Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 99

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 99

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When the Eighteenth Regiment of the United States soldiers came in 1879 to establish Fort As- sinniboine, Mr. Brown accompanied them and was scout and interpreter at that post until July, 1891. Owing to his active life and varied occupations, Mr. Brown has had many exciting experiences with hostile Indians, especially the Sioux, who were exceptionally bloodthirsty, and while he has escaped any serious injury, during his long years of life on the plains and in the mountains he has helped to bury many a poor victim of the treacher- ous savages. In 1891 Mr. Brown settled down on a fine ranch located on Brown's creek, between Lodge Pole and People's creek, on the Fort Bel- knap military reservation and at the foot of the Little Rockies. Here he has since been exten- sively engaged in the raising of cattle and horses.

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His postoffice address is Hayes. In politics he supports the Democratic party. Mr. Brown has been three times married ; his first wife was a Gros Ventre Indian woman, to whom he was married in 1866, at Fort Hawley. She was the mother of his eldest son, William, now a rancher in the Little Rockies. She died on October 10, 1869, and was buried at Fort Browning. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Brown wedded another woman of the same tribe, and she died at Fort Assinniboine on Octo- ber II, 1882, leaving two children, Mary, the wife of Charles Perry, a ranchman on the Belknap reservation, and James Albert, who is engaged in herding at Lodge Pole for the United States gov- ernment. October 8, 1891, Mr. Brown married his present wife, a half-breed Sioux.

AMES W. BROWN, residing near Browning, J and one of the most heavily interested stockmen of Teton county, has been familiar with the various resources and business enterprises of the early Mon- tana pioneers. In the development of the territory and state he has been an important factor, and is now surrounded by the comforts of a well-ordered home, enjoying the rewards of past industry and restless, "hustling" enterprise. He was born at Hillsboro, Ohio, on September 5, 1841. His father, James Brown, a Virginian, removed to Ohio when a young man, where he became a farmer. He died at Milford, Ohio, in 1850. His wife, Elizabeth (Cooper) Brown, was also a native of Virginia, and, like her husband, was of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. James. W. Brown, after attending the public schools of Hillsboro, left home in 1858 and for three years labored in Illinois as a farm hand. At the first call for troops in the Civil war, he en- listed in the Twentieth Illinois Infantry and served from June, 1861, until July, 1864. He was wound- ed at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg. After his muster-out at Nashville, Tenn., in February, 1865, he re-enlisted for a year in the Fourth Veteran Regiment, Hancock's corps, and was in camp at Alexandria at the time of the assassination of Presi- dent Lincoln, April 14, 1865. The regiment was immediately placed on provost duty in Washington, and continued that service until after the execu- tion in July, 1865, of Mrs. Surratt, Harold and others convicted of complicity in that awful tragedy. In the fall he went to Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, and was mustered out on February 7, 1866.

In the summer of 1866 Mr. Brown decided to come west, and engaged as a "bull whacker," be- tween Nebraska City and Salt Lake City, conclud- ing the journey in August. He immediately loaded for Helena, Mont., reaching that place in Septem- ber. The ox teams were sold to Carroll, Steele & Hubbell and Mr. Brown was given the position of wagon master. He then went from Helena to St. Peter's mission, and loaded his teams with hay for Camp Cook at the mouth of Judith river, hay then selling for $125 a ton. He then took government freight to Fort Benton, receiving ten cents a pound for hauling, making two trips during the fall. After turning the cattle out for winter, in February, 1867, Mr. Brown engaged with I. G. Baker & Co., to take charge of a pack train and carry provisions to Fort Holly, on the Missouri. The trip down was made without special incident, other than heavy snow storms and severe cold on the return trip at Camp Cook. They found the soldiers in a deplorable condition. A sentinel had been killed while on duty the night before, and Major Clinton, then the commanding officer, had for several days been trying to get the mail through to Benton, but the party returned, several of them being badly frozen. On Mr. Brown's arrival the Major asked him if he would guide a party through to Benton. He replied that he would if furnished with three horses for himself and men. He was given the pick of the stables and started the follow- ing morning, making the trip safely to Benton in two days, arriving there on February 22, 1867. The weather was intensely cold, the river being frozen to the depth of four feet.

In the spring of 1867 he engaged with the freighting firm of Carroll & Steele for $150 per month, and moved government stores from Fort Benton to Fort Shaw. During the fall he trans- ferred stores from Fort Shaw to Fort Ellis, thence going to Fort Holly for some oats left there by a stranded steamer. The Indians were decidedly hos- tile and the train in charge of Mr. Brown presented a warlike appearance, having two small cannon and an arsenal of small arms.

In the spring of 1868 Carroll & Steele bought into the Diamond R Freighting Company, and since that time our subject has been known in Montana as "Diamond R. Brown." In 1868 he secured a contract to remove the stores of Fort C. S. Smith to Fort Ellis, and the preparations for this work were elaborate, comprising thirty-eight teams in charge of Brown, James Adams and Thomas

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Clary and accompanied by a company of soldiers, all under the supervision of Maj. George Steele. On their arrival at Fort Smith they discovered that the major portion of the property had been sold. A part of it had been promised to the Indians who, declaring that some tobacco had been stolen, de- clared war. Investigation proved that one of the soldiers had stolen it, and upon his being properly punished peace was restored. In the spring of 1869 Mr. Brown located a ranch at Eight Mile Spring, remaining there, however, but a short time. In July of that year he and Joseph Kipp had a thrilling experience while searching for sixty head of cattle that had escaped from their owner. They were recovered 150 miles from Fort Benton and safely re- turned, but not until Brown and Kipp had ex- perienced many hardships. Mr. Brown remained with the Diamond R Company until 1870, and in the spring of 1871 arranged with Mr. Kipp to do freighting on shares. Going into Canada they built a trading post on Belly river.

In December, 1871, he left Benton with a load of goods for the Belly river post and soon after starting, they were overtaken by a terrific snow- storm, accompanied by intense cold. The snow got so deep they could hardly move, and some days ad- vanced not more than one mile, while on other days they could not move. Finally they reached the international line, near the Rocky Spring ridge, where the storm compelled them to remain. The cold was almost unendurable. Whiskey froze solid, coal oil become a thick slush and no food could be obtained for the horses, nor could they be protected from the weather. The horses ate the wagon boxes and also a dozen brooms which were packed in one of the wagons. Twenty of the horses were frozen to death in this camp. The storni abated on the 18th of February and with the re- maining horses Mr. Brown pushed on to the post, having been over two months traversing a distance of but 230 miles.

The following year Brown and Kipp erected a post store at Fort Kipp, at the mouth of Old Man's river and another at High river, where they traded profitably with the Indians, supplying them with goods brought from Fort Benton in exchange for furs. In the summer of 1874 Mr. Brown began trading on his own account at Old Man's river, Canada, and from 1875 to 1881 was in the service of Hon. T. C. Power as manager of the Kipp trad- ing store. Later he passed two years at Fort Ben- ton, and then removed to Choteau, remaining until

1890, three years of which time he was assistant farmer at the old Indian agency. In 1893 he se- cured a ranch of 1,000 acres on the Milk river in Blackfoot reservation, where he is pleasantly situ- ated and conducts a profitable cattle business. Mr. Brown was married at Fort Benton in 1868, and has five children : Geneva A., Stewart, Joseph (the reservation butcher), William, Jesse and Leo Mc- Kinley. Politically his sympathies are with the Republican party.

M ATTHEW M. BROWN .- During a long and serviceable career in the west, this enterpris- ing, progressive and prosperous farmer and stock- breeder and his faithful wife have endured many hardships incident to frontier life in the early days, when hostile Indians and lawless whites vied with each other in making life miserable for the honest settler. He was born in Warren county, Mo., May 19, 1833, the son of Manthano and Rebecca (McGaw) Brown, the former a native of Massachu- setts and the latter of Tennessee. They moved to Missouri when they were young, and there the father was a successful farmer and trader until his death in 1875. The mother, a lady of Scotch an- cestry, died there in 1837.

Mr. Brown attended the district schools of Ray county, Mo., until 1852. He then migrated to Oregon, settling in the Willamette valley; a pio- neer of the state, he was for thirty years success- fully engaged in farming and raising stock near Forest Grove, Washington county. In the sum- mer of 1881 he came to Montana and located a homestead of 160 acres near Park City in Yellow- stone county, on which he has since resided and been occupied in breeding horses.

While residing in Oregon Mr. Brown was a member of a volunteer company of citizens who joined the regular troops to fight the Yakima In- dians in 1855-6, when that tribe was on the war path. In politics he is a Republican, and has given the affairs of the party intelligent and ser- viceable attention. He served as a justice of the peace in Yellowstone county from 1895 to 1899.

In 1856 he was united in marriage at Forest Grove, Ore., with Miss Mary E. Reid, a native of Lincoln county, Mo., where she was born Febru- ary 6, 1840, removing with her parents to Oregon in 1850. They have five children living: Zina is married and serving as station agent for the North-

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ern Pacific at Park City ; Maggie L. is the wife of John L. Greenwood, a horse-breeder near Park City; Minnie S., Cassie M. and Finch R. live at home. Five of their children have died: Marion M., aged twenty-seven, was deputy sheriff, died from an accidental gun shot at Billings in 1886; Oscar Lincoln died at Park City in 1896, aged thirty-three; Orin Harvey died at Forest Grove, Ore., in 1865, from a kick by a horse; Harry M. died at Fossil, Ore., in 1877, aged four, while Georgiana died at Forest Grove, Ore., in 1863, aged sixteen months.

Mr. Brown voted twice for the martyred Lin- coln, and has voted for every Republican candi- date for the same office since. In the community in which he lives he is regarded as a leading citi- zen, and wherever he is known has the esteem of his fellow-men.

H ERMAN BUCHHOLZ was one of the sterling citizens which the German fatherland has giv- en to Montana, and he was one of the enterprising and successful farmers and stockgrowers of Lewis and Clarke county, his ranch being located seven miles northwest of the village of Augusta, which is his postoffice address. He was born in Meck- lenburg-Schwerin, Germany, on the 6th of Janu- ary, 1866, being the son of Frederick H. and Mary Buckholz, both natives of Germany, where the father originally followed the cooper trade, later devoting his attention to farming, while the latter years of his life were devoted to the real estate business. Both he and his wife were devoted members of the Lutheran church, in whose faith they passed away, the death of the latter occurring on the 16th of October, 1888, while the father of our subject passed away on the 26th of December, 1893. They were folks of sterling character and held the confidence and high regard of all who knew them. Although known as Bokholt, his real name was Buchholz, he using the former because easier pronounced and written by Americans. Bok- holt is the Low-German for the High-German 'Buchholz, both meaning Beechwood.

Herman Buckholz, the immediate subject of this review, secured such educational advantages as were afforded in the public schools of his native land, but as he was early called upon to assist in the support of the family and to face the individual responsibilities of life, his school days were very

limited in number. However, by association with the practical affairs of life and by personal appli- cation, he has gained a broad fund of information, which effectively supplements the meagre oppor- tunities of his youthful days. He assisted his par- ents from the age of seven to that of fifteen years, and when the latter age was attained he bade adieu to home and native land and valiantly set forth to face the battle of life among strangers and in a strange land. He emigrated to America, and upon arriving in this country first located in the city of Baltimore, where he found employment in a bakery, and was thus engaged for a period of six months, receiving $10 per month and his board. Later he was engaged as a common seaman on coasting vessels, the stipend for his services being $12 a month. He was thus employed for one year. In 1884 Mr. Buckholz determined to cast in his fortunes with the great west, and in 1884 he came to Helena, Mont., and secured work on the ranch of John B. Wilson during the first spring and sum- mer, and then devoted both his accumulations and his time to a prospecting tour, which resulted in his "going broke," as the colloquial phrase tersely expresses it. In the summer of 1885 Mr. Buchholz came to the vicinity of Augusta, where he was em- ployed on ranches for a term of four years. In 1888 he took up a pre-emption claim of 160 acres eight miles northwest of Augusta, and to this he subsequently added by homestead and timber- culture entries of contiguous tracts, so that he has at the present time a well improved and valuable ranch of 480 acres. At the same time he entered into partnership with A. Weisner in the raising of live stock, specially cattle. He placed his land un- der effective cultivation, and raises good crops of hay, including considerable alfalfa. In the mean- time Mr. Buckholz also purchased 900 head of horses, and within four years he had disposed of the same at a good profit. He was alert and pro- gressive, he showed marked discrimination in his ranching operations and was well worthy of the success that attended his efforts, while he was held in high esteem in the community. In politics he gave his support to the Republican party so far as national issues were concerned, but in local af- fairs he voted for men and measures rather than holding to strict party lines. Fraternally he was identified with the Masonic and the Odd Fellows' orders, and in the former of these he attained the master's degree, and was noble grand of Dearborn Lodge No. 21, of the latter at his death.

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In the fall of 1901 he dissolved partnership with Andrew Weisner, and formed a new partnership with his brother, August F. Buckholz. On De- cember 1, 1901, while walking past a cattleshed, a sudden gust of wind unroofed the structure, a stick of timber striking him on the head, killing him almost instantly. He was buried under the auspices of the Odd Fellows at Augusta.

0 LIVER C. BUNDY .- Leaving school at the age of seventeen and since then making his own way in the world without the aid of fortune's favors or adventitious circumstances, Oliver C. Bundy, of Yellowstone county, has hewed out for himself not only a competency in worldly posses- sions, but an enduring place in the regard and es- teem of his fellow men. He was born at Rochester, Olmstead county, Minn., May 28, 1854. His par- ents were Charles and Elzina (Horton) Bundy, the former a native of Buffalo and the latter of Brook- lyn, N. Y. The father began his business career with sawmilling in his native state, and went from there to Wisconsin and later to St. Anthony and Rochester, Minn., where he engaged in speculating in land and the lumber business. In 1857 he re- moved to Dickson, Ill., and after remaining there a few years went to Whitewater, Wis., where he was in the lumber business until 1860. Returning to St. Anthony in 1861 he enlisted in the First Min- nesota Volunteer Cavalry, and served in that regi- ment throughout the Civil war. From 1865 to 1872 he was located. at Dickson, Ill., as agent for the Horseshoe corn-sheller, and during the following four years he conducted a hotel at Winona, Minn. From there he went to Fort Pierre, Dakota, where he died in 1879. His widow is now living at Brid- ger, Mont., with her sons.

Oliver Bundy was educated in the schools of Whitewater and Watertown, Wis., Minnesota City, Minn., and the Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa. At the age of seventeen he left school and made an extended trip to St. Louis, New Orleans, Texas and other portions of the south, after which he served for two years as steward on boats running from St. Louis to Fort Benton. He then conducted a saloon on the Missouri river, twenty-eight miles east of Fort Sully, where he remained a year and a half, and for an equal period thereafter was en- gaged in the cattle business at the same place. In 1877 he was prospecting in the Black Hills, and in

the fall of 1878 came to Montana, locating at Coul- son, Yellowstone county, but the next spring re- turned to Pierre, Dak., where he remained until 1880. From December, 1880, to May, 1882, he was traveling in the southern states and South America, but on May 26, 1882, he located at Bil- lings, and until 1886 engaged in freighting from Billings to Fort Benton, Great Falls, Helena and other points. In the winter of 1887 he bought the cable ferry at Clark's fork on the Yellowstone, and conducted it until 1897. Since that date he has been engaged in ranching andstockraising in the Yellow- stone with headquarters at Laurel, meeting with fine success from his labors.

In politics Mr. Bundy is an ardent Republican, and for a number of years has taken an active part in Montana political affairs. Fraternally he holds membership in the Odd Fellows Lodge at Billings and the United Workmen and the Woodmen of the World at Laurel. He was united in marriage at Billings in October, 1885, with Miss Ida Marney, a native of Speyer, Bavaria, who came to the United States with an uncle when she was young, and lo- cated in New York state. They have two children : Herbert A., aged fourteen ; and Otto H., sixteen.

M RS. SADIE J. BROWN, who was born in Boston, Mass., and came to Montana in 1866 with her husband, Frank G. Brown, to whom she was married on July 14, 1865, was the first white woman who ever crossed the Big Horn mountains. The party consisted of herself and 126 men, she be- ing the only woman. Their train consisted of sev- enty-six wagons and they were twelve days cross- ing the mountains. On the way a band of 1,500 Arapahoe Indians held up the party, demanding a feast. Peace and freedom from further trouble were secured by giving them a wagon load of pro- visions. Later another tribe attacked them on the North Platte. From these they escaped and jour- neyed up the Yellowstone to the present site of Livingston, from thence to Bozeman and Three Forks, which they reached the last of June. Mrs. Brown and her husband came to Helena on July 3, 1866, remaining one month. They then went to Diamond City, where they began placer mining, which they continued for a number of years, notably at Lincoln gulch, Deer Lodge county, where they were three years; at Cedar creek, Missoula county, where they remained only a few months, returning to Deer Lodge county,

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near Pioneer, Philipsburg, where they remained until 1883, when they removed to Warm Springs canyon, a few miles from Anaconda. Here they supplemented their mining operations with ranch- ing on a property which they purchased and after- wards sold to the Anaconda Copper Company.

Mrs. Brown is the mother of six children, four sons and two daughters. The eldest, Zaidee Ma- bel (deceased), was born on June 17, 1866, on the east branch of the Yellowstone river near Billings, and was the first white child born in that part of the state; Minnie L. was born in Philipsburg and died there. The other children are Frank G., a mining engineer ; Charles A., a surveyor and min- ing engineer, and Herbert E., an assayer. This lady, whose life has had many interesting phases, exhibiting endurance in hardships and faithful per- formance of duty, is now a highly respected resi- dent of Butte, where she is passing the evening twilight of life in that peace of mind which is the portion of the worthy who have fought life's battle with fortitude and honest zeal and have accom- plished substantial results. She is actively inter- ested in works of charity and public interest in her community and contributes valuable counsel and vigorous aid to their development. She is a mem- ber of the Order of the Eastern Star.

JAMES L. BURCH, whose finely equipped ranch is located twenty-eight and a half miles south of the city of Cascade, his postoffice address being Adel, is recognized as one of the wide-awake and progressive stockmen of Cascade county, and is also known as one of the pioneers of the state, whither his father preceded him by a few years, the family being one of prominence in Cascade county. Mr. Burch was born in Huntsville, Randolph county, Mo., on June 4, 1857, the son of John H. and Eliza A. Burch, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri. In the latter state the father followed the trade of a carpenter and builder until 1864, when he made the long trip across the plains to Montana, where he remained for a time and then returned to his home in Missouri, but still intending to make a permanent location in Montana. In 1875, accompanied by his family, he again made the overland journey to this state, locating on his present ranch situated on Wolf creek, in Lewis and Clarke county, where he has since been engaged in farming and stockraising.

James L. Burch, our subject, received his edu- cation in the public schools of his native state, and at the early age of twelve years became identified with farm work, so continuing until the spring of 1875, when he started with his parents for Mon- tana. Arriving at their destination the various members of the family prepared themselves to be- come worthy factors in Montana's industrial ac- tivities. Our subject, then eighteen years of age, eventually secured a pre-emption claim of 160 acres located in Chestnut valley, five miles south of Cas- cade, and there engaged in the raising of cattle and general farming until the spring of 1893. He then located on his present ranch, secured by the pre- emption of 160 acres and the taking up of desert land claim of equal area. Here he has continued to engage in the raising of cattle, gradually expanding the scope of his operations until he has brought into requisition not only his own lands, but also a sec- tion of land which he has leased from the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Mr. Burch also devotes some attention to the breeding of horses, principally for his own use. He is active and enterprising, is honorable in all the relations of life and is highly esteemed in the community where he lives and labors to worthy ends.

In politics he gives his support to the Democratic party, of whose principles he is a stanch advocate. On March 27, 1890, Mr. Burch was united in mar- riage to Miss Bessie L. Ferguson, a daughter of John and Bessie (Lamb) Ferguson, both of whom were born in Scotland. The latter entered into eternal rest in 1895. Mr. Ferguson immigrated to the United States in early life and was for many years connected with the fire departments of lead- ing eastern cities. He came to Montana in 1889, and took up a claim of 160 acres in Cascade county, where he now makes his home. Mr. and Mrs. Burch have a large circle of friends, and are de- servedly popular in the social life of their home county.

W TILLIAM BRUCE, a highly esteemed and progressive citizen of Teton county, resides near Choteau, and is one of the leading stockmen of the district. He was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, on June 15, 1855, the son of Neil and Mary (Cameron) Bruce, both natives of Scot- land and descendants of the eminent clans of those names. The father was born in 1825, and when twelve years of age accompanied his parents to

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 99

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