Grass hills. They have since added many desirable improve- ments to the property, and by thrift and industry, and the application of brains as well as brawn to their work, have made their home one of the most productive and profitable in their section of the state. They are largely engaged in raising sheep and cattle of the best breeds, having in hand an average flock of about 13,000 sheep and a herd of 300 cattle. They also do a thriving general mercantile business in the little town of Hill, which is located on their land, and through their in- fluence and perseverance have secured for the town many of the conveniences which usually come only with age and advancement. They have had it made a postoffice and distributing point for many kinds of commodities. Both Mr. Bourne and his partner, Mr. Hamilton, are Republicans in politics. Mr. Bourne was elected to the legislature in 1898, and after a serviceable term, which pleased his constitu- ents, was re-elected in 1900. Mr. Hamilton was born in Washington, D. C., and attended the same school as Mr. Bourne. They have been partners in every business venture and companions socially since their childhood. Both have the respect and esteem of the community in a high degree, and are looked upon as among the most useful and progressive citizens in their county.

JOSEPH BOWDEN .- From the largest whole- sale dry goods house in the greatest com- mercial mart in the world to a similar store on a much smaller scale in one of the interior towns of western Montana, seems like a long descent, when it is in fact, in the eye of a true discern- ment, a promotion from the position of employed to employer, from that of salesman to owner, with corresponding independence of feeling and action. This long stride has been made by Joseph Bow- den, now of Corvallis, in Ravalli county. He was

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born in County Cornwall, England, on Novem- ber 25, 1864, the only child of Joseph and Eliza- beth Bowden, also natives of England. He at- tended public and private schools until he was sixteen, then served an apprenticeship of four years in a drygoods store for which he received no pay. Then he went to London and was for the next seven years clerk and salesman in the larg- est wholesale dry goods establishment in the metrop- olis, that of Cook, Son & Co. In 1890 he re- signed this position and came to the United States, locating at Missoula, where he worked six months for the Missoula Mercantile Company, and at his own request was transferred to the branch at Cor- vallis, where he remained until 1896.

He then returned to Missoula, and in February bought the stock of the branch house at Cor- vallis and with it opened a store of his own, which he has been successfully conducting since, carrying a large stock and doing an excellent business, and pleasing a constantly expanding list of patrons with the quality, variety and completeness of its wares, and the courtesy, probity and enterprise of its business methods. In political affiliation Mr. Bowden aligns with the Republican party, and fraternally he is allied with the Masons. He was married on June 12, 1892, to Miss Annie A. Sum- mers, daughter of William and Eliza Summers, of London, Endland, the marriage being solem- nized at Missoula. They had one child, a son, Dudley Francis, eight years old. In social life Mr. and Mrs. Bowden hold a high rank, and in pub- lic affairs and all that concerns the welfare of the community he takes a deep and intelligent inter- est, while his business enterprise is looked upon as one of the best and best conducted in this part of the state.

M ONFORT BRAY .- This progressive ranch- man and stockraiser of the new and promis- ing county of Rosebud, was horn in the Catskill mountains, N. Y., December 4, 1862. His par- ents, William and Catherine (Shoemaker) Bray, natives of the same place, came to Bismarck, N. D., in 1881, and the same year to Miles City, Mont. In 1882 they removed to Rosebud valley and have since been engaged in the stock busi- ness in that section. Their son, Monfort Bray, was educated in the district schools of his native county. In 1883 he and his brother, Hilan, came to Montana and located in Rosebud valley as squatters, after-

wards homesteading 160 acres and later adding by purchase enough to make their present ranch 2,600 acres, which they have nearly fenced. The ranch lies along about a mile of the Rosebud river bottom, and has adjoining uplands, which are well adapted to raising horses and cattle. The average herd on the range will soon be 300 head of cattle, all high grade shorthorns, and they have in addition a number of fine draft and driving horses.

Politically Mr. Bray is a Republican, and has been intelligent, active and zealous in the ser- vice of his party. From 1888 to 1898 he was postmaster at Rasinski; at that time the office was discontinued. He belongs to the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, holding membership in the lodge at Forsyth. During his residence of nearly twenty years in the state he has been a substantial aid in its development, and stands high in the estimation of his community as a good citizen.

JOHN BOYD .- Exhibiting in his life work and achievements the sturdy and resourceful traits- of character of his Scotch ancestry, John Boyd is an ornament to American manhood, and a use- ful and productive force in the development of the great state in which he has cast his lot. He was born on April 25, 1865, at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the son of Angus and Mary (McGilvray) Boyd of the same nativity. His grandfather came from Scotland to American at an early peariod of his life, and settling in Nova Scotia, engaged in farming. The father of our subject was also en- gaged in farming and stockraising up to the age of seventy-eight years, when his death occurred April 9, 1901.

Mr. John Boyd was the sixth child and spent his school days in his native town. In 1884, when but nineteen, he started west to make his own way in the world. He secured employment on the Canadian Pacific Railroad for a year, at the end of which he returned to Antigonish and spent the winter. In the spring he again came west by the Canadian Pacific, making the trip through British Columbia and on into Washington, where he lin- gered a short time before leaving for Butte, Mont., where he arrived on Christmas day, 1887. There he secured employment in the mines for some five years, after which he went to Castle and worked in the Cumberland mines, having a contract for

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sinking a shaft 300 feet deep. He was success- ful in the job and made considerable money. He also served for a time as shift boss in these mines, and then went to Neihart and remained until the spring of 1895, engaged in mining. From there he removed to Rocky Fork, Carbon county, and took up his present property, on which he has been successfully engaged in farming and stock- raising.

On November 15, 1891, Mr. Boyd married Miss Lulu Banta, the daughter of Elbert S. Banta, of Gallatin county. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have three children, Lanius, Mamie and Gail, and a pleas- ant home that is a center of refined and graceful hospitality for their numerous friends. The ranch is all under irrigation, and a large portion of it is in a high state of cultivation, yielding large crops of hay and wheat. In addition to his ranch property, Mr. Boyd has, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Robert Lee Banta, a lease on 400 acres of farming land, which they intend to put under vigorous cultivation. He is an active mem- ber of the district school board, has served the people well in other public capacities and is a de- sirable citizen for any community or state.

M ICHAEL BRASS .- Among the energetic and honored citizens of Fergus county who claim the German fatherland as the place of their nativity is Michael Brass, who is successfully en- gaged in ranching and stockgrowing. He was born in Nassau, Germany, on December 10, 1854, the son of Michael and Catherine Brass, both of whom passed their lives in Germany, the father dying in 1869 and the mother in 1896. Both were Catholics, and the father was a miller and a man of honest character. Of their seven children Peter and John are deceased, the others are Philip P., Christopher H., Johanna, Michael and Anton. Michael Brass began to earn wages at the age of fourteen, aiding in the support of the family. Af- ter three years he came to America and was first here employed in a sugar refinery in New York. Thence he moved to Wisconsin, devoted six months to farm work, then went to St. Louis and on to New Orleans, where he was employed in a a mill for nine months. Returning to St. Louis, after sixteen months he found employment on one of the Missouri river boats, and passed the winter in St. Louis. Then he was three months in Sioux

City, Iowa, when he embarked on one of the little steamboats of the upper Missouri and thus he came to Montana. From Fort Benton he went to Helena, where he worked at placer min- ing with fair success. After nearly six years of steady and productive labor he returned to his home in Germany, where he remained for about eighteen months.

Returning to Helena, Mr. Brass was for two years a farmer, then selling his property at a good profit he went to Fergus county, and took pre-emption and homestead claims on Beaver creek. and these constitute his present fine ranch of 320 acres. It is two miles west of Cottonwood, his postoffice address. The ranch is devoted to di- versified ranching, gardening and the raising of cattle, and Mr. Brass has given careful atten- tion to every detail of the enterprise which he is so successfully conducting. He also owns a ranch of 800 acres on Cottonwood creek in a fine part of the county. In politics he is a Democrat and both he and his wife are members of the Cath- olic church.

On Christmas day, 1881, Mr. Brass married Miss Theresa Staudt, who was born in Germany, the daughter of George and Margaret Staudt, who came with their family to America, locating first in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then on a ranch on Rock creek, Fergus county, where the father is successfully engaged in farming and stockgrow- ing. He is a Democrat and both he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic church. Their children are Christopher, John, Mary, Theresa and George. Mr. and Mrs. Brass have six chil- dren, Katie, Elizabeth, Theresa, Charles, Mary and Clara.

CROSSLAND BROOK .- A resident of Mon- tana since he was eleven years old, principally educated in her public schools and as a man deeply interested in her progress and development, Cross- land Brook, of Waterloo, Madison county, may almost be claimed as a product of the state, not- withstanding he was born far across the sea, in "Merrie Old England," August 3, 1864. York- shire being the place of his nativity. His par- ents were James and Mary (Bumby) Brook, also natives of Yorkshire, where the father was en- gaged in the manufacture of woolens. In 1873 he emigrated with his family and coming direct to Montana located at Waterloo, where he bought

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 3

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