Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 39

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 39

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After waiting eight days for the ice to break up Mr. Roe crossed the river and proceeded to his destination at Grinnell, Iowa. There he imme- diately began outfitting for his return trip to Ban- nack, and not considering his outfit complete on this occasion without a wife, he was married to Miss Martha Freeman, of Grinnell, and, after completing his arrangements, they started on the long and hazardous journey with wagon loads of merchandise drawn by oxen. Nothing of note occurred until they were well up the Platte river, where Mr. Roe was arrested as a southern sympa- thizer, the arrest resulting from a casual remark. Indians had attacked two government wagons, killing the sergeant and running off the mules. That night a stranger came into the camp and, addressing our subject, who was captain of the . train, deplored the death of the sergeant, but more particularly the loss of the mules. Our subject replied that the death of the sergeant was very sad, but he did feel particularly sorry on account of the mules. For this remark he was arrested and taken back fifty miles, without knowing the cause, and made to carry a sack of sand from one given point to another, back and forth, for two days, and was released only by reason of the for- tunate arrival of a former acquaintance who

ISAAC ROE

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vouched for his loyalty. He was then turned loose without provisions, alone, on foot, in a coun- try full of hostile Indians and 100 miles behind his wagons. At the time of his arrest he had left in- structions for the train to keep on traveling, and he would overtake them. After seven days of great hardship and many narrow escapes from danger, he caught up with the train and found the people in it greatly rejoiced over the safe return of their captain. He had no further mishap, and in August arrived at Bannack, where he at once proceeded to sell out his merchandise. Leaving his wife there, he started again for Grinnell, trav- eling this time by stage coach, and on arrival bought cattle, wagons and merchandise for another trip. He started in April, 1865, again being elected captain of the train, and taking every pre- caution to protect his company from attacks by the Indians, who were very bad that summer. On one occasion, after the Indians left a train in front of him which they had attacked, his train drove to the place and found the dead bodies of two men and one young lady, the savages having broken every joint of the young lady's body, even those of her fingers and toes. Grass was very scarce that season and travel was slow. But without further incident the train reached Bannack in August, having been on the way since April. In partner- ship with his brother Mr. Roe opened a store and began selling out the goods just brought in. He continued in this store three years, and then sold out his interest and engaged in butchering, min- ing, banking and dealing in gold dust. This he continued until his death, which occurred Novem- ber 18, 1873. He left surviving him a widow and two children-a son and daughter.

Mr. Roe was a fine example of the sterling man- hood which settled the great northwest, exhibiting in his active and fruitful career every manly virtue and quality of heroic endurance. He was without much book learning, but was endowed by nature with wonderful talents ; had fine business qualifica- tions and was a man of the most unyielding integ- rity. In his private life he was a noble exemplar of all the virtues-a faithful and loving husband, an indulgent but judicious and far-seeing father, and a wise, firm and constant friend. His exam- ple was full of inspiration to the young, his coun- sel was full of wisdom for the more mature, and his life was full of helpfulness and usefulness to all who came within the sphere of his activities or demanded assistance from lawful reasons.

NDREW E. PARKER .- The eighth of the eleven children of Charles J. and Elizabetlı A (Hedges) Parker, of Oxford, England, Andrew E. Parker was born in Kane county, Ill., Novem- ber 30, 1848, four months after the arrival of his parents in America. They arrived in July of that year and settled in Kane county, where the father worked at his trade as a mason for nineteen years. He then removed to Minnesota, locating in Stearns county, where the family were pioneers and where they engaged in farming and raising stock. Andrew received his education in the public schools of Illi- nois, and remained at home until April, 1863, when he enlisted in the Union army, as a member of Company F, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, under Col. Summers. He was mustered in at Davenport, Iowa, and after three months passed there the regi- ment was ordered to Nebraska and stationed at Cot- tonwood Springs, where it wintered, building a post for the purpose. It had numerous skirmishes with the Indians, and in the spring was removed to Fort Laramie, Wyo., where the troops passed the sum- mer engaged in scouting. In the autumn they re- turned to the South Platte, built quarters and win- tered at Julesburg, their buildings being the begin- ning of what was afterward Fort Sedgwick. Here they saw active and dangerous service, for the In- dians were hostile and in force. On the morning of February 1, 1865, leaving a few invalids to guard the post, thirty-seven men followed a band of sav- ages some seven miles into what is called the Devil's dives, with Mr. Parker, a sergeant and three men as an advance guard. They took a side trail around a horseshoe bend, and upon reaching a knoll they discovered that the hollow was full of Indians. The sergeant at once ordered a retreat to the company, but it was difficult for them to get back, as the company was continually changing its position, making a stand against the Indians, then falling back. On the way the sergeant and the other three men were killed, but Mr. Parker reached the company in safety. After getting to level ground the Indians broke off to each flank and at- tempted to take the fort, which was defended by a few invalids, but they succeeded in holding it until the arrival of the company, using in their defense two howitzers which were at the post. After a day's siege tlie Indians disappeared ; but on the 25th of February they again attacked the post, and held it in siege for nine days. On the seventh day one of the soldiers succeeded in getting through the lines and carried a message to Alkali station, al-

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though chased eighteen miles by the Indians. This brouglit 400 soldiers to the relief of the post and on their arrival the Indians again disappeared, but the troops followed them as far north as Mud Springs, and relieved Col. Collins, who with 350 men was corralled about 125 miles from this post. The savages were dispersed and many of them killed. Three white women who had been in cap- tivity and were released reported that the Indian warriors numbered over 600, and were determined to exterminate the whites. In the engagement of February I sixteen of the thirty-seven men engaged were killed, and in subsequent engagements the mortality was considerable on both sides. On May I Gen. Connor from California took command of the division and removed Mr. Parker's regiment to Fort Laramie, where they remained nearly two months, then started down Poudre river and es- tablished Fort Reno. They moved their supplies down Tongue river, having an engagement on the way in which they killed thirty-seven Indians, all there were in the party. On the second day 200 men were detailed to retrace their march and clear the country of hostile Indians. At Goose creek they had a fight with the Arapahoes, killed 167 of them, captured 672 of their ponies and burned their tepees. Returning to their command on Tongue river they moved down near the mouth of Tongue river, there awaited the arrival of a command coming up the Yellowstone to join our forces, but owing to the loss of their horses they failed to connect with this command and returned to Fort Reno. From there they went to Fort Laramie, where they wintered, having an occasional brush with the Indians. On February 28, 1866, some newly enlisted Mexicans, with the help of outsiders, stole a number of gov- ernment horses and mules and made off with them. Mr. Parker was in the party detailed to go after them, but the Mexicans having relays of horses got away. On May 17, 1866, he was honorably discharged from the service, his time having ex- pired. Two of his brothers also saw active and ar- duous service in the Union army. They were John Charles and Henry James. The former was in the service four years and four months, and rose to the rank of first lieutenant. Henry J. was in active service eighteen months, then relieved from active service on account of disability, but did duty as a hospital steward until the close of the war. At the end of his military service Mr. Parker took up his residence in Minnesota, where he passed twelve years farming and freighting. A part of the twelve

years wes spent freighting from Fort Teton to Fort Stevenson, Dak. In 1878 he removed to North Dakota and engaged in freighting from Bismarck to the Black Hills. After conducting this enter- prise two years he was employed in the con- struction of the Northern Pacific Railroad, working on the line through to Billings. He located on the Yellowstone at what is known as Rapids station on the Northern Pacific Railroad and occupied him- self with raising stock on the ranch then selected until 1894. In that year he removed to his present property two and three-quarter miles due south of Bridger, Carbon county, where he has a fine modern residence, a body of excellent land and a herd of 200 Hereford and Durham cattle. His land is well irrigated and improved with all necessary buildings and other appliances, and produces large crops of alfalfa and timothy.

Mr. Parker was united in marriage on April 26, 1871, with Miss Anna Stiles, of New York, a sister of Theodore Stiles, of Gallatin valley, of whom extended mention is made on another page of this work. They have nine children : Edith, wife of C. A. Whitlock, of Clark's Forks; Walter S., lo- cated on Clark's Fork; Edna, Frank, Harry, Maud and Amy attending college at Lincoln, Neb .; Mabel, wife of Leo Smith, of Stillwater, Mont .; and Charles, living at home. Mr. Parker is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Ma- sonic order. He formerly belonged to the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a repre- sentative citizen of the best type and is highly es- teemed wherever he is known.

CHAUNCEY DE WITT PARKER, named in honor of Gov. De Witt Clinton, of New York, an old time friend of the family, is recognized as one of the leading ranchers of Sweet Grass county, his valuable property lying in the vicinity of Big Timber, Mont. He was born in Arcade, Wyoming county, N. Y., on December 30, 1868, one of seven sons and four daughters. His father, John Parker, also a native of Wyoming county, born on Janu- ary 20, 1831, while his mother, Adelia M. (Keller) Parker, was born in the beautiful and romantic Mohawk valley. The paternal grandfather, Silas Parker, was a native of New York. John Parker was a soldier during the Civil war, fought gallantly and suffered untold miseries in the southern pris- ons of Bird Island, Lawton, Libby and Ander-

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sonville. He first enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth New York, remained with the command one year and was transferred to the First New York Dragoons; served two years and was taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness. When Mr. Parker enlisted he weighed 184 pounds, and when exchanged from Anderson- ville he was reduced to ninety-six pounds and had lost his teeth and hair. In 1875 he removed to Minnesota with his family, where he remained until his death, which occurred from a kick by one of his horses in February, 1901.

The excellent public schools of Minnesota pro- vided the early education of C. D. Parker, and he continued industriously at work on his father's farm until he was eighteen years of age, when he came to Montana, first to Great Cliff, where he engaged in ranching. He then sought the Boulder mines, prospected for two summers and went to work for the Briggs & Ellis Company, at Big Timber, as foreman. During his eighteen-months service with that company he engaged in all kinds of ranch work, breaking fractious bronchos, on the "round-up" and similar occupations, making a thorough study of the details. His present prop- erty, lying on Big Timber creek, he purchased in 1898, since which time he has extensively engaged in the sheep and cattle industries. He has 280 acres, well irrigated, from which he gathers large and profitable crops of alfalfa. Last year he killed fifty- nine hogs and intends to engage more prominently in that enterprise. His favorite stock appears to be Percheron horses, shorthorn cattle and Merino sheep crossed with Shropshires. Through the ranch courses Big Timber creek. Mr. Parker was married on December 29, 1897, to Miss Dora Ald- ridge, of Big Timber. They have one child, John Ray, born August 13, 1900. As a man he is greatly respected and evidently he is on the high road to success.

G EORGE A. PARROTT .- Forty years of life in the west should surely confer upon one the title of "old timer." During this long period how much of excitement and wild experiences must have been passed through, how much endurance demanded to withstand the hardships and depri- vations incident of the life of the early pioneer. For over forty years has George A. Parrott, one of the prosperous citizens of Lewistown, Mont., been identified with the growth of the great west since

his arrival at San Francisco in the fall of 1860. He was born at Lenoxton, Addington, in the prov- ince of Ontario, Canada, on January 28, 1838, the son of James and Elizabeth J. (Babcock) Parrott. The Parrott family for long generations has flour- ished in England, a branch, however, early taking root in Canada. James Parrott was born and lived his long and active life in Addington, held fre- quently responsible offices and was at one time the treasurer of the province. A brother of his was for long years the treasurer of the county of his birth. Both of Mr. Parrott's paternal and maternal ancestors fought on the British side in the Revo- lution and the war of 1812. His great-grandfather, John Snider, was born in Germany, and for emi- nent services in the English army was granted large concessions of land in Ontario, and thereafter made his home in that province. He had seven- teen children and numerous grandchildren, and lived to the patriarchal age of over ninety years. The mother of Mr. Parrott died in October, 1838, and he was brought up by his mother's parents and never was a resident member of his father's household.

In the forest settlement of the pioneer district where Mr. Parrott was born there was little op- portunity to acquire even the rudimentary branches of education and he had no other chance to at- tend school. Up to his twentieth year he was en- gaged in laboring on the farm and in learning and working at the blacksmith's trade in Canada and New York, acquiring skill and making carriage ironing a specialty. He was not content to plod along in the overcrowded and underpaid ranks of his fellow workers of the east and set his face toward the far west, sailing in September, 1860, from New York for California, via the Isthmus of Panama. He arrived in San Francisco in Novem- ber, and after passing a few weeks there went to Sonoma City, and secured work at his trade, re- ceiving $40 per month and board. The next March he started for Nevada, his route leading him by way of Sacramento City and by rail from there to Folsom, the end of the railroad. From Folsom he went on foot with others to Sugar Loaf Station, Cal., where he did good business that summer in blacksmithing for the numerous freighters who passed along the well traveled highway. Here he experienced in the winter of 1861-2 one of the most thrilling episodes of his life. A three-months rain loosened the mountain side, and a landslide of wonderful size nearly swept away the little set-

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tlement in the narrow valley and dammed up the stream flowing through it so that the lake of water which was formed almost completed the destruction commenced by the slide. Although many cattle were killed and drowned no human life was lost. The death roll was great, however, in other parts of California, where the fearful floods of that season are remembered with horror. Business conditions being ruined here Mr. Parrott went to the lower part of the state and passed the win- ter at China Town (now Placerville) and vicinity. The next spring he accomplished his long cherished purpose of reaching Nevada and made his head- quarters at Carson City. He very profitably pur- sued his trade here until 1869. During this time, however, on August 26, 1863, he was united in matrimony with Miss Eliza Tennessee Greer, a daughter of William and Anna (Jones) Greer. She was born in the Choctaw nation, of parents born in Virginia and Tennessee. Here three children were born. The oldest was George Austin, named from the capital of Texas and killed in 1882 by falling 200 feet down a mine shaft at Austin, Ne- vada. After this terrible fall he lived three months and fifteen days before death came to end his sufferings. Their second child, William Henry, now resides at Lewistown, Mont., while the third, Ida May, is now Mrs. W. W. Bennett, of East Fork, Fergus county.

In 1869 Mr. Parrott went to Truckee, Cal., for a year, then to Reno for one year, then 200 miles north to Surprise valley, where he bought property and engaged in real estate business and for the five years of his residence here made money. He was here during the exiting times of the Modoc war. The winter of 1875 and 1876 he passed at Winnemucca, Nev., thence went to Battle Moun- tain on the Central Pacific Railroad, and remained until December, 1882, when he came to Butte, ar- riving during the last days of the year. Here he engaged in business, but, in a few months, after doing a large business found the hundreds of dollars owing him entirely valueless, and in the picturesque language of the frontiersman he "went broke." With only ten cents in money, ruined by the credit system, he left Butte for Silver Star in Madison county, and after six months went to Boulder City, where ill luck still pursued him, and in a few months he transferred his residence to Jefferson and prospered here for one year. From here, in 1885, he came to Cottonwood, then the center of civilization for this part of Meagher

county, and established a blacksmith shop. In the fall of 1885 he purchased a fine ranch property on Cottonwood creek, three miles below Cottonwood village. To this he has added until this estate contains 800 acres of desirable land. He made his home on the ranch until Lewistown came into existence, when he removed thither and estab- lished the first blacksmith and ironworking shop of the infant city. He has been prospered here, and has been fortunate in making good investments in real estate. In 1897 he leased his shop and has since passed his time in looking after his landed property. He owns sixteen city lots in Lewistown, all in fine locations and many of them give good rental. On September 21, 1891, Mr. Parrott was a second time married, the bride being Mrs. Laura M. Conner. Her maiden name was Bailey, and her birth place was Trumbull county, Ohio, to which her parents removed from Meadville, Craw- ford county, Pa., in early pioneer days. Both Mr. and Mrs. Parrott are valued members of the Lew- istown Methodist Episcopal church, of which he has been a trustee. He has been a Knight of Pythias since July, 1876, and is past chancellor and master of the work in his local lodge. He has been a Republican from the organization of the party.

JOHN C. PATTERSON, resident engineer and assistant superintendent of the engineering de- partment of the eastern district of the Great North- ern Railway, is located at Great Falls, Mont. He was born in Lawrence, Mass., on March 2, 1858, and is the son of John R. and Ann (Cameron) Pat- terson, both natives of Scotland. The father, born on March 10, 1827, came to the United States in 1848, and was engaged in different localities in New York and New England as foreman in woolen mills for many years. Since 1864 he has lived at Dexter, Maine, having retired from business several years ago. The paternal grandfather, John Patter- son, an emigrant from Scotland, settled in Maine, where he died in 1879. The Patterson family for many generations have been woolen manufacturers in Scotland. The mother of John C. Patterson was born in Scotland in 1825 and her marriage occurred at Lawrence, Mass., in 1848. Robert C. Patterson, a brother of J. C., is assistant cashier in the treas- urer's office of the Great Northern at St. Paul, and his other brother, Wm. H. Patterson, is prominently connected with woolen manufacturing in New Jer-

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sey. His only sister, Mrs. Anna R. Scott, resides in Dexter, Maine.

John C. Patterson was reared in Lawrence, Mass., and in Dexter, Maine, and received his education in the excellent public schools of the latter city and at the University of Maine at Orono. Here he was graduated as a civil engineer in the class of 1878. He came to Minneapolis, Minn., in May, 1879, and was employed as a civil engineer on the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad. From that tinte he has been occupied in railroad engineering and construction in the northwestern states, over twenty-two years in constant activity. In June, 1889, Mr. Patterson came to Montana and took charge of the construction of the main line of the Northern Pacific into Butte, and upon this work he was engaged for a year, while the two succeeding years he was constructing new lines in Washington for the same company. In February, 1893, Mr. Patterson came to Great Falls as resident engineer on the Montana Central Railway, with the exception of five months when he was located in Anaconda as chief engineer of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Rail- way, continuing there until March 1, 1902, when he removed to St. Paul to become the resident engineer and assistant superintendent of the engineering de- partment of the eastern district of the Great North- ern, extending from Minot to St. Paul, a most im- portant and responsible position which he is con- ducting with the conscientious fidelity and rare tech- nical ability that have so characterized his operations in the past. The important work of rebuilding the Great Northern's main line west of the Big Sandy into Great Falls, in progress since 1899, was accom- plished under his direction. The various changes of the line have involved some of the most elaborate and expensive pieces of railway construction ever undertaken in the state. In addition, also all the work of repairs and improvements to the roadway and structures of the Montana Central Railway was under Mr. Patterson's direction, which combine to make him one of the busiest men in the northwest.

He is one of the most prominent members of the Montana Society of Engineers, and is a man of great executive ability, a master of his profession. Widely known throughout the state he is highly esteemed for his many admirable qualities of head and heart. In 1892 Mr. Patterson was united in marriage to Mrs. Cordelia Krebs, at Spokane, Wash. Their two sons are John A., born on June 19, 1895, and William C., born on September 9, 1897.

ROBERT PONTET .- In considering the life

history of Mr. Pontet and incidentally touch- ing his ancestry, we are carried back to the days when the great Napoleon reigned, and when Wa- terloo was fonght. Robert Pontet was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 23, 1844. His father, Desire Pontet, was a native of Paris, France, born in 1798. In 1816, at the age of eighteen, he went from France to Ireland after the battle of Waterloo, for in the army of the great Napoleon he had served for several years and had been a partic- ipant in many adventures by flood and field. De- sire Pontet, having located in Dublin, took up the study of languages, graduating with high honors from Trinity College in 1826. For many years thereafter he was a teacher of languages in Dublin, where he died in 1873. The paternal grandfather of Robert Pontet was long a prominent and highly successful merchant in Paris. Robert Pontet's mother was previous to her marriage Miss Anna Marie Maguire, born at Londonderry, Ireland. She died in Nice, France, in 1880. She was the daughter of James Maguire, a famous portrait painter.

Robert Pontet attended the excellent schools of Dublin, but is really self-educated, as he has won- derfully improved his subsequent advantages of acquiring that knowledge of which he was de- prived in his youth, for at the age of fourteen he went to sea. Always a close observer and an exceedingly good listener, be became thoroughly well informed in all of the practical affairs of life. From 1856 he sailed the seas, retiring in 1868, having been first officer on merchant sailing vessels, and afterwards on steam vessels. From 1861 to 1863 inclusive he was in the Bendigo mines of Australia, going from there to England. During the Paraguayan war in 1867-8, Mr. Pontet served on a government transport. In 1868 he came to the United States from Buenos Ayres, and vis- ited successively Baltimore, Massachusetts, Wyo- ming, Chicago and Salt Lake City. At Rock creek and Evanston, Wyo., Mr. Pontet worked in the coal mines and also assisted in building the Union Pacific Railway. In 1870 he went to Chicago, passed one year sailing on the lakes out of that port, in the spring of 1871 going to Brainard, Minn., where he was a contractor on the Northern Pacific in building bridges along its line. From Brainard he went to Fargo, and held his residence liere until 1878, continuing with the bridge building service of the Northern Pacific between Fargo and Bismarck until the road reached Bismarck and be-

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 39

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