Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 96

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 96

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ing his ranch Mr. Bessette temporarily lived in a log house in Park City, working on the ranch and at sheep-shearing and other jobs to get wire for fencing and lumber for building. In 1885 the fam- ily moved to the ranch. His first crop was twenty acres of oats, and since then his progress has been steady, rapid and continuous. After the death of his wife he married in 1892 Miss Esther Williams, a native of Westville, Ind. He has three children living of the six resulting from his two marriages, one of whom is the offspring of his first wife and the other two of his second. They are Charles, and Merle and Josephine, attending school.

Mr. Bessette is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, including the degree of Hon- or, and also belongs to the Yeomen of America. Politically he is a Republican ; in religious faith a Catholic. He is recognized as a leading citizen in his neighborhood, and one of the progressive and enterprising farmers of Yellowstone county.

NICHOLAS J. BIELENBERG .- From early pioneer days Mr. Bielenberg has been promi- nently identified with the productive activities of Montana, and from the conspicuous part he has taken in promoting its development it is imperative that due consideration be accorded him in a work of this nature. He was born in Holstein, Ger- many, on June 8, 1847, but he has passed practically all of his life in America, since he was but four years old when his parents, Claus and Margaret (Cruse) Bielenberg, emigrated to the United States. They located at Davenport, Iowa, where they engaged in farming, and in that state passed their remaining years. There also Nicholas re- ceived his education in the public schools, but at the age of sixteen, in 1863, he went to Chicago, and there served an apprenticeship in the butcher- ing business until the spring of 1865, when he set forth on the long journey which made him one of the youthful pioneers of Montana. Upon arriv- ing in this state he located at Blackfoot City, where he was engaged in butchering unti! 1870, when he removed to Helena, where he continued a meat business until 1872, when he removed to Deer Lodge. Here he engaged in stockraising, and in buying cattle and driving large numbers through to Cheyenne, Wyo., from there shipping them to the Chicago market. He thus conducted an important business until 1877, when he engaged

in the meat business in Butte, establishing one of the most important enterprises of the kind in the territory, erecting a cold storage plant, through which he handled an extensive wholesale trade. The business eventually assumed such proportions that it became expedient to incorporate it and the Butte Butchering Company was organized and has since directed the enterprise.

About 1884 Mr. Bielenberg became associated with his half-brother, Conrad Kohrs, one of the in- fluential pioneers and capitalists of Montana, in an extensive cattle business. Shortly afterward Mr. Bielenberg began individual operations in this line, but eventually became associated in this with Joseph Toomey, and they developed an enterprise of gigantic proportions for the period. Within one year they handled more than 130,000 head of sheep, and their flocks were to be found in numer- ous sections of Montana, while they also trans- acted a large business in buying and shipping sheep and cattle from the northwest, their opera- tions extending from Washington to North Da- kota and having important influence in the devel- opment of the live-stock industry in this section. We quote from an appreciative article previously published :

"It can be safely said that Mr. Bielenberg and his associates were the fathers of the sheep indus- try in northern Montana, and their operations were the first of any importance in the state. Mr. Bielenberg was the first shipper to discover the value of screenings in the feeding of sheep in tran- sit, and his discovery has grown to be a valuable in- dustry in the handling of mutton for the eastern markets."

From the early days Mr. Bielenberg has been conspicuously identified with Montana stockrais- ing and his sheep and cattle interests involve large operations in various sections of the state, placing him among the representative stockmen and citi- zens of Montana. He is also concerned in mining and financial enterprises and his investments have been made with discrimination, showing him to pos- sess marked capacity for the conduct of affairs and a distinctive executive ability. He has been the arti- ficer of his own fortunes and has achieved a success which is worthy of the name, having been dominat- ed by an inflexible integrity and commanding gener- al confidence and esteem. His political views are those of the Republican party, and he was long one of the leading representatives in old Deer Lodge county. He was a delegate to the Repub-

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lican national convention at Minneapolis in 1892, and has been otherwise prominent in the party. He has held his residence in the city of Deer Lodge since 1872, and here he has a beautiful home and is one of the leading citizens. On March 14, 1872, in Deer Lodge, Mr. Bielenberg was united in mar- riage to Miss Anna Bogk, who was born in Osh- kosh, Wis., the daughter of Gustav and Margaret Bogk, natives of Germany. Her father was one of the pioneers of Montana, having located in Deer Lodge county in 1870, and here he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Bielenberg have five children, Alma, Howard, Au- gusta, deceased, Anna and Claud.

J SAMUEL BIGNELL, of Helmville, Mont., is the son of one of the western pioneers. He was born in Utah in 1856. His parents were John and Lucy (Gawthorne) Bignell, both natives of Eng- land. As the sun never sets on English possessions this, of course, implies that its rays are never de- flected from some of England's adventurous, enter- prising people who find their account and interest in all quarters of the world. One of these was John Bignell, the father of the subject of this sketch. When quite a young man he came to the United States and at first located at Nebraska city, Neb. In 1852 John Bignell crossed the plains to Utah, re- turned to Nebraska, recrossed them again in 1860; returned to Nebraska, and in 1863, for the third time made the perilous trip, in the face of hostile Indians, and arrived at Cache valley in the fall of that year. The last time he was accompanied by his family and they continued to reside at this place until 1865.

In that year they decided that Montana offered certain attractions that ought not to be overlooked, and, accordingly, they came on to Blackfoot City, in the famous valley of that name. At this period it was a mammoth gold mining camp, of the placer variety, and full of push, hustle and enterprise. For several years, or up to the time of his death, John Bignell conducted a dairy and stock business at this point. He died in 1871, thus closing a career that had been full of peril, adventurous, exciting, all that combines to make the life of a plainsman picturesque.

Mrs. John Bignell, the mother of our subject, dicd at Blackfoot City in 1870. It had been her lot in life to become an eye-witness of many of the stir-

ring scenes in which the adventurous life of hier husband had called upon him to participate. In many respects she could be compared to the brave Colonial dames who faced the dangers of the settlement of the Atlantic coast. Thus it will be seen that the life of the subject of this sketch, J. Samuel Bignell, has been passed entirely amid western scenes, and that he is thoroughly posted in everything that apper- tains to the breezy life of the great and gradually unfolding west. For many years, up to the time of the death of his father, he lived with him and was with him engaged in various lines of business. Since that event he has been engaged in the business of ranching on his own account in the Blackfoot valley, and in this industry he has achieved magnifi- cent success since 1875. His property consists of 440 acres, including a fine home, lying one and one- quarter miles west of Helmville.

The wife of Mr. Bignell was Miss Lizzie Geary, who was born in County Waterford, Ireland. She is a niece of Hon. Michael Geary, a sketch of whom appears in another portion of this work. The Gearys comprise a large, prominent and influential family scattered throughout the Blackfoot valley. To Mr. and Mrs. Bignell have been born six chil- dren, George, Walter, Lucy, Warren, Samuel and Laura.

JESSE C. BILLUPS has bent every effort to the attaining of success, and while he has had num- erous misfortunes and many obstacles to overcome, he has not faltered in his course and reward has not been denied him, for he is today one of the prosperous farmers and stockraisers of Cascade county. Mr. Billups is a native of Huntingdonshire, England, where he was born November 16. 1839. the son of Richard and Sarah Billups, natives of the "tight little isle," where the father was a farmer. He died there in 1851, his wife surviving him by several years, when she too passed away.

Jesse C. Billups secured a fair common-school education, but as he was only twelve years of age at the time of his father's death he found it was incumbent upon him to aid in supporting his wid- owed mother. He engaged in farm work until 1864, when he immigrated to the United States, believing that better opportunities here awaited the young man not afraid of honest toil and who was honor- able and sraightforward in his methods. Locating at Centreville, Ind., he was there engaged in work in the engineering department of a flouring mill

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until 1867, when he became identified with the sawmilling industry. In 1874 he removed to Carm, White county, Ill., and engaged in farming and raising swine, devoting particular attention to the latter branch of the business. In 1878 he went to Kansas and in the following year to Gunnison, Colo., where he again became identified with the sawmilling business. In 1883 he set forth to look up a favorable location for permanent residence, going through to Seattle, Wash., and thence to British Columbia. In the fall of the same year he went to the Big Bend country and thence to Moscow, Idaho, where he was for a time employed in a sawmill, going thence to the famous Coeur d'Alene mining district. In 1866 Mr. Billups went to Helena, Mont., and thence to the Prickly Pear valley, where he once more engaged in sawmill work, and was so employed until July 20, 1887, when he located on his present ranch, eighteen miles southeast of Cascade. This ranch originally comprised 640 acres, supposed to be homestead land, but it event- ually transpired that the tract was railroad land, and on this account it became necessary for him to purchase it, which he did for $1,440. In 1893 Mr. Billups added to his tract a homestead claim of 160 acres. Here he has successfully continued in the cattleraising business, but devoting some atten- tion to the sawmill business. His property is now held at a valuation of $8,000, and this is a very gratifying showing in view of the fact that when Mr. Billups came to Montana he had practically no financial resources. He is now recognized as one of the representative stockmen of this locality, and is held in high esteem by all who know him.

In politics he renders allegiance to the Republi- can party. On March 1, 1859, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Billups to Miss Mary Ann Peck, who was born in England, the daughter of John and Sarah Peck, likewise natives of England, the father having been a farmer by occupation. His death occurred in 1882, and his widow passed away two years later. Their religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church. Mr. and Mrs. Billups became the parents of eight children, only three of whom are living, Sarah E., Anna L. and Mattie E. Those deceased are Richard A., Jesse C., Jr., Mar- tha, Sarah L. and Jesse C., II.

JESSE BINGHAM, one of the most extensive cattlegrowers in Choteau county, is the owner of two fine ranches of 320 acres each, which are profitably devoted to stock and general farming.

He was born in Sullivan county, Mo., on June II, 1847, the son of Samuel and Sarah (Crippin) Bingham. The father was a native of North Caro- lina, but went to Missouri in the spring of 1841. He was married twice, his first wife being a Miss Annie Hoover. He died in Colorado. Jesse Bing- ham was reared on his father's Colorado ranch, and it will readily be seen that educational advantages in that state were limited at that time. In 1873 he was engaged in cattlegrowing in the territory of Colorado, but subsequently removed to the Black Hills, where he followed the same line of business. In 1899 he first came to Montana and settled on Birch creek, Choteau county, Mont., where he lo- cated a claim of 160 acres of land. Later he moved and secured another claim, but continued to be en- gaged in the business of cattlegrowing. One of his present ranches, comprising 320 acres, in the Bear Paw mountains he took up in 1894. The other property is located on Smoke creek, and both are devoted to the growing of cattle and horses. In 1886 Mr. Bingham was married to his second wife, Mrs. Jennie (Coffee) Stuart, of Covington, Ky.

[ OHN H. BLACK, who for more than a quarter J of a century made his home in Montana, was, at his death on October 10, 1901, residing upon one of his farms and ranches in Gallatin county, twelve miles west of Bozeman. It is an eligible location in one of the handsomest of Montana's garden spots. On October 2, 1847, Mr. Black was born in Wayne county, Mo., one of a family of twelve children. His father, John L. Black, was a native of Augusta county, Va .; his mother, Nancy (Porter) Black, was born in Illinois. His Virginian paternal grand- father, Samuel Black, removed to Missouri with a number of slaves who were in danger of losing their lives from a virulent epidemic, and he made the removal at a great cost to himself and in the hopes of saving their lives, thereafter remaining in Missouri until his death. His son, John L. Black, continued in farming and stockraising in Wayne county until 1850, then removed to Knox county, and in 1865 went to Saline county, where he resided until he died in 1890. John H. Black remained on the Missouri homestead until 1871, and acquired his education at the public schools. When but fifteen he was induced to enlist in the Confederate service in the earlier days of the Civil war, but his father objected to this and on account of his extreme youth secured his discharge and return to his home. Ten

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years later, in 1871, young Black removed to Texas for a short period, going thence to the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, where he passed three years, principally in hunting, although he had some cattle and raised one crop of cotton. Here he assisted in building the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, and made the acquaintance of Gov. Wade, Gov. Wright and Judge Folsom, the two former being fullblooded Indians and the latter a halfbreed. Mr. Black described them as particularly fine men, keenly intelligent and possessed of excellent busi- ness judgment.

In 1874 Mr. Black came to Montana on the Union Pacific Railway to Corinne and then walked to Virginia City, arriving there in April. He passed a year in the vicinity of this celebrated min- ing . district, went to California and then into the Puget Sound country, remained one season and started on his return to Montana. It was his in- tention to come from Lewiston, Idaho, by the Nez Perce trail, but from a heavy snow storm missed it and, being alone, experienced great difficulty in find- ing his way back into civilization, but finally ac- complished it and striking the Lolo trail came on to Missoula and eventually arrived at Virginia City. After several years passed unprofitably in mining enterprises here, in 1879 he removed to Missoula county for a year. 1880 was a year of sensational gold strikes, and Mr. Black joined the disastrous Yogo stampede into Meagher county and then came to Gallatin county. Here he purchased the Mc- Camman ranch, one mile above Salesville, which he operated until 1886, having 560 acres of im- proved land. Later he sold it and engaged in the carpenter business. During the panic of 1893-94 Mr. Black was compelled to take considerable prop- erty on which he loaned money, and it is quite prob- able that this did much to influence his permanent location in the Gallatin valley.

Mr. Black's last residence was twelve iniles west of Bozeman, where he had 320 acres and a fine resi- dence with suitable outbuildings. He also owned a valuable ranch two miles north of Salesville, which is highly improved and systematically irrigated, and other tracts of land in various localities. His gen- eral farming embraced the raising of wheat, oats and barley, and he usually wintered a fine herd of shorthorn cattle, as well as a number of promising Norman horses. On October 11, 1900, Mr. Black was married to Mrs. Lucy Kirkpatrick, daughter of James Rae, of Kentucky. From that state Mr. Rae removed with his family to Gallatin county, locat-

ing on the East Gallatin river. Mr. Black met with great success in Montana, and his memory is cher- ished by all with whom he had intimate social or business relations.

C HARLES M. BLACKMAN, one of the esti- mable and highly successful stockgrowers of Choteau county, Mont., was born in Marion, Linn county, Iowa, March 8, 1854. Until the age of ten years he was an attendant on the public schools of his native county, and in 1864 he accompanied his father to Colorado, and returning to Iowa in the autumn. In 1867, at the age of thirteen, he removed to Missouri Valley Junction in the western part of Iowa, where he resided until 1872, passing, how- ever, the winter of 1869 at West Point, Neb. Dur- ing these five years he was employed in various printing offices and as clerk in a store. In 1872 Mr. Blackman came to Madison county, Mont., where until 1880 he was engaged in mining and prospecting, and from the latter year until 1884 he passed the time in visiting various points in Montana, finally locating in Choteau, Teton county. Here he secured a homestead and other claims, amounting in all to' 480 acres, on which he now resides engaged in stockraising and general farm- ing. The political sympathies of Mr. Blackman are with the Republican party and he takes a commendable interest in the successive campaigns and in the local issues of the day.

C HARLES A. BLACKBURN has been a resi- dent of Helena for more than three decades, identified with several lines of business enterprise, and has ever stood forth as one of the worthy and sterling citizens of the state, of which he may be designated a pioneer. He comes of fine old south- ern stock, and was born on April 10, 1842, in St. Louis county, Mo., the son of John and Sarah (James) Blackburn, natives respectively of Fairfax county, Va., and South Carolina. The father was a pioneer of Missouri, removing thither about 1812, and was a planter, holding a number of slaves. His marriage to his wife, who had come to Missouri in girlhood with her parents, was celebrated in St. Louis county, and they became the parents of nine children, Charles being the eighth. The father died in St. Louis county in 1843 and the mother passed away in 1857.

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Charles A. Blackburn was prosecuting his studies in the public schools near the parental home at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war, and on May IO, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company G, of the Ninth Missouri Confederate Volunteers, with which organization he served until the close of the war. He served under Generals Magruder and Price, and was once captured by Federal scouts, but was exchanged at Vicksburg after six weeks of captivity. He then joined a command in Arkan- sas, remaining with this until he was mustered out, when he returned to St. Louis county, Mo., and was engaged in farming until the spring of 1868, when he went to St. Louis and embarked on the steamer Octavia for Fort Benton, Mont., where he arrived on the 22d day of May. Mr. Blackburn then came by stage to Helena, the journey being tedious, by reason of mud and rain, but he reached his destination on the 30th of May. Here he associated himself with W. H. Patterson in purchasing the tract of land in the Prickly Pear valley where the fair grounds are now located. There they were en- gaged in ranching until the spring of 1872, when they sold the property to the fair association, al- though a portion of the land was retained by Mr. Blackburn and is the site of his ice ponds and stor- age houses. Mr. Blackburn then purchased a half- interest in a livery stable on Rodney street, liis partner being W. D. Weir, and continued in that enterprise until 1874. In 1872, however, he met with an accident which incapacitated him for active duties for a year, during which time he made a visit to his old home in Missouri.

Returning to Helena Mr. Blackburn initiated an ice business in the winter of 1875, putting up an adequate supply, and with this industry he has ever since been connected. In the spring of 1877 A. T. Allen became a partner for one year, but our subject thereafter conducted the business individually until 1888, when he effected the organization of the Helena Ice Company, by consolidating his business interests with those of David W. Middlemas, and these gentlemen have since conducted the leading ice business of the city.

In politics Mr. Blackburn is a stalwart Democrat, and at the second election after the incorporation of the city of Helena he was elected a member of its board of aldermen, serving one term. Fraternally he is identified with Helena Lodge No. 3, A. F. & A. M., in which he has passed all the chairs save that of master, and also with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His religious faith is that of the

Methodist Episcopal church South and he is a member of the board of trustees of the local churchi. On August 18, 1883, Mr. Blackburn was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Edmonson, who was born in Missouri, the daughter of John and Louisa Edmonson, who removed from Missouri to Mon- tana in 1872, the former having been a Confederate soldier during the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Black- burn have one child, George A., born in August, 1886, and now attending the Helena schools.

W ILLIAM T. BLEVINS .- Twenty-two years ago Mr. Blevins settled on the extensive ranch of 350 acres which he now controls and has materially improved and enlarged until it ranks in line with the leading properties of its kind in Choteau county. It is located on Highwood creek, near the point where the stream debouches into the Missouri river. His experiences in the west have been many and varied, as he came here at an early day and has witnessed the gradual development of the territory and state from its primitive wildness to a condition of high civilization and importance. Our subject was born on a farm in Johnson county, Mo., March 15, 1838. He is a son of Andrew and Becky (Neil) Blevins, the father a native of Mis- souri. As a youth young Blevins worked on his father's farm and during the winter months at- tended the district school in his neighborhood and made the best of limited educational advantages. In 1861 he left home and passed the ensuing four years traveling in Missouri and adjoining states. At the conclusion of the Civil war he went to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was in the service of the United States government driving freight teams across the plains between Salt Lake and various military posts in Utah. The "team" consisted of three wagons, to each of which were attached nine yoke of oxen. Twenty-six of these wagons com- prised one freight train, and they were accompanied by an army of men for protection against the num- erous bands of hostile Indians that in those days infested the plains. On several occasions while our subject was in this service they were attacked by the redskins and fierce battles ensued. But they were always able to protect the freight, which con- sisted mainly of flour and groceries. In 1867 his base of operations was changed, and he began to freight goods to various points in Colorado, having his headquarters at Denver. At times much of the

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freight consisted of lumber to be used in the con- struction of military posts in the northwest. On the completion of this work Mr. Blevins returned from Denver to the old homestead in Missouri, . making the journey on horseback. Following a short visit in Johnson county, he passed over into the Indian territory and secured work on various farms and ranches in that country. In 1869 he went to Fort Smith, Mo., and from there to Little Rock, Ark., where he purchased a drove of horses, trans- ported them up the Missouri river, and disposed of them at a good profit. In this business he contin- ued until 1876 when he came to Helena, Mont., where he drove a team for John T. Powers between Fort Benton and Helena, hauling all descriptions of miscellaneous freight.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 96

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