Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 95

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 95

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H JARRY H. FLETCHER .- The descendant of sturdy New England stock and showing in his career the best elements of New England charac- teristics, Harry H. Fletcher, of Forsyth, is entitled to honorable mention in any record of the achieve- ments of the men who have made Montana a state. He was born at Bridport, Vt., October 14, 1869, the son of Albert A. and Delia (Murray) Fletcher, the former a native of Bridport and the latter of Potsdam, N. Y. The father has been for many years a prominent banker at Middlebury, Vt.

Mr. Fletcher received his education in the graded schools of Middlebury, Vt., and at the Mili- tary College at Chester, Pa. In 1893 he came to Montana and started a small mercantile business at Forsyth, also serving as postmaster for about a year and a half. In 1894 he engaged in the cattle business with J. S. Hopkins, having a ranch on the Big Blackfoot in Lewis and Clarke county. He was manager of this enterprise for six years, but upon retiring from that position retained his inter- est 'in it. In the summer of 1900 he established himself in a general merchandising business at Forsyth, under the firm name of Harry H. Fletcher & Co., and as successor to the McRae Supply Company. Taking the active management of the enterprise under his wise and progressive control it has grown rapidly to large proportions and great influence in commercial circles.

In politics Mr. Fletcher is a Republican, and fra- ternally is a member of Union Lodge No. 2, A. F.

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& A. M., of Middlebury, Vt. He was united in marriage at Forsyth in 1901, with Miss Mabel Kennedy, who was born in Iowa in 1877, a dauglı- ter of James Kennedy, a pioneer of Montana and a member of the firm of Hopkins & Kennedy, fur- niture dealers at Forsyth. With youth, health, energy, fine business capacity and the confidence and esteem of the community in his favor, Mr. Fletcher bids fair to become one of the leading commercial forces of the state.

H ARVEY A. FOX, one of the successful and enterprising stockraisers of Teton county, near Browning, has for many years of his event- ful life served as a soldier in the United States army, and has visited nearly all of the states and territories in the Union. He was born in Alexan -. dria county, N. C., on June 24, 1848, the son of William Fox, a native of the same place, a farmer who was killed in 1863 at the battle of Hanover C. H., Va. His wife, Caroline (Julian) Fox, was also a native of Alexandria county, where she died on October 12, 1900. The minority years of H. A. Fox were passed in the public schools and in industrious employment on his father's farm. When twenty-one he removed to Mt. Vernon, Ky., where he enlisted in the Seventh United States Cavalry, under the yellow-haired, brave but reckless Gen. George A. Custer. From 1871 to 1873 the time of Mr. Fox was passed principally in service against "moonshiners" in Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, and during this period he experienced many adventures. In the spring of 1873 the regiment came to the international bound- ary line as an escort of a government surveying party then running a line from the Red River of the North to St. Mary's in the Rocky mountains. The following summer he was stationed at Fort Totten, N. D., from 1875 to 1876 at Fort Lincoln.

During the summer of 1876 he was with the expedition that followed the trail of Sitting Bull, and was a participant in the terrible battle on the Little Big Horn where Gen. Custer and nearly all of his command were killed, Mr. Fox then being under the command of Maj. Reno, whose force escaped with slight loss. On July 27, 1876, he was mustered out of service at Rosebud on the Yel- lowstone river, and the following winter he passed in herding government cattle at Fort Lincoln.

During the spring of 1877 he located a ranch at the site of Mandan, N. D., and here he conducted ranching until 1881. The season of 1882 he was employed in the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway, and the following year selected a homestead claim in the Judith basin, near Lewis- town, Mont., subsequently purchasing three ad- joining ranches and branching out extensively in the stock business. He remained upon this prop- erty ten years, and in 1892 came to the south fork of Milk river, in Teton county, seventeen miles from Browning, and settled upon a ranch of 500 acres, which is handsomely improved and located in a most eligible situation for stockraising. In 1877, at Fort Lincoln, Mr. Fox was united in mar- riage to Miss Amelia Monroe. They have a son, Alexander, aged twenty-two years. Their home is comfortably supplied and equipped with the modern conveniences of life.

JOHN FLYNN has been identified with one of the important industrial activities of Montana for nearly a quarter of a century, that of stock- growing, and he has contributed well toward the development and advancement of the common- wealth through well directed efforts. In the beauti- ful and fertile old Jackson county, Mich., Mr. Flynn was ushered into the world on February 17, 1857, the son of Thomas and Johanna (Bauman) Flynn, both of whom were born in Waterford, Ireland, whence they emigrated in 1846 and settled in Michigan, where the father purchased a farm, which he placed under effective cultivation and which continues to be his home. His wife en- tered into eternal rest in 1872.

John Flynn was reared on the homestead farm in Jackson county, early becoming accustomed to the duties associated therewith, and waxing strong in mental and physical vigor ; his educational ad- vantages being those afforded by the public schools. In 1877, at the age of twenty years, Mr. Flynn cast in his lot with Montana, and has never had cause to regret the decision which led to his locating here. After his arrival in the territory he purchased a ranch of 160 acres in Deer Lodge county, and there engaged in raising cattle on a somewhat limited scale, also being employed at intervals by other ranchmen in the vicinity. He was ambitious, frugal and energetic; and thus his success became cumulative in character, for he

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extended the scope of his operations as rapidly as circumstances would justify. In 1889 Mr. Flynn came to Choteau county and purchased his present ranch of 320 acres, located in the Milk River valley, six miles east of Chinook. Here he devotes care- ful attention to the raising of cattle and horses, having on hand at the time of this writing about 200 head of cattle and 120 head of horses. His place is well improved, and is one of the best in the valley. For a period of three years Mr. Flynn maintained his residence in Chinook, where he conducted a livery and sales stable in connec- tion with his ranching business. He is well known and deservedly popular in the community.

In politics he gives his support to the Demo- cratic party. In 1889 Mr. Flynn was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Greeting, daughter of Andrew Greeting, of Fergus Falls, Minn., and they have two children, John F. and Chauncey.

D AVID FRATT, a representative citizen of Billings, Yellowstone county, vice-president of the Yellowstone National Bank, and extensively engaged in stockgrowing, is one of the pioneers of Montana, where he has maintained his home for nearly two score years. Mr. Fratt is a native of the Empire state, where he was born December 27, 1840, a son of Jonathan and Mary (Turner) Fratt, the former of whom was a farmer by occupa- tion. Our subject entered the public schools of his native state and was only six years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Wisconsin. They located in the vicinity of Burlington, Racine county, where the father resumed agricultural pursuits, his son David early beginning to assist in the work thereof when not engaged in his studies. He re- mained in Wisconsin until attaining the age of twenty-three years, and in May, 1864, started for the territory of Montana. He came by rail to Waterloo, Iowa, the western terminus of the line, and from that point continued his journey with an ox team in company with a large party of emi- grants. From Omaha the party proceeded along the north side of the Platte river. Opposite Scott's Bluffs they were attacked by Indians, who killed one member of the company and wounded an- other, besides stealing a portion of the stock. Leaving the Platte at what is known as Red Bluff, they proceeded to the Sweet Water river via the old California trail of 1849, thence up the river

to South Pass and by Lander's cutoff to Eagle Rock on Snake river, in Idaho. From that point they followed the old Salt Lake trail to Virginia City, where they arrived in September, 1864, the company there disbanding. Mr. Fratt soon re- moved to Confederate gulch and engaged in min- ing during the summer of 1865. He was there- after employed on a farm in Gallatin valley, and in the fall operated a threshing machine, being one of the first brought into that valley. He was thus engaged until 1871, when he turned his attention to stockgrowing, which proved successful. In 1878 he removed over the range to Shields river and in 1882 went to the Musselshell river valley, where he now has large ranches and conducts a stockraising business of wide scope and import- ance, being one of the largest individual cattle owners in the state. He also owns much valuable ranch property in Yellowstone and other counties. Mr. Fratt is a man of great business capacity, and his success is but the sequel of well directed efforts, and he is held in high esteem by all who know him. At present he is stock commissioner for Yellowstone county. He is one of the prin- cipal stockholders in the Yellowstone National Bank, being its vice-president. He maintains an attractive home in the city of Billings, where he passes the greater portion of his time, though re- taining a general supervision of his extensive ranch and cattle interests. In politics Mr. Fratt gives his support to the Republican party. In 1888 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Fratt to Mrs. Kate Armour, born in Quincy, Ill.

H ENRY A. FRITH .- The life of this member of the bar of Yellowstone county has been re- plete in interesting phases and even a cursory review of it will be read with pleasure by those who know him and who honor him as an able lawyer and capable business man. Mr. Frith is a son of bonnie old Scotland, born in Edinburgh, on April 13, 1847, the son of Henry A. and Christina ( Monroe) Frith, the former of whom was a caricaturist by profes- sion. He received a public school education in his native city, and, at the age of eleven years, began to learn heraldic painting and japanning, to which he devoted his attention for two years, after which he served an apprenticeship of seven years in litho- graphic printing, the last year in London. He also served two years in the artillery division of the

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Scottish militia in Edinburgh. In the spring of 1868 Mr. Frith left the land of "brown heather and shaggy wood" and came to the United States, land- ing in New York, where he was employed for six months as a lithographic printer. He then went to Washington, D. C., there enlisting in the Twenty- ninth United States Infantry, which subsequently became the Eleventh United States Infantry. The regiment was sent to Texas where he remained with it for three years, during the period of recon- struction in the south, when turbulence was rife and when the animosity against the representatives of the United States government was bitter in the ex- treme. After Mr. Frith was honorably discharged from the service he entered the semi-military organization known as the state police of Texas, under Gov. Davis, being in the division commanded by Adjt .- Gen. Davidson. In this service he was wounded several times and had many thrilling ex- periences and narrow escapes from death. Good fortune only saved him from being lynched on one occasion. The northern men were in control of the municipal government of the cities, and it is well known how bitter was the feeling against the "carpet-baggers." Unknown to Mr. Frith the mayor and city marshal of Hearne, Robertson county, had been attacked and driven into the mayor's office where they barricaded themselves against three desperate men bent on murder. Mr. Frith chanced to sit down in front of the mayor's office when one of the desperadoes drew a revolver on him, this Mr. Frith knocked from his hand but was shot and quite severely wounded by one of the others, while the third one gave him a serious knife wound. Mr. Frith shot one of the party before they finally succeeded in capturing his revolver. He consented to be taken in custody and was placed in the city jail. The feeling against him was very intense. All night long crowds gathered about the jail and preparations were made to lynch him at daybreak, but he was rescued by the sheriff and four deputies and some of the leading merchants, and was taken to the county seat and eventually re- leased. He was in service for a year longer, resign - ing in 1872, and then engaging in teaching a negro school, in which he encountered almost the same op- position from the white people. While in the school- room he sat constantly with a big revolver at hand, for his life was threatened time after time. He taught about a year, returned to the western part of the state, and re-enlisted in his old regiment and company. In 1873-74 he served for six months un-

der Gen. Mckenzie in the field against the Indians. In 1875 he served under A. W. Greeley, of Arctic fame, then attached to the signal corps, for six months and constructing military telegraph lines across the Staked plains. He remained in Texas until the time of the Custer massacre, when the regi- ment was ordered to Montana and stationed at Standing Rock during the winter of 1876-77, at which place he participated in the disarming of the Sioux, while in the following spring it proceeded into what is now Custer county, where it established Fort Keogh and Fort Custer under General Miles.

Mr. Frith accompanied Gen. Miles on his expe- dition when he intercepted the Bannack Indians while en route to the Yellowstone National Park, in the fall of 1877, and when they encountered eighty Bannack Indians at what is now known as Bennett creek, named after Capt. Bennett, who was killed in this fight. The Indians were entrenched on the creek, and at early dawn the troops sur- prised and opened fire on the savages, capturing thirty-six and all their horses, and the prisoners were brought to Fort Custer. Mr. Frith there se- cured a three months' furlough, within which time he secured a ranch near Huntley, in Yellowstone county, and at the expiration of his furlough he was honorably discharged and engaged in ranching there and also conducted a general store at Huntley. When the Yogo mines were discovered in 1879 he went over to Judith river and devoted his attention to mining operations and general merchandising one year, during which time he was deputy recorder of Yogo mining district. In the winter of 1880 Mr. Frith established a winter trading post and built the first house and stockade on the north side of the lower Musselshell river, returning to Huntley in the spring and going again to Musselshell for the winter and coming again to Huntley to look after his business during the following summer. In 1892 Mr. Frith commenced the study of law in the Sprague Correspondence School of Law, of Detroit, Mich., and after disposing of his Huntley interests in 1884 he matriculated in the Kent College of Law at Chicago, completing a thorough course and grad- uating in the class of 1896. He thus secured ad- mission to practice in all of the Illinois courts, and returned to Montana, in the courts of which state he was admitted to practice in June, 1896. He at once opened an office in Billings, and has ever since been consecutively engaged in legal practice, to which he has devoted himself with such fidelity as to gain a representative clientage, his knowledge of

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jurisprudence being comprehensive and his powers as a dialectician giving him great strength as an advocate. In politics Mr. Frith is an old-time Re- publican, but admits that he has been, at times, somewhat independent. For the past two years he has been referee in bankruptcy for the fifth district of the state, which comprises seven counties, and has recently been reappointed for a second term. He is also a notary public.

W B. GEORGE .- To be chosen to the chief executive office of a prosperous, enterpris- ing and rapidly growing American municipality is a high honor, and to properly administer the duties of the position; which are wide in scope, leading in importance and trying in character, is evidence of a keen sense of the responsibility in- volved, a conscientious regard for the welfare of the community and a high order of capacity for public affairs. W. B. George, the present popular mayor of Billings, has won this honor and given evidence of his possesion of the elements of suc- cessful official life. He was born in Platte county, Mo., in 1865, where he obtained an excellent edu- cation and attended the State University for a number of years, after which he secured a special business training at Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In 1885 he came to Mon- tana and became secretary of the state board of education, and later served as railway postal clerk between Billings and Helena. After a year in this service he became assistant postmaster at Bill- ings, at the same time engaging in the fruit and confectionery business coupled with an extensive stock of jewelry. The business was pleasant and profitable, But his tastes ran in larger channels of commercial enterprise, and he sold this out to operate in real estate and insurance, and in these two lines he has built up a valuable business, which is constantly expending and rising in value. His headquarters are on Montana avenue adjoining the Belknap block in Billings, and comprise a well ordered and complete wholesale and retail cigar store, with a business office in the rear. Pre- vious to his entering the cigar business Mr. George represented twenty-six leading fire insurance com- panies, two accident insurance companies, two plate glass insurance companies, the United States Fidelity & Guarantee Company and the Mutual Life of New York. His operations in real estate are large and of value in the development of the

city. He has recently plotted eighty acres (the west side addition) for the Billings Realty Com- pany. This, although scarcely more than started, al- ready contains nearly thirty fine residences, includ- ing one built by P. B. Moss, whose house and grounds cost $50,000 and one built by Mr. George for his own use, which is adorned with rows of promising shade trees and made more attractive and desirable by cement sidewalks. He has plans for a fine business building which will be built this year adjoining the city hall. He is interested in the development of mining claims three miles from Helena at the head of Dry gulch. Mr. George is a very enterprising man and, to use a western phrase, a "rustler." He has lots and houses for sale in all parts of Billings, and as his years of service as city and county treasurer have given him an accurate idea of values, he conducts nego- tiations for either buying or selling on a fair basis and with full knowledge in the premises.

In politics he is an ardent Democrat, and has served as city treasurer and as county treasurer with great credit to himself and advantage to the people, winning high commendation from all classes. He is at present a mem- ber of the state central committee and chairman of the county central committee. In April, 1901, he was nominated and triumphantly elected mayor of the city, where his administra- tion of the duties of the office is eminently pro- gressive and generally satisfactory. He has se- cured a site, sold bonds and a city hall and .fire station are in course of erection to cost $32,000. Mr. George was married on June 15, 1892, to Miss Virginia Florence Sleeper, of Philadelphia. They have five children, three sons and two daughters, Raymond, William B., Dorothy, Preston and Marie. The fraternal orders have always interested him and appealed to the social attributes of his nature, which are vigorous and cultivated, and he is iden- tified in a leading way with several of them, be- ing a Mason (he is past master of the blue lodge, past eminent commander of the commandery), an Elk, a Woodmen of the World, a United Work- man of the Ancient Order, and a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Billings. He was also a charter member of the Maverick Hose Company, of Billings, and of the Billings club. In business, in fraternal relations, in social life, and in all that contributes to the advancement of the com- munity, Mr. George is esteemed as one of its representative and leading citizens.

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G EORGE A. BERKY, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Elkhart county, Ind., where he was born October 4, 1859. His parents, Abram K. and Sarah (Gallatin) Berky, are natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively, and are now living in St. Joseph county, Ind., whither they re- moved from Elkhart county many years ago. Their son George remained at home until he was twenty-one years old, attending school in St. Joseph county and assisting his father in his work of farming, carpentering and painting as he was able. After leaving home he lived for a short time in Wisconsin, and in April, 1882, came to Mon- tana, locating at old Coulson, one mile from the present city of Billings. He conducted a dairy farm from 1883 to 1886. In 1889 he bought a ranch in the same locality, and was farming on it until 1895, when he was elected sheriff of Yellow- stone county, and from that time made his home at Billings. He sold his ranch in 1901 to George Soule, but has continued in the cattle business, and since 1901 has also been in the ice business in Bill- ings, keeping himself actively employed.

In politics Mr. Berky is a Republican, and has always been deeply interested in the welfare of his party and contributed his portion of the force necessary to secure its success. In 1898 he was. appointed alderman of the Third ward in Billings to fill a vacancy, and at the end of the term, in 1900, was elected to the same office from the Fourth ward for a full term of two years. In 1895, as has been noted, he was elected sheriff of the county, and was re-elected in 1897. Fraternally he is allied with the Masonic order, the Odd Fel- lows and the United Workmen. He was married at Rapids, near Park City, Mont., in 1884, to Miss Josie M. Alling, who was born at Smithland, Woodbury county, Iowa, May 28, 1864, and was brought by her parents to Park City in 1879. They have two children : Eva May, aged fourteen, and Henry Burton, aged twelve.

JOSEPH E. BESSETTE .- Born and reared at St. Athanase, province of Quebec, Canada, in humble circumstances and obliged to work on his father's farm until he was sixteen years old with scarcely any attendance at school, then hiring out to the Vermont Central Railroad Company and making his own way in the world, the subject of this review neither found nor inherited his oppor-

tunities, but hewed them out by his own indomita- ble energy and capacity. He was the third of ten children born to Charles and Sophia (Brassau) Bessette, natives of Quebec, where the father con- ducted a small farm with the help of his children. Born in 1855, at the age of sixteen he left his home farm, going to Pigeon Hill in his native province, where he worked at farming two seasons for wages and secured two winters' schooling. From there he went to Phillipsburg, Quebec, and worked one year in a marble quarry. He next apprenticed himself to learn the trade of house, sign and coach painting, and at the end of his three years' ap- prenticeship, in 1878, he went to Bismarck, N. D., where he spent a month looking about for work or a suitable locality to settle in. From there he went to the Black Hills on a gold hunt, and worked one winter as yardman at Fort Meade. In the spring he went to Terraville and worked all sum- mer at his trade. He painted the Caledonia mill and Superintendent Rigby's residence and other buildings. In the fall he went to work as painter for the Homestake Mining Company, under super- vision of Superintendent Mason. He spent the winter of 1881-2 with an uncle at Fond du Lac, Wis., and on February 12, 1882, was married at that town to Miss Emma Bessette, daughter of J. Bessette, a harness manufacturer and dealer. In April he went by train to Miles City, Mont., camp- ing a week while waiting for a freight outfit. He then moved to Fort Keough, at that time a supply yard for the Northern Pacific extension, and from there went by wagon train to old Coulson, where he camped on the river bank about a month, spending three weeks on the trip. He left Coulson with W. L. Allard, and went up the Yellowstone valley on foot, hunting suitable land to take up. The journey was full of difficulty and hardship be- cause of the mud and water ; and at Young's Point they were laid up three days in a heavy snowstorm. He returned to a point about a mile and a half east of Park City and homesteaded 160 acres of land, where he now owns 480 acres all fenced and irri- gated, 200 acres being under good cultivation. His crops in 1901 were eighty tons of timothy hay, three crops of alfalfa from thirty-five acres, 800 bushels of oats, 200 of wheat, forty-eight of alfalfa seed, and three acres of corn. He has nearly a hundred head of cattle and one-fourth as many horses. The ranch is improved with a fine dwell- ing and good outbuildings, and is in every way well equipped for successful tillage. After locat-

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 95

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