Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 8

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 8

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H ON. CHARLES H. CONNER .- This able and popular representative of Cascade county in the state legislature of Montana, comes from sterling Colonial ancestry, and in later genera- tions, in both the agnatic and maternal lines, have been those concerned in affairs entering promi- nently into the history of the nation. Mr. Con- ner was born in Waseca county, Minn., on Feb- ruary 4, 1867, the son of Elias R. and Sarah (Lilly) Conner, the former born in southern In- diana, where he was long engaged in agriculture, being educated in the public schools of Indiana, while the mother was born in West Virginia, her father removing to Indiana as an early pioneer when she was a child of three years, there becom- ing a hunter and scont. Elias R. Conner left In- diana in 1854 for Minnesota, where he became an Indian interpreter for the government, partici- pating in various repulsions of Indian raids, and although not present at the massacre perpetrated by the hostile Sioux near New Ulm, was in equal peril. He was in numerous bloody engagements with the savages, sometimes with almost over- whelming odds against him. His original Ameri-

can ancestors located in South Carolina in the early Colonial days, and the family has been very prominent in Indiana, where Connersville is one of the places to perpetuate the family name. Elias Conner is now living in Faulk county, S. D., hale and hearty with undiminished mental powers at the remarkable age of more than ninety years.

Charles H. Conner remained on the Minne- sota homestead until he had attained his legal majority, with the advantages of a common school education and the invigorating discipline of the farm. Upon starting out in life he engaged in lumbering until 1896, operating in various states. In 1883 he came to South Dakota, thence, in 1889, to Oregon, after which he was in Utah, Nevada and Washington, finally engaging in mining in northern Montana in 1894. Early in 1896 he came to Neihart, Cascade county, his present home. He is prominently identified with the mining in- dustry, having valuable interests and devoting his attention to their development and operation.

Mr. Conner is a stanch supporter of the Demo- cratic party, in the gift of which, on the fusion ticket, he was elected in 1900 to represent his county in the state legislature. He is a man of executive force and business ability, and is ably representing his constituency in the general assem- bly, where he holds membership on several im- portant committees, including those on labor, mines and mining and federal relations. Fraternally Mr. Conner is identified prominently with the Miners' Union and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. 'In the former, the strongest union in the state, lie served as president for one term, resigning when elected for a second, while he also served one term as recording, and two terms as financial sec- retary. On November 21, 1897, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Conner to Miss Carrie Chant- with, a native of Norway, where her father was an influential merchant and landowner. She and her sisters came to America to join their brother in the Red river valley of Dakota, and her marriage to Mr. Conner was celebrated in Great Falls. They have two children, Sadie M., who was born on October 20, 1898, and Elling C. Conner, born on November 26, 1900.

OHN F. CONE .- The young man in Montana is signally prominent in both business and pub- lic affairs, and it is due in large measure to this fact that the state has shown so virile a strength and

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

has forged forward with so prodigious strides. Among the popular and representative young men of Ravalli county is John Francis Cone, clerk of the district court at Hamilton, and also city clerk.

Mr. Cone is a native of California, having been born in Oakland, on January 22, 1876, the only child of Patrick H. and Jennie Cone, both of whom were born in the Emerald Isle, whence they emigrated to the United States. They now reside in Hamilton, Mont. John F. Cone secured his preliminary educational training in the pub- lic schools, pursuing his studies in Anaconda, Mont., and Seattle, and finally in the high school at Missoula. After leaving the high school Mr. Cone entered the employ of the Bitter Root De- velopment Company, later merged into the Ana- conda Copper Mining Company, at Hamilton, be- ing engaged in clerical work until 1895, when he returned to his native city in California and there matriculated in St. Mary's College, where he was graduated in the class of 1897. He then came again to Hamilton, Mont., and, after being for a few months again with his former employers, he engaged in business for himself in a cigar and con- fectionery store, conducting a successful enterprise until 1901, when he sold it to assume the duties of his official position. He has accumulated some valuable real estate in Hamilton, including a good store building and a number of eligibly located residence lots, and he is one of the public-spirited and enthusiastic citizens, believing implicitly in the future progress of his home city and doing all in his power to promote its advancement.

In his political adherency Mr. Cone has ever been stanchly arrayed in support of the principles and policies of the Republican party, and his inter- est in the cause has prompted him to active work in connection with local affairs of a public nature. In 1898 he was appointed city clerk of Hamilton, and has ever since been in tenure of this office. At the election of 1900 he was the Republican nominee for clerk of the district court in Ravalli county, and it is gratifying to note the fact that he carried every precinct in the county, notwith- standing that his opponent was placed in can- didacy on four different tickets. Mr. Cone is rendering most efficient service in this office, entering upon its duties in January, 1901. He is a general favorite in the community, and this is the result of his genial personality and kindliness of spirit at all times. Mr. Cone was reared in the faith of the Catholic church.

BENJAMIN B. COOK, the efficient and popular

chief of police of Great Falls, has been a resi- dent of Montana for more than thirty years and conspicuously identified with its industrial activities. He is a native of Unity, Maine, where he was born on September 7, 1849. His father, Daniel Cook, was born in the same county, of English parentage, and was a house and ship carpenter. He died in Unity in 1877. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth T. Hussey, and she passed her entire life in Waldo county, dying in Unity in 1900. Mr. Cook's maternal grandmother, Bertha Chase, was one of the earliest settlers in Maine, removing from Massachusetts to the banks of Winnecook lake, in Waldo county, and living to the age of ninety-nine years. She was one of the oldest heirs to the famous Chase estate in England, estimated at eighteen million dollars, which has been in litigation for a full century.

Benjamin B. Cook was educated in the public schools of Unity and Vassalboro, Me., working on the old homestead farm during the summer months and attending school in the winters. When nineteen he secured employment in the plow and cultivator factory of his uncle, Thomas Hussey, at Unity, and after two years he was engaged as clerk in a local store. In 1870 he left Maine and came to Gallatin City, Mont., where for a few months he was employed in the first flouring mill of the territory. He then went to the Diamond City mines, where he worked for two years. In 1873 Mr. Cook, with his brother, Charles W., then manager of the McGregor Ditch & Mining Com- pany, of Diamond City, and of whom extended men- tion is made on another page, engaged in the sheep business, bringing a band of sheep from Oregon and keeping them one winter in the Gallatin valley, and the next year taking them to their ranch of 320 acres in the Smith river valley. To the orig- inal ranch additions have been made, until it has 110W 2,000 acres, and here Mr. Charles W. Cook is still engaged in sheepgrowing upon an extensive scale, B. F. retiring from the firm in 1881.

In 1883 Mr. Cook became a member of the firm of Cook Brothers & Clark, and engaged in sheep- raising in Judith basin, where they had a ranch of 1,000 acres, and ran an average of 5,000 sheep. Mr. Cook continued with the firm until 1895, but in 1892 he had established a furniture and an un- dertaking business at Neihart, conducting business there for two years and then removing to Great Falls, where he associated with his nephew, Wil-

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

liam Cook, in conducting an undertaking business for three years. From 1897 until 1900 he was not in active business, and in May, 1900, he was ap- pointed to his present office of chief of police of Great Falls, for which he was peculiarly eligible. His administration has been characterized by ef- fective discipline and service, while he is popular with his subordinates and with the public whose interests he serves. Mr. Cook has interests in rich silver mines at Neihart. In politics he gives an unswerving allegiance to the Republican party, and fraternally is a member of the lodge and chapter of the Masonic order, holding membership at Unity, Maine, while he is also a member of the com- mandery in Great Falls. He is an Odd Fellow, his lodge membership also being in his native town. At Fort Benton, Mont., in 1878, Mr. Cook was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Berry, daugh- ter of Stillman Berry, a farmer of Waldo county, Maine. Their only child, Harold, is nineteen years of age.

F RANK COOMBS .- One of the alert and suc- cessful business men of Great Falls whose oper- ations have had important influence upon the sub- stantial upbuilding of the city, is Frank Coombs, and he has attained his success entirely through in- dividual effort, without fortnitons aid or influence. He is a native of Brooklyn, N. Y., born on April 26, 1850. His English parents came to the United States where the father engaged in the lumber busi- ness in Brooklyn, where both he and his wife died when Frank was but a mere child. He attended the public schools until he was ten years old, when he went to Goshen, Ind., and for about three years lived on the farm of David Radebaugh, doing chores and attending school as occasion permitted. He was not yet fourteen when he gave evidence of his pa- triotism, in January, 1864, by enlisting as a private in Company E, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Indiana Infantry. He was in active service until victory crowned the Union arms, receiving his hon- orable discharge in June, 1865, and standing as one of the most youthful veterans of the great Civil war. He accompanied Gen. Sherman to Atlanta, participating in the siege of that city, and later was with Gen. Thomas at Nashville, Chattanooga, and in other historic battles, participating in eleven different engagements and receiving a flesh wound in the left thigh at the battle of Resaca.

After the war Mr. Coombs returned to Brook-

lyn for a year, going thence, in 1867, to Wilkes- barre, Pa., where he served a three-years appren- ticeship at the brickmason's trade, becoming a skilled artisan. In the fall of 1874 he located in San Francisco, Cal., where he found lucrative en1- ployment as a foreman brickmason, working on such important buildings as the Palace hotel, the hall of records and others of semi-public order. He finally took charge of the brick work for the San Francisco Real Estate Association, which was then building a house every day. This incumbency he retained for a year, after which he made his way to Montana, arriving at Fort Benton on July 30, 1877, and being there engaged in contracting and building for about a decade, locating in Great Falls in 1887 and here engaging in the same business. In 1891 he established the Sun Brick Company, and began manufacturing brick. In 1897 T. C. King became his partner in this enterprise, which is now conducted as the Electric Brick Works, all the power being supplied by electricity. The capacity of the kilns is 40,000 per day, and the works are running to full capacity all of the year. Mr. Coombs has erected a large number of the most ornate and substantial buildings in Great Falls, notable among them are the Cory building, Security Bank, the Dunn block, Todd building, opera house, the Whit- ney school building, the Nathan block, the Collins & Lipley block, the Milwaukee beer hall, addition to Grand Hotel, annex to Park Hotel, the Columbus Hospital, the Miller & Boardman block, the Minot building, the Kingsbury block, David Wilson's building, Tribune building, and the Hickory, the Luther and the Murphy-McClay buildings, besides others of important character, including some of the most attractive residences.

In politics Mr. Coombs has taken an active part in promoting the cause of the Republican party. He served as alderman of Fort Benton after the city organization was effected, and has been a can- didate for other offices of distinctive trust, suffer- ing the defeat that attended the ticket of the mi- nority party. Fraternally he is identified with the Freemasons, in which he is a member of Sheanden Post Commandery No. 14, while he is also a mem- ber of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Coombs enjoys an unmistakable popularity and is recog- nized as one of the city's progressive and influential business men. His record of accomplishment stands greatly to his credit, and establishes the fact that he is a man of marked sagacity and executive force.

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

In November, 1885, Mr. Coombs was united in marriage to Miss Laura Martin, of Arlington, Pa., and they have one daughter, Pearl, born on October 6, 1886. The family home is an elegant mansion on Third avenue, north, and here a gracious hospitality is dispensed.

0 LIVER C. COOPER .- One of the most pro- gressive, enterprising and farseeing business men of Montana, Oliver C. Cooper, now in busi- ness at Hamilton in Ravalli county, was born on July 22, 1859, at Mount Vernon, Mo., the son of William H. and Mary M. (Dowline) Cooper, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Indiana. The father was a soldier in the Union army in the Ninth Kansas Volunteers, in which he saw active service during part of the struggle and afterwards worked in the harness department, being in the army three and one-half years. He belongs to the Sons of the American Revolution and the Grand Army of the Republic. Of the five children in the family Oliver C. was the first. He attended the public schools at Bethel, Ore., and the Wasco Academy at The Dalles, subse- quently pursuing a course at the Portland Busi- ness College, where he was graduated in 1884 and came at once to Montana, locating in the Bitter Root valley at Grantsdale, where he kept books for a lumber firm six months and then was mana- ger of the store of H. H. Grant for a year, when he purchased a half interest in the store and as- sisted in conducting it for eight years. Selling out to his partner he went to Hamilton and purchased an interest in the store of Adair, McMurray & Co. Later Mr. Adair sold his interest and the firm became McMurray, Cooper & Grill. Mr. Cooper is still connected with the house, which is doing a very extensive business, enlarging its operations, adding to the reputation and improve- ment of the town and rewarding the zeal and ca- pacity of its proprietors with good returns.

Mr. Cooper is an active and ardent Republican, prominent in the councils of his party, potential in its management and much desired as a standard bearer. He was elected to the state senate in 1894 and filled a term of four years, in which he exhib- ited legislative qualifications of a high order and served his people with distinction and satisfaction. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic or- der and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in both of which he has been very active and filled

high official stations. In Masonry he has taken all the degrees up to and including the thirty- second and has also been the worshipful master of his lodge. In the Odd Fellows he is past noble grand and has passed the chairs in the encamp- ment. Mr. Cooper was married at Grantsdale, on May 29, 1887, to Miss Ella M. Grant, daughter of H. H. and Jane M. Grant, his wife being the daughter of his former partner. They have had five children, of whom four are living, Ollie M., Goldie, Lysle V. and Bessie. His family is one of the most interesting in the town, and like him- self and Mrs. Cooper, adds much to the social life and enjoyment of the place.

T THOMAS COTTER, one of the progressive, wide-awake, enterprising ranchers of Broad- water county, resides near Canton, Mont., and was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., on De- cember 24, 1857, the son of Patrick Cotter, a na- tive of County Cork, Ireland. His father, and the paternal grandfather of Thomas, was Michael Cot- ter, a farmer of County Cork. Patrick Cotter came to the United States when quite young, and settled in St. Lawrence county, N. Y. Here he married Miss Honora Lantrey, also a native of County Cork, who had come to the United States with her father, Joshua Lantrey, when she was five years of age. They settled in New York state and engaged in farming. Patrick Cotter still re- sides in New York, and all of his five sons and nine daughters are now living. Thomas Cotter remained on the homestead farm until 1877, when he was twenty years of age, receiving education in the public schools. He then turned his steps westward, arriving at Canton, Mont., on June 18, 1877. He engaged in profitable ranching for three years and then for three years more turned his attention to the livery business. Selling this he purchased the Tierney ranch, returning to the business of stock and grain raising, and usually winters 100 head of cattle and horses

In 1881 Mr. Cotter's brothers, John J. and Charles P., came to Montana. The former is now street commissioner of Butte. In 1898 he was elected to the state legislature. His sister, Helen, is now Mrs. P. W. Murray, also profitably engaged in business in Butte. On May 8, 1884, Mr. Cot- ter was married to Miss Rose Durnen, daughter of Thomas Durnen, of Winston. They have had

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

seven children, Charles, now attending the ex- cellent training school at Townsend; Rose Lillian, deceased : William, also at the training school; John, Mary, both at public school, and Thomas Francis. During his residence in the young com- monwealth of Montana, in which he has made a prosperous home for his interesting family, Mr. Cotter has won a large circle of friends who hold him in the highest esteem, and he is known and acknowledged as a man of sound business judg- ment and the highest personal character.

THOMAS O'HANLON .- When, on February 15, 1898, the big and sympathetic heart of the pleasing subject of this review ceased to beat, it was said by one who knew him well, that "one of the best and brightest, one of the most patriotic and philanthropic men in Montana was lost to her forever," for he was honored and respected, esteemed and beloved by all classes of men for the nobility, generosity, progressiveness and courtli- ness of his nature, the usefulness of his life and the force of his high example.

Mr. O'Hanlon was born at Prospect Lodge, Cream Point, County Clare, Ireland, about the year 1845. His parents were John and Ellen (Kendall) O'Hanlon, who lived and died in Ire- land, where the father was a prosperous landhold- er and farmer. They had three sons and one daughter. Thomas and his brother Henry J. be- came citizens of the United States. The brother is now manager and administrator of our subject's estate. Thomas was educated in the district schools of his native land, and in 1868 immigrated to the United States, stopping first at Sioux City, Iowa, where he was employed in the office of the Sioux City Gazette for some months. In 1869 he came to Montana, being sent to Fort Peck by Durfee & Peck, Indian traders at that point. Sev- eral years later he received an appointment as post-trader at Fort Belknap, where he remained until the Great Northern Railroad was built through the territory, when he started the town of Chinook and embarked on a commercial career of magnitude and importance. In addition to his business at this point, he was extensively inter- ested in cattle and ranch property and mines. He was one of the original promoters of the Landusky district mines in the Little Rocky mountains, in- vesting a large amount of money in developing

them. He opened the first store in Chinook, and was a large holder of real estate in the town and the Milk river valley, working actively in connec- tion with J. J. Hill in developing and building up this section of the state. During the gold excite- ment in the Little Rockies he opened a branch store in the neighborhood of the mines, and con- ducted it successfully for some time.

Thus his active mind was always busy with schemes and enterprises for the advancement of his section and the service and welfare of his fel- lowmen. At his death he left two sons: Thomas J. and Henry. Thomas J. enlisted August 15, 1899, at Boston, Mass., in Company B, Thirty- sixth United States Volunteer Infantry, for ser- vice in the Philippines, and during his service was in six engagements, among them those at Bam- bon, Mengaterem and Porae on the island of Luzon. He was mustered out of the service March 16, 1901, with the rank of first sergeant, which he had earned by meritorious conduct and gallantry. His brother Henry is a student at Notre Dame University in Indiana.

C 'HARLES COTTLE, although by birth an Iowan, has passed the greater portion of his life in the far west, principally in Oregon, Califor- nia and Montana. He is a native of Burlington, Iowa, born on September 15, 1845, the son of Royal and Sarah (Parker) Cottle, natives of Charles county, Mo., one of a family of seven children. With a party of 100 emigrants the father crossed the plains in 1847, two years prior to the great hegira of the 'forty-niners, and engaged for a time in the saw and gristmill business in Oregon. With the discovery of gold in California he im- mediately removed there and opened a store in Sacramento, but continued to vibrate between Cal- ifornia and Oregon until 1857, when he located with his family at San Jose, Santa Clara county. Subsequently he removed to San Benito county, where for awhile he was interested in stockraising, but later went back to the Willows, near San Jose, which was a very valuable piece of property. In 1853 he was elected to the territorial legislature of Oregon.

Mr. Charles Cottle was educated in Oregon and accompanied the family to California in 1857, remaining there until 1863. He then returned to Oregon and began making trips between that ter-

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PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

ritory and Idaho driving stock, and during this period he had several narrow escapes from death at the hands of hostile Indians. In one of these encounters he was struck in the cheek by an arrow, causing an extremely painful wound and necessi- tating the removal of several teeth. At various times he found a number of dead bodies, victims of the savages. Nearly ten years of his life were passed at Canyon City, in eastern Oregon, three years of which period he was employed in driv- ing cattle between that place and Winnemucca, Nev., a very dangerous employment, owing to the malignance of the Bannack, Snake and Piute Indians. During that memorable reign of terror hundreds of cattle and quite a large number of men were killed. In 1880 the United States gov- ernment rounded up the Piutes and Snakes and transported them to the Yakima reservation, Mr. Cottle being one of the party accompanying them to their destination. When he arrived in Montana in 1881, he entered the employment of Briggs & Ellis, and the year following he had charge of the extensive ranch and cattle interests of W. D. Ellis, which were extensive. Here he remained eight years and then went on to the Boulder river in Sweet Grass county, where he secured 300 acres of land and engaged in the cattle business on his own account. The greater portion of his property is well irrigated and he raises fine crops of timothy hay and alfalfa.

THOMAS COURCHENE .- The gentleman whose name initiates this paragraph has had

a singularly interesting career, has been conspicu-

· ously identified with the wild life of the plains and mountain fastnesses, participated in numerous bat-

the United States government's military posts as scout and guide in connection with several of tles with the Indians of the great northwest, acted

ventures and narrow escapes, becoming thoroughly on the frontier, and met with many thrilling ad-

familiar with Indian character and customs, and

is an excellent type of the true frontiersman.

He is now a successful stockgrower and business

man of Valley county. Mr. Courchene comes of

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 8

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