Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 60

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 60

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F RANK WILSON .- One of the most exten- sive ranchers and stock dealers in Sweet Grass county, where he owns one of the finest ranch properties in the state, is Mr. Wilson, who merits specific consideration as one of the pro- gressive men of Montana. He is a native of Os- wego county, N. Y., born on September 18, 1859, the son of James and Rebecca (Madell) Wilson, natives of Wales and Ireland. They had five sons and five daughters. James Wilson emigrated to the United States in the early 'fifties, locating in Oswego county; in 1864 he removed to Canada and followed farming until his death. Frank Wil- son remained with his grandfather in Ontario un-

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til 1868, when he returned to Oswego, and was for four years a driver on the canal. In 1872 he went to Michigan and engaged in lumbering until 1881, when he started for Montana, coming by rail to Forsyth, Custer county, then the terminus of the road, and traveling over the state for two years, seeking a favorable location.

In 1883 he located in Big Timber, and was vari- ously employed for three years, then passed a year at Fort Custer, returning to Big Timber and lo- cating a ranch on Devil creek, where he engaged in raising horses until 1891. He made Big Timber his headquarters for two years, continuing in the stock business, and in 1893 he purchased the James Deboid ranch on Boulder creek. In 1898 he traded this property to C. O. Hathaway for stock, rent- ing of him his ranch on Big Timber creek, where he now makes his home, having 1,400 acres of valuable and eligibly located land. A large ir- rigation ditch was commenced in 1881 by David Riffle, and Mr. Wilson completed it. This car- ries 400 inches of water, being one mile in length. He has also completed another ditch, conveying 600 inches of water, more than a mile in length, and he has 250 acres under effective irrigation and devoted to alfalfa. He has also begun a third ditch, on the west side of the river. This will carry 600 inches of water, will be a mile and one-half in length, and afford irrigation to more than 400 acres.

Mr. Wilson has recently disposed of about 2,000 sheep and retains about an equal number. He usually buys stock in the fall, which he win- ters and disposes of in March, securing by this method more frequent and satisfactory returns. He handles shorthorn cattle, having more than 100 head, the majority of them being thorough- breds. . He is very enthusiastic on this sub- ject, exercising great care and discrimination, and has done much to improve the grades of cattle produced in his section. When he has completed his third ditch he will add largely to his stock, and will figure as one of the most extensive dealers in the county, still following his system of feed- ing and selling, rather than raising or breeding. Mr. Wilson owns a good dwelling and eight town lots in Big Timber, and he has some fine speci- mens of Percherons. He has one horse, named Brigham, which he secured as a colt in 1887, now retired from active duty, and he states emphatic- ally that this worthy old favorite is not for sale. In the very prosperous condition surrounding his home, Mr. Wilson must certainly enjoy life.

TIENRY B. LAPHAM .- Comfortably located on his ranch of more than 2,000 acres, seven miles from Philbrook in Fergus county, Mon- tana, Henry B. Lapham has a fine flock of sheep, with all the necessaries of life and many of its luxuries about him, and is secure in the good opinion of his neighbors and fellow citizens. Al- though a young man comparatively, he can look back with interest and pleasure over the way so full of adventure and danger and arduous toil by which he came to his present estate.

He was born in Lynn county, Iowa, September 29, 1859, a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Lapham, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Indiana, who took up their residence in Iowa early in their married life, where the father was a pros- perous blacksmith and a Republican in politics. Both his parents were members of the Presbyterian church and were the parents of eight children, one of whom is deceased.

Henry, the second son, was sent to the public schools until he was ten years old, and then was hired out as a farm hand for $9.00 a month and his board. After spending three years in this occupa- tion, he secured a position with the Newbury & Twist Cattle Company, of Texas, and for that or- ganization drove cattle to Kansas City, Mo. When but thirteen years of age he was in the Indian ter- ritory, when hostile Indians were on the war-path to exterminate the outfit with which he was con- nected and a thrilling experience was thus given him at an early age. The leader of his party was at once on his return to Kansas, commissioned to raise a company of troops for Indian warfare, and in that company the young lad was accepted as a soldier and he enlisted in the Ninth Kansas Cavalry at $13.50 per month and rations. At the end of a year, however, he was given a place as wagon boss at $35.00 per month, which he continued to fill for four years. At the end of that time he removed to Price county, Wis., and secured employment in the lumber woods at the same wages. He worked in the woods three years and then located a ranch at Lake Benton, Minn. In this move he was pros- pered until a disastrous fire destroyed his crops and machinery. This drove him back to labor in the lumber woods where he spent the winter of 1889. In the spring following, he came to Mon- tana, and located in the vicinity of Philbrook, in Fergus county, and secured employment as a cook for the Judith round-up at $60 per month, under direction of S. S. Hobson. He remained in this

H. B. Lapham

Mrs. H. B. Lapham

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position five years, receiving at the close of the term a compensation of $125 per month. In the year 1894 he engaged in freighting and continued with good success at this business for a period of three years. He next took up a pre-emption and a desert claim at his present location which he has since increased until he now has 2,080 acres, of which 200 are under cultivation. Until 1897 he `was extensively engaged in cattleraising, but since that time he has devoted his attention mainly to the raising of sheep.

Mr. Lapham is a valued member of the Masonic order and the Woodmen of the World, and in poli- tics he is an ardent Republican. He was married December 30, 1889, to Miss Jessie Murray, a native of Scotland, and daughter of Robert and Eliza- beth Murray, who are also natives of Scotland, but came to America soon after their marriage, and settled at Lonaconing, Md., where they remained until 1883, when they removed to Montana. In Maryland the father devoted his time to coal min- ing. He was a Republican in politics, and both were members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. and Mrs. Lapham have two children, Nina and Mildred. They are also active members of the Presbyterian church, and are held in high esteem wherever they are known. Their home is a center of generous and gracious hospitality, over which Mrs. Lapham presides with refined courtesy.

LIARRY I. WINSLOW .- Whatever there may be of credit and commendable achievement in the career of the subject of this review, it is all Montana's own, for he is a native here and to the manor born, and has spent his entire life on the soil of the Treasure state. His life began April 26, 1864, at Summit, in Madison county, he being thus one of the first white boys born within the limits of the state. He is the son of James I. and Ellen Christena Winslow, the story of whose interesting lives appears on other pages of this work. Mr. Winslow spent his school days in his native town and, in 1888, when he was twenty-four years old, removed to Centennial val- ley, and there engaged for about twelve years in the cattle business. He has recently returned to his native county, and is now successfully car- rying on a general ranching and cattleraising busi- ness. In political relations Mr. Winslow is an active Republican and has rendered good service

to his party in various representative capacities, as well as by zealous work in the ranks. He has represented his district in the county con- ventions and his county in the state conventions of his party from time to time, and has always borne an influential part in local party councils. Fraternally he is identified with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, holding membership · in Lima Lodge No. 45. He was married in Feb- ruary, 1887, to Miss Mary Roth, a native of Swit- zerland, and daughter of John and Mary (Wine- gard) Roth, also natives of Switzerland, the former of whom died in his native land, and the latter emigrated to America in 1883 and settled in Mon- tana. They were the parents of two sons and one daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Winslow have six children, Ivanhoe, Alta May, James Paul, Lillian M., Ervin W. and Irma L.

H ARVEY E. WOLFE is a native. of Crawford county, Ill., where he was born April 27, 1864, the son of W. H. and Catherine (Allison) Wolfe, also natives of Crawford county, Ill. His grandfather Wolfe removed to that county from Pennsylvania, and was a pioneer in the state. His son, the father of Harvey, made Illinois his home through life. He was a prosperous farmer, an influential and representative citizen, and a man of broad views and progressive ideas, taking great interest in educational matters.

Henry E. Wolfe received his elementary edu- cation in the public schools of his native county. In 1882 he removed to La Salle county, where he was employed for four years. Having accumu- lated some money he entered the normal school at Danville, Ind., where he remained more than a year. He then engaged in teaching school in La Salle county for two years, at the end of which he again entered the normal school at Danville, and remained three years, completing the business course and being valedictorian of his class. He also completed the teachers' and sci- entific courses, and was president of the class in each. In 1892 he was graduated from the classical course, came at once to Montana and located at Bozeman, having been engaged as principal of the east side schools, which position he filled for two years. His services in this capacity were highly appreciated and his salary was increased in the second year. On June 22, 1893, he was

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married to Miss Vivian Robinson, of Sidney, Ill., 1874 he purchased a farm, which he continued to a daughter of W. A. Robinson, a native of Ohio. She was a classmate of his at the normal school, and after her graduation was engaged in teach- ing school for a period of four years. In 1894 Mr. Wolfe was made principal of the schools at Deer Lodge, and remained in that position five years. In 1896 he presided at the annual meet- ing of the State Teachers' Association, which was held at Great Falls, and delivered the annual address to the teachers. In 1899 he resigned his position as a teacher and, removing to Gebo, en- gaged in mercantile business, which he continued for about eighteen months. He then homesteaded his present ranch two miles east of Gebo and at once began farming. His land is all well irrigated and is highly productive. He has built on it a fine modern residence and has it improved with good barns, sheds and other necessary outbuild- ings. A young orchard which he has recently planted is promising, and in every way the ranch is in good order and makes an attractive home.

In political affiliation Mr. Wolfe is a Demo- crat, and has rendered good service to his party. He has frequently represented his district in the county conventions, has been for years a school trustee, and is well esteemed as a leading and representative citizen of Carbon county, being energetic and progressive, and taking a deep in- terest in local affairs.

MIL WOMMELSDORF .- No nation has E contributed a more valuable element to the citizenship of the great American republic than the German empire, and in Helena a worthy representative of the Fatherland is to be found in the person of the subject of this sketch, who is engaged in the grocery business, conducting the same according to correct principles and catering to a representative patronage. He was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on New Year's day, 1861, being the son of Detlef and Anna (Moeler) Wommelsdorf, natives of the same grand duchy, and where the family of each had been established for many generations. During the war of 1848-50 the father of our subject drove a government mail coach, implying much peril and responsibility. Later he was engaged in the lumber business; was foreman of a corps of workmen in the gov- ernment salt mines at the same place; and in

operate until his death, in November, 1880. Emil Wommelsdorf received his education in the ex- cellent schools of his native land, graduating at Eastertide, 1876. After leaving school he en- tered a mercantile establishment and served four years, familiarizing himself with the details of the business. He was next employed as second clerk in a dry goods and clothing establishment in the city of Friedrichstadt, where he remained until 1881, when he determined to try his fortunes in the United States. He took passage for New York city, and on arrival came directly to Helena, September 24, 1881, where he joined an uncle who had preceded him to America. He soon ac- cepted a position as clerk in the grocery estab- lishment of Charles Lehman, where he continued until June 22, 1884, when he took the position of shipping and receiving clerk in the wholesale grocery house of J. T. Murphy, remaining with that concern until August 23, 1886, when he re- moved to Stuart, Mont., and purchased and con- ducted a general merchandising business until 1889. He also served as postmaster during the ad- ministration of President Cleveland. In the spring of 1889 Mr. Wommelsdorf returned to Helena and here purchased a lot at the corner of Fiftlı avenue and Hoback street, whereon he erected a store building in which he opened on the 10th of June a well equipped grocery. He has secured a good business and is worthy of the success which has attended his efforts.

In politics he gives his support to the Demo- cratic party ; socially he is prominently identified with the Freemasons, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, belonging to Lincoln Lodge No. 57; and with Helena Lodge No. 2, S. of H .; in the Masonic fraternity he affiliates with King Solo- mon Lodge No. 9, of which he was worshipful master in 1900, being presented with a beautiful past master's jewel at the time of his retirement from office ; his capitular membership is Helena Chapter No. 2, R. A. M. On September 22, 1889, at the home of the bride's sister, in Latah, Wash., Mr. Wommelsdorf was united in marriage to Miss Laura Amelia Clauton, who was born in Missouri, where her father was engaged in agricultural pur- sttits. To our subject and his estimable wife two children have been born: Bernice, born August 8, 1890, and Anna, born on New Year's day, 1892, the anniversary of the birth of her father, and they fill the home with cheer.

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H JON. GEORGE R. WOOD .- Holding prece- dence as one of the progressive business men of Montana and as a representative of Cascade county in the legislature, it is signally appropriate that a review of the life of Mr. Wood be incorpor- ated in this work. He is a native of Ontario, Can- ada, where he was born on October 3, 1840, the son of Nathan L. and Catherine (McIntyre) Wood, natives of New Hampshire and Nova Scotia, the mother of Scotch ancestry. Nathan Wood went to Canada in 1825, for the Hudson's Bay Company, and traveled over a large area of country, collecting. furs and trading with various posts. He was a man of genial characteristics and his ready wit a source of constant entertainment. He eventually engaged in merchandising at Aylmer, Ontario, and his death occurred in 1887, while his wife died in 1891. A paternal uncle of Mr. Wood went to Palestine in 1826 on a government geological expe- dition and nothing further was heard of him.

George R. Wood secured his educational discip- line in the public schools of Ontario, and was em- ployed in his father's store until he was of age. When twenty-four he engaged in the lumber busi- ness and continued this for four years, and then came to Montana, arriving in Helena in 1868, so that he may have been consistently termed a pioneer of the state. He made the trip by steamboat to Chicago, thence by rail to Omaha, was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad during the summer of 1868 and then came overland to Montana. He secured employment in placer mines in Helena, receiving $7.00 per day in gold dust, and in the spring of 1870 he entered the employ of Holter Brothers, in the lumber business, with which he was thoroughly familiar. He con- tinued his residence in Helena until 1873, then went to Fort Benton, passed one summer in the employ of T. C. Power & Brother, as check clerk on the levee, afterwards going to Fort Walsh, B. C., where he built a trading post for the Powers, remaining there one year. He then returned to Fort Benton and to Helena, and the employ of Holter Brothers, with whom he remained until 1890, when he became manager for the Montana Manufactur- ing and Lumber Company. In 1892 he located in Great Falls, as manager of the Holter Lumber Company's interests, and this incumbency he has since retained, and is numbered among the repre- sentative citizens of the place.

Mr. Wood has ever been an uncompromising ad- vocate of Democratic principles and policies, and

has been one of the wheelhorses in his county. In 1898 he was elected an alderman of Great Falls, his term expiring in 1900, and in the fall of 1900 he was the successful candidate on the Democratic ticket for representative of Cascade county in the lower house of the state legislature, serving in ses- sions of the Seventh assembly and taking active part in its deliberations. He was made chairman of the state land committee, and assigned to membership on other important committees, the judiciary, agri- culture and stock, railroads and transportation, and the "steering" committee. He is a thorough Mon- tanian, ever ready to lend his influence to any en- terprise looking to the advancement of the state. Fraternally Mr. Wood is identified with the lodge, chapter, council and commandery of the Masonic order, and also with its auxiliary organizations, the Mystic Shrine and the Eastern Star, having held official preferment in each. He possesses a genial personality, is thoroughly alert and progressive and enjoys marked popularity.

EDWIN P. WOODS .- After many years of ac- tive effort, covering a great variety of pursuits and experiences, among which the leading lines of business have been cattleherding, stockraising, mer- cantile life and general farming, Edwin P. Woods has finally settled down into a mercantile enterprise of magnitude commensurate with his capacity and breadth of view, being a leading factor in the Amos Buck Mercantile Company, of Stevensville. He was born on September 30, 1844, in Sheridan county, Mo., a son of Patrick and Eliza (Terrell) Woods, the former a native of Missouri and the latter of Kentucky, where her family have been prominent in public affairs for generations. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom Edwin P. was the second. He was educated in the public schools of his native state, where he remained until he was seventeen years old.

After leaving school he set out at once for the distant west, and, reaching Colorado, passed two years there in freighting. In 1864 he came to Mon- tana, crossing the plains with one of his present partners, Amos Buck, and landing in Virginia City in September of that year. During the winters he was herding cattle in Gallatin valley and in the spring went to Prickly Pear valley, near Helena, and en- gaged in farming for himself on a ranch of his own until 1869. From there he went to the Missouri

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valley, and continued at farming and stockraising until 1890, when he was for a year in Butte in the grocery business. Selling out he removed to the Bit- ter Root valley and followed farming until 1900, when he bought an interest in the Amos Buck Mer- cantile Company, a very extensive merchandising house with headquarters at Stevensville, Ravalli county, with which he and his two sons are actively connected.

It might appear from this narrative that Mr. Woods has been too busy with his own affairs to pay much attention to public matters, but this is not the case. He has always taken an active part in politics and in movements having in view the wel- fare of the community, the county in which he lived or the state. He is of the Democratic faith and influential in the councils of his party, in conse- quence of which he was one of the chosen represent- atives of his county in the Fifth and Sixth state legislatures, a position wherein he exhibited great legislative capacity and knowledge of public ques- tions. In fraternal relations he is a Mason, hold- ing the rank of past master in his lodge, and in re- ligious affiliations he is a member of the M. E. church, South. Mr. Woods was married on Septem- ber 17, 1872, to Miss Lizzie F. Keaton, a daughter of J. J. and Sarah Keaton, and of Meagher county, where her father is a prosperous stockman. Mrs. Woods was born in Doniphan county, Kan., on Sep- tember 1, 1857, and when five years old went to Colorado with her parents. Two years later, in 1864, the family came to Montana, locating in the Missouri valley, in Jefferson county. They have a very interesting family of five children- Newton P., Arthur M., Winnie L., Vincent K. and Edna V., whose presence makes their home not only bright with life and light for them, but renders it additionally attractive to their hosts of friends.

F RANK A. YAEGER .- Among those of for- eign birth who have come to Montana and at- tained success is Mr. Yaeger, whose fine ranch property is eight miles west of Lewistown. Mr. Yaeger is a native of Alsace, Germany, where he was born on the 18th of March, 1849, the son of George and Margaret Yaeger. George Yaeger was employed by the French to prevent smuggling from Germany, Alsace being on a line between the two countries. He and his wife were Catholics and they passed their entire lives in Germany. George Yae-

ger died in 1893, and his wife in 1895. Of their six children Joseph and Charles are deceased, those surviving being Frank A., Annie, August and Louis. Three of the number are residents of the United States.

Frank A. Yaeger attended the parochial schools of Alsace until he was fourteen, when he was ap- prenticed to a baker and was employed in this vo- cation until he was twenty, when he entered the French army as a private soldier and served for two years. Then returning home he entered the employ of a supervisor as an oarsman on the dam. In 1872 Mr. Yaeger emigrated to America and lo- cated at St. Charles, Mo., where he was employed in a brickyard for about a year, receiving $2.00 per day for his services. The ensuing winter he worked on a farm for $8.00 a month and board. Until 1876 Mr. Yaeger followed various lines of work in differ- ent localities, and in 1876 came to Fort Benton, Mont., his first employment here being in the night herding of mule teams at $60 a month. In the win- ter of 1876 he devoted his attention to hunting coy- otes and in the spring he secured employment as a driver of bull teams. In 1879 he was a teamster for John K. Castner, at Belt, and in 1880, at the time of the gold excitement at Barker, Meagher county, he went there, but soon went through to his present location with a span of horses and a wagon. Here he took up a homestead and to this original tract he has added until he now has 880 acres, nearly half of which is available for cultiva- tion. Mr. Yaeger has devoted his attention more particularly to the raising of cattle and has been very successful, keeping a fine herd of stock.

Mr. Yaeger is a Republican in politics, but not an office seeker. His religious faith is that of the Catholic church, as is also that of his wife.

On the 22d of June, 1884, occurred the marriage of Mr. Yaeger to Miss Rosella Reglie, who was born in Switzerland, as were also her parents, Jo- seph and Josephine Reglie. Her father, whose death occurred in 1896, was always a resident of Switzer- land, and his widow now makes her home in that little republic. Of their thirteen children five have passed away-Catherine, Pius, Annie, Julius and Joseph. Those surviving are Henry, Josephine, Julia, Charles, Dominick, Frank, Adelrich and Ro- sella. Mr. and Mrs. Yaeger are the parents of twelve children whose names, in order of birth, are as follows: Josephine, Bertha, Margaret, Rosella, Julia, George, Frank, Fred, Ida, Joseph, Clothilda and Rudolph Yaeger.

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JOSEPH YOUNG has gained prosperity in the cattle business since coming to the state of Montana. He resides on a pleasant ranch in Cascade county, near Eden. He was born at Nassau, Germany, on May 12, 1861, being the son of Frank and Margaret (Bratz) Young. The father was a lifelong farmer, dying at Nassau, at the age of forty-nine years, and the mother is still living at the age of sixty-four. Joseph Young was reared in Nassau to the age of fourteen years, and alternated his school days with work on his father's farm. In 1879 he began work in a paint factory, continuing in this occupation two years. In 1881 he came to the United States and located at Columbus, Ohio, where he was em- ployed in the Borns & Slay breweries until 1888, and at Columbus he married Miss Eva Kessler, daughter of Joseph and Achada Kessler. Their children are Edward, Clara, Albert and Alex- ander. The wife and mother died in December, 1890.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 60

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