Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 67

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 67

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

In the year 1883 Mr. Fertig was united in mar- riage to Miss Theckla Koch, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, whose father emigrated from Germany with his family to America, locating in Cleveland, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life. The devoted wife of our subject was summoned into eternal rest on the 21st of May, 1899, and her loss was felt as a personal bereave- ment by a large circle of friends, to whom she had endeared herself by her true womanly char- acter and unvarying kindliness. She left two daughters, Margaretha Aurelia and Helen Leonora,

DEV. GEORGE McVEY FISHER, son of Rev. Jacob P. and Jane ( Brownlee) Fisher, was born at Cherry Fork, Adams county, Ohio, October 31, 1849. . His father was for many years a clergyman of the Associated Reformed church at Cherry Fork, and died when his son George was not quite three years old. He was a man of great vitality, with a sound mind in a strong body, and possessed of positive convictions which he, as a faithful preacher, never shrank from expressing. He was a good scholar and, one of his college professors says, excelled in the languages, especially Latin. He first met his future wife, Miss Brownlee, while teaching in Washington, Pa., where his father, George Fisher, was the village gunsmith. He had two children, sons, Samuel Brownlee Fisher, who has become noted as a civil engineer and, as one of his labors, built the railroad to Mt. Shasta, and George M. Fisher. The latter, the second and youngest son of his parents, after his father's death, became an inmate of his maternal grand- mother's home, and, while developing an iron constitution by the activities of farm life, received a good preparatory education for college and then became a student at that time-honored educational institution, Washington and Jefferson College, at Washington, Pa., where he was graduated in the class of 1875. For four years thereafter he was the manager of his grandmother's farm, then, fol- lowing the leadings of what to him was impera- tive religious duty, he, as a preparation for act- ive ministerial life, entered Union Theological Sem- inary, in New York city, being graduated there- from in 1882. Having connected himself with the Presbyterian church, he was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Washington, and in the fall of 1882 came to Missoula, Mont., as a home mis- sionary.

It is needless to say that nothing but true de- votion of self and self-interests to the cause of Christ could have been the motive leading to a field so uncongenial to personal enjoyment and replete with incessant labor and deprivations. In this field so forbidding to the lover of ease, Mr. Fisher labored for five years with all the persistent earnestness of a devoted and healthy organism. Out of a reported membership of seventeen, on his arrival he could find only seven, and yet with this discouraging prospect he did not lose heart. He preached regularly, at first in a hall, labored 111 season and out of season among the people, at- tracted attention, made friends and induced many to attend religious services who had been strang- ers to them for years. He purchased the site of the first Presbyterian church of Missoula for $1,500 and built a temporary church edifice for $500 more. When he closed his connection with the Missoula society he left it with forty-five members. Dur- ing this time he did pioneer missionary work in the Bitter Root valley. At four points which he there selected as religious centers permanent Pres- byterian church organizations now exist, thus dem- onstrating his practical fitness for making wise locations. He was ordained as a minister of the Presbyterian church by the presbytery of Mon- tana in February, 1883. He was elected clerk of the Presbyterian synod of Montana for six years, two successive terms, from 1883 to 1889, and was its moderator in 1898. After closing his grat- ifying labors at Missoula, he was engaged in mis- sionary work at various points in Missoula county. He married at Missoula, on January 14, 1886, Miss Mary Swaney, daughter of Hugh and Chris- cilla (Fullerton) Swaney, born in Allegheny City, Pa.

The first view Rev. Mr. Fisher had of the Flat- head valley was on an outing taken with his wife in September, 1886, which occupied one month. They extended their trip to Ashley, where Mr. Fisher preached on two Sabbaths; his first dis- course was the first Protestant sermon heard in the valley, and it was the first public religious ser- vice of the kind ever held in the valley. Dur- ing this vacation he also preached at Selish and Sheldon. Attracted by the rare beauty and the agricultural possibilities of the valley, Mr. Fisher considered that he could find no better place to locate a home for himself and family, and moved thither in 1887, purchasing the im- provements on 160 acres now the site of the west-

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ern portion of the city of Kalispell. Pre-empting this land, he took up forty acres more as a timber claim. When the Kalispell Townsite Company decided on the location of the future city in Feb- ruary, 1891, they purchased the land of Mr. Fisher, .he receiving $7,000 for his pre-emption and an- other forty acres for his timber culture, which he afterward plotted and sold as Fisher's addition to Kalispell. A few months later he purchased the entire city block on which he erected his com- modious and pleasant residence in 1891. He now has two fine ranches of 120 acres each, in produc- tive cultivation, besides valuable unimproved lands. His home is blessed with five children: Crystal, born January 10, 1887; Miriam K., born October 16, 1888; Ruth, born September 9, 1892; Mary, born April 12, 1896, and George McVey Fisher, Jr., born September 12, 1899.

Mr. Fisher has ever been a loyal supporter of the Republican party. It was not merely personal gratification that caused his settling in this sec- tion. He was still imbued with the missionary spirit and at that day there was sad need of it in this locality. He could have gone to either of eleven more promising missions, but cast in his lot here because it needed the truth the most of all of them. In his early residence here he organ- ized the Presbyterian society of Ashley, which, on the creation of Kalispell, was removed thither and became the First Presbyterian church of Kal- ispell. He was its first pastor, and continued pastoral relations with it until his resignation on May 1, 1900. During all the years of his resi- dence here he has continued missionary work at various points in the Flathead valley, preaching at Libby, Pleasant Grove and Sedan in school houses on week days. He now visits Libby occa- sionally in his ministerial capacity. Here he has organized a church and is the only clergyman who preaches there.

Mr. Fisher possesses ability as a speaker and writ- er, and has a rich vein of humor underlying the seri- ous strata of his mental action. The years of his la- bor have not diminished his vigor, and he is today as well qualified to grapple with the hard experi- ences of missionary life as at any time in the past. Yes, better prepared, for he has gathered wisdom from the years he has been laboring, and his discourses liave a greater power and his pas- toral visits are the more valued from the knowl- edge the years have brought to him of sympathy and suffering. To show this and also add value to

this sketch, we copy from an autobiographic let- ter, which was lately published: "During my first two years in Montana I had a monthly trip of 120 miles, preaching at four different points, each one of which has since developed into a Presbyterian church. Then for one year I was a home missionary at large for a section of country larger than the whole state of Ohio. After this, in 1887, I removed to the Flathead valley. I had the honor of preaching the first sermon ever preached in the Flathead valley. Then we had a population of between 700 and 800, no railroad, no Sabbath school, no Sabbath, nor any desire for such things outside of a very few. We had but one mail day each week, which was in very truth a red-letter day for us. The general assembly of 1883 authorized me to organize the presbytery of Great Falls, which I did, according to instruc- tions, in October of the same year. The 160 acres of land on which I was compelled to locate, when moving into the Flathead valley, I sold to the Townsite Company of Kalispell, so that I might now say that I am the father of one town, one Presbytery and five children, and the greatest of these are the children. I have been nineteen years in Montana. I have been on the Pacific slope and have had something to do with shap- ing the future of seven Presbyterian churches, in the counties of Missoula, Ravalli and Flathead, all included in Missoula county when I came. During my stay in Montana I have been a home missionary for sixteen years. For two years I paid my own expenses, preached my own sermons, organized churches and handed them over to the presbytery. I have given to these and to this work in services unpaid for and actual money al- most $7,000-more than both the Board of Home Missions and the churches combined-for the work as it now stands in Flathead valley."

It has been well said that the consciousness of a life well lived, the consciousness of loyalty to God, the consciousness of high accomplishment, make a noble and a worthy reward. To whom can this apply more worthily than the faithful missionary, who, looking back after long years of incessant activity in the Master's vineyard, can see all along the line of his activity the assured fruit of his zeal, his labors and his endeavors. Unlike many of these devoted missionaries, however, Mr. Fisher is spared to cast many a pleasing retrospec- tive glance over the scenes of his Christian dili- gence and be yet blessed with mental and physical

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vigor. In all of his religious work since his mar- riage he has been warmly supported by his worthy wife. Truly his lines have fallen in pleasant places. "May his shadow never be less."

RICHARD S. FOWLER .- Among those pro- gressive men who lent impetus to the vital industries of the state of Montana was the sub- ject of this memoir, who was a citizen of the state for a full quarter of a century before his life's labors were closed in death. He was a man of in- flexible integrity, one of those who naturally as- sumed leadership in connection with local affairs, and in his death Ravalli county lost a valued and honored citizen.

Mr. Fowler was a native of the state of Tennes- see, having been born at Fountain Head, Sumner county, on the 23d of January, 1834. The parents were likewise natives of Tennessee and represent- atives of prominent pioneer families of that section of the Union. The subject of this sketch was reared under the sturdy discipline of the farm and his educational privileges were such as were af- forded by the public schools of the place and period. He continued to assist in the work of the paternal farmstead until he had attained the age of twenty years, when he went to Illinois, where he remained a short time and thence removed to Missouri, where he continued to devote his at- tention to agricultural pursuits until 1864. He then started for the west, becoming one of the pioneers of the Pacific coast. He located in the beautiful Willamette valley, in Oregon, and there was engaged in diversified farming for a full dec- ade, at the expiration of which, in 1874, he came to Montana, and was located in Virginia City about one year. Then he came to the Bitter Root val- ley, where he became the owner of a very valu- able ranch of 240 acres, lying contiguous to the attractive town of Victor, and here he was suc- cessfully engaged in farming and cattleraising un- til his death, which occurred on the 26th of August, 1901. By discrimination and good management Mr. Fowler accumulated a fine property, his ranch being one of the most valuable in this beautiful valley, while he also owned a good residence property in the town of Victor. He was a man who commanded the respect of all with whom he came in contact in the various relations of life, was ever true to his ideals and lived a life which reached a consistent fruition when he was sum-

moned into eternal rest. His religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and in politics he was a stanch advocate of the princi- ples and policies of the Democratic party. His aid and influence were not withheld from worthy undertakings and projects for the furtherance of progress and public prosperity, and thus he could not be other than one of the representative men of his community and state. His success was of no indefinite quality and its gaining was through such worthy means that his prosperity was grat- ifying to all who had appreciation of his sterling character and his straightforward methods in con- nection with business affairs.

In 1854, at his old home in Tennessee, Mr. Fow- ler was united in marriage and became the father of eleven children, of whom only four are living, Laura, now the wife of William M. Franks, of Stevensville ; Madison M., George W., and Amanda E., the wife of Joseph Miner, of Victor. The de- voted wife and mother died on the 23d of March, 1872, and on the 17th of July, 1873, Mr. Fowler married Mary J. Curtis, of Oregon, and their children were as follows: Edwin J., William T., Mary E., the wife of James Babbitt, and Idress A. Mrs. Fowler was summoned into eternal rest on the 13th of August, 1894, and on the Ioth of September, 1899, Mr. Fowler wedded Mrs. Mary L. Poindexter, who was born in the state of Ten- nessee, the daughter of F. G. and M. E. Martin. Mrs. Fowler survives her husband and maintains her home in Victor, the attractive residence being a center of refined hospitality,. and one which is a favorite resort for her large circle of friends in the community.

AMES A. FORD, a typical western pioneer, unassuming, industrious, successful and gener- ous, was for many years engaged in freighting through Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and the Canadian Northwest territory, in the early his- tory of the country, and had many thrilling ex- periences and adventures. He was born in Mus- kingum county, Ohio, November 17, 1844. His parents, Charles and Elizabeth (Krofft) Ford, were natives of Maryland who removed to Ohio when they were young and passed the rest of their lives farming in Muskingum and Perry counties. Dur- ing his residence of over forty years in the state the elder Ford was never on a railroad train,

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having an unconquerable repugnance to that method of traveling. He died at his Muskingum county home in November, 1900, at the age of 102 years, his wife following him on September 29, 1901.

James Ford was educated at the district schools of his native county. In March, 1862, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served to the end of the Civil war. He was first in West Virginia under Gen. Thomas, then with Grant at Vicksburg, and finally with Sherman in his famous march to the sea. On this march he was in Gen. Frank P. Blair's division and was forager for the General's mess. On leaving the army he went to Leaven- worth, Kan., and drove a mule team from there to Salt Lake, Utah, and Virginia City, Mont., reaching the latter place in September, 1865. In the following spring he removed to Eagle Rock, and for two years drove a stage from there to Sand Hole, first for the celebrated Ben Holli- day, and later for the Wells-Fargo Company. In 1868 he removed to Palisade, Nev., and for twen- ty-two months was employed by W. H. Pritchard to drive a nine-span mule team in freighting be- tween Eureka and White Pine. In 1870 he went to Corinne, Utah, where he drove a freighting team for Andrew Clark until 1872. He then be- gan operations in the freighting business for him- self, starting with a six-mule team and steadily increasing his outfit. When he sold out in the spring of 1885, to the Northwestern Transporta- tion Company of the Black Hills, he turned over five fourteen-mule teams, constituting one of the finest freighting outfits in the country at that time. In the meantime he had bought cattle. in the Judith basin and in 1884 purchased the Edgar ranch, consisting of 320 acres located about a half mile from the town of Utica. He was en- gaged in ranching and the stock business until the spring of 1891, when he sold out to Belden Peters and removed to Flathead valley, taking up his residence at Kalispell. Since then he has been largely engaged in buying and selling stock. In 1898 he built the Ford business block at the corner of Main and First streets, Kalispell. It is a two- story building, 50x140 feet in size, and one of the most substantial brick blocks in the city. He also erected another business block and four fine dwelling houses. He is largely interested in mines in Flathead county, and in the Kintla Lake oil fields. In politics Mr. Ford is an ardent

Democrat and has given his party good service from time to time, both in official positions and as a diligent worker in the rank and file. He was a member of the first city council of Kalispell.

AMES TRAVIS .- In the beautiful Chestnut valley of Cascade county is located the extensive and finely improved stock ranch of James Travis, who is one of the pioneers of Montana, and suc- cessfully identified with her industrial development in mining, stockraising and other enterprises. He was born in the parish of Bishop-Sutton, Somerset- shire, England, on September 10, 1854, the son of James and Elizabeth Travis, who emigrated from England in 1869, locating in Pennsylvania, whence they came to Montana in 1871.

James Travis studied in the public schools of his native parish and attended night schools in Montana after the removal of the family to this state. His individual labors had inception when he was a child of six years, when he secured employment in wiping engines, receiving one shilling per day for his dili- gent labor. He was thus employed until 1861, when he engaged in the task of cleaning boiler pits in Abberbag, Wales. Later, after serving three years as an apprentice in a machine shop, he was given a position as stationary engineer, which he held until 1869, when he came to the United States, and in 1871 secured a position as engineer in Helena, and subsequently engaged in mining on Ten-mile creek. In 1874 he went to work for C. B. Vaughn in the quartz mines, and in 1875 joined the stampede of miners to the Black Hills. In the fall he joined four others in a prospecting tour, but met with poor success. From Deadwood he came to Virginia City, and was employed in the Comstock mine. During the winters of 1876 and 1877 he was successfully engaged in quartz mining near Bodie, Mono county, Cal. In 1878 he and his partner "made a stake" of $12,000 with which they went to San Francisco and lost in speculations in mining stocks. Their finances being reduced to the lowest ebb, they made the return trip to Bodie (450 miles) on foot, car- rying their blankets, which represented their wordly wealth. Mr. Travis was thereafter engaged in min- ing in California with varying success, and finally he and his partners went to the American Fork district in Utah, and worked for wages until they had ac- cumulated $500, when the partnership was dis- solved, and Mr. Travis returned to Helena on his pack horse. On August 13, 1879, he purchased

James Travis

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Triagain diggings and from them realized $350. In January, 1880, he became superintendent of C. B. Vaughn's mines, and during 1881 and 1882 worked his own diggings with good success, selling a half-interest in the fall to A. G. Gebhardt for $1,900. The next spring he gave his remaining interest to his father, who afterward presented it to his son Thomas.

James Travis then joined the stampede to the Coeur d'Alene mining district in Idaho, prospecting through the mountains and finally securing an in- terest in a claim where is now the town of Murray. In 1885 C. B. Vaughn offered him an interest in his mines, and he organized a company to operate them, the other interested principals being John Steinmetz and George P. Reeves, the arrangement being that those gentlemen were to supply food and pay expenses while Mr. Travis was to take charge of the mines and have a half-interest in the property after it was free from indebtedness. The company was incorporated as the Peerless Jennie Mining Company, and with a capital stock of 200,000 shares, of which each of the interested principals held 25,000 shares and the mortgagee the balance. The company was successful, and Mr. Travis sold his interest for $5,000, the company assuming all lia- bilities. In 1886 Mr. Travis located in Chestnut valley, eight miles north of Cascade, where he took up four claims-pre-emption, homestead, desert and timber- of 160 acres each, and since then he has purchased 1,440 acres. Upon this extensive and well improved ranch he is largely and successfully engaged in raising horses and cattle. Politically he is an active worker in the Republican party; fraternally he is an Odd Fellow. Mr. Travis has shown marked inventive talent, and among the use- ful inventions which he has patented within the past few years are a bagholder, a windmill regulator, a grain drill, a combination sodcutter and seedharrow and a hydraulic wheel. He is one of the successful men of Chestnut valley.

In 1886 Mr. Travis was united in marriage with Mrs. Jennie Travis, widow of Philemon Travis She was born in England, where her parents died when she was a child. By her first marriage she was the mother of four children, John J., Nellie M., Mary I. and Philemon C., the latter two deceased. By her marriage to Mr. Travis there were two children : Ida and Ada. A devoted member of the Methodist church, Mrs. Travis was at last called from earth on December 4, 1890. Mr. Travis con- summated a second marriage on September 23, 85

1891, being then married to Miss Jennie Perine, who was born in Iowa. They are the parents of one child, Elizabeth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Travis are members of the Methodist church, in whose work they maintain a lively interest.

T `HE HENSLEY BROTHERS, originally four in number, but now reduced to three by the death of the oldest, F. L. Hensley, on the Ist day of January, 1893, at an early age and in the midst of a useful and creditable career, are the product of two old Southern families. Their paternal an- cestors were "bred in old Kentucky," and those of their mother in Virginia. Their father, William Hensley, who was a Kentuckian by birth, removed as a young man to Missouri, locating in Adair county, where he was married to Miss Rebecca Lay, a native of Virginia, and settled down for life, engaged in farming and raising stock. All his sons were born, reared and educated in Adair county, Mo., and remained on the homestead until 1874. The father took part in the Civil war, and got through the service without a mishap, although at times in the utmost danger and doing his duty fearlessly and well. Soon after the close of the war, in 1865, he was called to his door one even- ing by a gang of men supposed to belong to the state militia and was told that the captain of his company in the war was ill. His wife accom- panied him to the door, but almost immediately re- turned to the house, and as she went in the men fired on him, killing him instantly.

In 1874 the oldest son, F. L. Hensley, left home for Colorado, where he spent some months pros- pecting without success, and in 1875 joined his brother Isaac, who had in the meantime come to Montana. They engaged in different occupations for two years, and in 1877 took up a ranch on the Yellowstone, afterwards known as the Rapids. about five miles below Columbus. In 1878 the other two brothers, J. A. and J. E., joined them and they all remained in that locality until 1885, F. L. and J. E. being engaged in prospecting in the vicinity of Cook City. In 1885 F. L. located some property in the Castle mountains and spent the winter there. In' 1886 his three brothers joined him and they located the Cumberland, the Yellow- stone and several other mining properties, some of which they still own and operate. They were the original locaters and discoverers in that region,

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the pathfinders and trail blazers, we might say, to its rich deposits, of which they have enjoyed and are yet enjoying a goodly share. In the spring of 1887 they bonded the Cumberland for $50,000, and when the time expired for which the bond was to run, as they had paid only one-half of the amount due, they deeded to the bondsmen a one- half interest in the mine. They then put up a smelter and continued to work the mine until he fall of 1888, the town of Castle having been laid out in 1887. They sold their interest in the Cumber- land in the fall of 1888, and the next spring, having retained the smelter, they started the work of development at the Yellowstone, putting the smelter at work also. They worked this and other properties until 1892, when, owing to the de- pression in silver values, they closed down, their properties being lead and silver formations. In January of the next year the oldest brother, F. I ... died, as has been noted, his death occurring at Kirksville, Mo., where he had a fine residence oc- cupied by his family, and to which he made oc- casional visits. After his death his brothers sold their entire interest in the Yellowstone mine and the smelter, and since that time have been engaged in developing other properties belonging to them, having, in 1886, sold their ranch and cattle on the Yellowstone, closing ranching operations.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 67

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