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 | GARFIELD COUNTY The Volume I |
| GARFIELD COUNTY & THE COUNTY & STATE OFFICIALS I - b9 Garfield C[...]L.L. Williams |
| [...]Uall School Diana L. Pluhar History of School District No 10 Eloise Cocke,[...]rman School Viall School -District 38--lS History of School District No. 16 Flowing Wells School A Look Back from the Future at the Purewater School & District No. 16[...]ohagen School Di strict No. 27 Skunk Aroya School The Johnson School Wolf Springs School Cohagen High S[...]tz~r & Hafla Cohagen School History of School District No. 40 Dorothea Davi[...]Calf Creek School History of Mosby School District Alma[...] |
| [...]Hazel Maben Fri';ldy Story of Nora & Roy Gibbs Nora Gibbs Mrs.[...]Susie Huston Memories of School Days Vivienne Nault Sch[...]orence Aitken Florence A. Bradstreet Yiaude Langstaff Anderson[...]er Shirley Stanton Progress In the Rural Schools Emily Milroy May Swanser's Teaching days in Garfield County Ma~, S[...], HILLSIDE & ROCK SPRINGS /t, $ -- I 7~ The Schlepps John K. Schlepp Homestead Days in Garfield County Lyman .i./i lson The H. L. Bibson Fand.ly Pea[...]ora R. Petersen or a Pet er sen |
| [...]hree People Vivienne Nault Schrank The Al Hawkinsons Lea Hawkinson Lea Hijwkinson Lea Hawkinson The Phelps Ethel Phelps The Byrds Joyce Byrd W[...]Edyth Bass Hutson History of Robert & Dorothy Lahn ---- Wild Cat Jack Ginther The Ed Stinebaughs Charles LaMoure[...]e Johnson Maloney Brothers Baugatz Brothers The .Winfields & Johnsons Story Mrs Walter Winfield The Forrest Johnsons Nellie Johnson[...]n Trumbo Ruth Trumbo Story of the Famous Spinner Bill Allen May & Alfred Haney MaY Haney The Floyds Carol Conigan Harry & Josephine Denisar Carol Corrigan The Hunter Story Frances Hunter Early Days in Montana Mrs. John A. Hallberg L.R. Jones L:i.re in Garfield Co. L.R. Jones Pearl & Blanche Pa[...]Watsons Anna Watson Graham The Reinny Rath Story Dorothy Rath .[...]mble Mrs. Floyd Nobel The Bill Bakers Everett Bowland Wilton H. ( Fuzzy)Buffington L. Murnion The Crowders LPah Buffington[...]Grew Margie Harbaugh The Garfield County Sullivans Agnes Su[...] |
| [...]Grove Dutton History of Ina Rothwell Barker & family in Garfield Co. Ina R. Barker The c.B.C. Horse Roundup Pe t e Nielsen Family History Mrs. Pete : Nielsen The Stephensons Mrs. Ethel Stephenson Thoughts of Yesteryear 01.i ve _B. '}[...]Mrs . Lan Nickey |
| The Family of Dj_ck & Clara Miller Edith Ihnats Frank &[...]Duell Anna Kamla The Fdwards Mr.& Mrs. H[...]ISSOURI RIV'ER & BIG DRY j >'- 'J./. t) 4 The Homesteaders Age ( Peem) John Allen Freed Alexander Warner Freed A.w. Freed James V. Fie1ds[...]n Missouri River Gladys Wi ttmayer The Kincaid Story Marie Kincai d Conn Marie Kincaid Conn Writer Describes Last Big Area Horse Roundup[...]e Palmer R.R. Helland The Krusicks Jack Krusick Al Thomas Famil y Aline Lamb The Braggs-- Then, why,we Ca, e To Monta na Delbert Bragg The Biddles Hulda Biddle More About the Biddle s Geor ge Bi ddle The Crider Family Eva Paulos Brown A Short History of the Slaught er Family E~nest Slaughter The F.d Slaughters Ernest Slaughter History of Lois Slaught er Reed Lois Re ed The Billy Nelson Story Icamay Nels on Dave & Vira Smith The Smiths Tom Eldredge Tom Eldredge The Edith Cole Story BRU[...]Eli zabeth Barrett Overgaard The Loomis Family Ethel Cl ark The Lawrence Swanser Story Frances Hunter Bill Cherry The T.K. Stanton Story Vi a Kooper |
| [...]TJedi cat/ on To our parents, who were the st•.iry pioneers of this county, we dedicate this book-- of Garfield County The Golden Years-- Saylors Nelsons Garfield County The Golden Years is the second &iiti on Histor i cal We wish to e[...]· Kobelsky and Dorothea Hallberg for their help in the t yping and to |
| GARFI ELD COUNTY The first re corded v isi t of whit e men to territory now embra ced in Ga rfield was t hat of Lewi s and Cl ark , whose f amou s exp e dition met wi th a mishap tha t might well have b r ought it to an abrup t t erminat ion whi le ski rting the nort he rn border of the c ount y in May , 1805. Lewi s and Cl ark we r e b oth a s hor e. Cha rbonne au, huse and of t h e I ndian woman gu i de, Saca j awe a , wa s steering one of the c anoes when a sudden wi nd s qu all ne arly c apsi zed the craf~ which c a r ri ed a ll papers, ins t ruments, books, medicine, a gr e a t de al of me r chand is e and , to quote Cap tain Lewis, 11 in fact;. al most every article indi s pen s ably nec e ssary to insure success of t he enterprise" . For a t en se f rac t i on of a minu te, marked by quick work on the p a r t of ot he r occupants of the canoe, t he f a te of t he exp edition hung i n t he b a l ance; then t he vessel wa s righted and headed[...]l u able p apers abo ut t o fl oat down stream h a d been r esc ued by res ourc e f ul , ind is pensab l e Saca j aw e a . Foll owed the fur t r a de era . But t hi s remote re g i on, mid- way b e t ween Fort Uni on on the e a s t and Fort Be nton on the west, wa s v i sited by only the h ardi e s t of tho se i ron-nerved gambler~ the i n divi dual tr appers an d t rade r s. In 1880 many large h e rds of c attl e from overstock ed sou t hwe stern Mont ana were moved to the Mus se lshell and it is prob able some crossed the river to g raze i n we s t ern Garfield. A f ew years l a ter some of the t hous ands which r eache d Montana over Powder Ri v e r trail found t heir way to t hi s secti on, and a s a s te ady st.r eam of homeseeker s :fol l owing t he Northern Paci f i[...]k ou tfits r e treated to t he vas t Ga r fiel d a rea where i t has been s a i d , t he Mont ana c a ttle baron made his l a st stand . In 1898 a pos t of f i c e was establishe d at Jord an, named for Arthur J ordan , and a short time l a ter the Mosby offi ce wa s opened . To Harry L. Harr is is c r ed ited the e s t ab l ishment of mail s ervice a t Cohagen . About 1900 , w. c. Henderson , err y[...]l and t he J ohnson brothers move d i n to engage in stockr a is ing . F·or a t ime they had t he c ountry very much t o t hems elv es , b u t things were a b i t more crowde d in 190 2 when 48 v ote s we re cast in t he :four precincts embracing pre sent Garf i el d ' s 4, 858 square mile s . Twenty- five v oted a t J ordan , fi v e a t Kismet , n ine a t Mosby and nine at Us car Hunter' s r anch .[...]t he homeste ad era , increased it to 5 , 000 and in 1919 the c ounty was c re a te d by a legisl a tiv e a ct which became law without t he signa t u re of t he governor . Organ i za ti on wa s e~fec t e d[...], Jor dan wa s de signate d temp orary county se a t , and the foll owing officer s , n ame d i n the creative act , ass ume d t heir dut ie s: _rthur[...]rs; C. M. Bieve r , Tre as urer ; C. J . Taylor , a ss essor ; I . V. At tix, Cl erk of c ourt; W. I . Harv ey , cl erk and r e co[...] |
| [...]trator , and ~v . F . NcCants , coroner . The first assessment , 1919 , valued all property in the county at ~16 , 030 , 514. Crops had a total value of about ~600 , 00~ including $400 , 000 worth of hay . A considerable tonnage of corn was cut for forage . The principal cash crop was wheat . Livestoc~ returns from which greatly exceeded crop income , included 22 , 129 horses, 29 , 685 head of cattle and 79 , 813 shee p . Stockgrowing continued to dominate industrially for a numb e r of years and much of the old west still flourishes; but now that t he Northern Pacific , the railroad which firs t opened Mont - ana to the world , has reached the door of this section i n a second march across the Treas ure State , Garfie l ~ bid f air to s~eerily a ssume a pr ominent pos ition among banne r agricultural counties of the state . Of the total wealth out put in 1928 , ~1 , 626 , 000 wa s credit- e d to crops and ~1 , 088 , 400 to livestock . Among the count i es of Montana Garfield ranked sixth in corn p ro duction , eighth in sweet cl over seed , ninth in alfalfa and ninth in flax . A small porti on of Cat Creek oil fiel d extends into t he western part of the county , but the industry has played small part in development of the region . Of more i mport ance ar e the great deposits of lignite coal which furnish a cheap , convenient and dep endable fuel sup ply , throughout almo st the entire county . The 1929 tax roll lists 567 , 458 acres of tillable and 1,364,518 acres of grazing land wi th i mpr oveme nts v alued at ~51[...]. Livestock includes 14,396 horses, 18 , 663 head of cattle and 85, 621 s he ep . The total val ue of all property is ~15, 975 , 209 , real estate and[...]for 13 , 592,586 and livestock for il,706 , 926 . The t otal taxable val ue is ~4 , 806, 438 . The value of utilities, $5,140, will be lifted mightily when the eagerly awaited rail- road arrives, and the tax burden now resting on re al estate and livestock will be eased proportionately . The tax rate for county purposes in 1929 was 27 mill s on the dollar of taxable value and the average school r ate w~s 26.45 mil ls. The tax for all general purposes averaged 11 cents an[...]19 . 6 c ents on s heeo . Net indebtedness of the county was reduced .fr om 213,663 . 22 to ~120,812.28 during t he fi v e ye ars ended June 30 19 29 , and the net debt of s cho ol districts dropped from <28,192. 2 to 11, 801 .:2 The per c api t a net debt .for county and school purposes is about 30 . The public school system embraces 77 el ement ary school s d one high school employing in all about 90 teachers . Combined enrollment is about 1, 000 . Garfield ' s pop a ti n in 1920 was 5 ,368 . It ranks 40th among countie s of the state in popul a ti on and seventh in a rea. (The above story of Garfield County was sent to Hrs . Fern Schillreff by • A . McKenzi e; assistant f•ianager of ublic rlela ti ons & dvc rtising of the Northern Pac ific Railway C)[...] |
| One of the white Castles seen along the Missouri River by One of the White Castles seen by Lewis & Clark from the Missouri Levis & Clark. Creek of the Seven Blackfoot River. Much has eroded since 1806 in center, so named for the Not far away is the Bone Trail hanging of 7 Indians far used by Indians to haul bones to Horse Ste3ling the Missouri River Boats. Fort Peck Dam looking[...]on |
| [...]before Garfield County was created this area was a p art ofDawson County, the largest county in Montana. Glendive, the county seat, 9n the Yellowstone ·~iver was very cl ose to the eas tern boundary bf the county and the state line. Being so isola ted from our seat of government we had little or no contact with our county offici als and law wa s a dm inistered in a rather sketchy way. The offices of Justice of the Pe ace, Constable and Deputy Game Warden were not s al arie d jobs, the only pay being from fees collected. Just how prof[...]was pretty well demon- strated by two cases with which I had experience, once as a juror and once as a complaining witness in a trespass case. Ren Niles had a small ranch about six miles down Calf Cre ek from our homestead. He ran a small bunch of cattle in t he Musselshell Brakes and generally took things pretty much as they came. Ren was a middleaged wi dower and kept house lik e a typical pioneer. He was a fine neighbor and vaa liked and respected by everyone. Ren 1 s ho u se was a one room log buildi n g, not a dugo ut, with bo ard floor but with a dirt roof. Two bunks had been built along one wall and a long board table took up most ot the central space. On each side of the table was a bench that could accomo- date three peop le comfortably. A cookstove and cupboards took up most of one rear corner and a few homemade stools and one chair completed the f urnishings. A few years before I first met Ren someone had put his name on the ballot and he h a d been elected J ustice of t he Peace. He had no legal experience but h is honesty and self conf'idence probably equipped him for the office t o the satisfaction of all bi s neighbors. I was not displaased one day when Len Warner, a young rancher from several miles down the creek, rode up and tol d me t hat I was bein g su[...]tomorrow mor ing sure." When I got to Ren•s on the day he had set I found quite a few people a lre ady t here. Most of t hem we re from Lodgep ole, some of wh om I knew per s onally. I soon foun d ou t t ha t t he c a se I had be en c a l led on wa s t he r e sult of an a ssaul t and b a t t ery compl a int mad e by one s ett ler against his neighbor.[...]ten up. We all crowde d int o Hen ' s cabin, he s a t a t the end of t h e table and court was calle d to order. Bill Gre en was a De put y Grune Warden and Cons t able but Ren addressed him as Mr . Bailif f . "Mr. Ballif~ you will seat the plaintiff and hi s witne sses on this side of the t a ble (poin ting to his left ) and the defendant and hi s witnesses on t he o ther . " This Bill proce eded to do wi th qui te a bit of shuffl ing ab out in the crowded cabin . l'Mr. Bailiff• you will s ee that the jury are all pres en t and 1n t he jury box." That took some · more moving a r ound to get the s 1~ of u s all comfortably l oc ated on one of t he bunks which wa s now d i gnified by the ti tle of Jury Box . Now that everything was arranged to the J udge 's sat isfaction t he t rial began. And I have nothing but prais e f or the way t ho whole th i ng was handled •[...] |
| [...]nt ed by c ouns el, each one presenting hi s case in his own way . Judge Niles kept a firm h and at all time s and preserved good order ev en when t hings occasionally got pretty touchy. By noon the p l aintiff had his ca se completed so the judge adjourned court unt il aft e r d inner. He[...]and said,"Lytle , you and Len come on and give me a hand." We did . We peeled quantities of potatoe s, made biscui t, fri e d bacon and eggs and made gallons of coffee . In pretty s hort order everyone who had not brought[...](and t hat included most every- one) had been fed a r eal bang up me al. We was h ed the dishes , cleared off the t ab le and c our t was called to order again. Along about the middle of the aft ernoon a ll of t he evidence was in and as neither side seemed to want to make a plea to the jury the Judge took over . "Mr . Bail i ff, you will retire with the jury to the jury r o om , l ock them i n and remain outside until a verdict is reached . You will t h en r eturn them[...]ened to Ren r efer to t he jury room I wonde r ed a little bit just what he had in mind . I t hought p ossibl y he was talking about a small log barn a f ew hundred feet ou t in front of the cabin. When Bailiff Bill t urne d right t oward t he coulee I began to get a hunch what the judge had i n mind . That was where his chickenhouse was located . My hunch was cor rect. Bill led us up to the door of the chi ckenhouse and ind:lIDated we were to enter .[...]ilt that chickenhouse for chickens , not for men. The door was less then f ive f e et h i gh and j ust about in line with the pole ceiling. It was i mpos sible to stand upright and you simply do not sit down in a chi ckenhouse. Whoever was supposed to clean this house had b e en neglecting his job. Well , the six of us stood there in uncomfo r t able crou ch ed p ositions and deliber a ted . Come to think of i t I don 't t hink delibe r a tion is the right word . Among other definitions t he dictionary says some- thing about slowness and care in decidi ng . We used c are in decid- ing but there was nothing slow about it. In just a f ew min u tes we called Bailiff Bill and told him we had re a che d a verdict . We filed out, stretched the kinks out of our ba ck s and returned to the court room . Everyone seeme d to think tha t t h e Judge h a d been fair and imp artial and that right h ad pr[...]I am not too sure just how legal all this was but in my op i ni on r e al j ustice had been administered . I stayed around aft er t he crowd left just for a little visit with Ren . e s a t there smoki ng and after a little pause in the conversat ion he said , "Do you know, Lytle, this being Justice of the Peace jus t isn't very p rofit- able. We must have fed twenty folks at noon and besides t ha t four of them came for breakfast this morning . That ' s t[...]ollars and fifty cents and I won 't get t hat for a co uple of months. Just don ' t look like good business, doe[...]paid for that jury service. Oh, well. I di d get a free meal. My other experience in Judge Niles ' Court was brought about by my effor[...]homestead was three hundred and twenty ac r es ,C a lf Creek flowing a cross one quarter secti on or it . This piece, compris ing one hundred and sixty acres was fenced. The boundaries of the ' |
| remaining quarter section were clearly marked by a plowed furrow 1and by posts set in the ground at the cornera.. One day, on my way home from Sand Springs where I had gone for the mail, and just as I topped a ridge looking down on our place I saw a band of sheep spread all over the unfenced but mark- ed quarter section. Locating the herder I rode over to him and found that he was h[...]at his name was Bill. He had always s eemed to be a decent sort of fellow so I pointed out that his sheep were spread out on my land, told him I wanted the grass for fall feed for my horses and asked him to get the sheep off . He said he would and started his dogs around the side toward our house. In a little wh1le he had them all outs ide the boundary lines. Several days later when the same band again spread out over this land my immediate ·visit with the herder was less friendly. I told him this was his last warning and that the next time I caught his sheep on that land I would swear out a warrant for his ar~est for trespass. My chance came a short time after that. There were the sheep and I had laid down my ultimatum so there w[...]for me to do but go down to Judge Niles, swear to a complaint, and let the law take its course. I explained my complaint to Ren and just as he had finished mak- ing out some kind of paper which may have been a warrant , Len Warner rode up. Ren handed him the paper and said,"Here, you are going right by Matt's camp. Serve this on him, will you?n Ren had set the following Tuesday for appearance in the case so I went on home, still mad about the sheep but also just a bit sorry~ was causing what I assumed would be Ma[...]all would be bad to cross so I decided to make it a.foot which I could do down our side of the creek. I got there in good time Tuesday morning but Ma tt and Bill were not there. They didn 't arrive until after the Judge and I h ad started to ge t dinner, just abo ut in time to eat. Both Matt and Bill were soak- ing wet due to trouble they had in fordi ng the creek. Ma tt said they had almost drowned. After we ate and washed the dishes t he Judge took a calfskin bound legal book from a shelf and put it in front of him as he sat at the end of the table. It was a copy of one volume of Mont ana Code, the only l aw book the Judge had . When Matt and Bill had taken seats on one side of the table d I on the other, Ren opened court by saying, "Alright, Lytl[...]ened, how my land was marked and how I had warned the herder, Bill, on two se arate occ a s i ons, asking him to keep the sheep off this land. said that my r e quest bad been i gnored and that I wanted this court to give me the protection from trespass I felt that I was entitl[...]sumed that Judge Niles would hear t he story from the other side before he made any deci- sion. I suppose t hat Ren wanted to find something in his law library consisting of the one book, that would apply to the case at hand as he opened it up, t urned pages for quite a while, c onsulted the index, and t urned more pages . Finally he gave u[...]ne eds that grass for his horses . You got plenty of range ,., |
| [...]ter se c tiora s o y ou just keep your sheep ot'f of it . Now its r aining to o hard f or you to s t a[...]ght as well stay all ni ght . Bill, reach down th a t deck of cards behing you and let ' s play some pitch . " We played pitch until supper time and continued the game after we had washed the diishes . When it came time t o go to bed Ren settled the sleeping arrangements . Pointing t o one of the bunks he sai d ,"Matt, you and Lytle t ake that bed and Bill can sleep with.me." · I believe the J udge was a p re t ty s hrewd man and tha t the justice he deal t out was good t hough it mi ght not follow t he letter of the law . Here wer e plaint iff and defendant sharing a bed after eating t ogether and spending an aft ernoon and evening in a friendly game of' car ds. I am s u r e we l e ft the next morning as friends and Matt's s heep n ever[...]crossing on the[...]cat under tree in[...]4. A carpenter 5. A restaurant[...] |
| [...]COUNTY FROM 'I1IIB BEGINNING On Feb. 7, 1919, the much awaited telegram was delivered, tell- |
| The check vas in the amount of $5 .oo. E. F. McRay of· Sand Springs had the printing contract with Jordan and the Sand Springs News was the first legal pal)er for Garfield County. It was decided that they would spend 145,ooo. on road work the first year which was to be devided equally among each commissioner district. Now the amount has almost doubled. The amount budgeted for road work in 1968 was 89,450. There were few roads in Garfield County at that time, and most travel was done on horse-back . Progress has been tremendous in that department when you consider how many roads we have now, most of which have been built since 1919. Our Courthouse records were transcribed from Dawson Co. All of this was done by hand, typing and proofreading each instrument. This was a big job. Our vaults have many instru- ments which were transcribed from Daws on Counties records. People were getting anxious to set up a permanant county seat. On July 1, 1919, request was made to the cormnissioners for a special election to determi ne the permanent county seat. On July 3, the commissioners met to consider the petition for such a special election and for passing and adapting such resol- ution which would be necessary to hold a special election. All petitions had to comply with the law. Election was confirmed, and would be held on[...]rds 1. After Sept. 9, 1919, Jordan was designated the peraanent County seat of Garfield County, Montana. During the 1920 1 s and 1 30's, many people moved from this area when they found that 320 acres of land in this country would not make a living for their families. The population was probably well over 3,000 at the time Garfield County was created, as there were 2[...]voters who were requir- ed by law to be 21 years of age. Tax levies were then set and a special road tax was levied on all male between the ages of 21 and 50 years old. There was also a Bachelor tax on men between the ages of 21 and 60. It took a lot of determination and hard work to get this County started, and eachCounty Commissioner deserves a big Thank-you for the time spent and efforts made to keep it prospering through the years and shouldering the burden of keeping things running smoothly. We are very fortunate to live in such a community of warrn friendly people. It is truly an honor to say we are from Jordan, Mont., County seat of Garfield County, the friendl i est little town in the West . COUNTY COMMISSIONERS B. H. Flemi ng W. A. Barker Arthur Markley |
| [...]Thomas L. Harvey R. A. Grant Gurtrude Gurnett[...]County Assessor Way back in 1919, the portion of Dawson County, that became Garfield County had an Assessed Valuation of $4,809,785. Dawson County had some bonded indebtness, so by applying a per- centage of the land and value taken by Garfield County, a debt of $50,547 .50 that became our debt. So, we literally started out in debt. · Carrol J. Tailor was appointed the First County Assessor with a salary of fl00 .00 per month. I noticed that his Deputy, E. F. McRae received $119 .17 in salary. C. J. Taylor later ran for the Office of County Assessor against W. H. Woods. Taylor was elected by a small margin. His salary increased to $125 .00 per month. Down through the years, there has been a total of six county assessors namely: c. J. Taylor[...]logg Frances J. Hunter Two years ago, the County Commissioners purchased a used addressograph. This has been a real lift as far as preparing the Assessments , Tax Roll, and the Tax Notices for the County Trea- surer. Before we got this machine all this work was done in long hand. I have taken the following information in total Assessed values, and livestock numbers from the Reports to the State Board of Equalization: Year Assessed value[...] |
| [...]-- 1921 TREASURER Rebert Schubert: Deputy A. E. Sn7der: Deputy Nora Osborn: Deputy H. M. LARS[...]TREASURER Leona Osborn Lahn: Deputy Approx. 6 y e a r s. E. H. WEIMER--------------------1927 TR[...]uty Wm. Tayler: Deputy Alta Robertson: Deputy LEE A. COWIN--------------------1939 TREASURER Edw[...]. MART--------------------1943 TREASURER Lee A. Cowin: Deputy Orlando Patterson: Deputy ORLANDO[...]TREASURER Cornelia Harbaugh: Deputy The abeve ia a partial list or Garfield County personnel serving in the office or County Treasurer as ta[...] |
| The Clerk of the District Court On Apr il 3, 1919, a resolution was passed that the office of the Clerk of Court was vacant. That r.c. Attix was named Clerk of the Court and refused to qualify and so notified the County Commissioners. They then voted on all ap[...]t had been received and J.P. MacDonald received the most votes and ·was so appointed. He was re-elected to this office until January of 1929. Guy L. Scott then ran the office until January of 1933. George Ayres was elected to this office in November of 1932, but passed away before he was sworn in and the County Commissioners appointed George Hethering[...]is vacancy. George served until he -passed away in November of 1943, and at }n extra session of the County Commissioners, his wife Mary was appoint[...]h Gallinger was appointed. Ruth served as Clerk of the Court until November 19~4 at which time she resigned and I, Ruthe Hageman , was appointed. The first Criminal action tha t was filed in this office was for -Malicious Mischief (I thought that was something that orig- inated in the 1 50s & 1 60s). John J. Cavan and Robert E. Purcell were the attorneys in this cause. In later years both were to serve as County Attorney and Robert E. Purcell has just resig- ned as of January 1, 1969. The first Civil Action was Charles Reitch vs Joseph Elmer. The attorney for the Plaintiff was s. D. McKinnon of Miles City Montana . The Hon. c. J. Douseman was the District Judge at this time. On January 1921, s[...]. McKinnon became our District Judge and served in this capacity until his death in 1965. Hon,A. B. Mar tin was appointed to finish his term and has since been our District Judge. The first Estate filed was for Martin Martens with a Louis Martens as administrator. I see that he has 15 head of horses 9n the Inventory and appraisement and that they are valued at 20.00. We don't have Naturalization Days in this County any- more. All of this is taken care of in Miles City, Montana . In 1919 the first Petition for Naturalization was f .or Jichael J. Kenny. Some of the arriage Licenses issued in tha t year of 1919 were to Burley Spears and Leona Stafford,[...]iel William Burge ss and Cora May Ri~son. The first Jury Term was held in July of 1920. Some of the Jurors names that were familiar to me were John Eich, Thos. J. Fitzgerald, L. A. Swansei'F • C. Kibler, Roland Taylor, James W. Vance, Ed Daum , August Nergaard, and Dan Geib. The first witness fees were paid to Fred McCormick. T[...].) written by-- Ruthe Hageman- Clerk of Court /J[...] |
| County Sheriff The same act of the legislature of the State of Montana which created the County of Gar.field also named the f.-irst offic ers o.f said County. Named by this act to the office o.f Sheri.ff were: Matt .J. Roke, who was to serve until the first election to be held in the fall of 1920. Sheriff Roke, how- , ever resigned in September of 1919, said resign a tion to be effective as soon as a de,puty could be appointed. Appointed by Sheriff Roke to assist him were H.A. Heth- erington, 11 Bertn, as deputy and Ray F. Myers as under-sheriff'. The Board of County Commissioners ~ccepted the resignation of Ma tt Roke on the 8th of October 1919 and appointed Ray Myers to serve out the unexpired term. Mr. Myers was elected to the office in 1920 and served one two-year-term .from January 1[...]23. During his term he had as under-sheriff, H. A. "Bert" Hetherington and Leigh Rood as Deputy. o. L. Edsall was elected in 1922 to serve the fi~st 4 year term during which George Woods served as under-sheriff and McCay and Clyde O'Connor served as his deputies. In the fall of 1926 Charles H. Bateman was elected sheriff and served until his death in October of 1928 with O'Connor and Fred Gibson as undersheri[...]y respectively. Mr. Gibson was appointed to fill the vacancy in the office and retained Clyde O'Connor as deputy through the remainder of that term and through the 4-year-term to which he was elected in 1930. In January of 1935 the office was taken over by Sheriff-elect George T. Deniger who served without a deputy until 1935. Jay Phelps was the next elected sheriff, he s erved with Phillip J.[...]d Clyde O'Connor as his deputies until his death in 1941. James B. Trotter was appointed to finish the unexpir- ed term with Doyle Kester as his u~der-sherif.f'. At the general election in 1942 Phillip J. Fellman was elected as sheriff and served the next .four years with George Woods, Wilson Cory a[...]J. Schmidt to assist him. Wilson Cory wa s chosen in 1948 at the general election and served for the next three success- ive terms, during which time Henry J. Jessen served as under- sheriff with the exception of about two and one half years from late in 1953 until September 1956,during this period Burl[...]r-sheriff. Vernon L. Fogle was elected to the office of sheriff in the general election in 1958. and took offiqe in January of 1959. Henry L. Green served as under-sheriff , f[...]en was then appointed and served until his death in 1968. Everett Bowland was then appointed in June 1968. · · - The record for the longest service in the Sheriff's office in Garfield County as an elected officer goes to the late Wils on E. Cory with twelve years o.f service. The late Henry J. Jessen served the longest time in the office with just short of twenty- one years as under-she riff to his credit. Sent in by: Vernon L. -Fogle,Sheriff-[...] |
| County 3uperint enclent of .Schoo l s A ,. fostcrn Union Telegram wns sent frorn Helena , Hontana to Jordan and r ead a s foll ows: llBCN 5 COLLECT HEL~NA HOt .i TA}.;.~ 7.59A FEB 7 1919 CHl1JIBER COEMli:HCE[...]ame tele 0 ram ha s been fr amed by John Wr ight of Jorcta11 and is now hansing on t he walls of the Jordan Courtr oom, j us t 50 years l a ter. Thus b e gan Garf'iel o. County . Apri l 1, 1919 be gan the of'ficial work of the n ewl y created COlL~ty. One of t h e offices to be filled was t hat of the County Superint endent of Schools. Ni ss Lois H. Quinn was t he fi rst County Superintendent of Schools be ginning her te rr1 of offi ce in 1919 and continuing until 1923 when Mrs. Rena E[...]placed by Hr s. Ida B. Kelley . Mrs. Ke lley is the f irs t County Sup e rintendent that .L ca n r[...]c ame to our school to visit . I don 1 t know why a ll school pupils be have bett er when the Co un ty Superintendent h a s come to visi t, bu t we ce rtainly di d . Next in line was Niss De ;Lp ha E . Brmm who came qu ietly roll ing up in her lit tle car and jus t a s quietly came into our cl a ssroom and could be ther e fo r son etirr,e bei'ore the te a che r or pup ils eve r knew she wa s there. Niss Brown was in t hi s off ice f or 12 years f rom 1931 to 1943 when she filed for a hi gher pol- itical office . Mrs. Et hel Beauchamp Harr became County Superintendent of Schools in 1943 and served un til 1948 when she resigned and went back to te a c hing sc hools . !·1r . Olando Patter s on, b e t ter knot•m a s 11 Pa t", was appoi n t ed 11 Acting Colmt y Su pe rin tendent" to compl ete t he unexpire d te rrr:;. , a s t te re was no one who was qual- if'ied t ha[...]Hrs . Frances Hunt er and Mrs. Jean Cox worked in t he offic e un der Pat . Pat was a l so the County Treasurer a t t his time , so he served in the c apac ity a s Co un t y Superint endent of Schools with no pay . l'lrs . Mabel W. Poll nr d became the next to be County Sup er- i n t endent of Schools i n 1949 an d remained in this office for 10 ye ars until her retirement[...]t he off- ice Jan . 1959 and has serve d until the present time , 1969 . The work of t he County Superin tendent of Schools is diffe rent to any of the office's work . It no t only ha s t he ' book work , but also h a s figuring budgets , auditing clerks books , · v[...]ing schools . This office has al most any typ e of work thut t here is o It is n o t a job that becoH1es t ire- some as th e re a re so many thing s to do t hat you j u st ci.on 1 t h ave time to get t i red of on e thing before anot her co~ es along . I am sure t ha t each County Superintendent in turn , will say; as Id~ t h o.t i t is t :.1 e most fascinati ng office and work of the County Courthouse .[...] |
| [...].: Bruce Dutton, John 3. Jordan, tlov F<lsall at the 50 year Anniversary Robert E. Purcell of~Garfield Co. Courthouse.[...]Mari.on J runes Clerk of Court[...] |
| [...]Dorothy Rath Depto Assessor; Ruthe Hageman, Clerk of Court; Eileen Fogle, Sec. to Co. Supt.s F[...] |
| Lytle L. Williams Story My life in Montana goes back far beyond the time that our county was created. I arrived in Montana just ten years after Gerneral Custer made his last stand in the "Battle of the Little Bighorn. I was born on Tin Cup Joe Creek in Deer Lodge valley not very far .from the Continental Divide, and spent my youth in that part of our great state. After receiving my degree in Engineering in Chicago in 1911, I returned to Montana, worked at Great Falls and at Lewis- town for a time and then filed on a homestead on Calf Creek in western Dawson County, proving up on it prior to the creation of the new county. I served as Deputy County Surveyor of Rosebud County for . a time during which our o~dest son, John Stewart, was born at Forsyth. I then worked with R. T. Hurdle, County Surveyor of Dawson County, as his deputy until the new county of Garfield was created by the State Legislature. In the bill creating this new county its officers were named to serve until the next general election. I was named as County Surveyor in that bill and moved to Jordan. Shortly ai'te[...]our younger son Lytle Grif- fith, was born there in a small frame house, still standing and very near the present new, fine looking hospital that serves Jordan today. It is quite likely that our son was the first boy to be born in Jordan a:rter it became the County Seat. He ls also celebrating his fiftieth birthday anniversary this spring. Oetting a new county to function was an interesting job for everyone involved and I am sure that all the new officers worked .faithfully and hard to get things running smoothly. Road work was the primary function of the county surveyor. An interesting exception in our case was the construction o.f the storage vault for the county records. I had the pleasure of designing this rather crude structure but as I saw it a few years ago it apparently has be en serving its[...]that additional space must have been required as the vol- ume of the records grew, but I hope that the old original vault still serves some useful purpose. There ls more of my life story_ in the book, 11 Dusty Trails 1~[...]Anniversary in 1963 |
| [...]were truly pioneers. He and Frank Kramer, started the first store, on main street, in Jordan, and the postoffice was located t here for several years. My mother, a former schoolteacher, did the bookkee p i ng for the store. Supplies were brought to Jordan from Miles[...]other, Dad, and I usually W6nt to Mites City once a year in a two-horse top buggy and it was a full 100 miles then. We would go about 60 miles the first day, stay overn i Eht at a ''half-way house", leave very early the next morning and get to Miles City in the afternoon. There was no doctor or dentist near e r than Miles City for many years. A section of Dad's homeste ad was later He nderson's Addition to the town of Jordan and Henderson and Marguerite Avenues are part of the townsite. My father always took an active part in the development of the area, such as getting a sc h ool started, having a ba~k and trying to get a railroad line built through Garfield County. He was a representative from Dawson County , with Glendive as the county seat, and it was through his efforts that[...]years. There was an active campaign for location of the county seat in which he and many others worked diligently to have Jord[...]atriotic and never missed voting even when he was in his 87th year. Although our house was small, he and mother took care of many overnight guests as there was no hotel then. At l east two of the schooltea chers stayed with us during their terms. Dad ·came from a family who put a hi gh value on education and their membership in th, Presbyterian Church, to which he belonged until moving to Columbus, when he transferred to the Community Congregational Church. The school~ ouse was the community center. A piano was purchased and with the addition -of a fiddle, music was provided for the dances. That piano was l a ter replaced with a player- piano and my folks bought it for our home. I took music lessons on it both in Jordan and Miles City. rt was moved to Columbus and our daughter used it. It is now in Billings in her home and our three grandchildren are doi~g their practicing on it. It is still a good Emerson piano, alth ough it is at least 60 y[...]o Jordan. Dad had been there for 6 months getting the store and our log house bu i lt. I attended school in Jordan for the first six grades. Miss Myrtle Vance (Jim Vance's[...]my first teacher. There was no immediate prospect of having a t~acher the next fail and there was no hi gh school so I entered the 7th grade in Miles city, finished high sc!1ool there and graduated from the University of Montana at Missou~a. Written by Margue[...] |
| [...]all his fri - ends) came to Montana from Oklahoma in 1912, with his oldest son Roland V., and settled 12 miles west of Jordan in the smo- key Butte country. The next spring he brought the rest .of his family who had remained in Lewistown, Montana, the first wint- er where the children attended school. As each son became of age he took up a homestead adjoining their father's place. C.J. was the first postmaster at Smokey Butte and was appoint-[...]awson County until. Garfield County was organized in 1919, at which time he was appointed Cour.ty Assessor, and took up residence in Jordan. He remained in t ~ is office until the early '30 1 s. Bill worked with his father in the Assessor's office and later became Col)_n ty Treasurer for a numbe1· of years . C.J. raised cattle and also ·sheep. Many a trip was made to Milos City with a load of wool and brought back winter supplies . The nea rest railro ·:i. d was Ingemar, which was a very important tra'1- ing p ost for all the settlers jn the Smokey Butte area . C.J. was very civic minded and bought the first player piano from Sears Roebuck Company for the Smokey Butte School House and Commun ity Hall, which was located at the forks of the Big Dry & Steves Forl-:. 4 of July celebration in Jordan in Jordan was an exciting time . Most of those attending in the earl y days took their own tents & food. Mother Taylor would _start preparing for this affair weeks in advance. She always :managed to have fried chicken(which she raised herself) and home made ice cream. The favorite expression 1n ·the · Taylor family wa s "·Are you going to the fourth?" · Dorothy is to be reme mbered by her piano music, she fur r. ished at the Silent Pictures. She also played in the orchestra which in- cluded brother Bill, "Fuzzy Osborn, Geo. Hetherington, that play- ed for all the dances for miles around. c. J.[...] |
| in Nebraska and IDrked his way to Montana. He did ranch work, herded cattle and bu:ffalo in Colorado. He met his brother, Atwood (Nick) along the way, they rode horseback, stopping for a much needed rest at Petersons near Forsyth, Montana in 1900. The Petersons were Mrs. Bob Lane's parents. Nick worked in Billings for awhile. He came to the Jordan country in 1904, where he herded sheep for John Viall. At the same time Wal'ter was camp tender for the Viall sheep outfit until Vialls left here. They worked on a ranch on "The South Side" for about two years. Both men .freighted in this country with Sam Ellsworth, Mr. Shafbeau, Shorty Thomas and Ben Vanden- burg. In those days many men had their eyes on the school teach- ers. Walter met Miss Emla LaBree when she w~s teaching at Beebe, Montana. He won her hand in marriage at Billings in Apr~l 1911. &la LaBree came to Montana from Thier River Falls, Minn- esota in 1900. She attended grade school in Ekalaka and Miles City. She went to normal school[...]ter and Nick homesteaded about fifteen miles east of Jordan. They ran cattle and horses, and broke up a few acres or land. Later Walter acquired an Addit[...]nick- named Peg Leg Coulee for Mr. Kelly (he had a wooden leg) who lived there. In April 1912 a son, Walter, was born at Stone Shack. (Stone Shack, on the road to Miles City, was a stopping place for freighters and anyone who was in need of lodging or meals). The baby died in ini'ancy. Later two daughters were born at Miles City Eleanor in August 1913 and Rilla in August 1917. When Garfield County was established Dad was appointed as one of the first County Commissioners. Later he maintained the Green Trail with horse power. He carried the mail to Van Norman, sometimes on horse back. The folks made a mere living for a few years. Their holdings were almost wiped out during the hard winters, so Mother taught school, sometimes for fifty dollars a month. The folks managed to buy some sheep. Dad and Jack Osborn ran sheep together for a few years. Osborns lived a short dist- ance from our place. Whenever one of us hung a red blanket on the clothesline it meant, "Come over, we have a special treat". Dad had a great love for horses. He hated it when, open r a[...]horses. Almost any Sunday afternoon one could see the corral f ull of wild horses and Dad "topping off" one or two of them. He liked to think that he helped a number of young men with some f iner points of horse breaking • .Among those were: Art Lampher[...]xpert sewer, she sewed for others while we l ived in Jordan when Eleanor attended high school. We reca[...]e Margaret Kerr rode horse-back to our place with a sack of mending and yards of material tied on each side of her horse. Mother taught her to sew. While[...] |
| [...]her. We hardly knew what it was to go to a doctor. There was nothing like epson salts and castor oil---a sure cure for almost anything. Dr. Battin lived in our community, where Boyd Isaac now lives. We were fortunate to have him prescribe for us. The folks owned a Model T Ford car when we were small. Dur- ing the twenties they drove a Hupmobile touring car. It was quite a thrill to see a rain storm coming and grab the side- curtains to put on. In 1928 Dad bought a new Whippet Sedan. The same year Nick bought a new Chevrolet Coupe. Crop s were good that year.[...]t there at dances calling, "Get your partners for a squa re dance 11 • We had to start early and go by wagon most of the time. Usually we turned the calves with the cows before we left as we wouldn 't be home in time to milk in the morning. The Green Trail Club was forY'led. by the ladies of the Comm- unity. This was a happy time for the children when the Club members met at one of the homes , as they didn't see each othe r very often to play . Eleanor gradua te d from high school in 1930, then attended Eastern Montana Normal School in Billings . She taug ht one term of school. She married Carl Swans on , they have fo[...]Carley Rae ana Delphin. When t h e children were in high school, Eleanor taught rour t e r ms or sc hool. She has lived all of her life on the folks homestead , which she now owns. Dad's Additional and ~ick's place w[...]cattle there . Rilla went to high school in Billings and Miles City. She attended Dillon No r mal School. Two of her teac he rs were the same te a c hers that her mother went to sc hool to years before. Rilla married, lived in Or eg on, Montana and Wyoming. She h a s two daug- hters, Darleen and Elean or. In 1947 she married John Kerr and live s in t he Van Norman c ommuni t y . The Dog Poison Crew The dog crew, working guys are we, We poison t he dogs on l and and sea The rarrners friend , the prairie dog's foe We kill t hem a ll where 1 e r we go. Our bosses are Ba[...]When they s ay so we s ure make hay. In ol d number three we ride to work. le n[...]e is large, their error's few And with the feathers on their caps They'll have a ll the prairie dogs in their laps. By-- A. Wayne Winters . The poem is selr explanatory. Dad also worked on W. P . A. projec ts. ~ .2.. |
| Later he was a Jr. Foreman for the c.c.c. When the camp was dismantled. His health was failing for about eight years. In August, three days after his sixty-seventh birthday he passed away. Mother was Matron of the Dormitory at Jordan one year, Then she resumed teaching, usually taking one of her grand- daughters with her to keep her company. She was in ill health for some time before her death in 1958. Poor cro p years forced Nick to leave his place and work for wages on farms and ranches in Garfield County. Later he was employed as custodian of the Jordan Fire Hall. Many children Visited him to receive a treat of candy or ice cream. He loved to play cards wi th anyone who had time to stop awhile . He retired in 1954. He died in 1959, age 83 years.[...] |
| [...]Cavin Family Jack Cavin came to Jordan in 1916. Do to having"rheumatic Fever" for three[...]doctor advised him to come west. He had a classmate at Boston University, Bill Sheehan, who[...]her young men to come out west. He was working in a bank at Denton, Montana and that is where Jack[...]e and another attorney started out to look for a location and Jack ended up in Jordan. His first night there he had to[...]d then decided to come back. He took up a homestead about six miles north of town, near Walter Winfield's and opened an office in town. He used to walk out one day and back the next. He finally bought himself a horse but when he wasn't using it, the horse would disappear and he would post a reward and it would appear again. I can't imagine how he ever lived in that one room cabin after having been the only boy and the youngest child with 6 dot- ing sisters who want[...]ne home to Boston, every winter and would go back in the spring. He always hoped that the railroad would come to Jordan. He proved up on his homestead but like many others lost it for back taxes in later years. We were married in 1916, but Jack didn't think I should go out yet[...]There were no highways just trails. I came out in an open Ford and in a snow storm. The driv er's name was "Irish" and I thought he de11beratly picked out every chuck hole in the road for my benefit. We were wearing straw hats at that time in the East, so TI had a big brown straw hat on. We arrived on the date of the Fireman's ball and I had my first experience at a western dance. I had on a kelly green satin dress and everyone else had on house dresses and the men in cowboy boots, but I had a lot of tun. What amazed me the most was that everyone just seemed to get starte[...]and I was ready to quit. Jack had made a lot of friends and everyone was so nice to us. The first woman to call on me was Mrs. Florence Tollefson. She was living in the country at that tlme,also Sally Mars came and Ir[...]wy, Mrs. Cleveland• Mrs. Hut'f and practically the whole town of Jordan. We lived at the Hotel and I couldn't drink the water and also the outside plumbing was a particular hazard. Then we set up housekeeping in a room in back of Jack's office. Poor Jack, bow he ever lived thro[...]I couldn't boil ~D.[,. water without burting it. The neighbor ladies took me in band and I finally learned to cook. Jack was appointed County attorney in 1919, when Garfield County was created and Bill[...]deputy. He was County attorney for 16 years out of the twenty and we had qtuhite a time campaigning with him every two years going all over e county. was Then in 1 9 25, Dr. Farrand and his wife came out. There[...]d Williams came from Lewistown and his wife at a tr dge party. Jack had to be gone a lot we finally moved i no a wo-room house next t O M Winf'i 1 , the Butcher shop d th i rs. e d, w[...]uled th 'an er son, Bill did all the errands and e water, emptied ashes for me. In all the time L lived :i.c; |
| in Jordan, I never had to haul a pail of water or empty ashes except one time when Jack was sick with a kidney stone, I empted the ashes but unfortunately the ashes were hot and I empted them into a wooden barrel next to the "privy" and the "privy" caught on fire. Dr. Farrand and Jack worked hard to improve the county. They worked for the hos p ital and in 1929, one was built. The men got some land and we had a golf course. We had a pro come out from Miles City and give us lesson[...]aying. I went to Boston when John was born, in August and John was born in Oct. of 1919. That was a terrible winter and I just managed to get home be[...]did. We had dinners and dances and always dressed in evening gowns at our dinner dances. We spent days getting a dinner ready, two ladies would entertain at a time, and then when the Holidays came we all went to one house, each family would bring part of the dinner. We really had wonderful times. I don't remember very much about the first schools but I remember one teacher Miss And[...]to stay with me when Jack was gone. We had a daughter, Mary born two years after John, I can r[...]ining room t able pads to make him guards. We had a another son, Robert born while we lived in Jordan. We had some wonderful friends and still have and will always our memories of Jordan. We moved to Harlowton in 1940 but try to visit Jordan at l east once a year. Jack passed away a few years ago. Fran & Jack Cavan, S[...] |
| [...]n (Mccay) Lois Quinn was born and raised in southern Minnesota . I |
| [...]Arthur Markley Story Arthur Markley came to the Big Dry Country with a band of |
| Justice of the ~eace by Chet Wilson I was app ointed first in 1921 and elected every two years until 1959 when I resigned and was reappointed in 1962 and have served since most of the time the only J."1>. in the Jordan Twp. Have had some very interesting cases such as this one: I had my office in the Barber Shop which I bought from a Mr. Webster in 1923. This particular cuse was a Moonshiner and Bootlegger who was trailed into my shop by Clyde O'connor, undersheriff. I was shaving the B.L. and had apron over his body and O'Connor spoke to me and B.L. recognised_ his voice and he (B.L.) had a bottle of moonshine in his front pocket , so he got the cork out and started pouring the moonshine all over himself under the hair cloth which ex9luded a sour smell that aroused the Sheriff's sus picion so he jumped up and jerked the cloth of and grabbed ~he bnttle which had some moonshine still in it. So I finis hed shaving the man and let him out of the chair and O'Connor filed a complaint charging illegal possession of moonshine whisky. The court fined him $25. which he paid then he come down on my desk with his fist and called it a Kangaroo Court using an Oath- Court then fined him $25. for contempt of court which he paid . I never saw him again. One other case was interesting; Lou Thompson who was quite a characters what to a wi dows house and she refused to let him into her house, so he swore at her and kicked the door in. She came to town and filed a complaint charging with disturbing the peace. Mr . Thompson waived Jury rights and pleaded his own case. So he started to brow-beat the woman and the court stopped that, County attorney J.J. Gaven and the court then ask :Mr. Thompson if he had anything to say. Yes, he said, ''I think this is a damn Kangaroo Court. The court asked if that was all? He said "Yes 11 , the court then set fine at $50 . and would gave him until sundown to get the money. So Joe Kemp who had brought Thompson to town, took Thompson to Baan Willes Store at Brusett and got the said money and gave it to the Court~ just as the sun was sitting. Coun[...]y suceeding two years since except one year. Some of William Conacher who owned the Hotel now the Garfield Hotel friends campaigned far him and wrote his name in and won as I never filed. So he had one case and I had the undertaking business at that time and they cal~ed[...]out w1 th me and he had to wait unti~ I prepared the bo~y for burial and didn't get home until 1!1idn1.ght. The next morning he went to the Courthouse and resigned in my favor, so I was appointed and have served sinc[...]Falls was bartender at Glendive ~orked till 2:00 A.M. then got in his car and started home on ig~way 20(now 200) evidently went to sleep and missed the bridge ~t!: and ri~ht side and hit the concrete abutment. When the wrecker e car body up I reached for[...]foot came out, was completely severed just below the knee. |
| One case was of a truck driver with 600 bushels of wheat on his Semi-truck missed the bridge 10 miles west of Jordan hit the bank the heavy load came through and almost severe'- the body into at the middle;out of the 150 or more cases I have attended most have been car accident, several suicides and the one murder. Some of the suicides were the most gru some as they were usually shot in the head with large rifle and sometimes in mouth blowing off the top of the head. Some accidents were in the head also, and sometimes in the temple or ear. In such cases there is profuse bleeding. But the car is the killer and the majority of them are young men. I also acted as Coroner on many and some grus ome cases. One was a case of murder which was never solved. A man was wrecking a homestead shack near his home and some p erson fired from a concealed position with a 30-JO rifle, killing the man. who had a couple of kids with him . They took him home and go t him into be d where ·the Sheriff Edsall and County Attorney H• .h:. Purcell and I foun d him. The wife was of lndian parentage and would not answer any questions nor let the kids either . .Inqu~st; was held on the spot, verdict.: death by gunshot by part;, or parties un- known. A Hr. 2innacker was foreman of Jury. Had some interesting cases, In the early days of the county Cine Mr . Dr ajn who used to rob homesteader's shacks whi le they would be away vJcrking in summer. So every bocly kn,,w 2-bo u t who was do ' ng it and finally a man by the name of Bones Rix was appointed Constable anri he caught up with Mr. r rain,ri g h~ away it was a stati onary engine he had taken,valued at about $50.00 so he ar r-ested the man on a warrent issued by ,falter Pollard who was J. P. of that township. So he had the goo ds so he pleaded guilty in my court and l gave him 30 days in Miles City jail; they were keeping our prisoners a t that time. He sai d he would break our County by boarding it out but the Court re p l ied ~tha t's the cheapest place we have for you,bub~ He never came into my court again and left the community soon there after. There were ever so many cases of minor importance but I th0t1gbt some might[...] |
| Sheriff Charlie H. Bateman of Garfield County by Amelia Bateman He was born in Texas. He grew from boyhood to manhood at Meade, Kansas. He came to state of Montana in 1907 living in West end of the County, working as a Cowhand for the Ranchers He volunteered for army service. Charlie though far beyond draft a~e immed i a tely enlisted in Co. K of the 16th Infantry. He was cited r.'' f'or bravery on a French battlefield. thrice wounded and once gassed bub lived to return to his native land. The people of Montana, his adopted state, showed their appreciation of his services, by electing him to the office of Sheriff in Garfield County in which capacity he was serving at the time of his death. Charlie was a man in his prime when death called him. The hardshi? S suffered the gas and the wounds, showed their dire after effects and cut him orf untimely. He was layed to rest in Custer National Cemetery at Custer, Montana •. This poem - "Mothers" Day in Trenches" was written for his Mother, Alice V. Bateman, Meade , Kansas while he was in France dur i ng World War I. Mother's Day in the Trenches In the dugout I am dreami ng wh iles the Boche's shells are ~nd the Mothers of the nati on are filled with elation by Prvt. Charlie Bateman, Co . K, 16th Inft. A.E.F. France.[...] |
| The Purcell Family Just fifty-five years ago in May of 1914 a young lawyer named Robert E. Purcell arrived in Jordan to open the first law office in the pioneer town. He traveled from Miles City on the mail stage. Halph Erby drove the team of horses and the trip took three days. He rented a room at the Nergaard Hotel. Born in New York and reared in Washington, D.C., Bob Purcell had come West to help built a new country. He had graduated from Georgetown University in 1911 and obtained his masters degree in 1912. While attending law school, he worked in the War Depart- ment. After graduation, he requested and was given a transfer to the Land Office in Miles City, Montana Robert Purcell arrived in Miles City in September of 1912 and spent about six months working in the Land Office. It was during this time that he met Mary A. Hickey, principal of the Garfield School in Miles City. Miss Hickey had come to l'•1ontana from Northern Michigan as a teacher. This was a new country; everyone was young and filled with the spirit of adventure. Bob Purcell was lookin~ for a location as a lawyer. In Feb- ruary of 1913 he moved to Forsyth where he was associated in the practice of law with Judge liorkan . He was told by other lawyers and friends of a new country just opening up, a town where the railroad would soon be coming; where a man could begin and grow with the new land. Thus it was that he came to Jordan in May, 1914. Homesteads were available and Herb Huff, cashier of the First State Bank, located Bob Purcell on a place about three miles northeast of Jor dan on Vail Creek. In 1917 he prove d up on the land. He built a shack on the homestead an<l walked back and forth to the office which he opened in Jordan. He filed on three lots in the townsite of Jordan and built his first office where his prese[...]located. It was first presumed that that would be the main street of the town. He liked the ueoole and the town and became engrossed in the practice of law. · When war was declared, the young lawyer joined the army. He e~tere d the service as a private September 7, 1917. He served with the 362nd Infantry, 91st Division, and took part in both the Battle of St. Mihiel and the Meus e Argonne. He was wounded in the Meuse Argonne Battle. Later he was promoted to Lieutenant on the battlefield in recognition of gallantry in action. It was not until 1930 that he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for this gallantry . Lieutenant Purcell was dischanged from the army May 19 1919. . _on Jul; 9, 1919, Bob Purcell and Mary A: Hickey .were ~arried in Miles City, J11ontana . They established U1~1r home in Jor~an ~nd Mr . Purcell resumed his practice of law. while he was serving in the army, Garfield County had been established and Jordan was now a County Seat. . In August of 1922 Robert Purcell was elected County Att~rney of Garfield County and moved his office to its present location on Main Street . He rented the office from Hr . Nergaard and later purchased the building from him. The office has since been enlarg- ed two times[...] |
| Mr. and Mrs. Purcell had two children, Jim and Mary. The family shared the joys and sorrows of the community in which they lived. Mr. Purcell helped to organiae the American Legion and was the first Commander. Mrs . Purcell was the first president of the Legion Auxillary. They were active in the Catholic Ghurch, the Republican Party, and other community activities.[...]or nearly thirty years. Mr. Purcell practiced law in Jordan until January 1, 1969, at which time he retired because of his health. Jim Purcell is a graduate of Notre Dame University and Harvard Business School. He is Vice President in charg e of Public Relations and a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Indiana Utility Company. He and his wife, Dorothy, with their ten children, make their home in Munster, Indiana. Mary Purcell is a graduate of the Colle s e of St. Catherine . She taught school and worked as a secretary prior to her marriage to Claude B. Smith. Claude is the manager of the Public Auction Yards, a livestock market in Billings. l"ary and Claude have four children, two girls and two boys. Robert E. Purcell is living in Billings near his daughter and her family. He looks forward, however, to the d r y when he can return to Jordan where he spent fifty-five years of his life. by :Mrs.[...] |
| [...]Rena McKeever Rena Sayre, cousin of Francis ayre who was at one t ime Governor of the Phill ipines , was born at Oceol a , Iowa , 1865. It was here that she r ec eived her early s chooling and a lso taught her f i r st sc hoo l in a rural school out of Oceola ., Iowa . She later taught in ci t y schools in Superio r , Wisconsin for several ye ar s aft er she had married John Allen I11cKee ve r , a t Oceola . They later moved to Eureka ,[...]hen ena became Eureka ' s firs t school te ac her in 1888 . Eureka was a Hussi an settlement and after sc hool hours Mrs . McKeever wo uld s :.1 end many hours teaching the adults to s p eak the English l anguage . ~he and her husband then j o[...]et on , 3ou t h Dakota where t hey rema ined for a numb er of' years . Jvi rs . f'icKeever homesteaded t he re and r anched and i t wa s here t hat mcs t of her family was raise d . In 1 914 Frs . R::c.: h cKe e ver rrnd. f a!"li ly c ame t c l-1ontana o.nd t t e a rea along t he Big Dry j u st wos t of Jordan whe re .He n a took up a home s tead . She taught . school to supp len ent tha earnings for the family living. She t augh t at t he EacDona l d sc hool in 1916 . She and her da ugh ter , Habel, the:1 t aught in Co llagen school. Rena wa s instrumental in organi~ing tne Cohae;en .riigh School at Co ha g en , f,iont '.lna . In 1918 , s h e and Eabel went to Creigsville , West Vi r g inia f or t ·wo years and taught in the city schools there , b efore ret urnj_ng to the r uncb i n l•,ontana . The next f ew years Rena s p ent on the ranch on t he Big Dry and in 1922 she file d for of fice a t Coun t y Superintendent of .:1chools and won the election . She served in t hi s office for t }1e next fo ur years . After le a ving t hi s office she went b a ck to te a ch- i ng . She taught for s e vera l ye .trs at the Purew 'l ter , Fdwards and t he Hin ther sc hool[...]o ~se to hiles Ci t y and s pen t t he remai:1der of her y e a rs in 1~i11es City, Hontana . She pas s ed away in 1956 . 11s tol d b[...]Cahagen High School, Class of '2.3 |
| Frank McKeever; McKeev"'r f a!"lily ,[...]Delpha Brown came to this area with her family as a small child. She grew to be a charming young lady with snapping brown eyes and a personality admired by all. She taught school for several years in the rural schools and trhen ran for County Superintendent of Schools. She was County Superintendent rom 1931 to 1943. Delpha married Earl Vance and lived in Jordan for a number of years. Earl ~wned a service station in Jordan until it was accidentally burned down, and hen Earl went to Alaska. A serious accident caused him to be laid up for the remainder of his life. They moved to Billings and Delpha taught a Special Fducation class for Youngsters, and helped her brother Lewis manage the Carlin Hotel, after Earl hassed away. Lewis became 111 and Delpha managed the hotel alone until after bis death and she sold it and went to Arizona where she met a very nice fellow Y th e name of Fred Southcott, whom she married. They reside in Dausman, Wis. By De[...] |
| [...]Purdue University's Department o:f Psychology is the :fascinating life story of Dr. Ida B. Kelley, widow of native Alexandrian Harley B. Kelley. She currently resides at family farm four mile s southwest of town. But the most amazing portion of her history making experience lies beyond the past, despite the already multitudinous accomplishments of the charming lady. Dr. Kelley, age 79, faces making a decision between stay- ing retired and accepting a position as a clinical psychologist at the children's hospital in St. Paul, Minn . She has been asked to aid in a program to train students, doctors, and nurses.[...]permit me to trace her busy footsteps from 1906, the year she then Ida Richardson, was graduted from Alexandria High School; one of a class of 13 students. After graduation, she was a bookkeeper for a local glove factory for three years • .After she and Mr . Kelly were married in 1909, the couple fulfilled his idea of real living and moved to a ranch in Montana, homesteading on what was then Dawson County. From 1915 until 1927 she taught school in Garfiel~ County, Montana; 100 miles from the railroad, telephone, or telegraph. Neither were there hardtopped roads, for most part just trails. In 1927 she was elected county superintendent of schools which covered 75 one-room elementary schools and two high schools in the two towns of the county. In reminiscing, Mrs . Kelley recalled that the superintendent was expected to visit each school at least once a yearl After two terms in this office, in 1931, the Kelleys agreed to move to Indiana, but to this day she still holds title to the ranch in Montana . At the age of 42, Mrs . Kelley entered Purdue University as a freshman, and at the end of three and one-half years was award- ed both her BS and MS degrees, in addition to obtaining licen- ses to teach Spanish and .English on the secondary level, a Principal's license and a superintendent's license. After grad- uation in 1934, she was invited to stay on as a staff member of the Education and Psychology Department . While she and her hus- band had intended to return to Montana, the depression in the 30's made it feasible for her to accept this tempting offer. While she was teaching at Purdue, the Kelley's purchased the farm, near Alexandria, which has been maintained since that time • .From 193[...]d psychology, educat;on psychology, mental health in education, statistics, intelligence testing, psychology of public opinion, infant behavior,among other subjects. In addition she was counselor for college students, taught extension courses, held in summer sc~ool workshops, and also obtained her PHD degree, part of which work was done at New York's Colu.rnbia University . When the United States entered World War II, the professor who was director of Purdue's Children's Clinic went into serv- ice, a[...]ch she held from 1941 to 1959. This clinic served a practicum for graduate students in courses that counted toward a master's and doctor's degrees. Her school[...] |
| the first to be recorded in Indianapolis. At the end or the war, Dr. Kelley was one of Purdue's dele- gates to the first post-war meeting of the World Health Organ- ization in London. Two years l ater she went on a similar mission to Mexico City, and four years after that to the meeting held in Toronto, Canada. At each of these meetings she was one of an international committee on children's problems, After W.H.O. meeting in London, she was asked to come to Bremen, Germany, to talk with teachers in the schools there . In 1959 Dr. Kelley was named in the first issue of "Who's Who Among American Women", also in "Who I s Who in the Mid-west;' and in "Indiana Lives"; published recently during Indiana's sesquicentenn i al year . Despite a bout with canc er in 1952, she continued her remain- ing sev en years before retirement at Pu~due, continuing as dir- ector of the clin ic. During that same year she and her husband celebra ted their golden wedding anniversary, reveling in the beauties of n a ture surrounding their farm and the peace and quiet it offered, all of W1 ich was interrupted by his death in 1966 . During the f all of 1966, in answer to a friend and form- er associate's query as to what a clinical psychologist could offer a children's hospit3.l in St. Paul , Minn. Dr. Kelley visited the hos 1_it a l as an observer only. A year later, in the fall of 1967, she was asked by the pediatrician who is dire ctor of medical education in st . Paul to make a study of the child- ren's hos p ital, to discuss in that report what a clinical psychologist could offer to help make all situations between trainee and child a learning situation for the doctors-in- training, to propose a proGram for a fulltime psychologis t in the hospital , and a plan for carry i ng out that program . The study was made, the rep ort was written, read and discuss ed than approved by the medical director, the administrators, and the trustees; and Dr . Kelley was offered the po siti on at the same salary that would be offered to a person 50 years younger than she. ~14000. Less than a month ago, her left arm, which had been badly burned by x-ray in 1952, was amputated at the Mayo's c1;nic in Rochester, and she is now under doctor 's orders to remain quiet for a two-month period . ot one to let the grass grow under her feet, however, Dr. Kelley is now nquietly" compiling a bibliography of books and articles on personality changes accompanying certain of the diseases of children, on the psychology of deafness in.children, on the personality of the asthmatic child, the mongoloid, the encephalitic child, the cleft pqlate, and others, to be used in the St. Paul hospital pro~ram this fall. Dr. Kelley commented, "When I look back on my life, fir 0 m the 79- year vantage point it aopears to be someone e[...]match this sharp-witted likeable lady's history. The inspiratioP she exudes is earthshaking,and her knowledge of nast experiences in dealing with children's Psychological oroblems are too valuable to waste. The Children's Hospital in St. Paul is counting on her advice and counsel. And the beat goes on at 79 she is every bit as enthusiastic about the future as a youngster delving into his first chocolate[...] |
| did in the early 1900 1 s when she emb arked on her career with a high school diploma in one hand and a bushel of courage in the other, as weii as plenty of plain old American guts, which has caused her to contribute more than her share for the good of mankind! My Trip to the Homestead[...]On July 1st, 1914, my cousin andI arrived in |
| [...]was luck for us as our home was not yet finished. The cabin where we were to stay was one big log room, 20 1X 30 1 , with a dirt roof and dirt floor. It was partitioned off[...]ade to feel at home at once. Next day about 10:00 a.m. we hitched the team up and took the loaded wagon home. The road led up through a rather narrow coulee flanked on either side by st[...]brush, pine trees, and creeping cedar grew. The sage along our trail crushed by the ir ,Jn shod wheels and heavy load gave off the pungent clean smell that I always think of as the distinguishing badge of our home place. As we ~ame up to the head of the coulee and the land flattened our the road turned si,arpley to the right and t 1.ere, it I s freshly pealed pine logs shining yellow in the hot sun, sat our cabin against a steep but not high pine covered hill. About 100 more yards of riding on the wagon and we were in the cabin's side yard. How pleasant the smell of the pine--how quiet our world was-- how good to breat[...]d sage-laden air. We just sat without talking for a minute or two and then he said--"Ida, there's our[...]rley and I were married November 23, 1909. He was a railroader, I, a. bookkeeper. We lived in Marion, Indiana. He had just finished a four year hitch in the navy. Alwa,y"s, I was concerned about the danger of rail road work. We talked of future plans and he always said, "Let's go west 11 • In 1912, we made the decision, he would go to Montana, Wyoming, or Dakota. He planned to work a season in the wheat harvest and look for a location for us. We both worked on until near harvest tL~e of 1913. He went west by freight, found work in the Judith Basin that summer and became ac~uainted with Otis Cook, a young bachelor, who knew a man who had just filed on 320 acres in the western part of Dawson Co. He told Harley that th e whole eastern part of Montana had been thrown open to homesteaders, and that he too was looking for a place to locate. Cook had a team and waeon. Harley was a-foot. They talked the matter over wittr Gene Patterson, the man who already had his land. He also had no way of traveling and told them he would show them over the area in which he had located in exchange for a ride"home". _When harvest was over the three men prepared for the trip. Cook was to provide transportation. Harley and Patterson, the grub bo.x and its contents. Each man had his own tarp bed. They had a long handled skillet, a coffee pot, a bucket to heat water in, a bent iron rod on which to hand the coffee pot or bucket over the camp fire. ~twas late August when they began their journey, very hot, very dry. Crossing the Snowes was pleasant in such weather, nights were cool, and game was plen[...]ve east through what is now Petroleum Co. crossed the soon-to be-famous Cat Creek Basin· camped at Gilt Edge in a long deserted army p9st area: After about seven daJS of traveling looking at prospective sites, camping, cooking, they arrived at Sand Springs, then in old Dawson County. After spending a night there they drove the twenty-five miles to Patterson's homestead on the Middle Fork of Lodge Pole, only a short distance from cite of a future post office to be named Benzien. They all rested a few days and then set out for an intensive look at th e possibilities of the surrounding area. After about a week or ten days[...] |
| of looking, Cook decided on 320 acres of land adjoining to Patterson ' s . Sortly thereafter , Harley chose 320 up in the pine country, rolling land but with several big f[...]e and I had decided that if possible, we'd choose a place with pines and soft water.) Seeping out at the foot of the pine covered hill that was to be our bill was a spring , the water of which was free of hard minerals and very good for drinking and cook[...]ks longer and he and Cook cut pine l ogs for both of our cabins . They hauled ours to the place Harley had chosen f or the house and piled them up to dry . He helped Cook build his house before leaving . He was back in Marion early in November of 1913 . Through the four months that ensued before he left again for the Montana Homesteaders Took Care of their own We homesteaders in the area around Me caha, on the Musselshell near The frigid winter of 1918 brought us unusually deep snow and low temp- He left early the next morning . By the time he reached home he was The Old Doctors Funeral "Yes , Bert , I think they'll be O.K . " , and the kind-eyed little man ran |
| raging, and the snow was l evel with the t hird log of the cabin. The thermo- meter just outside the door said 350 below zero. As the little man worked, he looked out the window at the great pines along the coulee brink, that, bent by the terrific wind, were tugging at their heavy roots[...]r stake ropes. He hoped it would clear off before the burial tomorrow. The news of the death of the old doctor had spread through that isolated country, a hundred miles from a railroad, with the strange speed with which news travels in the country, l eaping from one lonely ranch to another on the wings of gossip, the most rapid of telegraphs. There was no getting out to the railroad over the hundred miles of snow blocked trails, and any way it was customary for the country to care for its own dead. The old Doctor had asked, only a few hours before leaving, that his One, a heavy-set, poorly dressed, youngish man was speak[...]back to town. Mary never will stay out here with |
| railroad the way the roads are now, I don't know." "Ma" was busy w.tth her scissors cutting the silk to fit into the nearly finished coffin. They covtred the outside with a gray woolen material and the inside with the silk, pleating it along the sides, and covered a pillow for a head rest with what was left. The following day dawned clear and calm. The snow lay in great drifts, sparkling under a cold sun; the pines were resting after their two day's wrestling with the blizzard. The whole world was quiet and relaxed. A team and bob-sled stood before the old Doctor's door. Six men carried out the decent home made coffin with its tenant in his neat black suit, and the sad little precession made its slow way to the clean cut grave on the sand rock knoll. A rough box of heavy planks was in the grave and with the lines f rom a set of his work harness they lowered the old man into his grave. "Ma" Smith read the burial service and the lines "Greater love hath no man", and the Doctor was left to his rest. The Keith Family |
| [...]Jordan, Montana This office keeps records of all land history - - such as Patents, Home- |
| [...]s Hirth Mahoney came from Minnesota to Miles Oity in 1907 at the age of 1 year with his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Mahoney. In 1910 they came to the Keplerville neighborhood to work for Perry Kepler. They came from Miles City with a team and wagon. As soon as they came here Mr. Mahoney, Hirth 1 s father, filed on a homestead. They lived in Kepler's bunkhouse until they could get a house built. This area and Jordan were the only 2 townships that had been surveyed out at this time. Mrs. Mahoney, Hirth 1 s mother, was a nurse and did a lot of country nursing for Dr. Battin in the early days. In February, 1913, Mr. Mahoney and one daughter died. It took 3 days to take the bodies to Miles City by wagon for burial. Hirth a[...]sister, Helen, continued to live on themmestead. The children went to school at the Viall Schools and Hirth at- t~nded High School in Valier and½ year in Jordan, then took his college work at Missoula. During the depression years Hirth worked on ranches and sheared sheep from Nevada to Montana. In 1933 to 1935 he worked in the Legislature and the special session in 1933-1937 as assistant Secretary of the Senate. He was elected Senator from Garfield County in 1937 and served until 1944. He went into the Army in February, 1942 and was separated from the anv in 1947. He reran for Senator from Garfield County, ..and was elected and served from 1948 to 1960. He held the office of President Pro- Tam of the Senate and was also chairman of finance committee in the Senate. In 1939 he married Alta Robertson at Lewistown, Montana. While in the Armed Service Hirth was Major and served over- seas in Okinawa Campaign and the Korean occupations. He was im a conference with Herbert Hoover and Mr. Harrimanin Korea. When Hirth was discharged from the army he come back to Garfield County and the old homestead which he now owns and runs cattle. He has besides ranching, aided Garfield County in getting R. E. A. to the Rural areas as well as the town. For Recreation he said he liked to travel. He has been in every state in the Union but Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, these he hop es to see in the near future by camper. He has also been in Alaska and Hawaii. Hirth and Alta ha[...] |
| Fred Gibson Fred was born in Iowa in 1879 and the family moved overland to California when he was a small boy. His father who was a "Bullwhaker" on the great p lains, died at an early age, and Fred lived for a while with an older s ister and then he took to the cowboy trails. He rode for many of the big ranc hes of the west around the turn of the century. Chief among them was the "Chiricahua" called "Cherry Cow" outfit of Arizona. He came to Montana about 1908 and ro de for the ranches and roundups mostly in the "Big Dry" Country. He homesteaded in Northwestern Garfield County, then Dawson County, about 1913, while still ri ding for Josh McCurstian of the H'f. He married a "homestead" girl, Myrna Garfield in 1916 and they raised two sons. Fred serve d as de[...]ferent occasions during this period. One occasion in the very early 20's is recalled when Sheriff Edsall came out and asked for some help to look for evidence on the p lace of a man accused of butchering a neighbor's beef. The man wasn't considered very dangerous, so this time the whole family went along . While looking for "slow elk 11 evidence they happ ened up on the "moonshine still" hidden in a coulee, and in full op eration at the time. However, this was not the object of the search; so they kept on and found the beef hide buried in the mud of the spring. In 1926 Charley Bateman, another cowboy was elected Sheriff of Garfield County and Fred moved to Jordan to be full time deputy. When Bateman died in office, Fred was appointed to fill out his unexp ired term and then was himself elected sheriff and served in that office till 1934 when George Denigar took over as sheriff of Garfield County. Fred returned to his homestead on the 79 branch of Lodgepole creek, and joined in the transition from farming to ranching th a t was taking p lac e in the country at that time. He died in 1949 after a long illness, and is buried on his origion[...] |
| [...]L. Wagner was born in Richville, Minnesota in 1909. When Ethel wa[...]She attended grade school in Cohagen and one 7ear of high school there-- with her last three 7ears in Jordan, Montana. She received her two[...]7ear diploma from Western Montana College in Dillon, and also at[...]ern Montana College ,i in Billings. Ethel was married to Dale Beauchamp in 1931. lhey had one[...]hamp died or Cancer in 1942. In 1947 Ethel married Lester Harr I of J crdan. Lester died the same year in an auto accident.[...]Ethel taught rural schools in Garfield Count7 far eight years then in 1942 she filed for the office of County Superintendent of Schools. She was el[...]unty Superintendent of Garfield County Schools until 1947 at which time she resigned and joined the English department of the Junior High School in Miles City. Here she taught until January of 1955 when she became ill. Her son,Glenn Beauchamp is an accountant in California and her mother, Mrs. Christine Wagner, lives in Miles City, Mgntana. Mrs. Harr was a member or the National Education Association and Montana Education Association, the Department of Classroom Teachers, Delta Kappa Gamma, The Women's Club, and St. Aim's Division of the Sacred Heart Alter Society. In September 27, 1955, Ethel Harr died of Cancer, after serving many- years in the F.ducation work.[...] |
| Sunday School Picnic about 1926-- Cohagen at the Pluhar hornee _The old Homestead of Herman Wagner & Family, II- 'I |
| Mrs. Mabel Pollard The office of County SupErintendent was held from September of 1948 to Hearing about all the free land in Montana, she decided to homestead and The Spring Creek School[...] |
| [...]Fern Nelson Schillreff It is hard to tell of all of the important things that have taken place in Garfield County since the turn of the Century. Tne County history has been built around the churches, schools, social gatherings and many days of hard labor by the citizens who are here and by those wlio have gone on before. We can never capture all of the important history of the past. All we can do is put into a book some of the memories of the Historians who have been here. In the past 50 years there have been many changes. We have graduated from the horse and buggy to the auto, then to the airplane and later to the jet age and on to the space age. Who knows what might be in the next 50 years. It was in November, 1919, that I came to Gar.field County[...]sister, Lura. ~ dad came to the south side of the lt:iver to run h01taes and cattle for the AH outfit on the east side of the Big Dry. The Big Dry was so named because it was always dry••• well that is until the flash floods or the spring run-off, then it was anything but dry. I can remember seeing the Dry when it W3S a mile across and full of water, this was atter a cloud-burst about 15 miles up the Dry and not a drop of rain at our house. We later mOYed to the west side of the Dry and lived here tor a short time before moving to a rented place on the Missouri River Bottom. It was while we were living on the place on the River that I can remember seeing the freighters go up the river with loads of supplies tor Fort Benton. I also, remember when the Mandan went up the river on its last trip. We went down to watch it go by. We used to go help Dad "rob a bee tree", an, experience that every child should have. We quickly learned which bees sting and which ones do not. My dad bought a prize winning Model T and I was afraid to ride in it as I had never ridden in one and I was afraid that Dad might not know too much about one of these contraptions and would get it started and couldn't get it stopped. We always walked up the hills, mainly to be handy with a block to put behind the wheel when the car had exhausted its ability to go any farther.[...]ards when they did not have enougl power to go up the right way. We later bought the Byrum place on the Big Dry and moved back there. This place had been a "road house" or sort of hotel for the weary travelers as it was at the cross roads of travel •• north, south, east o~ west. ~t remained so all the time we lived there, but rrtY' folks did not char[...]ts lodging. We attended our grade school at the Lismas school and later High school in Jordan. We rode to school in spring and fall and boarded in winter, most or the time at Slaughters. Here we were taken to school by Mack or Ernest in a sled or "cutter" behing a team of broncs •• bi it ho~ses or mules •• made no difference as we really whizzed along. Some days we had a wild ride when the team would decide to run away. In summer time we run cattle on the Dry, Spring Creek, Bob Cat and some- times on San[...]used to ride these areas often. Each summer the CBC horse round-up was held in that part of the ,country. The horse camp headquarters were usually located on C[...]d he told me," Coffee, B~uit & Cayuse." ~1th the Fort Peek Dam came the backwaters of the lake and in the spring or 1938 we were forced to move from our home. We moved to the Jack Bass place on Frazier Creek, just north of Jordan. s~ |
| I later attended College at Eastern Montana College in Billings. these were the years that we learned what it was to study. W[...]3 other girls. Our grocery bill ran around $2.85 a month each. 1 t was here at Eastern tha t I met and married Raymond Schillreff of Billings. We were married just 3 weeks before he[...]pon Graduation from College I began my first term of teachi ng in Carbon County. Fresh out of college and with lots of new ideas. It was here that my first gr·~der ate 4 pounds of my modeling clay ••• no ill effects. The following spring I went to Pocatello, Idah[...]for s. H. Kress & Co., but returned a year later to teach in Garfield County. My first term in Garfield County was a summer school at Green Ridge School near Brusett. I can see why it was a summer school, the building w~s too cold for a winter school. I started school on March 13th with 13 pupils in all grades. My next term was to complete a school term at Cat Creek School. I was the 5th teacher in four months. Some place along the line I have heard a song that says, "Home of the Bed-bug and Flea", well, I found it l •r he mud-dabber birss had built nests along the eaves and had brought their friends, the bed-bugs. Then came DDT. Ray came home from serving 3½ years in the services of Uncle Sams'. We lived on a couple of rented places and in 1952 moved back to the Frazier Creek Ranch. I continued to teach. I taught at Pure Water School, There was a cellar under my teacherage for which I was very happy until I found it was inhabited with snakes and gophers. I taught 2 years in Jordan second grade then went to Cohagen to teach[...]or several years. When I first went here, I lived in the school room and taught there also, later they built a nice teacherage on to the school room. After we moved b, ck to Frazier Cree[...]his was an improvement as we now had electricity, a telephone and I was right beside an oiled highway. I taught at the Viall School for 3 years and in the spring of 1957 we closed the doors of the Viall School and no more school in this end of the district as all of the pupils were through grades. The following autumn I taught at Castle Butte again only to f i nd the school in a new location •• It was while teaching here that I made up my m1 nd to go into politics. I filed for the office of County Superintendent of Schools of Garfield County. My onl v competition, Mr. Jack Freed, withdrew from the campaign before the Primary electio~ I vqs elected to take over the office of the County Super- • !'i p dwh O tntendent of Schools which would be vacated by Mrs. abel W. ollar was~ retiring. I enjoyed the Elementary teaching, but I also like the work of the offtce. I~ the past 10 years I have haq several girls come in to help me in the summer Wlth budgets and other work. 1 he following have helped. Eile[...] |
| EARLY DAYS of CHARLES C. KITE[...]Seattle, Washington The burning desire to own their Oifn home and the adventure of home- steading prompted Mr. & Mrs. Chas. c. Kite[...]o leave Kansas and come to Montana. They arrived in Miles City in October of 1915. The women and children were brought to Jordan by Ray Drennen, who operat ed a stage-line between Miles City and Jordan. The men freighted the household belongings, the machinery, and live stock from Miles City by hor se drawn lumber wagons. They spent the first winter in Jordan, where in January a duaghter, Olet a, was born. Lasting friendships were soon established. Mrs. Mabel Wilson was the first caller to visit Mrs. Kite after her arrival i n Jordan. Early the following spring, the Kites moved to their homestead 7½ miles north west of Jordan. They soon learned to know their neighbors[...]sister Bertha, who kept house for them. As in any pioneer-homesteading community, the spring, SWYL~er and f all wer e very busy, leaving only the winter months for socializing. The se social events were parties, box suppers at the school house, and an occassional oyster stew supper. The children went to Vail Creek School, first in a "Sod.die" and then in a small frame building which Mr. Kite built. After spending some 10 years on the homestead, Mr. & Mrs. Kite moved closer into town to enable the children to attend high school and operated a small time dairy. They were members of the Community Presbyterian Church in Jordan, where Mrs. Kite was the first woman to be ordained as an elder . During this time Mr. Kite was a rural mail carrier. He carried the route from Jordan to Finger Butte where the post office was in the home of Mr. & Mrs. William Mc Cants. In addition to carrying the mail, Mr. Kite was the "homesteaders' shopper." He would bring the farm produce, (butter, eggs, Etc. ), the shopping list, and the pocket book to Mrs. Maude Pemble in the We st Mercantile Store. "Penmde" would fill the orders and have them ready to go on the next mail day. Mr. Kite was Justice of the Peace for Garfield County for many years, t hereby acuiring the name of "Judge Kite." He was a resident of J or dan more t han 40 years until his death in 1957. Mrs. Kite preceeded him in death in 1934.[...] |
| The Edsall's by Roy H. Edsall On all Fool's Day, 1912 the Edsalls, Mr. & Mrs. O. L. Edsall & sons Lon, Roy,[...]' We farmed for three seasons in the Gallatin Valley. There were very few cars around the Bozeman area. No trucks or farm tractors, all far[...]ing was done by horses. Gall- atin Valley boasted of having good horses. In September, 1914 the Edsall 1 s again migrated, this time to Daws on Co. later called Garfield County, the land of enchant- ment promises and hardship. We arrived on Lone.Tree creek about the 20th of September, O.L. had been here in June and located claims for us,by having a furrow plowed around parcels of land and putting a stake at each corner. He also bought off one "squatter" as they were called at that time, and got a small frame house, which we used, supplemented by tents, to give us housin[...]ut 70 miles to get other equipment and machinery, which we had shipped there. Then there was the hard work to get wood and coal to carry us through the winter. The wood was hauled from the Missouri River Brakes, the lignite coal was by the hills, where ever we could find coaldoppings. The coal was uncovered by use of teams, slip scrapers, fresnos and shovel, this was the way we got our fuel for several years. Posts for fencing were also hauled from the brakes, we would haul out loads of timbers and sort out post material and use balance for fuel. The horses had to graze for the most of their food, some how we managed to give them a feed of grain in nosebags, and when turned loose they were hoppled so they would stay nearer camps. There was plenty of ~ass, the first few years, then came drouths, short feed and plenty of hardships. The early years several of the homesteaders would take teams and wagons and go to Eastern Montana and North Dakota and work through the harvest season, to raise money for a 11 grub stake", to carry over for another year, h[...]hors~ We would stop by all those that lived along the trail, to pi~k any outgoing mail and bring back t[...]. Uncle Sam had bet us½ section of land against the filing fee, that we would starve to death homesteading, and that almost happ- ened several times. In July 1918 my brother Lon & I entered the armed service, had to go to,Glendive to report, had one of the neighbors take us to Ingemar by car, then by train to Glendive. We returned to the homestead in late 1919. S3 |
| In August, 1920 I was married to Hazel A. Miller, a wonder- ful pardner and helpmate~- She passed awa[...]original homestead. o. L. Edsall was Sheriff of Garfield Co. from 1921-24 with Ruben Wood as unde[...]failed and Clyde O'Connor was appointed to finish the term. I held various offices in Garfield Co., namely County Comm- issioner, High[...]those only small pastures or around small acrage of farm land, no roads just trails. The younger generation don't begin to know what the early settlers put up with. The jackrabbit and sage hen and the antelope helped supplement the food supply. By looking at the county in general as of today, one can hardly believe what it was like fifty-five years ago. I like many others give a lot of credit to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who made it possible that the entire county be connected by elec- tricity and telephone. The Brusett, Butte Creek and Blackfoot country owe much to Baan Wille who operated the General Store. Roy Jr. was killed in a logging accident on Feb. 14, 1956. Lowell and fam[...]rregon Air Base, Madrid, Spain •• I live in the red house by the side of the road as you enter Lewistown, Montana. You•re always welcome. My brother Lon of Broderick, California and I are only one's of the family, that migrated from Missouri on 11[...] |
| [...]Phillip Edsall. 5. &isa.U • s Lambs. 6. Ha.zei in the snow. 1• Roy & Hazel cutting grain •[...] |
| HISTORY OF GARFIELD COUNTY FREE LIBRARY Forward-looking citizens of Garfield County circulated |
| on December 28, 1967, board members and the county road crew moved the library books and furnishings to a twenty three by twenty eight foot room in this build i ng, where there was good lighting, a fresh paint job, nice floor, racks for magazines[...]steel stacks, modern tables and chairs and plenty of parking space, especially for the Bookmobile, which can come right to the door. And a telephone was installed. Compared to the 534 boo ks cataloged on opening day, the library now has a collection of 3053 books plust the use of that many more through the Bookmobile. We subscribe to Interlibrary Loan, the State Film Library, and may borrow from the State Library and the coordinating center in Miles City. Many special requests are handled every month. Garfield County's long interest in good library service has grown into a visible community addition. County taxes, of course, are a requisite, and the willingness of the people to participate in benefits received from thA use of federal funds has also helped to make this possib[...]Mrs. Tipton was a music intructor nere in Jordan[...]wife of late Butte H. Tipton, Long time Edi tor of J ardan[...] |
| [...]Saturday Ba th Did ya ever take your Saturday b a th, and have to scrap and scrub while squatin down on your haunches in that galv ani zed washin tub. Well, if not you aint missed a thing, but I'm telling you right I did til I was old and gray, every dog done Saturd ay night. Now I'm a man of clean habits - believe in a ba th a week, it helps to keep you healthy and it freshens your physic. But if I had my druthers, well, I rather eat a bug, than to take my Satu rday bath again in tha t galvanized washing tub. In stmm1er time it was bad enough, but winter it got ruff, spreadin papers and fillin kettles and all that sort of stuff. But getting ready for that ordeal was only half the rub, of taking your bath on Saturday night in that galvanized washing tub. Did you ever stand there stripped to the skin, with the wood stove bakin'your hide afraid to stick your dern foot in, afraid of baking it alive, Finally got that tempeDature right and into the tub ya cralwed, when that cold steel struck your back--you squeal like a fresh stuck hog. Crawled out of the tub and next to the stove, stand there shiverin and shakin- the front side ~-~ you is freezing to death and the back side of you is baking. No, I ain't done yet, there's something else that I been wantin to say- I was the youngest of all them kids that bathed every Saturday. Well, round our house all us kids took our bath accordin to order which meant I had to take my bath in that same dad-blame old Wat- er. {Sent by[...]Author unknown Taking the Saturday Bath |
| [...]Albert K. Kruse He homestead in the Brusett area, where he f arme d f or many years. He The Locke Story Corda and Mabel Locke and their two daughters, Lila & Roana and son, |
| [...]by Mike Danklefsen r was born in Schleswig Holstein, Germany on Dec ember 30th, 1882. in a little t own of Niebull. Fath had a brick house. Th~ hay was upstairs. They had t wo cows and t wo hogs. ~he barn an the house were all in one; you could go from the kitchen into a little hall, then y ou was in t he barn. My Father had t o walk out i n the Country to work on a farm. My Mother was a small woman. Once a week she woul d go to the Bakery, fill a basket full of baked go[...]t out to the Jcountry and sell it to the big farmers. So that was the way they had to make the living f[...]. And in the spring of 1890 we[...]o get on the boat but the one we w[...]was to be a fast boat and we was to cross in nine days. But[...]And when we was on the boat nine days, Father ask the Cap- ta[...]Wedding Day sick all the way over. And we got into New York a t Nidnight and I never seen such a pretty sight, lights of all colors and they were there by the thousands. Well, a Hotel ~ an me t us at the boat and took us to his hotel ~:arld he gave Father an understanding to keep the chi ldren inside. We stayed in New York for two days, thar. got on a train for Brice- ton, Ohio where my Uncle lived on a f a rm. We were all lousy and Aunt Anna h ad a job t o cl e an us up. By tha t time I was 8 year[...]timber, Mostly h ard wood. Father r ented a little plac e for a ye ar, i t was about 40 acre s of land. It had a little house and a little barn on it. Then ~e all h ad to work t o get some cleared l and so we cou l d put in some crop . My what a job. My what a job it was! Then wh en we were here two y[...] |
| [...]ster was 14 years old by that time. She took over the 1 housework. Father made me help her with the dishes and ·tt1e house |
| 11' ll 1 barne and haul hay. The snow was deep and we had those three day |
| I came back to the old homestead and put in a little crop with two horses and t hat was the last time I had to go our to work. Then my wife came back in June, and we have been together ever since. I bought two more horses, then I could pu t in more crop. Now all this time we were in Dawson County with Glendive our county seat. Children were born in our neighborhood and many would come to my wife for help. She has delivered a number of them. It was a good thing that she had some nurse Training. Well, here comes the Year 1919 and we go into Garfield County. Arthur Markley, Ben Fleming and W.A. Barker were the first County Commissioners. We had lots of people living here then. In the fall, the 10th day of October we got 18 inches of snow with a heavy crust on it and it turned bitterly cold and it stayed that way until the first of the year the snow went off but it left the country covered with ice. Ira Brackett had sheep and was out of feed. So he started down the road for Miles City, he had two loads of hay left. They would drop a little hay at a time so the sheep would follow the wagons. When that was gone, he had hay brought ou[...]me ranch- ers lost all they had. Others lost half the stock they had. Then the Spring 1920 I was elected to the Cohagen School Board, L. P. Johnsen, Robert McRea[...]ten as Clerk. Robert McRea had to quit for he was a sheepman. One day while attending a meeting the Bucks got in the Band, so he told the board that he had to quit. I can't remember who took his place. In 1921 I was sick. The doctor said that I had T.B. and that I had to qui[...]build my self up. So I laid around all summer and the good neighbors harvested my crop and my good wife fed me lots of beef soup and Egg Nogs. By fall I was feeling bet[...]same summer my brother's oldest son was killed by a horse. Bad luck started just one thing after anot[...]or Holton came to me and said that we should have a High School at Cohagen, so the board got busy to see what we could do about it. The TaxPayers were all in favor and that Senator Holton was interested was a good help er to get the Hi gh School started. We build a High School 70 by 70 feet A Dormitory 30 by 110 feet with a full basement and a Gym 30 by 70 feet by 1930 Cohagen had a four year Accredited High School. Then in 1929 the great Drouth started and wheat was down to 50 cents a bushel and in 1932 wheat was 25 cents a bushel. In 1934 Cattle were down to 20 dollars a head and the people start- ed to leave the country. It was one dry year after another. In 1938 the last three days of March we had a three day bli~zard and we lost some cattle. Then in the summer of 1938 the Grass- hoppers flew in and took the most of the crop, mostly wheat. Then i n the s p ring of 1939 the grasshoppers hatched and they ate up everything t[...]. .. Now we will go back to the 20th, I think in 1934 Bill Pierson was elected to the school board and Mike Weimer was Clerk. Then Pierson and myself started the Old Settlers Picnic. We sent L.P. Johnsen over to the Oil Well west of Cohagen and he bought a lot 2 inch Plank and we built the Corrals for the rodeo. We rented 40 a cres of land from the N.P. Railroad for the Rodeo grounds. Th~m Were the good old days. The cowboys would get on a bronc and ride him just for the fun of it. |
| The men that was in charge of the Old Settlers Picnic done their work without pay.[...]out 35 years. Then they wanted big money to bring in the bucking horses, steers and Calves. Nobody wanted[...]pay, so we was forced to close it up. Then in 1930 Hay Creek Taylor died and Mr. L.P. Johnsen was the Administrator and he gave me the job to try and sell the things that Mr. Taylor left. That was my first sale and I kept the job for about 20 years. Then in 1942 I was elected to the County Commissioneer Board. Mr. Fred Kibler and Andrew Ofstedahl were the other two Commissioners. Well the County had no road building machinery, just a maintainer and Durbin Singer was the operator. And they had then no road building mach[...]as time went on. Then Doyle Kester was elected to the board and a little later Roy Edsall crone and was elected to the board. As time went on we had a good road building machinery, but nobody knew how to build a road. About all that time Gerty Gurnett was Clerk and Recorder. Then on the 26th day of June the Town of Jordan held a special election and I was elected as the first Mayor of Jordan. Marvin Hallburg, Floyd Hageman, Doyle Kester and Roland Taylor were the first Aldermen. Pat Paterson was Clerk and Mrs. Joe Koebl was the Treasurer and Robert Purcell was the Town Attorney. While this board was in Office we got a Sewer System and a water system. We got R.E.A. and the Dial Telephone and just about got present Bank. Jordan was without a Bank for 25 years. I was the Jordan Mayor for eight years. Good Pay 1.00 a Meeting and not over three meetings a month. And now we come to 1960 we celebrated our Golden Wedding Aniver- sary in the V.F.W. Hall. Then in 1967 had to remodel the Jordan Post Office according to the government specifications. Then in 1969 I had to remodel the old Bank Building to make 1t fit for the County Attorney's office and now this is about it[...]or Cma gen Lund & daughter Henrietta in wagon 1916 |
| [...]Miss Ri.ley--1915 Harrowing the plowing Mrs. Elliot Miller, a daughter |
| [...]Mr. & Mrs. Axel Clauson Axel arrived in the Cohagan community in the fall of 1912. He took up a homestead 5 miles northwestoof Cohagen, where he[...]rming and ranching, and also some freighting with a string team. Worked occasionally for the neighbors, mostly farm and ranch work, but spent one lambing season cooking for the crew at the Caywood Ranch. He served in the armed services in 1918-19, during World War 1, several months of which were spent in France. After his discharge, he spent one winter in Minneapolis, Minn,, attending a school for mechanics. There being no room for exp[...]oved to his present location, l½ miles northeast of Cohagan in 1925, where he was able to add to his holdings from time to time. He was married in 1926 to Coralynn Holton. I came to the Cohagen community in 1911 with my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Holton. My father took "squatters rights" to a piece of land 2½ miles northwest of Cohagen, which is now part of our ranch, in 1910, and as soon as the land was open for filing, he homesteaded the usual 320 Acres. He engaged in farming and ranching for about 25 years. During that time, he served in the State Legislature for several years, both as representative and senator. The usual hardships befell my folks, and as the years f,assed, most of the old neighbors moved away, selling out to the 'tough" ones. Drought, grasshoppers and hard winters were the biggest problems. I remember one May snowstorm, in the spring of 1912, particularly. It started as a gentle rain, and the corru- gated roof of our hastily erected "shack" leaked through every nail-hole. Mother set pails, pans and kettles all over the floor, and even on the bed, which we moved to the driest spot. Dad was gone, and it soon became evident that he wouldn't get home for some time. The rain turned to snow, and Mother, being from the city, thought of the horses. We had a saddle-horse, Dave, who had been kept in a stable before shipping him to Montana. We also had a mare, Queen, who was western-bred. Mother tried to get them into a tent we had close to the house for storage pur- poses. Dave went in all right, but not Queen! Mother was a~raid to tie Dave, fearing the tent would blow down during the night. In the morning, both horses were gone, so Mother feared the worst It snowed all day. Our little "sheep .. stove" smoked terribl7, due iao doubt . , to the fact that we had no chimmy as yet. The stove- pipe just stuck up through the roof, not enough for a good drat'tl We had to stay covered up in bed most of the time to keep warm. We hadto lie still, too, to kee p from upsetting the water pans on the bed! One more day of snow and wind, then it cleared up, the sun came out, and water started to run everywhere. The horses were O.K., much to Mother's surprise, Dad got home, and we all were thankful that we had weathered the storm without serious conse- quences. I received all my schooling in the Cohagen Elementary and |
| Axel and I were married in Dec. 1926. We took a wedding trip to Minneapolis. We got home on Xmas[...]rs to get from Miles City to Cohagen. We had lots of snow that winter! We have four children, Bill, Nick, Hazel and Ray, all of whom are married and have families of their own, having provided us with eleven grandchildren. Bill and Nick are both operating ranches in the Cohagen community. Hazel and Ray live in Miles City. We went through the usual years of drought, hail, grass- hoppers, bad winters, and a tornado in 1935. The latter destroyed all our buildings, as well as our crops, (there was a devastating hail-storm with it), and I believe if we had had the money, we would have quit the country at that time! However, our wonderful neig[...]wives came, bringing food and moral support, and in two days we had a roof over our heads again! At times like this, on[...]y may not have time, or take time, to show it all the time. Axel retired in 1960, but we still live on the ranch and he keeps busy with his hobby, cabinet work and fine carpentery. Has more than he can .do most of the time. Also he helps with the haying, and the "fixing up" and that sort of thing that is always needed on a ranch. I am busy most of the time, too. Have been clerk of the local School Board for 18 years, served on the Gar- field County Hospital Board for six years, b[...]mon- stration Club, and do some baby-sitting with the grandchildren from time to time, also belong to the Ladies Auxiliary of Ameri- can Legion in Jordan and World War 1 Veterans in Miles City. Axel was a member of the Garfield County Draft Board for several years, County Commissioner for six years, and served on the local school board for 12 years; belongs to the Veterans of World War I organization in Miles City, and the Masonic Lodge in Jordan. Clauson Ranch[...] |
| [...]E. Woodard & Mrs. Clauson Fred Reed, "Taller Eye" the horse, J.B "Dad" Reed, Jess.e Boorse. 1923. Chil,d unknoen. "Dad" Reed 1 a Store, Cohagen. Clauson Heme after the |
| [...]arrand Garfield County Rospi~ & Operated the Hospital Garfield Countys Amb[...]vice to the patrons of Garfield County within the county. It was purchased by the Lions Club with donations[...]ram Karie & Jim Waite & Betty & Leo Smith. The Waites took over the hospital after the Smi tbs • The Hospital Board |
| [...]Jordan Elementary School Years ago before the white peop le crune to what is now Jordan, Montana t he Sioux and the Crow Indians were believed to have inhabited this part of the country. It is said that Sitting Bull, a Sioux Chief, had a crunp near the place where the VFW Hall now stands. Mr. Arthur J . Jordan, for whom the town is nruned, crune to Dawson County in 1883. He built his home here and later brought his wife here in 1894 when he permanently made his home here. It is said that the first school in Jordan was organized in the late 1800 1 s. The first teacher was a man known as "Professor" or Society Brown who taught in the o1d dug out below what is now the Old Folks Home. The next school was a log building which had been Mr . Jordan's Store and was located some place along the creek bank across from Sterling Wille 1 s trailor court. This was in 1903 and the first and only children attending were the Broughton and Jordan Children . Some say that Professor Brown taught the little flock also. It seems as though Mr . Brown taught school by day and ~ended bar at night. The third building was a frrune building that was located at the present site of the school grounds. This building was later moved when the newer building was built and is now the Rio Theat- er in Jordan, after having served its purpose as both E[...]High school building. This new building was built in about 1903 or 1905. It is said that one of the first teachers in J ordan fell in the Big Dry. As the student enrollment increased there was a greated need for larger school buildings . In 1930 a new building was built. They moved into it during Christmas vacation with Mr.Rice as the new Superintendent of Elementary & High School . In 1914 Elha Louise Erickson crune to establish the first High School in Gar- field County. On April 26,1919 School District No. 1 of Garfield County was made from School District No . 16 of Dawson County. The first appointed bo a rd of trustees were: John Cavan,Sterling West , Myron T[...]son , and L. H. Tooley. Others who have served on the District No . 1 board are : Mr. Matt Leuschen, Dr[...]ollefson, George B. Hart and Chet Wilson, as well a s the present board who are Carl Harbaugh, Jr., Charle[...]one Elementary school running today, and that is the one in Jordan . In this area the following schools were running at one time or another: McDo[...]erson , Sand Creek , Indian Creek school and with the abandon- ment and annexation of other districts to District No. 1 has a cqui red t he following schools; Harbaugh, Lang Forks, Castle Butte , No:[...]el 6on, Shook , Lone Tree , and Hell Creek. Some of the pers ons who have taught here a re: Charles Ab'?ott, Mrs. L. H. Ni ckey, M[...] |
| [...]Gina Steb- bins (Foster) and many others. At the present our little flock has grown to an enrollment of 175 pupils and there was a need for a larger school building. The new Grade School was errected in 1966 with 8 classrooms and a Library as well as a Multi-purpose room where the lunch program is served. The present teaching staff consists of; Mr. Phillip Ward, Sr ••• Principal, Mrs. A[...]lementary School with Garfield Co. High School in background 1947[...]n's First Grade Teacher for a number of years. Mrs. Patterson is now retired but still lives in Jordan. Mrs. Mildred Hooker taught upper grades in Jordan |
| [...]Creek School Garfield County was created in April 8, 1919. Be fo re that Geneva Highland mentioned she taught the But te Creek |
| [...]19.5.3 Originally there were three schools in this district, but only one is still running. The Castle Butte School, the Hell Creek School which was located near the Missouri River, and the North Star School on the Hell Creek road. When the district was first laid out it went all the way to the Missouri River. Later it was cut down to make two districts, 36 and 8• then in 1953 District J6 ag~in joined ristrict no. 8. It seems as though the first teacher at Castle Butte lf&'8 Ruby Winfield in 1922. One of the trustees was Mr. John Trotter and the first clerk was Mr. Sleighmaker. Mr. Stinebaugh and Mr. McCay were two of the first school board members. The enrollment for this year (1953) is seven pupils in five grades. This is a one teacher school. The Castle Butte School was named for the rocky buttes behind the school. Hell Creek was so named because of the rough country and its hardships to get to the mouth of the creek. The people who settled here earlier had> for the most part, log houses or dugouts, tpough a few had sawed lumber houses. Most of the recreation was rodeos and dances. Mr. and Mrs. William Baker were scae. of the early settlers in this area. When they first settled here Mr. Baker[...]gons between Ingamar, Jordan and Miles City. In the early days the farmers used horse drawn implements. They used to plow their lands with a horse drawn plow. They would walk through the the fields and sow the seeds then they would harrow it and hope for the~best. Now they plow their lands with tractors and new kinds of implements and put in their seeds with modern drills. This area is[...]ng lands but there has been some drilling for oil in this neighborhood. (The above story was written in 1953 and since this time all three schools have[...]1, Jordan.) Harth star School Da:,a[...] |
| [...]t home oka y . Gr andma didn't go to sch oo l for a whole week because h er ankle wa s so sore . That was her last year at the East Uall School , but she says it seems just like yes~erday th a t she and the other kids said goodbye at school. A lot of water has run in that creek since. Fanny, Grandma's special sadd l e mare , used to swim in it with Grandma hanging on for dear l ife, but she says they had fun toot The teachers that taught the East Ual l School since she left are ones that Gr[...]Franc es Peterson who taught during 1922-23, bu t a real good friend ) who was m.arried to Grandma's brother And r ew, in the summer of 1926, taught the 1926-27 term. Mr. Charlie Roll taught from 1930-31. Mr . Roll was a teacher from Indiana. From 1931-32, Mr. Go[...]hern halve s o.f' sections twenty-four, thirteen, a nd fo urty- three . They bad three daughters that came from Mi nnes ota. The house where Johnsons used to live is now two rooms of Grandma's present home. Miss Ruth Olson taught again in 1932-33. (Remember she taught the term of 1923-24.) Mr. Charlie Roll taught again a nd this time he taught two terms. He taught during 1933-34 and 1934-35. He married Della Peterson in the summer of 1934. De lla wa s a nurse at the Holy Rosary Hospital of Miles City whe re she r eceived her training . She is a sister to Gladys {Pe terson) S trand , who was ma[...]ma's broth er, Andrew. Grandma says it seems like a family album to her, as t hese last teac hers are related to each other. In the winter of 1934-35, Charlie an d Della were coming f rom Andrew Stra nds and got stuck in a c reek . They had to walk one and a half miles to the East Ua l l Scho ol and De l la froze both of her legs c l ear to the knees. From h ere on, Gra ndma s ays, about the teac her, someone else will have to f i ll 1n for he r because the school later on was closed for a number of yea rs a nd time has slipped by . She h e rself j ust had he r s ix tieth birthday on t he ninth of March. Sh e has t h ree da ughte r s, one son, an[...]. East Uall School |
| [...]e it home okay. Grandma didn't go to sch oo l for a whole week because her ankle was s o sore . That was her last year at the East Uall School, but she says it seems just like yes~erday that she and the other kids said goodbye at school. A lot of wa t er has run 1n that creek since. Fanny, Grand[...]r dear life, but she says they had fun tool The teachers that taught the East Ual l School since she left are ones that Gr[...]ranc e s Peterson who taught during 1922-23, bu t a real good friend ) who was m.arried to Grandma's brother And r ew, in the summer of 1926, taught the 1926-27 term. Mr. Charlie Roll taught from[...]thern halve s o.f sections twenty-four, thirteen, a nd fourty-three . They had three daughters that came from Mi nnes ota. The house where Johnsons used to live is now two rooms of Grandma ' s presen t home. Miss Ruth Olson taught again i n 1932-33. (Remember she taught the term of 1923-24.) Mr. Charlie Roll taught again a nd this time he taught t wo terms. He taught during 1933-34 and 1934-35. He married Della Peterson in the summer of 1934. Della was a nurse at the Holy Rosary Hospital of Miles City where sh e received her training . She is a siste r to Gladys (Pe terson) S trand, who was ma[...]s bro t h er, Andrew. Grandma s ays it seems like a family album to her, as t h ese last teac hers are related to each other . In the winter of 1934-35, Charlie an d Del l a were coming f rom Andrew Strands a nd got stuck in a c re e k . They had to walk one and a half miles to the East Ua l l Sch ool and Della froze both of her legs c l ear to the lmees. From here on, Gra ndma says, about the teac h er, someone else will have to f i ll in for he r becaus e the school later on was closed for a number of years an d time has slipped by. She herself j ust had he r s ixtieth birthday on the ninth of March. She has thre e da ughte r s , one son, a nd e ight grand- ch ildren. Written by Diana[...]. East Uall School |
| History of School District #10 By Eloise Cocke, An[...]& Fdmund Cocke Prior to the year of 1919, when Garfield County was created, the area now |
| Students came from the families of Jarden, Calk, Whitmers, Pat Murnion, Romonoff, and Farrington. Some of the clerks of District #5 were Ann Ebin«er. J.L. McKinney, Jam[...]alk, and Bert McAntire. This school was abandoned in 19 42 and students from this area then attended the Jordan School. One early day school told of by Mrs. Tripp was called the Cottonwood school, so named because of its building material, which was: located on the Steve Fork Creek near the Ebinger place. This school first used only logs a[...]Antire and Maude Miller. No records are available in Garfield County on this school. In 1938 when the Pat Murnion family moved to their present locatio[...]oungsters and no school. This necessitated moving the Freil School house into their yard and joining it to District #10 under the new name of the Big Dry School. Teachers for thls school were Mrs. Strand for seven years and Mrs. Francis Hunter for the last two. This school was then moved west on the highway near the Bill Dutton ranch when their youngest child,Billy began the first grade in 1954. The year before this Mrs. Bill Button taught their ol[...]lroy taught 1959-66 Miss Laura Vista 1960.. 61 at which time the Big Dry School closed. Students here beside the Dutton's were Alan Hooker and Miles Phalen. The year 1954-55 there were three Gjarde boys who lived on the Abe Jarden ranch. Now to return to the first District #49. Records show a Crown Butte School which may have earlier been known as Twin Butte School. Under the latter name in 1917 according to Bob Cozzen, teachers were Mamie McKeever, Mabel Glass, and Ethel Thomas. As Crown Butte the only teachers on record were Mrs. Alice (Mahoney)[...]-25 and Elizabeth Malone 1925-26. 1-924 saw the Steve's Fork School opened in the new church at Steve I s Fork with Miss Francis Peterson as teacher and followed the next year by Mrs. Mary Hetherington. In 1925 a store fornerly owned by Ollie Edsel was turned into a school building and Georgia Hampton Farrington was the teacher. Following down through the years the teachers were Harold Davis, Evlyn Sparlin, Elaine[...]. Cora Weeding, Rose Farrington, and Edith Larson in 1934-35 at which time the school was closed and District# u9 ended. Student[...]ton, Betty Wheatcroft, Eva Jones, Gertrude Wille, the Danley youngsters, Searls, Irma ~cKinney, and Roy Edsell. Students now had to attend the Jarden school four miles east. The Jarden School closed in 1942' and opened again in 1946, this ti~e under District #10 • In 195~ the Saylor School opened under District #10. School was held in Grandma Hetherington I s house • Ronnie and Irene Saylor were the pupils. · Bob Wheatcroft, John Wrig[...] |
| In 1958 just before New Years scho~l was started at the Jarden School again under District #10. School was opened for the Boone Whitmer family and the teacher was Gerald Johnson. In 1959 George Wheatcroft was in 3rd and Bradley Wheatcroft was in 1st grade. The teacher was Mrs. Pederson for six weeks. For a short interval there was no school and then Mrs. Margaret Kruse finished out this year. In 1960 Mrs. John Hanson taught until Christmas and retired and then Mrs. Florence Connors finished this year. The only students were George and Bradley Wheatcroft and Thomasine Nelson. Miss Vi Pearson was the first teacher at the new Steve's Fork School in 1961. This saw the new first graders Andeen Schofield and Scott Wheatcroft. In 1962 Mrs. Glenda Maek was here for two weeks and Mrs. Floyd Lineaweaver finished the year. Students were George, Brad, and Scott Wheat[...]rted theifirst grade. Jane and Linda Slayton came in dl,lring the year. Mrs. Mack killed two rattle- snakes with a pistol in one day. One of these was killed on the steps. Lois Michelson Gackle taught for the next two years. She had the same students as the year before with the addition of Tommy- Nelson. Mitch Nelson graduated in 196 4 and George Wheatcroft graduated in 1965. Deis Caauwe taught in 1965-66. Students were Bard, Scott, and Richard W[...], and Jane and Linda Slayton. Eloise Cocke taught the next three years with the same students and Bill and F.d Cocke. Bill and Brad graduated in 1967. Jarie and Linda Slayton went to town to school the last year. Down through the years since 19~ there have been a total of 16 schools. People who came to this country new tl.d find it hard to believe that Dist. #10 which covers approximately 249, t acres, has down through the years had a total of 16 schools and was once f e separate school distr[...]Mrs. Lula Crenquist, and anyone who contributed in District #10, history. Robertson School by Sally Fitch |
| [...]strict No. 15 - Van Norman School Back in 1927 the first school that was built in District No. 15 was known as the Van Norman School. It was built by Harley Bigelow with the help of his two boys, Earl and Ralph. That was about twenty-five miles east of Jordan, across the Big Dry Creek from Newell Hoversons. Mrs. Jim Wiseman was the first teacher in the new building. Seems they held school for a few weeks in Hoverson's bunkhouse while awaiting completion of the new building. This school was in full swing until 1947. Some of the children who attended here were: The Jack McRae Children, Katherine, Robert, John, Mary Ellen, George, Bruce and Jackie; the Newell Hoverson Children,Martha,Melvin Francis, Bill, and Richard; The Roy Ferguson children, Shirley and Gale; ~lmer Haight, son of Jim Haight, Harry B. Ross Jr, son 6f Harry Ross; Mary Margaret Whiteside, daughter of The Carl Whitesides; the Grayson Mills children, Lucille, Randall and Theodore; and the Billy Maxwell children, Alex, John and Hugh. This district was fairly small until the late 30 1 s when Dist. 28!Billings School) No.38[...]r Creek School) were annexed to District No.15, (which at one time was called Wild Horse School •• I[...]ny other names before becoming Van Norman). In 1947 there were more children in the eastern end of the district (old Billings School) as a vote was taken to move the school to the Billings school site. The vote carried, so neighbors were busy tearing down the old log building and getting a found- ation for the new school. By September 1947 the Van Norman school was ready and Evelyn Billings opened the doors to nine eager faces. Some of the youngsters who have attended this school since it[...]e and Reggie Stone and Jimmy Hoverson. Some of the teachers who have taught in the Van Norman School since 1927 are as follows: Mrs.[...]ie Ashley, Irene Milroy, and Miss Pat Frady. Some of these taught more than one term. Some of the persons who have served as Clerk of the Board here are Bille Mills, Mrs. Eleanor Haight,[...]strict No. 15 now cov ers about 322 square miles. The pres- ent school building is not too large, about 26 ft and 16 with an entr~ way. There is also a teacherage with 2 small rooms, The original building came from Max Capwells homestead. At that time it was -t the Viall School for-a teacherage and later moved down[...] |
| to the school at its original site and in later years again moved to its present location. (The above history of School District No.15 and Van Norman schoo[...] |
| [...]Keplerville, Montana The Viall school is one of the oldest in the county. The first term of school was held in a bunkhouse at the John Viall home in 1910. Miss Veronica Saylor (sister of the late Saylor Brothers of Brusett, Montana) was the first teacher. She receiv- ed thirty-five dollars a month salary and the term of school was four months. The children of the Charles Kerrs', John Milroys 1 , John Osborns',[...]Heisels 1 attended school. While a schoolhouse was being built about a mile south of the Viall home and sixteen miles east of Jordan, school was held at the Heisel home. Attending school were: Inez Heisel, Hirth Mahoney, the Kerr, Milroy and Osborn children. The Viall schoolhouse was the s~c~nd frame school building built in this part of the county. Miss Hazel Lamphere was the first teacher in the new building. During the first terms ot school some families came from great distances and lived at or near the school, some in sheepwagons and tents. In nineteen fourteen or fifteen, the children won a contest and received a water fountain as their prize. That same year a petition••• signed to have a nine month term of school,also to establish a school district separate from the Jordan district. Both petitions were approved, making this the second school district in this part or Dawson County. In 1919 Hirth Mahoney and Floyd Osborn were hirea, for throe dollars, to re~air the school-yard fence. During the twenties Max Capwell 1 a ~mestead shack was bought and moved to the school for a teacherage. In later years it was moved to the Van Norman School, where it is still in use. The first appointed school board members were: Will W[...]sborn, and Russel Horning. During the nineteen thirties the Broadview Diatrict was consolid ated with this district. In later years diatrict 38 was consolidated with the Van Norman school district,number 15. There was no school at the Viall School for several yeara. It was reopened in 1944 with Mrs. Nellie Kerr as teacher. Mrs. Fern Schrillreff taught the last three terms of school that were held in the Viall schoolhouse in 1955-1957. Now some of the children ride on the school bus to Jordan. Many g ay times were had at the schoolhouse. School programs, parties, dances, b[...]es. District and State Elections were held there. In later years Church Services were held Sunday afternoons. A few humorous incidents occurred. In 1912 one neighbor, w}-:-" '.·. ou.gh+: 1 t was t[...], t ' -:• ... ·: : .. nc schoolhouse to within a half mile of his house• The schov~ boa1d heard of this, the next day they made him move it back to its original location. In 1920 a woman, who was a widow and owned a ranch,taught the school. She had a hen setting on eggs in a box in the corner or the schoolroom. The setting hen didn't disturb the pupils~or did the pupils disturb the setting ben. It isn't known it anyone[...] |
| counted the chickens before they hatched., but the new chickens were probably very intelligent little birds as they attended school until the end of the term. Though abandoned, the schoolhouse, near Mahoney's place, "Sits by the side of the road a ragged beggar sunning." It has been kept in repair. The only change made was during the twen- ties. The windows were taken out of the north side of the build- ing so that the children couldn't watch the teams and cars go by. In later years the highway was built on the south side of the schoolhouse; the youngsters could watch again. Rilla B[...] |
| History of School District No. 16 District No. 16 was originally included in District No.104 of Dawson County which also included what is now District No.15 and 16, and part of McCone County. There seems to be some confusion over who were the trustees at that time. Apparently they were George Donaldson, John Milroy and Charles Kerr. At the beginning of the year, in 1915, they decided to call a bond election to build a school called the "Pioneer Schoolu. The first teacher of this school was Miss Halle Seeds. Miss Kate Doerfloer was hired to teach the Spring Creek School. In 1917 there were three school operating. They were Timber Creek, Coal Bank and Taylor Creek. In 1915 the school census shows fifty-one children of school age. In 1919 teachers in the district were G. Nickols, Nora Leibole (Gibbs) and Mrs. M. H. Willard. C.M. Spooner was district Clerk. The trustees were R.H. Biglow, P.J. Nichols and H. G. Hills. Wages fer teachers wer~ $84.oc per month. One of the first teachers at Taylor Creek was Rellia G. (Don[...]e were 14 pupils enrolled there that year {1917). The amount paid the teacher that year was $433.00 for the year. The pupils furnished their own books and t he school had one borrowed dictionary. Some of the other early trustees whose families still live he[...]sch, James DeBock, and Jacob Schlepp. Back in 1914 before any of t hese school were established Gene Miller was running horses at the Hat X ranch for the 44. He had a gr~l and Milo Hammond and his brother lived near there. Mr. Miller found a woman to teach these children. The woman was an elderly lady named Miss Dalton. She was supposed to be a sister of the famous Dalton Gang. In 1917 and 1918 Miss Nora Leibole (Mrs. Roy Bibbs) taught school in Carrie LaPine's homestead shack. It was then District No. 104 and part of Dawson County. The next year Garfield Co. wa s formed. She taught for two years in the new Timber Creek School. The land for the new school was bought from the Northern Pacific Railroad. Some of the children who were on the school census in 1919 and are still living in this area are: Earl Bigelow, Anna and Daniel and[...]ke Schlepp, Margaret E. DeBock and Maxine LaPine. In the old days the men of the neighborhood hauled the wood and coal and the pupils furnished their own textbooks. The men were Paid $4.50 a load for the coal and $ 7.00 for wood split. By 1925 the school was cl ose d because there were no more pu[...]homas started school she had to go eipht miles to the Soda Creek School in McCone County. Her dad t~ok her over in a buggy on Monday morning and brought her back on Friday. The teacher, Mrs. Bill Tracy and her husband kept childr en there at school just like a dormitory. Maxine {LaPine) Milroy also stayed t here. In 1926 the Timber Creek schoo} ·,-1as 0pened again and conti nued until 1934 . The building was b--..rnc tj down in 1930 . School was held in t he teacherage . until a ne w bui ld i ng was built. LaPines, Betty (Gibbs[...]were son e who attended school at thi; time. Some of the te achers were Lorraine ~ayer, Miss Rose P[...] |
| Grace Hammond. Mrs. Pierson ¥as the sister of Dan Kelly who is still in Miles City. The Childre.a..al.l rode horseback. There were sometimes ten horses in the seb.ooi yard. Sometimes a horse or two would decide it didn't want to be caught and those mounted would run the unruly ones into the barn. Two of the horses were all little brighter or had attended school longer and could open the gate at which time the kids would dash out the school house door and try to get to the gate before the other hoEses made their escape In 1934 the school was again ~losed because there were some in each family to enter High School. The families moved to Jordan or Circle during the school terms. In 1930 the Gibbs School was started. It was west of the Roy Gibbs ranch. Those attending were, Betty, Leroy, Gerald Gibbs, some of Jay Gibbs boys,Pauline Bigelow, Blla and Eloise Hastings. It was later moved east of the Gibbs ranch closer to Bigelows. The teachers were Mrs. Peterson, Arleen Engdahl, Jerry Bascom and Ole Hull. The school was closed in 1938. In 1939 the Timber Creek School (Flowing Wells} lots and well were sold to the State Highway Department for $250.00.The school buildings were sold to someone at Vida and moved there. About 1947 school was held in the house at Flowing Wells for the Kountz children. Dell Grimes taught and her boy w[...]Our present Flowing Wells School was started in 1957. On June 13,1957, Trustees; John Bollinger, Bill Helm and Elmer Liebelt agreed to buJ a building rrom Kingman Hedstrom. It was moved to the present site. Jeannette Anderson was the clerk. Esther Hedstrom was the first teacher. Swede and Esther Hedstrom gave a dance in their Quonset to raise money for the playground equipment. Other teachers at Flowing W[...]arbara O'Dell, and atµ-esent Irene Milroy. Clerk of the district now is Helen Gibbs, and the board members are Bill Helm, Elmer Liebelt[...] |
| A look Back from the Future at the Purewater School & School District No. 16. One Sunny day in New York City on February 5, 1998, I waa walking down the street and met an old classmate, Ann Losinski.[...]ve some coffee and pie with me. After we got to the cafe and got sat down we got to talking about t~e old school days. Ann asked me if they had torn the school house down. I told her that somebody sai[...]our other school mates get together and find out the history of our old school and child- hood community. We finally decided on February 17, 1998, tor the date of this meeting. When the day arrived we all met in the old community where we were born and raised. Amon[...]Helm and Linda Helm. We were all ready to start the search for information. We went around the community talking to old timers, looking up fact[...]School District No. 16 was originally included in District No. 104 of Dawson County, which also included what is now Dist. No. 15. A few ot the trustees at that time seem to have been John Milroy, _who migrated to eastern Montana from Scotland in the year 1898 and George Donaldson. By 1900 Ga[...]e and more new sett- lers and more children were of school age. In 1915, the district called a bond election to build a new school. The new school was to be called the "Pioneer". No one today seems sure of its exact location. A Miss Halle Seeds was the first teacher of the "Pioneer" School. A number of years later, the Spring Creek School was built and Miss Katie Doerloer ·was hired to teach at a sum of $84.00 per month. In 1915 school census showed 51 children of school age in District No. 104 of Dawson County. Many of these children, however, didn't go to school, and some effort was needed to see that most of them attended school regularly. On May 26,1916, the old District No. 104 was divided and District No.[...]l i es. By 1917, three school were built in this district. One called Timber Creek, located on the McCone and Garfield County boarder, was taught by G. Nickols. The Coal Bank school was taught by Nora Leibole. The Taylor Creek School, now known as the Purewater, was located along the Little Dry Creek and was first taught by Mrs. M.H. Willard. In 1917, the Taylor Creek school was taught by Hilla Mack, bet[...]ere 14 pupils enrolled. Tay1or Creek, like the other schools of the good old days, was not much like our schools today. They never had electricity for lights, a telephone, nor any of the modern conveniences of today. They had n o desks and used benches along the walls to sit on. Another thing that we now have and they didn't have are enough books. Because of the lack of paper, the children did most of the work on the board. The only thing they had tor a play- ground was a stride. A stride was a long pole,reaching about 15 feet into the air. At the top was a round bearing with chains hanging from it. All the children would -hold onto a chain, run i'- |
| and jump into the air and swing around the pole. Later, this instrument was changed into a merry-go-round. The stove used was little more than a bunch of iron. It was shaped in form of a cone and laid in a large sand box. This stove used coal or wood which had to be carried from a coal shed. The children usually rode porseback or walked to school. Many of the pupils were the families of the early trustees. Mr. C.M. Spooners was the first clerk of District No. 16 in 1919. We are not sure where he came from or if he is still living. The first trustees seem to have been: R.H. Bigelow, P[...]P.J. Nickolfa homestead was located about a quarter of a mile from the present location of John Bollinger's place. His place was on~e in site of the Paris Post Office. We are not sure where he came[...]Jay Gibbs came to Montana from North Carolina in the year 1903 and homesteaded on the place where Roy Gibbs now lives. Ro7 and Jay homesteaded together. In 1917, Jay sold his share to Roy and went back to North CaroliJl.a. There he was married to a pretty young lady. In 1918 Jay came back to Montana and stayed here unt[...]gh high school. John Helm, Sr. migrated to the United States from Russia. He settled in Gackle, North Dakota in 1913. There he lived for a few years and started his family. Then he and his fanily moved to Montana. In 1960, tragedy hit thefamily, when Mrs. Helm passed away. John lives with his daughte r , Eva,in Miles City until his death, March, 1969. His orig[...]migrated from Russia, also. He first homesteaded in Harriet, South Dakota. Then he moved to Montana in 1915. He and his wife had five children: Gus, Dan[...], and Ann. Dan formerly lived about one mile west of the present location of the Purewater school. James DeBock was born in Crawford, Nebraska, on May 1, 1890. He moved to G[...]Frady now lives. Jacob Schlepp migrated to the United States from Russia in 1911. He formerly lived where William Helm presently lives. Atter the dry 3o~s he moved to Vida,Montana, then on to a place in California wnEtr~ ne 'lived until his death. The people of the community felt the need not only for schools, but for a place of worship, also. So they decided to build a church. They called it the Newdorfer Lutheran Church.It is located about 1/8 mile west of the Purewater school. Charles Webber was the first minister of this church. This church was Webber's home until a substantial church could be built. A build- ing was erected, named and still stands to ser~e the people of the community. After visit i ng with the people of the community, we regret- e (3 to r t nd that so many of the old timers, who had made the history, had passed away. However deep their loss[...]o carry on and make families to carry on and make the history of tomorrow. by Ruth, Betty, Phillip,& Ann Lisinski; Linda,Ric k ,Kathy & Tom Sen-c in by -· Purewater School-- Helm; Lucille Du[...] |
| [...]18 was officially opened there were three schools in the district. There was Timber Creek School, Beaver Coulee School, and Tree Coulee School. The district included 2 townships 15 and 16 north in Range 44,E. In Timber Creek area there were the following families: Seeley Hammond, Andersons, Fergusons, C[...]Brothers, Hiram Gilmore and John Losinski. In Beaver Coulee there were Steve Zabrocki, Bert Mum[...]dex, and Ed Goff. ln Tree Coulee there were the Dee Singletons, John Morgenski, Frank Zabrocki, and Michaels. The school board was composed of Hammond, one of the Johnsons and John Jordan. John Losinski was the clerk at one time. The Timber Creek School closed when Lawrence Losinski was in the second grade and the Losinski children then moved to Cohagen to complete their schooling. There was a church one mile south of the Timber Creek School. One can still visit the graves there. The Catholic Church was located what is now about 2½ miles south of Anton Hafla's place. In the fall of 1926 the Jordan's sold their cows and bought sheep to winter. They sold in April of 1927 and in the first week of May in 1927 there came a three day storm and the Crow Rock ranch was lambing at that time and they lost about 1500 lambs. It got down to about 5 above. The snowdrifts were over the sheep wagons in the yard at Art Jordan's. A lot of the people that lived around in this area mined their coal south of what used to be the J ·ohn J ·o rdan ranch on Tree Coulee. J, B. Jo[...]50 families who got their coal from there. The John LosiI'J:Ski's mined their coal north of their home place. The John Jordan's and Bill came here in 1917 and then went back to join the service until the war was over. Then they came 1n May of 1920 to homestead. John Losinski and his wife and son Conrad came in the fall or 1916 and homesteaded on Section 8. They lived in a one room shack that winter and the next year John built the house and barn. These are still in use on the ranch. Rattlesnakes Lawrence Losinski tells of the time when his brother. Hubert, and a rattle snake took their afternoon siesta to~ether. It was the habit of the times in the summer after dinner for the men to go out in the shade on the north side of the house and take a nap. Hubert curled up and went to sleep. When Mrs. Losinski went out to get them up to go back to the fields there was a rattlesnake curled up taking his afternoon nap 1n the shade of Hubert. Too say she was shocked is putting it mildly. She backed off and thought about it for a while. She Was afraid if she tried to get her son up he would wake the if |
| snake in the process, so she finally came to the conclusion. she would have· to take her son away from the snake and tnereby in every probability save nim from a nasty bite. John Jordan tells of the time he and his family went out to clean out a rattlesnake den. John was dressed in high buckle overshoes so that he could go right in and kill them with a shovel. They killed 126 rattlesnakes that day so they filled a pound coffee can with the rattles. The exciting part about it was that the den was located in shelves of rock and you might be killing some snakes and ~here would be snakes looking you in the face at the same time. Irbne, John's and Martha's daughter, .who was about 10 at the time bent down to take the rattles or some of the dead snakes and there was a live one and they managed to grab her back just in time. Seely Hammond had a cream route and picked up cans of cream once a week and hauled it to the railroad. Tree Cou[...]ek and Beaver Coulee, also known as •Mumpower", Neuhardts, Wahls & Naaszs were among the very first families with 20-23 During the term of 1943-44, Martha Jordan supervised the planting of a |
| Dist. 45 and 18 -- Sutherland School -- The Sutherland School was built in the summer of 1919 by |
| [...]ght from 1967-68 and was from Rock Springs. In the season of 1968-69 Ingeborg Howard taught here. She was from Powder River County. The children who attended the Sutherland School from its reopening in 1964 through the spring of 1969 are as follows: Cody and Diane Taylor, 1964-1966; Ken Taylor, ~pring of 1966; Dallas Tay1<1r, 1964-1969; Tim Taylor, 1965[...]in Pluhar, 1965-1969; Sheila and Brad Field, fall of 1965; and Joy Hirsch, 1967-1969. Written by[...](As told by him) I started school in 1924 and was taught by Miss Brown in the Sutherland School, the same one I'm g oing to now in 1969. In 1925 he started the school year by staying with the teacher during the winter ~or.ths. He was pulled on a sled by a Model T Ford tha t could be bought new for $202. There were five Taylor youngsters going to school in 1936. The teacher was Geneva Car l son who was from Alabama. In 1931 Vic and Jim Taylor were about a half mile from school when Vic Taylor pulle d out a farmer's match and struck it on his shoe and it bro ¥. e. They tried to find the match head but cou l dn't, so they we nt on. They looled back and saw a fire had started. They ran about a mile to get help but the fire burned about 20 ac re s before it was[...] |
| Bud Taylor One day in about 1935 as Alvin Taylor was h e rding sheep, Tritten by Darw i n Pluh[...] |
| [...]chores but yet their schoolhouse was packed full of mice-1 Mrs. Wangberg tau~ht the school term 1921-22. Once they tried to have school in a tarpaper schoolhouse called Frohlich's homestead shack, 1n the summer. The results were wet foreheads, tongues hanging out, and the teacher, Mrs •. Marie Hovick Wangberg, having to rush the kids home before a b-ig rainstorm started. It got so hot in that tarpaper school- house that they would have to go to the north side and study in the shade. If you didn't wash your faqe in the morning when Mr. Mortimer Tibbles was teaching (1[...]en Miss Delpha Brown was teaching during 1922-23, the kids got to school and Miss Brown had forgotten to get up. It was a freezing winter day so the kids atood 1n rront of the teacherage because it was colder in the schoolhouse than it was outside. Miss Brown dldn'[...]ld?" After she was dressed she let them come into the teacherage while she ate breakfast. Wr[...] |
| Dist. 19 -- Squaw Creek School The original Squaw Creek School that was located where the |
| was called "Ik~y ~oy". He was . about my age and we had a flaming romance going on. She stayed with Tripps. She ana the girls drove to school in a lumberwagon ana horses every day. It was very nice for the girls. I know that· the Trippe appreciated her very much. We must of been little hellions, be~ause we very seldom kept a teacher more than one year, it seems. The next year, though, we di~ have a returnanoe when Edna Gallup came back. Like most of our teachers, though, she too married off the next summer an• her teaching says were over. O[...]ing smaller ana smaller, also more tamer because the boys were graduating. When Ann Turner came the next year, ther• were about two boys and four girls _left. She was well liket1 and! believe most of us flourishea in learning while she was there. We got aof course the young men •er1ni~ely beat a path to her t1oor. ·Most often on Moneay morning the stud.ents were there well ahead of the teacher. I can remember o.ne morning she was late. It wa.s early in the spring right about ·the _time it startee thawing geoe. Her boy- friene hat1 an old car that woule be the envy ot many of our young people today, because it now would be[...]but it ran well. I suppose it had been built out of several olt1 cars, an• for a seat they had a gas barrel. They came along th1!11 o·ne so~t of sidling place anll the darn thing completely tippej over _into the coulee. That phased them very little because they[...]- tinued their journey • . They · were really a mess when they got to school. Miss Fatur t11dn 1[...]e, we kies re~lly razzed her good. I believe most of us got a shaking before the day was over. The school was sisbaneed that year and was held one more year 1-n the Tripp bunkhouse. George Tripp had a 'serious operation and couldn't riee to school. The Shawvers were having to move on account of health rea- sons. When . the school started, three of us girls stayell with Tripps but when Shawvers went to Calitornia, tn.ey took 'GWO of the, girls along and I stayed on at Tripps. '!hat lef[...]d to play little tricks on her, like going out at the lunch hour aml getting a little bull snake and putting it 1n her desk. I will never forget the look on her face when she found the snake. There were just we two children, so we bo·th got a whipping for it. One of the big obstacles we had to contend with was the creek. More than once we had to swim our h orses at the crossing to get home. One night I can still remember the creek came eown h-1p:h and Mr. Tripp was th A only one that made it to school to see that we were all right. We all stayed in the schoolhouse all night and slept on the floor. It seemed like no matter how she tried to come in nice weather our county superintendant, Delpha Brown, always made it in the mud. We nearly always had to pull her car out of the mud or s now. She was always good natured about it an• would help us push . I can remember one time in the spring we starte• to school in the buggy, the water was very high an• the horses had to swim it, for some reason the box came off the buggy, we had to 'it. |
| jump out on the cakes ot ice ans make ~t to shore. We all got to the bank but it was the one on the other· side of home a.nd the horses got out ana went home am) our tlad ha.u to come a.no get us. He took us home ano we got dr1ea out then on to school we went, for we selaom missed school. The year that Curtis Chamberlin started to school, Glenn Graham ana George Shawver moved a cabln in for Mrs. l"'\anrb~rlin to live in. The eabin was several miles a.way and in or ■ er to bring in they has to come down this real steep hill. They[...]it still almost ran them down before they reached the hottom. The teacher stayed with Mrs. Chamberlin. We had lots of coyotes in those clays ane when Ray ana George were very sma[...]mes it was dark when they got home. Four miles is a long way for little children. One night they heard this coyote yell close by ana they ran for a cutbank and stayea there until they thought the coyote was gone, th~n ran for home. They hurried home each night after this experience. As the boys got ol der they set out traps on the way to school for coyotes. They weren't very smart in the ways of trapping and left their traps uncovered. They die, however, finally catch a coyote and were so proud of it they took it to school to show it off. Deer were very scarce in those days and one cay we founa a fawn that had fallen on the ice and had broken its leg. We took it home and tried to splint its leg but we finally haa to kill it. In all the years I attende~ school, the things I remember beRt are the games we played such as steal sticks, last couple[...]p rope. Also, I remember when spring came ans all the flowers on the s outh slopes startea to bloom. We'd go flower picking ancl wouldn't get back to school until late but the teacher enjoyed it as much as we dia.[...] |
| Long Ago at Spring Creek Once a long time back there used to be a school over east 'that was called Spring Creek, where my dad used to go; up on the hill. It was a log cabin, the first one built at that time. There were too many children so they enlarged it. They also added a teacherage so the teacher could stay there. There were four families who" lived below the hill; Wares, Richardsons, and my dad's mother, Mrs . Esther Mury . There was one family, Ryans, on the other side or the school house. They always came over to the spring to get their water. The settlement of families was called Metersville. They had mail service after a few years. Grandad Mury would ride over in the spring to bring Grandma and the children groceries. He would have to ford the creek on his horse or leave things on the other side of the creek and come back in the morning to cross before the creek came up. One night there was a real blizzard. It snowed and blew so much that the Murys couldn't get out of their cabin as it was just behind a hill. Their neighbor Jftck Richardson came and shoveled the snow away so they could get out of the cabin. A few years after Arnold Mury was out of school, Roxie Ryan and Glenda Childers were riding home from school. They heard a lot of noise up on a rock ledge so they came back to the Mury cabin. Arnold Mury went over to see what it was. He climbed a tree close by and was greeted by a mother bobcat. He got out of there and went over to Guy Sower's place to get a gun. Roxie and Glenda watched with their teacher,[...]d. Junior Sowers came back with Arnold. They shot the mo·ther bobcat which had two young. Shawvers took one and Murys took the other. Murys had theirs a long time and finally killed it so it would- n't get their chickens. The school district moved a frame building in and used the log cabin on the hill for a horse barn. One half of the build- ing was used as a coal shed. Two years ago the district moved a trailor house in two miles west of Cap Rock for which the school is named. (Sent in by Cap Rock School) John Dwane Mury, Clyde[...] |
| [...]ne Grove School 1 |
| through the weak and rode h ome aft e r achool _on Frida ys. The first year the t e rm lasted three months. - The n ex t year school - was held five mon ths. Us ually school was h eld duri ng the summer months. A very interesti ng event ha ppened about t h is time in 1910. There was a large forest fire in I daho. The s tr.oke was so thick and de nse in this area t !:"la t ~ a •r:ps TTere needed in the day time. Mary and Cha rles Phipps d id not know when it was time to go to school so the y stayed home. Al so, Charles Phipps thought the fire must be t co close to go to school, so he stayed home. Many people thought it to be very close. The fire was reported to be near the Muss e lshell River. There were only a f ew men in the country but they saddled their horses and started off to fight the fire. They couldn't locate it as it was across the mountains in Idaho. Mrs. Trotter protected her school. Somehow she back-fired a circle around the sch ool house about a hundred feet around it. Th e people still wonder[...]t get away from her. Linebarger School was in session several years before Garfield County came i nto being. The first teacher listed for the county was Elizabeth Tr otter for the summer of 1927-28. The pupils were not me n tioned. I n 1931-32 a s mall neighbor- hood school was held o~ the French plac e and taught by Susie Huston. No school was held in the immediate vicinity until 1951. The children were att ending t h e Blackfoot School until this time. If the roads or weather were bad the children couldn't make it the ten miles to Blac 1foot School. With smaller chil[...]Loomis, Catherine and Marilyn Crane this created a problem. For this reason it is understood that Allen Peterson started school at the Ph ipps home and completed it in the new Pine Grove School located near the Crane Ranch. The new Pine Grove School was located in NE¼ of SEA of Section 31 T21N Range 33 E . in 1951. District 19 had $800.00 to build a schoolhouse. That wouldn't go far if you had to buy the building materials. Alex Crane furnished tne land for a school site. The logs were cut on the farms of neighbors and were taken to the Fre deric k Loomis Farm. Here was located a mill where the trees were sa~ed into boards. These boards were used for everything exc ep t the floor, doors and window casings. Boards were planed for door casi ng s and other finished boards needed. The building of the schoolhouse was done by Frederick Loomis, Alex Cr[...]Frank and Curt1s Phipps, who d onated their work. The school was built n~ th~ $800.00. Rural electricity was installed ~n 1953. The Pine Grove School was moved to the top of the Liapple Hi l l 1n 1964 for easier accessibility. i e are still here 1n 1969. This is the history of a r ural school.[...]s: Bobby Phipps, Mary Phipps, Evelyn Ma rs t on , a nd Bon n ie Wilson[...] |
| [...]by Carol Gamber The old Liberty School history is older than Garfield County itself'. Liberty had its beginning in 1929. School opened September 21, 1929, in the old Grant Neighborhood ( nonw the Slim Hayes Ranch) with Harry Ruyle as teacher. Below is a picture or what is now the Slim Hayes Ranch: Picnic at Slim Hayes Ranch The school board members were Doyle[...]Emma Kellogg in 1929. TheT ordered the school house[...]was reported for that school year. A Census had b[...]were found to be es~ablished in that area. A school house in those days was not elaborate. Children aor teachers had indoor facilities ~nd the outhouses looked much like the picture below ( taken at the John & Esther McKnight's ranch--date unknown). Trips to and from were done in haste. Liberty School saw ntaIV" scholars pass through its doors and on out again. It served as a school for District No. 23 until September of 1938. Hard years had set in and had made funds unabtai nable to maint- ain some schools and Liberty was among these. The Depression forced ma~ families to pack up and lea[...]By Carol Gamber April 19. 1930, the Kester School caae into being. The chairman tor the board of Trustees was Doyle Kester an thft others were Emma Kellogg and F. c. Kibler. 'Their Clerk was E.C.Caldwell. A\J.ma Dage was th~ first teacher in Kester School .. Preparations were made to ready the school house tor the school term. An addition was needed tor the sch ool, so it was ruled that all work and materials were to be donated except the lumber, windows and such.. School started about March 16, 1932. School was in session almost every year except for one or two y[...]ing. District No. 3, Hell Creek• was added in the early 19)0s which brought a larger enrollment. Below are J>ictures of the first Kester school (later burned)[...]Holland; Almeada Johnson in front of horseJ Lila[...] |
| [...]ley Holland, Almeada Johnson, Barbara Gagnon The year after the first log school burned t.he district purchased the old BeBee Bottom school ( now Ed Gagnon•s garage). Leana Spears taught the students below: Raym[...]y June Anderson A band, the first for Kester School, was organized by Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Garber in 1934. Below, Kester[...]Kester, Shirley Holland. - 1934 The second school was replaced about |
| [...]r-- 1' ot the 4-H kids.- As the years went by kids[...]here was a turn-over or teachers, also. Some of the teachers or Kester School[...], Jini Bieber, and Carol Gamber. Wages began in 1929 at $90.00 per month and have climbed to $500.00 per month in 1969. Our.County Superintendents have been:[...]Jllabel Pollard and now Fern E. Schillreff. A new school house was built after the (old Hell Creek School) building caught fire. Indoor facilities are now a specialty-- except when the Electricity goes off. This building was built on the last site. The less said about the teacherage-- the better. Oh, one may take his pick of little friends if he so wishes, however---- pick[...]ants, spiders, rattlesnakes, woodticks, or flies. The rats use full De-Con boxe s for nests.[...] |
| Cohagen School District No. 27 The Cohagen school was .first started in approximately 1911. The .first known teacher was a "Setsing", but in 1911 the school was moved to Red Horse and the building was built by Ben Fleming, Sr. The students there were: Fred and Ray Red; David Garber and Carl Stoner. The school was later moved by to Cohagan. The .first persons to serve on the school board in District No. 27 were: Marion Harris, J .• J. Bu[...]nson, William Pluhar and Albert Holton was clerk. The present school board is Coralynn Clauson, clerk s[...]d Steve Dyba since 1968. Helen Nelson taught the longest in Cohagen as she taught 56 continous months in the lower grades from 1961 to 1967 when she resigned a.fter she was in a car accident in route to school. It is interesting to note that most o.f the children who are now attending school in Cohagen, this year, have parents or grandparents who have attended school in this same district at different times since 1919[...]rt. Skunk Aroya School The Skunk Aroya School was built in 1915. It was located about 12 miles northeast of Cohagan. As was the way with most of the early day rural schools when there was no longer an immediate need .for a school house in one area, the building would be moved to another location where there are more students, and this was the case of the Skunk Aroya School building. It was moved in 1946 to Duck Creek, and in 1954 it was moved back again. When the school building was being moved it was taken through William Pluhar•s yard where it became stuck in a mud hole, and had to be jacked up be.fore it could be pulled out. The teachers at Skunk Aroya were: Rolla Mack,Alice Pl[...], Chris Jefferson and Larry Dittburner. Some of the pupils who have attended the Skunk Aroya School are: The Pluhars, Ferris, Barnes, Morgans, Ra.ffen, Birdsa[...]lsthamel, Sindclair, Mergav, and Miller Children. In many of these families there are three and four generations of children who have attended this school.[...]James McWilliams) The Johnson School The Johnson School was established in the early 1920 1 s or slightly be.fore. It was located in Section 7, township 15 North, Range 41 East, with some -of the .following children attending: The Reeds, Johnsens, Jacobsens and c. Petska. |
| This school ran only a few years, from 1926 to 1930, with the following persons teaching: Nina M. Ferguson, Gladies Dodge[...]Wolf Springs School The Wolf Springs School was in District No. 27 when it open- ed in 1922. The teachers of the Wolf Springs school were as follows: Mrs. LeRoy Alexander,George Studbaker,Ruth A. Fleming, Ferral Yates, Lulu Ankerman, Ernest Biv[...]m, El Leslee G. Moyre, and Frank Moyra. Some of the Children who · attended the Wolf Springs school were: The Lagge children, Jack and Jean Griswold; Carl and Woodward Gertz; The Hanson children, Gramm children and Lily McRae.[...]Cohagan High School When the Cohagen District High School was started in 1920, Cohagan boosted a population of 25 persons. !be first High School teacher was Nelly Bly. In 1921 and 1 22 the teacher enrollment increased and there were three teachers in the High School: Carl Larson, Mrs. Esther Larson, and Mrs. Rena McKeever. In 1935 there was a tornado that struck Cohagen High School and tore the newly built gym apart. It took everything but the floor. The patrons and the board members rebuilt the Gym as Cohagen High School supported a very good basket ball team most of the years that the Cohagen High School was running. In 1937 tragedy again struck and the Cohagen Dormitory burn- ed down. The Dorm kids bad to stay in the Cohagan Gym. No one . knows how the fire started. The Cohagen High School closed its doors in the spring of 1948 and the following fall term saw the students in either Jordan or Miles City attending school. The Dorm was sold and moved to Jordan on trucks and later torn down and sold by parts. The Gym is still standing in Cohagen and is used for a community hall. Res[...] |
| [...]ing was not always an easy job. There were plenty of things to do and prepare for each days work. And of course each year the 8th graders had to be prepared for the State Examinations. The following is a copy of the Montana Eigth Grade Examination in Agriculture that was given in Garfield County, May 21,1937 and was sent in by John Fitch, Cohagen teacher.[...](Answer any 10 questions) I. Give two ways in which soils may be "work out". Give two ways in which soils may be kept from "wearing out." Give two ele- ments of the soil. II. What is the difference between winter wheat and spring wheat? III. How would you test the soil for the presence of lime? How does lime improve the soil? IV. Tell how your study of agriculture would help you to be suc- cessful in farming. V. Why are there large arid regions in Montana? How can this arid land be reclaimed? VI. Why should our forests be protected? How can the children help in protecting the forests? VII. Classify as to sheep , chickens, ca[...]eeds. How do weeds prevent crop growth? IX. Fill in blanks with correct word or words from following list Tillage, water, land,chlorophyll, 4-H Clubs, sind, silage, World Almanac, roots, Loamy. 1. The _ _ _ _ _Contains statistics of steel and wheat pro duction of the United States for the last ten years. 2. Farming is making a living out of the ____ • 3. To develop a better community spirit the f armers have organ- ized _ _ _ _ _ _ . 4. =-------cleans and impoves the soil. 5. The -,-_ _ _ _carries corn pollen. 6. Plants absorb s[...]l_____ 8. Productive soils are usually_ _ _ __ 9. The green substance of the leaves is called_ _ _ _ _ _ • lo •.,_______ provides fresh for age for cattle during the winter. X. Name four parts of a flower. What is the use of each part? XI. What are four characteristics of the egg-laying type of chick- en? What does it mean to cull a flock? XII.Multiple choice test: Underling the word or words that make the sentence true. l. Froebel was a prominent (farmer, engineer, Manufacturer!teacher[...]to drain. f 4. (Humus, Loam)is a soil that is intermediate between sand & clay. 5. A potato is composed mostly of (starch, fat, water, protein). 6 • The root hairs have (big holes,long branches,[...] |
| 7. Pollen (fertilizes, increases, feeds) the seeds. 8. The ( sugar beet, alfalfa, flax) is a forage crop. 9. Pasteurization destroys the (heat, bacteria, food value) of milk. 10.Plants br~the mainly by openings in the (bark, roots, truck, leaves). XIII. Write the letter after the correct number. 1. Capillary action is A. plant disease 2. Grarting is used to B. the tiny plant within a seed. 3. Budding is a C.live but one year 4. Smut is a D.necessary for the manufacture .of starch 5. Barberry plants_ E. produce a different fruit on a tree. 6. The embryo is _ F. contains much protein[...]one part- icle of soil to another. 9. Plants grow b y _[...]om them. 10.Gluten of wheat J. form of grai"ting. Sent in by John Fitch,Cohagen Teacher,[...]Hillside School - District No.45 |
| [...]hool District No.30 Gf Garfield County was formed in 1919 having previously been part ef District. No. 120 and 4, in old Dawson county. The first schools in the district were Dile and Blue Ridge. The Blue Ridge School was located 5 miles north of Benzien. Built in 1918, it was made of 40 ft. logs. Mrs. Ida B. Kelly was the first teacher in 1918. The first pupils were:(see picture) left to right: Le[...]there for only 5 or 6 years. There is no sign ef the u~ilding now. The Dilo School was well-constructed from building located on the North Fork of Lodge Pole, 7 miles from Benzien, It was in use up until 1959 and it is still standing. Mrs. L. H. Lindley was the fi~st teacher there in 1919. The most frequently used school in the district was the Benzien School. The original school was held several places in the area before the district was formed. Once sehool was held in the family home ef Cornetta. The old Benzien School wa~ er leg built in 1913 or 1914. It was in use until 1937. TheR a frame building was moved from the McQuiston place 5 miles away. The same building is still being used. Among the first teachers for the Benzien School were: Janet P. Rich, Mabel w. Poll[...]Gernet. Mrs. Pollard remarked that she has taaght in 5 different buildings of the Benzien Schoel. Early pupils in Benzien area were: Sam, Ruth, Lenada, Gayle and D[...]ren. I was unable to get their first names. The first trustees for District 30 were: Gibert Dedge, Elwood Gross and Walter G. Carrie. Teachers for the Benzien Scheol have been: Josie Hennessy, Ida B.[...]ald, Elaine Witt. Mrs. Rich has taught more years in the district than any one teacher. Sinee the Dilo and Benzien School were seldom open at the same time the following list of pupils may have gone to either or both s~h[...] |
| [...]Sonja Rice; and Tana Smith. Tea•h.ers for the Dilo School have been: Mrs. L. H. _ · Lindley, ([...]Irene Milroy, and Nina MeDowell (1958-1959). The O'Connor school was opened in 1953 in a building near the O'Connor house. Pupils attending this school w[...]rol sTone; Sudie Knutson. Mrs. Stone taught there the first year. Other teachers were~. Carrie McCay, I[...]lliaas, Flera Lindinfield, Earl Thomas. When the district was formed the teachers• salary was $85.00 a month. They have gradually increased to $475.00 a month. Population in the district in 1919 may have been around 400. Today the population of the same district is around Jo. There was a post office at both Benzien and Dilo. At one time Benzien had a grocery store and a newspaper with several subscribers. At one time t[...]Benzien school. Today there are 4. There was a school near the McQuiston place which may have been the Twin Buttes School. I could find no ether in- formation on this. People who contributed i[...]Witt and Jeannette Themas. Frank Witt contributed the photograpk or the Blue Ridge School.[...] |
| [...]District -32- In 1919, District 32, had 5 schools-[...]& Graham. Eone. .Tree 1933[...]eenridge 1953 |
| [...]istrict No. 33-- Pitzer & Haf'la Schools The Pitzer school was established at Wason Flats with. Paul- ine Hammond as the first teacher in 1925-26. Hazel Anderson taught the next term. then the Pitzer school was moved or the name changed and called the. Haf'la School tor one year. but was renamed Pitzer School in 1928 and remained as thus until it closed in 1964 or 65. · The Haf'la School located near Jo'e and Anton Hatla homes. Some of the children who attended these two schools were the following:the Sloans. Hat"las. Erlenbusches. Scbmidts, Dybas. Sindelars. and Pluhars. Some of the school board members for District No. 33 were: Ch[...]'· v · Some of the clerks were: Mrs. Frieda Ullrich. Louis Witchie,[...]K. Schlepp. Mr. J.K. Schlepp has served |
| HISTORY OF SCHOOL DISTRICT f 40[...]rothea Davis Hallberg There were two schools in this district. Namely Unity School located in section 29- township 14- range 34 and Fairview School, section 3, township 14-rangeJ4. The first record of the Unity School, as I, Dorothea Hallberg, can find i[...]. I am assuming that they were among teachers i n the s e schools. The only rec cl l0ct i on t~1a ·c I h a v-0 0f Unity 3chool was the two months, October and November of 1920, with my mother, Nellie M. Davi s as teacher. We walked to this school, which wa s just one mile east of our homestead. I was too young to be enr olled bu[...]Fairview School was loc ated just 7½ miles north of Unity School. I also atte nded this school with Christine Renschler as teacher in the term of 1924 & 1925. Among mem~ers of the school boara during the years were: James Day, G. W. Johnson, Nellie M. D[...]r this aistrict. This district was abandoned in the year of 1935; as the children had moved a way or gone to high school. For those who read this and wonder in what part of Garfield county these schools were located; they were south about 14 miles from what is now known at the John Hooker ranch. ---if~-- -[...] |
| School District No. 42 When the Sand Springs District was organized in 1919, it was District 48 of Dawson County, later changed to District No. 42. The first trustees were W. H. Searl, Richard Wilson and Samuel Carr. The district number must have been changed in 1919 as the records also show trustees in 1919 as being William O'Dea, John Gordan, and Geo. Otte. Fred Allen was clerk. Some of the children there were: Thomas and Mary 0'Dea; Veron[...]dna and Raymond Thompson. District No. 42 is a very large area. It is composed of many smaller early day districts. There were ten schools in what is now know as District No.42. They are as follows: Sand Springs School The Sand Springs school is located near the Sand Springs store and Post Office. Some of the teachers of the Sand Springs school were as follows since 1919 to the present time; some taught more than one year and some only parts of a term: Hallie Donaldson Mrs. J. G. Foster Sarah Larson Mrs. Lucie Milam A. Elaine Gauderman Doris Gray Nelle Stinson K[...]er Lois Caauwe Patrick Fitzgerald The salary of the first teacher was $75.00 per month. Now the Sand srrings teacher is paid $450.00 and the Calf Creek tea- cher gets i425.00 per month. With costs of everything rising, wages should be higher. Mitchell School This school was located south of Sand Springs. The Mitchell School, District No. 14, was at first known as the Snowbelt school District No. 88. The teacher there in 1919 was Lula Freeman. Other teachers at Mitchell[...]sie Huston Mary Page Eline Warner. In 1920 District 14 was organized from the District No.88 of Dawson Co. District No.14 was discontinued in 1939 and was annex- ed by District No.42. Some of the children who attended the school were: The Robertson children, Deeks children, Clara Buss, Raymond Beecher, The Dory children, Rugy & Irene Cox,the Thomas Children and Keith Dory. Bright View School |
| not aware that such a school existed. The first teacher was Musa Stephenson. The board trustees were Wyatt Bright,James Kennelly and Christ Nelson. The clerk was Robert E. Mullarky. The terms of this school were never certain since school was only held when there was a teacher available. The school building was a homestead shanty that was abandoned by a man named Aaronson. One of the school terms had Mrs. Fern Hetspath as a teacher and ran for about three months in the summer. The students who attend- ed were three Meckel children, Panny Bright, a Kennelly boy and Bob Cozzens. Tindall (Green) School The Tindall (Green) School was one of those schools that was called by many names. It was sometimes called the Green School, The Tindall School, and the Wolf School. It was located near the junction of the road from the road to the Old Jacobs place and the Benzien road. According to their information, the Tindall {Green) school building was built in 1913. The neighborhood got together and hauled the logs for the school house. An elderly gentleman was the first teacher. He had a homestead three miles from the school. In 1917-18 Mammie Nennesy was the teacher. The smallest class was in 1929-30 when Ethel Welborn had only one student. The trustees in 1919 were; W.H. Searl, J.W. Hiett and Walter Powell. A few of the families who had children in this school were Mr. Tindall, J.W. Heitt, W.R. Gr[...]ie Carr, Florence Wilson and H. Lufborough. The teachers here were Nellie Keith in 1920-21 and Mrs. Marie Hurd, Elsie G. Hill, Opal Rothwell, Ethel Welborn and in 1930 Elsie G. Hill. She became Mrs. Koepke and taught here until 1935 when the school district was annexed into District No.42 and the school was closed. Some of these schools were started before the records were kept in Garfield County and no records could be found, therefore it is hard to tell just who the teachers might have been, but from the files we have found the following information: District No. 20 was organized in 1920 and discontinued in 1935. Mc'I'wiggan, Canyon, Twin Buttes and Shanno[...]Mosby and I am quite sure it became District 22. Following are most of the teachers that have taught here. Mc'I'wiggan Schoo[...]ine Bowen,Anna Kleiman and others up to 1961 when the Mosby district was annexed by the Sand Springs District No. 42 are; Elaine Warner--[...]ic Allen Hazel Mack Meyer Donald Waite. All of the other districts are now i n the District No. 42.[...] |
| McGlenn School The McGlenn School was at first named Amador. It was in Dist. No.¼- The schoolhouse was moved about 1928 or 29. Mrs. Charlie Reife was one of the first teachers and other teachers were: Opal Rothwell-- Jeannette Thomas-- Carl Shogren. Some say a Walter Sullivan taught here, but I could find no[...]o was taught his 9th grade by Jeannette Thomas is a teacher in Texas. Alice and Ellen Stewart are teachers in Seattle and both married lawyers. Scott is foreman on Construction work in Alaska. Calvin drowned in Atchley Lake near Hobson, Mont. The two youngest girls,Doris and Carol are teachers.[...]armers. Ruth and Mae Robinson were also pupils at the McGlenn school. Ruth lives in Roundup and Mae Robinson Hakes lives in Forsyth. AJ'ter the McGlenn School was closed the Robinson and Barker girls attended the Mitchell School for a short time, later enrollins in the Jordan School. Stella was graduated from the Jordan High School. Calf Creek School In 1951 a school was opened for Harold and Linda Matovich. It was sometimes called the Matovich school, sometimes Calf Creek. The teachers were Katherine Stroup, Jacqueline Gilfeather, and Winona Nordahl. Mrs. Bruce Dut~on taught a Calf Creek School at her home in 1955-56. Joe Dutton moved to Sand Springs so the school closed, and Florence Amundson taught at the Calf Creek School the follow- ing year. In 1962 the Mc))aniels School was moved to Calf Creek on the Brown Ranch and the following teachers have taught here since. Carrie McCay, Ri[...]Williamson ~chool, District No. 42 In 1951 the trustees in District No. 42 moved the teacherage from Sand Springs to a plot of ground given to the school by George Williamson. This building had three rooms. Part of it· was used as a teacherage. Later a living room was cut off and another wall was taken out making the schoolroom larger. Elaine Scott and Lois Rogge were the first pupils. They and their teacher, Jeann- ette Thomas, named the school in honor of Mr. Williamson. During the seven years Jeannette Thomas taught there she als[...]eering at North Mont- ana College, and who is now in the National Guard. Craig Shaw, now married and a student at Eastern Montana College David Dutton who is majoring in Social Studies at Eastern, Jerry Robertson who is[...]ed from Eastern Montana College. She has her name in Whose Who in American Colleges.She taught two years in Jordan and is now teaching at Benzien near her home. Lois Rogge is married to Darrell Johnson, a Great Falls teacher.[...] |
| Later Calvin and Kathy Thomas attended the Williamson School until it closed in 1963. The following are the Williamson School teachers: Jeannette Thomas, 195[...]nson. Whoop-up School The Whoop-up School was located on the Musselshell River. One year it was on the Petroleum County side. The Benson, and Robert McDaniels Children attended this school. It was moved to the Garfield County side of the Musselshell. Mrs. Josephine McCleary taught from 1953 to 1956. Mrs. Delores Hill finished out the 1956 term. The school was closed. (The history of District No. 42 was prepared by Darla Rogge and Mark Gasser of the Sand Springs School, Sand Springs Montan~ with a special thanks to Jeannette Thomas,Jordan, Montana tor the large amount of information she has furnished.) Calf Creek School The history of the Calf Creek School began in the summer |
| equipment, and a science cabinet. The children published a · paper, "The Calf Creek Roundup." They made a good sum of money which they "blew• on a very fun and educating field trip to Billin·g s, Montana. During the year of 1967-68 Beth ~nn Brown joined .t he group and the Hill children tran~ferred to the Mosby School 1n Mosby, Montana. Julie also transferred to the Sand Springs School in Sand Springs, Montana. Mr. John Fitch, a local man, undertook the teaching position. The children learned that rules were made to abide. During the spring month of April we held a Kite Flying Contest and invited the Sand Springs School over. We bad a lot of fun and after we had flown the kites, we )lad an Easter Egg Hunt. John Morford graduated and now is a student 1n the Fergus County High School in Lewistown, Montana. l>u:ring this past school term, Mrs. Dale Kreider, wife of a 1ocal rancher, is teaching. We have two new pupils~ Ricky and Debra Akerley. In December we enjoyed a field trip to the late Mrs. -;r0hn Murnion•s residence near Jorda[...]ould like to thank Mrs. William J. Brown Jr., for the photographs. Galt Creek School Hou[...] |
| HISTORY OF THE MOSBY SCHOOL DISTRICT BY: Alma Rowton Mosby was named after William Henry Mosby in 1902. He was born on "Mosby" Creek near Sedalia, Missouri in 1855. While visiting an uncle near "Mosby Creek" near Cottage Grove, Oregon he married Miss Mary Ellen Dunn. In 1891 he came to Montana by team and wagon over the Rocky Mountains and settled on the Mussellshell River near where Melstone ia now. The family came later by train. A po·s t office was established at the Mosby residence and was known as Baldwin; Mary Mosby was the postmistress. The family lived at Baldwin until 1902. Then they moved farther down the Mussellshell River and again a post office wsa est- ablished at their residence. The name "Mosb1" was chosen by the United States Post Office, W3 s hington ». c. The mail was brought once a week from Melstone and later twice a week_ then three ti~~ ~ a week. People came from miles around for their mai[...]had gone to Weede, Montana f~r their mail. Later a route was extended farther down the river, to Ross. Mr. Mosby had a ferry across the Mussellshell River. Mrs. Mosby also had a saloon. An old saloon is now a community hall near Mosby. Bill Mosby was engaged in cattle and horse raising. Geologists and prospectors from the East would come out here and need a saddle horse to ride out into the hills. They didn't know their way around or how to ride a horse so the family horse"Jimmy" was assigned to them as he always knew his way back if the rider did not. The tam.ily lived at Mosby untill Bill Mosby passed away in 1913. .Mrs. Mosby later moved to Miles City and passed away in 1918. · George Gates took over the post office at Mosby and also built a store. His son, D.S. Gates, is now a veterinarian in Lewistown. In 1923 Francis Boulden took over the store and post offi~~. He had homesteaded near Mosby in 1917. Kenneth and Allan Boulden now have the post office and a filling station. In 1920 Herb Mosby built a hotel. It burned down in 1922. In 1920 Charles McWilliams built a garage and a blacksmith shop. The oil boom began in 1919. In 1921 a small refinery was built by John Hill Sr. and Lem[...]rebuilt. Later it was sold to Fred Dunlap. The Jet Fuel Refinery was organized in 1952. It was a partnership of William M. Hanlon and York Oil Company. It was organized as a means of marketing high gravity crude oil from the Cat Creek East Dome Field. The products refined are: gasoline, jet fuel, JP-4, stove fuel, diesel and heavy fuel oil. It is the only manufacturing plant in Garfield County. The first scho ol at Mosby was held in about 1903. The first teacher was tho ught to be Miss Emj_ly Henderson • Mosbys' and John Hill built the first school house. At that time the Mosby School District reached from the Missouri River to the Rosebud county line. Lemuel Rowton was one of t~e first trustees. He homesteaded near Mosby in 1906. His children[...] |
| and grand children have attended the Mosby School. In 1920 District 52 was cut out of Mosby District 20. The trustees at that time were L. E. Rowton, T. J. Gi[...]T. J. Gilfeather was clerk, and Lois H. Quinn was the county superintendent. The pupils at that time were: Easton, Russel, Lawton,[...]has been four different school sites near Mosby. The first school, which was on the Russel Rowton homestead, burned down and was rebuilt upon the hill in the cedars. School was held there several years. Then a school house was moved in on another location which was more equidistant from the families attending. In 1964-65 these pupils went to the Calf Creek School. They continued to go there until 1967. They now attend a trailer house school which is located at Mosby. The first and present teacher is Mrs. Alma Rowton. There were several schools in the original Mosby District # 20. There was the Twin Butte School. The first teacher recorded was Mrs. Katherine Bowen in 1922-23. The last teacher ree,orded was Harriet Culbertson in 1929-30. Another school was called the Canyon Creek School. Bernice M. Turner was the first teacher recorded and this was in 1922-23. The last recorded teacher was Anna Kleiman in 1926-27. Seme ot the early teachers after Garfield County was created[...]Leila Green and Anna Klei■an. Miss KleiMan was the first teacher recorded. She was recorded as teaching in 1924-25. It is thought that Mra. Iave taught in 1919-20, the year that Garfiel-d County was created. The Youderian School was thought to have been eatablished in 1920 •. The first teacher was Dorothy Wilkins. She had a home- stead in Cow Basin. She walked 1 3/4 miles to school every[...]ere. Mrs. Lenora Youderian starte4 teaching there in 1922-23. She taught for eight years, and she was the last teacher there. There are three schools in session in District 42. The re are several that have been closed. The Williamson School was taught by Jeanette Thomas from 1951-1958. The last teacher there was Darryl Johnson in 1962-63. Elaine Yane and Josephi ne McCleary taught the McDaniels School. There was a achool in Cow Basin which was called the Whoop-up School. It was held from 1953-56. It was[...]cCleary. It was supposed to have been named after a trail from Texas that went across Central Montana to northern Ranges. A partial list of teachers that has taught at the Mosby Schools are: Laura Belcher, Lucy[...] |
| [...]ome immediately. Mrs. Eline Warner taught the Mosby school at two dif- ferent times. On the first day she taught, s~u ~sk one little boy to[...]e just grinned and made no move. After repeating the request with no r~dponse, she took him outside and shook him. From then on everything went smoothly. The story that was later ~::>ld by the boy made her out as a cruel teacher. The same little boy later said, "Last year our teach[...]here is to be any crying, it will not be done by the teacher. 11 Mrs. Warner says her greatest reward in teaching is that her ex- pupils are her dearest[...]rudges. Mrs. Warner taught again at Mosby in about 1938. Her biggest problem was with their b[...]y had to train Leta Rowton not to throw her bat the minute she hit at the ball. If she hit the ball, she flung the bat back with no regards where. No one dared sta[...]one had to be alert. Mrs. Warner decided to tie a string to the bat and slip it over her wrist, but that didn't[...]turned for her second school term at Mosby that the windows were all broken out. She and the pupils fixed them, but it took a month. During this time the State Supervisor had called a meeting for the teachers of several districts to meet there. It was quite embarrassing as it was a windy day. Soon after that a state nurse came to examine the children. This was probably the first time a state nurse had come to examine children here. The first year Mrs. Kleiman taught at Mosby she had 16 pupils and seven grades. Tnis was quite a task. Even though there were so many pupils and grades, two of the pupils in the eighth grade took prizes at Jordan on the eighth grade exam- inations. The eighth graders were Pansy Shaw and Mildred Rowton. Allan Boulden, the seventh grader, took second place. Mrs. K[...]ey must have had "doggie" troubles according to a newspaper clipping which was signed by Mrs. Culbertson. The clipping read--The biped who upon Oct. 5,6'1 and 7, did pasture his "doggies" in his · neighbors :fields has'It". Not the kind he thinks he has but the . kind that even . his best relative won't mention to him. The highly advertised deodorants gudranteed to neutralize all smells :from dead fish to skunk, would be of no avail in his case, as his poapous egotism has been pampered since birth, until now, he is nought but a trouble making stink. He smells to high-heavens from the hills at the head of Calf Creek to the Mussellshell River and is an abonimation unto h[...]Montana. One parent kept his children out of school :for three months because the teacher was teaching about "breeding". They also had to stay out several months because of whooping cough. I:f one had it, they al[...] |
| [...]ls having an unusual visitor at school. There was a hole in the floor under the teachers desk. Every time everyone was quiet, a rat would come out of the hole and run around the room. No one Screamed1 There are Indian relics around Mosby; Hazel Winters, Alvin Hill, and the Benson children explored an old Indian cave in a butte near Johnny Hills ranch on the Mussellshell River. There they were unable to get to the cave entrance except by being dropped on a rope from a rock above the entrance. In the cave they found bones and bright colored beads. Their parents weren't very happy as they had heard that the cave was a burial ground for Indians who had died of smallpox. Mrs. :S:111 took the beads and burned them d·e spi te the childrens' pretests that they could be boiled instead. The children were also taken to town for small pox shots. They had sore ar•s instead of beads. The river and creeks often played tricks on people an[...]Mitchell had returned from town with provisions. The river was high so they stayed all night with John 0 1 Dea. The next morning they attempted to cross. Mrs. Butler was drowned and the team and all the provisions were lost. Russel Rewton stacked eat hay one day. That night it rained, and there was a flash flood. The creek came up and washed it all away. One teacher couldn't get home because of high water in a creek so a young man affered to pack her across. When he got in the middle of the stream he said, "Kiss me er I 1 11 drop you." This was early in the spring and the water was cold. She didn't want to be dropped! She T""':"--:----=---? In 1917 there was a big iee jam. Herb Mosby heard some- thing near hi[...]up to see what it was, an ice bleck was co•ing in his doorl Water was coming in, teoJ Dave Peterson was Tisiting th••• Dave and Herb got up on the stove and pried some boards off the roof; They helped Herbs• wife and Mamie Hennessey, the teacher upon th• roof. Taey stayed there all night. Luckily the water only got about 6 inches deep. Once C[...]lmost caught Floy Moral; Johll and Anne Hill o• the wrong side of the creek; and they could have drowned if their parents hadn't of kept hollering at them to alert them. Several hun[...]en crossed Sage Hen Creek on Kents' donkey to get the mail. One of them would. ride oTer to the other side and then turn him loose so the other could coax him back with oats. Once they persuaded Mrs. Warner to go aleng, and they got so absorbed in fishing that the donkey got away. Mrs. Warner had to sit on the hillside several hours until someone rode by and helped her across. In early days boys got rather large generally before[...]ne teacher had an embarassing experience with one of these boys. He had his feet in the aisle. she ask him to put them under his d[...] |
| In early history of Mosby, people rode many ■iles te get their mail. John Hill Jr. rode to Mosby from Lodgepole once a week to get the mail when he was only 6 years old. The round trip was 50 miles. He had an Indian pony which was branded with a picture of a crow. A hard brand to make. In order to vote, a person had to register with a regi~tration agent. John Hill Sr. was a registration agent. He went from place to place fer people to register. One winter he made a trip to Indian Creek. When he got to this man's place, there was no one there. The man had aied and it was Ullk:nown to Mr. Hill. It[...]l son John, who was about seTen years old, stayed in the barn that night. They went without anything to ea[...]aw Creek where Mr. Christianson lived, and it was a long ride. Herseback was the main means of travel in early Mosby history. No one thought anything of riding 30 miles to a dance or town. One couple eloped and went clear to Texas on heraeback with the father following close behind 1 The father was 15 minutes too late1 In 1936 it was so dcy and feed was so scarce that people had to burn the thorns from cactus so the sheep would have ■ omething to eat. In 1937 there were terrible dust storms. Sometimes there were huge rolling clouds of dust. Mos[...]Verda Aeith In order to get a school started for the children that lived on the lower Musselshell River 12 year old Knute Nordahl rode 75 miles to a town called Gilt Edge in Fer~s County to attend a board meeting. The board members knew that the people on the lower Musselshell were in a dif ferent county but they were so much impressed with Knute's ride and the request that was made that they agreed to provide a teacher and also to pay her wages.[...] |
| The first school on the lower Musselshell river opened about 1904, for the Carl Nordahl, Adams and Gilfeather children. The neighbors constructed a small log cabin across the river on what we know as the Usher place and where it is still standing. The first teacher being Miss Belcher who taught for a six-months term. During the next two ye ~rs the school was taught by a Mrs. Humphrey. There is a slight loss of memory for a few years. In about 1910 a small log school house was built on the Touhy place which is on the west side of the river. Since 3 of the 4 Gilfeather children had died of Diptheria leaving only Charles, who was too young for school. The families with school age children decided to move the school to a more central location. School was held here for only a year with Susie Kies, the teacher. Then in about 1911 the school house was moved with a 12 horse team from the Touhy place down and across the river to the Piper place where a new frame school house was being built. The school house that was moved down was first taugh[...]elding and then Mrs. Irene Bump, who lived across the river. Here the older building wa s used for a teacherage and then a woodshed while the new one was being used. This building is now part of Krmte Nordahl's house. Irene Bump opened the term in the new school house. Some called it the "Ross School" and a few called it the "Ripley School"• In 1919, the year of the formation of Garfield County, Eli.ne Warner taught. On week-en[...]e her husband would come to meet and take her to the Bart place where they were wintering some cows. That was the year oil was discovered at Cat Creek. The pupils were discussing it and one student asked, "What kind of oil is it, Mrs Warner, olive oil or Castor Oil?"[...]mineral oil!'' Mrs. ~anet Rich taught there in the fall and winter of 1926-27. One day her students were having a snowball battle with snow forts, etc. The losing "army" begged her to come out and be on their side, as the other aJ11)1' had more and larger soldiers. She protested-that she was a poor snow-baller and couldn't hit the broad-side of a barn. The little folk were tearfully insistent, so she finally joined the defense, made a soft snowball and threw it wildly in the direction of the enemy. To her horrified amazement it hit the opposing general in the eye and the battle was over! Grandma Nordahl stayed with her and took care of her littliest boy, Chuck. Her husband, Lawrence, would ride horseback 7 or 8 miles in the deep snow with pack horse loaded with supplies. She remarked about the neighborly spirit in the Ross Connnunity. They'd go to their neighbors on bobsleds in the moonlight on the ice to play cards or to a dance. I n the spring of 1927 when Ruth (Viall) Stanton was teaching, the school burned to the ground. She broke the windows out with her hands, and caught each frightened child up and threw each one out the window. The fire started in the entrance way, and the cause is unknown. She still has scars on her hands from breaking the windows. She was only about 18 years old. Then School was held in the old Piper house. Other teachers k~own to have tau[...]ss Hennessey,.Miss Kiley and Mrs. McDaniels. A li~tle log school house was built for the Long, Coon, Berry Roberts, and Keith children several miles on down the river which was called the "Shannon School." Cora (Nordahl) B~sby, K1ute and . . . . . Harry Nordahl 1 s sister, started the term t here in 1930. This school was closed in 1936-37 with 3 children, Robert & Eddie Ka[...] |
| Jac-ueline Gilfeather was the teacher. It was moved to Marcus Matoviches in ~948 for Tiny Matovich and the Marks children from across the River to attend the schoo, and Margaret ( Baucke) Olson was the teacher from 1948 -1949. other teachers at the Shannon School were Leah Lowe, Mary Sterrett and Martha Calvert. There was no school in the district from 1947-48. From 1949-50 Tiny Matovich attended school at the Benzein S~hool with this district helping with the expense. The next year school was opened at the Bob Gib sons for their children and Ti rv Matovich to attend. Fern Barber opened the term in 1950 and the last term there was in 1955-56 with Lucille Stone the teacher. Other teachers there were Janet Rich and Mary Chambers. There were no school age children the next year. From 1957-58 school was held in the bunkhouse of Richard Knapp's for their children, Georgia Simms, the Ralph Clark children, and also the Austin Barnett children from across the river. The present school was opened in 1930. The Nordahls and Dow Bowen got the logs up in the hills and built it. Dee ( Torle) MdNutt opened the school term and her sister, Winona Nordahl finished it. From 1947-1958 there was no school held in the present school house because it was being held in more convenient places for the school age children. The Ross school house was remodeled and ready far use again in the fall of 1958, and Winona Nordahl wa~ the teacher. The school is still open and Mrs. Mary Wangen is the teacher. Ted and Tom Browning, Claude and Judy Keith, and Diana Petersen are in attend~nce. Other teachers in this building have been Eline Warner, Cora ( Nord[...]Smith, Hazel Gibson and Orpha Dann. There was a School called "Lone Star" at the mouta of Lodge Pole Creek that burned down about 1917. There was another one which was built a little further up the creek and later it was moved across the river to the Nordquist place. The last school held in it, up the creek, was in 1938 and Irene (Deniger) Marks was the teacher. Some other teachers at the Lone Star school were Ruth Dodge, Louise Lampman,[...]pal Rothwell, Alma Darn, and Cora (Nordahl) Busby in the years from 1929-1938. According to records the "Olmstead School" was taught in 1926-27 by Hazel Frady. The "Anderson or Kismet School" at the mouth of the Musselshell River, according to records, had Grace Weiness as their first teacher in 1929-30 and the last teacher was Mary Sterrett, in 1936-37. In 1919, the Meeaha School up Lodge Pole Creek on the Old Barker place was taught by Carrie (Bagwell) Roberts. The pupils were Lela and Lula Forbes and Herschel Harris. Records say that Alma Darn ws the last teacher in 1934-35. The building is now being used by Marcus Mate vich as a bunkhouse. School District No. 52 was formed as it is now in 1940. The first trustees were, Knute, Harry and Oscar Nordahl and the clerk was Dow "owen. In 1920 District No. 52 was taken from District No. 20, which extended to the south of Mosby. Mrs. T. J. Gilfeather ~as the clerk and the trusettes were, L.E. Rowton, T.J. Gilfeather and David Petersen. In 1919 when Garfield County was organized what is now District No. 52 was in District 20 arrl 189. The Northern part of this was District No. 25 from 1920- 1940. A[...]Petersen & Ted Browning •• 1969- pupils of Ross School |
| HAXBY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 55 Back in abeut· the year of 1913 a lonely little iaelatea scheel was instituted, kncwn as the Haxby School, frem the naJlle of its' school district. The county seat at that time was GlenaiTe, some 120 111.iles distant. The school house was built of cotton-wood lumber, cut ana saweQ near the Lismas Ferry, the hauling and building done gratis by T. J. Norville and neighbors. There were two schools operating in the district, one on the Big Dry f&r the children of George Edwards and Jordan Slaughters, and one at the Haxby school site to accomodate the children of Halls, Morgans, Norvilles and later for Kipfs. When the new building was built in 1918 the old building was moved and John Stendal used it to live in and prove up on so•e land. Materials for the new building were hauled from Glasgow, ferried across the Missouri River on the Lismas Ferry and hauled up the Big Dry bottom. All work was done with horses. Besides its use as a school house, this building was used for all publ[...]is- cussion meetings, etc. Many dances were held in it also. Durin6 World War I a platform was built at its front for dancing. The people came from miles around. The proceeds of the dances were given to the Red Cross. Originally, the district known as Haxby extended acl'("IJ.3 the Big Dry into what is now McCone County and south[...]cts, and Garfield and McCone county line becoming the district line. On June lQ, 1920, districts 22 and 16 were dissolved by the County Commissioners and school Superintendents of the two counties, Garfield and McCone, and officially the Haxby district line on the east, ·waa the county line. The territory inof District No. 35 acted favorably on a petition for a new district; the district was divided and district 54 was created. On October 26, 1926 another petition for a new district was presented and former parts of school districts 31 and 35 became the present s-chool district No. 55. Rena McKeever, County Superintendent of Garfield County schools at the time, appointed Richard B. Miller, Otis Gaslin, and Frank Carman as trustees. School was started in a log house at Cat Creek. And in 1951 the Haxby school house was moved to that site.[...]5. Delpha E. Brown being County Superintendent at the time; this came about because of lack of children to attend school. District 35s' school hous e then stood just north of the old "Town " of Haxby. Then on October 15, 1943, District No. 35[...]. Quinn and Ida Kelly. Early school board members of Haxby /.1 t |
| [...]J. Norville, Thomas Eldridge, DeEtta Edwards, H. A. Mielke. A. P. Thomas, Delbert Bragg, W. H. Embleton, Chas.[...]alter Garrison, Frank Goode ana Roy Russell. In 1953 after a long struggle, a new school was started in the old abondoned district No. 35. Minnie L. King donated the building, one purchased by them in Jordan. The moving to be paid for by District no. 55. The school Board refused to recognize it as a school or pay the teacher, so on March 2, 1954 the teacher sued for back wages and won. At the present time the school which is known as the Lakeview school is running nicely with seven pupils in attendance; Bobby Edwards, Evelyn Marston, John,[...]dma Miller, Susie Hail and Stella Morgan and some of the kids. I .:t 7 |
| [...]Grade 8, 1957 Haxby Community is located in the Northeastern part of Gar- field County. At one time there were five schools in this comm- unity. To the Northwest the Tihista school, which was along the Missouri River; North was the Lismas School; the original school was the Haxby school located just one mile north of the Haxby Store; east on the Big Dry was the Big Dry School; and South of Haxby store about six miles was the Cat Creek School. The old Haxby school now stands along side of the Cat Creek School. After the Fort Peck Dam was finished the Tihista school,the Lismas and the Big Dry School sites were covered by the reservoir. The Tehista school building was bought by George Edwa[...]then moved and is now Hoolie Edwards' Granary. The Lismas school building was moved and remodeled and later became the Haxby Post Office and Mrs. Edwards home. A few of the teachers that taught in this community were: Ray Grant, Nell White, Susi[...]Petterson, J.T. Olson and many others. The roads were very poor in the early days. The county Sup- erintendent came to visit the school in the spring and fall. One trip that Delpha Brown made, who was the County Superintendent, was on a hot October day. In crossing the gumbo badlands her car slipped into a rut and high centered. There she remained until dark with only a stick and her hands picking out the hard chunks of gumbo from under her car. Dr. Farrand was called to a home near the Haxby Store and found a very sick man, so with what was at hand and with one of the neighbor women holding the lamp he performed a delicate operation. Another time a man rode horseback to the Lismas Ferry and than to Glasgow for Dr. Smith, who came to Lismas by car, but had to walk across the ice and then rode fourteen miles to the home and he also performed a delicate operation. Then with his little black bag rode back the 14 miles. This was Dr. Smiths' first horse-back ride. Both of the above patients are alive toda~ The Haxby School was the center for all meetings; voting, political, farm, church, Sunday school and fights. Sunday was a day for general visiting. The young fellows with their ropes rid- ing around the buildings roping everything in sight. These same young men, who are middle aged now, played all kinds of tricks on the Haxby Merchant. One night they stole all his chickens and had a big bachelor feed, then the next night return- ed all the bones · and hung them on his door. Another time they loaded up all his flour on a tractor and hauled it some four miles. Such were the summer happenings. When winter came, by horse-back or with four-horse sleigh loads, to a dance they would go. They arrived at the place where the dance was to be before dark. All had supper and t[...]fasted and off for home. . Snow gets deep on the Haxby Point, so traveling is almost impossible. One time the_World Famous Globe Trotters, on trying to get to Glasgow from Miles City were stuck and broke down about a mile from the present Haxby Post Office. Monte and tloolie Edwards found them and helped them to the Edwards.ranch and there[...] |
| [...]. Trag edies have also happened in the Haxby Comm.unity. There have been deaths, shootings, drownings, and one summer little Anna Long while in the garden with her mother was struck by a rattlesnake on her shin. With the Model T she was taken to Jordli!\ but by then the poison was all through her body and she was buried in Jordan. In 1953 a new school about a mile north of the Haxby Post Office was established called the Haxby Lake-view School. James Cooley is the present teacher and it is here that I, Robert Lee[...]Boughton The Lismas School was started in District No. 54 in 1920. Florence Ingall was the first teacher, others who taught here were France[...]ol was discontinued and combined with District 35 in 1937. The school building was bought by Mrs. DeEtta Edwards, who lived in it until her death. (this building also served as the Haxby Post office for years) In 1930 the Fourth Point or Erickson School was started as a second school in District 54. It was attended by the Erickson and Pointer children. Some of the teachers, up to the time it was closed in 1936, were: Mary Pointer, Louise Gamas and Georgia Brink. . In 1932 a third school was started in District No. 54. 1 his was the Tihisti or McClain school which was attended by the Tihisti and McClain children. Some of the teachers who taught in this school, up to the time it closed in 1937, were: Florence Harley, Vera Carroll and Hazel Kerr. The Haxby SchoQl was started in District 35 in 1922. Billy Rbodanz donated the land and Thomas J. Norville built the building. Thomas J. Norville was on the school board with H.A. Milke and A.P. Thomas at this time. The first teacher at the Haxby school was Harold B. Booth. Going to school under his supervision was Bernice Boughton, arxi the King Children. Some of the other teachers who taught there through the years were: Mrs. N.A. Lingle, Frank McClellan, Alberta Cushing, Deewar[...]ie and E'.rnily Milroy. School was held at the H~xby School uo to 1938. Then in 1943 it joined to District 55. In 1928 the Big Dry School was started as a second school in District 35. It was started for convenience in the distance of the families involved. They used Mrs. DeEtta Edwards' homestead shack for a school house during all the years school was held. This building is now used as a granary by Lawrence Edwards. This school was attended by the Slaughter, Long and Edwards children. Buryle Pete[...]rt, Mrs. DeEtta Edwards, and Nora Kosky were sane of the teachers that taught this school up to the time it was discontinued in 1934. The Cat Creek School was started in 1925 in District 55. Land was donated for the school by Wallace Cary to be reverted back to him when scho?l was discontinued. The original log school house was built by Otis Gasli n. This building is now being used as a chicken house. , Florence Melton taught the first year with a salary of $99.00 a month. ~e taught 3 Long 3 Hall 2 Oaslin 2 Miller, and 4 Cannan children. The child- ren sat at lon~ tables ~th their books stacked neatly i n front of them. I :2. 7 |
| The Cat Creek School has had many teachers during its existence. Some of them were: Mabel Rennie, Ruth Viall, Florence Cop[...]aron Nordahl, Alice Wallace and Elaine Fogle. The school building that is now at the Cat Creek School site was the Haxby School. It was moved over to its present site in July of 1950. This sc~ ool is now attended by Irene Henning, Karen Thomas, Leslie Thomas and Susan Thomas. The people who wi,rked hard to keep it going are the school board members, Melvin Thomas, Harold Issac, Francis Henning and the Clerk Kathleen Edwards. The Lakeview School, a second school in uistrict 55 was started in 1953. It was started because it was too far for the children to go to the Cat Creek School. The school was attended by Bob. Edwards, Leah Montgomery and the King Children. Kenneth Kin~ allowed the use of a building for school until it was discont- inued in 1958. vome of the teachers of this school were: Ruth Scott Marston, Mrs. Lenor[...]. Paterson, James Cooley and Chester Joyce. In summary District 55 is now a combination of Districts 55, 35, and 54. The Cat Creek school is the only school in the Haxby area because the pepulation has diminished through the years there. Last day of School Picnic at Cat Creek[...] |
| [...]t School, as it was called, had Gladys Frazier as the first teacher. Those member a ppointed to the board were: Chris Ved nes s, Mathilda P. Freed, C[...]Among those t 6aching at Roosevelt School over the years were: Isabelle Coult6r, Grace West (later T[...]Currey and Pete Tehista. Bert Ingalls s erve d on the board for 10 years. The district was abandoned in 1938. School district 31 in the Phon community was named Woody Creek. The first teacher was Ray Gra ~t. Among those t e ach[...]n, Mary Page, Joyce Phelps and Murel Ruyle. The first board members appointed were: W. J. Eyle , A. J. Viall, Mrs. Florence Collins and M. W. Wheeler, Clerk. Those next elected were: Mrs. Henry Duell, A. J. Viall, George Page, and M. W. Wheeler, Clerk. A'Tlong those serving as board !Tl.embers were: R.[...]ner Just, and G. B. Wheeler. R. M. Burgess served the board for 13 years. The district was abandoned in 1939. District 56, Flat Creek, began in 1930. Harry Royle was the first teacher. Others teac h ing at Flat Creek Sc[...]oy, Ruth Marston and Carol Kountz McDonald. The first appointed board members were: A. J. Viall, Marvel Hammond, Leo Berry and 1.i -lalter Morris, Clerk. The next elected members were Ge orge Frazier, M. W.[...]Berry and Walter Morris, Clerk. Others serving on the board were: Glen M. Viall, Milo Hammond, Bert A. Boughton, Mel Fitzgerald, Walter Twitchell, Jim[...]ay Burgess and Alec Barclay. Those now serving on the boa;d are: Steve Taylor, Richard Burgess, Walte r Twitchell, and Doris Barclay, Clerk. In 1946, another school was conducted at the Burgess ranch. Some of the teachers were: Joan Frady, Evelyn Billing, Ruth Bra nnan, Harriet Re id, and Irene tl.ilroy. The school was closed in 1961. L.A. Berry donated the land for the Flat Cr eek school. Sons, grandsons, dau~hte rs, ( tc. of the early ~omesteaders still living in this area are: Flossie Collins Burgess, Ri[...] |
| [...]It seems as though there has always been a need for the Elementary school building and the Elementary education, but it was in the early 1900 1 s that the town of Jordan and Garfield County felt the great need for a High School, and in 1914, Etta Louise Erickson taught the first group of High School students in Garfield County. There were 10 or 12 in the classes and the High School classes were held in one room of the Grade School building. It was in the fall of 1915 that Jordan had a full 4- year High School. They now used two rooms of the Grade school and the Home Economics classes and Physic Lab. were held in two rooms of another building. In the spring of 1917, Hazel Maben (Frady) and Ethel Thomas were the first to graduate from Jordan High School. As time went on there because a need for more space & larger rooms, and in 1930 a new Elementary school was built and the drade school pupils moved into their new building. The old grade school building became the High School building. As was with most of the schools, this high school building had Out-door plumbing. The Janitor (Matt Leuschen) carried water each day and filled the coolers; keeping the building warm in all kinds of weather. There was a separate heating stove in each room. As there was no Gymnasium or Multi-pur~ose room in this building all plays, basketball games, r.E. Classes, school dances or graduation exercises were held in the Community Hall, (now the VFW Hall} There was a Dormitory for the students who did not have a place to stay, While attending High School. It was the big 2~ story building that is now Viola Adam's Rooming house. Part o~ the time the boys stayed in another buildins at west end of Main street {which was one time called "Farmers Home 11 and run by Mrs. "Auntie Connors".) One of the men Teachers stayed at the Boys Dorm" to keep the boys ip line. •rhe boys all took their meals at the Girl• s Dorm, and help with the heavy chores like hauling ashes and coal, etc. The Girls dorm had a Matron and Cook. I'm not certain just who all the Matrons and Cooks were but I lmow that Mrs. Walke[...]Matron and Miss Margaret Montgomery was cook for a while. The Jordan High School was under the Management or Dist. #1 until November, 1928 when[...]r by Garrield County High School Board and run as the Garfield County High School, and is now one or the 16 remaining County wide High Schools the ot hers are District High Schools. It was in the fall of 1936 that a new modern High School building and Dorm building[...]Both were strictly modern with indoor racilities. The High School had its own Gymnaisum, a music room and a library as well Science labs. The Dorm was a two story building. Girls had rooms on t0p tloor and boys had the main floor with Dining Room and Laundry room in Basement floor. There were also a Matron and a Cook. The Dorm was now next door to the Hi gh School. The first ye ar, 1936-37 Mr. & Mrs. John Hallbergs were matron and Janitor and Mrs. Jose phine Ginther was the cook. Others who have been Matrons here Mr[...] |
| Some of the Cooks here were: Mrs. Josephine Ginther and Mrs. Al Gunderson. The last few years had Mrs . Juanita Ady as Matron and Mrs. Emma Hendry as cook. The past few years with changing times and student enrollment find a need for a new High School building. Who knows what the future and 50 more years will bring.[...]chillreff Gaz-field Count7 High School group in 1926 4th fr011 Right is B.A.Ta:,lor, Supt, |
| Mrs. Hazel Frady In the spring of 1914, my father, L.B. Maben, two sisters, Eva ([...]ansas for Montana. My Mother passed away suddenly a few days before we left, after a three-day illness. My sister Vira Serviss and brother Walter came to Montana in 1913 and Clara (Maben) Vannoy eame early in 1914. ~hey went to Moore, Montana as I had a sister and family living there at that time. In 1913 Vira and Walter hired a land locater to bring them to some surveyed claims in what is now Garfield County. Their claims were seventeen miles north-east of Jordan. They wrote my parents of some unsurveyed land joining their homesteads. Wrote how much they liked the country and thought it a good place to locate. Kansas had been having dr[...]farm and co~e to Montana . My Father hired a box-car and loaded his horses, farm machinery and household goods and he rode in the box-car. My sister and I came on the train. Clara met us in Miles City. We stayed at a hotel until my father came. Ai'ter unloading our things we camped on Tongue River for over a week, assembled the wagons, and let the horses graze and get in shape to travel. Quite a number of Indians were camped not far from us. My fat- her a~cve one wagon and Eva the other one. It took us eight or nine days to make the trip to the homesteads. My brother carne in March and had two cabins built. These were frame one on on each claim. We arrived April 28. ~twas a cold day as we had a heavy wet snow the night before. We camped that night on Frazier Creek, near Pete Osborne's place. In May my father and Eva took joining places. During the summer my father and brother built a dugout on father's place and a large sod house on Evas. We had brought quite a large tent with us, during the first summer we lived in this tent and the two :frame shacks. In the fall of 1914 I started to High School in Jordan. There were ten or twelve pupils . Etta Louise Erickson was the teacher. It was held in one room of the grade school, was just a two-year school. I had finished two years in Kansas and as I was only taking one extre subject I did not have a credit and just attended until Christmas. In 1915 I went back to Kansas for my Junior year. That fall Jordan was made a full four year High School. I came back in 1916 and graduated in 1917. Ethel Thomas and I were the class (two of us) to graduate from Jordan. By that time there[...]ils and four teachers. Had two rooms attached to the grade school and two rooms in a separate building, a Home Ee. and sort 0f Physic Lab . All my t[...]ady graduated from Jordan, also my two daughters-in-law, Joan De- Bock and Mavis Burgess and two of my grandaughters, Patricia and Deanna Jo Frady. In 1917 I took the Teachers examinations. Camilla Osborn was Dawson[...]ndent and Jeasica Wright, deputy. She was mostly in this end of the county. I started te a ching in March 1918 on Vail Creek, six miles west of Jordan. This was the Childers school. I think there were 11 or 12 pupils. It was a large sod building, nice and cool for summ[...] |
| [...]ler and Johnny Junkeris. They all took homesteads in the Vail Creek neighborhood. Earl worked for the Sensiba Brothers and also got logs cut for his cabin. In 1917 he was called for the Army. Before time to leave he became ill with Typhoid Pneumonia was in the Miles City hosp- ital several weeks, could not pass his physical until in August 1918. We were married Feb. 3, 1919.[...]ndis married us at my fathers home. That was just a few days before Garfield was made a county. We both voted for Jordan as the county seat. I taught my next school in the Phon District. It was the Liberty School. Just a new school with six or seven pupils. The Prank Grants and Kellogg children and also Howard Wicker- sham. All beginners. The school was opened in a ranch house belonging to Beneckys. After two months the house was too cold. The school was moved to the up-stairs of Frank Grants house. Schools I've taught are[...]n Norman. My first at Vail Creek 1918 and my last in 1929-30 at Vail Creek. I taught 3 short terms lat[...]homestead until we moved to Hotch- kiss, Colorado in 1930. Returned in fall of 1934. We lived in Jordan eight years until the three children finished High School and another two years more. In 1942 we bought a place on Woody Creek and moved there in spring of 1943. Orval and Earl ranched together. Orval went to the army in fall of •43. In 1949 Earl and Orval bought the DeBock place and some land joining it. Orval and[...]own this place now. My husband Earl, passed away 'in March 1962. I still live on the ranch real close to Orval and Joan. I would never want to live any place except in Garfield County. We all had many hardships and it took 16ts of hours of hard work, very few luxeries. There was also many[...]was good helpful friends. I look back over the years and find many of my former pupils and their childern still living in Garfield County. Some are ranchers, merchants, teachers, murses and many other walks of life. May the same kinds of good people always live and keep Jordan and Garfield County in Unity and with faith in it and its people.[...] |
| STORY OF ROY & NORA GIBBS Written[...]ents were Henry and Araminta Isabella Gibbs. Five of his brothers came to Montana and when Jay was in the sheep business, he came t• work for him in April 1907. After a year and a half he went into business with Jay and inThe range was open and free to all although certain boundaries were respected as be• longing to a certain outfit. In the spring saddle horses were gathered and held for the yearly fall roundup. Roy saw as ■any as 600 saddle horses together. Cowboys rounded up the cattle, cut them for ownership and took out those to be sold and trail- ed them to the railroad at Miles City or Glasgow. Some cowboys owned a few head of cattle and rode without wages so they could get t[...]re called Rep•• Sheep also trailed thru in large numbers. Roy saw as many as 8400 in one band of wethers being trailed from Big Timber te Glendive. There was lots of high grass, and they mowed it down as they went. These were shipped from Glendive to Chicago in the fall. Range was free, until the area around Billings was homesteaded in 1908 and fences built. This area was opened for homesteading in 1912, and Roy and Jay filed on the land they were already living on and on which we still live. Jay was married in 1913 and brought his bride out from North Carolin[...]s for awhile not heard around very eften. One day a little neighber boy, when visiting heard some of these expressions and made a song of •You All" and paper poke (sack) and sang it over and over ao much that she got pretty tired of it and so became conscious ef words she used that weren't familiar in Montana. I was born at Thorp, Wisconsin, Ma[...]er and mother were Henry and Margaret · Leibole. In 1915 ~y mother, slater and myself came to Montana[...]rother and other relatives who were homesteading. The following year my slater ■arried Jim DeBock and ray paren[...]d come out here with her. I went to summer s~hool in Sidney, took Teacher examinations and taught a short term of school on Coal Creek. At that time this was all Dawson County. The next year was nry first year teaching in this district then# 104, and the school house was a small tar paper homestead shack(like so many others) on Carrie Ingram's (LaPine) homestead. In 1918 the district was granted two acres of land by th• Northern Pacific Railway Co. for school, and a schoolhouse waa built on it. I taught there for two years. The first year Louise Ingram and I lived in the entry during the week and man• aged quite nicely in rather cramped quarters. . In 191~ Dawson County was divided and district# 104 became a joint district with McCone County. I scarcely knew which super- 1.J (, |
| intendent I was working under for awhile, but the building was just inaide the line in Garfield County so the reports were sent to both, but all other matters were handled thru the Garfield County Superintendent. It wasn't long until districts, too, were divided and this part of District #104 became #16 in Garfield County. School terms were short, so with[...]mer schools at Glendive, Bozeman and Terry. The new school house was rather large as buildings we[...]d, like houses are now and with windows all along the south wall, it was hard to heat with the old pot bellied stove, when the weather wasn't very pleasant. When we couldn't keep warm we moved the seats close to the sto-Ye. One particularly wet, cold day in late fall the super- intendent and state inspector came. While I knew they were to come, I didn't think they would brave the mud and cold that day so it was rather embarrassing. They were in a hurry to get back to Jordan, so they looked at my[...]activity. There were few cars only trails instead of roads' and looking back it ~eems quite surprising the number of people at any 'get together". Some came many miles, horseback or in wagons. One couple used to bring their organ in a wagon. These People who came as settlers were from all parts of the u. s., as well as from several foreign countries, so a number of out of the ord- inary dances were introduced, that were native to the locality or country from which they came. In the fall of 1920 we were married in Glendive and in time there were six children; Betty, Leroy, Geral[...]{Gene) and David. Getting them through school was a real problem as there was not a school near us and each year seemed to present a situation all its own, so we tried anything that looked like a way to get them to school. A couple of them were boarded at homes thru the week. We furnished the building, wood, coal, water and whatever else was needed, so that the district would have money to pay the teacher and one year a neighbor boarded the teacher part time and we part time for nothing so[...]ne boy rode seven miles horseback to school until the snow got so deep he couldn't go any longer and we had to send him to Jordan. High School was nearly the same with mov- ing and staying in the dormitory. This was the main road during Prohibition Days and we had many people stop for gas, meals, lodging, and of course as the rum runners were some of the people who stopped. They were always good company[...]usiness. Many things were tried to increase the family incomes. At one time there were enough dairy cattle , that a creamery was started in Brockway. So the An..~~al D~iry Day was start•d• Inl923 we went over to the celebration. It was a lovely day, but in the late afternoon a storm came up so we a1dn't attempt to come home. Everything was mud. They tried to go on with a dance, but the floor was covered with mud. We came home early next morning and went ~r n~~d by the sheep camp. The herder met us and told us wolves had got into the sheep during the storm. I3 7 |
| [...]ee Sundays after that there were picnica and lots of riders hunting thru the bad lands and roughs. Finally the old wolf and a couple of pupa were found and later two more pupa, and the next winter an old dog. As far as we know there h[...]since. Several doctors and nurses came from the East to home- stead and anyone living near them w[...]hs most likely some from not being able to get to a doctor. There wasn't much surgery even if a doctor was avail~ able and some of our neighbors went to Rochester for such as appen[...]. At first there weren't many women and when a man was bat- ching, his place was open to anyone[...]s to whatever they needed. One day Roy drove into the yard. A stranger came to the door and said "Take care of your horses and come in. Dinner is ready." So that day he was a guest in his own home. When Roy came to Montana, Miles City was the trading center for this area. Wool and lambs were[...]and supplies brought out only two or three times a year. They even got their mail there, until a land office and post office were established at Cohagen. They still rode the 35 miles for mail, taking turns with a neighbor. As homesteaders came in more post offices were opened and mail was more regular iL reaching people, but after proving up and the depression, people began to leave ana pos~ office[...]it was necessary for us to change our address so in all since Roy has been here there have been ten addresses A mail route thru Hedstroms to Jordan was once used. Postoffices at which we got our mail and have closed are Wason Flats,[...], Paris, Viall; Rock Springs, Cohagen, Jordan and of course Miles City are still operating and not much chance of closing. The years have passed and time and progress have _a way of making many changes not mentioned in the foregoing. What has changed our pattern of living more than the rest are Highways, electricity and telephones. We who were accustomed to do things the harder way are truly appreciative. Better machinery and equipment have done for the men what household appliances have done for the women. Still, the more difficult way of doing things, weren't looked at as hardships. We were busy and most of our memories are happy ones. We think that anyone who has lived thru the frontier and later frontier years truly love this part of the West and are happy in the thought that they may have contributed even a mite to its growth. Roy Gibbs 1 5o[...] |
| THE ROY GIBBS SHEEP RANCH • Sheep wagon of the early da;rs Thi ■corn field never ■av a ,3 r |
| [...]Mrs. Alice Clark Mrs. Alice Clark taught in Garfield County in the Hope Sch- ool on Sand Creek in the year of 1924. At the Hope School the sparrows had roosted there before she taught the school, so the school was full of bed bugs. The first two we eks the pupils had to remove the sparrows and their nests and she got rid of the bed bugs. The county Superintendent came to vist while they had the bed bugs, she really enjoyed watching them chase them. Most of the children came on horseback and brought their lunc[...]hree or four pupils would ride on one horse. Some of the children that Mrs. Clark taught were: Gibson's, Graham's and Dutton children. The Hope school was lat- er moved and is now part of the Clell O'Connor home. Mrs. Clark lived on Basin Creek and taught the Big Dry School. Later she had to drive eighteen miles to school. She had the only car and would take the seventh and eighth graders in town for their State Examination. They had fourteen blow-outs before they got the 25 miles to town. Later Mrs. Alice Clark taught at the Freedom School. Some of the people who lived near there are still here, they are: Mr. Freeman and the Phelps. Many was the time that Mrs. Clark had to kill rattlesnakes as well as bed bugs at school •. She substituted in Jordan for a while. Her last school was the Fairview School. At this school she had the Mart Childers. There was no playground equipment in the earlier schools. At recess time the pupils killed prairie dogs with sticks and rocks. At the end of the school term they always had a school picnic. Other activities during the school year was the Christ- mas Program. The children made their own decorations of paper and strings of cranberries. They used candles on the trees in place of electric lights.[...] |
| [...]Susie Huston I came squaling into the worl d January 9, 1890, on a farm near Ozark, Missouri. I spent much of my childhood swinging on wild grape vine~;buildin[...]l to wall moss carpeting. I had chor~s to do, and the most hated one was pulling cockleburs. I at[...]y parents felt t hat legs were made for wa lking. In 1907 I spent a year with my sister at Tyro, Kansas and I went to school there too. There was a glass plant at Tyro and I watched the men blow glass. To day they blow it electrically. I taught two r ural school terms in Missouri. I learned as much as did my pupils. I learned those so-called 11 hillbillies" had hearts of gold, and that their rough edges were honed with kindness. Razor-backed hogs were monarchs of many of the hills, and a coon hunt was music to your ears. A running, baying hound is like no other sound. When I first went to Ava, Missouri, I asked a native how far it was to Ava? He replied, nTwo sees and a goby." I put him down as "teched 11 in the head. I drove on. I was traveling with a buggy and horse. I dropped into a hollow, drove its length, climbed slowly out, leveled off and saw a village in the dist- ance. Again I dipped into a hollow, traveled its length, came out on top of a hill, and glimpsed a village in the distance. Soon I crune to a sign that read, "Ava two miles." I mentally took off my hat to a man who measures distance not in miles but in "sees and gobys." I loved the Ozark country with its crop-patched hillsides, ra[...]rries, strawberries, wild roses, and velvety beds of Johnny- Jump-Ups that beautified the countryside. I spent a year at Garden City, Kansas, then in 1913 drifted to San Diego, California where in 1914 I married R.H. Huston whom I had known in Kansas. In 1914 we crune to Nontana as my Nr. had assured me he never wou ld live in town. We homesteaded and did without like others. Necessities were not always available, and luxury was just a ~ in the dictionary. 1924 found me finishing a term of school at Spring Creek School, Dist. 19. I taught[...]ad my third graders copy their English stories on the board while another class was reciting. During th[...]ld benefit by his own and other's mistakes. I had a visitor that morning, who giggled when her son ha[...]re like people, only they do not have such long t a ils. 11 I taught nine months at Snow Creek, Dist. 51, starting the fall of 1925. I h ad 20 young sters an d all the grades. On April Fool's day, t wo of the older boys wanted so b adly to fo~l me_ and tried so hara , tha t I decided I wou l d fool them. I confided in my old e st girl pup il that I woul d a sk her to take my desk when I would s ay, "I do not feel we ll." I went to the teacherag e. After 10 minutes or so, I c ame to t he door b e tween the teacherage and 11 t he school room and s ai d , "Oh, my heart and slumped to t be floor. She ran to me while the other pupils s a t stunned. She l as hed out at the others with , "Come on you- fo ols, and help me. When some of them came, I smiled, and t hey ca ught on. Bu t it taught me a lesson never to stun youngsters wi t h fri ght. One of t he other boy s told[...] |
| me th a t he couldn't move, he was so fri ghtened . Tb.e fall of 1926, Rena 1''.icKeever, the County Superintendent sent me to Purewater , Dis t. 16, to g r ade and teach the school. I had 26 yovngsters of al l sizes and age s. The parents we r e excep tionally considerate a nd generous . At home the pupils did not s p e ak the English languag e which posed a small probl em . At Chri s trr.a s time the parents r,. lways presen ted the t eacher with a home - made present . I still hav e a basket t ha t Mr . Ickerman wove me from willows[...]ost pa tr cns to s ha...'11.e . One day in the History class at Purewa ter, I c ould no t, by questi oning get the pupils to answer why Washington went 9 miles up the Delaware to cross and then march 9 miles b a c k on _ the other side to c apture the Hessian soldiers at Trenton . I had them dramatize it . Cne pupil wa s Washington , one the lieutens.nt so-:ne the Americ an soldiers, some the Hessians celebrating a t Trenton . The Hessi an soldiers were half - hear tedly_ doing thei.r part. I grabb ed one of them and s a id , "Come on; dance like you mean t it . 11 The next day I got a note from one of the mothers , asking me not to t eac h her c hildren to dunc e . She wa s f rom a mi ssionary f mni ly who believe d tha t religion should make one sober . At t his school the pupils and I made an agreemen t; t hey were not t[...]thered their neighbor ; on .b,ri- day afternonn a t Art time I wo ul d allow them to work and t alk together. From that school on I never a ll owed whispering in my classroom . That was the only rule I made when I st arte d schoo l. Pupil[...]oks , sharpen pencils, do board work . There wns a p enalty if they whis p e red once; anotr' er if t hey whis p ered twic e . In 20 terms 1 never had to punish but one child for[...]lowed t wo weeks to ge t u se d to things before the rule applie d to them . In 1927 I st ayed at home and took School Jvianag em[...]s by co rrespon<lence. I n 1928 I signed a contr a ct to teach Swanser school , Dist . 12, on what is now the Kenneth Coul ter place . I had 22 y oungs ter.i a[...]to ok Educati onal Psychol - ogy and Princir les of Bducation by correspondence . I could not have done it without the cooperati on of my three youngsters . They d i d the janit II or work[...]t to bed while I studied . ,~hen I took my te s t in Principles of Educ a tion, one qu estion was , "In wha t way is civilizati on inimical to health'?" At that time I had never he ard of the wor d "ini.micaln , and I did n ot know its me an[...]• that the prefix 11 in 11 meant not a nd from k nowing ins me ani ng and the wa y t h e question was worded I got it right and[...]ught Edwar ds, Dis t . 11 then, n ow .0is t .10, in 1929 and 1930 . The old Edwards school hou se still st ands on John Hooker's place . At t hat time t here was a p ost office and store there operated by Will Farrington . I had a clerk there who thought I should earn my sal a ry twice , so my second warrant[...] |
| woul d be du e hefore I got my first. I fina lly lard down a law of my o~n to he r . I n ev er saw a school bo a rd that I didn 't like, bu t clerk s - t hose 111-rn tch d cg s of t he Tre a s ury ; those dicta tors of sc hool bo a r ds, I could have t hrottled wi t h ple a s ure. I t au ght Pine Grove sc hool i n Dist. 19 in 1931. This was my home Disti Once I wa s off e red fiv e doll a rs more per month to teach Spring Creek scho ol,[...]Free dom and I woul d not, and ne ver di d break a con tra ct. I moved to Jordan i n t he fall of 193 2 and s ent 2 of my c hildren to high school and one t o gr ade school. In t he s pring of 1 933, I signed a contract to te a ch a summe r school a t Lone Star, Dist.36. I taught here four s1.1.n1.vners, s andwiching in 5 months at Mitchell sc hool, Dist. 14 on l and now owned by Darwin Scott. During thre e s ummers at Lone St a r, I was paid $60.00 monthly. The fo urth s ummer t hey grudgingly raised me to qp70.oo. The school ch ildren a nd I dug a cellar unde r t he school house an d across the coulee from t he school house we watched men dig out a di n os aur. Peggy Huston fi n is h ed my l a st month a t Lone Sta r as Delpha Brown, the County Superintendan t, sent me to Lismas, Dist. 54 to see if the young sters coul d run me out as t hey had the last te a che r . I had daubed school hou ses, b uilt t abl[...]school fo r 2 hours wh ile I playe d mid-wife to a nei ghbor's cow. J:iadam neighbor c ame for h elp because she d i dn't know which end of a calf c rone first. From 1937 until 1944 I di d not te a ch. Muc h of this time I covere d t he sheep front, 1500 a c r es daily, p lus t he b a ck and fort h s. I h a d p lenty of 11 think 11 t i me and while I wa sn't fencing during lay- on-wat e r hou r s , I wa s contes t ing. In 1944 I deci de d I would r a t h er "herd " yo ungs t e ;rs for money t han sheep f or noth- ing. I taug ht t wo terms a t Fre ed om, Dist. 1, 1944 & 1945. $185 monthly lure d me to Ros s school, Di s t 52. This wa s the h ighest rur a l s a l ary in t he county a t t ha t time. I loved t h is scho ol; an all g i[...]i s miss e d t hem. Thi s is an i nteresting l oc a l i ty. ller e l ive d t he woman who was the fi rs t white c hil d Born on t he l ower Mu sse[...]gl nntes on t he l owe r Hus s els hel l . I ot f a r f r om[...]le St uart nn d t he vi gl ante s h ang ed t he l a st of t he early thie v es . I ho.d be c ome intere sted in cont est ing nnd while a t Hos s s en t in some que ~, t ions in t he s pring of 1947 to t he Cali z ld.ds,- F~u~ ye a rs l a ter t h e y use d on e of my question s an d sen t me a :Z.eni t n r ad io t hen v a l ue d a t ~119 . It was the f all of 1947 I s t ar t ed te a ch.inc Kester school. Here t h e youngs t e rs and I dug a c e l lar. I n eve r l i ve d out of tin cans and had to have a p l ac e to ke ep v e ~e t able s . Thi s s chool[...]and t aught t hr ee ter ms ; 1948, 1949 , 1950 . In 1952 I t aught the Sheldon s choo l, Dis t.?4 • I bough t a l i neoleurrr for t he t ea cherage, ~nd ins ula t ed the ce i l- ing a s I h ad my ail ing husband with me . The communi t y and I p ut on a p ar t y a nd raise d enough mon ey t o insul at e t he s choo l hous e cei ling . I n t he fall of 1953 I went b a ck to Four Corners . The I 4-1 |
| years th:::.t I was a t Four Corne rs we {l i-d -a l q_t of; folk cL1nc1:ng a t noons and r c:: c es s e s . We ·11ad. lots of fun . In 1956 t :-iey reopened the scho ol at San d. Springs . I t augh t there in 1956 , 1957 and 19_58 . The f i rst year an d part of' t he second , t ho scho ol house was in a f'iel d west of the old Sand Springs store . 'ri-ien it >Ta s moved t[...]'l'he 1 first two ye a rs here I rec e ived 0290 . 00 monthly , the last term her t ai l for?" . Pupils whos pa rents h:::.d _500 head of c ows sat |
| Memories of School Days by Vivienne (Na[...]about school happenings at Jordan since I am NOT the early pioneer, not starting to school, myself', until 1916 plus the fact that my memory on it is not too clear or org[...]Schillreff, our Garfield County Super- intendent of Schools, told me that others had my same problem[...]ll shirked, then we would have nothing for record which would be a shame since we have so much good story material o[...]ve out maybe some- one else will remember to fill in. Also, maybe I can even supply something that someone else has forgotten. Besides, my version of the same story would be different in my eyes from how the others saw it, so maybe I can add something to posterity, afterall. I did not attend a country school but started to school in Jordan and went all the way through grades and high school, grad- uating in 1927. One month after I graduated I started teaching school, myself, and a country school, being a graduate of a Normal Training Course placed in our High School during the 1925- 1926 term and 1926-1927 term. This course was offered to any student in High School of Junior or Senior year who had an average of 80 per cent or above from Freshman up to the beginning of his Junior year. Then we could take this course in addition to our regular high school studies and the lucky ones to be able to take it and did were: Joe Murphy, Phillip Fellman, Francis Tipton among the boys and Beryl Edwards (Watson), Frances Swanser([...]y (Lovfald) and myself, Vivienne. Nault (Schrank) of the girls. After finishing this course and graduating[...]g with our other Diploma. But I 1 ve gotten ahead of my story. I lived 3½ miles SE ofcTordan on a homestead with my parents and there was a country school out by us but not very close so my[...]walked. After walking around coulees and buttes, the distance added up to more like 4 miles instead of 3½ miles for me or 8 miles round trip per day to attend School and for the Anderson children who lived a mile beyond us, their round trip averaged 10 miles but our fall in Montana is usually beautiful so we didn 1 t mind walking at all. A new building was just finished so~ got to start to school in the new building that served both grade school and[...]grade teacher was Miss Callison. She also taught the second grade which was in the same room. By the time I reached the second grade the Anderson children moved away so Dad got me a horse named Shortle to ride. This would have been five except I had to picket my horse a lttle ways from school to graze on grass. At noon[...]as well as give Shortle oats I had brought along in a feed bag. I watered him when crossing the Big / .1/ .r |
| Dry Creek coming in and , :~; oin g home a gain, chang e d h is p lace of p; razing to fresh new grass and it worked out fj_ne until some boys s potted him ano wou l d g o down a n d pester him. I told my folks so t he y arran ,~e d for me to pay Mr. Hash at the livery stable to keep him there. It was extra tro ub le as the livery stable was the opp osite dlre ction, making me g o beyond the school house to the NW " then I'd have to walk back to the school h ous e~ at night I'd have to s o NW to g et my ho~se and then ride back on him p ast the school house and on t o the homestead so when it was deci d ed to have a man by the name of Whitlock r~ rive a ri g , picking up all the chil dren out our way it soun ded like a wonderful idea. So tho se childr en like C[...]ul Harbaugh, Milton Mi ss Ennis was my teacher in the 3rd and 4th gr ade room. |
| [...]Senior term. My group did 11 practice-teaching 11 the last six weeks out at the Freedom rural school where I went back to teach, just a month after I graduated. This school house at Fre[...]no town, only farmer-ranchers, was 12 miles south of Jordan. It was a school with all eight grades to teach and were children of the Phelps, Uthaugs, Wetzbargers, Whites and the Kirbys. That was in 1927-1928. In 1928-1929 I taught the Mac- Donald School, 7½miles west of Jordan, having the three MacDon- ald children, Smith and children staying with the J.K. Browns from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Those you[...]round Jordan are: Carl Uthaug and Jack Kirby from the Freedom School and Archie and Johnny MacDonald an[...]th is another, still around Jordan. I substituted in both the Primary room and in the 3rd & 4th grade room in Jordan during the absence of their regular teachers I must mention before I close that Milton Schrank returned in 1924 and graduated at Jordan in 1925. Pietures of both our graduating classes will accompany this story with listed names of those in the pictures to refresh your memories on some of them. Graduatin Class of 1925- Garfield[...]Milton P. Schrank of Jordan, Mont.[...]Graduating Class of 1927 |
| [...]rn Aelrl.segger Chubb Fern Aemisegger came to the Lismas area in 1926 trom Plains, Montana. Thia was her first year as a school teacher. She said that she can recall that she was actually physically sick when she first arrived. The place was so very different from what she had imagined. However, she did enjo;y her work with the children am association with the good folks of the community, once she got acquainted. Fern later married Kirvin Chubb and is now living in Missoula, Mont. Lismas School[...] |
| [...]orence Aitken by F.A. Bradstreet Florence Aitken, who taught the Lismas school in the 1928 & 1929 term and again in 1935 & 1936. She was · born in Park River, N. Dakota came to Glasgow,Mont. where her_parents settled on their government claim in 1907. She and her sisters and brothers attended grade school ~ high school in Glasgow. All 12 years she rode to school in a canvas covered horse drawn school bus.[...]' She graduated from high school in 1925, having completed 2 years of Normal training and had done practice teaching. She taught the following eleven terms in rural schools in Valley Roosevelt and Garfield counties. ' She boarded with the Al Thomas family and walked to school, when she taught at Lismas in 1928 & 29. The 1st time she taught at Lismas, at that time Lawre[...]nd Gertrude were at home helping their parents on the ranch, after having completed grade school. They were a very good family, so she enjoyed her time spent in their home very much. Card playing in the evenings and country dances in school houses or barn lofts were common sources of recreation. People came from miles around to attend a dance, even in bitterly cold weather and a good many came on horseback if neea be. The Missouri river was often a source of worry to the ranch- ers and their families because of the danger in having to cross it, when the ice was still thin or during the high water, when the river ice was breaking up. The Lismas Ferry operated by Horace Gamas and later John Ferguson, was a necessity to travel north and south of the Missouri river, in that area before the coming of Fort Peck Dam. She was married to Donald Bradstreets in June, 1935. That year she taught her last year at Lismas. The Bradstreets lived 4 years in Wheeler, while Don worked on the Fort Peck Dam. In Sept., 1938 their only child, Beverly Ann was born. At the comp- letion of work at Fort Peck the Bradstreets moved to a farm, they bought 6 miles south of Huntley where they make their home. During the years Beverly was growing up and getting her educ[...]ley Project schools, her parents were busy making a living on a small productive farm. They raised a big garden, canned a good deal of food, milked cows, sold cream & eggs and friers, and ran a small herd of cattle and for five years a small herd of sbeep~ Good crops of alfalfa hay and seed were raised on the irrigated land and winter wheat was raised on the dryland. Work in the homes became much easier and pleasanter with the coming of electricity to the Pryor Creek Valley by REA in 1946. During the years Beverly attende d Huntley Pro~e~t.schools at Huntley & Worden, the family took part in many activities. Beverly was a 4-Her for 7 years, her mother a 4-H leader for 10 years. Her dad was a school board member for the last 6 years Beverly was in school. The Fred McClain family, brother-in-law & sister of Mrs. Bradstreet lived two miles from them. Many Sundays were s pent at each others homes. The McClain & Bradstre e t s belo~ged to th~ school PTA and the women folk belonged to a Home Ve~onstration club for ten years which was a pleasure and a benefit to home- / 4Y |
| makers. For 4 or 5 years the frunilies belonged to a square dance club. We felt very fortunate in finding a farm so close to a large city like Billings {11 miles) and 6 miles from a small town. Don Bradstreet acquired a second farm and worked 8 years as a custodian at the Yellowstone Courthouse, just previous to his reti[...]s Mrs. Gene Sitzman, who have three sons and live in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Gene Sitzman is an I.B. M. emp[...]Adults: Frank Bales, Gertrude Thomas At the Al Thomas home Flarence Aitken Bradstreet,[...] |
| Maude Langstaff Anderson From a former school-ma•.,. who taught at Llamas school. This is Maude Langstaff Anderson, I spent two terms at the Lismas school where there were thirteen pupils, seven girls and six boys, a real good bunch. Lismas ferry wasn't too far away. Cars and other vehicles crossed by ferry in season when the ice was gone. It was the winter of 1933-34 that plans were being made to con- struct Fort Peck Dam, I believe. I lived with the Albert Thomas family. Their farm was one of those fiooded b3 the waters of the new lake. The Thomas~s went to Idaho. I visited with them in the summer of 1938. Of course, there was no teievision in the early '30s but there was radio, phonograph,the wind-up kind. In the nearby communities there was on occasional dance. There were the cowboy yells at these dances. All had good times[...]one night pxtra nice weather; various people took the cushions from the autos and used them as seats by the build- ing. But one young couple took their supper plates & climbed back in auto and sat down without looking to see about the car seat and it was missing. Each wint~r the neighbors cut great blocks of ice from the Missouri river for summer use. It made all that n[...]od was canned and much baking was done, too. In January of ]936 I lived for 4 weeks in New Deal and walk- ed by light of flashlight one mile to Square Deal, substituting[...]gular teacher was 111. There were about 25 pupils in that room, all grades. The man I married, Emmett Anderson is a machinist and mech- anic as w,11 as a farmer. When grain farming didn't pay off too well we turned to egg production, we raise the barley that is fed to th~ hens and to a bunch of hoga. With the help of our two sons we have the largest poultry set up in Carbon County. Moat of the hens are caged. We have a good market for our top guality eggs. We p[...] |
| Lura (Nelson) Turner In Novem~:Jer, 1919 I came to Garfield County with m[...]may nelson, and baby sister, Fern. We lived along the Big Dry for about five years before moving to a home near the Missouri River. All this land is now covered by the Fort Peck Lake. I believe my family could be called pioneers in Garfield County. I can remember when we traveled in a wagon or in a buggy behind a team of horses. My father had range horses and broke them[...]to watch this tedious process. We oft en watched the CBC horse round-ups, when they camp ed near our ~lace. The days of the free range and horse roundups are almost a thing of the past. We were a horse-loving family. My father rode a lot and I can remember when my mother wore a riding skirt and rode horse- back around home. Fern and I got to ride plenty, just ri ding to school, which was seven miles away. I often wonder how this fast moving world would react if taken back to the days of fifty years ago. We had limited mail service, no telephones, horses for transportation(a little later a Model T). Schools were far away, a little store and postoffice ten or fifteen miles away, miles from a doctor in a land of rattlesnakes and Cactus. There was a time when my family would have been happy for the fast service we now have. Fern, about two years old, and I were walking to the garden where mother was working. We had to walk p[...]l as she went by him. He very promptly kicked her in the face. She fell to the ground with a bad wound. I ran and told mother that she was dead. MMther ran to her and my father got a team ready to take Fern to the Doctor. They crossed the Dry to a neighbors home. They took Mother and Fern in their Model T. They had t C' cross the Missouri River on an old Cable Ferry before they[...]ow. I complete d my elementary schooling at the Lismas School. We rode horseback in the spring and fall and boarded during the coldest months. I attended Garfield County High S[...]eacher's college at Billings. My first school was in McCone County, near the Missouri River. I taught here for three years. It wa s here that my pupils planted a dead bull snake in my waste basket and a live mouse in my desk drawer. Their joke failed as I never showe d the fear they had anticipated. Two of the terms at this school I boarded at the old CK Ranch, then owned by Ray McCormicks from Wyoming. "Old Timers" will remember this ranch as well as the old N-N a few miles away, sometimes referred to as the "Hog Ranch." My next school was near Belt,[...]ere two years. It was here that my pupils gave me the "Whooping Cough", to take home for the summer. This was my largest rural school. . I came back to Garfield County and taught one term at the Viall School. One of my pupils in this school won one of the first prizes in a National Art Contest. She has in later years taken Art training. |
| In 1946 I was marr ied to Arthur Turner who lived near Wolf Point, Montana. We lived on a rented ranch for over a year then bought our present home. We have five children, Lynn, Karen, Darryl and the twins, Dee and Lee. After all the children were in school I started teaching again, due to the teacher shortage at the Sheldon School, so I taught ~here a term. The next term I started teaching in the Jordan llementary School. I am finishing my third term here. The schools of today are quite different from the first om I attended in early Garfield County.[...] |
| [...]Mary J. Wolff' My first year of teaching was at Hillside, Montana 19WL-45, |
| [...]Garfield Co. Teacher 11 Be a school Teacher! "You h ave had enough education.[...]ion is "Oh! No.""I couldn I t. 11 "I don I t know the first thing about it. 11 · 1You 1 11 learn you c[...]earned. Teachers were scarce either because of isolation of schools, bad roads, inconvience, illness in the middle of the term or the many ot he r reasons that suddenly app ear.[...]was my first experience. Fe rn Schillriff taugh t the first three months of the school year in 1958-59. She had been voted in as County Superintendent. Starting l ate as I did was not a hinderence as it would seem Fern had cl a sses, assignnent s, and total schedule, in order. In this way it was far better for a greenhorn to step in and take over, then to start without any assistance . I learned much the first year and have tried to put my experiences to work for me . At the Black.foot School, I was busy every minut e during the day. There were eleven children and seven g rades. Susan Stanton and Karen Clark were in the first frade, Lyle Chamberlain, Second grade, Holly Chamberlain, Viola Clark, and Delores Loomi s in the third grade, Donna Clark in Fourth grade, Ronni e Stanton in the Sixth grade, Marcella Loomis and Richarcl Clark in Fifth grade , Alice Marie Clark in the Eighth Grade. Sometimes the one room schoolhouse wasn't too tidy with 22 little fe et in and out. Most parents were consider a te on this point because of lack of facilities and were willing to lend a helping hand whenever possible. The children were all behaved when we took them on field trips. One, especially, I remember in Jordan. We visited the Printing Office, the Court House, Sheriffs Office, Jail and library. There were three weeks in the spring that I had to ride a tractor the t v~o miles to school because of the mud. Now I had never driven a tractor before but I learned the hard way . Being afraid of driving or sliding into the ditch, I drove too slow and boile d over the radiator two different times. Emmett Clark brought his children and picked up the other chi l dren on the way with a tractor and wagon. The children tried to arrive at school ahead of me to see the teacher come over the hill on the tractor. It must have been quite a sight. At the Four Corners School in 1960 were Doug , Delbert and Irl Stanton, Judy and Jerry Coulter, and Jeanne Shawver. This was a conscientious group who did the work assigned . This made it possible to do extra curricular activi ties. When the weather was too bad to play out doors the children learn to tumble. They were all very good. When the weather made it permissable to travel the Sheldon School visited us one Friday a month during Art Period to tumble with us . The children worked hard , working up a routine for a show that they presented for Play Day Entertainme[...]e Judy Coulter and Jean Shawver became interested in Cheerleading. I showed them a few antiquated cheers t ha t X did as a Cheerleader at Custer High . The most iLteresting part of teaching I find, is stiring up interest in the children and let them take it from there. In mo st cases these experiences lead to cons[...] |
| We know the energy of a child and we should try to put it to good use. The Green Ridge School was held in one room of the Old Saylor home in 1959. The building was vacant and used as a stor- age building. The one-room had heat and electricity. The pupils were Loren, Stanley, and Clyde Saylor and my dau~hter Linda Stanton. Shortly af'ter we got a good start with our little school,it met with disaster. My daughter, Linda and I were on our way to school in a Jeep, which was the only thing we could get to school with during the muddy season. We came over the hill at about I A.M. and saw smoke boiling up about the location of the school house. We both knew it had to be the school. Everything was lost includ- ing personal possessions that Saylors had stored in the house. The origin of the fire could have been several things. The wiring had not been changed when the REA came into the country, among other things. School was held at the Irvin Saylor home for a few weeks. Mr. Saylor moved a building onto his ranch and remodeled it nicely. It was a very comfortable little school. We were able to b[...]other equipment from neighboring schools. The Squar Creek School had been closed for several ye[...]Shawvers took their children to Blackfoot School which was over ten miles. Here again the roads were some times very bad. Several weeks it was necessary to take a tractor to get to school. We had a new Wagner tractor I initiated. Here I learned ab[...]any other things pertinent to tractor driving. On a cool still day you could hear the Jimmy Diesel for miles. I met John Ryan on the top of the hill to pick up the Ryan children. Sometimes I picked up the Shawver children at their turn off. The five children and I rode in the cab of the tra~tor many times. I appreciate the fact that they were very careful abou t touching any controls in the tractor. At the Pine Gove School in 1969, Marion Gregg and had to quit b e cause of illness. I substituted until January 17th at which time it was understood that I had to quit. We had planned a tour ot Old Mexico with the Flying Farmers and had alread~ sent our money in. While I was gone Nelene Hallbury taught while -I[...]7. We've been busy doing school work most of the time. The cluldren have been doing a little tumbling on cold days. They are a little young yet for that. The pupils are Brenda and Twila Phipps, Georg~ ;oseph[...]ther. I love to teach school. It gives me a thrill to see the light in a child's eye when he understands what he is surpos[...]eside an education to prepare them to go out into the world and coupe with life. The importance of educ- at i on should be stressed to every child. The reas on I do not make teaching my professl[...] |
| Progress In the Rural Schools by Emily Milroy When I look back over the last thirty-six years of my career as a teacher, I can 1 t help seeing a drastic change for the better in the rural schools in Garfield County. When I first started to teach, in many places they didn't even have a teacherage to live in. I just moved my bed into the school room and set up housekeeping. Cars weren't as common as they are now, so I had a saddle horse to ride, and when the weather was good, I would ride ten or twelve miles home after school and then I would return in the morning, because I didn't especially like to stay along at night. The buildings were uncared for and they were cold. They used coal and wood for heating and most of the time the stoves were worn out, and it was a problem to make them burn. I can remember about midnight one night I had a big coal fire on and the stove was red hot. I was awakened by a big noise,and the grate bad fallen out of the stove and the red ashes were all over the floor. I quickly gathered them before they starte[...]effort to chop enough wood and carry coal to keep the building warm. This had to be done each evening and the ashes had also to be empied so the stove would have draft to burn. The buildings were lighted by a kerosene lamp. In the even- ing and during the nights the mice and rats had their fun. One old rat would lash his tail and all the rest would mostly join in the game. They mostly stayed in the attic because they didn 1 t want to be disturbed. The water supply was also a big problem. The children usually carried enough water with them for the day, or it was hauled in a large wooden barrel, which often became stale before it was used~ In some places I often melted snow or carried water from the creek for my own use. The children often had several miles to come to school. Some came on horseback, others walked. The first school I taught was on Langs Fort near to the Big Dry. The Schlenker children had a buggy drawn by one horse which they came to school in. Eddie was very proud to be the driver. All these things I 1 ve told about seem crude, but the child- ren enjoyed it just as much as they do now[...]if they had to walk or ride to school, especially in the winter. The books that the children used were mostly old, and they didn't have the bri ght covers and pretty pictures to look at that they have today. If they said they were for a certain grade that is what we us ed. Workbooks ju[...]that was forgotten was any type or recreation for the children. None of the schools had any play-ground equip- me~t. The children had to plan their own fun and they seemed to enJoy it just as much as the chil rl ren do today when they have so much more to work with. In later years fuel burrui..ng stoves have been installed in almost all of the schools, and ~oat of the schonls have tele- phones and electric li ght s. l'his has added much to the ecntort of IS-8' |
| both the teacher and t he pupils. Transportation difficulties are a thing of the past. The p arents either bring their chil dren, or they have a honda, or a car and they drive themselves. Some of the schools are completely mo dern now. In 1967 I had the pleasu~e of teachi ng in a new completely modern trailar home. This was some[...]I had been used to. After thirty-six years of teaching in abou t 3/4 of all the schools in Garfield county I have to say that I enjoye d it,[...]still continue to make better their rural schools in order to make them a more desirable place f or both work and pl[...] |
| May Swanser's Teaching Days In Garfield County Mrs. Lawrence Swanser, May to all her friends, was born May 6,1895, in Britt, Iowa, oldest child of George H. and Edith B. Miller. Three girls were born in Iowa and than they moved back to Illinois, where we lived until the pioneering spirit took the family to North Dakota in 1903, where they farmed in the Red River Valley. In 1911 they bought a dairy at Bismark,N.D. where I graduated from high school in 1914. In August of 1914 I crune to Glendive and took teachers exams.[...]to western Dawson Oounty where my f0lks had taken a homestead in the spring before in the Brusett area. My first school was at the Gallinger river bottom with the postoffice at Leedy. The Gallingers rowed the Missouri River every time we got our mail. Among the pupils attending this sch- ool were Grace(Galling[...]It was quite an experience for me after living in Bismark for three years near church and other activities. We got the buggy stuck in the gumbo on the first trip down there and finally left the buggy and rode the horses on in. This was a six month term, Mrs. R.N. Phipps was clerk of the school district. The summer of 1915, I taught 3 months of school at Steve Forks. Using Ward Haisletts homestead shack for a school room. There were so many in there we could hardly move. Among the pupils were Farringtons, Hamiltons, Mathers and others. They all walked quite a distance across the hills. After finishing that school, I went home planning on a short vacation. When I was asked to fin- ish another summer term for the last month at the old Fairview Hall. At this school the pupils were my sister Leta & brothers, Roy and Cl[...]ine, Dena Wille, Elizabeth Butts and others. In Sept. 1915, I took a six months school on Sand Greek liv- ing with Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Harbaugh family. It was a very inter- esting term. Attending were four Harb[...]children, Milton Schrank, Bill Jessen and others. The wages paid for these early schools were $60.00, $[...]th and board was $15.00 or 20.00 per m-0nth. In April 1916, I marr ied Josephs. Cou"l.ter ·at my[...]several different places, moving back to Montana in 1928. I worked in Jordan at various job~ keeping my children in school until May 1932, when I married Lawrence Swanser and moved to the ranch at Brusett,where we lived until the fall of 1948, when we built our home in Jordan and have liYed here since. May[...] |
| [...]by Mrs. Oscar Gackle A midwife assisted in my presentation into the world on a homestead southwest of Angela, Montana. When I was around 3 years old, my parents, baby sister, and I moved to a ranch south of Angela. There is where I recall my many an[...]ison (and sharing with my sister) tying calves up in the barn then quickly untying them when I saw Dad coming home. Once Mother was patching by the east front room window. She noticed I was on my hands and knees going to the barn. Occasion- ally I would glance over my shoulder toward the house. On inves- tigation she found I was carrying a kitten in my mouth just like a Mother Kitty! I start~d school, 6 miles away, while we lived on the ranch. The first day I heard a car go by so naturally I went to the window to see 'WlO it was. The teacher told me to come back to my seat, that we[...]d! To be nearer school we bought out and moved to the Angela store. One day Gypsies came. Mother, Carol and I were in the store doing various things when a large back car drove up and parked a short distance from the gas pumps. As the Gypsy woman got out 11 Mother, busy out of sight, asked me who it was. It is an Indian~• I said, for I had never seen a Gypsy before. I soon learned this was no ordintlry "Indian". She tried her best in every way to get behind the counter but Mother was valiant! When Mrs. Gypsy finally left in a hu.t't, Mother gave us a lecture on Gyps i_es we never for got. In :fact we learned so well that another time they came and parked close to our back door Carol and I broke the Carol Mickelson, our dog, Skeezix bedroom wi[...]is Mickelson-- Taken when through and ran over to the neigh- th bor I Then Mot her and Dad thought ey had th e store at Angela. the Gypsies had us I (The time of the Gypsies l) I had just started the fifth grade in September, when in October we moved to another store at De!phia. There weren't any fifth graders so the teacher skipped me to the sixth grade. The :first experience with homesickness was my second year in college. I surpres s ed my emotions to the breaking point this day as I dashed into a small room used for various things to cry it out, thinking I'd be alone. I collided with a Negro lady who took me in her arms and consoled me so sweetly and gently. A while after graduation from North Central Bible College I was asked by a lady to drive her to California. I took finger- printing, classifying and filing of fingerprints in a night class in Inglewood. While waiting for the returns of the test and Placement I took a job as a cashier at Roberts Super Market on on LeBrea in Inglewood. One Saturday night another cash[...]imultaneously, however not without my having seen the man who attempt to hold-up Mr. Ballard. Later he was shot for refusing to surrender the money. /t,/ |
| As Mr. Ballard was shot I had just laid the paper money on the counter (after my robber had exposed to me his 32 blue steel automaticf). This 11 shook 11 the bandit who had just held me up. With both his hands he grabbed the bills up and dashed out to where the first bandit was brandishing his gun. Together they went out the side door of the store. It wasn't until the bandit had left that I looked around to see Mr. Ballard just as he fell over the counter. Then I experienced the rigidity following extreme fright. I wa•ited to call the police but I could neither open my eyes nor move until I heard someone say "Call the Police! Call the police!" Mr. Ballard did live (very uncertainly for a month) wa s rele ased from the hospital after four months! I was state 1[...]ded and sentenced. Much more could be said. In 1946 I received word of my father's serious injury so I came home with every intention of returning to California . Shortly after arr iving home we had word of a death of a relative in Canada. I spent a year there. A friend, Pete Ronning who I have lmown all my life, had a birthday one day after mine. So quite often I'd send him a card, which I did while in Canada. His wife aclmowledge d it, then asked me if I would consider working at the hospital in Jordan. I re- plied saying I wasn't interested . Elizabeth wasn't easily daunt - ed. In about three weeks I got another letter from her p[...]bout it. My sister and I came through there in October. Not half an hour after our arrival I was broached about the hospital work so we went over to see Esther Koth, the Superintendent . I still wanted to return[...]ut r told Esther I woul d let her know definitely in one week . Carol suggested I try it for a year . I was always happy l did . Later I went to California and took a Practical Nursing Course, but I was so anxious to[...]oards! It has always been rewarding to work at the hospital in Jordan and I would like to say Dr. B.c. Farrand is unique . I deeply admire and respect him . In 1962 two of my friends asked me what credits I needed in order to teach their school . I checked with Pern Schillreff , the Superintendent of &chools. I was able to obtain an anergency Permit . I start ed teaching the last of October or the first part of November of '62, the fourth teacher in this particular school 1n about 6 weeks I This was the Meckel .'::>chool, Dist.#10 . I had Sandra Meckel;&. L . Bliss and Johoney Bliss. That school closed in 1 63, for Sandra was through school, and K. L. graduat ed from the eighth grade. The second and third years I taught the Steve Forks school. This was in the same Dist. as the Meckel school . There were nine pupils both years and six grades. The first year there were Mitchell and Thomasine Nels[...]roft; Linda and Jane Slayton and Andeen Schofield The second year Mitchell was in high school and Thomas Nelson started, a first grader . Thomas Nelson had an eye problem(n[...]had gotten corrective glasses , he had developed a habit of dropping his head to the book to read . His Mother and I were attempting to break this . Una day he was in his customary position . I said , "Sit[...] |
| [...]xciting (exclamation) mark! 1 Benzien was the fourth school I taught, and the last for two years. Here were six pupils and f[...]ne, and Clyde & Karen Mury and Sonja Rice were the others. In September of 1 66 I was married to a very fine man from Brockway, a farmer. He has three children, Duane , employed with R.E.A. (Accountant) Gloria, Mrs. Clarence Lala,Jr. (registe r ed nurse) and Delton (Del), a sopbmore at M.C.C. Like all proud parents should be, I think my 1 children 1 are among the best! I missed teaching, especially the first year, ter·ribly. 'l'his year 1968-69, I am te a ching the Tree Coulee School with three $ingleton children in attendance, Jerry and Larry, who are twins in the 7th grade and Carla, a first grader. Carla is the object of quite a lot of teasing. One day shortly after they came to school Jerry was giving Carla a bad time for not selling her lamb, Buttons, so she could get money toward the purchase of a saddle. Very seriously she looked at him, "Jerry, have you ever heard of love?" My pupils have all become very dear to me and I do consider teaching a privelege and a challenge. L. to R. Mr. & Mrs. Harley Farra[...]nson, Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Gathering at the John Davis I Wedding |
| [...]by Olga E. Jordan On a farm near the Hontana border in North Dakota I was born. Here I s pent all of my childhood years doing the same things all rarm. children do such as household chores, working in the garden, milking cows and so on. I attended and graduated from the eighth grade in a rural school. After my eighth grade graduation I attended high school in Sidney,Montana where I received my High School di[...]hile attend- ing grade school that I wanted to be a teacher. As soon as I graduated from High School I began attending the State Normal School at Xinot, North Dakota. Later I attended the State Normal School at Dickinson, North Dakota In 1929 after receiving my first teacher's certificate I began teaching Pollard was County Superi ntendent of Schools of Garfield County a t the time. |
| [...]Janet P. Rich I came to Montana in the ear·ly sumrne.r of 19l3 , s h ortly |
| After returning to Montana, I taught the Benzien School, then located on land which r.ow bel ongs to Sam Pollard. Attend - ing at that time were the Benzien and Suth e rland children. One episode which I clearly remember occ urr ed on the J. ast day of school when we were preparing for the p·ic n ic lunch . The smaller childre n were outside playir,g . The larger gi r l s and I were busy in the schoolhouse , when one of the younger boys r ush ed in, almost breathless , and white faced. "Oh, come cuici , come ouick , " he ga sped "the litt.le !<id s are on top of the butte , and t~er e are s ~a~es all around t h em . We couldn 't get them down ." I ran and climbe d the butte a s fast as I coul d, pic king up the first long , stout stic Y I cou].d see . Sure enough , there ~e re the little rhildren , huddled i n the midcle of th e flat butte top and all a rou nd them were slit~~ rirg, c oil ing and uncoiling ra ttlesnake s. I walyed slowl y toward the children, hitting righ t a nd le ft with my club ~s I went . To my dismay , I couldn't seem to hi t straigh t. There was a c rook in the far end of the stick , but I kept !1it tin g at them and mad e a path - way through to the little children . Then, guiding them in front of me, and wielding the weapor in an arc bef ore them, I managed to get the~ thr ough the crawlir.g mess ar.d d own to the school- house . It was one of those hi ber nat i ng buttes . Fortunately this was or.e of the first warm days, and the s ~a}es were ~ot as active pro bably , as they would have been later . I later t aught the Hig ~ inson School located on what is now part of the Dean Yibler ranch . The Hi ett ar.d South children attended th ~ t school . In 1919 - 20 I taught the Ova l Green School, where I had three pup ils. We moved to Mel sto r e , whEre I taught in the high school fo r several years. Some time after retur ~ing to the ranch , I taught in the Cohagen High School for a number of years , and then for a lor ~er period in Garfield County High School .[...] |
| The Schlepps I was born October 31, 1905 in Southern Russia and came to U.S. in December , 1910 at age 5 to Turtle Lake, North Dakota with the parents and two brothers. We were there three years while Father worked for wages. In October, 1913 we moved to Montana t o homst ead , then Daw- son County. We got on the place on my 8th birthday by wagon out of Terry, Montana. There were three fami lys in this caravan . There were a couple of older childr en in this Caravan . The house - he1d goods, food and few chickens and s ome pigs were lo aded on the wag ons. The cattle were trailed. J ust a few head per family . The horses that were brought along were all u sed to pul l the wagon. They had to make several trips back to Terry , before all the other thing s were on the place . The animals and wagon, mach- inery and so forth all came to Terry by Emigrant train , the owners had to ride with the train, and take care of the s tock on sto ps. Women and children rode on passenger train to Te rry. The first houses were not big, mostly 1 room 14,Xl6 wi th round roof on, as years went by, there was a lean to adde d on one side , then on the other, and then eventually the roofs were taken off and a pitch roof put on the whole house and maybe the walls were added on and a upstairs for more rooms , In October of 1916 my Mother died , I was 11 years, one bro - ther 8, one four and a sister 2 years old; but we go t along p retty g ood. I was the oldest, so I had to do a l ot of household chores and keep watch on the smaller ones . My Aunt Christ i ne Schlepp done our Bread BakiLg unti l she d ied in 1918 in the Flu e pidemic. After tha t my Father learned to bake bread . e also got our first school started in the fall of 1916 which is the Purewater school , I had no schooling in English before . My Mother c ould not speak English, so she taught me to read and write in German . My writing is mostly forgotten but my re[...]Abo ut 1920 my Father remarried . He married a woman with 5 children and my Uncle Jacob Schlepp who's wife died in the Flu Epidemic remarried soon after my Father, a woman with 6 children. There we re a lot of children to play games with on Swdays . Anyhow the ?urewat cr school had to be enlarged to take care of the school children , the enrollement got past the 20 mark and close to JO. I got all my schooling there . I stayed with my fat- her and helped on the farm until I was 21 years of a-e , then I went to farm for myself . I am still o[...]to Fathilda l asz , we raised 4 girls and 1 boy , the g irls all got married and got familys , the boy is with me yet and does the farming and raises a few cattle. Things sure have changed since I came here , we used to make the trip to Miles City with the wagon, 4 and 6 horse teams , haul grain i n and bring Grocerys out and anythings else which was needed on the farm . The trip took us about 5 days sometines 6 . I ma cle qui te a few of t hem trips with my Father driving one wagon team . Then ln 1927 a lot of them bought 1 ton trucks and the wa~on t eams were over with . Wason Flats[...]o about 10 miles to get our mail. There was also a st l' re c1t ,·ason lats . they took in Eggs in trade . They sold cl o thes and grocerys .[...] |
| don't know the name of the owners, the store burned down when 1 was small yet, and Herman Ulrich run a Blacksmith shop there for a few years. Later on he run the shop on his homestead ~~ til 1925 or 1926 he moved south of Miles City. Tb.ere was a store put up¼ mile north of Taylor Creek Bridge on the Rock Sprines and Van No r man road . It was run by s ome old people by the name of Kribs, later on a po stoffice was establish- ed there by the name of furewater. Then we had mail route service right by the plac e. Them old r, eo 1~le left the country , and 1•irs . Sam Gibbs run it for a while, then Pat Nicholes took it over , and run the store and postoffice and started a truck route and haul- ed cream ann other freight for the peop le in the neig h borhood. Later he moved the postoffice and store goods on his own place east of the Little Dry(where John Bollinger now lives) and when he left the country, Herman Deering run the postoffice for a short time. Then it was taken over to John F . Schlepp s p lace and run for a few more years then in about 1930 Purewater pos toffice went off the map, then our address was Wason Flats again, but we had route service. In a few years Wason Flats went off the map and our address was Rock Springs, but we had[...]and Custom work. I and Ed harvested together for a few years until he re- tired and moved to Miles City . When the Combines came into being t he Header and ~inder and the Threshing machine had to take the back seat . Just like the tractor replaced the horses for field work, the REA came and replaced the Kerosene lamp and lantern, Re frigerator replaced the old ice box with its cake of ice and replaced many a g as pump eng ine and many others. And the Telephone, there is no end for its use . I have serv ~d as school clerk since July 1934 in SD 33. It will be 35 years this coming Jul.y . I got a lot of learning out of it, met a lot of people and served under many school boards and Co[...]ing to be desolv- ed into other ano ther district the 1st of July, then I will turn in my rec ord books and pa p ers to Fern 3chi[...] |
| THE ULLRICH FAMILY My folks, Mr. Herman anti Mr[...]Tllrich homes t ead- ed near Wason Flats, Mon~ana in about 1913 or 1914 . When they first came here they had no house bu ilt so t hey l ived in a tent until they built t heir stone h ouse. My dad was the only bl a ck- smith for miles around. He shod plenty of horses . My mother and Dad both s e rve d on t he school board of Dist . 33 as both clerk and trustee. In 1926 when I was nine years old , my .folks moved[...]18, 1954 and mother died March 13 , 1958 . The .family has scattered; Ric hard Ullri ch lives in Puyullap, Washing ton, Esther Gali lives at Ep s ie , Montana , Ruth Walter s lives in Helena, Montana , Gertrude Sch i llreff lives in Calif ornia, Karl Ullrich lives on t he home ranc h a t Broadus . Frieda UUriob has a Beauty Shop i n Forsyth, Mont. an d Albert Ullric[...]ich i n corn f ield Herman & Frieda Ullrich on the Homestead .[...] |
| First Cammnion Class in Front of Wason Flats Church before it was completed. Girls in front row, L. to R. Mary Rafla, !tu.th Ullrich, A[...]Boys not sure o! names but Richard Ullrich is to the left of the lady with hat. (sent by G[...]Karl Mrs. Ullrich holding Freida., Ruth & Esther in front or their house on the Homestead in Wason Flats.[...] |
| Days of t he Cattle Herds by Lois Jor <lan, 8th grade. The Texas trail, which began a t the Rio Grande and foll owed up north to the Canadian line, goes t hrough the U-All. From Miles City.it ran up Sunday Creek, across the Little Dry , foll- owed the Big Dry to t he divide and then down to the r-,usselshell. Up thls trail came herds of cattle. The cattle that roam- e d th is r ange had brands s uch ns the CK , 79 , LU, and the 1 - • On e of the l nrges t ranges in the state of Mon tana is l ocate d in District 1 8 , with i ts headquart e rs about five miles fr om the Tree Coulee School . This r anch is the Crow Rock Ranch which is abou t on e half mile f rom the Grow Rock . The Grow Rock Ranch has an inter ,.: sting history . tit one tlme i t ha~ from 225 to 250 sections of land , that is about 144 , 000 acr es . 'rhe peon le th ~1 t first owned it were Gook and Penman . It was a she eD outfit while they owned it and for many ye[...], Jenson , Bryant and ~een , and Grov er Swif t the present owners who run cattle .[...]Homesteader s began flocking into this cow1try in gre a t n umber8 in about 1914 . It is estimate d that at one time, about 1917, there was a family to every section . The Tree Coulee school had from twenty-five to thirty pupil s at that time . It has decreased in n wnber since tha t ti1ne, until for t he last si[...]ly two or three pupils . The Battle of Crow Rock One summer in the ei ~hteen-eightys , a little band of a bout fifteen Crow Ind ians were returning home t[...]ow1try with stolen horses . While they were going a cross the country, whi ch the Sioux clai'11ed , a larger band of Sioux j umped t hem and chased them onto the Crow Rock . The Sioux Indians held the Grows on Cr ow Rock for several days until they kille d their horses and drank their blood . A little later the Crows a ll died of hunger an<l thirst . A large nwnber of Ind i a n Arrowheads have been found around this rock . It is easy to imagine the Indi1U1s hiding in the hollows on top J n d in the sirles of Grow Rock . U-All Following the times when I ndians roamed thi s country came the ti of the C?uffalo hunters. Among these was Bill Stone . Bill Stone was born in Clay County, Missouri, but when Missouri wa s rat[...]ked and headed for Mo~tana to hunt buffalo. After a time they acquired such a liking for buffalo hunting that they kept on doing so for many adve nturesome years . One of the favorite camps was on the "North Side" of Miles Cit • The Creek on which they c~mped was nicknamed "You All" , later shortened to U->.11. The , other school in our district the Ea st U-~11 School is named after this Old[...] |
| [...]school houses; high school children came in from country schools as there were only country grade s c hools there. A school house had been built on Sec. 28;twp 14-33; made of logs for pupils in that neighborhood. A school house of lumber was built on Sec 29-twp 14-34; this was on railroad l a nd bought by Wiliis Davis. Some homestead[...], or made improvments on their buildings. In 1920 the oil companies leased some of the land for dril- ling . They paid one dollar for lease of the J20 acres for one year . The first well was drilled in 1922 on Sec.lO~twp 13-34, on land of Tam Petri. No oil was found there or in any of the twelve or more test wells drilled• in the four townships. The oil companies paid one dollar a year per acre for oil leases on some of the land to 1963; but believe they have no oil leases now. Some of the test wells were drilled down to seven thousand f[...]From 1920 to 1930 there were hard years for the homesteaders . They had hail storms that would destroy their wheat fields, and of course feed crops; dry years when they had no crops or pasture, winters when they had snow that covered the range . They had no feed for cattle or horses and could not buy any, so they lost them for want of feed. Many had to leave their homesteads and go t[...]their land so even companies foreclosed on them . The banks took their cattle and horses for what they owed the bank . Some found work on rail road or in the copper mine at Butte, Montana; othera went back to Iowa or other states. A few were able to keep their land after they left[...]en fer enough to pay taxes. By 1930 many of the homesteads were taken over by Garfield County for taxes as the loan companies and banks we r e bro e . The county sold tax titles to land they had taken to ranch rs and men who bought the land for the oil rights. This land was sold for from fifty cen[...]ts per acre. Some was sold on five year payments. The few who re able to keep their land we r e able to lease to oil companies, part of the time for one dollar per acre. By 1969 no one lives in the four townships . The cattle companies and ranchers graze it in summer and taKe cattle out to feed in winter. A few of the homsteadera or their heirs own their land after fifty years and lease it to the stockmen for graz1ng .[...] |
| [...]rds, two stores ea c h , Hotels , Feed Barns , Re a l Estate Offices, and saloons; but n o filling st[...]ool houses; high school children came in from country schools as there wer e only country grad schools there. A school hou s e had b e en bu ilt o n Sec. 28 ; twp 14- 33; made of logs for pupils in that neighborhood. A school house of lumber was built on Sec 29-twp 14-34; t his was on railroad l a nd bought by Wil~is Davis. Some homestead[...]or made improvments on their buildings . In 1920 the oil companies leased some of the land for dril - ling . They paid one dollar for lea s e a f t he J20 acres for one year . The first well was drilled in 1922 on Sec.1 0- twp 13- 34, on land of T~m Petri. No oil was fo und there or in any of the twelve or more test wells dri lled, in the four townships . The oil companies paid one dollar a y ea r per acre for oil leases on some of the land to 196 3; b ut believe they have no oil leases now. Some of the te st wells were drilled down to seven thousand f[...]From 1920 to 1930 there wer e ha rd years for the homesteaders . They had hail storms that woul d dest r oy their wheat fields, and of course feed crops; dry years when they had no crops or pasture, winters when they h a d snow that covered the range , They had no feed for cat t le or hors e s[...]0 ·1 their land so even companies foreclosed on the m. The banks took their cattle and horses for what the y owe d t he b a nk . Some found work on rail road or in the copp e r mi ne a t Butte , Montana ; other• went back to IQwa or other stat es . A f e w were able to keep their land after they left i t. Some were a ble to lease to stoc en fer enough to pay taxe s.[...]were taken over by Garfield County for taxes a s t he lo an companies and banks we r e broke . The county sold tax title s to land they bad taken to ranchers and men who b ou ght the land for the oil rights . This land was sold for f r om fi fty[...]er acre. Some was sol d on fi v e year payments . The few who re able to k eep their lan d wer e able to lease to oil companies, part of t he t ime for one dollar per acre . By 1969 n o one li v es in the four townships . The cattle comp a ni es and ranchers gr a ze it in s ummer and take cattle out t o f e e d in winter . A fe w of the homsteaders or their heirs own the i r land after t'ifty years and lease it to the stoclcmen for g ra zing .[...] |
| EARLY DAYS IN GARFIELD COUNTY BY:[...]MOUNT AYR, IOWA We received your request for a history ef the early days of homesteading in Garfield County: It is going to be hard for me writing much of any history, of the early days of Montana. Some of the homesteaders were there a few years before my days; Willis Davis, George Jo[...]er, Henry Hayden and Cloya Foster. I left Io~a in March of 1914 and the 1st day of April 1914, I woke up in Eastern Montana. Sun was shining, or rather just coming up as the train rolled across the plains; I got off at Ingomar . Went to hotel, and after noon lunch I went out on a drive with a man that claimed to be a locater or gu.iae for the people wanting to file on a homestead. As he drove out on the higher land, he pointed out McGinnis Butte. I t~l[...]to go to Henry Haydens' He said Hayden lived west of McGinnis Butte; that butte could be seen for many miles; it was a real land mark for me; we did visit this butte. It'll give any person the leg ache to climb it. April 2nd in 1914 I started out on foot for the Haydens•; 36 miles, so I was told. There was a strong N.W. wind but not really cold, but I had my top coat on; 2 egg sandwiches and a "Whiskey Bottlett filled with just plain water; When I came to a furrow so many miles (20 or 22) then N.W. past the burnt out coal bank; in the distant several miles N.W. I could see a snack on a butte side-- Will R. Davis. Over that bQtte and down in valley some distant t•o shacks; George Johnson and Willis DaTls homesteads. They could direct me to the Hayden home, some ore buttes to climb; and it wasn't sundown yet. W. H. Hayden, owned a gas tr actor and a plow out fit, I worked for him; we plowed for the homesteaders far and near. Mr. Hayden purchase a thrasher of the Gar Scett Co. in Billi•n gs, Montana. It was shipped to Hysham, Mont.; down on the Yellow• stone river, east of Billings. We went 60 miles to get this machine. We started threshing, south west of Ingomar and did work on way hoae ; started threshing in August and I was working more than 3 months , started 36 miles S.E. of home, then as far as 45 miles N.W. of home, and we finished in Nov; 36 miles Ne. of home. home. "Cold weather"• I was a young man and I wasn't afraid of any kind of work. I was born in the gay 90 1 s--Sept 2, 1893 and 'llI'J girl friend was born August 20, 1894 . I filed on the E. ½ sec 8, twp l)N range 34 E. in May 1915. We were married, JaD 23, 1910. The tie I wore this day was a dark purple em-beded with "1916" numbers, I als• wore that tie in 1966, on our 50th Anniversary. It lgoks like new[...]n this farm till 1920. Those days the schools we re few and far apart. Some families le[...]to other places to school their children. We left in November. We had two children at that date, our daughter was born Nov. 24, 1916. I saw the la 3t large herd of cattle drove ov e r the trail, past Cloyd Fosters and Link Wolfs and also past Wil~ R. D8 vis homesteads in 1915, also visited with the •ow boys in camp on •n their range which was further north . 171 |
| [...]known as Dawson County, is now Garfield County as of February 7, 1919. They arrived in SUDlatra, Montana, Rosebud County and proceeded n[...]1 trip . As related by George Johnson, now living in Winterset, Iowa, after arriving in the area of section 30- township 14- range 34, they set busy getting a place built to liTe in and laying provisions in for winter. Willis tells of his family coming to Montana later that fall. His[...]e being Nellie Davis and their son Harold, at age of 6 years old. Nellie was ready to turn around and go back as she was eastern, Iowa born and this was quite a contrast. However Willis had to leave Iowa because of hi• heal th. There he was subject to pneumonia; caused by the damp climate and Montana was the dry place he chose. Hareld, his son was born in Iowa in May of 1905. Schooling was very much of a problem to all. Harold attended school• in rural and SW1atra from where he graduated in 1924. After graduation he attended Normal in Dillon, Montana and returned to teach one term at Anad, District# 49 and a couple months in District #39--at BrightTiew, the Sandsprings area. He did road work and then was employed as Deputy County Clerk of Court by Guy L. Scott. He spent many year• after working in gffice and road construction and passed away in 1962. After the usual hardships of homestead days for my folks, I, Derothea Davis arrived in May of 1916. The Willis Davis farm & ranch will be remembered by all travelers to and from Sandsprings to Sumatra as a plac e to stop, water horses, eat & sleep; and upon many occasions spend days at a time. Rains always brought many stranded people to stay as the "gumbo" south was impossible. We could see road •outh oTer a mile and north approxiametly same distance . In those days a woman never went without stockings away fro the home, and in trying to keep cool and coafortable, as the summers were hot & dry, and when a "rig" would appear on the horizon notner would run to put her stockings on:[...]would be at our house upon our return or possibly in our beds. Many timea my mother and I slept on the table,(a larg~ famil y size} te accommodate tourists} beca[...]at us to our beds. I am attempting to bring in data, events of things that I really don't know remember too much[...]nship 14- range 34: District# 40, with tw~ months of fall school in 1920, with my mother Nellie M. Davis as teacher. I was toe young to be enrolled as a pupil but no baby sitter so she and I walked to school just one mile east of homestead house. I was kept busy making scrap boo[...]ducation between Sumatra and another rural school in District # 40 with Christine Renschler as teacher the term of 1924 and 1925 . This scho ol was just north seven miles. My last school in Sumatra was the spring of 1929. /7.r |
| Willis had a sale of all belongings, except a few personal items, in the fall of 1928 and we moved to Jordan, Montana where he was[...]ing. I graduatei from Garfield County High School in spring of 1935. Arter many years of hardships , happy moments, years etc my mother passed away in 1947 and father in 1965. As was a known desire of theirs they were buried in Iewa where all their family were buried . I married Carl M. Hallberg, (MarTin, more commonly known) in March 1936. Alyce, a daughter was born in August of 1,31, and daughter Nelene was born December 1944.[...]l and graduating from Garfield CoUBty High School in 1955 and 1963 respectfully. To date we have a son in law and 3 grandchildren. Family of daughter Alyce, and living in Lewistown, Montana. She married Ted Haider in 1955 and is a Telephone line Contractor. Nelene is graduating from Eastern Montana College in June and hoping to make a career in t eaching business and Physical Education. Marvin dro•e a freight truck many years for Baan Wille, and now is Manager of Farmers Union Oil co, a position that he ha s held for 22 years. I helped him in station work for several years, cooked at Garfield Co. Hospital fer a couple years and then employed by Jim Viall in c l assificat!on office, from there to Assessors[...]king there I had an op~ortunity for advancment by a request from Cornelia Harbaugh to serve as Deputy Treasurer: in 1967 I was elected as Garfield County Treasurer, the office which I now hold at time of writing and with good autl ~onest duties hope to hold till March 2, 1971 . Speaking for the Willia Davi a and Marvin Hallberg family, there bas been many blue days etc, but all in all we have been bleased with a very happy life; and hope that each and every one reading this, the best fnr them in the coming years. Willis, Nellie & Haro[...] |
| [...]AYS I was born in Old Cotton Wood, |
| camp. He let us have a sack of flour, so we made out 'til we got back to where we could get some grub. We had lost all time of the day or month. We arrived in Lewistown ar ound 9:00 P. M. on Christmas Eve. You can ima gine how we looked . We hadn't had a haircut or shave since we left home. I g ot a shave and h aircut and liked to froze before I got back to the r anch on Trout Creek, eight miles from Moore, Montana. I made a lot of trips going back and forth. There wasn't any bridge across the Musselshell at Mosby in those days and in the spring it would be pretty high sometimes. I nearly always drove four horses to the wagon, when I made a trip. Many times when I made a trip, the weather was bad, either raining or snowing . I would sleep on the ground or part of the time would unroll my bed on the snow and cook over a campfire. There was a dance once in a while . There wasn't very many g irls or women ar[...]go from 8-20 miles by team or horseback to get to the dances. There was a large outfit, that had lots of sheep and cattle. They tried to run us homesteaders out. They had a bunch of cattle that they would drive up to our fences at night, so they would break into our crops in the summer or our feed in the win ter. Written by[...] |
| [...]ana To start with, we both came to Montana in 1913 . Grac e crune from South Da kota t o Re d Lodge , Montana as Grace Eloise Hall, to work for her aunt a s a milliner. I came from I owa to 25 miles nor th of Sumatra Montana, to the homestead country to beeome a honyonker, that i s what they called a homesteader . Well life on a homestead isn ' t a bed of roses , and I think anyone that has don e that wi[...]hail storms, bot winds and hot air, I rurni s hed a lot of that . But it i a wonderful soil our there, and you could raise mos[...]d even raise babie s out t he r e. Well there was a young fellow by the name of George Johns on , that I knew in Iowa and I had the same section of land , a nd Graces• brother a n d John.sons • brother in law had a section about 3 miles from ours, and Graces folks[...]d I had my team and buggy out , when we saw Grace a nd her brother running a horse rac e, and when he saw us he brought her do[...]r awhile and when we went on, I saidA Johnson one of us will have to get that girl , and he said, Oh, you a r e darn right Bill, one of us will have t o get her." Well in 1915 Grace quit her job in Red Lodge and came home to live with her folks. She must haTe been a kind of human magne t , f or something seemed to draw me oTer that way, and my team a nd my s addle horse soon learned to bead west when I took them out . !spent a lot of time at the Hall home, but the night of Jun• 16, 1916 was the first time that I realized t hat Gra ce was a 11 ttle weak minded, for that was t h e ni ght t hat she asked me to marry her. (Grace say• t h1 a is a lie. ) I couldn ' t imagine what would cause her to ask a ques ti on like that , but she was nearly 24 and maybe she a like t h e old maid that was praying for the Lord to s end hr a man , and an old hoot owl, said, "who- who-ll, and the ol d ma id sa id" Oh Lord, any man will do." Well we were marri e d at her f olks pl ace on Christmas day in 1916. e had a three day bli zzard , the 24-25-26, it really stormed . Spri ng finall y came and one day I ran up to the house and sa i d " Hell o Ma , " and boy she said the rest, and she said don ' t you ever do that a gain. Well I knew I would hav to us a differe nt approach, so once after that I went up to th house Tery quietly and never said a word, just tood there lo ok ing a t her . She didn't know I was near, finally she l o oked and saw me and boy don • t tell me that a woman can •t repeat , for s he did and how. I think that from that time on she had a desire and a fear. She had a desire to kill me a nd fear of De er Ledge . I never dared to tell her that the y paid a bounty for shooting guys like me. In 191 7 Don wa s born, in 1919 Frences was born, and 1921 Lucille was born . In the winter of 1922 we had a lot of s now, ao I made the kids a sled and one day we were out[...] |
| playing with them, and I dumped them off in the snow seTeral times and they got a big kick out of it . So I told Grace to ~et on, but she said "oh[...]soon, but she didn't and she went off head first in the snow. The kids got a big kick out of that. But I expect Graces desire increased. In the winter of 1923 there wasn't any snow at that time. One day Grace told me to go oTer and tell the neighbor• to come over for dinner. I went and they said they would come. The neighbor and I got to playing cards and I stayed[...]e says anything te me, I'll buat her one right on the nose." While I was gone, the kitchen fire wasn't burning very good so Grace went out to get some kindling. She put a small stick, one end on the chop- ping leg and the other end on the ground and hit it with the ax. Well it broke all right, one end flew up and broke her glasses and her nose and blacked her eye. When the neifhbors Cllllle she was a sight to behold . When he saw her said, My Gd Bil[...]me wood. We had some little calTes running around the yard, and one of them had left some soft gooey manure on a stick of wood . So I got an armful of wood and I picked up this certain stick of wood by the clean end with the dirty side down and t ook it all to the house, held the dirty stick out to Grace and said, "Just lift that and see how heary it is." Well, of course, as I intended she got hold of the dirty place and, boy oh boy , I neTer left the house o fast in my life nd she right after me. If she could have[...]ave oTercome er fear and there would ha~e been a dead Honyonk&r. But for some reason she let me l[...]decided to go to Bridger Montana so we could put the kids in town school. A short time before we left, Grace started to go down in the basement and right at the bottom step there was a big snake all curled up and just daring any one to come down, Grace said she didn 't think she touched a step coming up, but ahe thought she just flew . She yelled at me to come and kill the snake . Maybe she thought that snak would do what she had wanted to do all these years and saTe her the trouble. But I showed that rattler who was boas and I killed it and whe I brought it up out of the base- ent there aeemed to be a kind ef a disappointed look on Graces• face. Maybe she thought I'd come out second best when I went down. We left for Bridger in the early fall of 1924. The next few months were the darkest time of our married life . We hadn't been in Bridger only a short time till polio struck Grace and I'll say[...]nd Grace was paralized on her left aide, and for a long tie she couldn't even get out of a chair or sit down alone. I carried her around in my arms like a baby for a long time. You can imagine how fast our money went. Well in 1929 we came to Anaconda eo I could get steady work,which I had I So |
| fer a year or more, then the depression came and by the time it ended, I owed just about everyone and his brother. Ther was a lot to times we hardly knew where our next meal was coming from. The years rolled away, the kids finiahed school and they never gave us a bit of worry and we were always proud of them. My only regret is that I wasn't able te giTe them more than I did. They all grew up in Anaconda and all married in one day less than eight months. Maybe they were in a hurry to get away from their old dumb dad. Yet I believe that yeara later as of now that either one of them would fight f r me or maybe fight me at the drop er the hat, ao please don't drop a hat. I worked for the A.c. M. Ce. in Anaconda for 26 yeara before they found out that[...]en they fired ae and they were ao glad to get rid of me th.at they have pa14 •• $ 52.69 every month to keep me from coming back. (Now I get a pension of $81.96.) Maybe they are still afraid I will come baak. They even gave me a thouaand dollar paid up Life Insurance policy. I must haTe been bad and now yeara later 1n Hamilton, we have a little nest out here in the west, and we'll let the rest of the world go by. New in regard to Grace I will say in all seriouanesa that she has been a wonderful pal. She has never griped about her aff[...]be when she . sees thia my days will be numbered. The only consolation that I haTe ia that they say the good die young, and you wouldn't call me good, would yout Gra•• and I have never had a real quarrel. Oh yee ve have had words alright, but I neTer got a chance to use ■ ine. Now then this ia my life s[...]this out by aying my initials are B.B.L. Tb.at is the sign or barrel ■, but not mine; it's Bit[...] |
| THE H . L . GIBS ON FAMILY My dad came to Montana from Ashland , Nebr·aska, th e fa ll of |
| [...]en I was eight years old and we left Kansas in Augus t of 1901 . We were on the road for 5 weeks, but never traveled on Sunday ,[...]wash d ay and so on. It was $eptember when we re a ched Montana, near Garniel in then Fergus County . "rhe county may still be the same. My mother ' s bro ther,uncle Frank , had be[...]ew exactl y where we were headed . Our family , 8 of us , Mother, Dad and 6 children 6 months to 10 ye[...]n orphan cousin and grandparents(hother 1 s) also a man and his son came along to see the country and work during the fall months. The vehicles u se d were three covered wagons and a s pr_ng wagon in which many r ode and had two possibly 10 gallon kegs in back where we hauled water . There were two dogs and the horse s (no extras) , a light buggy team f or the spring wagon and 2 work horses each for the wa~on s . The s pring wagon was a surrey with the fringe on top . There were four steel braces in the corners . To me it wa s beau tiful . The buggy whip had a tassel , no doubt . The covere d wagon had br a ckets so the bed could be made wider . An ordinary bed spring fitte d exactly so there was at least one good bed for the bunc h . The men used bed-rolls and slept on the ground along side the wagons so as to watch where the horses drifted . A bell was pu t on one horse (a le ader), 4nd also t hey were all hobbled . We had a camu stove and pi eces of fl ~t metal that made into a sort of s t ove where we coul d place ket tl es . ~e used a lot of of cu red meat ; a lso the men killed wild chickens , rabbi ts anc. s age hens and once an ante lope . It may have b P,en out of season , but it t a sted gooa . We bought s upplies along the road . ~- ter was the worst barrier . All wa te r was boiled; in fact, all the children 1 drank weak coffee . As for myself , 1[...]nuch sugar I can t drink sweetened coffee since . A tarp was s r ead on the gro d picnic style, and I imagine oil cloth in the ~1ct,1c . e us ed tin p lates and cups , and a s we called then later our black table1are . The women an0 ,Tirls all wore dresses and the men ordinary |
| and she was only three when we took her fo r the tri p . The names of the entire group were: Mot h er ~lizabeth The reason for o u r move was the s u ccession of crop f ai l ures We ferr i e d a cross the Big horn River wh en we came . I can lf'f |
| [...]a from Denton County, Texas, by train and landed in Miles City, April 17, ·1911~ on Easter Sunday . To my surprise, about every other fellow I met on the street stopped me and asked when I came up from Texas. It puzzled me at the time how everyone could tell I was from Texas, but realized later that about half the cow punchers in Montana were from Texas and everyone could tell a green Texan kid like me as far as they could see[...]xas so I could get me an •Al Furstnow saddle." In about three days, I had me an outfit , saddle, bridle, blanket, spurs and short on money. The ntana Stockgorwers Association was mee ting that week in Miles City , so I landed a job from J. p. ''.Tosh" McCuis tion . He owned and ran the H Cross outfit on Squaw Creek. He told me be would ive me $40 a month and all I'd have to do was eat, sleep, and ride a pony. The middle of May the roundup wagon pulled out and on the first of July we were camped close to Jordan wait1n for ot[...]outfits to exchange cattle. Four cattle outfits, the CK, two 79 wagons and the H Cross al l celebrated the Fourth of July in Jordan. It was a lively time for all, but the 5th w s a "headache" day, and not a roundup wagon so much as moved camp . The 7th we camped at the mouth of Lone Tree Creek o the Bi Dry. A big bail storm hit at 4 p.m. just at supper time . One of the worst things that happened was when a 79 Remud stampeded and piled up in a cut coulee killing 11 head for the 79 and 2 head for the H Cross. Killed 13 horses in all . In the picture taken June 13 , 1949 at Fred Gibson's fun[...]ke" Roberts, Berry Roberts and Wild Bill Sutter. Of this bunch, only thr ee are lef t. Wild B111 Sutter , Bob Newell, and myself. The others have rrossed the Big Divid e. My cowboy days were spent wi th the H Cross, 79 and~ outfits . I lived 1n what 1s now[...]s . From April 1911 until April 1960 . I now live in Lewistown . I still thin k them there Missouri River , Musselshell and Squaw Creek breaks are the best place lef t on God 's Green E~rth .[...] |
| [...]Lower Mu s se ls hell S t o r i es In 1898 , La rkin -=> a n c i dge c ame to the lower Mussels h ell The main ent e rt a i nme n t among the e ar ly se t tler s wer e c o unt r y id Bus cs helped establish the hecaha po s t of f i c e a bou t 1916. |
| [...]utters, Robert Newell, {Martha vas one or the Lew Tripp, Wes Huston[...] |
| [...]F. (Bert) Keith and his parents crune to Montana in 1916. They had lived in Illinois, California, Oregon and Canada . In 1909 Bert took up a homestead in Canada and became a Canadian citzen . Bert's folks, Dr. and Mrs. Lon Keith bought a relinquishment in what was then Dawson county. Bert and two of his brothers, Max and Charlie filed on homesteads. ~11 lived north of Benzein when first coming here . Dr. Keith di~ not take the Montana Med- ical Examination as he did not inten[...]doctor practic e, but there was so few doctorsin the country that he was always being called upon . He traveled many miles on horseb~ck in all kinds of weather to help sick people. Dr. Lon Keith died during the flu epidemic of 1920, and his wife passed away in 1931 in Great Falls . After Bert and Dagmar were married in 1923, they lived five years north of Benzein. Twins were born while they still lived u p there, Carl (Jack) and Wanda (Judy). They leased a place from W. G. Roberts on the Musselshell river and lived there for about 20 years . Judy , one of the twins passed away in Sept. ~930 . In about 1943, Bert and Jack bought a place at the mouth of Lodge Pole Creek from Mr . Robe r ts . Dagmar Keith passed away in the Jordan hosp ital May 1954, after being sick a lot of her lil'e. Bert continued to live on the river after Jack was married . In 1960 Bert and Jack sold their place to Marcus Matovich and bought the Roberts place about 9 miles up the river, where they had lived before. Sent in by Verda Ke ith Max Kei th, Mrs Lon Ke[...] |
| Mabel Nordahl In the fall of 1915, Mabel Wangsness crune from Oregon with her[...]sister, il ta and settled on Martins homestead on the Musselshell River just across from the Ross Post Office. They lived in a tent until their two room log house was built. Ma[...]th no grazing ri ghts and no fees to pay and most of the settlers ran cattle . Mabel attended school in Canada and later in Oregon before com- ing here . Mab e l meet and married Oscar ordahl who was driving the mail route from Mosby to Mel stone. They later moved to Calf Creek on a ranch. They have 4 children ; Raymond of Hosby,f ont ; Alice (Fogle),Jordan, Freda (Stinebaugh) also of Jordan , Montana and Margit (Laws) of Eagle Creek, Oregon. The Nordahl 1 s children went to school at Ross School and to Garfield County High School , in Jordan,Montana For recreati on t hey would ride horseback 20 or 30 mile s to a dance , and to visit neighbors. Some of the early set t lers who lived near by were : Gilfeathers, Johnny Winters, The miths d the Hotladahls. by[...] |
| [...]My grandfather, Larkin Sandidge, ranched on the Deerborn river between Helena and Great Falls in the 1880 1 s until about 1898 when that territory became too settled to suit him. In 1898 he moved to the lower Mussellshell river territory and 'squatted' on some land near the south of Blood Creek, which is about twentr miles south of where the Mussellshell (when it had water in it) flowed into the Missouri. In 1901 my father, Thomas J. Gilfeather, and my moth[...]and desert entried about six hundred forty acres of land. My grandfather and father ranch~d for the next eleven years. In 1912 my grandfather, who had driven sixteen horse[...]freight outfits between Fort Benton and Fort Shaw in the late 1860 1 s and early 1870's and eight, six and[...]reight and stage lines between Helena and Bozeman in the 1870 1 s and 1860 1 s was killed when a two horse outfit hauling a half load of lumber overturned while he was driving _it down the Blood Creek hill. My father, not being a stock man,sold the cattle and there- after until his death in 1931 our operations were restricted mostly to rai[...]l grains for local feed. During this period of time my father, and then later my mother, ran the Ross post office, {named after a close family friend,as the name of Gilfeather or Sandidge didn't seem to fit as the name for a post office). The mail was delivered once a week for a number of years and then three time a week when the settlers moved in and settled on all of the land right up to the rough river breaks. During the early perfod people came i'rom as far as thirty or forty m les away to get mail, as Ross was the only post office north and south between Mosby and north of the Kissouri, and east and west from Jordan so Giltedge. My folk's land lay in two counties. Part in Dawson County until 1919 when Garfield County was formed, and part in Fergus County until 1925 when Petroleum County was created. (Back in those days they didn't need eo many desks in the state Senate and House .) We often had people who came late for one mail and early for the next and we were rarely without someone being at our place for two or three days at a time to get their mail. My mother did a land office business ordering clothes for a great number of people in that territory out of the Sears and Roebuck, Montgomery Ward and Savage mail order catalogues, and particularly for a recent European immigrant group which had settled near the mouth of the Mus sells hell . My mother claimed the dubious distinction of having fed more horse thieves than any person in the world. This was because our place was near the moutn of Blood Creek which ran into the Aussel- lshell from the ve ~t Md extending out towards the Gilfedge, Lewistown and Ju 1tt B s ~n territory and near the mouth of Calf Creek and Lodg&pole, both of which came into the Mussellshell ~,l'om the east and ex~ended out toward the Big Dry, lower Yellowstone, Powder and Tongue riYer areas . In these outlying , more civilized[...] |
| areas, horse stealing was one of the largest industries of the time. As the law beg an hot pursuit of a thief he would slip down one of these creeks, camping for rests in the thickets and brush or trees along the creek bottoms and t hen emerge onto the ussell- shell, and follow along its tree laden valley , swim the Missouri and g o up the Milk into Cana da. There he wo uld stay until the heat was off and then he woul d drift back and begin work all over ag ain. Over the ye ar s my mo ther f ed a few re peaters . As a small boy I can remember Al Morgan , Sheriff of Fergus County, stopping at our house to eat when he was out looking for one of my mother 's boarders. He was a real character of the era from 1910 to 1915 or so, and notwithstanding the movies the old lawmen never wore their guns into your house. Al Morgan always left his gun in the crotch of a tree in the hay corral where he left his horse to be fed. The main entertainment among the early settlers were country dances, sewing gatherings for t he women and poker game s for the men . After the settlers start ed coming in, mainly between 1916 and 1922 we civilized consid[...]eld and second base for t he "River Rats" against the " Hill Billies" when I was about ten or twelve years old. Local rodeos and horse r a ces, of course , prevailed throughout all the time and if you were a native you were expect- ed to partici pate, regardles s of whether you enjoyed it or n ot and no consid eration was gi v en for any time tha t you had been absent from the territory and this type of sport . The river bottom p eople continued to run some cattle from 1915 to 1925 on the lim, ted oo en range still available , but be - t ween the hard win ters on the limi ted feed in the ro ugh breaks and the deep , c ool water wells of some of the hill billies it was rather a high risk b usiness. The ranchers from near the south of the river on up to o ur place used t o throw their beef cattle t ogether each fall and drive them all to the railroad to be ship- ped East. These drives left t he Mussellshel l j ust below (to the s ou t h of) our plac e, over t o and up Lo dgepole Creek the[...]sn ake Springs and Chenney Springs and t hen made a two day d r y urive into Gailbrith or Sumatra. I f you co uldn't get cars from the Milwaukee you had to drive on to the No rthern Pacific at Forsyth . The dri ve usua lly took about ten days . I made this trip fo ur times . The first time I wa s thirteen I was the l owly horse but when I wqs fo teen I had my first pair of h i gh healed (sec ond h an d ) boots, a string of seven horses and was a f ull - fledged cowboy . The next year l had the ple asure of riding day herd with Fred Gibson of t he Li tle Dry area . He was in my estimati on , a real cowboy . ,.e had come up from Texas with trail herds . I woul d love to have had a movln picture of his sad dling a horse . It was the ultimate in coordin- ation and util i z a t ion of movement . He swung on the sacfrle blanket and saddle with his ri .:i:ht hanc , than the left hand cau. ht t he cinch, the ri a.;ht shoved the lad d igo t h ronrh the cinch ring , then hand over h and , l ike a sailor clinbing a rope , the s addle wa s ti ghtened , the stirrup was t u rne d for the boot and one hand went to the mane and the other to t he saddle horn f or the co unt . The astronough t have never operated so smo c thly even in we ifhtless orbit.[...] |
| [...]mith. I did not know him well no one did . He was a close nei ghbor for ye ars. He was a good neighbor in that he never disturbed anyone and was quite acco[...]ising hay and wintering cattle for others. He got a few letters and I am informed that he was qui te sick once and he thought he was going to die; he made a Will le aving everything he had to a nurse who had been good to him while he was in the hospital. He got well from that sickness and lete[...]heard from Mr. Smith since. Other early ranchers in the area to the south of Smith were Shannon, Fox, Scheck Coon Olmstead , Andrew Hotladahl , Nordqu ist, Mark 's and the Matovichs . Down on the Missouri were Town, Roland Mathews and the T!'ipps . To the $outh were the Allans, Nordahls, Bumps, Malone , Wilson , Touhy, Healy and .fave. On the ri dge to the West was the Chad and Ashley places and over to the Eas t were the Hili Green, Mock and Nile places . I went to grade school at the Ross school whic h was two and a half miles south of our p lace. My father was always a scho ol Trustee and my mother the Clerk. Mrs . Guy Bump was my first teacher, then I had a Miss Kiley , a Miss Hennessey, a Miss Mc- Grath, Mrs . Ed Nave, Mrs. Kelly and Mrs[...]ng wi th so little equipment and our irregularity of attendance due t o climatical conditions and the fact that we were all kept home quite often to help with the work . I went to high school in Winnett, comm- encing in the fall of 1922 . The first year I worked as a janitor at the high school. During my four years I worked for t he bank as a janitor until it went broke, (I had nothine to do with that) and I worked for Mr . Alexander and was a janitor and Clerk for Sol Stormwind. Also I was one of the few Catholi c boys who ever straightened up all the regalia and cleaned the lodg e hall af ter the Mason and Odd Fellow meetings . Edna Hillius, Mugs Willius, Ted Beckman, Audrey oore and myself had a dance band my last t~o years of high school. The first superintendent 1 had was Mr . Tanner, then[...]ti ent with me and was responsible for my getting a great deal of enjoyment out of athletics in Winnett and later. As I remember back I think we had some very good teachers . e had a tall, rather slender, dark-haired history teacher who was very good. She even got me interested in midieval history and later when I went to colle e I majored in history and govern- ment . le also had a nice Spanish teacher , although 1 was a very poor language student . Stle later contacted me in Great Falls where I drew Wills for her and her hu[...]recite Spanish. Winnett tli gh School and the community about it were very good to me and the c oM.I11unity hus since been very helpful and en- couraging and I duly appreciate my mAny frie nd s in the community and what t he y have done for me . In retrospect I now realize tha t during my lifetime I wit- nesse d the changing of the .semi-plateati.S, or uplands , contiguous to the lower Mussellshell v alley fre e open ranee g razing area to f a rm l and and then to controlled graz in· · wi thin State organized grazing distr[...] |
| Probably f a te require d the s e changes to bring out the best a~ I feel thes e l ands are more productive when pr[...]rva-' tion practices ar e f ol l owed , however , in the process of culti- v a t~ng these l an d s and the ove r grazing of the remaining grass during the droug ht, cre a t ed wheat grass has pretty much replaced t he once famous "buffal o gras s". To do justice to the importance . r amificat and . , . i ons of this transition and the leaders involved i n carryi n g it out, such as the Teig ens , Brattens , Winter Bumps my. brother, Charles, and Don Bowen , - t o name a few , would ;equire' g o i ng far beyond t he sc ope hereof. Going b ack t o the early peri ods I can remember as a little to t seeing a l ar ge b and of Indians passing our place on their way back to the r eser vation af t er one of their last tries to ~ec apt u re t he i r olf way of lif e. A little later I remember see- i ng a larg e p orti on of the cat tle of the huge Long Cattle Comp any traile d p a ssed our place when it left our territory, t hu s e ndin g t h e e ra of r eal large op en range a ctivity . I have ridden d ay herd and sto od night - guard with men who ro de the l a st " H Cross " s h i pment , which I understand from first hand re- l a ting by t hose men, to have r eached the railroad after a three day ' d r y d riv e ' under the l ucky star of a tail wind as the herd fina lly c ame in on water . I was born and raised in this cow count r y a t t he beg inn i n g of the errl of its cowboying . Some of the boys j ust olde r t han me and some of my contemporaries tried to find their place in this past orofession . I was s oared that pain b ec a use my moth e r said ( and insisted) , "go west,[...]l " . So I packed my bag , saddled my horse, took a smal l l unch and r ode out to the Rogge brothers ranch where I l e ft my hors e and went t o the road and flagged do~m as old whi te t ruck and ro[...]been tried by anyone from tha t remote area , but which has often been repeated ; namely, break the "cow barrier" , I have , of course , found the r e were some inadequacies in my early formal training received in this remote area wh ch caused some difficulty in my later schooling, however , I have found compensation from having developed an apnreciation of others which is a direct result of having been raised in this area . Down on the lower Mussellshell there is a feelinF of nearness of your distant neightbor . Your concern for him is[...]st another taxpayer to whom you may transfer some of your tax burde but your concern for him is based on the interplay of support given by human to human, the knowle dge that the good an~ welf re of your neighbor is a lso your good and welfare and the needs of one is the concern of all . Possibly the advantages do not out- weigh the disadvantages insofar a3 the gathering of worldly possessions are concerned but the advantages far outwe, ~L the disadvanta~es when it com;s to enjoying people , understandin. the real meaning of life and f ul l enjoyment of life . l'his training I feel has had a direct bearing upon my public and ersonal _1;re . Memories of the medic!ll and n ursing contributions of Dr . leitL and Mrs . Paul Smith are tearfully remembered by all of tLe old timers who l i ved through t he flu epirlemic of 1917 and 1918 . Dr . Alexander once to ld me that a man 's act al success i n life is n ot measured by the size of his estate , but by the mun- ber who attends his funeral . If you plan to attend the funeral of a resident of the lower Mlssellshell area , at n place within reach of th 9. t territory, be sure ,, o.r ·i ve e[...] |
| the services begin there will b e st anding room only[...]Nora N. Pe ters en I came to Montana in Oct ober , 1913 , fr om Kansas with my parents , at the age of 13 years old , t hre e brothers and one sister. Father homesteaded on half mile Sout h of Calf Cr eek. My parents were Mr . and Mrs . Paul V. Hetri c k . I attended the Twin But t e School wit h my younger brother and[...]rs later at dances and p icni cs and such. He and a brother came to Montana from Kans a s in t he spring of 1912. Each of them homesteaded . David and I married Sept ember 17, 1917 . We r a ised a f amily of four boys and three girls . We ret ire d fr om the ranch in . 1 64. Came to Winnett , Montana . We sold our r[...]dson . My husband passed away Augus t 28, 1967 at the age of 83 years . The first bridge across the Mus s elshell Ri ve r at Mosby was built the summer of 1918 . Herb Mosby had t he ma i l r oute from Mosby to Melstone at the time . His wife , Susan, was postmi s tress at Kosby them . I remember when the first oil well was drill ed at Cat Creek Field. Mosby at that time became a small village. There was a general store , and the postoffice was ran by George Gates f amily. A restaurant and hotel, the restaurant and hotel burned six years later . Also there was a pool hall that is known now as t he Community Hall . It was donated to the community by J oseph Bagwell. It was also used for a dance hall for several year s . Some of the Homesteaders I can remember are : Edwar d[...] |
| [...]It is hard to condense forty-one years into a few paragraphs so this will merely hit a few high spots. Watson bought the Drug Store in Jordan from J.E. Lasswell in November 1927 and took it over in January 1928. He came out here with. the Mail Stage which was operated by Floyd Tollefson and it took them all day with a lot of pushing through the snow drifts. Gina came in the fall of 1928 to teach the third and fourth grades and coach basketball. The Grade and H igh School students were crowded into a small building on the site of the present old grade school. Basketball was played in the Hall down town and often we wore coats, boots and mittens during practice. When school was out in May 1929 we were married and Gina helped in the store. The drouth and depression hit in the early thirties and we had the same struggle to survive that other people rememb[...]We operated the Drug S~ore Watson & Gina Foster at Hell Creek on the south side of Kain Street until the !all of 1935 when we moved into the present building.[...]FaITand built the second story[...]Mc Kerlick and they live in Red-[...]Over the years ny girls have worked in the Drug Store and quite a rev ,till live in Oartield[...]which vas r ther t[...]It has been a good[...] |
| [...]Mr . Ted Walker and wife, Grace Walker came from the state of Connecticut to Mont ana. Ted was working at the Boys' Indust- rial School in Miles City and Mrs . Walker was a teacher there in Miles City. They came out to Jord an to take up a homestead . In the breaks they fourtd a place with go od water and their ne a rest neighbor was Trumbos; and he was s uch good neighbor and friend. Mrs. Walker was Matron at the Dormitory for sever a l years and also taught school in Garfield . County. I will never forget thi[...]my first child was born. There were very few cars in those days, so we rod e in a wagon with the side s cut down for my c omfort. We slept in a tent made of a large tarp . The first night out was on the hill south of Jordan. Some entertainment or ral l y of some kind was goi ng on in Jordan. When the crowd were on their way home; a couple men crune to our tent to borrow some water , when t hey brought the bucket back; they gave Ted a drink out of a bottle , he pre tended to take a drink and the man s aid ,"give your partner a drink " and Ted said,"That is my wife and she don[...]t. Ha l Hal When we came to Jordan i t was a small tov n . Mail was carr- ied out from Miles C[...]ay. Later on when our schoolhouse was bu ilt, and the Home - steaders moved in; not c a ttle people , b ut farmers like t he Tuppers , t hey started Sunday School in t he schoo l-ho use. One Ted came home from Trumbo 1 s and a sked me , if I would cut Trumbo I s hair . eli, I always cut Ted I s hair so I .3tar ted in and did very well . He was all fixed to go to a dance and didn 't have time to go to Mr . Shook so , after t hat I became a barber . Hal Ha l I remember on Sundays the Neie;hbors an o friends gathering at the hook family for a waternelon party the fall of 1936 at the Ranch . Gilbert Roxmer |
| [...]Two Houses & Three Pe ople (In memory of Jos. F. & Irma Star Nault) who were early p ioneer s in Garfield County by their daught er , Vivienne ault chrank It was in the middle of Apri l i n 1913 , as I remember it be - i n g told by my fol ks , Jos eph F . and Irma Nault ; a beautiful day with clear blue skies a lthough a br isk wind was blowing · just l i ke it always seems to blow in Montana in the spring of the year when our cherry red Hudson car s uddenly came over a r i dge and and there it was, J ORDAN ! At t hat t ime the road, carved out by wagon trails came int o Jordan from the s outh from Miles City and one saw nothing until[...]hi s ridge ( later called Hooligan Hill) and then a tiny town was down b elow, nestled in a sort of bowl shap ed valley. It was r a t her steep coming down from this ri dg e that le[...]pa st Kati e Markley ' s home befor e we crossed a bridge and then curved t o the right on a road that ran (a t the back of the hous e n ow owne d by Claribel Saylor) into Jordan. w_hen my fol k s s hou te d wi th j oy at the top of the ridge where J ordan first poppe d into view I t h[...]"flipped their lid§ and trying to get me j us t a s exc i t ed only puzzled me more . I don't reall[...]but I ' m sure it wasn ' t what I was looking at in fron t or me and I was disappointed . 11 I remembered when we left the t own of Cr ookston , Minnesota (a t own abou t the size of Miles City) is that my mother explained t hat we[...]UT WEST . We soon entere d t he t iny t own of Jordan . I looked up into my mo ther 's face and[...]t hre e people?" J ordan really l ooked more like a T I G POST than a t own with its f ew building made of logs . And like a p on- eer town, whi ch i t was , its buildings consisted of store , post office , s a l oon, r es taurant , ho t el , rooming house and[...]t while others we r e t ie d t o hi t ching posts in front of bu1ld1n s for the convenie n c e of t he traders whe t her ranchers , fa ers or prospect- ors in t he surrounding area . My f olks were tir[...]from Miles Cit y , hav ing to stay ove r night at a halfway house on unconfort- abl e bed and t raveling over v ery r ough roads so Dad stopped at the r ooming house , owned by the Hash family who also owned a livery stable next to it and he got us a room . Besides t t , our house was not f inished yet on the homestead, due to delay 1n ship - ping the l umb er out from Miles City although Dad bad come to ont- ana ahead of Mother so as to have a house ready to welcome us when we arrived . It turned out that we had to stay at the rooming house a week before our house 3½miles SE of Jordan was complete in which to live . While in to~n , Hashes only son, onteville "Cap" Hash introduc ed me to several children including the lergaard children whose folks owned the hotel . My folks met Mr . Baldwin , the storekeeper where dad made arrangements to[...] |
| Dad : ed the only two cars in the country. The town people welcomed us warmly but not the ranchers, at first. We were the intruders to them, coming out to fence land that[...]r stock could room freely and whether they owne d the land surrounding them or not they had used it. They had never been stopped of that habit until now a.fter the "homestead law" had passed,allow- ing people to come out and make a claim on 360 acres of land where said homesteade rs could live, prove up on the land af'ter living on it for t hree years and the land rightfully belonged to them af ter which they payed taxes on it if they wished to keep it, otherwise it would go back to the Government again. And owning the land the homesteaders could sell their 360 acres if they w[...]know why we were out west settling on land and c a lled HOMESTEADERS . The angry ranchers called us HON YOCKERS . Out[...]at were homesteaders,too, fairly close to us like a mile or two away and were the Schranks, Millers, Olivers, Andersons and Harbaughs to the east of us and Woods, Loves and 11 Big Alex" MacDonald SE of us , just naming those I remembe r· well. And a .few families came out from Crookston, Minnesota that we knew formerly while living in C~ookston like the Myron Thorntons,Cliff Bievers to farm. and raise stock while the FitzGeralds come to run a drugstore , our first one in Jordan. They bad one son, Gerald Fitzgerald and t he Thorntons had two sons, Dean and Ward while the Bievers were j u st newlyweds who later had two d[...]didn't fen ce our land at first, trying to please the ranchers so as to cultivate t heir friendship in letting them move their stock through in a more direct route which they respected by carefully herding their stock,[...]corn and grain as well as our vegetable garden to a void trampling it. But one day a group were not so considerate. Mo ther heard the sound of cattle coming quite close so she went out to tell them to be careful of her garden and they followed her advice by runnin[...]d worked so hard to raise and trampled it flat to the ground. Then laughted and satd 11 Did that suit y[...]cker?" Mother said, "Sha.me on you!" and ran into the house and cried. I cried, too, because Mother was[...]some supplies . When he returned and he was told the news they immediately decided to fence our land and when other ranchers heard about the nasty incident they understood why we were f encing our land , which we lived on for seven years be- rore moving to Jordan . Our last Christmas spent on the home stead was a sad one. Mother wanted a pine tree to trim for the occasion as she wa s tired of trying to decorate a sage brush like she'd been doing 1n the past . There were no pine trees in Jordan to buy so a man offered to go with Dad t o pine tree c ountry north of Jordan . Tbey drove up on the day of Christmas Eve and after a long and I 98" |
| tedious trip, brough t a tree back t o Jor dan a t the e nd o~ the day. The man would not take any money fo r his pains so Dad decided that the next best thing to do to thank him fo r hi s trouble was to buy him a hot brandy, his fa vorite drink . Da d joined him and both warmed up i n the s al oon by the pot be l l i ed stove. As soon as Dad was warm he decide d to go home wi t h the pine tree for mother to d ecorat e b ut seve ral fellows who had been in_the saloon most the afternoon de c i ded dif ferently . They were goi[...]hma n drunk, re f err ing to my dad . Dad was not a heavy drinker and besides that, wa s anxi ous to get home wi t h the pine tree but t he playful heavier men would drag da d b a ck to the bar every time he'd t r y to leave bu t he sli pp[...]d since i t was ge tt i ng dark he wa s lig~ ting the carbid e light s whic h had to be done on the outs ide of a car ar.d while doing this the jolly guys had mi s sed him ., gone outside and found him so into t he sal oon he went between two of t hem. Hes ipped away again and deci de d he ' d jump int o his car and drive without lights a short dis tanc e and out of s lght of t he saloon and then stop to light his ligh ts. He knew the Sher iff was in Miles City so with no other cars for t ra..ffic t he r e would be no problem. But abo u t the time he had reache d the Kramer home he h e a r d an engine noise so automa t ica l ly h e t urned to his right a s he would do in car traffic in a c i t y . But the object he was me eting and couldn't see turned le f t and it a l l ende d with the only two cars in the ,·country h 2v i ng a he ad- on c ollision . Dad was thr own through the wl nd shild and hurt badl y and was immediately carried into the Kramer house. Someone got Dr. Baker and s omeone el se c ame out to the home - stead after Mother and me. Mother l earned fr om Dr. B ker a..f t er we arrived that dad had three ribs b roke[...]intest ine s an d maybe other possible interna l in juries t hat t ime would reveal and Dad was given[...]uld live or die. Dad did not g et r e l ief until the third day when he .felt a rele a se or s ome thi ng and said : "I believe that I s[...]n ing t h e las t s ev ere pain . Dr . Baker said the ribs h a d slipp ed back into place and e v en though he would be l ay e d up for around six mont hs , Dad was out of danger so we moved h im ou t to the homestead a s soon a s he was able to travel. There wa s no hos p ital in Jordan then or for several years . Luc k ily our f ood supplies for the winter had been bought and s tore d in our c e llar such as canned milk and other canned goods , fl our , navy beans, macaroni a s wel l as vegetables out of our gar den, some of which mother had home - canned . e didn ' t have meat and our f'e w c hi ckens were soon eaten but some of our bachelor r r1e nce shot r abb its and brought to us which Mother fixed 1n a casse ro l e, t hey t asted like chi cken and someone else brought us a c hunk of beef Folks were kind and we wintered just fine . Dad 11 had t ime to think a lot as our money dwindled away s.l owly"but sur n[...]er he was able Dad lef t fo r Mil es City to find a job . He was hired to run a theat r e , s ome t hing he knew best , being in the theatre busi nes s for several year s before we moved to Montana , owning a theatre in Crookston, another in Duluth., Minnesota as well as one in LaCross , Wisconsin .[...] |
| While in Miles City Dad met Howard Reeves who suggested pairing up and starting a stage line between Miles City and Jor dan, carrying passengers and hauling mail which they did and it was the first scheduled mail run by car between Miles City and Jordan . After that it was garage business in Jordan and then Dad went into business with Walt Waltenbaugh running a saloon , filling station (our first filling station in Jordan & affiliated with Conoco) and a theatre (also our !'irst theatre in Jordan), Dad remaining in Jordan until he had a heart attack and passed away in 1940. Mother remained in Jordan, living with my husband Milton and me until her death in 1963. But before I close I just must tell this little "CUTIE" that really happened in Jordan when a lady by the name of Mrs. Huff whose husband was affiliated with our first Bank decided to make Jordan, society minded with a n400" flavor. They built the house where Norma Hoverson and her family now live . Mrs . Huff decided to give a formal dance so rented the community dance hall and sent out her invitations[...]s among those invit- ed. It was clearly stated on the invitation,"FORM.AL" and natur- ally our western folks dressed conserva tively in western clothes having no reason to buy clothes ror unheard of formal affairs because up until now, starting in the day..: of our first school house school bell ringing after hours in Jordan would announce to folks that there wo uld be a dance where lad ies came in cotton dresses and did square dances, dance d all night, placing their children under blankets to sleep on the pushed back school seats until daylight , then go to a restaurant and eat breakfast, after a ttending to the stock , later afte we had a community hall, the habit of square dances and simple cotton dresses to dance in was much the s ame s o quite a shock to the home folks in Jordan, to have the mood of normal living changed so completely . No one was ready for i t. But s ome close friend of mo t her who knew about the fancy clothes Mother and Dad had stored away in t rucks in memory of former years in Crookston during the time Dad owned an Opera house , suggested they take them out of moth balls, air them and select one for this formal affair so Mo ther selected a white ankle length crepe de meter dres s with an all over embroidery of crytal bugle beads , long gloves and appropriate[...]oes with spats and topper hat and they dressed up in their fancy clothes feeling quite uncomfortable w[...]estern backgroWld or until Mrs . Huff met them at the door all decked out in a long gown with a long train behind it, dragging a long the floor and only lifting it up when she danced . Believe me , this is a true story! I never felt like being such a pioneer until right now while relating the highlights of my family of which I was a small part , but nevertheless experienced it all with them both to proudly tell and share in the pioneer spirit of Garfield County for its $0th Year Celebrati on in 19691 And since my TWO HOUSES and THREE PEOPLE hav~ grown to many houses and closer to 500 people in Jorctart, my story must end as progress go[...] |
| [...]Small sec tion or the old[...] |
| The Al Hawkinsons Al Hawkinson came here in 1Ql7 and homesteaded in the Snow Creek area. He worked at Fort Keogh during Wor l d War I. After the war ·he came back to his homestead in Garfield County with his wife, Minnie Carlson. Th[...]n where Al worked at various jobs and then worked in the Soil Conservation or A.~.A. Office for a number of years. Al later set up the Hawkinson Title and I nsuranc e Office and the Abstract Office here in Jordan . Al and Minnie have two children; Woodrow who is married to Leila Stanton and resides in Circle, Montana and Verna (Valencia) who lives' i n Menlo Park, California . Minnie died in October 1951. Al later married Mrs. Lea Morgan of Cohagen. They made their home here in Jordan until Al's death in 1964. (As told by Mrs. Al Hawk[...]ea Hawkinson Mrs. Lea (Pluhar) Morgan settled in the Cohagen Area in 1911. When asked what the country was like at this time she said," Chet Huntly • has summed it up perfectly in his story about the early days and this fits this area to a 'T'. I always felt badly about having to burn Buffalo Chips until I read his story and found that he did the same thing." Mrs. Morgan cooked at the Cohagen Dormitory for a year or so and then beca e Matron at the Garfield County High School Dormitor y for a while. She married Al Hawkinson in 1952 and moved to Jordan to live and has been her[...]has scattered. Her son Leo married Stella Flipoin of Cohagen and lived in the Cohagen area until his death in May 9, 1967 , aad Stella has moved to R~undup, Montana . F.d married Hazel Bryson, a school teacher, nd is now living in New Mexico with his family. Pat married Helen[...]California . Dorothy 1s now Mrs. Don Woolhiser of Miles City, Montana. ([...] |
| The Phe l ps Jay and Ethel .Phel:;:>s crune f rom hadison , 3 . D. in 1913 . 'i'he[...]. an d '1r s . w. s . Byrd c ame to Fontana fr om the str te of |
| of t he t ime from a s :9r l ng down below the hi l l • .Most of the st udents live d f~r from the s choo l , bu t their parents s aw to i t tha t t[...]eir school i n g . Little cabins were built ne ar the scho ol, and the children and t heir parents liv ed there during the week, go i ng h ome for the we ek - end . At tha t t ime l trie d to te ach t he pup ils something about l i fe in the city . Today , I try to teach b oys and g irls some t hing a b ou t l ife in t he country , especially life in the country a s it wa s 25 or JO y e crs n~o . Ot her schools I[...]Phon Schoo1 , Free d o'tl'l sc hoc• l and !;art of a year : t the McKnight(Kester) .Schoo l[...]0 an cl later I t aur:.ht 2 year s in Jordan , the 3rd grade . |
| [...]illiam Jessen Willia.."11 Jessen was born in Germany . He c ame to U. d . A. when he was two years ol d . Hi s folks homesteaded on the place no~ ovmed by Carl Harbaugh . He went to sc ho ol on Sand Creek ..... two of his teachers were Dad Harbou.~h and May Swanson. His folks later move d t o Miles City . He came b a ck to Jordan in 1940 clild we 1ere at the Dorm for four years. He drove the school bus between Jordan an d Mosby . He married Mar~aret Purcell of Lansford, N. Dakot a in 1928 . They had two children , Barbara marrie d Guy Gibson of Mosby -~ .. resi des in Hiles City with her family . Charles mar r ied Esther |
| The E. L. Mc~iston Story - UIR Yes, we were just some more ot: those "Nissourians" who had heard the railroad was coming to this part of Montana and what opportunities it presented.[...]o unmarried daught- ers, Marguerite, Cornelia and a married daughter , Hazel Johnson and her husb and arrived in Sumatra, Montana, April of 1919 . Having made arrangements with a local garageman to take u s north, we arrive d at Sand Springs,Montana late at night . We went to the cafe and the scene was something like one might read about in a western novel. A group of men were sitting at a long table eating and drinking and having a gay evening . They were very hos pitable and move[...]gether to make room for six. additional people at the table and we were served 11 f'amily style" in truly western fashi on . Later in the evening we were "put up 11 at the Fred Allen home tha t was just in the process of being bu ilt. It poured rain all night long and the mud was getting deep . However, the next morning we all loaded into the car and start- ed for the Benzien co untry. After going a few miles the driver stopped the c ar, go t out and announced tha t he had gone as[...]d our luggage and oh yes , t he bird c age con t a ini ng the pair of red birds that my sister , Hazel ha.d smuggle d all the way from Hissouri. He pointed to a small cabin tucke d away in t he h ills t:rom t he road and suggested that we[...]l) to hitch u 0 his team and t ake us on farther. The te am played out about the time we . arrived at t he Harold Neiter ranch and[...]western hospit al i ty wa s lik e. They to ok us in and made u~ w lcon e and comfortable f or t he ni ght and t he next morning Harold took my Dad and brothe r-in-l aw, Charley Johnson, to t he Guy Johnson r anch[...]as responsible for luring us to Mont • The re st o!' us stayed a t the Neit ers• until arran- gement s were made t o t ake us to t he Johnson ranch. My Dad bo ht a r anc h about s i x mi les nor th of Benzien and wes t of t he Di lo ostoffic e , known a s the Phillip Berg ranc h . My s i ster and husband s e ttl e d west of u s abou t two miles. (The ir ) son Charle s J r ., l ater a t tende d ade sc hool in Jordan. ) There on t hat ranch we s 1,en[...]nhappy years , with droughts, b ad wi nte rs etc. a lways challeng ing one's pe r- servance but ins tilling in t he f amily a l ove of t h is count ry . y bro ther Ed c ame from ashlngton to ope r a te t he r anc h and stay- e d form y years final[...]t he r anch . e co p l eted our H h School years in umatr a , Hontana and I .,Corneli h d my f irs t job at the Jordan Court House wo r king for Ida B. Kelly who[...]ked for s everal years at that time stopp ing for a short t ime and a t tend- ing s c hool at Eas torn in Billings ., f•1ontana . That is a l l much f rther back through the year s t han I 1 ke to r eP1ember. My Dad[...]ontana . My sister Margue rit e and f amily liv e in Billings . I Co rnelia , marri ed Paul Barb a h in 1933 . ie settled on the home ranch eas t of Jordan on Sand Creek . Our son, Larry attenced grade s c hool in t he c oun t ry and n Jordan and r;r aduated fro!': Jor<1an High School in t) I- |
| 1952. He entered the service in 1955 and returned to the ranch in 1957 where he has been in partnership since. He mattied Patricia Weber, who is Super- intendent of Garfield County Hospital. We have a grandau hter, Barbara Jo who is seven years old a[...]ed Quarter horses and en oyour ranch life despite the hard work and the adversities that Mother Nature sometimes heaps upon us . We love the freedom and the peace and qu iet of the country and this is home to all of us, it has been in the past, now and always. The 1 tch key is always out to our many relatives an<l frien ds and a cquaintances we have made throughou t the years. This is what we like about Garfield County, fif t y years old this year of 1969 . It is filled with frie ndly people and a way of life that appeals to tho se of us who crone long ago .[...]on Harbaugh The MeQuiston Oirls, Hazel, Mar erlt , Corn lia[...]a McQ. Harbaugh Marguerite and Cornelia at |
| The W. L . Harbaugh Story As Told To His Daughter- In- Law , Cornelia Harbaugh 'fhe day there was an attempt to kidnap our son Wi lli am on |
| [...]th ing we all looke d forward to and we' d lo ad the org an , v. i olin and family i n to the wagon and drive to a dance miles away . I pl ayed the violin until the wee hours of the morning with someone cording on the organ . People :from far and wide would b e there[...]g . Ahl Yes, those were happy days despite the hardships and the work it took to eak out a living in this new land . e tried just abou t everything to[...]rmed , marketed ve ge table s -----we even bought a knitting machine and made and sold s ocks as well as keep ing the f amily supplied. Agnes, our daughter, still comments with a groan about those 11 old black stock ing s" that[...]During World War One, our oldest son Ralph was in the serv- ice , William was called up so I went to Bremerton , Washington to work in the ship y a rds. I was to old to pack a gun but I could help build ships for our boys. This wa s my contr i bu tion to the war e:f:fort and once again "Monr_' and the younger ones held down the ranch and kept things together . Years pas[...]us . We sold our holdings to them and headed for the Yellowstone Valley east of iles City where we bo ught an irrigated p l ace and f armed there for several years . e retired in Mile s City and it was during the second World ar t her e was a great shortage of school teachers and I was called to teach the scho ol loc·ated in the Purewater c0Dm1uni ty. P[...]near its close We leave our buildi ng in repose . The grass will grow , the birds will sin, No longer then the bell will r ing . Oh! lonesome place , with benche s ba re Where once was seated in des pair , The girls and boys , who formed the class Each striving gallantly to p a ss . e will remember stocks and bonds[...]s and circles then appeared , And gobs of i n terest then wen ared . ve never st[...]me or s pace Or circles large or small a t base , Of algebra we made a stew, 0:f X, Y1 s and f igures too. ve found the bottom of t he sea Without consulting geography The fl ag pole ' s tall, we cl imbed it too ,[...] |
| Tb.en there's the English which we took And chased the authors from the book The Constitution had its place With civics it had run a race . Then Agriculture had its share Of corn and 'taters everywhere, Then art[...]th . we'd try . Like bullfrogs singing in the sky . The little folks have wrestled har d With[...]rushes cannot wait to start . Their te a cher's old and bent and g rey But when[...], 1 1 11 ne 1 er forget" . And patrons of all districts seen. There can be none[...]t this writing I will be ninety- nine years old in June the Lord willing and I am spending my time in the old famil- iar surroundings that I first viewed in 1910 . Today the land still holds for me the fascination and love of the great out doors that it did so long ago . I can still see the antelope and deer bounding around the hills as well as other w11B life and many , many kinds of birds. True, many changes have taken pl ce , they h ave all been an improvement for the better . I am proud to h ve been a part of settling up Garfield County, home then, now and always . Anoth r thought came to me. I helped partition the Community hall when 1 t was made into the present Court Hous e and "me thinldJ it is gettin[...]h Man & Dad Harbaugh with a • 4[...] |
| [...]•ve been here since 1910 so that entitles me to a place in this book of old-timers. I 1 ve seen the changes grad- ually come, from the open prairie , the undeveloped land, to farming, ranching and stock-growing on a different scale unknown in the early days. This has all surprised many an Easter[...]hought that prediction was coming true but always in the back · or my mind was the thought of freedom, pure ,clean air to breathe, fri endly people and all of those things that has over the ye ar s f astened us in a grip so strong it would be hard to give it a l l up . I wouldn't want to . My experienc e s have been varied in the past years. Early days I could qualify as a nbronc buster 11 which I did for a good many years . After being married to Cornelia[...]it was decided about then that my ri ding days as a bronc rider was ove~ My son was born and I was ha[...]meone to help carry on . {He, Larry is with us on the ranch now~ As time passed we added f arming to ou[...]ng cattle and re gistere d quarter horses. In t he early years when we'd dry out and there wasn[...]vest; I'd leave my wife Cornelia and son Larry on the ranch and wor k away from home but I w~s always happy to get ba ck to Sand Creek . One of these days I'm going to retire and turn the ranch over to Larry so that I can c a tch up on a little si ght seeing etc; that I haven I t been "[...]ing t he busy, bu sy year•. 1 1 11 take Corneli a alnng too, 11' she ever decides to quit work- ing at t hat Court House. In the meantime drop by friends and neighbors for a visit at the llli Ranch. I ' m never to busy to stop and talk. Paul and LaJTY Harbaugh rounding up cattle at the ff\ and DL Ranch |
| [...]elson & Mrs Bass Hutson We were living in Oakland, Califor nia, in 1919. Jack was the Head Blacksmith with The Pacific Gas & Light Co ., but due to the fact that there wa s a stri l e on and they were layed off, we decided to g o to Montana and prove up a claim. I had two brothers and t heir families living in 10 tana at the time. So Jack, Don, who was a little shaver then and I packed up bag and ba ga ge and · went by train arri,ing in tiles City, Montana on August 5, 1919 on a hot dr y , dusty, day . From there we took the mail sta e or whate er it was to Jordan . Our dr i ver was Dick Johnston who late r bec ame o e of our nei hbors. We filed our claim and s ettled in the Castle Sutte Commimi ty. I finished teaching a t erm of school hat fa and Jack worked in John Fin 1.eys Blac i S":.i th shop that winter . In the s pring of 1920, we bu ilt our on e- roomed lo hous · the logs were hauled from the Miss our . i er b aks . It w s some j ob! You earned every stic k and spli ter . Ev n the bark was precious as it was real good for starting fires . Th e·n we be gan our farming operations in ear est nd 1 t wasn't easy. We had to dig sagebrush and br ak sod with a wal k ing plow . But we were you g and had good heath and progressed each year and were real roud of our u~d rtak1 ~s . Don attended school at Castl e Bu tte, finished the rad s and attended High School in Jordan , and graduated w th the Class of 1928 (I bel i eve). We had go od neighbors[...]ter and som ha ve passed away. Our neighbors were the Charles Coles , P. S . Sud ans , Glen Hays, Joe Weavers , Walter Fannons , The Hal ys The Bail eys, Charles Gri~es , Clayton Campbells , 91[...]s , Hallbergs , Forrest Johnsons , B11 1 Bakers , The Mor tons , Curt Fannons , att and Ol e Lan sether , Ernest Robinson, Ishmel Weeding , Ro es, Umlands, The Klundt Brothers, a nd John Adams •[...] |
| Some of the old land-marks I remember best are Smokey Butte, Castle Sutte , Fir.ger & Clinker Buttes . Most of our social activities were certered at the school houses . We would drive miles and ~il es a nd sometimes stay all n iRht. Most everything ende d up with a dance and the ladies served s an dwiches and cakes. The men cooY.ed a bo iler of coffee out doors and sometimes had a "little r. ip 11 of something else out there. Everybody seemed to have a ~ood time. At Castle Butte we ma naged to have Sunday School and a minister came now and then through the s p ring and summer. We had school programs , Farm Bureau meetings, 4th of July Celebrations , pot-luck d ir.ners etc. Aue t[...]far and near . It seemed that we 1'.new everybody in those days. We rented our homestead and moved into Jordan and went into a business. We ran the Jordan Garage, a red building, on the corner. In 1913 we bought the Gavin Ranch northeast of Jordan, and then the Depression year s hit us all. The men had to tighten up their belts another notch and the women learned to "cook beans 40 different waysi" But some way or another we made it. Later on we sold the ranch to the William Nelsons and the family is still operating it. In 1939 we sold out to Bill Taylor and Jake ffinther who took over the garage and we moved to Roundup, where we again went into business on Main Street. In 1949 we moved to Arkar.sas . Jack passed away in 1962. I remarried in 1967. My husband and his son are doing extensive soybean farming. Don and Betty are living in Baldwin Park, California . Don works for the Edison Fower & Light Company.[...] |
| History of Mr. Robert M. (Bob) & Mrs. Dorothy J . (Dora)([...]e girl. Poss i bly an- other girl, we have no way of knowing for sure . His fa ther came from Holland on the boarder between there and Germany. There is a river there named Lahn River. About the age of nine hi s f ath- er put him on a ranch in eastern Wyoming with an uncle. He didn't like it[...]s punished for running away and taken back out to the ranch in Wyoming. He still didn't like it there, and one time when there was a trail herd coming thru, he to ok off and joined the outfit. All he would tell them is that his name was Lane. This was the beginning of his cowboy days. After this he made many trips wi[...]ey trailed cattle from Delhart, Texas t o Canada. Of course, there were no bridges, cattle were forded across t he rivers and it would take the most part of a year to trail a herd up from the south. He t ol d of staying one wint er at Larami e, Wyoming . He u sed to tell of lmowing Jesse James, Younger Brother s, & Bi l l y the Kid . Said they would ride int o the camp and s t ay over n ight and s ome times stay with them for a day during the dr i ve . One time the J ames Brothers bought a fat beef' from t hem, butc hered 1t and took i t to a widow with several children wher e t hey had s tay- ed overnight . He was in the Jordan country long before there wa s a. town of Jordan. He worked for several big c attle out f i ts among t hem were XIT, LU-, FUF and 79. He helped build the log house on t he old 79 ranch, now belonging to J ohn Hooker west of Jordan about 25 or 30 miles. They cut the logs in the Missouri r i ve r bre aks and hauled them over to bu ild the house . He tol d of a b unch of the cowboys rop ing a black bear on Vai l Creek fl at j ust e ast of where Jordan now is in some of the i r e arly day e s capade s. He b roke horses as di d most of the cowboys t hen, and was also a ver y good hand with a rope. Some t ime in t he earl y 1900 1 s or late 1890 1 s he was involved in an acc iden t . Those people who knew him around Jordan lalow he was crippled. A t e am of hors es r away with him and s omeway he got both ankles broken • . In 1891 he crune to Forsy th to s t ay and homes t eaded west of Forsyth, n orth of t he Yellowstone River. Her e is where he met Dorothy Peterson . She wa s born a t Cora , Kans a s, June 23 , 1881 of a f amily of six childr en, t wo ~i r ls and four boys , the father wa s Danish . The fami l y moved to Montana when she was six years old by c ove red wagon . It t ook mos t of the sunnner to do so . Her mother kept a d i a r y on t he l ong t rip, p art of which was among Dorothy ' s belongings af'te r she passed away . Accordi to t he dia r y , t hey s t a r t e d from Kansas wi t h 30 head of cattle but as t hey went a l ong t he catt le b ecame lame , some died, othe[...]Montana all they had t o s how f or t he JO he ad of c attle was one white stallion . According t o t he d i a r y they crune U ' thru Sheridan , Wyomi ng and the last en t r y of wha t wa s left of . t he diar y , s howed on Sep t. 14th they c rosse d ov er the Tongue Ri ver . No bridges and all rive r[...] |
| forde d of course . Al ong about 1930 or 32 some of the fami ly in Kansa s put together a record of the family . I t was stat e d in t h is t hat the Smi t h River near Wh i te Sulphur Spring s was named aft e r one of the p arty with Lewis & Clark expe d iti on , who was a distant r e lat i ve of Dorothy ' s mother , an uncle p ossibly . Bob and Dorot hy met in thi s vic i n i t y and were mar ri e d Jall. 1 , 1901. They l i ved on h i s homeste ad for a while. Thre e boy s were b orn, Earl Feb . 18, 1902 , Fre d , Aug ust 21 , 1903- and Mi lo, Feb. 24, 1905 . In 1913 t hey move d onto a place abou t f ive miles north of the Yellowst one river on Horse Creek where they run s heep an(! c a t t le . The hard winter of 1914 2 191.5 abou t put them out of bmine ss so Bob s tart ed fre ight i n g between Miles Ci t y and Jordan , t hat s p1~i ng . He drove a str i ng team as many a s 14 head of horses and t hree wagons on t hese freight trip . Doro thy stayed on Horse Creek wi t h the boys f or a while, but t he spring of 1918 the y moved t o Jordan . Li ve d i n a hou se of Cl yde Whi te's n orth of whe r e t he Lu theran Chu rch n ow stand s , later moved i nto what was known a s t he J ohns on h ou se j u s t e a s t of the Yellowst one Lumbe r. , He con t inu ed to f re io;ht between Miles Ci t y and Jordan, the boys wer e old enough by now t hat . one yould go with him now and then . 'l'hey tell of being c a ursh t in s nowstorms during the winter and hav in·,· to stay campe d somewhere along t he r oad f[...]c old to trave l . One tri p ou t he was h auling a pig for s ome one at J or dan . The wagon was covered wit h a tarp b u t it got so cold the pig f ro ze to de ath . Fo llow i ng is a piece taken from the Miles City Star i n 1965 from the ".50 ye ars ago" section: "After encount e r ing obstac le s a l most unsurmountable , R. M. Lane, an old stage driver , drove into town yesterday from J or dan , a little wor se fo r wear b ut s till in the r i ng . Hi s horses we r e ab out played out for want of f e e d and he s t ate d tha t it was af t er man[...]chi ng h i s de st inat- ion . He was ten days on the r oad" . About 1919 or 1920 he s t ar t ed a l ar ,e buil ding whi ch he hoped to rent out a s a s tore building . Thi s wa s l oc ated just north of t he Old Ewy Store on Evelyn Stree t. He made livi n g quarters in he back c-f the buildi • It was a t wo story build- ing , anu the up stairs was u sed for RoyaJ. Neighb or meet i n g s for a long while . Dances were held in the b ottom, and the bu ildi ng was own as the Lane Hall . The family lived here until aft e r the boys were grown and after his death . By way of explanation, after Bob left the yomi ng ranch and star ted w th the trail herd , his folks didn ' t he ar anymor e from him f or many years, in fact it was about 191.5 t hat b y some me ans his[...]ot spe l led "Lane,' b ut "Lahn II When he told the cowboys his name was Lane , this i s t ~e natural way t hey would spell it and he , only being a l i t t le pas t 9 years old , let it go at tha t. He was married to Dor ot hy as "Lane" , so the family cont inued to spell it that way for a long while . Finally , Dore thy , thought , to ma[...], howe ver , Earl continued to spell it "Lane" . In later years Earl and hi s Mother took a trip back t o Afton to see Bob ' s brot her and some co usins who lived there. Mil o was back also a cot..._ Jle of di f fe r ent .[...] |
| times. They foun d t h at the family t here spe lled t he name "Lahn ". Just thought it might be interesting t o know why the d i f f erence in the spelling of the name. The winter of 1919 and 192 0 wa s ano ther of those b ad wi nters when it was near impossible to g et f rei ght out fr om Mi les Ci ty . The town run short of kerosene, whic h was the ma i n source of light then, kerosene lamp s. One man in J or dan happene d t o have two barrels of kerosen e and took adv antage of t he shortage , the fuel sold for 75¢ a gallon. In 1927 Bob bought a Chevrol et Tr ~ck and g ave up freight i ng with[...]g team, bu t cont i nued to haul fre i ght wi t h the truck. Come the WPA d ay s and he was helpi ng Elmer Ande r son haul gravel f rom east of J or dan to to1-m f or s ome p r oje c t . 'l'he grav e l bank where they we r e load ing the gravel cave d off and crus hed him, this was De c[...]t 1938 s he left t he big house and moved i nt o a small log house on t he e as t si de of Jordan which she had bough t , where s he l i ve d f or a l ong t i me exce p t when s he wou l d be gone v isi t ing the ki d s or other r e l a t- ives. To supplement the p ensi on the gover nment gave he r after Bob's d eath, she took in s ewing fo r other pe or,le , in f act she don e thi s most uf he r a dul t l i fe unt i l her s i r:;ht g ot s o bad she couldn't. She was v e r y wel l !mown for the n ice wcr k s he don e . In 1963 old a :,;e s tarte d to c a t c h u o wi t h her so she mo ved t o t he Gar fiel d Rest · home whe re she s t aye d f or two ye a rs . She b ee e qui te feeble and t he y cou l dn ' t t ake care of her t he .r- e so wa s moved to t he Valle Vi s ta Re s t Home i n Lewistown, !· on tana t he s p r i n g of 1965 . She live d he r e unt il her death Oct . 29 , 1968 . She was 87 ye ar s o l d . The b oys are a l l mar r ie d and have fami lie s of t he il' oim . Earl suppl i e d t he town of J ordan wi th c oal f or many y ears , t hen l ive d on a p l ac e on t he Miss our i iUver & lat •.: r F[...]worke d 0 1,; t for she ep c ompanys and doi ng c a rp entry . He now l i ves in Miles City where he r uns a t r ai l e r c ourt . Fre e. and f ami ly l i v ed on ranches f or a whi le , was a ba r b e :::· i n Joroan a few years and als 0 worke d on ro a d c onstruc t ion . lie move d to Absor okee , ;·font. abou t 1950 and bec ame deputy s he r i ff in t ha t t own f or St i llwater Count y for s e veral years . he i s nr w r e tiree. , l iv i ng in Bi ll i n g s , Hont ana . Milo worked f or Yellowstone L..un.be r Co~pan y i n J or d a n s oon a ft e r gra d t ion f r om hi~ h s choLl f or t hr[...]ghway -'ngineers whi le t hey were work i n g on a ru ad j ob sou t h of Jor da n t he s ,. . r i ng of 192 He h a s work e d f o r the st a te e ve r since exc e p t f or s ev en ye a r s b etween s ~ring of 1942 and f all of 1949 . Durinr; thi3 t i me he was on Ai r Base Cons t r u ct i c,n i n Hew Viexico , •r ex a s and Colorado , d on r o ad wr- r k in 1-i ontana and a dam i n C,kl ahoma . he was wo r k i ng f or Nolan Br others Construc t i cn Co . Fr om s pr i ng of 1948 t o t he fall of 194r; he l i v ed on a r an ch eas t of J ord an , - t hen r e t 1rned t o work ror the st a t e h ighway . He n r w l i ve s in Lew .:. st _\-:n , r.r.ont . a n ti is look i n · fo rward to ret i r ing the s pr in~ of 1970 . An i nt e r e st i n,~ f a ct t hat mi ·ht b e wor th men t ir n .:.r:g i s ,, hat Dor o thy was born at Co ra , Kansas, the ~eo ·r a pl1 1cal c nter of t he i.inite d State s and d ied a t Lewi s t cun , Mc- nt ana the ,.,.e r graphi cal c e nter of h ont an a . ,j 1? |
| [...]Gi nther John E. Ginthe r, als o known a s Jack , or "Wild Cat Jack" came to Montana as a young man. He work e d for many cattle outfits, and was known for h is abilit y to ride the bucking horses and for breaking many saddle h ors e s. He appe ared in many a 4th of July bucking contest, and als o wa s " Of ficer of the Day" for the 4th celebration, pic tur e enclos e d .[...]s, working for different out- f i ts and braved the elements the year around . He eventually de c i ded to homes[...]proved up on his place about 6 miles d ue north of Jordan. Bu t a l ways the love of "horses" was strung in h is blood , an d f or ye ar s whe n there was open range and plenty of grass he still had he rd s of hor ses as well as his farming . He was a very ou tst anding person of the "Early Days . "He was n o t known b y the n ame of Ginthe r until the l ater years; in fact when h is wife's f a the r was dying t hey broadcas t on the radio for Mr s . J a ck Ginther, a nd no one knew who that waJ ; It is rumored he acqu ired the name "Wil d Cat Jack" because whenever there was a f i ght anywhere n e a r by, he' d gave a yell , and be in the midst of it. He entertaine d old and young alik e with his stories of the OLD DAYS . An d h e wa s a good s t ory teller , He could rattle off the n ames of al l the home ste ade rs, cat t le men , the s heep men, fre ight er s and bus ine ss men . He always talked of the "Wild and wo ol y wes t ", when i t was wild and[...]r what year that ev ents took place . J a ck wa s b orn i n Neb r a ska , mov ed to Kansas where he grad- uated; t he[...]o lmew him well have he ar d him talk endearingly of hi s "Aunt Annie ." Seldom did he show the emotion he felt, but the one time h e did was when his Aunt Annie passed a[...]s homestead until 1954 , when he died follow- ing a v ery short final illness ; although he h ad been crippled from arthritis for a long time . He always said tha t he got the arthritis when he used to brave the elements ; slee p on the cold ground in his bedroll, and possibly be covered by snow before morning ; or get soaked from the r ains . He had a bout with infla- mmatory r he umatism years before , an d told the story of not being able to move an am or leg , or turn over without help . 'The men use to leave him all day to go about their du[...]e fo r him . One day when he lay there helpless , a snake came to pay a visit , foun d his chest nice and ;;arm , preceed[...]decided it was time to awak- en and crawl away . Of course as soon as he wa s able he ~as in the saddle a ~ain , riding in the horse ro und-ups for many more 7rears. All who kn[...]g" and "Rag Time . " Ragtime was t he more famous of the two, and until he was very old he rebelled a t anyone exce p t his owner ,Jack being on his back. One day when he saw his s t ep- daughter in the saddle on Rag Time; he did not waste any time getting her on terra firma before the horse d ecided to unset her .[...] |
| About 1925 he married Josephine Denis ar (being a confired batchelor until tha t time) . He had be[...]i n his home ste ad shac k until then , so buil t a l arger house , an d although the house they built h as now been moved t o Jordan , the shack s t ill st an d s as he wou ld have wanted it t o, perhap s t o shel t e r some wander er in a storm , or in need of shelter . There a re p i ctur es e ncl o se d of this shack . For a short while in later years , he worked f or J ak e Fellman in Jordan . Here he renewed acquaintances , and s oon l ea rn ed t he names of all new comers , and also of al l t he youn g folks, knowing who their mother and fathers were . And with his abil ity of r emem- bering names and faces he was calling all by the ir f irst n ame when he greeted them . When we lost Wild Cat Jack, we l os t one of our most picturesque "Old Timers . "[...]ck Ginther Mrs. J . Ointher as Officer of tte y |
| [...]COUNTY The i I :' 'l |
| The Ed Stinebaughs[...]ohnson ~. and Mrs F.d stinebaugh cue .tr011 the state ot Washington to take up a hoaestead in Montana. Thq located on a place about 10 Idles north- west o.t Jordan in the Iorth Star neighborhood. Their two oldest bo:ys caae here vi th them, the other seTen children were born here. The boys started to achool in a tarpaper shack, later the District built a new school house where the others of the family attended achool. At one tille there were 20 children atteming school here, and one teacher• but in the • .30 1 s •ost ot the .tand.lles and their chi1dren aoved &lllf1 and settled in the Fort Peck area. Mr. Fd Stinebaugh helped to build the school house and also helped nal'le 1 t Horth Sta[...]and was aoved to Hell Creek Recreation Parle !or a suraer Cabin. Ed Stinebaugh vas a !anaer in that part o.t Garfield County. He al•o raised. a .tev cattle. _lllined his own coal. There were nine children or the North $tar School -1931 Stinebaugh .tamily'. . ill' grew up 1a · 1st.- Frank KeCay,Jr. ell Garfield C[...]ugh, Ruby Turn.er, to other locations. Llo:yd is a printer Lorene Turner, Ra, Stinebaugh[...]2ud.-Kenneth Turner, Melvin retired .trca the Air Force after 20 Turner, Frederick[...]and lives Jrd.- Ed.win Magneson, Glenn in California; &iith McDonald is 118.l"ried Turner, Keith Turner, to a rancher and lives near Slllok;y Batte; 4th.- Lester Fowler, Edith Esther Hedstrom aarried a rancher and Stinebaugh, Shirley Stin[...]lso teaches Esther Stinebaugh school in Brockway; Shirley Gruber Stb- Agnes B ug utz, Redean liTes in California, her husband works Turner tor an Air Craft factory; liellie Johnson li Tes in Jordan; Ray now owns the old homestead and also the Waiter Win field place near Jordan and is aarried; Frank is vorlcing in Jordan; Bertha Langaao liTes on a ranch near Brocklfa,-. lfr. md Mrs. Stinebaugh retired. and nnt West to look .tor a location to liTe and retire, but came back to Jordan and their 11&1J1' friends and bought a hou in Jordan where they lived until Mr. Stinebaugh passed away in January 1955. Mrs. stinebaugb liTed in Jordan at her hOJl8 and later at the Garfield County Rest B011e until she passed away in January' 1964.. S0118 of the ear]J' settlers o lived near th St1 ~'Qgbs v[...]r~ers~ The Stin baugh F ~ -[...]J acJd.e & Royce Hedstrc:a |
| [...]Charley LaMoure, as he was familiarly known to a wide circle of friends, had served in an official capocity in several im- portant positions during his long years of residence in Jordan. In 1929 he rendered valuaple assistance to the late Geo. B. Hart when the FERA was a life-saver to scores of worthy men dur- ing the lean years then prevailing. For three and half ye[...]county. Charley held many different jobs while in Jordan. He did clerical work for the business men and clerked in ·Mr. Jenkins store. later became a pardner and when Mr. Jenkins died, he become the owner of the Farmers Trading Co. He ran this busin- ess till he passed away in 1949. Charley had a son who accompanied him to Jordan, Bronson C. LaMoure. Bronson and Pearl Baugatz were married in 1932. They had two children, the little girl died infancy, a son Bronson (Buster) c. LaMoure Jr. He is[...] |
| [...]and Mike Maloney came to what is now Garfield Co. in May of 1917, from Minneapolis, Minn., where they had been working since leaving the family home at Kelpenn ey, Minn. They homesteaded north of Jordan on Bear Creek, near the claim of Ed and Rose Kelly, who had proceeded them from Minn- eoplis, Minn. While Tom and Mike remained on the homesteads to make the improvements, Pat went to work for the N.P. rail- road to get the money that they needed to builded their homes.[...]urned with him to Minneapolis. Pat maintained a friendly bachalor home till 1932, when he married[...]help raise their grandson, Buster LaMoure. It was a very happy home and they bad many neighbors. They lived on their ranch until in 1964, at this time they retired to jordan, where they bought a home. Martha died 1n Nov. 1965. And Pat pa[...] |
| [...]and two small daughters Viola and Pearl arrived in Garfield County in October of 1917. They homesteaded ten miles north of Jordan adjacent to the claim of Hugo Baugotz, who had preceded th~m. Two more bro- thers, Charles and William, both of Sheepy Eye, Minnesota, filed claims near by which were later, in true western fashion sold to Fred and Hugo. Previous to his arrival in Joran, Hugo had spent sometime in Lewistown area, his first employment in Montana was being a cook for a Harvest crew near Great Falls. After settling nearJJordan, the two brothers engaged 1n farming and stock rais i[...]ading. Frieghting grain to Miles City become one of their enterprizes, Hugo starting with a horse drawn wagon, later turning that over to Fred and his International truck. About 1922, Fred bought a Red River Special thrashing machine and John Deere tractor. This was one of the first in the neighborhood and a great help to the whole neighborhood during the harvest season. Fred and Martha had two more daughters, Agnes and Alma, all four girls graduated from the Garfield County High School. Fred passed away in 1931, leaving his wife and children to run the farm, Martha married Pat Maloney in 19)2. Hugo Baugotz, married t3esSl Anderson, who was a widow wt th two sons, Kenneth and Tredrick(Tim).[...]ed to Hamilton. Bess passed away 1n 1962 and Hugo in 1964. Ed and Rose Kelly were neighbors to the Baugotz, they ca e rrom Minnesota too. Mrs[...] |
| The Winf i eld Johnson s Story[...]by Mrs . Walter Winf'ield The Winfields came to t ake up homesteads . Joe Winfield & son Walter came 'in June 1913. They dr ove across county from Mond ak, N. Dakota to Jor dan in a l ight wagon . They squatted on homesteads ab ou t 8 miles northwest of Jor dan . Land was n ot surveyed at that time. They p lowed a furrow around the home - stead s and built a dugo u t to l ive in . One day when they return- e d from town, they d isc ov ered tha t a b ig stalli on had fallen thru the roof of the dugou t. The horse belon~ed to a lar e 0 horse ranch a few miles f rom the r e. Everything in the dugout |
| [...]till worked together after they started head- ing the grain. The last few years that we farmed everyone had their grain combined. The neighbors worked together at branding time also. There was little visiting during the week, everyone was busy; Sometimes on Sunday some of us would get together to visit and and play cards, the men sometimes played horse shoes. There were a few parties when everyone in the neighborhood was invited. When our daughter Phyllis reached school age, we had a pro- bl~m. She attended school in Jordan, so we had to board her in town during the week. We brought her home Friday and took her back to town Sunday or Monday morning. We had the same problem with our son, Billy and school. We had a car then which was a great help, but there were times when we had to shovel a lot snow. Eventually they both gradu ated from Hi[...]r college and we missed having them with us. The last few years we lost all our close neighbors th[...]er rented her place and moved to Jordan . We were the last of the old bunch to leave. The ranch was our home from then on until 1963 when we sold it. We now live in Tempe, Arizona. Our daughter and son both received all their grade school and high school education in Jordan. Phyllis married Joseph Fiedler, they are now livin~ in Tem pe, Arizona. Their daughter and their two sons live in Tempe also. Billy and Annette Clark married, they are now living in Hood River, Oregon. They have two daughters and one son. Our Closest neighbors the first few years were Mr. & Mrs. Herman Woods, and[...], and Mrs. Woods sold her place to Orval Wheeler. The Wheelers lived there until the fall of 1934. At that time they moved to Penn. Mr. Jacks on became ill and t hey left. Charley Grimes was a neighbor for a few years. He once went to visit a bachelor neighbor. He sat down on a chair that had a coat laying on it. Every few minutes, as they visitedl, the man said, "I'm bakin§ bread today." That went on[...]y said 'Where is your bread, I don't see it?" and the man said "You're sittin 1 on it." Some of our other nei hb ors were, StinebauThs, Fannons,[...]t hers, Fradys, Ghil rs and Elmer Anderson, als o the Jim Wheelers My parents were Prank and Ida Johnson were living in the Pine Hills country near Miles City. The s ummer of 1900 was very dry and there was no rass for their cattle. They decided to go north to the Missouri brakes to wi nter their stock. They win- tered in the vacini t y of Cr ooked Creek. There was an abundance of grass there. The next spring they deci ded to make the move permanent. John Johns on (Ida J ohnson's bro ther) and his family moved also . He decided to settle in the Cro oked Creek area. The Frank Johns ons wanted ~And that wasn 't qu ite s[...]pri ng Creek, that didn 't suit, so they moved to the Big Dry and settled on the p lace t hat Perry Kipler ormed later. About two mi les up the Dry fr om there the L7 outfit had |
| a winter camp, which they decided to abandon. Frank J ohnson liked that place better so he bought the large l og barn and one room log house from the L7 outfit and moved up t her e, and that was home until the fall of 1913. The summer of 1913 many homesteaders moved into the county. Dr. Battin filed on a homestead right next to my Dads. Dad said there wasn't room for both of them and offered t o buy or sell Dr. Battin chose to buy so we moved off the place next s pring: My father was ill and no longer able to take car e of the sheep he owned so they sold them. It was decided that we would move to a place on Crooked Creek about 3 miles from Uncle[...]ing there for about two years. Then she sold · the place and bought a place on Wolf Creek, about 16 miles northeast of Jordan. She lived there until the fall of 1936, then .she sold the place to Karl Karlson and moved to Mission Texas. She died there in June, 1944. The Frank Jobnsons had four children, Lillian, Thomas, Mabel, and Clifford. Lillian was born in Spearfish, s. Dakota. She was a baby when they moved to the Pine Hills. She attended school one winter in Miles City. That winter she was 111 with a very high fever for a few days and after that she became hard of hear- ing. She attended school in Jordan the rest of her school years. She married Ross Crater, they lived, on a homestead on Frazer Creek for a number of years. Then they sold and moved to Florida for a few years. They returned and bought a place on the Big Dry just west of Kepplers. I believe the owners name •as Bill Ubl. They lived there unt[...]gon. Lillian died there 1n 1951. Ross died there in 1967. They had two boys, Raymond & Bert, they both live in Seattle, Wash. Thomas was born 1n the Pine Hills, his school days were spent in Jordan, with the except- ion of one year that he attended a school that had been built about 5 miles from our place, just east of Mahoneys . He married Isabell Clark and they lived our a ranch on Wolf preek Thomas died of Pneumonia when he was 31 years old . Two Children were born to them, Ida who now lives in Washing ton and Alm.eada, Mrs. Ernest Fogle, is living in Jordan. Clifford was born in Miles City, March 1904 during the worse flood Miles City ever had. Mother bad lived there that winter so she would be near a doctor, but the doctor could not get to her because of the fl ood. -W-xoep for- one ye ar when be attended the school closer to the ranch; a11 ~~f hi s school Atten- dance was in Jordan. He married Bernice Thomas, they lived on Mother's ranch for a short time, then they moved to California and continued to live there. Clifford died in Jan. 1967, :Bernice still lives in Calif. They had two children, Frank and Joan, both of them live in Calif. I, Mabel, was born in the Pine hills and was a year old when we first came to the Garfield County area (Except for 1 year I received all my educati on in Jordan schools) I remember only one thing abo ut the Spring Creek place . Mother and Dad were trying to corr al a yearling steer. We thee children were sitting on a corral pole watching . I suppose we were bouncing because the p ole broke and we fell. We went to the house, and the folks got the steer into the corral. |
| [...]time and my parents were real pioneers. When any of us got sick, Mother doctored us, the closest Doctor was in Miles City. My dad was his own blacksmith, carpenter and butcher. He used to say that he was Jack of all trades and master of none. Every one that came was welcome at our plac[...]always stopped whatever she was doing and cooked a meal for anyone that crone there hungry. There were very few people in this country when I was small. Jim Vance and a Mr. Brush came right after we did. They settled on the place that Jim Vance owned for many years. They used to tell a story about Jim Vance, I don't know who started i[...]from Missouri. Anyway some one said that Jim got a new wagon that had a red tongue and he sawed it in two to see if it was red clear through. Fred Kibler must have arrived in the next year or two and settled on the other prong of Woody Creek. In early years on the big Dry we had two neighbors, Perry Kepler about 2 miles down the creek and Martin Olson about 5 miles from us. The[...]bachelors at that time. Then Jim Vial settled on a place that was between them. He left and Walter Barker lived on that place. There was a family by the name of Prindle settled above us at the mouth of Langs Fork, but they left after a few years. Perry Kepler hired Mr. & Mrs. Ed Byrum[...]e married. Martin Olson also married, they stayed a few more years then he sold to Ira Neff or Clarence Heisel or perhaps ~hey bought the place together, I don't remember. I know that Heisel had it later and sold it to Jim Hilton. Some of the other early settlers were, Shorty Freed, Gus Ande[...]Oscar & Hughie Bunter. Arthur Jordan started a Post Office, and a little store,some- where near the spot that the Farmers Union Station is now. He had to haul everything from Miles City. Some one started a story, that Jordan said there wasn't much use to[...]his store because some one bought it right away. In those days when anyone went t o the post offic e they brought out the mail for the people along the way and the near neighbors. Some of the people that lived farther out came as tar as our[...]rnight then went to Jor dan and back to our place the next day. Our place was about 16 miles from Jorda[...]used to stop overnight. There were very few women in those early years. Most of the men were bachel- ors. My brother Tonnny went to school in Jordan, I believe that was the first year they had school. A Mr. Brown was the teacher. I started to school in 1907, a new school house had been built, it was quite a large building and was used for dancing. I graduated from the 8th grade in that building. Then they divided it in two and I went to High School the first year in it. Later they moved it and it is now the theater. The first year I went to school, Miss Vance, Jim Vanc[...]to describe Jordan as I remember it at that time. The school house was nearer to main street than the grade school is now. Mrs. Oscar Hunter was living in the house that Loyd Cox owns now. My folks[...] |
| bought it the next spring. Henderson's house was a log house at that time, later they added to it and covered the logs so it be- came a frame house. It was just west of where the lumber yard is now. I believe Ruth Stanton owns it now. About where the dance hall is there was a log house, Mrs. Hodgins and daughters lived there. Henderson's store was about where the Drug Store is now. I don't remember if the frame building had been added to the log building before then, or if it was added later. The buildings burned when Mr. Hoxmer owned the store. The part of the hotel in which Mr. Clark had a store later, was across the street, south of the store. Charlie and Eunice Oliver was running the Hotel at that time. I believe that it had been b[...]. Mr. Nergaard bought it later and they enlarged the building. Across the street west ot the Hotel wast he Saloon, and west of that at the other corner ot the block was the blacksmith Shop. Across the street north ot the blacksmith shop was the Livery Stable. There was a log house across the street west of the store, The Bass family lived there. Later that building was[...]ain street. Joe ·P arker used it when he started the Jordan Gazette. The Charlie Kramers were living in the same place that they lived all the years that they were in Jordan. Just south of whe r e the hospital is now there was a small building halt log and halt dug out. East of there, just south of the Rest Home , there was a dugout. That is where my sister Lily,brother Tom[...]d Hulda and I lived. Hulda kept house for us and the rest of us went to school. Mr. & Mrs. Lee Chandler were running a resturant in the building Arthur Jordan had b uilt first. It was east and a little south of where we lived. Wildcat Jack Ginther and some of the other men thought it great sport to put a bucket over the stove pipe on the dugout and smoke us out, as they went by on their way to the resturant. North and west of where the Al Hawkinson house is there was a log house. The Frank Robinsons were livi there that winter. About one mile farther west was the Fred Foster place. About½ mile east of Jo an, just north of the Big Dry there was a duguut where a family named Gillis lived. About½ mile east of them was a log hous e, a ram1iy named Walls lived there. Jordan didn't change much in the next few years. Mr. Hash built a log house and moved his family 1n for school. That building is the liquor store now. Mr . Henderson built a warehouse which was moved later and is the Pos t Office. The only recreation at that time was dancing . They had a dance every holiday, and danced until dayli ht . Many t imes they decided to dance the next night also , but always stopped at mid- night if the next day was Sunday. At times the cowboys amused themselves by racing the.1r horses up and down Main street, but they did n ot s,oot off guns like they do 1n the movies. ery- thing had to be hauled to Jordan from Miles City with treight- wagons. One of the men that ran a freight outfit was long-haired Fred, Elmer Anders[...]d Jack Ginther . Some other early day residents of the area was; Charley ars , Jim Swicher, Bob L[...] |
| In 1913 the homesteaders crone in and the population really increased. Jordan also increased in size. By the time I graduated from the 8th grade there were enough children in the county to start a high school. The first year was in the divided school house, next year they had built a small building just west of the school house, for~ high, school. The next year they built a larger ·building for a high school and to add one room to the grade scho~l. Our first high school teacher was Miss Erickson. She taught - the first two years then was gone one year. She was back again in my Senior year. My other high school teachers w[...]rd and Miss Davis. ~ graduated from high school the spring of 1918. There were five of us in that class, Carl & Leland Wellman, Clayton Farrin[...]lter &., ~igna Olson 1. Ida Johnson Dad Winfield. In 1919. '[...] |
| The Forrest Johnson's The Forrest John.3on fanli.ly caD.e to Montana in the winter of 1916. |
| [...]Anders on John Elmer Anderson was born in 1873 in a town called Sagarstugan, Sweeden. His f athe r' s name was Anders lred Erik- sson who was born in 1849 in Odens v i . His mother Kristina Car- olina Carlsdotter was born in Vena , Kalmar, January 1853 . Elmer came t o the United States when he was four years old with h[...]r o thers , Carl , Axel and Gustaf . They lived in New York a l mo st a year doing odd jobs working on farms. Then they[...]heard t h at j obs were more promising . There a daughter Nancy was born to them. They lat er mo[...], Nebraska and filed on some land and built up a home just fo r themselves instead of working .for other pe ople. Elmer 11 ved at h,,me until just after 14th birthday. Being a man , i n his own right , also caused by hard t[...]and there until, he la t e r s aid , he had been in every state in the United St a tes bu t two. He did .farm work , worked in the timber, worked as a stock man , calle d "c owboy" at that time . He was not a two-gun c owb oy as some were at that time . He has ridden on many a cattle r oundup , starting as a horse wrangler and cook's helper. Then a s he be came older and more competant , he was a[...]th grea t pl eas ure , that he would sit around the camp-fire and l is ten t o the older waddies spin yarns . It was gre a t, think i ng tha t some day, he would be doing all t hose things! In t he i r j oking way , he was called the Swede Kid , as i n t hose days a man was general l y known by just one name , and[...]l n ame . Finally he came to Miles City, Montana in 1911. Elmer looked around .f or a suitable place and finally decided that he woul[...]d figur ed at that time there would be good money in t hem. Like a ll young f ell ows a t t hat time , he didn ' t have very much c ash. Aft er he had picked out his place , the first thing for him t o do was to bui l d a dwelling . Havi~ lots of strength and ambition he buil t a sos house , called a ' soddie" . It had a beaten dir t fl oo r, and plastered inside . As[...]so he would take t he t eam and wagon and go to the Missouri River breaks and cut l og s f or c orr al s , sheds or barns ; for the stock and for stove wood . Mostly Pine logs . He[...]trying t o chop rubber with an ax . With the higher cost of living he decided to work for the c oun t y during the summer months , so with his teams they built ro ad s out away from the town of Jordan . They built the Green Trail going east of town , as well as several others . It seemed as though there should be money in frei htinR so Elmer tried that for a time . Thinking that if he did do f reighting he wouldn ' t need all his horses, as the land around close was being filed on and making it impossible to run so many head of horses . So etting some other .fellows to go in with him, they decided to g et together a large herd . They ove them up into Canada . The railroads were being built up there and they needed teams badly . The horses sold very well and they were sorry[...] |
| [...]to Mine and haul coal. By this time he had bought a truck. As there was no coal on his place, Elmer h[...]everal miles away. His stove-wood was hauled from the bre- aks . He farmed about 120 acres of ground , planting mostly, wheat and corn. In 1930 he retired from the f arm and moved into Jordan and sold al l of his equipment except his truck. He still deliv- e[...]d age caus- ed him to retire entirely and he delt in selling old iron and other met als. Elmer Anderson was a wonderful man and was liked by all who knew him. He had a few light strokes, so he moved to the Rest Home in Jordan. From there he was moved over to the hospi tal where in time he was comp letely bed-ridden. He was always amiable and in good s pirits •. He had a great strength of c haracter. He and Pearl raised a large family of boys and girls . Elmer passed away on Dece[...] |
| [...]er John Trumbo Elmer John Trumbo was born in Tinsdale, South Dakota , a few miles from Yankton, February 12, 1884. His[...]owa and his mother from Waterloo, Iowa. He had a brother Fred and two sisters, Cora and Elsie • . They lived in Tinsdale until Elmer was six years old then the[...]looking for work due to hard times and drought in South Dakota. They spent two years in Hills- boro. During that time his baby sister Elsie died and was buried there at the age of 2 years. They moved back to Tinsdale where they had other relations living. Elmer lived on a farm there until he was 16 years old. Going to a school in that area . Hi s folks leased a place and had several head of cattle. It was the childrens' chore to herd these cattle and keep them out of the fields and gardens. When they were older they helped with the farming and other chores, such as milking cows,[...]livering eggs, and butter, t o regular customers, the year round. Eggs sold at 8~ a dozen and b utter at 25~ a pound. They raised their own grain and hay to feed their livestock. They also raised hogs, chickens and a large garden . As in those days they had to be almost self-supporting and not run to the super- market as we do now. His mother was a bard working woman and the best of cooks. She could make a wonderful meal out of almost no~hing but what they had raised themselv[...]canned foods at this time. Perhaps you have heard of the old Fashioned Cracker Barrels, barrels of pickled fish, wheat flour was stored in barrels, pickles were in small kegs with wooden stves, candy was kept in glass jars on the grocers shelves , all the ·most tempting kinds . They had maple sugar cakes, about the size of small saucers wi th the fluted edges of cookies of now a days. Very good and very rich and all pure maple sugar. On a Sunday they would dress up in their best, and with team and wagon go to church and go visiting. It was never very far from home because of their dairy herd , which had to be hand milk- ed, no milking machines at that time. Just lots of times he would get up , put on his clothes, take the milk pail to the barn, sit down on a milking stool, to start milking . His head would[...]Elmer was doing with his cow before going on to the next, there he was sound asleep and not a drop of milk in the bucketl In a neighborhood where there are lots of children, and the houses fairly close together , the children woul d get together and play evenings ai'ter the chores were done . Of course there was the favorite swinnning hole, the favorite fishing places, and in winter they would go down to the creek, ponds and lake s and skate on the ice . The houses were generally small, so with their teams and wagons would go to the school houses for dances and school programs . One day Fred and Cora went to school in the winter time . A storm came up, a real blizzard. His father and Hr . Sutton gath- ered food stu.i'f and blankets to take to the school where the teacher and children were . It was so b ad they had to follow the f ence row in order to find the school house . The children stayed right there at the school, while their parents brou ~ht thing[...] |
| [...]ther's sleeves on his jacket were just riddled by the time they came back as they followed the barbed wire fence along . Elmer 's mother d[...]he wanted to work for himself so started trapping in different areas . There were a lot of wolves and coyotes at that time. He made real goo[...]helped care for cattle around Baker, Montana for a rancher for a couple years, then he decided to come to this are a and file on a place. He kept right on trapping in this area for several years; at the same time building up a ranch. He came here in 1913, picked out his place and built himself a two-room log cabin. He went back to Dakota and brought his herd of horses and his cattle that he had accumulated , a[...]arne here, Elmer and another fellow tried running a restaurant for a couple years in Knowland. There were pine trees not far from Elmer's new home here, so he took the team and haule d l ogs t o make a large barn and several corrals. He kept enlarging his herd of cattle. At that time it seemed best to keep a steer until it was a 3 or 4 year old before sending them back east on the train to Chicago, where the best paying market was at that time. In the fall about October or in November, the neighbors would get together, drive their cattle to a certain place where they were to meet, then putting all the stock in one big herd , they would drive them to Brockway.[...]and an extra saddle horse or two. After reaching the train a few of them, two or three were elected to get on ·t he train and go to the auction yards in Chicago along with the cattle, to watch to see that the cattle were treated right and to pick out the highest bidders. Each man's check was mailed home to him, according to the brands on the cattle. Elmer traded a good saddle horse for his first car, a 1912 Model T Ford, in 1916, then in 1918 he traded the Model T Ford to Al Waterson for a team of horse s. In 1928 Elmer bought a 1926 Chevrolet coupe in Miles City , then in 1936 he traded it for a new Chevy½ ton pickup . Mr. Charley Campbell brought the mail out this way with team and wagon, sometimes by horseback when the roads were bad, l a ter he got a car and delivered the mail . At that time several people were living down on the Mi ssouri River so there was lots of mail . Since then we have had different mail drivers. After the Fort Peck Dam was put in , the people on the river had to move ou t as the water was backing up , then the mail route was discontinued . Elmer married in 1932 to Ruth Anderson, and they raised four sons[...]ys wore western hats and western clot hing . Yes, the depressi on years of the 1930 1 s was really rough, but he carried them th[...]iends . Money was just something that was dreamed of, so the neighbors would work and help each other in time of need , ins tead of paying wages like they do now . Elmer i s still hale and hearty , or I sh ould say in good hea~- 1 th. Today he is working in the field helping his son John put :1.n the grain to grow feed for the livestock . Ei ~hty-five years old and sti[...] |
| [...]nd Alfred Haney . It May Jones,Haney, landed in Miles City with my parents , (CaseyJ Walter E.[...]zel , on Dec. 4, 1917. We left for Jordan early in the morning of the 5th with my father and mother's brother, Clarence Hawkins, in a Model ~ Ford with side curtains. My two sisters[...]a was 17 months old. Everything went fine. Plenty of snow and 32 degrees below zero. We were from Illi nois and dressed accor- dingly, so by the time we were almost 4 miles from Cohagen, Montana, we hit a couple of · bumps and broke an axle. Car loaded I Babies crying! We got out to waik,somewhere, of course that would be Cohagen. The baby would let anyone carry her , but Edith was[...]tt- ing repairs and fixed. I do believe that was the coldest place in the U.S.A. up over the store. We reached Jordan the 9th of December and stayed at Conacher's Hotel, that is now Viola Adams rooming house. We then went the 20 miles out to the ranch, whe re Dad had home- steaded. It was a 12 by 24 frame house, one stove, a cook stove with oven doors on both sides that burned sage brush and coal . Dad made a hand sled and we would go to the coal mine , we had discovered, every day and sometimes twice a day and dig coal and pull it down by hand,a couple of sacks at a time. "We made hay while the sun shone" for it was a cold, long winter , 1917. Thank God for wo[...]st neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Umland and May, the He rman Rogges and child- ren used to walk back[...]ba accompani ed him. Al and Doc Sensiba gave lots of dances at the Old Sensiba Ranch. We never had a school for several years, then it was in a log house, owned by Mrs . John Sensiba, sister to Mrs . Shook,and close to the Shook ranch. I married Alfred Haney in September , 1921 . He came to the country in 1912 with his mother and father, Frank B. and Lil[...]er and father came, too{ Jim illiams) . They came in covered wagons and brought their stock from Hyann[...]hey all se ttled on Snow Creek . Haney ' s was on the Big ~inger Jack's place, which they l a ter sold to Frank McKeever . Doc and Baldy Williams were among those to settle in the Snow Creek neighborhood. Mrs. Haney's two s[...]Jane Reed, Champion Cow-Girl and wild West rider of Wild Horses, lived at the forks of now Creek with her husband and little girls. Aunt[...]ou Nelson, later to Bill Searls and is now living in the hosp- ital; her brother, Baldy, is also a patient there . Both are close to 90 and over . Aunt Jane died three years a o . While living on Snow Creek we had many[...]s. Al Hawkinson; Mrs. Rosa Robuck, who would ride a horse to our place to help out when I had[...] |
| [...]lace to another tending his traps. Then there are the Iversons, Jerry with his freighting and wheat farming and his English born wife lived on the -head of the Snow Creek Range with their two daughters,Betty a[...]dahl and wife, Ruth, lived near by with many acts of kindness and good deeds. Hard times, but happy ones, as we raised our family of seven which have flown every direction, but here we remain in Gods' Country.[...]s Mr. & Mrs. w.E. (Casey) Jones & some of their sons and their great-grand[...] |
| The Fl oyds Mrs. Alice Floyd and son Aubrey came to Montana in Oc t ober 1916 . In August of that ye a r, in a new Model T. ford of Aubreys , he and Harry Denisar, and Norman Johnso[...]ps before leaving ag ain for their new homesteads in Mont ana. Also each ye ar ~ubrey returned to N.D. at harvest t .ime a s he had f armin.J interests with a brother-in-law. Mrs. Floyd and Aubrey came out with Harry and Josephine Denisar and their 16mo. old daughter in the Denisar new lodel' as Aubrey had left his car here in August . They did not take any livestock, but their fu~nitu r e was ship9ed with the Denisar and Fellman belongings i n an emi p;r ant car. There wa s s pring on the creek r vnning across t he corner of their homestead . Provisions of larg e quantities were brought back with Aubrey whenever he wentto N. D. The car with t heir belonging s arrived at Glasgow ,[...]to Lismus Ferry. They could not get t hem across the river , as there wa s too mu ch ice for the ferry to run, but the ice was not strong enough to bear t he wei ~ht of the f urniture . In December they had a big snow, and cold spell, the river froze ov er enough so they co uld bring it over on bob sled s, which were pulled by tne men ; a s the i ce still not strong enough to carry horses weight, too. There was one stri p of ice with open water on each side; and they we re[...]ing s we r e acro ss. Floyd's did not stay in Montana to o l ong , but returned to N. D. to mak[...]l ater went to California to make her home wit h a dm•ghter, and passed away there in the 1940 1 s. Aubrey married in N. D. and raised a f ami ly. lie and his wife Stella still reside in Antler , North Dakota . Aubrey & Stella Floyd Mrs. A. Floyd, |
| [...]heir daughter, Carol came to Montana (Dawson Co.) in October, 1916. When it was voted for Jordan to become the county seat of Garfield Co.; Harry said he was happy to vote for that. Accomp aning the Denisars were Mrs. Alice Floyd and her grown s9n Aubrey. In Augus t, 1916 Harry Denisar, Norman Johnson and Aubrey Floyd left Antler N. D. to look for a homestead, hoping to better themselves . Harry was born in Pennsylvania, coming to Illinois while qui te you[...]he marr ied Josephone Danforth (who had been born in Ill .) and they lived in Illinois a while, then went to Iowa , then t o • D. and then to Montana. They found land about 12 miles N. E. of Jordan , and here built 1 0xl2 homestead shacks f[...]n Johnson and Dale Mellott(Harry 1 s cousin); and a 12xl6 one for Denisar's, who a little later built a 3-room house . They had driven to Montana in a new Model T Ford of Aubrey Floyd's . Ai'ter building the houses they returned to N. Dakota to harvest their crops and sell some of their machinery, etc. Ai'ter harvest Harry loaded 18 horses and machinery in one R. R. box car ( also they c~lle d them emigrant cars); and 11 cows and furniture in another R.R. car. Alice Floyd and Jake Fellman also shipped their furniture with the Denisar I s. Dale liellott rode in one box car ; and Edgar Frazier in t he other, their destination Glasgow , Montana . The Denisars and Floyds drove ou t in a new Model T. Ford of Denisars as Aubrey had left his in Montana in August. They all remarked about t he beautiful hil ls and badlands seen on the 5-day trip to Montana . Thei r possessions and livesto ck were taken to the Lismus Berry from Glasgow . There was too much ice for the ferry to run, yet not enough to carry the weight of the stock. So the stock was left there , and the furniture stored in an ol d house. The Ford had ar rived earlier while the ferry was still running. When the ice froze hard enou h (there was a strip of ice between 2 open areas of wate r ) the stock was brought across one by one, a s they were not sure of t he strength of the ice. Planks we re put on bob sleds , for the f urn iture and mac hinery and the sle ds were pull ed across b y the men. It took 3 trips to get t heir pos sess- ions to the homestead {two wagons on e ach trip) . A!'ter getting settled they had to drive S miles for wood and they also burned eage brush (of which there was an abundance when their fuel wa s l ow. A coal mine was found on the homestead , and they mined their own coa l. They[...]n well , and were fortunate enough to find water. The government gave fence posts to t he homesteaders[...]miles to cut them . Many trees were "Snaked " out of the brakes by horses. For fresh meat they killed sagehens (t hey were in huge bunches then) and rabbits besides their own pork and beef. ~rs . Floyd u se to wa lk to the Denis a r 1 s ne ~rly every day when the weather permitted , and would look for sage hen nests , to t ake the e ggs to Car ol . There was little ent ertainment except a few dances and picn- ic s, and v~s i ting the nei ghbors , among whom were the Vanc e broth- ers, August and Inga Ande rson, Guy[...]k , Clyde and Bes s Thomas , Ed and Ro se Kelly , the Williamson Ranch folks , Jennie Mi ller, and of course t he Hell Creek folks .[...] |
| [...]Bau1:1gartners ~Jer e t h ere , but s o0n left . Of course a trip to Mi les City , 1 00 miles away wa s qui[...]y hop ed th at it would not rain, s that me·mt a lay over someplace 0 if the rain wa s heavy, or if lighter, maybe they couln get out |
| [...]us Anderson 3. Mrs. Josephine Denisar teaching The Hell Creek School 4. Denisar car in White Horse April 19, 1917 |
| THE HUNTER STCRY[...]Oregon before the turn of the century. they ranched north of Miles City somewhere on Sunday Creek for a ti.me, before comin.g to what is now known as Garfield County. He settled on what was known as the Preacher Place out in the Missouri River Breaks. Bud was born in Glasgow after they moved to the Preacher Place. Later, the Curreys and Kiblers settled near them. A warm friendship existed between these early day neighbors. Mrs. Hunter was in poor health about this ti.me. I don't know what prompted Oscar to buy what was known as the Old Chandler Place about 10 miles northeast of Jordan, unless it was the fact that she wasn't well. At the new ranch, they had wonderful neighbors in the Thomas and Lanphere families. Mrs. Hunter and Pearl both passed away in early days, leaving Oscar and Bud to batch. Oscar was a great practical joker and was always good for a laugh. He could take a joke as well as dish-it-out. He later marr[...]raised her daught r Dorothea. I think one of rq first recollections of Oscar wa s one ti , Bud and I were corralling some horses and were having a little trouble. Oscar saddled Old Jack, his favo[...]me imaginary object, and Oscar bit his pipe stem in half. I think I will always remember the surpris d look on Oscar's face, when the bowl of his pipe tumbled down into his lap. He was a wonderful cook. His Sour Dough Biscuits were just Out-of-this- W'orld, or so it seeaed. Maybe we were just more appreciative b cause of a better appetite then. We used to enjoy Oscar's stories of his early day experi nces and of his friends. He had a real knack for story telling. I' truly sorry that I didn't put down some of those stories, but lest I mis quot, I better not[...]Oscar continued to ranch until he retired in the late 30 1 s when they moved t Miles City, where they spent about a year, before returning to Jordan. They resided here in Jordan until his death in 1947. Ms. Hunter remained in Jordan up until her death. Dorothea Sensiba :marriec Homer Walden and now lives in a suburb of Denver with her family. Her husband Haner, was killed in an automobile accident several years ago.[...] |
| EARLY DAYS IN MONTANA BY: Mrs. John A. Hallberg We arrived in Jordan, Montana April 14, 1917• in a cevered wa gon, 2 cows and a couple of pigs. We had filed on a homestead, on Vail Creek about 12 miles northwest of Jordan. Our first house wa s a d~g-out. The reason for coming, we hoped to make a home and build a future for our family. We found out it was not so easy. Lots of hard work, putting in one crop after another, and harvesting very few. Our cows are what kept us going. We had lots of nice neighbors, Vic Wrights, Bert Henton just across the creek, from us, John Adams, Klundts. Ferrest Johnson, Pfeiffers , Feigels, and many others. A couple incidents that might be called humorous; we had been to the school house for a church service, when we -ame home we found a large bull snake slithering along the side >f the dugout heading for the door. We had a 410 shot gun. I got that and shot it, the children and I were alone as John went back to Minnesota to thrash, as he had a thrashing machine. Another time we came home from somewhere and one of the pigs had got his head in the swill bucket. And as I could not stand to see the pig die and the meat go to waste I stuck the pig bled him• hung him up on the •l•thes line pole and cleaned him out and skinned him. In 1920 the 2 boys went to school which was held in Ed Mortons log house. I hope that I have the correct place, Esther Larson {Crull) now was the teacher; there were 12 pupils, I have a picture of them . After that they went to Castle Butte, that was quite a walk for them. The school was later moved to a place more ~centerally located, then there only was one mile to walk. Castle Butte was a land mark, then there was Smokey Butte which was further away. For entertainment we used to have parties and dances at the school house or at somebedys house, if it was large enough . We had to carry all our wa ter up quite a steep hiLl. Yes I am sure that people now a days woul d find it hard to believe all the thin gs that happened in the first years of Garfield County . I remember well the day we voted on it. The election was held at Mr . Wombles place, and was very ni••• Xven though we went thru lots of hardships. in being one of the early settlers, and had a pari in starting of Garfield County. and I guess I could write a book of everything we went thru from 1917 until we left in 193, . E- R- J. A. Hallberg Andy Olson, Canada M[...] |
| E. R. Jones Life in Garfield Co.[...]s~ I was up there when t he county was formed and the county seat was voted upon; which was really a hot election; as Edwards made Jordan set up and take notice; but is no more. I came to your country in 1918 to file on homestead, and wanted to get a piece of land to become some value later on in my life; but things went into reverse; and I have[...]ouldn't help -but wonder who was going to buy out the last one, but it didn't go that far. I can recall wher. ,we we ~e snowed in for three months up ther e, and West was selling syrup a nd molosses for sugar substitute. My suit was in the bottom of the pile that I had ordered and they didn't get to it until the snow cleared away and little Ford trucks got thru with the mail . Before it was Ole and his bob sled, and an[...]changing mail at Rock Spri ngs and you could ride the sled a day to R S and another day to Miles . My homestead was up the Big Dry about 21 miles and near to Wm . Dutton |
| dull; so as a last r esort like; we drug Wiege out and went to[...]hat we would ask Weige your first fellow's name; which it did A LB E R T. That got her puzzled and next morning s[...]she said i f Weige could do t hat, he might tell a lot of things, that had happened to her, ha. I f fact, it got me a little but it truly happened with two of us running the t hing. I will agree with you that ~istory"'[...]up for others to see. Will let thi s stand until the morrow and may think of more to add . Night is 'oer and have- thought of a f ew things which I will now add. I can recall the Red Butte school which was about a mi le north of my place and we used to have some friendly gather[...]rch. I can recall that I act ed as policeman in 1918 and the 4th of July we had and it was sure a wild mob that day, having fun; thi s was just north of town. My how things have changed; used t o take a[...]do i t easy:. Times have changed since fadder was a boy. I think~ that is a dandy letter t hat Leona Lahn pU'b in the local paper, and I know just about all of them. Remember when t he Lahns used to,~-run a freight outfit with a bunch of teams strung out on a strong chain. Tait Bromfield &[...] |
| [...]by- Pearl Pangburn We came to Montana in 1915. We camped on our homestead on July 24th, |
| [...]b J Anna 1:'a tson ,raha"Tl ::twas the s ori 'l · o [ 191L that Richard L • .Tohnson and brother Leonard The., shirn Ed t h - wa~ons and so ·1e machiner.; th[...].art , t h E., drove frcrrt :-iilE:s Ci t.Y on to the Land of Promise north of The men all workE.d togEther to build log hc dses f o r the two families . The first schoc l was at Chalk Butte . All the children stayed with e had lon hard wintE.rs but didn't seem to mind . In the summer we In 1917 it was a rE al bad year and we moved to Roundup where Mr . Johnson |
| [...]ere strictly hillbillies, no running to town -for the movies. I, Anna, married Claude Watson in 1924 and lived on leased places most of the years until moving to Jordan in 1934. We raised four children, Donald Dorothy, Evelyn and Claude Dean. Claude was killed in 1946 and Dean in 1958. Winona married Roland in 1927 and they lived on the Watson homestead until Rol's death and Winona mov[...]e still resides. The Reinny Rath Story[...]eft off. After my father Claude |
| [...]lin Wil]J_,aa Hensl.eigh came to Garfield Coant,- in 1914 atter p-anating f'roa Drake University, 1907 in Dea Moines, Ion, h'oa Law ..-..i. le practiced law in Oregon and decided that wasn't what he wanted. He got a job in a school in Iorth Dakota that needed a hard rues[...]chool in Horth Dakota when lforth Dakota[...]were a.ch higher in !forth Dakota,[...]1913. We were llArried in 1914 and[...]east of Jordan along the Big Dr,-[...].&Hrs. J .W.Hensleigh beside operates the~ ranch 881le one we their rock & sod ho[...]Hr. Hensleigh bou.ght a wagon, tea or hou.ses., supplies to set up housekeeping in Miles Cit7 and coae out to Jordan 191h. I co e later on the uil stage. We liTed in Charlie Allen•• dug012t the first vinter. We dug oar own coal on our land, an[...]t vood. We ate boiled wheat .tor breaktast f'ood. The idea caae .t'rm a sample received in the 11ail. It required. a lot of chew- ing. Oar first house, after the dug out and wood hOllestead shack, was built vi t[...]ocks, 2 & 3 .toot fiat sand rocks, it still stand.a since 1920. We bought our first car, Buick, in 1926 b'am. fioyd Tollefson. It vaa the uil c&t'. That. year , 1928, ve were hailed out and toot a trip to Chicago, W1.sconS1.n and Minnesota to Ti.[...]idn't. know nch aboot cars and on our way through the Black Hilla our clutch b-arned ou:i1. Dad used the brakes instead o.t' putting it in low gear. In Chicago, upon learlng the city, Dad aade the wrong turn and th• policeman was going to arrest us., when he noticed the licenae plate, he told us to get going! This vas also the year ot the droa.ght., 1928, when ve sold our stock:..:Cow an[...]7ears. We bought an. old Majestic stove at a sale .tor $7 .So which is still at the ranch. On year Dad vent to the state fair in Forsyth vi.th his garden pk•oduce and vou the at.ate Sveepsteak,. It turned cold, our old.est bq, Paul., am I picked the 11elons, piled the• and covered thea. During the Dight thieves o andgot all the big ones! We live in Seattle, Washington, now. We h&Te seven children• Pawl.., ta•ght c ercial subject in High School and now work• in the office at Great Falla Paper Co. He is urried and lives in Great lalla vi.th hia vife and 2 children. ~l• is . .rried, they have S children and liTe in Iallspell. He baa an Agr ar degree and works in that departaent of an elevator there. Bill was married to Cora Weeding, has 3 children. Bill passed a.way April 1, 1969 of' Multiple Schleros:1.s after being a£fiected .tor about 12 ,.-ears. |
| Marion Sbe1ton is aarried and lives in Lewistown with her tandly ot 3 children. She is a imrse. Bett7 Mae Fimon is also a nurse and lins in Minneapolis with her foil,- or 5 children. Helen Neudorfer has 4 children and liTes in Seattle, Washington. She is also a nurse. George is aarried to Freda Kasper, the7 have 7 children. He has the old. homestead near Jordan and he and his vite have operated the Rest Home for 12 7ears and George helps part time[...]t 6 years bef'ore leaving Jordan. All seven of the Hensleigh chi1dren attended Jordan G-rade[...] |
| Ewy 1 s Store In the early 1900 1 s Edw~d Ewy left from hi s home near |
| [...]ank Ii Esther Watson Frank Watson came here in 19l~from Kansas filed on homestead north of He worked in Jordan for Jack Bass and has always been active in legion Frank Watson |
| [...]Baan Wille Ba.an Wille was born in Koudek.ird, Holland, Sept . 26,1892 the youngest of Next morning as they opened their eyes, they were covered with a light |
| [...]'Visit wi t h, and the Saturday evening[...]One of Baan' s many a(:\ Entures while living _her e was b€inG the Justice of the Peace . Day and night[...]les and troubl es , but the finishing touches to t hi s career came when a couple re ques ted him to perform a wedding ce[...]imation, was asking jus t a little too much and he hustled them off to Jordan, thus ending his Justice of the Peace days-. Supplies for the store were trucked in from Ingomar and in later years a traveling saleman stopped by,one of these was from Swift & Co . Baan decided to stock slabs of bacon, really a treat in those days, and sold them almost as fast as they were received. One day as Baan was unpacking his shtpment of bacon slabs, an observing cus t omer~asked "Baan[...]and you've sold it•. Guess his idea was to keep the merchandi se in t he store, at least for a lit- tle while, the difference in the opinion of the grocer and customer . In 1933 Baan and William started the s tore in Jordan . God was kind to t hem and t he bus- |
| [...]and friends that she would surely freeze to death in Montana, 600 temperature. At that time Montana seemed like the far end of the earth in spite of being a neighbaring state of S. Dakota. J;1eiy.bers of the faJD;U;r are: · Betty, married to Harold Hageman and haVP.l their home in Jordan. Two sons, Baan Gene anu David are students at Montana State University. Sterling, married to the former Jane Twitchell, is living in Jordan. Daughter Karmen is a senior at G.C.H. S. and Kalvin and Kermit enrolled in the Grade School. Baan D. married the former Ronda Michael of Mobile, Alabana; at present living in St. Louis, Mo. where he is _manager 01· U[...] |
| [...]husband, Alvin moved to Jordan from Greely , Iowa in 1914. They homesteaded south Jordan several miles. Mr. Pemble passed away shortly after coming to Montana in 1916. PellDlie as she was known to everybody in Garfield County, worked for many years for Mr. s. c. West in West Mercantile store, until the store burned in the early 30s '• A.t the time the store burned she was employed by Bert Hoxmer; who had purchased the store from Mr. West. She then became employed in the post office; and there she was for 17 years as postal clerkJ from which she retired and went back to her home town to livo. She vas a member of the 8ommunity Presbyterian Church and was a charter member of the American Ausiliary in Jordan. It is impossible to sum up in a few words the many th~ngs and deeds that she did for the people of Garfield CCi>unty. In her neighbor-hood in Jordan she will always be remembered by the children a.a one who could listen to child talk; serve them teas, or anything that they Jli.ght wish. Just a aere mention of the name of "Pem.e" will bring back pleasant memories t.o eve[...]her. Mrs. Pemble passed away November 1968, after a long illness at the home of her sister "Babe"• in Manchester Iowa.[...] |
| The Bill Bakers Bill & Sally Baker arrived in Ingomar, Montana by train, in 20 degrees below zero weather on November 25, 191[...]to what is now Garfield County. They took up a homestead claim about 16 miles northwest of Jordan on Vail Creek. They lived there until they retired and moved to Jordan in 1958. Below; Momn Homestead, la t er owned by Bill Baker and Bill ran a freight line to Miles later by Everett Bowla[...]to Throulow in the Throulow Valley for about[...]9 years. ( Below; Bill hauling beets,1934) The Baker family consists of one |
| The Baker Neighbors. 1. Mack Mccants Ranch 2.[...] |
| [...]25 , 1895 in Chadron, Nebraska.[...]folks in a covered wagon and they settled on the south side of the Yellowstone in the Greenleaf and Rosebud Creek areas . In 1913 he[...]spent the winter on Hell[...]stead was at the south of[...]on lower Snow Creek area in[...]bruster , on July 4 in 1917[...]which started with a small herd brought from the south[...]t o a hereford stock . Fuzzy[...], and St one Shack for close to 30 years to help the meager income from his small r anch . In 1929 Fuzzy and Fay were hi rEd to run the wild hcrse roundup, which was to gather all unclaimed horses in Snow Creek and Hell Creek breaks . He had by t he[...]ional between Snow Creek and t he Missouri River. In 1948 he moved to the Del Hubbard place . School has alway s been rather a · handycap in Gar field County due to the large ranches and bad roads . Because his nearest[...]ly attended that one summer . They bought ~ house in town which s erved for school quarters . Fuzzy and Oph[...]oys and two girls . Bob , his youngest son , with the able help of his wife Leah and their three children run the old ranch , that was his pride and joy dur ing his lifetime . He was rancher at leart and liked all the vario us tasks connected with this rural life in early Garfield County . When the Government bought his homestead in 1934 to serve as . abottom[...]better land but co uld find none to fit h:hs eye in the way this had, so returned and pur chased more la~d adjacent to what little he had left of his addit ional 320 a.cres . In his l ast years on the ranch , he raised a few purebred bulls for 8ale . He was active on that place to the last months when he suffered a stroke in the summer of 1957 and died in October of the same year . ;J'-3 |
| Fuzzy Buffington in front of his Barn & corral on his first Snow[...] |
| The Crowders by Leah Buffington .. In 1914 my- granddad, Mel Crowder, came to Jordan on the stage from Miles City ind from his home in Nebraska. He walked from Jordan to Hell Creek. The first night he spent with the McKinnons, then on the Whitey McPherson's. When Mel got to McPhersons he[...]is family : while his father stayed here to build a house for them to live in. I 11 April of' 191.5, Mel and his .w ife, Agnes, came back by e[...]eading .5 horses and 2 brindle cows. They came by the way of Glasgow, crossing the river at MacGruders on 9th Point. Mel and Agnes settled in their home and it was here that Ina, CeCelia and Mildred were born. During the time that Mrs. Crowder was raising her fam:11)" she never left the river for 6 years. Mel freighted from Glasgow to north of' Jordan f'or Gus Anderson. Mel Crowder homest[...]s mother, Virginia Crowder, came here and took up a home- stead near her husbands; next came Marcia Hale, a sister to Mel, and staked a claim in the same areaJ Mel's brother, Cut Crowder, and f'amily homesteaded across the river on 8th Point. The first school on Beebe Bottom was established in Mrs. Virginia Crowder 1 s home. Alice Crowder returned to Nebraska in 1918, but came back to Garfield Co. and married Slim McKinnon of Hell Creek. Slim died in 1963 and Alice now lives at Rosebud., Montana[...].f.oint and Beebe Bottari schools. He worked with the surveying crew for the Fort Pe~k Dam. Here he obtained his high school t[...]Shook. hey have one son, David, and now live in S1n Francisco, California. Ina Crowder worked at Wheeler during the buildi ng of the Fort Peck Dam. She later moved to Texas and is no[...].D. Ross. ~he has 2 children, Jimmy Sullivan of Texas, and Patricia Peters of Washington. ~ts- |
| [...]ia Peters. CeCelia Crowder has spent most of her life in Garfield County. She now |
| [...]by Margie Harbaugh In 1916 Fred Fellman answered the call of the west with it's promise of free land. His family accompanied him. There was[...]ears old, and his wife's mother Grandma Peterson. In March of that year he had left Minnesota to come out to An[...]ol age. Fred worked with Jake and Hattie caredfor the children. When crops failed around Antler that year a group of men got Jake and Fred to take them out to Montana to look around for new homestead land. Jake ran a livery stable and made trips by car for hire. Amo[...]n because it lay between Miles City and Billings. The only drawback being no railroad. Land had been set aside for one, however, by the government, and it would soon come. So they went back to Antler and made ready for the move. Fred and Jake decided to make a new beginning too. In Nov. of 1916 the two families set out for their new home in Jake's Maxwell touring car. The furniture and other belongings were shipped to come later. The same men and their families who had made the -scouting trip made the move too. Mrs. Denisar later be- came Mrs. Jack ([...]. All went well till they came to Lismas Ferry on the Missouri River. Here they had to wait for the river to freeze over. The two families camped here in an old log cabin. Hattie cooked for everyone under rather adverse conditions. Snow was melted for water. A buffalo horn was used for a drinking dipper. Other families arrived and had to wait. By the time the party got to Jordan it was too late in the winter to build, so they spent the rest of the winter at the Grand Hotel. Fred and Jake immediately found work[...]l Vannoy's general store and Jake went to work at the flour mill, which he bought later on. In early spring the two men built a house and moved the families into it. The furn- iture never arrived. Aubrey Floyd was hired to bring it from the railroad, but upset the load and just went off and left it. Some of it was gone and~much of it beyond use when Fred went after it. But he brought the little that could be used. As soon as the weather was more favorable Fred went out to work on his homestead claim. This was located three and a half miles northeast of town. He built a three-room frame house and moved his family out in the summers. There was no water so it had to be hauled from their neighbors. Some of these were the Asa Normans, Kate White, Bennetts and Leuschens. Kerosene was $1.00 a gallon and was called hardship coal, A tornado took this house but Fred built again, protected by a hill. He worked at odd jobs to make a living, working with Asa Norman, hauling coal from his mine and with Jake drilling wells. During the winters they moved to town and Fred worked as a carpenter, helping~to build the town hall, and other. bu~lding~.[...] |
| A girl, Marlys, was born to them in the town of Jordan in 1918. Thi s baby was delivered by Dr. Gregg. Twins, Delores and De l t on , were born in Norman's sod house in March of 1920. Dr. Baker delivered them. Delton lived only[...]old cemetery by Clell 0 1 Connors place. In November of 1920, the family went back to Minnesota for a wint e r visit. A friend, Mr. Scanlon, wrote and told them e ve r y[...]een stolen from their place, so they never came b a ck to l i ve. But they did come back to visit with Jake and fami ly and old friends. On a visit in 1949 they placed a head- s tone on Dalton's gr ave. Now living in sunny California, they will al way s remember and[...]n diff- erent vis i ts here they have'returned to the old homestead site and collected sourvenirs of those days. These items, such as broken di s hes,[...]Margie Harbaugh The r e was crop failure around Antler, North Dakota in 1916. Hearing r umors of free homestead land out in Montana, a group of men hir ed J ake Fellman, who was in the livery business with both teams and c ars, to tak[...]J ake I s half brother, Fred Fellman. They liked the country even though there was no railroad, but land had been provide d f or it, by the government, and it would soon come. They went back to Antler and made ready for the move. Jake and Fred decided they wou ld make a new beginning too. Jake's wife had died three yea[...]hree small children. Relatives wanted to split up the family and each take one to raise. But he was det[...]mother had d ie d when he was very young leaving a family of two boys and a baby g irl whose ages corresponded to Jake's children, Phillip , Mar gie, and Edwin. His father split the family among relatives . They met as strangers when they were grown. By Novembe r of that same year, everything was sold, except the furnitu re, whi ch was shipped, and one Maxwell car to make the trip . There were f our grownups in the car, Dad,Fred~ his wife Hattie , and Grandma Peterson, Hattie I s mother. .There were also four childr en, the t hree of u s and our cousin Verlyn, Fred and Hattie's c hild . On warm days the c ar was open, but when it turned cold , windy or r a iny we s topp ed and buttoned on the curtians with their little i s i ngl ass windows.[...]from town to town till we came to Lismas Ferry on the Missouri River. Edwin kept asking Dad, "When are[...]g to get to Montana?" So once when we came to one of the many gates we had to go thro ugh Dad told him, after te9 went through, "Now you are in Montana." That satis.fied him.[...] |
| The river was running too much ice for the ferry to cross. There was nothing to do but camp for awhile and wait. A big log house was near the river. It was shared by all who arrived and were[...]conditions. Blankets were hung for partitions for the different families. Everyone accepted the inconvenient conditions with good humor. After all, it was a new adventure we had all under- taken and we were willing to make the best of it. After crossing the river we kids began to ask, "Which is sagebrush and which is cactus?" To us the buttes were mountains; we had never seen a hill. The coulees were something new to us; in Dakota we had gentle ravines. By the time we reached Jordan, at Thanksgiving time, winter had •arrived. It was too late to begin building a house so we two Fellman families settled into the Grand Hotel on Leavitt Avenue. This hotel was owned and operated by Wm. A. and Minnie Connacher and was really quite grand for such a small isolated town in 1916. It still stands today, old, and minus it's grandeur, and is now a rooming house owned and operated by Viola Adams.[...]em. Our rooms were upstairs and had registers cut in the floor, to l~t the warmth from below come up. One of our rooms was just above the kitchen and was not only nice and warm, but also gave us advance notice of what we would be eating. This was the warmest room, our families gathered here. On the same side of this street were two general stores, Vannoy's and Ewy's. Ewy's had a big hitching lot right next to the store where the country people tied their teams and fed them. Families would eat their lunches at the wagons. There was no church. Where the Presbyterian church now stands a rodeo was held the following summer of 1917. Billie Searles rode a bronc right into~the handle of the brake on someone's wagon and cut his face. On this same street was a busy stage depot and several other bus- iness. Across the street was a blacksmith shop run by Wm. McCant~ a boarding house and other businesses. Leavitt Avenue was the busiest street in town. Jake and Fred went to work immediately, Jake found work at the flour mill, which later he bought. Fred went to work for Earl Vanno[...]m Uncle Fred. Phillip and I began our ed- ucation in the Jordan school system. Edwin was not old enough to go that first winter. I was in the first grade and Phill ip in second. Our first days at school were a n ightma re. It wa s hard to be that young, and enter a new school, alre a dy i n session, in a strange environment. But worst of all, when school was out for the day, we were fair game for the whole school. The c hildr en chased us home every day, calling us n[...]s at us, simply because we were strangers. Later, of course, some of these little savages became our best friends. The entire school was under one roof, divided into rooms for the elementary and high school. There were three rooms for the grade school. Tha t spring in 1917 the high school produce d it's first gr adua t[...] |
| In the early spring Dad bought some lots on the west side of town. He and Fred, who was a carpenter, built an 18 1 by 24' frame house. The size of the house was determined by the amount of lumber they could get. Nails were scarce too. Everything had to be hauled by freight teams from Miles City, the nearest railroad, about one hundred miles away. There was no insulation, but the outside of the house was covered with heavy blue building paper. We always referred to it as the blue house. There was no base- ment or cellar. The men banked it with snow as high up the sides as they could pile it. The two f~milies moved in. We had heard that sage brush made a good hot fire, so we eagerly gathered lots of it and stuffed the brand new heater. We must have stuffed it too wel[...]all loved that stove with it's isinglass windows in the door. It kept us warm and comfortable, but the floor was always cold, it seemed. Dad had sent Guy Fronk to the railroad at Glasgow where our furniture had been shipped. Coming up a steep hill on the way back with it, he upset the load into a deep coulee and just went on and left it. So we had little to set up housekeeping. When the weather bec ame more favorable Fred built a three room frame house out on his homestead, three and a half miles northeast of town, His family lived there in summers and in town in the winters. Dad filed on a homestead, three miles south of town, but never built a house there. We continued to live in town as he had to work to make a living for us and we three child- ren had t o attend school. He did fence the place, but someone "borrowed" the f'ence and didn't bring it back, so we never proved up on the place . This 11 borrowing 11 people did because t[...]Everything was scarce for building and improving the places, and so was money. Every few years Dad would build a new house. We'd move into it, selling the old one. Our fourth and last move was into a dif'f'erent part of town, on the north side. After four years of homesteading Pred and Hattie went back to their original home in Minnesota. We grew up without benefit of electricity and all the conven- iences it brings, using kerosene lamps !'or light. When we were in our teens Dad came home one day with an Alladin lamp, a new inven- tion. It burned kerosene but used a mantle. We thought it gave a truly magic light. Every back yard had it's outdoor toilet, where catalogs were a necessary furnishing. Toilet tissue was un- heard of. At Christmas there was no tree, except a huge one at the church, lit with burning wax candles, which sometimes started a fire . Oranges were a rare treat for such occasions as Christmas Fresh f'ruit and other perishables were seldom brought on the long freight hauls. Radio and TV were unknown. Th[...]no movies until we were high school age. Then one of the teachers ran a projec tor one night a week at the school. These were silent films, but we never missed one. The whole town turned out to enjoy them. We never felt deprived, perhaps because this was the only life we knew . Instead, each change a[...] |
| In the sunnners we went barefoot, traveling the hot dusty paths to t, the store and to carry water. When fall came we were[...]inter when my shoes wore out, there were no shoes in town to fit me. Mr. Ewy ordered a pair, but I waited and waited tlll the old ones were completely gone. Finally Dad bought me a small pair of overshoes to wear as shoes. I suffered agonies of embarrassment at not being able to remove my overshoes in .the classroom. My schoolmates didn't · understand· but without a word being said, my teacher did, and never. asked me to take them off. At last my shoes came and were a staggering price, but they were worth any price to me. They were a beautitu1 rich brown and laced well above my ankl[...]During our childhood many businesses sprang up in the town. Some of them were short lived. There was the flour mill, livery stable, rooming house, boarding house, stage depot, a clothing store, a restaurant, two blacksmith shops, two drugstores, two newspapers, two banks, two attorney's offices, a real estate office, a sureveyor's office, a wireless office, and a mortuary. A brick manufacturing plant did business for a short while, till the bricks were proved worthless, when a chimney built from them, disintegrated when heated. There was a creamery and an ice house. Ice was cut on the Big Dry and hauled in huge cakes by sled, buried in sawdust, to furnish ice for the town during the hot summers. Once or twice a week ice was delivered to the housewives for their ice boxes. My boys wonder why I sometimes call the refrigerator an ice box •• A couple fellows started an oil refinery, bringing the crude oil in from Mosby. One of the homesteaders was a den~ 1st and set up shop. One homesteader's wife ran an excellent bakery. And there was the old meat market started by Charlie Kramer and run[...]Joe Winfield. It was always cool and rather dark in this old log building. Joe would reach into the big wooden barrels with his bare arm to get the fat wieners and dill pickles out of the brines that preserved them. The meat was cut from the quarter as we waited. Range cows and milch cows roamed the streets at will. These were not sacred as in India, but rather were heartily cursed by the housewives whose yards and gardens they trampled, upsetting everything and wandering under the clean clothes on the lines. It was an easy matter to guess the time of day by looking out the window about an hour before meal time. Every chimney and stove- pipe sent up a coltnnn of smoke as the housewives started up the fire in their kitchen ranges. It was really a pretty and heart warming sight and gave a feeling of community spirit. After we got in high school Edwin went to work in the bank after school hours and Saturdays. Weekends Phil hauled coal from the nearby mines in Dad's truck. I baby sat in the summer time for the Percy McDonalds who worked at the courthouse. He was the clerk of court and she was his deputy. For this I r eceived a dollar a day. Phil took a two year normal cour s e while in high school. When he graduated he not only received a diploma, but also a two year teachi ng certificate as we~l. I[...] |
| high school in three years, catching up with Phil. We graduated together in the old town hall. The school had no auditorium or gymnasium. All school activities were held at the hall. Two years later Edwin graduated. Dad was very happy to have his goal accomplished, of a high school diploma for each of his three motherless chi l d ren. He had had no e[...]te, so he was determined to educate his family to the best of his ability. His children have always been glad of the opportunity to grow up in the pioneer town of Jordan. J[...]Rig- Many wells were drilled in |
| The Garfield County Sullivans by Agnes Sallivan The ?ullivans were a family of twelve children, seven boys |
| In the meantime, after Jim's return to Chicago, his friends talked him into remaining there at his job as he had a chance for promotion on the police force. In order not to lose the land he had filed on which joined Dave's, he relinquished his homestead rights to John, the fifth born child of the Sullivans, who had just reached the age of 21 and was eligible to file. I might say right here that Jim was never happy in the decision he made and while he lived out his life in Chicago his heart was in Montana. He spent every day that was possible on the home- stead and bought quite a lot of adjoining land, among it the old Max Siebert place which joined the original land he had filed on in 1910 and relinquished to John. Tb.is later became the head- quarters for all the Sullivans with one of the attractions being a beautiful flowing well. After John came, al[...]e 21 came to Montana and filed on adjoining land in this order, Joe, George, Morgan, and one older sister Jen, who was married to Pat McKeigue. Jen hated the cotmtry as much as her brothers loved it. She could hardly wait to prove up on the land so they could go back to Chicago. This place also now be- longs to the Sullivans. Dave,being the oldest brother in Montana and being handiest with tools, took care that each one got a shack built on his homestead, got forty acres fenced and in crops, as these were the requirements, along with living six months of each year on the place, to :prove u p on the land tc -_get the covet- ed deed from t he government, signed by the then president, Wood- row Wilson . Later the pr oving up period was decrease41 from five years to three. This was no big factor to the homesteaders as they had more time than anything else. By decreading the ti.Jle the government got the land on the tax rolls sooner. DaYe was the first on e to get married. He and Agnes Harbaugh[...]that time on their home was headquarters for all the bachelor brothers. There were lots of hardships as there were no modern conveniences,but everyone made the best or things and a lot of good times were enjoyed by the whole community. There were card parties, sleigh[...]parties, ball games, horseback rides and picnics in the summer time and just lots of good old fashioned visiting and "spending the dayn among the neighbors. There were also some sad times, but sad or happy, most of everything was shared by the whole community. And the Sullivans were very much a large part of the community and always ready to lend a helping hand in any time of need, often making a fast run on horseback to get a doctor for a new baby on it's way into this world or an older person on his way out. I remember one time when a casket had to be made . It was winte r and no chance to ge t to town for lumber. So Dave took up the flooring, whi ch happened to be quite new, out of George 's shack and he and Dad Harbaugh made the casket in Harbaugh's living room. The methods may have been crude but t he feeling and respect at the funeral was as great as tho held in the finest cathedral. The entire affair was conducted by sympathizing frienc s and neighbors. The only cost being the peplacing of George's floor •[...] |
| They were also an important part of the community 1n regard to the school situation. They were among the first in the com- munity to prove up on their land and began paying taxes. As soon as this happened a school district was formed and Dave help- ed to haul the lumber out from Miles City and helped build the first schoolhouse. He served as one of the first trustees. Three months of school was all our district could afford those first years. Later George served many years as clerk of the dis- trict. In 1917 Joe was called to the service. By 1918 both George and Morgan were called. All three of them served overseas till the war in Germany was over. Because of the war, hard winters and drouth, Dave and John went back to Miles City and worked at the shops during the winter, as the railroads were crying for help to keep the trains, loaded with troops and ammunition, mov- ing. After the war things were never the same and George was really the only one of the boys who went to the ranch full time. He lived there until his death in 1961. Joe had also passed away in 1947 and Dave in 1958. Jim, the eldest brothe~, was the first to pass away. During the last few years both John and Morgan have passed away. The oldest nephew, Jim Jr., only son of Jim, died of a heart attack at the ranch he so dearly loved, while visiting there in 1967. His son Jim, the third, has inherited his father's share of the ranch. Ed, the youngest brother, now owns Joe's and George's sha[...]owns and pays taxes on Dave's original homestead. The ranch now is one of the best and prettiest on the Big Dry. Ed and his family are enjoying spending their summers there and wintering in Chicago. There have been many, many changes since some of these hardy folks helped to make this country what it is today. Good roads have replaced the old cow trails used in those days. Cars and airplanes provide transportation. Altho Jordan is still one hundred miles from the nearest railroad, the ranch homes enjoy all modern conveniences that el[...]ation, dishwaters etc. REA made all this poosible in the early 1950 1 s Later the telephones came. With all of this in the palms of their hands will the third and fourth generations love this l and as m[...]ll they cherish and conserve it and make as great a contribution to society as their ancestor~[...] |
| [...]John came from County Do~m, Ireland to Montana in Ap~il of 1912 at the age of 19. His first job was hE.lping lamb at the Sam Vessey and McCrae ranch in the Crow Rock area. Sam Vessey was taking John and hi[...]d1"t man, who had come from Ireland with John, to the ranch on Crow Rock in a spring wagon.. Sam only had one leg and when they got to the dugout he dropped the harness off of the team into about 4 inches of fresh snow and turned them loose. The two Irish lads were standing there in the dark when Sam hobbled for the dugout. They asked where they were supposed to sleep. He waved his a arm in big circle around the dugout and said, "there~ a million acres here boys, take your pick." In early May while they we·r e still helping Mccrae and Vessey, a spring From here he went to work on the Tongue River ditch project south of With the advice of Big Mike, John took out a homestead in 1914 at the |
| Martin Derenburger Sr. The Hartin Derenburger Sr. family lived in Warsaw, Mo. His wife was the They loaded all their belongings they wished to bring with them in a 1. Snow[...]2. Homestead shack under 65 feet of water at Fort Peck Lake |
| [...]er 7. Enoch (wife) Alice and twins Mildred and My-in.a,. Kuk1.· |
| [...]nie Lee Davenport Mrs . Davenport was born in Texas, 1891, moved to .Oklahoma where they Andrew Lee, f ather of Winnie and her brother John and family came to In the fall of 1917 , Winni e met Smith (Red) Davenport at the Perey When Fort Peck was completed in 1937, t hey were obliged to mov~ ...J?.erm- 1 . Mrs. Winnie Davenport &[...] |
| Grove Dutton The Grove H. Dutton Sr. family came from Fulton, New York in 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce A. Dutton Sr., located in what is now Garfield County in the North half of the section homesteaded by Clem Shaw, Clem's homestead was at the head of Little Breed Creek. Orson V. Dutton homesteaded on the Musselshell rliver a few miles above Mosby in 1912. Mrs. Grove H. Dutton Sr. our Mother homestead in the other half of Orson's section in the year 1914. She died in December 1919. Grove H. Dutton Jr., homesteaded in 1913 on the land where Bruce A. Dutton Jr. is now living. Cort E. Dutton homesteaded in 1916, on the other half of the Grove H. Dutton Jr. section. Ruths. Dutton homesteaded in 1916 on a se ction cornering her brother Cort. Grove Jr., Cort and Ruth Dutton's places are now part of Bruce A. Dutton Jr. ranch. My brother Bruce with[...]tkins who was helping Bruce to move his homestead which corner- ed Clem Shaw's) and I a passenger were three days making the roughly 30 miles from .Melstone, Montana to Clem[...]ittle girl Pansy, were running avroadhouse. The first day out our four-horse outfits got stuck in wha t was then called, Keggy 1 s coulee. This was[...]place. Charles was an old timer, who, had come to the country in 18~$. He had once rode for the Keg Handle outfit; hence his nick- name, Old Kegg[...]ht with him. Eight miles from our starting point. The following afternoon we arrived at Rattle Snake cross- ing. The Creek was bankfull from melting snow, it was too[...]l horse-drawn outfits camped there, ' waiting for the water t.o go down, which we hoped would be at day- light. The season was in early April, 1913. So we had to camp for the night, twenty miles out of ,\-t ow • .- We all crossed the next morning, and made Shaw's before dark. The foll owing day, a stormy one, shortly after breakfast, three wet and cold horse-backers showed up. William Scott, who had a homestead in that locality was one of them, they had left Melstone the previous day. Struck the same trouble we had at Rattle Snake, (high water) they spent the night on the bank there without the benefit of shelter, waiting for the Creek to go down . I recall that somewhere North of the Rattle Snake crossing, we crossed a furrow that was running East and west, when I asked how come, it was explained to me, that a year or so before,there was a murder committed in that part of the state. A question arose as to which County should prosecute the case. To settle it they run a survey along the County line b e tween Rosebud and what was then Dawson County. Along this survey was p lowed a furrow to mark the line. How long the furrow was I do not know. By 1917 that part of the County was pretty well settled up. Then the first World War crune along. All males between 21 and 31 registered for the Military Service at the nearest Post vffice, In my case at Alice , Montana . . Not long afterward various ones would be called into the County seat at Glendive for those livinr;,, in what was then Dawson County . There they would be examined. Most'° s ingle men went into the :l g .3 |
| [...]business int- ere s ts , etc. coul d be exemp t. The Draft Board deci ded this question . During the summer many of my friends and two of my brother s were c alled into the Service. I waited impatiently for my turn t o go. Don't get me wrong I was no hero, nothing of the sort . To me the whole thing was a lark, my position was simliar to that of a di sappointed kid who felt slighted because he had not been i nvi te d t o a party. In December I went into Town to enlist. The re I learned that the draf t boards woul d not allow this anymore. One just had to wait his turn. A lawyer friend composed a belly-achi ng letter for me. Telling of the trouble I had gone through to get into the Service . The let t e r mus t have sounded convincing, because the Adjutant General t o whom it was addressed wrote[...]ed with this letter I went to Glendive where with the ai d of i t, the Draft Board allowed me to join the United Stat es Ar my on Janu ary 4, 1918. Months l ate r while in Fr ance I receive d a torwarded notice telling me t o re port to my Draft Board on May· fifth for induction into the Milit ar y Service, I ignored this summons. After the War t here was a gradual departure of a lot of those early Settl ers; brought on to a certain degree by a succession of dry summers and hard winters. My brother Orson left that Country in 1920, after some years moving around , he settled in Spokane, Washington. Orson lived there until h is death in 1 960, he is survived by his wife and family . My brother Cort left that- area in 1920. He too gravitated to Spokane , Was hing ton in a few years, he spent the rest of his life in that City . Cort died . i n 1966. He is survived[...]te r s. My brothe r Br u ce stu ck it out in that country. He sold out in the fall of 1 944 t o his sons. Bruce moved to Billings,Montana. He died suddenl y i n June 1945, his wife followed him in death six years later. Three of their sons still live in the Sand Springs area . My sis ter Rut h mar ried Arthur Kincheloe in 1920 and went to live on his ranch n e a r Melstone, Montana. Ruth died in 1962. Her husband Arthur died i n 1968. Several of their children live in the Melstone area . After the War I engaged i n the stock business in a dmall way. The winter of 1919 and 1920 broke me. I left that Country in 1921, Bounced around for sever al years, finally settling down in Great Falls , Montan a . He r e I wor ked in the Post Office for thirty years I am now retired . M[...]out our days here. We have one daughter who lives in Othello, Washi ngton wi t h her little ram[...] |
| History of Ina Rothwell Barker and family in Garfield County My Dad, John Rothwell, was a coal miner at Sand Coulee which is about twelve miles southeast of Great Falls, He h;d worked as a foreman for one man for many years when his boss was killed in an automobile accident. My Dad didn't want to start to work for a new man, so he decided to homestead and try his hand at raising stock. He had such a glowing picture of Garfield County {which was then Dawson County) from a Mr. Dennis who had already been to this country. He told my Dad that the snow never got very deep, and the grass was so tal+, · one never had to feed in the winter time. So Dad loaded us up in a covered spring wagon, and we Aegan our two hundred mile journey to our new home. My family consisted of my mother, Ina, brothers, Jack and Charley, and sisters, Opal ano. Ella. Also on the trip was my .Aunt and Uncle and a little girl plus a few head of livestock. We started out the first week in June, 1915, and it took us three weeks to reach our destination. It rained on us nearly every day which made a rather miserable trip. Mother had to cook the meals -for ten people on wet wood most of the time. When we got to Lewistown, Dad told Mo[...]awhile, but since she wasn't used to buying food in such large quanitities, we began to run out of many items right away. In the Roy country we were camped one evening near an "alkali flat". My Aunt was taking a walk and not being used to the mud, she soon found herself sinking deeper and deeper. Dad and Uncle had one heck of a time pulling her out. Dad later remarked to Mother that they ttalmost lost an old hen in the mud" that night! When we got to Mecaha, Mr. Adams helped us ford the Mussell- shell River. All the way up Lodge Pole, we stopped at the farms and ranches and tried to buy milk and eggs.[...]es. Therefore, when we reached our desolate piece of land, we were pretty short of food with no store closer than Sand Springs. As soon .as we arrived, Dad started to the railroad at Sumatra to get food and the things we had shipped on the train. Our little uiece of land was three miles west of the old Benzien post office and one mile south of the Bones Ricks place on Lodge Pole. On the fourth of July, an old friend from Cascade County, Lenard M[...]It was so nice to see someone from home that day in a strange country with Dad on the road to Sumatra. With good weather, Dad would be gone at least five days . If it rained in the gumbo, one never knew when he would return. We lived in tents that first summer. One day just as dinner was ready, we had a windstorm and when it was over, everything was covered with a thick layer of dust. Needless to say, we had a little food with our dirt that day. Two of the first things we had to do was built a corral to hold the horses and dig a well. The horses got away from us a few times and we had to walk several miles to fin[...]one-room house was finishea and we moved into it in Nov. :i. 8 .r |
| [...]e room cabin ooked like ,.1. mansion after living in tents that chilly fall weather. We got our mail at Bowrnanville the fir c summer. Mrs. Bowman was post mistress. The next winter e had to go to Dilo where Mrs . McGlumphrey kept the post office. In the spring of 1916, Mr . and Mrs. Sol Kay from Ingemar started a store at Benzien with Mrs . Cohen as its post mis[...]ollard and Mrs. Kelly. Dad made two trips a year to the railroad for supplies. We had been here a year before I met a girl my own age. That was when the Ben Cooper family moved in. Elsie Cooper and I~~- came fast friends.[...]._:. Dancing was about the only amusement for the people in those days and since my folks did not believe in dancing, I didn't have much opportunity to meet[...]ople. We did have ne ighbors though. Some of our close neighbors were the Ricks , Coopers, Herons, Pollards, Cornets, Carmi[...]ry Neaves, and Otis Cook. Walter Pollard was one of our first neighbors to visit, and was a frequent caller as he enjoyed playing 11 500 11 with Dad. Emil Barker graduated from The School of Agriculture in St. Paul , Minn. and came to Montana with his brother, Vic, in 1906. He attended school in Billings and worked on the N-Bar ranch before he and Vic homestead on Lodge Pole in 1913. There they raised sheep . Emil and I became engaged in 1918. I taught school one term at the old Shorey place that year. We were married in January of 1919. That s pring we moved to the old Gilsky place where we lived for two years. Mother and Dad raised cattle until his stroke in 1931. He passed away in 1934. Ella and Opal taught several schools in Garfield County. Among them were the Flegle, McGlynn, Nelson, and Sand Springs schools[...]ed with Opal and Hyatt Roge rs until Opal's death in 1965. She is now 88 years old , and lives in her own apartment in Great Falls. Ella teaches school there and her ho[...]g her plane. Jack and his son have been in the tire shop business in Great Falls for thirty years. Our first daughter , Alice, was born in November of 1919 while we were living at the Gilsky plac e. In 1921 we moved to the Mc- Glynn place where we lived until 1929. Our se[...]because there was so much snow and cold weather. The only other p eople we saw during that five months was an occasional cowboy who would stop for a meal and to warm himself. In 1929 Emil and I moved down on Calf Creek, nine miles south- west of Sand Springs where I live today. Emil passed away from a stroke in 1962 . The crash of 1929 was followed by the dry years of the 1930's, We sold lambs for $2 .50 a head, and one sp_ring we got an advance[...] |
| on our wool for five cents a pound. We also sold five head of cattle one fall for a total of $61.00. Stella and Alice attended the McGlynn and Mitchell schools. Mrs. Charlie Rife,[...]ce Rogge and they ranch and farm seven miles west of Sand Springs. They have a daughter Lois, who is married to Darrell Johnson. They live in Great Falls, where he teaches art. They have a little girl, Sheryl, which makes five generations in our family. Stella and Clarence also have a son, Richard, who is attending college in Havre. Lois and Richard sang twice on television in Great Falls, when Lois was 10 years old, and Richard was 5. They have also sung for the V.F.W. talent show in Jordan nearly every year, beginning when Richard[...]d one daughter, Diana still at home. They live on the west side of the Mussellshell River at the present time. Larry and Carol live on the old Dave Peterson ranch north of Mosby. Don and Peggy live in Grass Range. Vernon and Dana live near Lewistown. They have a new baby girl,Charmin, who makes the second five generations in my family. Dianna crosses the Mussellshell River every day to attend school at Ross. A.bOYes Barker Ranch Ri_ghts Mrs. lna Bar[...] |
| The CB~ Horse Roundup A bob-tailed CBC crew[...]Hoffman, ones in back 1 L-R. Bryan Jackson, ? , One of t he |
| [...]Pete Nielsen family history Pete was born in 1890 in Minn. His parents who came with many o·tber settlers from the Scandinavian countries in Europe still had the urge to push onward and pioneer in still another land, North Dakota. He attended school in North Dakota. His parents homesteaded near Hettinger. In 1907, the James Patrick family came from Illinois, to settle on a homestead near Hettinger. Edith Patrick was then 12 years old. It was with a bit of excitement that she journeyed with the family to a new land. The family built their first home of prairie sod . Pete and Edith were married January 1916 at Hettinger, North Dakota. Pete with the same pioneering spirit as bis ancestors had prevously filed on a homestead near Sand Springs,Montana in 1915. In 1916, Pete and Edith collected their belongings and drove overland with a team and covered wagon, to establish a home in Dawson County now Garfield. The Nielsens got the i r mail at the Al.ice postoffice, one mile and half east of their homestead. At first the homesteaders took turns carrying the mail from Sand Springs to Sidney Hall's homestead. Than the goverment established a postoffice and named it Alice. It was named after Sidney Hall's wife, and she was the first postmast- er. A man by the name of Coffman was hired to carry mail from Hibbard twice a week. ~e Nielsens lived on the homestead until 1920, when they moved to the Judith Basin in the same covered wagon. Two children were born to them while on the homestead; Leslie and Aileen. Both graduated from the Hobson high school. Leslie is in the administrative Division of the State A.s.c. office in Bozeman. He served in World War 11. He is married to Blanche Dunn of Bozeman, they h·a ve three sons. Aileen married James Bailey of Stanford, Montana who is now a wheat farmer and geologist. They live in Great Falls, and they have a daughter Myrna and two sons, Robert and James Jr. Pete raised sheep during the years in the Judith Basin. He retired two years a go. We are now living at 315 W Evelyn Lewistown, Montana. We would be glad to see any of our old Garrield County rriends, when they[...] |
| The Stephensons About the first of February, 1910 the 8tephenson family left Harlowton , Montana and traveled by train t? Melstone, where a team of Clydesdale horses and wagon were loaded with all of the beginning things for a remote homestead location in Dawson County (later to be come a portion of Garfield Co.). The homestead later became known as Bruce~ as a post office by that name was estab- lished there. It was located sixty miles from the nearest rail- road station. Ingemar and Sumatra were both about the same dist- ance to the South. On this original trip the"Spring thaw" was in progress and the gumbo mud rolled and formed huge earwheels on the wagon, which the men kept trying to pry off. The progress was very slow. In the party was my Father, R.B. Stephenson, who became Justice of the Peace and Road Commissioner of the Steve Fork area. He passed away June 1926. My Mother, Musa B. Stephenson who on April 14th of this year 1969 celebrated her 95th birth- d.-y in Medford Oregon, where she resides with her eldest[...]. Musa Hagbery at age seventeen taught school at the Missouri River Breaks. She boarded with the Gallenger family, one pupil was 60 years old. She make the trip from her home at Bruce on the Steves Fork on horseback . She also taught school at the Lone Tree School and boarded with the Cleave family; this area is now lmown as Brusett . When we finally arrived at the homestead location, my young- er sister and myself had much exploring to do. Tb.ere were just four in our family. The youngest one, Alma was about five years old; she now lives in Nevada. Her name is Alma Remsen, both of m7 sisters are Widows. I was two years older than Alma. The country in those days was covered with half moon shaped Buff[...]year was one never to be forgotten. We had taken a hired man out with us by the name of Alex Hewett. We pitched a large tent where the family slept and cooked and the hired man slept in the wagon . Our groceries began to dvingle so my father went to a neighbors ranch(we located a water hole so I guess we weren't too welcome) to buy some groceries if possible. The place was the Lee Welch place, he sold us a gunny sack full of big heets for $5.oo. So my Father took the wagon and team and went to · Sumatra for a load of needed items. The May equinox storm picked this time to decend in all its fury, so we ate boiled beets and fried be[...]ed to keep warm burning wet sagebrush. Those were the days! My sist~r and I later put buffalo skulls on stick horses. When my father returned he and the hired man built a large dugout, our first shelter. This later also served as the "Bruce", post ot'fice, named for Sir Robert Bruce of Scotland ~ho was one of my Father's ancestors. At that time there were remains of a drift fence rur.ning East and West, on the South side of the Steves Fork Creek. Our place was a stopping place for people going to the rail- road towns of Ingamar and Sumatra from a ll areas North to the Canadian line. ~ t>[...] |
| The Seven Blackfoot country, Hazny, this was the most north- ern post office; first Postmaster was Nellie Antrim. Her husband Kurt Antrim carried the mail from Hazny to Bruce(I think this name has been changed). There were herds of wild antelope and many sage hens. Our nearest neighbors to the north were a family by the name of Hetherington. They had a man working for them by the name of Jim Swisher, a real old-timer that at one time had lived with Indians. They also had a cowboy by the name of Pug McMillian. He wore orange colored augora chaps and was quite a colorful char- acter. Later people swarmed in and located the land. Shorty Boise was the best farmer. He was west of us and in the early spring mornings, his blue flax fields were beautiful. Among the six horse teams that hauled wheat to the railroads and stopped at our place were Charley[...]ans, Barnes, Byrds and man others. Many times all of the beds were full, and people sleeping on the floors. Among people locating land East of us were, The Medcalfs, Jarrdds,Lem Draper and lower down the Wheatcroft brothers. In a northerly direction was Fred Stevens, Tommy Riggs, Fred Mounce, and others. South were the Parks family, Edyth Parks became Mrs. Victor Nelson, there were to the southwest, Fitzgeralds, Victor Nelson. Before the land became so populated, Sheepman sent large bands in and often gave us half a mutton and Mother would give them jars of pumpkin butter. Their na~es were Bilstead and Micy. Later Micy and Jerry Murphy had some kind of a conflect. One of them had a number of horses running loose on the range and the brought in a herd of horses with distemper and there were dead horses instead of live ones from both bands.They eac~ had stall~ ions, one was a crippled brown. How they would ~fight(, Southeast of us an old-timer, Matt Roake had a ranch. He was a real old-timer. His was called the "79 Ranch". It later became lmown as "Edwards" and there was a postoffice by that name. We found -a large cutbank that was full of petrified oyster shells and many petrified teeth from some kind of a prehistoric monster. The last I lmfil, the people that had our ranch were named Bliss. My father had the first automobile in that area. Mrs. Crane is well remembered by my family. Her daughter was born at our p lace on a stormy night. we were always happy when we saw them coming. Well at this time I can think of n o more.There were some very interesting incidents, but the families still reside in the county, so I'll.omit them.[...] |
| [...]hey retired in 1937 or .38. Mr. Tindall expired but[...]is still alive.) THOUGHTS OF YESTERYEAR I love to sit awhile and muse |
| [...]n St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1914, after having a car of freight on before us, we, my husband Lan, little daughter, and I, left Indiana by train to make a new home for ourselves on three hundred-twenty acres of ,Uncle ·sam•s tree · land in what was at that time a part of Dawson County, Montana~ Louise and I stopped off in Minnesota with my sister until Lan could build a homesteader's shack on his1 claim. As soon as the shack was enclose~he sent for us to join him. We arrived at Sumatra in mid-April. The next day with the wagon piled high with household goods we bravely set out on the long slow ~rip from Sumatra over winding dusty tr~ils, through coulees aiid creeks, innocent of bridges, sometimes containing water but/ much mor[...]food taste good even though often "peppered" with a generous amount of pra- irie dust. The first meal at our new home was eaten on the warm,sunny south side of the shack, and the reflection of the sun on the new lumber gave me a very severe sunburn. Such was my introduction to our new home which still had neither door nor windows in place. Wit-,h coyotes howling at night and nothing t◊- see during the day except buttes and mile upon mile of sagebrush, the first few weeks on the claim were almost unbearibly lonely for Louise and me while my husband was making trips back ~o Smutra for the remainder -·or- liis f'reig!it~ Between trips he took time to hang the door and put the windows in the shack, and on his final trip to the railroad he brought out lumber with which he built a much- needed addition to our shack. We then "plowed" in a patch of potatoes and also planted a small garden. Now, after building a barbwire fence around the house and this bit of plowed ground we felt much more at home. At least we were no longer out· on the open prairie. During our first summer here many more families settled in the community and soon picmics, surprise parties and dances were the common means of recreation and entertainment. People crune from m[...]vents. Some came on horseback but many more crune in farm wagons; and when we met in the evening ev- eryone stayed until morning. One winter evening a sledload of neighbors came to our place unexpectedly.When the dog barked we went to the door and a chorus of "We Won'!J Go Home Till Morning" met us. It seemed that a short distance from the house their sled had tipped low on one side and several of the party had spilled out into the deep snow. A mother and her young baby, members of the party, had l ucki ly stayed nput" and no one had[...]red to start for home until broad daylight. In 1915 the men of our community went to the pine timber, c ut and hauled po l es, peeled them and then laid -the~ up into a good sized building for a schoolhouse. The building was also use d for Sunday School and preaching services, and very often for dances as Well. The first teacher was a Mrs. Handcock, wife of a loc al home- steader. Some of her pupils were her son John, Arla and Eul[...] |
| our daugh t er ,Lou ise. Some of the early teachers were Fay Gingher from Indiana , Mr s. Rew of Jordan, and Philippa Smith of the Steve Forks local ity . One hot summer day shortly after the schoolhouse had been built a tornado went through our part o~ the country. It lifted the roof off t h e schoolhouse and carr ied it a distance of a hundred or more feet before dropp ing it. As school was not in Session at t he time no one wa s injured and a new roof soon rep- laced the old one. In those days t here iwere no cars in the country and pract- ically all t rips had to be made in the farm wagon; and no trip, especially i n col d weathe r , was any pleasure outing. The trip to t he Edwards p os t of f i ce requ ire d almost a full day and neighbors u su ally brought t h e m[...]amilies. On one such trip t h at my husband made a blizzard came on in late af'ternoon and the thermoneter dropped to 20 degrees below zero. Lan was not home yet when night c ame on but as the horses knew the way home, and he was not prepared t o c amp out he kept on traveling. About a mile f r om home whe n comi ng around a butte Lan somehow lost his bearings and forced t he hors es to go i n the wrong direction. After wander- ing around for an hour or more he saw a homesteader's light, and making his way t here, he found -himself only a halt' mile from home. He then came the r est of the way with no more trouble but very cold , very tire d , and very much disgusted. As a well was one of the first things a homesteader needed; we began work on one j ust as[...]y digging on low ground we started our well ne ar a coulee. My husband did t he shovel work and hoisted the pails of dirt with a rope and pulley. I emptied them. The work was going nicely when one n ight there came a terrific cloudburst and filled our well with mud and wa ter. Of necessity we be gan on another one at once . This well was very deep and it took many days of hard labor to fin i s h i t; but finally, after working through a layer of co al we hi t a vein of good clear water. Over the year s we had to go through the hard work of digging more well a s occasionally one went dry or another one caved in. So when a deep - well driller came to our community to put down wells , we too had a deep well dr illed, close to the house; and tha t put a wel come end to our well-digging days. Lignite coal wa s p lentiful in almost every bank and butte and was free f or the diggi ng, and in the early days homesteaders dug practically al l the i r own coal; but eventually the easy-to-dig coal beg an to run out and pe opl e began buying coal from the comm- erci al mines near Roundup . Now very little coal is mined locally. Life on the ranch was never an easy one although we did have[...]ncome was n ever enough to me e t our ne ed s; so a s I had been a teacher b efo r e my marri age I began to teac h sc hool ag ain. I first acted as a s ubstitute teacher f or thre e months in Jordan , then taught a number of terms i n the country . My first country school was the Re d Bu tte school in my own n eighborhood; and one of t he pupils that I s tarte d in the primary gr ade t here wa s a Carroll Graham, n ow of Lodge Grass , Mont an a , who , I am qu ite thrilled to know, is St a te Sena tor fro m his distri c t . In t hose e arly days of teaching my only way of get t ing to and f rom s chool was with a hor se and two-wheeled c art, and when teach- ing the Edwar ds scho ol tha t s i xteen-mi le trip e a ch Monday and Fri-[...] |
| day became a real hardship, espeeially during the winter months . So in the spring of 1924 we bought our first car, a "MODEL T\1 Ford, the first new car in our neighborhood, so we were told. I continued to[...]shortly before our daughter finished high school in the s pring of 1925. But long before cars came to our neighborhood many home- steaders had tired of the hard life and the hard times and had left the country. Later others sold out and left and eventually we had no neighbors within several miles of us. Being so isolated, and still with no coun_try[...]il, we finally realized that we could not stay on the ranch much longer. Of course it was very hard to leave the place where we had put in so many of our best years, but in 1957 we bought a home in Jordan and in the fall moved to town where my husband passed away a few years later. As my daughter and her family all live i~ the far .eastern part of the United States, I do not get to see them very ofte[...]l very much alone. But I love Montana, and I have a comfortable home and wonderful friends here so I feel very fortunate to be able to live where the air is pure and clear, and where the rush and strenuous life of the crowded East are unlmown. ~. &Mrs. Lan Ni[...]nt shack- -at'ter several additions to |
| The ulaziers Family[...]both came from Alden, Minnesota, I and my family, the Glaziers located near Hedgesville, Montana. When we went on the Swimming Woman Ranch where Clem Smith and Earl Lammer had wintered a band of sheep. Later we heard that Clem and wife moved to Brusett, Montana. In the spring of 1912 the Jennings family located at Garneill, Montana. In the Fall of 1914 my brother Harold, Willis and Willard Jennings decdded to go to Dawson County and take up a homestead and get rich quick. We took along two-f[...]nts for our Winter head quarters while putting up a log cabin for each. We located on township 14, South half of section 18, range 32 Eas t. The winter was long cold, it was a real struggle getting out the logs. Knowing Gladys Jennings since school days in Minnesota we deci ded to get married. On October 20, 1915 we boarded the train for Lewistown, and were married October 21. 1915. In~ few days we went back to our one room cabin a happy bride and groom. In September 1916 our son Milton was born, so that m[...]another room. I had to work out part time to make a living for the family so went to the Rothiemay country two stmm1ers and run a steam engine for plowing and thrashing. In the winter we had sheep and a few cattle to look after. In May 1918 our daughter Alberta was born and now we needed another room . The Winter of 1919 and 1920 was very cold and we had lots of snow. That Fall I had gone to Dakota to husk corn, returning just before our daughter Hazel was born in December. Being short of feed many families lost cattle, besides a disease hit some of the herds. My wife and Kiddies were at home during my working out time keeping the home going. · Now we will mention our neighbors, the Duttons, Atkins, Youderians, Neilsens , Turners, Stewart brothers, also my wife parents the Jenning. We had Red Cross meetings twice a month with pot-luck dinners and we don't want to forget the dances. We didn't have the best floors and music but no one had better times and[...]ook t heir children and they would go to sleep as the dances lasted till the wee hours of the morning. Our first post office was at Sand Spring but later we got a post office at McTwigan. In the Spring of 1920 I took over the contract for carrying mail from Tom Miller. The route was from McTwiggan by way of the Alice Post Office to Sumatra twice a week. Also there were private mail boxes along the route. Nearly every trip I acted as grocery boy as some of the people had a grocery list for me to take in and have put up, then they would meet me on the return trip. During good roads I used a car but after a rain or snow the gumbo roads required horses. We also farmed and stayed there until the Spring of 1923. Then we moved to Winnett where we could put the children in school. In the Spring of 1938 we came to Idaho ,our present address. During all the years there were many happy memories of raising our family of eleven. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in Oct.,1965. ~~ |
| The uiaziers Family[...]both came from Alden, Minnesota, I and my family, the Glaziers located near Hedgesville, Montana. When we went on the Swimming Woman Ranch where Clem Smith and Earl Lammer had wintered a band of sheep. Later we heard that Clem and wife moved to Brusett, Montana. In the spring of 1912 the Jennings family located at Garneill, Montana. In the Fall of 1914 my brother Harold, Willis and Willard Jennings deedde d to go to Dawson County and take up a homestead and get rich quick. We took along two-f[...]nts for our Winter head quarters while putting up a log cabin for each. We located on township 14, South half of section 18, range 32 East. The winter was long cold, it was a real struggle getting out the logs. Knowing Gladys Jennings since school days in Minnesota we decided to get married. On October 20, 1915 we boarded the train for Lewistown, and were married October 21, 1915. In~ few days we went back to our one room cabin a happy bride and groom. In September 1916 our son Milton was born, so that m[...]another room. I had to work out part time to make a living for the family so went to the Rothiemay country two sunnners and run a steam engine for plowing and thrashing. In the winter we had sheep and a few cattle to look after. In May 1918 our daughter Alberta was born and now we needed another room. The Winter of 1919 and 1920 was very cold and we had lots of snow. That Fall I had gone to · Dakota to husk corn, returning just before our daughter Hazel was born in December. Being short of feed many families lost cattle, besides a disease hit some of the herds. My wife and Kiddies were at home during my working out time keeping the home going. · Now we will mention our neighbors, the Duttons, Atkins, Youderians, Neilsens , Turners, Stewart brothers, also my wife parents the J~nning. We had Red Cross meetings twice a month with pot-luck dinners and we don't want to forget the dances. We didn't have the best floors and music but no one had better times and[...]ook t heir children and they would go to sleep as the dances lasted till the wee hours of the morning . Our first post office was at Sand Spring but later we got a post office at McTwigan. In the Spring of 1920 I took over the contract for carrying mail from Tom Miller. The route was from McTwiggan by way of the Ali ce Post Office to Sumatra twice a week. Also there were private mail boxes along the route. Nearly every trip I acted as grocery boy as some of the people had a grocery list for me to take in and have put up, then they would meet me on the return trip. During good roads I used a car but after a rain or snow the gumbo roads requi red horses. We also farmed and stayed there until the Spring of 1923. Then we moved to Winnett where we could put the children in school. In the Spring of 1938 we came to Idaho,our present address. During all the. years there were many happy memories of raising our family of eleven. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in Oct.,1965. ~~ |
| of "snake bit corn squeezins " , with whi r ·-~ t.t[...]ur- selves be.fore leaving on thi s trip . Plent~ of land was available for homesteads, but had n ot y[...]had marked for himself an estimated half section a s hor t distance from here that he would s how us, and we could pla c e a squatter's filing notice on it, assuring us that if anyone wo ul d be .foolish enough to try to jump the claim during our absen ce he would take care of that little chore. We decided to wait and look over some othe~ sec- t ions or the country be.fore making a final decision. The storm had cleared and we prepared to return to Melstone, telling him of our appreciation for his hosp ital i ty and frien[...]for his daily range riding circle c hecki n g on the 79 cattle. The last we saw or this tall, rawboned Texan was on the hurricane deck of this partly broken bronc di s appear over a small butte. We ret- urned to Lewistown to resume our jobs, deciding we would wait until later in the year to l oc ate a homestead. We communicated with a rancher-surveyor residing on the Musselshell river. That Fall three of us met t hi s land locator and he took us to the Calf Creek district, not .far from the N-Bar -Soda Springs line cowcamp . Surveys had be[...]ith every other s ec t ion having been alloted to the Northern Paci.fie railr oad, our f inal selections were a mile or so apart from each other . We fi l ed on the places and continued our jobs at Lewistown until the following Spring. By that time each of us had secured a team of horses, wagon and some other essent i al s. In early Spring with loaded wagons and dirt roads it took us several days to reach the homesteads. There working together the three cabins, with tar paper sides and roofs, and about 16 by 20 in size, were soon finished and batching on a homestead commen c ed . We were off to an optimistic start, with being required to live on the place several months each year and holding down jobs t he balance o.f the year to raise funds for buying additional horses,[...]tems. Much could be written concerning life of a homesteader of those days, such a weekly hors eback trips 18 mi les to Mosby for mail, (later Sand Springs); of gumb o ro ads on trips to railroad stations at In[...]a and Mels t one .for supplies; numerous fordings of the Musselshell river when there were no bridges; sno[...]incid ents that were quite generally accepted as a part o.f l i fe in those days, which joined together, made a rather interest i ng, sometimes exciting, 1.f not always so pleasant , the homesteaders l i fe on the t hen vast open expanses of Dawson 8ounty . All such experi ences, and many more, were only too well known to t hose p ioneers of early homeste ading days. As the years rolled on we continued t o develop the places, erecting fences, digging wells , doing some pl owing, and other improvements. In the spring of 1917 our country became involved in war with Germany. In the Fall of 1917 a ne ighbor rode to Ingemar with me. There I took a train t o join military service, and the following day he led my saddle hors e b a ck to the home- stead and turned him out on the range with my other horses.[...] |
| My trend of life was rapidly changing, and in December,1917, with several thousand other young men we were on board the Leviathian (formerly Vaterland) that was making its initial trip across the big pond, after having been confiscated by this c[...]e landed at Liverpool on Christmas Eve, and afte~ a week there crossed the Channel early on New Year's morning for our first glimpse of France,that was to become our "home" for many months. With the war, hopefully thought to end all wars, at an end, I returned to Montana in March, 1919. Shortly after getting back I rode on the stage from Sumatra with a Mr. ·Kreider to Sand Springs, and then on to the homestead to see if things had chang- ed much. Th[...]was little evidence remaining. During my absence a large influx of land seekers had moved into Dawson and Custer Counties. In any event, even the cabin was gone. So were its contents, the farm implements, wagon harnesses and pump, with only a few fence posts remaining. The horses that I had left on the range I never saw again. Not having much inclination to make a new start, and realizing the urgent necessity to g.e t back on some payroll again, the curtain was drawn on homestead days, and so back to civilian life and the necessary job. No doubt there were many others who homesteaded with high hopes for the future who later found that the weather elements and many other factors became too difficult to make a living,and moved on to more promising areas. Many of those homesteads have again reverted to the original use that Nature had alloted them as among the finest grasslands of the Nation, and now largely used for that purpose by livestock operators. But the old time Western spirit of hospitality and friend- liness so much in evidence among the neighbors, the N-Bar roundup line camps at Soda Springs, at that[...]inn, "Wild Horse" Pete and "Bulldogger" Bill, and the 79line cow camp on the Big Dry by Matt Roake and "Tex" Swisher, at a period when the real Old West of cowboy fame and open ranges was fast fading out as the homeseekers moved in, will always be remembered by us early day[...] |
| [...]Joe Wheatcroft originally came from England in 1900 and settled close to Lewiston Idaho where he worked on wheat farms. During the homestead rush in 1913 he moved with his mother, brother, sister and several cousins to the Steve's Fork. Summers were spent working the homestead and in the winters he worked in the coal mines, carpenter jobs like helping build the theatre in Roundup, and on ranches in Idaho. In 1920 he married Mabel Ballentine in Idaho and they took the train out to Ingomar where they hired a car, one of the first in the county, to take them out to the homestead. Life was quite complete without much travel as Steve's Fork boasted Looke 1 s General Store, a school, a church and Charlie Jones's blacksmith and garage. Betty and Bob were added to the family. In 1928 the Steve's Fork Cemetary was started when Joe's mother passed away and was buried on a knoll above the church, soon followed by another neighbor, and Betty who was killed in a tragic accident in 1931. Joe started by farming and gradually worked into the cattle business. In 1932 he bought his first Angus bull and continued[...]ughout t he years and since Bob took over running the ranch. nabel and Joe retired in 1955. Joe passed away in 19~9 and Mabel lives in Jordan. Bob, his wife, Edith and four eons, George, Brad, Scott and Richard live on the home place and the boys have all attended the Steve's Fork School. Below: Mc[...] |
| [...];:~~cN.D~e~~:~~brftef ~is 1T6th birth~ay cr~ssing the Mi:;~u~~o;~:; 3 , 8 3 • om[...]settled around Lewiston, Idaho. The rest of the family came over later.[...]Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians.[...]rom England in 1902 and also settled in the Lewiston ar[...]Mr. & Mrs. Wheatcroft came to Montana in 1902· 1913 and homesteaded in the Steve · Fo[...]Sumatra by team and wagon _. The wa·, for their new house was hauled the -same way. They received their mail at the Bruce Post Office. There wasn't a church so they held Sunday School at the Murphy Scho[...]Visiting on Sunday posed a .oroblem , as there were no fences it might take a half day to round up the horses so they could go visit a few hours. Dances were the favorite entertainment. Go early and stay till morning. In winter they went by team and sled, well wrapped of course.[...]are engaged in farming and ranching in the Steve Forks[...]ft was part of the family. The Abe Jarden Family[...]1 |
| In July 1917 he and my mother Josie Krug were married in Wibamr; and came out here to live. ~he had come f[...]efore because she had two sisters near Wibaux and a brother near Sidney. They lived in the homestead shack until they built the house which then consisted of two rooms. It has been altered and added on to a great deal since then . The road pa,t our house was called "The Green Trail" and before the hiway was built it was the main road east and west. It was not at all unusua[...]one was ever turned away. I those days most of the freight came to Ingomar and Sumatra and had to be[...]umatra that way. I have been trying to think of some incident to make the history more int- eresting. I remember Mother telling about one time before the barn was built the milk cows were kept in the corral at night as there were very few fences then. Dad had to be away and Mother had shut the cows up for the night when a cloudburst came. After it was over she went out and the cows were standi~g knee deep in water at the highest part of the corral. She couldn't get to the gate bec quse the water was aeeper there, s:, she took an ax and chopped the corral down to keep the cows from drowning. Of course there were good times as well as bad. Ther[...]d moved away. There isn't much more to tell. The t hirtie;;_, -.1 of course, were hard times for all---drought, grassh[...]d we came through all right. There were four of us children, Lest~r .who passed away in 1950, Doris ~wtio is married and the mother of three children and lives in California, Donald who runs the ranch, and myself, Hazel, who has two children and looks after the house. Dad passed away in 1962 as the result of a tractor accident. Mother now 84, is still getting around pretty good in spite of failing eyesight. Another item that might be of int erest is that one of Mother's ~unt's, Teena Hackney, was County Superi[...]ty and used to make trips out here to Jordan with a horse and buggy. Mr. &[...] |
| [...]argaret Herron Dutton was born Margaret Herron on A~gust 22, 1882, at Donaghadee, County Down, Northe[...]nts were Mr. and Mrs. William Herron. Bhe was one of nine children, three of whCJII died in child- hood. Her mother died when:·,Margaret was[...]Margaret Herron signed up to come to Canada as a domestic helper when she was twenty-four years ol[...]iends also wanted to come over, but backed out at the last minute and wouldn't sign up. In order to come to North America two responsible persons had to sign a statement of recommendation and Margaret obtained this from the Reverends Samuel Walker and Wm. Morrison of Six Road Ends. She also had to have permission fr[...]d her family that her mind was made up to sail to the New World. Margaret was the first girl from her town to come to America with[...]On June 7th, Margaret sailed from Liverpool on the "Virginian", a mail boat. She came to work for the Liffitons of Lachine, Quebec at $12 . per month and stayed abo[...]out after one's arrival. She next worked for a year for Mrs. Adams of Montreal whose husband was a former Mayor of that city. Next, Margaret waited table for the Fair in Toronto and then came with Mrs. Keeler to Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Keeler worked for Miss Cox, a commander in the Salvation Army. Margaret worked here a year. Her wages were $2.50 per week. Iff June[...]Butch) Herron, had already come to Melstone about a month before Margaret arrived. In 1911, on the 29th of November, Margaret Herron was married to Bruce Al[...]After they returned from Miles City they lived on the Musselshell river on the Gates Place. In March of the year 1912 they moved to the Greening place. In May, 1912 they moved from the Greening place to Margaret's homestead near Alic[...]Joseph Moody, Orson Henry, and Hazel Noreen. Two of the children, Joseph and Orson were born at the homestead near Alice. Mr. Bruce Dutton,liSr. died in June, 1945 at Billings, Montana The Dutton History In 1911, on the 29th of November, Margaret Herron was married to Bruce |
| [...], Phillip, Celeste, and Leo. lhey own and operate the Sand Springs Store. Orson Henry married Beth[...]rt .and Dan. Hazel Noreen Dutton Light lives in Florida. Her 3 children ares Eddie, Joe and Lessi[...]ght: Mary E. Shaw L. to R,: Cort Dutton, Bruce A. Dutton |
| [...]teve Fork Divide Oct. 4th, 1914 (pretty much in the midst of the heavy in- flux of homesteaders) Attlee Mustoe & Mr. Mrs. W. T. McAntire with family of four transplanted Missourians-from-Idaho arrived on the claims staked out earlier in the season at the head of Long Coulee (Creed's Coulee to old-timers, according to the mont- ima brand inspector at the Chicago stockyards in the 2O 1 s & 30 1 s) which area is now in the Uarden pastures. · After a mud-bound week in the gumbo the balance of the trip out from Sumatra was pleasant, at least to the youngest of the party, who writes this, & luckily the fall was open enough to allow sod houses and barns to be put up before winter; as well as getting in five trips to the railroad for belongings shipped there by immigrant car. The first real storm of the winter hit within hours after the coming- in of the last load. (Let me say here in regard to how my mother· took the hardships of those times", They don't make them like that any more~ and I imagine many in thinking back to those days will join me in that. When ones like those are all gone the the country has lost a lot.) The three Donohoe Bros. to the south were the only settlers adjacent to the claims. Shorty & Les Benson some four miles south & west had come in two or three years before, as had Jack Goodhue & his half-brother Frank (Ray) Myers, whose claims lay to the north & west. Coming into the area at about the same time as the Idahoans the Hunter & Keener families, the Tom Beasleys, Owen Largent, who married Mary McAntire in 1922, & the L.H. Nickeys, the Carl Spinners & H.G. Barkls. Turning clockwise from the Donohoes ·this brings in about all in anything like easy reach of Littlest Idaho (Little Idaho lay along beyond Steve Fork) at the close of 1914. Within two or three years the Charlie Thorn.tons, Otto Wedemeyers, Pete Olsons and Given Mustoes had come along to increase the size of the Idaho colony. The four- younger-generation McAntires were Mary, Leslie, Bert and Dallas. Mary who had taught school in both Missouri & Idaho continued teaching after homesteading near our parents; first at Peace Valley, a short distance east of the Benson corrals and afterward taught at the Vail school, North of Jordru;i. She passed away in Jan. 1929, leaving a small daughter who now lives in Tacoma,Washington. Leslie, who took a claim adjacent to that of our parents, volunteered for service in World War 1 & was killed at the very close of the war. The other two remained on the claim, to which a fair amount of hand was added thu the years, until returning to Idaho with our mother in 1935; Dad having passed away in 1932. Even at the peak of population schools were rather widely scattered, there being many handkerchief armbands to denote the 1 ladies' at the country dances. Between the Dry & Steve Fork & to the east of the road running north from Edwards the only schools were Peace Valley, which must have been closed by about 1918, and Red Butte school which was close by the largest of the scoria buttes scattered along or within a few miles of the divide between the creeks. It, too, was abandoned by early in the 1 2Os,, Jb' |
| arter which school for the area was held in a building moved in beside . the county road paralleling the Dry. That building must have the old Church schoolhouse, from over toward Sand Cre[...]lizabeth Leslie, with one or two more half-hidden in the mis.,ts or the past . As well as memory serves there were no schools b~tween the Dry & the Sand Creek divide; . at least no t from even with Edwards down to even with Smoky Butte. And thus ends the short and simple annals of the poor. 1. Mary McAntire & Her Vail Creek-[...]hilders, all others are i. Our first house in Montana, built |
| [...]on Scott I, Ruth Robertson Scott, attended the Mitchell Scho ol in District No. 14. Some of the teachers there were: Ruth Holzer, Hallie Burcherm[...]i ght. . There were 24 pupils in the Mitchell school at one time. The lowest salary received here wa s $50.00 per month. My mothe r was the Clerk and at one time she had 28 applications for the one year, this was when a teacher had to send in her applic a tion for a school, but times have changed. Trustees would har dly hire a mar r ied teacher. Anna Robertson, Mother, and f ather, Norman Robertson came ou t here in 1910. Both came f'rom Illinois. My Mother sent in the name of Sand Springs for the little town, hense it was n amed. At _ one time Sand Springs had a garage, 2 grocery stores, flo ur mill, twa· churches, a restaurant, a hotel and printing office. It ran competition with J·ordan for the county seat. Mrs. Myra Amdor, wife of Dr. Amdor who practiced medicine, ran the hotel and restaurant. At th~ age of 14, I worked for her during the summer . My wages were $2.50 and $3.00 per week. We washed clothes and bedding on the wash board. (This is one thing I would not trade, this elect- ricity and washers etc,of today.) A few of the homesteaders that I remember were: John Hanson, B[...]Taken in 1920 - Devils Kitchen[...] |
| [...]by Tom Owens In the spring of 1919 Alma, Owens and her three children arrived in Vivian, the older girl went to Lewistown The old homestead is still called the Owens place and is leased out, |
| [...]n Bernatine Perry Oliver Kepler's residence in Montana dates back to 1892 when he arrived in Miles City.[...]years or so in the Miles City vicinity he settled on a small ranch about 15 miles east of Jordan. Per[...]their home on the wide open s[...]master General of the united States of .America, Alberts. Burleson, issued a -·. C::QJnnQ:ssi-onl for a Post Office to Perry o. Kepler, of Dawson County, at his place of residence to be[...]er was born in Dec Moines, Iowa,[...]Hollis Kepler was born in Clinton, Mi[...]ur children in Miles City. They[...]3. Much toil and hardshi p was theirs during the years the the family lived on the ranch while their family was growing up. Many of these years will live in our memory a long time. In June of 1942, Mrs. Ke pler married Mr. Ben Bernatine and they now live in Miles City. Mrs. Capwell and Mrs. Hicks both live in Miles City. Nick tlarker a, neighbor of the[...] |
| Hist ory of Mr. John I. ( Jack) & Mrs. Maggie Osborn[...]Osborn) Lahn As I feel my folks are among the. 11 01d Timers'' of Garfield County, I thought it would be approperate to have their story printed in the anniversary book. I will tell it in the first person as tha t seems the easiest way to do it. Since time is short, I wil[...]isters, Nora & Violet, so possibly may have some of them hot exactly ri ght, but near enuf for the record I hope . As I recall it, this is the way I heard it frmm my folks and Ethel Osborn, mother's sister. Jack Osborn was born in Hannabal, Missouri back on July 20, 1880, t h e youngest of nine children, five girls and four boys of English decent. His f a ther died when he was very young, he said he c o[...]at all. His mother hau to go to work to su pport the family, so an ol der sister took care of him most of the time , and as he used to say, seemed more like his mother than his real mother did. At the age of six the family moved to Iowa to live and l ater to Eastern Nebraska along the Pl a tt river near Cullum. This is where he met my mother, Magg ie Smith. She was bor n at Ashland , Nebr a ska which is in this same vicinity, on Aug. 7, 1883 of Scotch-Irish de cent. Her folks and the family lived l a ter a t Cu llum, which is no longer on the map it seems, also at :Murry and later at Plat t smouth, Nebr. I recall them talking about all of these places and others near there. There were nine c hildren in her famil y al so. Mother and Dat attended grade[...]r while they both lived ne ar Cullum. He was fond of her then and they told about him .bringing a pples to school for her . Then hi s f ami ly moved f arther down the river near Louisville and her family moved to Mu[...]an "Old Settler's Picnic" some years later, thru a brother Pete, they di scovered each other again. Sept. 18, 1901 they were marrie d and moved onto a f arm e a st of Lincoln, Nebr. 'l'here were three children born here. The first one died ri g ht after birth, the second one was Nora, born Oct. 29,1903, then me, Leona, on J an . 3, 1905 . The spring of 1906 they decided to go west to Montana where all[...]t aking . Dad 's brother, Pete, wa s ou t here at the t ime and als o a si s ter and her husband, Ralph Tandy. They lived on a she ep r anch out n ortheast ·or Jordan about 15 miles. Since I was only l ½ ye a rs ol d at the time, I don't remember much about those first years , bu t I understand that we lived there with the Tandys for a while. We came to Miles City by train and on out to the Jor0.an country by team and wagon. At this early aate , the land was not surveyed for t aking a homestead, so p eople found a piece of land they lik ed and settled there , t hi s was called "Squa1;;ter 1 s Ri ghts 11 • My folks settled on a piec e of land on Fra i ser Creek possibly 5 miles east of what is now the fiaxby hi ~hway . The spring of 1907 mother returned with we t wo girls to Ne bra[...]too much about l iving on Fraiser Creek bu t for a few incidents which made a real impression on me, th;se I will rel a te as I go on[...] |
| [...]Miles City to live for twc or three months un_til the happy event. A few things· I do remem- ber during our stay in Miles City. Of course in those days, women seldom went to the hospital for the birth of their babys. So the day· of the blessed event at our house, we three kids were sent outside to pl·ay on the ice pond. It wa sn't too warm, I remember, either[...]under- stand why. Eventually we were allowed back in the hou se after the baby was all wrapped and laying in a big chair. She wa s _1_- fussing and crying a little and Floyd, not quite three years old yet, got all excited and s ays, "What are that a grow:}..ing?" This was the extent of the family, three girls .and 11 1st .b ut one·: boy 11 as Floyd would say when we g irls gave him a bad time. · .. Uncle Pete and Dad were in partnership running sheep during these years. Aunt Ethel came to Montana in January 1910 just before Violet was born, and sta[...]and Uncle Pete were married, Sept. 10,1910. While the folks run sheer I remember ever now and then the herd-er would come to the ranch house for a change of :pace. On o":o.e: .-of these occasions, after he had left, mother found that we kids:; a11 · had head lice. To get r!d of them, she scowered our heads with a kerosene solution. Imagine the job with Nora and I having long hair to our waists. It got the job done however. Life was a challenge in those days. The only mode of travel was by horse drawn wagon or horse back. Ne[...]. If anyone got sick, they used home remedies for the most part. I remembe~ one tome I had an ulcerated tooth. It was a baby tooth and in -front, so they pulled it themselves. ·!t was long after all my teeth were replaced by the second teetn that 1 got another front tooth.[...]at happened while we were living on Fraiser Creek which were either humerous or serious. I recall one Saturday nite, my father was away from home, mother had to do the . chores outside of course, she was milking the cows. Being Saturday, it was thew eekly bath ni.sht. Water of course was heated on the wood r an ge. Nora and I were to get the bath water in the wash tub. While pouring the water from t he tea kettle into the tub the lid fell off the kettle and scared Nora, she jumped and poured the water over both of us. She went run- ning and crying to tell mother. Of cou rse she thou gh that Nora was scalled mostly and took care of her first. She then sat me on the table and pulled off my "long" stocking without much care and in so ' doing .peeled. all the skin off the top of my foot. Needless to say I had a very bad burn·, and it took sometime for it to heal, I still have the scar. There was no doc t or, just home remedies a ~ain. We all s u rvived tho, none the worse off. One event I do remember very vividly, there was a big hill back of our house, I went up there to play in the dirt and sat d own in a big black an t hill. Do you wonder that I remember? Still another time, meat wasn't too plentiful so we a te a lot of wild meat of different kinds. My father went out one day to get an antelope. He was a very good shot with this old 30-40 win- chester he had. He saw some antelop_e running down a ridge, on the sky line, so took a shot at one. Missed, an d took anothe r shot, in fact he shot six times and-f inally got on[...] |
| went up t o dre ss it out, here l ay the other five just ov er the hill. As they fell, they dr opp e d out of s ight and tle thought he had n o t hit one. leedless to s ay , we h ad me at for a while. Well, thi s is j u st a few of the t h ings I remember ab out l i v ins on Frai ser Creek . School was a bi P, problem back when. The fall of 1910, mus t have beel,l, Nora wa s ol d enuf to[...]l. 1'he re be ing n o school closer than down on the Big Dry, t h e folks moved d own the r The schoo l was h el6 in an ol d b unkhous e on t h e Viall pl ac or one year at le a s t. For t wo ye ars, I beli eve, we l i ved in a he ep wagon and a tent while a tten di ng school during the wint 1 • Bu t to p: et b a ck to the first day of school, I W R S a lways the s hy one anci. let No r a do the t alk ing f or both of us. When the teacher a sked wha t our names were, Nora spoke up and said[...]Talking of be i n .1: shy, I dc•n I t remember when I did get ove r it, I know I was st i ll p l a ,r~u e d wi th i. t when I went to High Scho ol[...]I was fi ve y e ar s old when I s t a rte d , but sc hoo l be ing such a pro bl em, l st a rted the s ame year Nora di d . However, I did los e uu t t h e y e a r I wa. s in the second p;r ade. The t eacher made me t ake the second g rad.e over, therefore, I wa s a ye a r behind her in school, wher e I sho ..ll d h a ve been anywa y . A sc h 0o l hous e was bu ilt abou t a mile s o Jth of t he old Viall house so we live d ne a r the re in the ten t e tc. t h e second year we went to s cho .- 1. I d on't r emember of ever having nine months c f s c hool, it wa s always 5 or 6, b u t we man ag- e d to compl ete the st1·die s. After the land wa s s u rv e ye d anc. .)e ople had t o fiilie on the land in order to ho l cl it , my fa ther file d on a piece of land which a fellow relinqu ished t o him. It wa s on the Big Dry Creek about 15 miles e a st of J or d an an d 2 mile s west o f t h e new school h ouse . The r e were few nei g hb ors then, most of them a long way off. West of u s were Ke p lers and a l i ttle farther t.:.p t h e Dry was Dr. Bat tin . Kerrs l i ve d in t h e Vial l h ou se for a whIDle. Barkers were uu r closest ne ighbors, only a b out a quarter of a mi le away. He i sels 1 Lve d east of us abov.t 3 mi les as ( i , Rob ert Peden.[...]1 Then as p eo u le began moving i n , the r e wa s Mahone ys j u st east, |
| build a log house, just one room. The neighbors came in and help- ed to lay up the log~·-.. A few years later another room about the same size wa s added, known to us always as "the new partr This is the house complete where they lived to the last, except for a small f~ower room which Dad built on for mother's house plants. She always had a lot of those. The first car they owned was an old second hand Jeffry. I remember I was scared to death to ride in it, expecially around corners. The new room was large enuf for dances. Many a dance was held there over 11;he : years. All the furnit ure was set out side ana.·:- covered with a tarp. Dancing , of course, was the intertainment then and it -wasn't from 10 to 12,[...]ade dill pickles and baked beans. Coffee was made in a wash boiler and at midnight was set in the middle of the floor and -everyone filled his own cup as he wanted it. Many a dollar was raised by basket socials for necess~ry it- ems for the school. The ladies brought baskets full qf lunch and the men bid on them. If one of the young men thought he knew which basket belonged to· a gal he was fond of, the sky was the limit to get it, as the baskets were auctioned off. I remember some of them going as high as $30.00 for a basket and that was really a lot of money in those days. You hear all kind of jokes on the Scotchmen for being stingy, but believe me they were the ones who spent the money for these baskets, they felt it was go- ing for a very -good cause. I would like to say ri ght here I have never known a stingy scotchman and I've known a lot of them. The settlement on east of us around Van Norman were mostly scotch and a more wonderful lot of people you would never know anywhere. Mother and Dad use to play for these dances. Mother chorded on the org an or piano as t he case might be and he played the fiddle. They went all around the country to play for dances, 15 or 20 miles away.[...]other times we stayed home alone, no baby setter, of course we were old enuf to take care of ourselves. If we did go, we were pu t to bed at mid- night, ei t her outside in the wagon, or on the benches along the walls. A, trip to Jordan was a real treat for us. The folks would have t o go to town about once a week for staple groceries, all others were home canned. We stayed home though most of the time and never.:11'ailed, I don't think, to find[...]go ride t~e r:cal'ie• t hat were penned up from the milk cows, or maybe get in a yo!,lllg horse and try ri ding it, which we did of cou rse by snubbing it to t he old gentle saddle .horse. Maybe we would climb on t op of the house which we weren't allowed to do when the folks were home. One time Nora and I were jump in[...]g me "hi gh water". so I j ust up and socke d her in the eye, s he really had a shiner. I thought my doom woul d surely come when t he folks got home, s o in order to ease the shock I told them bef ore t hey had a chance to see her. She was gone to drive in t he milk cows. We r eally gave Floyd a bad time too on these oc ca s ions. We' d get him on the hou se and not let him down, or lock him o[...] |
| About t he time we moved down on the Dry, Dad and Uncle Pete de l ved partnershi p and soon after that he sold the sheep and raised cattle f or a while and farmed. During the hard years hen money was scarce my dad had to get out and work away from home, which left moth er to take care of the ranch, cattle etc. By thi s time we kid s were old enuf to help out and did all the riding to look af t er the cattle. Mother s pent many anxious mom- ents whil[...]t we should . · I remember one time when I was l a te getting home as I had been given a 11 bum lamb" to bring home EU!.d was about 5 1\~~[...]elp to look for me. I returned un- hurt, but with a good scolding in store. I'm sure there we,re many times when she was ve r y anxious about us as well as the work on the ranch, but both she and dad seemed to take it all in stride. As I s tated, father h ad t o work out for cash to make ends meet, one of h is activit i es was freight i ng with a string team -and two wagons b etween Mi les City and t h e Jordan country. One of these trips took about t wo weeks most of the time. Most of the time of covrse he made the se trips alone, however once he took us . all along. They must have · asked a neighbor to do the chores while we were away. This was a neighborly act which people done for each other in those days, exchanging dUDies of this kind. Ge Ge tting a new pair of shoes was qu ite an experience for us, mostly they were orde red by mail from the catalogue and if they didn't fit we woul d wear t[...]want t o wait f or t hem to be exchanged. Dad had a shoe last and woulu r esole the shoes as long as we could wear them. Well, this ti.me on the freight trip _to Miles City, I had asked if I could have s ome new shoes. Dad says, "Yes, if you find a dollar roll- ing up hill , you can get new shoes". This was a saying of his1• I was walking al ong down the furrow in the road and he laid a dollar down so it wou l d roll past me. You can imagine the excite= ment t hat caused . Funny things a person will remember. O~e other time we ~ot to Mi les City was the big Fourth of July cel- ebration, then called a "roundup", in 1914. Father was to be in Mile Ci t y on one of hi s fr,tght trips so hired Dr. Battin to take t he rest of the fami ly down with his car. We only had 14 flat t ires on that t r ip i n and it took us all day to go,of course just a two f urrow road up t he old Uall trail. Wha t did the folk s do fo r intertainment, ot her than go danc- ing? One of the spec ial occasions was the ~th of July celebration in Jordan . This was the event of all events for the year. Mother made all us girls new dresses and I s uppose she had one too home- made: of course • This c·elebration laste d t wo or three days.' We went i n the wagon and camped out. It was quite an improvement hen Dad got a light spr ing wagon f or us to travel places like this An other occasion was a t Chris tmas t ime when we had planned to g0 to Jordan to Thomas ' but the weather t urned very cold Of course Dad didn' t want to take us out but we put up such a funs that he fin ally gave in to us and s aid "OK, we will go, but · ii' I hear, one word out of y ou about b e ing cold , the di ckens will be to pay We went bu t befor e[...]but believe me we didn '~ compl ain. He fixed up the bob sled with a lot of straw in t h e bott om, covere d it ove r with - a tarp and then we were wr apped up i n quil[...] |
| that. We still got cold and poor Dad n~u to walk most of the way home to keep from free~ing. Another ou ting we use to have was getting a group together and making a trip to the Missouri River to fish. By this time other relatives from the east had come out, two sisters of his and their families, Lampheres and Thomases. We all took our wagons and camp outfits and took off for the river to stay f'or about a week . 'I'hese were lots of fun for all the kids as well as the older folks. Another of father's side lines was shearin8 sheep . There was a crew of men who went out every spring to shear sheep all around the country which would last all of June and sonetimes up into July. You see then they didn't shear the sheep so early. In this C:i."ew besides my Dad was Clyde and Charli[...]nk but I don 't recall ~ho it was . They done all the shearing by hand but put thru a lot of sheep in a day , over one hundred each. In the fall of the year he woul.d go out in the harvest fields over near Circle and north. He spent some t ime working in the oil fields at Cat Creek and even down in Wyoming. After we kids were all gone from home, he cdecidedl to try r l:nning sheep a g ain along with the cattle, which didn I t need a lot of car e during the summer of' course . Several winters they had to move away fr om the h ome place to winter the sheep as there was no feed there. One time they went to Fairview in eastern part of Montana where beet to ps were available for feed, another time over sou th of Miles City on the Allen ~:place and they also wintered over north near the Woody Creek j ust east of the old Vance place. He finally, afte r several years, bs decided the sheep were just too much fop him alone and not getting any younger, so sold them. He went back to the h eme p lace and stuck to raising cattle and farining. During the years while we were still small tho, mother had several very serious 01)erations and had t o be in Mi les City in the Hospital . No h ospital in Jordan then. We were farmed out with the relatives or maybe one of them wou l d come to our place and take care of us . By Mother moving to J ordan and doing baking[...]t us all thru High School. Nora to ok one year at the University in Mi ssoula and I finished a secretarial course at the Dickson Business Institute in Miles City. We are all marrie d now and have our own life story to tell. Nora is working at the McCord Air Base at Tac oma , Washington her husband John Mehelich, works in the off'ice at Fort Lewis. I 1 ve been following my husband, Mi lo Lahn, around all over Montana working fo r the State •liighway most of' the time since 1928,exeept for a f'ew years dur in0 the second World War when he wa~ on Air Base constru ction in New Mexico, Colorado and Texas . 1 worked as depu ty County Treasurer fr om fall of 1925 to spring of 1931 also spent twelve years workin,r_:; f or Montana Dakota Ut ilities Co. in Mile~ City f'rom 1950 to 1963 . Floyd worked in t he Jordan Tribune offic·e f'or a while 1 then for road constru ction contractor s[...]field N. Dakota . He returned to live with Dad on the ranch for 8 or 9 years and is a ~ain back at the printing business in a shop at Fort Benton, Montana. Violet and husband An dy 'rebe l have lived in several places in Montana, s pent a while ;n Tacoma, Washin~ton. They lived on a u lace near the home ranch whic h we had bought from Dick[...] |
| and was near to heln the folks with the work. Later they bought the Crater place and lived there until Andy took a job with the REA . They s p ent three years running the Odd Fellow's Home out of Hel ena an d ar e n ow in flentywood, Mont. Milo & I lived on the plac e we had bought and run a few head of cattle from 1948 to 1950 when he wen t back to work for the State Highway. We're still with the Highway but he expects to retire in March, 1970, and live in our comfortable h ome on the outskirts of Lewistown, Montana. · I am ·so t h ankful fo r those years spent near the folks tho, as Mother took very sick the first of January 1 950. $now was abou t 18" de ep on the level that winter, but we finally got her into Jordan whe re s he was admit t ed to the hospital. She got no better and f inally Dr . Far[...]s too weak to make · t he trip to Miles City, so the surgeon came to Jordan . She j u st wasn't strong enuf t o stand the shock as she had a we ak he art fr om a severe heart attack back in about 1943. She pass ed away on Jan. 20, 1950. Andy & Violet s pent a year with Dad on the ranch. Then Floyd came back to be with him. He took life a li t tle easier for t he next seven years •with some- one there to do the heavy work . He spent as much t i me fishing in Fort _Peck Lake a s he could. He spent ~is remaining days on the ranch tho whe re he wante d to live. We tried to[...]and move into Jordan where h e wouldn!t have all the hard work and worry of t he stock but he always said, "If you want me to die,. just take me off the r an ch wher e I have nothing to kee p me bu sy".[...]e arrangement s for our oldest daughter's wedding which was to be the 15th, we re ceived word that he was seriously ill with a heart attack . We ~ent di rectly to Jor dan, but he was gone when we got there. I know the f olks had a lot of hard times, but I know they would not compl ain because they loved the ranch life. They both worked very har d as everyone who were settlers in the homestead days. Just when l if e could have been a little e asier for them by having electric i t y[...]left it all. Now I know this story is _similar to a lot of others dur i ng the early ·1900 1 s, but thought people might l ike to know s ome of the pleasur e s, troubles and l ife of my folks, Mr. & Mrs. J.I. (Jack) Osborn, w[...] |
| [...]Alta Mahoney I arrived at a small farm south of Sand Springs,Montana on February 18, 1913. These[...]Robertson, from Southern Illinois. I arrived with the aid of a very good sised.-·· nurse. This homestead was settled upon in 1910 or 1911. My mother was the first postmistress at Sand Springs. There came to be five children in that home. A few years passed and a new schoolhouse was built about 2 3/4 miJes west of our home. The name of this school was the Mitchell school. Named for the closest small farmer, Bill Mitchell. He had no children but he couldn't have been a better trustee. We all went through grade school here. There were the children of John Deeks, Barney Thomas, Guy Dory, Jack Cox, No[...]on and Bill Thomas; Raymond Thompson, Pete Tucor~ a Beebe family; Merlin and Joe Bacon. The teachers ~ere Hallie Birkrem '. , Ruth Wegren, Le[...]te Janssen and Edith Stewart. Those names are not in order, as my memory is getting bad. I just remember special and good things from each of them. One year of high · school in Ingomar and three in Sumatra and a good many free rides from John Brain, Eddie Fellman 1 s father- in-law, from Ingomar and Henry Kreider, Bless him, from Sumatra. From 1932 to 1939, most of the time, I worked at the Court- house, first for George Deniger, County Tr[...]ounty Treasurer; and Lee Cowen, County Treasurer. In 1939 I married Charles Mahoney, he worked on bridge construction in Montana and Idaho, then Uncle Sam called him for 5 years. Then back in Feb. 1947 to this .homestead his mother had, and[...]ater and not caught up with our work yet. We have a daughter Mary, 25 years old, who teaches at Worden Montana Here's a list of my postoffice addresses while living in Garfield County. Snowbelt, Sand Springs, Sumatra, Ingomar, Jordan and Edwards. I'm nothing but a housewife. What do I do for ent- ertainment? I ' don't need much. I love my hammer, nails, sawdust and the kind of people we have in Garfield County ( Sent in by Al ta Mahoney)[...] |
| The Hai ght s Story[...]Ol'lle Ee. in a wide spot in the road in Wiscons[...]selling horses for the First National Bank of Circle. Jim had a saddle horse in the bunch that I fell in love with. We were married in June 1927 and[...]shipped Papa, the saddle horse back to here. He was too good a horse to stay in Wisconsin.[...]o. In the dry thirties we leased a ranch a[...]shipped a carload of horses up there •• (I had[...]spring came I don't know who was the most homesick, the horse s or me. After a winter at Dupyer, I thought it wa s too bad that country was ever taken away from the Indians. I was one happy person when we hi t t[...]yes I mean Garfield County. We were 23 days on the trail and I enjoyed every minute of it. After we crossed the Judit h River we were among people who spoke our language . I didn ' t care for the natives of we stern Montana. One of the great di sappointments of my l i fe was when Teddy got M.S. She loved h[...]could just walk with help I used to lift her on a saddle horse and she would ride. After she be[...]u sed to bring h orses, ponies and colts i nto the house so she could pet them. Teddy's son Larr[...]ting on her and . hel:e_ing' her. Jim died in 1959. I lost Teddy in 19650 Am still raising horses and still think Garfield County is the best place in the world to live ~nd t hat it has the nicest people living here.[...] |
| John A. Eerr My parents, Charles and Mary Kerr arrived in Miles City, Mont. in the fall of 1905 from their native home in Scotland, bringing with them their children Bill,[...]side), Mary (McRae), Robert and James. I was born in Miles City shortly after in February 1906. In the spring the family came by sheepwagon to the Spring Creek area where we lived for awhile. ·Later we moved to the o~d John Viall place on the Big Dry. People in that vicinity a lit- tle later received their mail at Keplerville, named after Perry Kepler who ran the post office first. Arolll1:d 1913 we moved down the Big Dry about three miles from the mouth of the Little Dry. Most of the family have lived in this vicinity since. ·1 how have my Mother's homestead with my holdings. During the years we made a living from some cattle, the boys working out for wages and our garden. My father passed away in 1920 leaving my· Mother ~d a famil'Y· of twelve children living here; Bill, Margaret, Robe[...],John, Norman, Jean, Anne, Gertrude and Roy, also a son, Charles, 1n Scotland. Needless to say all the boys had to work out or at home and the girls helped with the younger children, the gardening and all in order to make a living for such a large family. We had good times too. A few of us were musical which added to our fun. My first year of school was dpent in a Bunk House on the John Viall place with Miss Veronica Saylor as teacher 1n 1910. The next fall· the Viall .School was ready and it was and still is near where Hirth Mahoney lives. My next school was the Pioneer School, where Miss Grace Estalack was my teacher. Us kids ·moved and lived in dugouts or sheep wagon right at the schools. Other teachers were Clara Hoverson, Lola[...]vidson, Hallie Seeds and Mrs•. Lucy Milam. Some of the school kids were Grant and Harold Donaldson, Clyd[...]es, Robert, Norman, Jean and I. Later we attenqed the Billing School. Miss Lola Lam- phere opened the first Billing school in 1916 with Howard and Edith Billing, Ava Roebuck and Irene Hafdahl as pupils, then later came the children of Jack Milroys, Kerr children, Albert and Margaret Bensen, and Alice and Glen .Durl to mention a few. Some of us had to wor~ in the spring theretore taking more than eight years to get our eighth grade diplomas. Believe it or· not I was the one who finally made the grade. In 1917 at the age of eleven I went to work lambing for Talbert Finlyson. That fall alone I trailed lambs to the Coil pl ace near Cohagen and took ewes back home.[...]p and they would send me on my way, regardless · of the weather. I found the same with people I herded for as once in awhile I worked for smme that woul d forget me for days at a time. That was bad too as we listened to coyotes, fared blizzards and the possibllity ot letting lost. There were still a few grey wolves left in the 3.:1.11 |
| [...]Jim recalls his hair standing on end when he knew a wolf' was following him and he got to the wagon and spied Mr. Wolf in the coulee behind the wagon. He got a gun and waited but for some reason the gun wouldn't hold still. Many men crune and sometimes the women in wagons with lunches. The men would then ride out to try and track down and shoot the wolves. To my knowledge the last wolf' was taken out or this country in 1922. Some• old timers I worked for were[...]bbs, Red Allison and Carl Whiteside. We saw the runny side or things even tho we had hardships. O[...]ister, Maggie, and I rode along on home with him. The ice was breaking up on the Big Dry so BIG ME was going to check the crossing when all or a sudden horse and I went out of si ~ht. Wet or not we had quite a laugh. Carl finally won my sisters afrection and they were married. Our Mother must have stood many a time saying a prayer when all us boys would dive orr :iinto the creek when it was running bank rull. Our spa[...]r, wood, coal, gather- ing eggs, milking cows and of course chopping wood and going after the cows. Kids today can't even get a real, true picture watching TV. I remember one teacher who met us at the door with a good switch; guess we respected her too because in our spare time we didn't put a cow in the school as we had done berore. Oh, we weren't spro[...]riding broncs and broke horses as well as riding in rodeos. We had lots of rodeos in those days. Once a month at least there was a d~ce at a schoolhouse or a basket social, sometimes at private homes such as the Jack Osborn home. These we went to by wagon or ho[...]ht. I maybe couldn't furnish music but called for the square dancing down through the years. We didn't have to read in the papers- or stock rustling, stealing and killings[...]around us every day. Supplies were brought in by wagon once and later twice a year. Sometimes the chuck wagon brought winter groceries home after the CAttle had been delivered to Miles City. How we young kids waited ror the men to return as a long stick or licorice was such a treat as was an apple. Supplies such as 1,200 lbs[...]d fruit, 50 lbs. tea and some coffee. That's just a few items. Mother no doubt, awaited the bolts or flannel and lots of thread and necess~ry items to make the winter clothes. I don't want to for- get the black sateen, too. During these years we rec[...]med arter E.W. Van Norman and Hilmer Hoverson was the rirst post master. |
| Oth ers taking care of the post office during the years were John Jenkins, Al Atwoo d , Mrs. Billy[...]ll Hoverson and Mrs.Jim ( Rusty) Haig ht. Finally in 1963 they took away our post off i ce and we now get the ma i l on a Rural Rou.te, Jordan, MT. I file d and p roved u p on a homestead in 1927 and I still have i t i n my hold ing s. Late[...]l and Guy Madison. We went t o r anches to she ar a s well as the old U-All shearing pens on the Lit tle Dry t hen run by Jack McRae and his wife,[...]heep men and visi- tors. Times changed and the Model T Ford· appeared, Jay Gibbs came home with a b ig Bu ick and Charlie Forbes wi th a Dodge. Needless to say e very eye was on them wondering when mo re of u s could get a car. Little did our 9arents dr eam of the fancy cars, rJickup s, trucks, tractors, c a terp illars, mo dern homes and s 1.:.ch that their youn g ster s wo~l d have in the near future to replace the old. Houses we re also ge t ting much nice r, mos[...]ice windows. Friends came fr om f ar and near for a log roll- ing to hel ;> g e t t he hou se up faste r . Women and child ren also went bearing lots of f ood and to h e l p if they coul d . Children scampered i nto and ou t of misc h ief as most ki ds have done through the years . Men als o went from fa rm to farm for threshing. I 've s pent all bu t a couple ye ars here in Garfield County. I s p ent some t ime on .!um.)k i n Creek sou th of Miles City and Howard Bill i n g and I we re in North Dakota. I have been i n the sheep b us i nes s since 1935 and did some farmin[...]i pt on, ou r Jordan printer ran an article about the Hermit of the Badlands(John Kerr). In 1947 he put another news item i n: "John Kerr, once referr ed to by this pa per as the 'Hermit of the Badlands', no long e r comes und er that classifi[...]o rmer Rilla Barker, are now ha,,p ily ensconced in a cozy country home. Th ey were in Jordan Mond ay evenin{'.> and planne d a shor t v i sit wi th Mrs. Kerr 's mother, Mrs . Emla Barker , teacher of a nearby r ural school". Yup, I got marr i e d and i n 194l? I ado:,ted my wife's girls by a former marriag e Darleen and Eleanor Hayden. Finall y , our g irls a re g rown an d marrie d . In 1960 I took |
| [...]John & Rilla Kerr The Kerr Family -- 1957 and Girls a[...]ding: Bob Kerr and John Kerr- Kneeling with some of the Winters Catch.[...] |
| [...]Helen Hammond Gibbs I am going to wr ite a few lines and memories about some of my relat i ves and friends who, I believe, were really " ol d -timers' in this county . 'I1hey not only came and settle d the country but they stuck it out and staye d and most of their c hildren and ~rand- 1 c hil dr en are still l i ving in the same area. |
| [...]is wife came t o Flat Creek where t hey set t led in about 1906 . He mu st have been one of the first set t - lers in that part of Garfield County. I can't think of anyone else that was there earlier. He tol d me one time that when h e first was down on the Dry towards John McKerlichsthat t he re were still Indian bones i n the trees where they had burie d their dead. He ranched there until 1946 when, becau se of his wife's i ll he a lth t hey sold the ranch and moved to Jordan. Roy Gibbs is another oldtimer who is still livin 0 on his ori :,in a l ranch. He came here on the Little Dry i n 1907 , where he and his brothers and the Milroys & Kerrs all lived as nei ghbors and f ri ends for t he next 60 some years. Roy says that one of the most amazing things he remembers abou t those days was in 1910 when the mountains in the western part of .Hontana and I daho were burning up wi t h forest fires. He said that for s i x-weeks or more du.ring the last part of July and August the s:moke was so heavy you could hardly see the sun and it burned your eyes and nostrils. My mother has also menti oned the ashes falling out of the a i r. Th ere are more old settlers whom I s h ould mention but they moved away in the 20's & 30 1 s and I never knew them. Some I have[...]ys, Jacobsens, Ira & Jake Neff and Osborns. Most of these people came f ~om so far away that they nev[...]r s had gone by, and they were able to return for a visit, all ties we r e gone and their fami[...] |
| [...]ES & OLIVE DeBCX:K Jim DeBock was born in Harrison, Nebraska, 21, 1890 alld Jim & Olli[...]horses. Neighbors |
| THE GEORGE FAMILY Joe Cobb ( William George) The hills and prairies in Garfield County held many besides the home steaders and later settlers. This type of "Character" didn't do so much to build up the county but did add to the color and adventure down through the years. Joe Cobb was one of these individuals who left enough stories for a book. Sinc e he did live part of his life in this county a few incidents should be told. Joe Cobb (Wil[...]-brothers and f i ve sisters. The family was a reasonably prominent and respected one. Most of the brothers were College men. Joe went to about the ninth grade. His father ran him[...]Joe was "run out' 1 of South Dakota in the early 20 1 s. It[...]Joe came to the Yellowstone Ranch at[...]ota. He later ran the 44 Horse Ranch on Timber Creek. In the late 20 1 s, in some scrape with the law, Terry Lawmen caught up with Joe and got the bridle off his horse, but Joe rode off--[...]ode from Terry to a place in Eastern Garfield County bridless. He ws in prison, which he always referred[...]Cobb Joe spent his last few years in and around at the DeBock Ranch Jordan. His brother Bob George died in 1968. Jimmy George, his only living relative in this country lives in Brockway. Jimmy's father was the 4th boy in the George family 0 Jimmy told how he, Jimmy came to Montana. Joe had bought a new |
| The William l.'-1:i .Lroy Family[...]William Milroy came to this country from Scotland in 1894 when he was 17 years old. He arrived in New York and traveled by train to Glendive. He had heard of this open west and had hopes or building a sheep ranch. His first ranch was ne ar Wibaux, Mo[...]s area near Taylor Creek. He was here to see the old west with all of its rough Hombres t'~de into the past, and to see a new era of automobiles and electric machines. He lived here during the time when Jessie James was rampaging the West. One d ay Jessie and his gang rode in to his sheep camp and ate dinner with him in his sheep wagon on their way to Minnesota, where he found out l a ter they had robbed a bank. Bill was in the sheep business with his brother Jack Milroy.[...]t Cluckey came to join Bill and they were married in 1900. Margaret and Bill were sweethearts from school days. Before leaving Scotland, she worked as a maid in Lord Humes Castle. Bill and his family saw the bad as well as the good. They were here the winter, Charlie Russell drew the picture of the "Last of Ten 'J;1housand 11 and sent it back east to his boss to portray what a bad winter and heavy loss they had had. The pic- ture was passed around the country for the ranchers to see. The family grew to 7 children, Bunnie, Minnie, Margaret, Bill, Emi ly, Helen, & Fred, two of which have passed away. The Milroys live in and near Jordan and have raised families of their own. Minnie married Ira Brown and has 7 chi[...]and children. Bill Milroy has passed away leaving a wonderful wife Maxine and a family of five, Clifford, Bonnie, Dean, Eva and Roy. Emily has been a school teacher in Garfield County for 30 years and Helen works in the Garfield County Hospital. Fred has worked in Garfield County for many years and this spring will assume the job of Care-taker at the Hell Creek State Park on Fort Peck Dam.[...] |
| [...]. Mary Gibbons 1 }lrs. Mary A. Gibbons, of Walnut Iowa reared her nine child- ren after the death of their father. and invented a 11 Corn Har- vester and Hay baler", also successfully cultivated 1,000 acres of Land. In 1903~ while worKing he~ farm, she experienced the need of Labor-Saving devices, as at this time there was none on the market which suited her, she decided to make some of her own. She rented her farm, came to Des[...]peri- ment i ng shop. From this shop she invented the Hay Baler and Huski ng machine. She also patented a automobile inner tube. She called her shop, Gibb[...]shop. Her son, Edwara came out to Montana in 1913, to make his fortune. After hearing stories about the wonderful country. He wrote his mot her wanting her to come. Being the kind of woman she was, she decided to come west with her[...]built their cabins an<l bought sheep and cattle. The ladies herded their sheep with a one- horse cart wearing long dresses. She made m[...]neighbors when ever she could. Her neighbors were the LaPines,Biebers, Nelsons, Peterson's and many more around the Paris Post Office. Her son Ed tried to farm the land but do to lack of rain fall had many crop failures as did other farmers in those years. In the fall of 1929, her daughter Elizabeth and husband Earl Has[...]to come west. He worked for wages for his brother-in-law, Edjand Roy Gibbs. Soon after coming here their son was killed and than in the spring of 1932, Earl and his daughter Ella died of food poisoning;. Mrs. Gibbons was taken ill in the fall of the same year· and passed away. Her daughter M[...]moved to Jordan • Mrs . Has tings worked as a cook at the "Dorm and the cafes or any- other job she could find. She was a women who had more than her share of sorrow. She had lost ..ll.ree of her four children and her husband, all in tr a gic deaths. but she always had a smil~ and tried to help other people. He r health gave out and after a long illness died in June of 1956. Mrs. Gibbons granddaughter, Eloise and her husband , Walter Saylor, live on a ranch in the Steve Fork area. They have a daughter, Irene and son, Ronald. They have[...] |
| [...]hn McKerlick Jack McRae The 1919 popul . ion of Garfield County was S,000 and in 1960 |
| The Olin B. Wichershams My father and Mother[...]eman, who is my mother's sister. Mrs. Bateman had a home- ste ad joining ours on Woody Creek. My father, Mr. O.B. Wickersham had a ranch on the south branch of Woody Creek, about 25 miles northe a st of Jordan. Jim and Earl Vance were our neighbors,also Fred Kibler, Alex Barclays, Mr. Owens and the Batemans. On the nort h brai.'"1.ch of the Woody creek were the Grant Brothe1°s and Kello gs. was born in December, 1917, i n Jor dan an<l we crune home in a bob sleigh which took 2 days. The 40 de g rees be l ow wint e rs were hard on our c[...]eback 3 miles to school with six gates to op en . The log school house at the "Liberty School" took all t he chil dr en around for many mi l es. It took us until noon to get warm by the big stove before we could study. We had fun though. Our sport in the winter was to remove the "t eeter-totter" board an d put wa t e r on it[...]h e creek bank and sli de down. It was more fun, of course, if the boys were there to catch us. One hot summer day a rattle-snake crawled under our log house b e tween the ro ck found a tion. We were afraid to go to bed b e cau se it sound like he wa s just under our bed. We called Mr. W. A. Ba teman ~he next day and he set a trap so when the snake c ame out to sun himself, we caught him.[...]e out from Jordan to preach. We started out early in the morning in our buggy with our picnic dinner. When church was over we all had dinner together in the school house. One Sunday there was a "Flash Floo d". The creek was h,i gh and we h ad trouble fording the creek. I wa s so fri ghtened I got dov-m on the floor and covered up my head. When we got home our small t u rkeys were all over the ground drowned. Sent by Mrs. H[...]Olin B. ~ichersham ' Olin Wickersha~ home in Jordan 1930 & Daughter Thel..~a- 1918 Joe ~ault home in background ' |
| A group of "old timers" at Liberty school, 1924 School Children in front of Threshing grain on |
| [...]ia J. Bateman Mrs. Amelia J. Bateman, wife of W. A. Bateman of Phon , on Tuesday of this week made final proof on her 640-acre homestead. This is the first proof made on a stockraising homestead in this locality, and as f ar as the Gazette is aware, it is the first in Garfield County. Mrs. Bateman settled on a half section of unaccepted surveyed gover11c~ent land under the enl arged homestead law prior to her marriage. In the fall of 1916, and in May ,1917, maae homestead entry on the land, at the same time filing an appl i c ation for an adjoini[...]as additional to her original homest e ad entry. The original and additional entries were desiginated as coming under the provisions of the stock- raising homestead law by the Geological Survey sometime during the past sununer and as soon as the loc al land mffice at Miles City formally allowed[...]em3.n i.7'E ce application to make final proof on the entire section. As stated above, it is bel i eved t hat Mrs. Ba teman enjoys the d istinction of having made the first final proof under the stockraising homestead law in Garfield County. Most of the entries made in this locality during '- the first two years foll owi ng the enactment of the law on Oecemoer 29,1916, have been allowed and entrymen are now receiv- ing notice to that eiJ:Vect from the United Sta tes land office at Miles City. In cases where residence and cultivation has been maintained on the ori ginal entry for three years, final proof can be made on the additional eP.~ry on a showing of an expendit- ure o:f at $1.25 per acre · conductive . to the raising of livestock. As soon as entrymen get tne1r im1frovements placed on the land there ~ill be a great many of these final proofs. Now this imformation will help you to know the diffulty of getting into Jordan to the proofing up on the section. The day arrived that we must be in Jordan at a certain hour . Olin Wickersham was one of the witnesses who lived three miles from us on the South fork of Woody Creek rode into town with us. Yes! in a lumber-wagon. We had a snow storm and then melted with a Shinook wind and the dirt road had big ruts -along•. . it . We could[...]ot been built at that time. We st arted early and the team had to wa lk most of the time. It was mi ghty slow going as the ruts in the road were deep. The distance was .close to 30 miles . Yes ( - and our baby boy in t he basket. Before we reached town it had turned[...]zing hard and Worth remarked~' I will have to get the team s hodded b efore we start home.n So the first thing we did,,wa s to go to the Black-smith Shop to have our team ready for our trip home. Then we went to the Land Office; Mrs . Parker was i n charge. We went through the red-tape of prooving up on the l and; so t hankful to have this section for stock. It was a big pasture with seven natural spring s of wa ter and lots of Coulees, whic h wa s known a s Camp Creek. Supolies were bought and we were re[...]ome. It had really turned cold but we had plen ty of robes. But the horses h ad eaten all the hay out of the bed_of t he wagon; while standing wait ing for us. On Fra zier Cre ek we stopped in at the Thomas pl ace to feed the b aby; as I nurse d my children. These Thomas people were such fi~ folk s insis t ed t hat we e a t supper. WellJ we did; it was a pl ain mea l, potato soup and coffee but Oh~it tasted good . They a s ked us to stay t he night but No! Worth had his[...]and Olin had fe edi ng to do tO() waiting on hi m in the morning, 3:1.'1 |
| [...]by now and traveling was ro ug h . We ha d to let the team walk. If they would start to trot al ong in places; we woul d j ump off i nto a deep rut, an d Boy! what a jolt and the poor horses so hard on them too. Fi nally we r ea[...]cke r sham place. He insisted we stop t h ere for the ni ght, but Worth s a i d nNo", we must go on home. Yest three more mil[...]rees below zero n ow and Worth and I climbe d out of the wagon and walked from "gate a t top of:' divide to home; and our preciou s h aby, the basket all covered over with robes. Worth would climb in the wagon at times and check the baby to see if he was still warm; not cryi ng tho; bu t pretty cool. Worth s aid I could put the baby inside my coat to warm him up if:' he gets too cold. ,Welll by this time we could s ee the lights of:' our comfortable three room home. When we reach- ed the hous e , our hired man, Walter Bryant had a good fire in he ater and we were home. We were very thankful to the good Lord that the faithful. team brought us safely home. Thankful to have th i s section of land after those three years of proofing up on it; hauling drinking wa ter, wood and co al and cultivating the Land and f'encin g the requi red amoun t of acres and etc. When the Bateman~ left Garfield County; we sol d this sect[...]Last Buffalo Wolf The l ast of the Buffalo wolves in Eastern Montana was trapp- ed and killed by Worth Bateman; a cattleman living on the ~outh fork of' Woody Greek, what was known as the 11 Sllhool Section Ranch 11 in February, 1921. This lone wolf had don e l e ts of dfu~age to the Stoc krnep. He had ki l led several calves and during a recent sno~- storm had killed a yearling colt ri ght in a pasture close to the homestead house of Barry Owens. The elderly Mr. Owens was winter- ing on his son's homestead. One morning early he walked down to the Bateman's ranch, saying "Bateman, Please! take time and trap t hat wolf. He has the nerve to look over my shoulder and read my daily[...]severe winter we were happy to get our mail once in two weeka. Mr. Owens said, 11 when that wolf howl[...]y Cre ek:\How true that was, every rancher was we a ry of' his howling. This wa s a very hard winter and very deep snow on the level. The wolf ha d lost its' mate a few years before. Sever al ranchers along the North & South fork of the Woody Cre ek h ad set ou t traps,Fred Kibler, Johnson Brothers, Henr y & Walter Bryant and the three Grant Bros., Frank, Wesley and Raymond trie[...]their grey-hounds but with no success. Seve r al of:' the Ranchers had asked Worth, if he would trap that w[...]times cir clein g around this p ar t icular part of the Country for some-time now. Bateman was hauling hay f:'rom the Ol i n Wickers ham r anch for hi s cattle-fee din[...]h t his pasture with his bob-sled So, to set ou t the se traps; Wor th deci ded to t ake h is f amily a lon g th is nice winter mor n i ng,( as ~rs. Wickersham and Mrs. Bateman we r e s i sters.) He fille d the bob-sle d with hay and with Mrs . Bateman, a n d ( a baby in the b a s ket) & t h e son Ayne sworth 3 year s. ol d st ar ted up the creek to wat ch h ow he set out the t raps . Before l eaving the r anch ~o rth had ha s tily made snow-sho e s r rom s l a t s of an apple- box. The r ea son for snow-s hoes wa s so t he Wolf' wo uldn 't smell or see t he man t racks of the trapper. 11 a ll the equipment was in the sled fo r trapping. He use d j ust two .i: ew Rouse No. 4 tra p s wi th a strong ch~in be tween them. These traps[...] |
| were not stake d down. He pl aced them near the haystacks where an ol d horse h ad d ied. He used t h is meat at bait, not touching or han dling it. The fami ly went on up to the Wicke r shams' home and. stayed for dinner. Afte r visin ting a few hours, they drov e back down the Creek on their way home. They stopped and checked the traps. The wind had blowned some fresh snow over the traps. Ba teman used his best skill in preparing them for the h ight. The weat her conditions were j ust rig ht; very cold at night an d light skift of snow. One d ay and one nig ht passed; no wolf as[...]ext day abo ut noon t wo excited ranchers came to the Ba teman 's home and said the traps were g one but no wolf. When Worth got back[...]nimal after being caught want- e d to go north to the Missouri River Breaks, his old hiding place, befo[...]and c hain connecting these tr aps with his foot in the trap. The wolf instinct was n ot getting him out of si ght on this large fla~ because of snow depth, so he changed is course circling and traveling cl ose by the hay-sta cks and going south to Camp Creek Coulees, which were steep and narrow. Worth followed his tracks[...]hain nicily tangled up around some s age-brush ne a r the coulee. He shot this wolf with a 30-30 Winchester rifle trucing precaution not to[...]hide. He brought his prized specimen home aft e r a few hours and left the animal froze until spring. Then h e skinned the wolf carefully, saving the entire skmll and his teeth and tusks which showed his age, as they were b a dly worp down and broken; also his n a tural paws. The news of t he trapped wolf spread from rancher to rancher[...]ghting 93 pounds. His fur was entirely white with a dark grey streak from his mane to the tip of his tail. Bateman had ~his animal-head mounted on the skin and used it as a rug in front of the fire- place in his Big Dry Home. You may view the last of the Buffalo wolves in this part of Eastern Montana on the ma i n floor at the Museum at Billings,on the Ri ms across from the Airport. Don't mistake it for a white Polar Bea r; many do. The Trapper; Worth Bateman came to this p a rt of 1· ontana in |
| The Johnny McKnights by E[...]Esther Gwinn McKnight was born in Muscotah, Kansas,[...]e came to Ingamar in 1925 looking for work. She heard of a job openi ng of cooking and keeping house on a ranch out of Jordan. She worked on this ranch for a year then married[...]Johnny McKnight came to this country in 1898 and worked for Markles in Glasgow then later worked for Jim Vance. He took out a home- stead here in Dawson County in 1910. The first school was a 5 month school held in the Kester school in 1925. The school house was made out of logs that were supposed to be the Kitchen of the McKnight home. The 3 McKnight childr[...]all attended this school. The first school building burned down and then the BeBee Bottom school was moved here. Later this was replaced with a building trom the Hell Creek Area. L.B. Dage Family[...] |
| The Alex Barclays Story[...]rclay I came to Garfield County from Ingomar in 1926. My mother came here to seek employment and[...]and brother also came at the same time. I started school at the Kester - School when it was established in 1929. Alma Dage taught this school for the first two[...]ld during the summer months and we only had from 4 to 6 months of school, up until the last few years of my grade school. We children only had a half mile to walk to school. However the other children who a t tended school here had Doris McKnight[...]ours were spent horseback to school most of ' the time. riding horseback for pleasure All the farming was done with and for work.[...]wagon was the only ways of transportation a lot of the families had at that time. Usually every Saturday night we would travel from 2½ to 5 miles to visit some of the neighbors or they would come visit us. Thes~ evenings were usually spent with the adults playing cards and the children playing "I Spy" or a similar game. Dancing and horseback riding were the my favorite forms of recreation. I enjoyed all kinds of work from raising a garden to working in the fiilss with a 4 hourse team. On a ranch there isn't a shortage of work. Our closest neighbors were Karl Karlso[...]3 little HcKnights The Barclays Bud, Margaret ~ Doris McKnight[...]1941) Below: Children of Alex & Doris Barclay Alex & 4 horse[...]ready to go drill Dave & Elizabeth, means of transportation~odelA grain[...] |
| The Murder and Trial of F.A. Garinger on Woody Creek[...]ate husband, Worth Bateman and friends, also from the Clerk of Court's files of Dawson County and fro;n the Jordan Gazette June 17,1915 and "Glendive Review" &"Glendive Monitor". The Murder trial of F. A. Garinger was held at Glendive, Montana in Dawson County on June 12,1915; case no. 3347 State of Montana, Plaintiff -vs- Lester Black & Ja...~es Harry, defendents E. P. Leiper was attorney representing the defendents. Judge was C. G. Hurley; County Attorney S. E. Felt 7 Sheriff- George Twible Clerk of Court- F. A. Parrett Court Reporter - A. C. Ross The following named persons were subpoenaed witnesses for the prosecution and defense. c. W. Rose[...]r Henry Duell Dr. D.A. Baker |
| [...]winter; while there Bateman noticed fresh digging of an outdoor root- cEllar and another f r esh digging , t his place the people carefully walked around it . He asked abou[...]would leave s o sudden . Jack Mccrae, living near the Woody Cre ek was riding around in the coulees . He found Garinger's white saddle horse near a cut- bank shot and saddle & bridle still on the animal . As thes e men talked about finding t he[...]Bateman said nsomething is wrong,;, yes! perhaps a murder". After riding out of that Coulee he thought, nperhaps I will be the next one shot ; 1t and he vowed ( life or death) I will do my duty", which he did by notifing the Sheriff and authorities . After shooting this man, they hid fuis body in the pos t-p ile until night. The Jordan Gazette June 17, 1915 |
| The Frank Grant & Merwin Families.[...]of Alice (Grant) Merwin. 2. Mrs. A.L. ·Davis ( Grandmother)[...]( partner in Reeve & Erbe Garage) A.t & Bert Davis. 3. ott Bauman and Alice Merwin. 4. Evie, Fdl.a & Reg Billing, Bud 5. Alice & Bud and chi[...] |
| The Grant Story The Grants were all born of English parents , Charles Grant and Elizabeth The first of the Grant children to arrive in Montana was ~ay , with her All of the Grants "on the Woody" filed for homestead after the land The rest of them stayed until the Thirties when they one by one left . |
| Dakota, Wes went to Malta with the B. L. M. as grazier and worked in that capac- ity until the big boss brought in a Harvard boy for Wes to teach the funda- mentals , when he left that s ervice to work as foi-emain-manager of the Veseth Ranch south of Malta, a 2500-cow spr ead, where the boys still are. Julia pas sed away in 1957 and Wes in 1965 . Wesley and family will be r emembered for providing the old-time and country-western music at the comm- unity dances in Garfield County , and Leland is an old-tiine fiddler contest winner of recent date . The Kelloggs subsequently moved to Lewistown, then to Washington where most of their family re:side., During his time on Woody Creek, Ray taught school for eleven years., in Jordan was County Clerk and Re corder eleven years until 194Z when was Secretary-Manager of the Miles Cit y PCA for eleven years ; then ~as with the Beacon Carter Service as credit Manager for six years and has been with the First Security Bank~ Trust of Miles City since. In the twenty-seven years in Miles City, Ray wor ked with the late Rever- ent Dr. John B. Fitz on financial matters during the Fitz c7- year ministr y of the First Presbvterian.Church. Also, in Miles City, Ray r epresented Custer County in the State ~egislature and Senate for three ter[...] |
| [...]Grant's Hu.';Jan Interest Stories There's a story of an August, 1927, trail herd to Nashua. George Fra[...]on, Human Interest - There was a fellow, known as Ji:n, probably a hired cowhand, On the Woody, Kellogg ehildrenz[...]tirginia, and baby George, |
| [...]thy 4. Wesley Grant & Julia with infant Dixon $. The Clarke Murnions- Clarke, Tony, Lyonors, Danny,[...]ck & Margie Murnion ~ Henry Bryant 7, On the porch; Mrs Dixon {Hulda◊ Grant, & Ju1ta[...] |
| (Human Interest) Homestead Twins of Garfield County William and Samue 1 Kyle died at 97 years old on Jur,e, 1944. They and a sister Elizabeth Rainey homesteaded south of the Phon Post Office. The twins were born in Xenia, Ohio and at an adult age moved to College Spr ings, Iowa; and ran a Nurse ry business before coming to Montana . Francis Mclie, also formerly from College Springs was the u. s. Mail Carrier from the Flat Creek School to Keperville. He knew these brothers in Iowa and attended the same Presbyterian Church there and Mrs . Amelia Mcnie Bateman knew Mary Kyle (Will's daughter) the missionary in India. This information was taken from the Jordan Paper dated June, 1944. After . leaving Ga[...]David, lives. They celebrated their 97th birthday in that city and are hailed by the local newspaper as Ohio's "Oldest Twins" and perh ap s the oldest twins in the United States . Their formula for long life is very simple; Don't get nervous or excited about a ~ything, try to keep calm. That rule seems to have worhed well for them because they can remember the time when Abraham Lincoln passed through the town of Xenia, where they lived. They were 11 years old,[...]heir home together since 1906, they liked to read the news, listen to the radio and play an occasional game of checkers; still looking forward to seeing Will 's daughter, Mary, returning from India after 40 years of s Erving as a Missionary there. However, she died very sudden and was buried in I ndia. It was a big disappointment for the twins.[...] |
| [...]by Donna Marie Gaslin, 8th Grade, 1954 Into the heart of every red-blooded patroit throbs the desire of advent- ure hummed to the tune of the wagon wheels. In Abrahams day it echoed to the rhythm of camels, sheep and oxen. Today echoes the world around in propeller and lightening express. The music of wheels we love to hear about started back when our Grand- fathers and Great-Grandfathers heard the music of the first wagon wheels that chimed the:i.r song of march up the Old Haxby Road to the North Country of Montana now surrounded by Fort Peck Lake and located in School District No. 550 Ben Vandenburg Mr. Ben, ,Bandenburh, born in Kalamozoo, Michigan, came here in 1903, at the age of 19. 1his was the same year thati, the Yellostone bridge was built at Fort Keogh, a cavalry station. He heard of a place for sale on the Missouri for $250.00. The place was of 160 acres, which is •all under the Fort Peck Lake now. On his way out here he saw some large sage hens and thought they were ~urkeys and.shot a couple. Mr. Vandenburg later moved to what is not District No. 55. He was here before a school was started ( in about 1925) He saw his first automobile here in 1910. On Christmas day Mr. Vandenburg, Fern Nornlle, Etta Ebby and Bob Curtis were crossing the ice in an autombbile when it fell through. The next day they had to "plank the car out,. 11 The Boughtons Mr. and Mrs Gene Bougtton came in 1918 to the head of Gilbert Creek. They came in a covered wagon. They had 13 ho~ses, a cow and a mule. Mr. Bert A. Boughton ,(1909-1969) wasi.born at Nez Perce, Id[...]ar old when he rode the extra hours and drove the loose horses cow an[...]until they reached the Pat Patterson's. Bert had to board[...]ow until they built a school on the river. He worked ou[...]married Bernice Gaslin and run a ranch of his own. They moved to School District No 55 in 1931. He was on the school board from 1933[...]nburg put up ice on the Missouri River. Mr. Vandenburg[...]ore he went beneath the ice. Mrs. Bernice Boughton came in 1916 at the age of 3 years. Her parents homesteaded here at the Old Gaslin Place. The Hugo Kipfs Mr. Hugo Kipf was born in Nebraska, April 22, 1888. He met and married Miss[...]ty, Missouri. Mrs Kipf was born January 21, 1889, in Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Kipf came to Glasgow, Montana on the Great Northern t r ai n and traveled from there to their homestead, 47 miles South of Glasgow by team and wagon. Mrs. Kipf said that wh[...]ey had 3 children and $6.oo. They had to pay 10¢ a pound for potatoeso Hugo better known as[...] |
| "Kippy" · run the Lismas Ferry for several years. The Carys above i Grandma Nellie Cary right: Nellie C[...] |
| The Frank G. Carmans Frank G. Carman left Iowa about 1912 with a dapple grey team of horses, a wagon aib.d all of his personal belongings. Traveling northwest at a very slow rate compared to todays• speed.[...]to homestead. He found 320 acres that looked like a fine spot to settle down. After filing on the land, he immediately built a 12 by 14 tarpaper Shack, purchased a walking plow in town and went to work. Things looked good the first year, plenty of moisture and a bumper crop, 8 bushels per acre. The next spring the wind came up. It blew, Dad thought, one month from the North and one from the Southwest. Results: very l i ttle left of the tarpaper shack, • and only rocks where there used to be fields. He reasoned -. ;hhe har~est came .from the north, and it seemed to be .much warmer from the south, so he loaded up what was left, crossed the Milk River, the Missouri and stopped in the Northeast corner of what is now Garfield County,Mon.t ana. Here he met a gal, Delila Cary Evans, who had come west with he[...]ister, Agnes, brothers, Fay, Wall ace and aessie. A.fter a few old time dances, they decided two could do better at homesteading than one and "tied the knot". As the years rolled by the crops were good and the .family grew. By 1931 the weather again became a big headache to the farmer. A.fter f-ive years my .father once more gave up farming ana moved our big family to McCone City, near the site of Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River. From here we went in many ways. My oldest brother, Victor, resides in Spokane, Washington. Jim and Vernon, at Missoula,Montana. Raymond ·a t Lochsa, Idaho, Myrtle and Dorothy at Dea[...] |
| The Family of Dick and Clara Miller Dick Miller and brother George left Iowa by train, in 1917 to homestead in Garfield CountyoThey had heard about the country and wanted to own their land and have a better life as a rancher and raise stock. The first undertaking was to build a house, so he could have his future bride join him. Clara Paustain arrived in Glasgow by train from Davenport Iowa. Dick met her there anQ they were married in Glasgow in July 19170 They made the trip to Garfield County by horse and wagon, crossing the Missouri river by ferry. They had their homestead about four miles south of Haxby on 640 acres of land. There were many hardships, but since Dick a[...]possible to themo They cooked on an open fire out of doors, with only a grate over the fire, for lack of a stove. With one kettle and a lard pail for making stew, they managed, until they ·c ould get a stove and table. They had plain food, but enough[...]d their supplies by wagon for 50 miles and bought in large quantities. Clara Miller helped the men grub sagebrush to clear the land and it was a very different life than she had ever known. How-[...]or amusement. Dave Smith and John Burgraff played the fiddle, and Lee Page played the banjo. The dances were held at various homes in the areag including the large log house of Dick Millero Other favorite places for the dances were Bill Twitchells, Otis Gasslins barn, and Conklins barn. Often these dances were held in winter and the transoortation was horse and sled. I can almost feel those heavy quilts we covered with, and hear the sl~d gliding along on the snowo The men were called to war and the women did alot of knit- ting for them. A dance was held at Stoetzels for donations for the men that had to go away in the service of their country. Garfield County was a land of hospitality, and anyone traveling thru the area were welcome to stop in and eat and stay the night. Some of the neighbors were the Frank Carman family, Ed Thomas family, The Careys & Charley Brown family. _ Harry Conklin family ran the Haxby Post Office~ and store. Kipfs · were neigh[...]rovided this service, since it was fifty miles to the closest doctor 0 If grandma Carey was not available, someone else was always willing to come to the aid of a neighbor. The Miller children, as well as other area children attended a one room Cat Creek grade school 0 All eight grades were conducted in one room. In severe winters some of the teachers insulated them- selves by wearing newspaper under their clothing for the l0ng walk to school. Many tragic incidents happened in those early days, one being when Annie Long, about age 6, was bit by a rattlesnakeo Her father, Joe Long went to Lismas to get whiskey to give to Annie, which eased her pain 0 There was no rattlesmake serWll in those days 0 Gus Beiler and Joe Long took[...] |
| Dick Miller added enjoyment to the children of the area, by giving parties. Attending these parties most often were the Carman, Hall and Miller children. He had many games, and often would blindfold the kids and pretend he was marking their ears like he did the sheep. He used warm water, and it is amazing how much it felt like blood. He had prizes of cracker jacks for those that could eat dry soda crackers the fastest. We all looked foreward to those parties with a lot of excitement. Dick and Clara Miller now reside in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana, at Graritsdaleo They often return to Garfield County to visit friends they made in their early days in Garfield County. S0nt[...] |
| Frank and Charlie Ma r t in & Margaret Duell Sent by:[...], Montana Frank and Charlie Martin came into the country in 1902 0 They homesteaded on the Woody and later bought the Box Creek Rancho They ran sheepo The neighbors at the Box Creek Ranch were the John Willis family, Steetzels, John Burgraff , Ge[...]ugo Kipfs , Dawnson and Art and Charlie Brown and the Hallso Most of the recreation was dancing, shooting and fishingo The Haxby schooi was close to the John Goode and Frank Goode ranch and Tom and Jack[...]ffice~ after he was gone Margaret Duell took over the office . The folllowing was written by: Fern E . Schillreff Frank and Charlie Martin had the mail route from Haxby to Lismas for sever al years In summer they went by car where 0 roads were passable, in win ter by sled --or saddle horse . You Above: Charlie St ecker, Frank[...] |
| [...]er 8, 1951. When qui te young , he joined the a r my and served with the, Fifth Infantry i n Cub a during t he Spanish-American War. During his l as t months there, he contracted malaria and was in the Wal te r Reed Hospit a l in } ew York City until his recovery. In 1 899 , he first came to Mont ana £rom Iowa with a hunting p ar ty, which incl uded hi s brot her Frank Gotch, who_ was a profess- iona l wrestler . They hun te d in and ne a r the Larb Hills southwe s t of Glasgow a nd re t u rne d to Iowa . Geor g e trained and traveled with his broth er for several ye a rs. Abo u t 1 90 2 , h e again c rune t o Montana wit h the view of settl,., ing., It was at this time he dropp ed his last name, to avoid notor ie ty . His step f.., ing- of f place was Hinsdale, 1ontana, and as the tr a in was pulling to a ha lt, he wa tched two men run out of a s aloon , on e cha sing the other with a gun in his hand. They ran around a h o rse tie d t o a hi tching rack until the first ma n got his gun out . l: e t h en reache d over the horses saddle and shot the s e cond man de ad . The man who did t he shooting expected to be charg ed with Mur der and immediately ro de away and was never seen in tha t a re a aga in . ( He wo u ld not have been charged, as i t was cle arl y self- defense . ) Od d l y enoug h , this man was the brother to a woman who was subsequently a near neighbor of Georg e's. He worked f or a time for shee p ranchers, Gibson and Carpent- e r , sou th of Gl a s gow. He then moved to the place where Bob Miller n ow l i ves , on Gil bert Creek, where h e ran she ep for a year or two. The remnants of a shee o s h e d he b u ilt a t tha t time are still in evi denc e . · - I n t he famo us winter of' 1906- 7 , h e and s everal ot h ers lived in a tent . ot to o surprisingly , while t ending the livestock, he f roze his fe e t . Hi s bi ~ toe on one foot refused t o he a l, so he sha r ~ ene d a c a se knife and cut the t oe o ff himself, sin ce · h e co ul d g e t no[...]'1 h e f ol lowing year , h e mov ed to the Big Dr y , where h e h omesteaded , raising c a ttle , shee p a nd horses . He remained there until the Fort Peck Lake fo r ced him to move. He boug ht l[...]ea t h. He wa s mar r ied to De~tta King in Gl a s g ow on July 5, 1 911. They had fo ur chil d ren : 1•onte , now in Califo r nia ; Ki n g an d llooli e, bot h o f Jord an , Montan a , a n d a daughte r, De ~tta , who died s hortly after birt[...]By Mr . u ~ rs . Hoolie Edw a r d s ~eEtt u Edward s was born i n Tawa s City , Michigan , Aug .Jl,1884 |
| [...]llis Childers, Hugo Kipf, Jess Davis & Frank Good in window sorting t he mail at the Haxby P.O. |
| The H011esteaders Age There was a period in American History |
| [...]nland Swe de n Migrated to USA (St. Paul , Minn.) in 1890 Relocated to Miles City, Montan a about 1 900 Marri~d 16 July, 1904, a t Miles City to Mathilda Peterson . a registered Nurse (Stat e Hos pital , S t. Peter , 1inn 1 8<;l,5 Ranch hand (sheep herder) in the Niles City area , probably north At the t urn of the century, and in the decade that foll owed , |
| when a cloudburst totally wiped the fresh start ri ght at lambing .. i me . The womans touch , the well laden table, and the well reputed Freed hospitality, attracted many a rootless single young man . Many young men, attracted to the prospect of adventure in the rapidly growing wes t, landed in the Miles City area, so youthfull , so inexperienced,[...]could not qualify as good ranch hands . But many of them found temporary homes on the better ranches of the area. Here they did chores, learned a littl e of the rudiments of ranching, matured a little, put on a few pounds of flesh , and in general developed a degree of manhood that would enable them to take part in the winning of the wes t. Though this was st:i,.11- before the day of the litt:J,.e l og school houses that came with the influx of honyockers in 1913-1917 , yet the old ranches, presided over by the Shorty Freeds, the Billy Twitchel s, the Arthur Vials, the Billy Milroys and many another, were the alma mat er, the mother of knowledge to many a young man of that time and situation . Shorty and Tilly Freed had two sons. Warner was born in Feb . 1906 in Miles City , and John was born in ugust 1908, on the ranch. The se men will tell you today, with just a trace of wonderment in their vo i ces of the experience of growing to young manhood in an area in very rapid transition from the land of buffalo and Indiana, wild g ame and trail herds to a nestors area , and on to the big ranch country of today with its absentee land owners. What an experience to witness and to take par t in such a transition , to be a part of the generation tha t saw the last wild buffa lo, or bear, and the first tin Li'zzy, the first survey stake a:i d the first barbed wire. They saw the demise of the indespen sible sour dough crock and its r eplacement with dai ly mail (and bread) delivery to the most remote ranches . In the 1900 1 s a cowhand wouldn't walk across the road , he'd fork his pony for the short e st i maginable tr avel -- Today his count[...]Sometimes we are just e trifle sorry for t h ose of you who could not be there . by A. W. Freed |
| [...]~y father, James V. Fiel ds , came to Montana in 1883 to live with an uncle, who was a trapp e r and buffalo hunter and lived south of Miles City. James Fielc.s worke d for different ranches an d in time establis hed one of his own on Skinners Gulch, a tributary of Pumpkin Creek. On a trip to Minnapolis he met Hannah Peterson and in 1897 she c ame to Miles City to marry him. I was born on their ranch 85 mi les from Mile s City in 1899. We moved from there to the st ate of Washington in 1905 , travelling as far as Yell owstone Park in a covered wagon. My father sold his team and wagon at Livingston and from there we took the train. After 10 years in Washington my father decided to again move to Montana, and along with my mother and I, settled along the Missouri River in Garfield County, and proved up on a home- stead near the mouth of Gilbert Creek. There were many colorful cha racters living along the Miss- ouri and the adjoining hill country who had come there at a muc h earlier date . Joe Bell was one of the larger ranche rs , Scotty Embleton had been in Montana since 1899, "Bilious" Bill Irwin was an oldtimer, as was Frank Griffin, and Ben Vande rburg lived in a house with a puncheon floor. Most of the houses were of log with dirt roofs, some with rough board floors[...]ith hard packed dirt floors. Frank Griffin lived in a dugout, as did others . As the land was opene d for homesteading peoJle came fro[...]new homes . They were young or middle- aged , as the life was too rugged for the elderly. There were folks who had originated in the s outh, the east,and f ar west, some from Canada, and the Tlhista brothe rs, Barney Egosque came from the French Pyrenees at an earlier date to work f or large sheep outfits, l a ter established their own homes on homestead land along the Missouri . People were friendly and welc omed anyone who came along . Social life consisted of da.~ces, picmics and whist parties. Our one luxury was the ice the men put up duri ng the win te:v. This provi ded drinking water an d ice cream during the summer months . Well water wasn't fit to drink or f or co okin g so ev ery- one hauled water from the river for household us e, cooking , wash- ing and cleaning . There were very few cars in the country at tha t time , _folks traveling by wagon or saddle horse . We were 50 miles from Jordan and the same distance from Gl a sgow. we usually got ot:.r su~plies in Glasgow, which meant crossine the river on the Lismus Ferry , or on the ice during the winter . Clothing and household items were ordered from Sears Roebuck or Montgomery Ward , and it wa s a joy for the housewife to go through these c atalogs, order wh[...]he couldn 't aff or d . We lived very isol a t ed liv e s, n o tel e~hones , radio s jus t b e[...]-"Orl d meant vez·y lit t le to us , ~s we lived in on e of our own . Pe op le left t l:.ei r doors unlocked[...]ldren were alv.;ays safe . My father' died in 1924 and l i n herited his land and catt l[...] |
| In the mean time I had mar ried Rhynie Wittmayer and be[...]hter Audrey, was born while we were living there. The children went to school in a log building on Fifth Point, others attending at that time being Helen Tihis ta, George and Jack Currey, the Egosque children , Mary and Bruce Ingalls and Carl Phalka. The gove rnment bought the Mi ssouri River land for the Fort Pe ck Dam, and all residents were forced to move. We left in 1936, others shortly before tha t and some later. The homes are now under many feet of water and the former owners are scattered, many of the older ones dead. Rhynie K. Wittmayer |
| [...]Home Fires Burned Out Shortly after the turn of the century, my Uncle Frank and Aunt Annie Kincaid wi[...]ansas to northestern Montana to build themselves "A Home on the Range." They were among those fami ly type ranche[...]ilt homes and herds then stayed on to stabl ilize the catt le industry re placing the cattle grazing "tycoons" who lost their shirts in the 11 "bonanza bust" ep itomized by Artist Charles Russell in his Last of Five Tho usand," picture messa ge to his boss describing the condition of the herd a.ft er that oldtimers ' worst winter- 1886-87. By the year of 1906 their Lazy F Lazy K spread was doing all right. The Kincaids, with their, by then, three chil dren- R[...]hn 5; and Minnie, 3 were comfortably establ ished in their well furnished, roomy l og cabin. They had also built a bunkhouse and a chickenhouse. This homesite was l ocated in the southwest corner of Valley County where the Missouri River zig- zags into a natural boundary line . Uncle Frank wa s a top cowhand and a go od provider • He would remind you a lot of Will Rogers . Aunt Annie, my mother's youngest sister , was a tall, grace - ful young woman, with a knack for getting styl e into her dress , even on the ranch truly a queen in calico, and her log cabin was her c a stle. Aside from their wedding gifts , her most cherished househo l d possessions were a Singer sewing machine and a supply of Mason jars- woman's cov e ted c onvenience of the day . She looke d well to the ways of her household . By fall the jars were filled with jellies, tomato e s and wild fr uit from the hills. Cold- p ack canning me thod was unknown then, but they had stored a plentiful supply of root vegetables in the cellar and stocked the pantry with s taples purchased from the I•ian- Dan, a rancher's supply boat that made a yearly trip down t he river from Fort Benton . In Octob er , Unc le Frank and a cowboy g athered the market steers from the upper Timber Creek range (present site of Etchart winter cow camp ) and trailed them 65 mil[...]ed out to Chicago . This operation required about a month. Aunt Annie busied herself making the family's winter clothes One evening as she was folding away ei ~ht pairs of pants she had finished for John, t wo men rode up . One was a strange r . The othe~ a Hungarian immigrant, was an early settler called the Hun . She didn 't trust him because he resente d newcomers and had t hreatened to "run the Kincaids 11 out . But , true to western trad ition, she asked them in to supper . While eating they kept glancing around the house . She wa s relieved when they rode off up through the pines towards the Hun place . Then , with Rita and John she started ou t ufter the two milk cows, leaving Minnie asleep . But feeling uneasy, she returned and carried the child along . They found the cows half a-mile away over a hill. They were turning them homeward when Rita s aid ,"Hama , look - smokel" A huge pillar of smoke was rising over the home locatlon . They raced tu the top of the hill . The cabin was in flames . In relating the story Aunt Arulie said she thought first of s aving the eight pairs of uants . Around the yard, the heat was intense , The 3? I |
| cabin glowed like a huge l i ve co a l. Though t of s aving anyth ing was useles s, A home on the range was n o more. The de s olate little group tr ailed off to the bunkhou se. When they opened the door, smoke 9oursd out. A pile of magazines was smoldering against a rag- bag in t h e corner. Aunt Annie wa s then clued to the back- trackin g ac t ivities of her recent supper guest~ The children slept, t ha t n ight, covered with gunnysacks on the bare mattress of the bunk- house bed. Their mother didn't sleep . She watched the f i re and pl anned their survival f or many lively tomorrows . At dawn she wa s out and found a sl opbucket, scrubbed it with sand in t he r i ver, milked the cows and then fed the children . Aft erwards s he explored t he rag-bag . Rolle d up in a partially finished braided r ug was treasure indeed, thread, needles and scissors. Al ways wi se to the possibilities of a garment she managed to make t hem a ll a change of clothe s from the contents of the rag- bag . When the embers c oole d , t hey dug smoked p otatoes from the cellar and ate them with b oil ed e gg s. The canned goo d s they found almost intact , simmered down and de l ic i ous. Altogether, they existed in this primitive fa s hi on for t wo weeks. One morning a r ider came along from the Content country. His name was Charley Conaster , later a p rominent rancher in t he Tam- pico re ~ion . He saw their predicamen[...]d Glasgow . Four days later he r e t urned wi t h a wagon load of the necessary provisions . In the Ol d West y ou di dn 't i nsult a cowboy by offering payment for a kindnes s. When Uncle Frank came home afte[...]ronc into t he cel lar. Then they went into the cr ue l winte r of 1906- 07 , t he worst in 20 years . The snow lay on all winter . In Marc h c ame t he bli z z - ards . The wolves and c9yote s moved in bands to f east on the de ad and dying cattle . The ranchers ' losses were terr i fic. The Kincaids rebuilt their home and f inal ly t he La[...]Spread crune back . There were ei ght chil dr en of this marr iage, all true sons and daughters of the West . Their pa r ents are b ur ie d in the Glasgow cemetery . By 1934 the valley was well set t led and the world ' s biggest e arth dam was unde r ~onstruction down the Missouri . Now thes e settlers are sc a tt ered like Longfellow ' s Aoadian s, their cab ins were all burne d by government order . And the once green valley lies under the big waters of the Fort Peck Lake . Sent by[...] |
| [...]by Gladys Wittmayer Joe Bell, one of the well-to-ao ranchers of t his community . He came at an early date. Said the reason he settled there was that he liked the ·'~4-o-lig_h ·pancakes everyone made . Claude and Roy Currey, son of Ge orge Curry . Claude was married to Rita Kinc[...]ns, Jack and George, and daughter Leah have lived in the Jordan country for many ye ars. Jay a[...]They had three children. One daughter is dead and the other daughter and son live in western Mont ana . Jay and Lulu are in Missoula. Heywood Daley, an Englishman with a title no less . Came to Montana from Vancouver, B. c. The Brink family , Tudy, El.mer, Al, Eda, all of whom married and with their s p ouses lived on 7th point at one time or another . The parents, a Swedish couple, were also there. Herbert ~itt- m[...]ut he died at an early date. On 6th Point, where the Wittmayer h ome was located: Joe Bell , as menti[...]to Mont- ana abou t 1898. Was an early day nurse in Mi les Ci t y . l arried "Shorty" Freed and went to live on the Woody . Later she home~ steaded on 6th point. Ha d two sons, Warner and John , the former living in the sta te of Washington and John in Tuscon . Matilda Roy was an aunt of Hrs . Wittmayer. "Windy" Smith (am sorry but I don ' t know his givEin name), fathe r of Alta Phalka. Al ta and Charlie Phalka and Smith c[...]ry Bryant and his wife Eunice lived neighbors for a short time, Later moving to t he Miles ... Ci.ty[...]s Joe Bell 's step- daughter . They now res ide in British Columbia. 'Scotty' bmbleton , who kept a bachelor camp with lots of Poker and plenty to drink . A great place for the cowpunchers to gather . Scotty was open handed an[...]grub'. Ben Vanderburg was his next door neighbor, a b achelor for many years but event ua lly marr ied and moved from the river . Barney Egosque , who married Florence Ingalls , was a Basque an d had been in Mon t ana for a good many ye a rs, and now lives in Nashua • .fete Tihista , anot he r Basque, had also s pent many years in Montana , and homesteaded on what was known as Fifth Yoint Many dances were hel d a t his home when he was a bachelor , and were always enjoye d . he made a tri p t o France an d came back with a dark eyed Basque br ide , who of course couldn 't s peak English and tells how she co oked by re ad ing recipes with a French an d ~ng l i sh dictionary . Pete h as been dead some yea rs but his widow r e sides in Glasgow. Ber t Inga lls , who came with h[...]h Dakota, homesteaded on Fifth Point . he worke d in the harvest fiel ds one fall and came home with a wife of Irish extraction who kept us all a.rnus6d wi th her wit . |
| [...]ng t he Ri ver. Edythe came originally from Canad a to kee p ho use for her brother, Fred LaRoque . Whit was a na t ive of Misso u ri. He is now d ead and his uife is a resi d ent of J·ord~n , a s is their s on, Vaughn. Frank Kincaid bought the Etchapare ranc h on Gilb e rt Creek about 1916 , and moved his f amily there. The r e we r e e ight children and :for a time Mrs . Kincaids paren ts live d with them , a[...]art and her four c hi l d ren. They were hos p it a ble pe o r,l e and the house was ofte n b"urs ting at the seams . There were many o ther s, too numer[...]lks . Anyone wi thin 50 miles was c ons i C:.ered a n ei ghbor, and treated as s u ch.[...] |
| THE KINCAID STORY Mro & Mrso Frank Kincaid cam[...]Kansaso They came to what was then Dawson County in 1903 and setteled on land and proved up on it near the mouth of Timber Creek. The post effice ~as Leedy, now Farenuf. They[...]t 1913. Here they bought aore land and lived for a time, then moved to Gilbert Creek. They bought a ranch from John Etchepare. From there we moved ba[...]Gladys, Tom, Maude and Rutho After thr ee years in Bonners Ferry, we moved back to Glasgowo We finished school and the family scattered. MARIE KINCAID CONN I taught a year at West Galpin School where Fort Peck is nowo The next year 1929-30 I taught at Llamas which was in Gart'ield County 0 It was one of the better schools in that area. Most of them were leg and in run-down condition due to the fact that they were used for country dances and t ook a reai beating from that and the kids. My school board was Tom Eldridge, Royce Biddle and the clerk was Art Blew. We had a niee group of pupils. The older girls were Lura and Fern Nelson who rode horseback most of the timeo They lived quite a way up the creek. Fern could get a lot out of old "Buster" 0 They really cevered the groundo Lura was quieter and very ladylike. They were cute kids, both of them. The Biddle children: George, Vernon, and Esther were enrolled as well as Dorothy Ann Blew, the Palmer children, and a little boy who lived down by the Dry, Milford Joneso Frank Coles had tve boys in school, Oliver and Johno I stayed at the home of the A. P. Thomas familyo They had three grown children[...]Page was their married daughter and lived across the river at Second Point. These were depressio[...]equi- ped by modern day standards. We operated at a more leisurely pace. It wasn't uncommon to be using books twenty years oldo Now a-days a ten year old book is frowned upon . In fact five year old texts are considered obsolete in some subjectso It's strange, but those children learnedo There wasn't a goof-off in the loto I taught there two years, but not consecutively, I went to school a year betweeno Dances at Lismas, Haxby, Second Point, and Jordan made up the greater part of our social life. Music was provided by local tale[...]nty miles or more by car to dances. To get across the river we used the ferry at Lismas, a rowboat, or crossed on the ice . The f erry was run by a man named Fergusono There were a few house parties. Thomases had a large front room and had card partie 3 . Some of the other neighbors had partie s . The school house was used for a few dances and the usual Christmas programs. The Thomases' owned sheep and some cattle. They we r e a 3C:- !;- |
| a· hard working family . They sold out under the dam and moved to Council, Idahoo Down closer to the ri ver were ranchers who ran cattle mostlyp and who put up lots of hayo There were the Days, Tihistas, Pete , Mike and Pi erre. Barney E[...]s , my f ou rth grade teacher. Farther down the river were Rhynnie Wittmeyer, Joe Bell, Claude and Roy Currey and Bi lly Curts who now lives in .LibbJo Across in Va lley County, Sixth Point we r e Pete Wittmeyers, Hayes, A.xtells , Point ers, and Crowde r so It was a pretty well settled area. Down a t Bee Bee Bottom were several families I didn't know but J ack Cu rrey can fill in. They were friendl y people but very independento During the depression , these p eople went practically no wh[...], rai s ed gar dens and got along. Ice put up on the river kept milk f r esh 0 Ten dollars above taxes lasted a long timeo They could wint er on a hundred. We can't live a week on that now . All this is under wa t e r now. I can•t recall any outstanding land mark outside the Li s mas Ferry and the Haxby Storeo The Big Dry gave people some exe itement once in a while. After a big rain a wall ef water woul d come down the dry bed and any one who happened to be down ther[...]clearest r e c ollection was gumbo mudo I walked the two and a quart e r miles back and forth except in the worst weather, when s omeone woul d take a team and take meo I learned to dress for it and t[...]y arms were f ree 0 Mud collected on my feet in great chunks , I could sli p and sli de for a yard before gain- ing my fe0tingo Walking afte r a ra in or in spring breakup was a real problemo I a lways welc omed a ride. Once on an espec ially bad day Pi e r re Tihi sta rode up on horseback; he kicked his foot out of the sti rrup , moti on ed me to cLimb up , and! dido I'd known Pie rre s ince I was t en o lie had been a young ki d just over here from Fran c e to ma ke hi s way in Americao The Tihistas were a ll fine men and go od fri endso At the dances when I was a youngster the Fr enc hmen were mo r e courteous than the American men 0 They al ways dance d with all the ladies, never skipping ten year ol d girls o I knew most of the people as I had spe nt 4 years of my chilahood at Gilbert Creek . After moving t o Glasgow, I spent swmners with my sister and brother- in- law , Mr & Mrso Cl a ude[...]ranch at Eighth Point 0 My folks lived in Glasgow for some years 1924 to a bout |
| FAMILY REUNION AT CLAUDE CUR.REYS North of Jordan on Ft. Peck Lake[...]ow: Walter Bridges, Dean Kibler, Duane Conn, Cecl a Crowder Flint, Walter Twitchell; Paul Conn[...] |
| WRITER DESCRIBES LAST BIG AREA HORSE ROUNDUP Taken from the Glasgow Courier, Sept. 1965. And sent in by: Marie Kincaid Conn Great Falls, Montana The last big horse roundup was in 1931, but it was carried out exactly the way the ones 50 years earlier had been, except for the Model T chuck-wagon driven by Leonard Luce, who was alse night hawk. The purpose of the gather wss to get rid of a l e t of horses that were running the range, eating grass that -as needed for cows. Many a homesteader pulled out for greener pastures, leaving a horse or two because he had no place for them and[...]osed on horses given as security and then perhaps the bank went broke. The mares had catch colts that grew up wild and free and useless to anyone. This hit and miss breeding produced a pretty scrubby type of animal. Since no taxes were collected on these bands of wild horses for many years, Valley County decided to get rid of them . El White took the contract to gather the excess horses. He planned two dri ves, one north and one south. Johnny Kincaid waa wagon boss until he broke a leg on Ash Creek near Vandalia. Vic Archair.beau[...]as circle bosses. Some ranchers rode with the drive in their home territory. because they knew where the horses ran and had valuable inform- ation on pastures and camp sites. If possible the herds were held in a corral at night. The saddle horses were held in a rope corral which was made quickly by pounding a number of stakes in the ground• and stringing a rope across them about three feet high. This kind of a corral has been used by cowboys on the move ever since there were cowboys. A kid named Jim Billingsley was in charge of the saddle horses . One of the horses in Johnnys' string was an old white, oranded 5 O- -the Matador brand . The Matador was s Texas outfit that had some camps in northern Montana. The old white wasn't gentle and the mornings were cool. There was ·usual\y; an int- erested audience on hand to see the boys mount up and to give advice to the unfortunate rider who found his mount had a "hump" in his back" that morning. The 5 O was one that pro- mised excitement but never was ab~e to unload John in front of the bunch. "I guessthe Lord had his arms around me, but my know-how helped a little , too ." Johnny claimed modestly. The time he rode in with a broken thumb, most of the boys silently gave a round to the white Matador horse though the details were never revealed. Other riders were Dee Stockton . He could spot a brand a long way off and was a top hand . He was brand inspector here and in Sioux City, later. Other riders were Horse Thief[...]ed off. He lit on his head and balanced there for a few monents . He had a pretty stiff neck for the next few days . From Frank Jones',[...] |
| For a man near 70, Old Bill didn't let badger holes or cut coulees bother him when he took in after a bunch of cayuses. Also Hooley Hu...~ter, Happy Jayco, Wilbur Teets and Clair Duncan rode for some time in their own ~erritory. On t~b north swing, the saddle stock was lent by Red ard Andy Payne. Some were broke and some wi ld eno'1gh to make the mornings interesting. Gilbert Aiken ro de t h e rotgh string . A Rough Haircut One Sunday afternoon after the boys had made their circle and camped at the old dug-out on the Frank Jones place, Red decided he needed a hair cut and shave. Helmer Lund acted as barber. He cut Red's hair neatly and shaved his neck and like the thorough man he was sheared off some pimples that had sprouted near the hairline. The cook ran with a handful of flour to stop flowing blood. Red was the oddest cowboy you ever did see; r.usty hair, bright drops of blood surrounded by white flour. He was able to do his job the next day in spite of his haircut. Tim Whiting did the cooking in the Ford truck chuck wagon. He was a very good man with beef, ·beans and biscuits. (I[...]brought out store bread from town, though.) The goal of the drive was 600 horses every two weeks, which they accomplished. The drive lasted two months, which shows the numbers of horses there had been on the range. After owners had a chance to claim any animals collected by mistake, the rest was shipped from Frazer and Oswego to canneries for_dog and fish food. I believe the money received from the canneries very nearly paid all expenses on the round-up. A lot of this information came from Jim Billingsley who was a saddle horse wrangler.[...]•,a~[...] |
| [...]d wife Maude (Mendenhall) Erickson w:ere marrie« in the spring of 1916, and started their life on a farm homestead near Whitetail, Montana, in Daniels Co. After four years of crop failure due mostly to wheat rust, Jim decided on a move to an area which would be strictly cattle raising. In the early spring of 1920, Jim amd Maud packed up their household belongings into a large high bexed wagon to which a four hQrse team was harnessed and set out for a destination of one-hundred miles. Four days later the tired travelers pulled the dusty weary teams to a halt beside a low one room cabin• built on a one-hundred sixty acre ranch bordering the south shore of the Missouri River, forty-five miles from Glasgow, Montana. Abruptly behiDd the cabin a wall of diamond willows, enforced by thorny briars of dense underbrush, rose in defiance to any intrusion of the cotton wood forest beyond. Thistles, still in their tender young stage made a soft carpet about the cabin. The low hanging eaves had a tendency to droop and when the hard rains came the mud ran from the dirt roof and spattering against the lazy windows and lower logs of the cabin. After that first evening of moving in the kitchen range and connecting the black stoYe pipe, foliowed by a quickly pre- pared supper, and beds enough to ·s[...]ing accom- modations were assembled, life took on a more livable aspeat. However, due to the hot weather that soon descended upon them shortly after arrival and the lack of room, beds were placed outside under the roof which extended out from the end of the cabin to serve as a shelter over the doorway. This arrangment had several disadvantages, as the mosquitoes constantly plagued their victims by night and during the day hordes of flies aade eating impossible. "Old Si "(Silas Merrill), who made his home at the ranch, helped much to improve the living conditions with his minor repairs, and sometimes big building projects . He soon had screens on the windows, at least in time for the next summer. Also added onto the existing cabin two more rooms. It took four years of great struggle for Jim and Maud, before gaining anything from the land. This included clearing of land, planting, maintaining household, which involved hired help, and all without source of income. The chiidren had to board with friends in Glasgow in order te attend. school, until 1928, whe_n Jim succeeded in convincing the county commissioners our need of a school. Classes were held the first year in Alvin Andrews• cabin. By the next fall the neighbors joined hands in building a new school building. This was really an improvement , although made of logs it had a shingled roof and cement foundation. Many happy days are recalled by the children of Jim and Maud as they look back on their free and happy childhood. Especially the four oldest remember the Montana years, and ever so often get the "Montana Fever" to return to the state for a visit. At present all six children and their families are living on the west coast. There are ten grandchildren. Ja[...]passed away December 29, 1935. They both had run a good race, and like - 310 |
| other sturdy pioneers, left behind them a good heritage for their children and future gene[...]abel Erickson all of Seattle, Washington View of the Jim Erickson Ranch Jim Erickson moving stock to ·the on Missouri River[...] |
| High Lights from Life in Montana By: Mabel c. Erickson I remember in those very early days of my parents pion- eering in eastern Montana, m.any moments of nostalgia. That first summer on the ranch was indeed a busy one. Along with clearing of land, was the constant watch of live stock, which had been herded by cowboys on restless saddle ponies to their new home. During that time much of dad's time was spent checking on the cattle and horses prone to return to their old grazing haunts on the open range. At the dawn of day Dad would rise and after a hasty breakfast prepared by Mom, he would quickly saddle Kal, a prancing sorrel, riding away over the crest of the hill into the badlands. So spirited was this dymano on hoofs that it took a strong alert mount to hold him in line . The rider would not be seen or heard from until the night darkness had settled down. Even the chatter from the near by woods had subsided with only the slow mournful hoot of the night owl penetrating the awful stillness. Among the many friends and acquaintances who frequently cal[...]ome, come many names to mind. I especially recall a childhood scene. Mother was sewing a beautiful laTender organdy dress for the coming dance to take place in a school house in the community. This was being done for a very "young Bell", Cora Ingalls. She had many adm[...]s her romances with my mother. Cora later married a Mr . Fawcett , brother of Al Fawcett, who in later years served as sheriff of Valley County. Among Tery clese friends were, Kel[...]eral ther families around our holiday table. All of these old friends have passed on but their memory lingers. ScottyEmelton was a close friend and always could be counted on for a lot of good humor . Among other friends, were the Kerr family and the Jack McRae family . Also from the Big Dry country I recall the Twitchell family , especially Walter Twitchells•. I shall always remember the wedding dance for Walter & Grace. They were both so charming . Another dance which stands out in my memory took place in a clearing among the cottonwood trees. It was a beautirul eTening with the moon shining just oier· the tops of the trees. Bill Peale put up his convertable dance floor and confectionery stand, also backed his truck up to the dance floor. Here was the piano, where the musicians filled the woods with their lively tunes until dawn was seen in the Eastern sky, just appearing over the hills . I especially remember , because I was just sixteen and the first time to wear a new voile formal. Many a hot summer day , as one gazed off into the distance, the vision could detect a motion on the horizon . We called thi s heat waves. The black doby hills reflected much heat from the sun rays. This kind of weather also caused_miniatu.re tn~n- |
| adoes, whirling dust and any loose thing in its path into the air. In just such a situation, the sun shining, a blast of wind came turning the hay rack half loaded with hay right upside down. Probably one of the most fascinating characteristics of this country is the unusual hill formations, and difference of' soil, even within limited area. The "Old Doby" hill near our house was an excellent place to climb to when a kid had need of solitude, just to think things over. Wounded feelings always healed readily when one sat quietly on the rim of the hill and surveyed the situation. With a gentle evening breeze blowing through the hair and a ·relaxed study of the landscape, with the slanting golden streaks o"f the setting sun across the green meadow, who could harbor very long 111 will[...]ckson at work Jim u-1.ckson taming a bronc Below: Fourth Point Scho[...] |
| [...]Clarence Palmer Clarence Palmer , 83, a single man, who makes hi'·s home in Glasgow with Burdick Lund, has .~any interesting memories of his almost seventy years in the vicinity. "I was born on a .farm at Hedwooci Falls, Minnesota in 1886, the son of Paul and Clara Palmer. I had four brothers and one sister all of whom are dead . "In ovember 1901 two of my brothers, Harry,25,Louis,17, and I,15, hitched rides on freight trains bound for Montana. Harry had been in the Glasgow vicinity the year be.fore and liked it very much. It took us a[...]each our destination. We stopped occasionally for a 25¢ meal or a loaf of bread and sausage. We had about $5 between us wnen we arrived in Glasgow. The weather was not unpleasant . "Harry had worked for such ranchers as Adam Lenz,. the Magru- cters , and the elde r Bretzke . The pay was from $30 to $40 per month, no vacations , reasonable sick leave. "The first winter I worker for· board and room for Pa[...]um or J.L. Truscott would grant some credit until the following summer. non the first of April, I went to work for John Willer,near the Manson Bailey bridge,just west of Glasgow. Then in May I went south to work on the Carpenter and Gibson ranch. They had come to the terri tory as buffalo hunters in 1882 and stayed to raise sheep . The following winter I and several others had a logging camp ne ar Wiota and cut cord wood fo r i l.25 per cord on the lot. e bad pro s pects to sell 500 cords, but wound up with sale for only 100 . In 1903 I went to work for John Viall on the Big Dry (now part of the Fort Peck lake). He had a sheep raising operation. "I worked mostly as a ranch hand until 1912, when I homestead- ed on First Point on 160 acres . This is just above the present location of the dam . When I filed I had to sign papers that the government could take whatever timber, rocks and gravel that might be needed from the land. This was in anticipation of the building of Fort Peck Dam , a survey for which had be en conducted as earl y as 1906 . "I cleared the first 40 or 50 acres by myself' and was able to start the reduction of hay for sale to wintering ranchers, later I paid '600 to a contractor for clearing 50 acres of timbe~ brush and diamond willows . Some of the land was so heavy with cottonwood trees,brush , a[...]get it into production . I could raise an average of 225 tons of hay , which would sell for 10-12 in the fall. When the Mi ssouri River flooded the land as a result of ice j ams in its meandering river bed , the resultant crop was ext ra good . Sometimes we grew alfalfa seed which woul d bring about 25~ per lb. "In November of 1904 , I think it was election night, t he elder[...]come home . Thinking that he might have stay- ed in toym overni ~ht , no one worried about him until morning . A search party was org anized • . ! and another man discoved his foot- prints leading toward the Cherry cre ek home near Glas g ow. There was about four inches of snow on the ground . From the ~ra cks we found that Rohde had apparently become[...]siderable meandering . His body was found flat on the ground about halfway between his home and Glasgow. At one time he h ad been almost at the gate to his home . Rohde left a l arge family , one of the sons , 3 71 |
| Tiny Harry Rohde, is still in the Glasgow-Vandalia area and a grandson Richard Rohde works at sheep ranching. ' "Along in 1918 I forme d a partn ership with Nellie Byrum for ranching. Mrs. Byrum became Mrs. Burdick Lund in 1926. In 1933 the government started negotiating f or my homestead[...]k dam. We settled for 140 per acre. We thought it a poor pri ce for such a good place to make a living. We had at one time had Sam Ellsworth's outfit saw 50,000 board feet of lumber, which would sell for $16. per thousand; $5.00 per load for sawdus t, and a good market :for slabs. · "We were able to buy a comparable plac e about 10 miles east of Glasgow with additional acres of farm and pasture on the bench with some spring water. It had gravel pits in the side hills and produced much of the gravel for No. 2 highway in this vic inity. The land was sold to Sam Sylvester in 1967. Queried about spending winter on the farm 20 or 25 miles from town Palmer said, "We didn't plan on going to town more than once or twice during the winter. In the fall ou r _·food bill would amount to $50 to $100 and we woul d get 400-500 lbs. of flour; three hams; several slabs of bacon; 20 lbs. each of prunes and apricots; 4 lbs. of salt; 10 lbs. of oatmeal; 24 lbs. of beans. This would be augmented by homegrown beef, hogs, a few grouse, mutton and plenty of venison . "Going to town for supplies was a major operation . We usua- lly planned for the trip to take thre e days for the 20 miles. The horses jogged along at 3 miles per hour . We stopped for lunch along the roadside. Spending two nights and a day meant business for the hotels, restaurants and bars. The Shannon Ho tel and Coleman Hotel both had bars and dining rooms. There was both a Chinese and a Jap anese restaurant as well as Bert Hauge 's fam- ous cafeteria, where a 25f meal was featured . Other bars were run by Be[...]nd Mc Intyre. There were two CAinese laundri es . The Orpheum Theater was upstairs over the Fred Gath Bowling and recreational hall, where the American Legion club n ow stands. It was necessary for us to cross the Mi ss ouri at the Lismas ferry. Sometimes Horace Gamas, ferry operator_ h~d to swim acros s to retrieve the ferry after someone late at night had crossed to the opposite s i de without the benefit of Mr . Gamas . Several times the ferry lost its moorings and went down the river . "Frank and Charley Martin carr ied the mail on routes to Haxby as well as Glasgow for ma[...]Norville had an altercation . Martin rec- e ived a bullet wound in the elbow, which resulted in a crippled arm for the rest of his life . Some of Clarences neighbors were Frank Cole and family lived near by , The Lismas School was located on the South side of the River , Louis Meyers on the east side of the Big Dry was also considered a neighbor , Also Fred Alvord and Lee Hapgood who had a band of sheep . Minnie and Lena Strupple and Mother lived on the east side of the f;ry, Also Buck Jensen homesteaded on the East side . The Billy Nelson -family lived on the west side of the Big Dry . Geor ge Young was an old timer from across the Dry . (As told to H. R. He[...] |
| [...]Lucy Blew & Frances Wood in Picnic at Nelsons Ralph[...] |
| The Krusicks Jack Krusick came to Garfield County in the spring of 1928 and farmed |
| House boat that came down the Missouri R. from Fort Benton f,or several years . It was a grocery store . It docked and ,old supplies to people along the way •• Man in row boat is Frank Kincaid, lady holding the baby is Mrs. Frank Kincaid. The tall cowboy is George Brown. Shorter cowboy is Jo[...]many years until the "Fort Pe[...] |
| [...]Thomas family We moved to Lismas Montana in the spring of 1912. As I remember we moved there because my d[...]into buying his, Shorty's squatters rights on the place at Lismas. We got as far as Glasgow on the train, where Shorty met us with a team and wagon, it took us all day to get from Glasgow to our place, to find that the house didn't have a roof, so we all stayed at Frank Cole's place till the men put a roof on the house. Dad bought a band of wild horses, and he and Shorty broke horses to sell to the homesteaders south of the river. I was six, Gertrude ~~- 3 and Lawrence about 14 months, (Babe) Arthur E. Thomas, was born in Feb. of 1913. The river was so bad there was no way of getting a doctor, so a Mrs. Ki~tleson took care of Mother and us kids stayed with Jes.si'e Mc<;unA a[...]McCune , Carrie Mouseton and Nellie Byrum were the only white women in miles. The first school was held in the Bill Kirkland home across the river and there were herds of wild cattle, so Dad kept a man that did nothing but row me across the river and walk me to school in the morning, and come and get me at night, that lasted till the slush ice starte d to run, then I had to stay at home. The next year the folks arranged to have me stay at the John Maxness home close to a school on the Glasgow bench, where I attended school till January or until the river got bad again. The following spring the folks arranged for me to board at the George Edwards home. Mrs. Edwards had been a teacher before her marriage, and she was to teac[...]t herding sheep, so they took me home. That fall the Arthur Westermans homesteaded across the Big Dry at Fort Peck, so they boardP-d me for a time and Mr . esterman helped me with my studies. By that time more people had moved in, so they managed to get a short term teacher and held scho ol in the Bill Damas livingroom (the former McCune homestead and Roadhouse) we went to[...]t our noon hour packing water and pouring it down the path to the barn, so we would have a nice slick place to slide, that was great fun till the hired man went out early in the morning with two pails of slop , hit the top of our slide, emptied the slop ever his head and burned the seat out of his pants before he got to the bottom of the hill and for some reason they didn't love us any more, so the next year we went to school in the Roy Russell home while they built the Lismas school, where we all finished grade school. Recreation in those days were get-to-gathers at some one's home for dances or cards, if we could get the Dave Smiths to play for us it was dances otherwis[...]programs and dances and there always seemed to be a gang at our house on 'aturday or Sunday nights, we either danced to the phonograph or played cards, Sunday we rode horseb[...]er I finished school I stayed home and helped run the ranch, till I was married. I married Lee Page at Jordan November 23,1923 and we ranched on the old Gamas homestead at Haxby-for 3 years,[...] |
| Second Point where we ranched till Lee d ie d in 1929. After that I moved to Glasgow-, went to work and started a whole new life . I have one son Rus s e l l[...]gineer and lives at Los Alamos , New Mexico. The folks sold their r anch t o the Government when the Fort Peck Dam was built. They bought a ranch on Hornet Creek near Council , Idaho where they liv e d till 1962. They n ow have a home in Council• Dad(A . P. Thomas ) pass ed away i n the s pring of 1937 and Mother in February , 1 969 at the age of 95 ye ars. Babe (A. E. Thomas) and Gertrude still live in t he f am ily home. Lawrence was married t o Mat t ie Hansen in August, 19 37 and they have seven children . The y hav e an acreage here in town and Lawrence works at the Mill . By A[...] |
| The Br aggs -::---:}- ~i"Then, why, we came t o Mon t[...]by Delbert Bragg Living in Oz ark Co. Missouri te a ching school and l osing my health shortly a fter getting mar ried to Lelia Ear le Lon g , be ing advised by the Doctor that I must qu it the sc hool-room, go t o a high dry climate and live out-doors a s much a s possibl e . We t ook the train for Longdale, Okla.to vis i t her f a t her & mother and family. Ou r intentions were to go to t he plains of N, M. Ther e were lands there to h omestead and I had a b ro t her who had home- steaded there some ye ar[...]ng had been up i n Montana and homesteaded sou th of the Mis souri Rive r about 25 miles from Glasgow. Earl's p a r en t s wante d us t o go there so on July 23, we started for Montana with 18 head of horse s and mules and three c overed wagons. Mr. Long's f ami l y consiste d of Billy Long , Fat her wife Olive E. and Chil dr en. Leli a E. being ir s . Bragg t he oldest , Joe & wife, L[...]i t tle road improvement just winding trails much of the way . Toward evening we would stop for the nite near water , and always there was plenty of feed for the stock . We often stop- ped n ear a s t ream and would seine for fish but never sought shelter only the covered wagon a..ua all our food was cooked over the campfire. Meal s were sure appreciated too at'ter bei jugg~ led all day in an old farm wagon, at m~t we sle pt in the wagons . There were many interesting incidents on the way . We arrived at the Missouri River Sept . 14, 1914 and made Camp near the land that Mr . Long and Joe had filed on . We were 54 days traveling . I think the next day after we arrived , a man rode into camp on a sorrel bald-faced horse with a J0-30 strapped on his saddle , His name was Frank Cole , an old timer there who proved to be a real friend and helpful neighbor .[...] |
| I will only rel ate a couple of amu sing incidents which were not so amusing to t he ones who had the experience. There were two brothers, Sherm an d F[...]ruded . So much t hat he acqu ired t he nick name of Beaver- tooth McCune. Bro She rm tr i ed often to[...]e time fo r brandin g must be done and they threw the horse down and tie d h i s feet or thought they did, Fred was hunch- ed down and when She rr.i appl i ed the iron one foot s l i pped the rope and with one kick t he t wo pr otrucing teeth disapp e a red, more quicklyand much le s s pain than a professional co uld p ossibly have done . Bud Nicols too , had a h or se r anch and a City cousin came out from St . Paul fo r a v i s i t, They were worki n g ho r ses too and would front - foot one and down he wo uld go on the hard baked ground of the corral , really hit t he ground h ard. A city cousin pe eking though between t he pole s w[...]jus t had t o do s omething abou t i t. There was a big straw pile near by whe r e they had t hres hed t he gr a in. He went to Bud and asked if he c ared i f h e c ar ried straw and c overed the corral for the horses t o f all on. No ; go c ar r y all you want to, which he did , and spent a couple of hours a t it. In the after- noon of the s ame day t hey t hought t ney wou l d have a little fun with the c ou s i n, so Bud a sked him i f he woul d like to go for a ride ; sure I would . They saddled a s uppose dl y gentle critter and he climbed on bu t a s expected didn 't stay. The gentle old fellow just broke i n t wo an d up, up, up h e went, c ame down, wind all knocke d ou t of h im . Getting hi s win d ba ck go t up, never said a word just went and got his pit chfork an d carrie d all the straw, threw it all over t he corr al fe nce. We filed on a piece of land joining Earl's f a t her and we re soon cutting logs for the cabins to be built. We were able to g et two of the cabins up before winter . One f or Joe and one for t he Long family, Earle and I slept in a t ent all that winter wi t h no heat, and some of the nites would go down t o 40 below. We wer e broke flat when we landed , but in the spring of 15 we manage d t o get a cabin up, built with log s and the roof was made by splitt- ing log s an d fitting t[...]sod and fitting this about six inches thick over the s plit one s , we had one door, just boards naile[...]. We had taken some bed clothes with us but f or a bedstead we went to an old mill set and found slabs , naile d them to the log wall with strips across . By this time we were pretty well accustome d t o this type of bed . We had le arned to adjust to whatever circu[...]our way . This was good for us for homestea ding in Eastern Montana foun d us in many circumstances that required hard work, s acr[...]ork . For chairs we used nice smooth round blocks of wood. We use d the cluck box off the wagon for kubbard and dining table . We ha<l no range stove , we used a small wood heater with a round oven in the pioe as a combination heat and cooking unit . For a floor we scraped the ground smooth , wet it oown an d tried to think i[...]yway ~arle somehow kept it clean and furniture ne a t . Sa~e hen , Jackrabbit , fish, potatoes was a pretty re ~u l ar diet , desert consisted of buffalo berries , a tarty, small re rl ber r y that we picked from a 3f~ |
| scrubby thorne d brush. Af t e r a f reeze the be rry seem to s of ten and loose some of its tarty, s har pne s s, t hen s hr i ve l and b[...]was no work to be foun d unt i l Bundle Threshing in the f~ll of -1915, when we crossed t he Missouri r iv er and[...]t ogether with f ood and horse feed too, we had a ni ce s oft bed in the s t raw s t a ck . Believe it or not this was re ally apprec[...]er, when I went home late f all, I had fo od f or the wi nter and flooring for the cabin. On September 15t h, 1915 our f irst baby a r ri ved, and a s usua l we were without fun ds so we went acros s t he fer ry t o a Mrs. Roy as she was a real good midwife and pr oved to be a fine f ri end and I worked picking corn to sett[...]on . Sept. 19,1919 Sylvia Lee came . to us, born a t home and Grandma Roy came and stayed and care[...]n ot Mrs. Sylvia Wilkins, Tacoma, Wash. She i s a widow, l os t ;her hus band while in service. Years l a ter Dor othy wa s born on Marc h 28th,1 926 . Sh[...]has 3, Sylvia, 1, Dot 4 , Dot lives 5 miles out of St e ve nsville on an acreage. I worked on the ro ad during the sunnner month and Earl e and a helper, us ually Buck Crid er, put up t he hay an[...]but we were re ally h ap py and kept bus y mos t of the time. We had goo d , helpful n e ighbors and under stood each other as we were about all in t he same b oat . We had three different pl a ces while we wer e there , trade d the land we filed on for a pl ace down on the rive r bott om , t hen trade d that for the ol d Frank Cole pl ace . We lived there unt i l t[...]t Peck reservoir . We came t o Ravall i Co. i n the extreme we stern part of the s t ate. Now l ive in Steven- sville, a qui e t s lee py, t own where many old retire d people now make up muc h of t he population of about 800 . Our recreation was fishing , hunt i n g , ridin g in the hills . I remembe r on e time Geo r ge Edwards came down from his ranc h and wanted t o go fishing . The Long boys an rl I took him to the Mi s sour i r i v e r and wen t seining . This was one of the mor e suc c e s s - f ul trys as we caught 3 spoo[...]d 57lb, 43 , one 37 l b s. We had ne ver seen any of this t ype so we too were quite excited . We f ound some cougar tracks down in the brush and de c i ded to g o after them . We came in with 3 of the big cats that me asured about s ix feet from nose to ti n of tail . Entertainment c onsisted of ; for the younger and more active there was the neighbor- hood dance and we always looked forward each year ·for the rode o at the Bud Nic ol ' s ranch where they would r un in a bunch of bronc ~ off the range an0 everyone enjoyed the bucking contest , both saddle , and bareback . Ol[...]all we r e successfuL Sometimes j ust g etting on a saddle-horse an d riding out on the free range sometimes spot t ing antelope , coyote[...]ive , she passed away last Fall . Frank died here in Missoula at the age of 92 . Hermin Mielke , a bachelor, Bob Mielke, Shorty Thomas , Al Thomas Cl a r ence Palmer , Roy Russell,Nell Byrum, Frank Bales, Frank Mar t i n Cb arles Mart in, Tom Kent , Ed Slaughter, Billy Nelson , H[...] |
| [...]ble, Dick and Clara Miller Royce Biddle. One of the well known places was the old Lismas ferry boat which run by cable, was operated by Walt Embleton for many years and the Martins for some time and was re placed by a power boat, regular fee was $1.00 Team wagon, or car; 25¢ a passenger. First School was held in what we called the blu e house or McCune place 4 month term. Then a school house was built on S.W. corner of Tom Riley Place which we acquired, later on A Mrs. McIntyre I believe was one of the first teachers, she lived in the school-house while teaching . Then we had a lady Miss Alice Solberg , 9 month term, Miss Fern[...]hs and Ruth Vial, 9 month term. We left this year in September for western Montana . The blue house spoken of . previously later became the home of Frank and Olive Cole. The children attending were; Kur th, Slaughter, Biddle, Bragg, Thomas, Yates and Crider. The school house was u sed for Sunday school and a Rev. Johnson, a Presbyterian Minister from Jordan came and held a service on a Friday nite once a month . He was very good. He once told us his Grandfather didn't want him to be a Minister. After preach- ing a while, Grandfather said "I still don't see taking a first class busine ss man to make a third class preacher!" Sometimes we didn't have l[...]go out and run his Ford front wheels up on blocks of woo d so the beadli hts would shine in at the windows then sing, sing, pray and preach.[...]end Belows The Bragg Family |
| The Biddle's[...]and on t he Mi ssouri Rive r and ig Dry i n 1919 which was then Valley County but soon the river cu t though and we were in Garfiel d County, on an Island which we cal led it. We had 3 chil dren George, Vernon and Esther . They went to school in a one-room school house 2 miles away and had to cross the Big Dry river bed which wa s dry excep t in the s pring and after a big rain. One morning in spring we boys started out for school. The snow had been thawing a l ot dur ing the days, I stepped outside the door and I heard the water in the Big Dry come roaring down and I went to see if I[...]as 7. Vernon was little and chubby and Ge or ge s a id "I didn't think he could make it", but they did, they had to miss a few days of school. We had nice neighbors: Carrie Crider and children , The Delbert Braggs, Bob Milkie, A.P. Thomas•s, Eldridges , Coles, Slaughters, Nelson and Art Blew. Mrs. Blew was a good friend of mine , when she passed away it left an emptines s in my heart . We also had some gooc times in the little school house , school entertainments and d[...]had Sunday School every Sunday morning .where all the neighbors came . There was a minister from Jordan 1 00 miles away that came down once a month and con- ducted services, Brother Johnson, we called him , he stayed at our p lace a lot and he took the boys fishing . I had canned a lot of Chokecherrys and he go t a slice of bread and put chokecherry syrup and cream on it.[...]mes . One morning someone holler- ed from accross the river and said that Royce's Mother was quite sick and wanted him to come , it was in the spring of the year and the ice on the Missouri was soft , The Ferry didn't run yet so he had to cross on Cables, as there was a Cable Ferry at that time . He got accross all rig[...]e . We raised Cattle, Pigs and Chickens on the Island and had horses on the open range . Our neighbor, Bub Milkie had raised a lot of melons one year and he and Royce piled up a double wagon box full and took them to the Fair in Glasgow where they sold every 0Le of them . Life went on this way on the Island till the Fort Peck Dam came along then we sold our place and the neighbors went some here some there some of them we never saw again. George and family now lived in M~desto , Calif. Vernon and family live in ~orthville , Michigan and Esther and family live in Bellflower, Calif . and I have an apartment in Bellflower, Calif . and Royce passed away in 1952 . More about the Biddles by George Biddle Mom & Dad homesteaded on a piece of land that was originall.v in Valley County until the Missouri River cut through at the extreme north and made an island out of the property. The homesteading took place in approximately 1918. They built a cabin on the island in 1920 and moved there when I was a baby. I started Lismas School in September of 1925 , but when the Big Dry came down we were isolated from the school and the first year I had to stay at Braggs' place on the top of the hill for a week or two until the water receded. 315 |
| Vernon started school in 1927, and in February 1928 he and I were almost caught when the water came down very rapidly. In the summer of 1928 we bought the Bragg place on the top of the hill, 3nd Braggs kept the place down on the flat about three quarters of a mile south and east of us. In 1931, the height of the depression, our cash income was just a little over $200. I graduated from the eighth grade~in the spring of 1933, stayed out of school one year, and in the spring of 1934 moved to Glasgow where we went through High School. As I recall, Dad started working in the Ft. Peek Dam in 1932 as a brush clearing foreman. S011e of the neighbors are still living in the Fort Peck or Glasgow area. Winter scene on the Crossing the Dry Mr. Mrs. Royce Biddle Preach[...]Biddle Kids and a few co.rote & skunk |
| The Crider family Jason Crider and Carrie Brag[...]m Dora and Crider, Missouri with their five sons in 1916. They homesteaded in the Lismas area in the North- ern part of Garfield County just south of the issouri River . In 1918 Jason Crider died of self-inflected gunshot wounds. Mom and the boys lived for the next three years in their log shack with a dirt floor. She then married my dad; 11 Teddy the Greek", Ted Paulos (Papadapaulos) who came to the U. s. at the age of 16. Dad had a place below Fort Peck . He said he lived in a dugout and run sheep. All of we children attended Lismas School at one time or another. As for neighbors, we lived at times all the way from Art Blew's house on the river to Kenneth King's shack near arrens, (only a little while though when we returned from Great Falls) outside of that the neighbors I remember best were: Ed Slaughter, Al Thomas, Art Blew, Royce Bi[...]Tom Elderige, Bill Nelsons and Dave Smiths. The redmen were on Reservations and the buffalo were all gone when I was born, but I always heard that there were still buffalo crossing the river below Frank Cole's house when he move there . The arrowheads were plentiful on that ridge between us and Coles. They once plowed a single furrow and found a number of them. The Crider and Paulos families have drifted in many dir- ections. Mom, Carrie Paulos is dead . Hubert "Buck" Cri der &: family live in Glasgow, Jack Crider makes his home with his Uncl[...]at Stevensville, Montana . · Bascan Crider lives in Tacoma , Wash.; Earl Crider lives in anta Clara, Calirorn1a, Erntst "Monk" Crider works for the Dana Ranch near Great Falls, Eva Paulos, now Mrs. Kenneth A. Br own ~i v e s in Denver & Bill Paulos lives in S~n Andreas, California. Sent in by Eva Paulos Brown,Denve r,Colo.[...] |
| A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SLAUGHTER FAMILY BY: Ernest[...]and Dora Belle Teeter were married Feb. 22, 1892, in Missouri. Three of their children were born there., Sidney, Ralph and Lillian. In a covered wagon they left Missouri to go to Oklahoma in 1900. The remainder of the children were born in Oklahoma, and some were left burried there. The Slaughter family lived 19 years in Oklahoma, before moving to Montana. In November 1936, Ed and Dora Slaughter again pulled[...]ame to Idaho with their parents. Here they bought a farm in the Deer Flat area, 11 miles out of Nampa. They lived on this farm until their death. Ed Slaughter passed away in 1940. Dora Slaughter passed away in 1943. Sidney Slaughter never married. Passed away in May 1958. Ralph Slaughter married Anne Crockett in 1925. They were divorced in 1946. He remarried later in 1946. They lived in Glasgow, Montana. Ralph died in July of 1,59. They had no children. tillian Slaughter was married to John Colewell, in Blackwell, Oklahoma. They made their home in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Lillian had 2 children, Maxine[...]lwell. Vern Slaughter married Gertrude Ruby in Minot, North Dakota. There were three daughters b[...]atricia and Joyce. Lester Slaughter married in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. A daughter Bonnie, and a son Neal were born to them. James(Mack) Slaughter married "Babe" Custer, at the Custer Ranch in 19.34. They later moved to Nampa, Idaho. But move[...]Ernest Slaughter was married to Pauline McClaskey in June 1938. She pass ed away in 1941. He then married Rose Ann Lester in March 1945. They have three Children, Beverly Glover, Salem, Oregon: Barbara Rush, Nampa, Idaho: and a sonRaymond (Skip) Slaughter, now of the u. s. Army, stationed at Fort Ord, California. Er[...]na Louise Glover. Ernest and Rosie Slaughter live in Nampa, w~ere they both work; he as the foreman for the Idaho Concrete Pipe co., and she as an X-Ray technoligist at a Medical Center. (Thats• enough histor1 of us isn't it?) The baby of the Slaughter family was Lois. She married Willard Reed in ampa, Idaho in 1938. They have one daughter, Linda, and o[...] |
| THE ED SLAUGHTERS Ed and Dora Belle (Teeter) Slaughter came to Lismas, Mont. jn August of 1917. They left Oklahoma late in July and arrived in Montana on the 21 of August. The family drove there in a 1917 Model T touring car, that had kerosene lamps on the side, and a self starter hanging from the front. There we r e four adults and three children in the car, along with assorted personal possessions, bedding, food, cooking equipment, spare gas, etc. The members of the family on this journey were Ed. Slaughter, his wife, Dora, three of their sons, Lester, 14, James (Mack) 8, and Ernest , 4. Also two daughters, Lillian, 18 and Lois 4. The first night before going on to their new home was spent on a creek bed on the Big Dry. The next day they drove out from Lismas about six miles to a 320 acre ranch. The place had been homesteaded , so there was a one room log house, that. had dirt floors and sod or dirt roof. Later another room was added . All the plumbing was well situated out of doors. Six horses we r e shipped from Bliss, Oklahoma to Glasgow that fall . The first winter there was very cold weather with plenty of deep snow . The first Christmas was spent at the Os car Gribble home. Neighbors of that day would gather at different homes for an evening of singing , talking and refreshments. Most of the holidays were s pent in muc h the same manner. Later Ed Slaughter filed on a 320 acre tract, and homes- teaded this land . In the spring of 1918, the two eldest sons enlisted in the u. s. Army , with the Balloon Corp. The boys had to walk from Lismas to the home place in deep snow for this "Good bye" te the family , then walk to Glasgow to the train that took t~em on . This was a very sad day for mothe r Slaughter. She had alrea[...]at birth or soon after. Mrs . Slaughter was the mid-wife for many of the women in the district . Even as far as 20 miles. She helped many of the local folks into this world, and was subject to call any ti me, day or night . Many or the names are forgotten, but two recalled to mind are Dorothy Blew, and Dorothy Bragg. One evening a man rushed into the house , saying he had hi-s wife in the car, and that she was in labor . That was all "Callie" needed to hear, so she picked up a blanket and bed she e t and went out to the car to deliver the baby . Then drove on to Glasgow with the couple and their new baby to the doctor there. These were the things that helped make each day exciting. Maybe there is some one that can remember the names of other babies deliv- ered by Mrs. Slaughter . The rodeos of that time were wild and fast. There were no fences or grand stands, only the wide open spaces. The motto seemed to be "May the best man (or horse) win, no matter how far he went. There wer e no school houses the first year the Slaughters were there. The children went to school at Frank Coles ' home. There was two rooms in this house, and the winter was so bad the children only went to school about 3 months of the school term, September, October and again in April. It was about 5 miles from the Slaughters home to Mr . Coles ,.[...] |
| Al Thomas and Ed Slaughter started to build the Lismas school house in 1919. There was only one room for all eight grades, with an average of 13 to 15 students. Frances Wood was the first teacher at Lismas. She lived at the Art Blew home, and taught there for two years. (?) Mrs. Edna Stacker (Charles) taught -the next year. Then there was a widow woman with one child that taught for awhile. Frances Wood returned to teach in about 1924. Alice Soleberg taught for one te[...]Madigan. Now someone else will have to go on with the teachers, because this was when my formal education ended. Some of the old land marks I can remember was the Cable Ferry that crossed the Missouri River from Lismas to the road to Glasgow. There were parts of the old foundation of Old Fort Peck. The old connnunity hall at Haxby, that had a dance every Saturday night. The Fort Peek Dam was started in 1933 and finished in 1938. President F. D. Roosevelt came to visit the dam and was presented with a cane made from the Diamond Willow. The name of the man that made the cane is forgotten. The Slaughter home place is under 250 ft. of water of the Fort Peck Dam (resivour). On a clear day, with the water down, one can see the old fence lines and a large rock of the Slaughter place. There was a horse outfit, caLled the C.B.C., that shipped wild horses to Illinois; Mac[...]ses for this outfit. Their main headquarters were in another county at the N-N Ranch. Some of the old timers to be Remembered are: John Will[...] |
| History of Lois Slaughter Reed by Lois Reed My first impression of Garfield County, Montana was one of abundance, ambundance of everything, s pace, emptiness, silence, heat, (It[...]ed for sheer ugliness. Grey sagebrush reaching to the borisona on all sides and each brush a potential home for rattlesnakes, bull snakes etc. I learned early in life to keep a sharp lookout for[...]er ever open a box without using a stick preferably a very long stick to raise the lid~ Many ti[...]tool box and found a huge snake enjoying the coolness wit[...]self arrived in my father's home-[...]iu t he fall of 1917 to a one-room log cabin with a dirt floor to[...]train Lois, Bill & Kimberly with the livestock & Machinery~ Needless to say our first years were hard ones on the old homestead but Mom and Dad managed to clothe u[...]ithin our fam i ly circle. We were taught to obey the laws of God and Man and Dad's razar strap was there handy, to be sure we did both. I was the youngest, so escap- ed the s p ankings bu~ my two youngest brothers were well caloused in certain areas. Mac was almost 5 years my senior a[...]& threatened into all t heir activities on threat of "You can't p l ay with us i.f you don't" and as I was one little girl in a · neighborhood of boys I "did". I was rolled down hill in barrels, curled inside an old tire, made to steal[...]moking efforts, etc etc. When we finally had a school-house to attend scho ol, we either had to walk or ri de horseback the 2½ miles to school so Mac decided to teach me to ride a horse. He put me in the saddle, handed me the reins & said,"Now, you can either ride him or fall off" so with a bro ther on either side of me, they whipped my horse into a run and I "rode em". I was seven at the time. I'll never forge t the time our brother Lester 'lost out ' in a fight agains t gravity. He reasoned that if he would get in an old buggy and Mac & Ernest would push him off the top of the hill by the time he reached the "coulee" at the bottom, he's have up enoug h speed to jump the"c.nulee~' 393 |
| Every thing went according to plan until he in the buggy reached the bottom of the hill. The buggy shot out into space & plummet- ed straight down and hit the bottom of the "Coulee" with such force that our pre-mature space-men shot up out of the ditch with such force that he landed on the bank above. I was scared until I saw Mac & Ernest doubled up --with laughter rolling on the ground at the top of the hill. I s[...]managed & had our share of happiness a[...]Christmas programs in good old Lismas school house and the smell of the tree & its[...]l o~•r the hills I had long ago, learned to love. Dancing in Communit[...]Tubby Mr. Conklin in constant & hurried attendance at the refreshm[...]ughter's lap and his face was red for hours. In early June when the rivers were running full and the cat- fish easy to catch, we had many 11 fish-fry"[...]"Uncle Dell's" bees at honey extracting time and the huge dishpans full of pop corn. Dear Mrs. Thomas always served the dozens of kids who made her home their regular meeting place. Nellie & Burdick Lund: Nellie kept the girls beauti.ful with her beauty shop in her home. She knew we had no money so always told us she needed to 11 keep in practice". There was Scotty Embleton, Frank[...]artin and Mrs • . Duell who seemed to have been in the county forever & would ,alwa~ be there. Mrs. Duell was the loviest of ladies, loved by all who knew her, as unlike her[...]e day when my brother Ernest was delivering mail, in his rattletrap Model A; he was coming down the Joe Lang Hill and his right back wheel reached the bottom be.fore he did. What a car that was, you had - to turn the wheel around twice before it would grab and I -re[...]e day because it wouldn't go forward. It was a wonderful feeling to know and be known by everyon[...]remember walking to visit our very dear frie~ds, the Bill Nelson family. They were .four miles away & walking home again in the cool of the evening. 39~ |
| Dear, dear 11 Kipee 11 who ran the ferry boat at Li smas crossing cc wha's love for Schlitz beer always made him say "Bring me a bottle of the beer I can't pronounce because I lisp." Across the Bi g Dry River from us lived Buck Jensen a con- firmed bachelor and I'll never for ge t his[...]owed another "start" and I never attemp ted to be a good Samaritan again in his behalf. He got the "Mange" from skinning a Coyote and his hair came out in patches to his extreme embarrassment. Poor Buck, he was a wonderful friend to everyone in the neighborhood and they in turn loved him. The wonderful good times I had with my dearest friend[...]ies. Lola Rae could type beautifully when 4 years of age and had the lovliest dark eyes I have ever seen. We were all bereft when she p assed away with a bra.in tumor at the age of 7. This are so many memories of those 19 years in Garfield County. I remember: Kell & Effie[...]and who thought if you drank milk and ate fish at the same meal you would surely be very ill. Very elde[...]n. Carrie Crider and her seven children, who were in our h ome so much they seemed like my own brothers. Fern and Lura Nelson riding the six miles to Lismas School past our home and exp ert riders at that. I>ee Stockton, teaching me to use a 410 gauge shotgun & rifle to kill sage hens ~ prairie dogs from the back of a horse. Riq.ing fence line al one_ or with my dad around our 1680 acres, 400 acres of "school land" included. Going· to Sunday School in our little one room school house with Delbert Bragg leading the singing and hearing my Mother's voice cle ar and strong above all the others. The beauty of that wild r ugged country's Sunrises and sunsets so brilliant as to make you catch your breath. The silence of long winter days and nights and the cold: The coming of thou s ands of peo yle of all kinds when Fort Peck dam was built and the gradual and painful leaving of friends of a life time to goodness knows where. whole communities evacuat ing until finally the time for us too, to leave. . · We left our log cabin home in Nov. 1936 and arrived in Weiser Idaho the middle of December the same year where we lived until March 10, 1937 . M[...]brother, Sid bought an 80 acre farm 9 miles south of Nampa, Idaho in Feb, 1937 and we were living there when Ernes t I met and married our res pective mates. Ernest married a lovely blonde gi rl in the summer of 1 38 while I had married my "Bill" in Sept of 1937. Ernest wife p assed away 3 years after their marriage and he later married another lo~ely girl~with a small daughter, this time a brunette. Bill and I lost our only child, a son, at birth on Nov.30,1938 and 4 years later we adont ed a wee little bit of a girl, 7 weeks old with black eyes and hair. The pride of our lives, Linda. When her 1st. marriage failed a[...]. Linda remarried and Bill & I have had small Kim in our home for the past seven years . Needless .t o day, s h[...] |
| [...]Ed Slaughter 5. A day at the Al Thomas Ranch[...]e Cubes' on the Missouri River at Lismas |
| The Billy Nelsons Story Billy Nelson was bor[...]pringfield, |
| We lived on thi s ranch a little over two years, then moved to the West side of the Big Dry where we thought the pasture was a little greener and we could do a little better. The home we moved to had been a "road house", as it was on the eross road , east,west, north and south. We had lots of people stopping by, and never got very lonely. We lived there two years, then moved to a raneh on the Missouri River bottom. We still had the Missouri River to contend with, as we had no mail route on the south side of the river. In the summer my husband and neighbors would cross in a row boat t o get the mail that had been left for us on the other side of the river. One fall in November, it had snowed and turned cold sudd- e[...]s and Kel's hired man, Hank, decided to cross on the ice to get the mail. They tied ropes to each other then strung out quite a ways apart and crawled across on the ice. This way if one fell in, the other two could pull him out. The last man to get across was Hank, and he fell through the ice. The other two pulled him out but his clothes innnedi[...]ied to lick snow off an old discarded stove near the house. The tongue immediately froze to the stove. I went to see abo ut her and saw she was stuck to the stove. I knew it would be of no use to thaw her tongue loose with cold water, so I took a tea-kettle of hot water and poured it on 'the stove; then had to use a knife to cut her tongue loose. · The house we had moved into on the "River Bottom" was a log house. We were remodeling it, but before we could get the mop boards on, the cat chased a big diamond-back rattler from under- neath the house up through a hole where the mop boards should have been and on i n to the living room. It had me cornered as I couldn't get out of the room unless I went by it, and it was on the fight. I finally found something and tried to kill it, but it slipped back under the house again. The next day we got the mop boards put on. ,On one occ asion as I came back from Glasgow, I had to cross the Missouri River when it was running quite high. Kel Moss had a make shift row boat. He was taking, besides himself, a neighbor man and wife, myself, also five hundred pounds of flour in the row boat. We started to go across, I looked up stream and saw a big tree floating toward us. I was so frightened I was nearly paralized. The other l~dy nearly fainted, Mr. Moss said,nRose, don't you move or I will hit you in the head with this oar". The tree was swept down in the under current and out of sight, went under our boat and came up below us. We all said,"Never again will we try to cross the Missouri like thisl" While we were living at the Missouri River the Mandan boat made its la~t trip up the River to Fort Benton, occasionally small freight boats would go up the river, we would often go and watch the boats a s they went by. The Missouri River has taken man~ lives and leaves a sad memory for many. Billy used to get on a bronc and when the bronc would quit bucking he would ride by a post where I had put his hat and woul~ collect hi[...]nate when his horse threw him and kicked out some of hjs teeth. |
| We lived on the river ranch a little over two years, then moved back to the Big Dry where we had lived before. We lived there until the Fort Peck dam went in and was about to flood us out. As I think back I feel I had the most wonderful neighbors we all had to move .o ut on account of the dam being built. So my friends made me a friendship quilt with their n ames on it. As I look at the quilt now, I find nearly all of these ladies have pass ed away. We had spent many[...]e there were: picnics, church socials, etc. In the spring of 1938 we moved to a ranch ten miles north of Jordan and lived there until my husband passed away in 1962, then I moved to Jordan. This is but a small part of my lif'e in Garfield County. With the Round-up crews, bronc busting, roping and brandin[...]ties, everyone was jolly and always met you with a friendly "Hello". Friends were always there to lend a helping hand in time or need. To me Garfield County is the dearest place in all the world. True Friendship In friendship there is comfort and encouragement to gain; And it is quite the same as an umbrella in the rain. It guards against the stormy sky, it keeps the tears away, And it is there to help you bear the burden of your day. A friendship never leaves your side, if it is tried[...]have won, it belongs to you. No matter what the problem, or hOW'ever dark the dawn; It is your inspiration and your courage to go on. In freindship there is faith and hope, and boundless charity; A helping hand and most of all, .sincerest sympathy.[...]nknown. lea & Blll,y The Billy Nelson Family[...] |
| [...]Dave and Vira Smith, who had never been out of the state of Missouri, decided to come to Montana to take up a homestead and raise good Montana beef. Dave had been helping a man in Missouri feed and sell out the cattle that had been shipped there from Roundup, Montana and knew just what good cattle could be raised in Montana. Dave who had been working for $20. a month feeding stock had an offer of $40.00 per month to come to Gauge,Montana and he[...]eraging around $30.00 per month.) It was in the middle of March of 1917 that Dave and Vira arrived at Glasgow,Montana to find Glasgow "under water". The Milk River had been flooding. They gathered their belongings together and started for Lismas and the Haxby connnunity. They knew a fellow by the name of Bill Dixon who had come from Missouri and homesteaded on the Big Dry. Vira described this new area, "nothing but sage brush, sage hens and cattle trails with no roads of any kind." They reached the Missouri River at the Llamas crossing late in the evening and decided to wait until morning to cross. At Lismas Mrs. Day had a small place where she cooked meals for some of the stoppers and also had a place to stay. Being new to the ways of the early days in Montana, the Smiths were not acquainted with the people and their joking ways. Mrs. Day immediate[...]could not cook and serve meals to people without the bacon. Smiths wanted a place to stay all night. Frank told them to stay in one of the cabins that were there, but when they found a cabin to stay in they were afraid to leave it to go eat for fear that they might not be allowed to have the cabin for the night. Another "Mile-Stone" of the travels was reached when they came to the "Muddy Missouri River" as at this time of the year the ice was breaking up in the river and the water was high. Frank Martin who was always on hand to assist a needy person across the river was there with his little row-boat. Dave asked Frank if he thought that the boat was safe for a woman to ride in and Frank said, "It is if she will sit still". They then came across the river in the little row boat; after Frank had brought Winks Cramer across to test the boat to see if they could get across in it. The Smith's than went up to see Bill Dixon who was living on a homestead. Bill had several plots of land picked out for them. A family by the name of Arndt was having some trouble and wanted to sell his relinquishment so the Smith bought the Arndt reliquishment for $400.00. At this time there were qu ite a few persons living in this area. There was a family on about every 320 acres. Mr. Smith s aid that there we r e about 9 different families within a mile and a half of their place. Some of the early settlers in this area were: Th~ Ed Barums, the George Edwards, the Bill Dixons, Phil McKennas, Fred Buck Jensen, the ~ Slaught ers, the Daubs, the "Doc" Baldwins; the Al Thomas family, The Jordan Slaughters, the F.cl Nelsons Charley Nelson, the Petersons; Tony Stansfield, Jack Norvilles, the Longs and John Dillon.[...] |
| Since Glasgow was the nearest place to trade there was another problem, of crossing the Missouri River each spring and fall. When the river was running, the Ferry Boat would take passengers across at Mismas, but at the other times the Ice would prevent the boat from running. One fall day Dave and Al Thomas went to Glasgow to get the winter supplies, but when they returned the next day slush ice was running in the River as it had turned suddenly cold. The Ferry Boat had been taken out for the winter. Dave and Al took their teams to Kirk Stanleys and turned. them in the pasture and took the Row boat across the river. The next morning the ice had jammed in the river and a light skim of slushy ice about 3 inches thick covered the river which could be crossed on if you were careful. Dave and Al quickly got the wagons and suppli~s pushed across on the ice and then went back for the horses. 'l'hey decided to take the least valuable horse first, in case he didn't make it. This was a horse called "Tommy" that Dave had bought from Gribbles and was kind of "spooky". They put two ropes on the horsd. Dave went ahead of the horse and Al was behind, each had a rope and was quite some distance from the horse. Al would "rush the horse"to get him to go over the ice. They got to the bank of the river, but the horse would not go into the trough that they had improvised to help the horses on to the bank, as the ice was thin and the water just 18 foot deep there. After the scare from Al the horse jumped into tthe water and had his front feet up on the bank; then the next scare put him out of the water and over the bank. They then took the three horses across in this same way, but the last one to cross was a large horse of Al Thomas's and he fell through the ice into the water, but finally managea to get back on solid ice and across the river. Other persons who were leary of crossing their outfits on such thin ice had to wait as long as a month to cross over. Oh yes, we had wrecks in that day, also. One time Dave was coming home from threshing grain at Jack Norvilles and was taking a cut across country. It was after dark and Dave wa[...]extra wagon home hooked on behind his grain Rack. The horses started down hill, the rack run up on the horses which frightened them. One horse went one direction and the other went straight ahead, right over a steep bank. The horses broke the harness apart, and Tonnny ran off into the night, while Bobby rolled down the steep bank, the wagon tongue stuck into the ground and the wagon summersaulted over, tore up the wagon but didn't break the tongue. Where did Dave go? He went right through the front end of the rack, making a big opening in the front of the rack, skinned his ribs, but otherwise not hurt. H[...]oceeded home with one horse, until he came across a badly frightened Tommy several miles to- ward home. He took the two horses home and came back later to pick up the pieces of the wreck. One night while Dave and Vira was living on the homestead there came a knock at the door. Vira said, "I was scared and did.rte want Dave t:> go to the door". Dave opened the door and a man said "I am Ed Nelson and I live on Rock Creek[...]ill think that you have killed me." That night Ed a11d Nellie Nels on and son, Lyle, stayed all night with the Smiths. Most of these homeste~d shacks were one- room or two-room cabins as was the Smiths so beds were made on the 4ul |
| floor and the bedding divided for everyone. The Smiths later purchased more land and run good Hereford Beef cattle from 1917 to 1948 when they retired. Most of the pasturing of cattle was done on the open ranges. Vira helped Dave by riding herd on the c~ttle as well as doing the housework. Then came Fort Peck Daml This was a headache, as the Smith's land was included in part of the land that would be under the Fort Peck waters. The land was appraised by some person who had never lived on a ranch or knew nothing of the land value, as many of you who had land under the Fort Peck Water Rights will remember. The buildings were piled together and oil poured over aJ.l and burned. This was not the case of the Dave Smith home. The workers came to destroy the buildings so that they would not float down into the waters of the Dam. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were still here and would not let them destroy the house which was a modern home just a few years old. After much discussion and bickering, the enginee~s offered to sell the house back to the Smiths for a total of $25.00. Dave paid the $25.00 and the price of moving the house off the land .md moved his house to Jordan it still stands and they have retired and live in it. After moving from the Big Dry, Dave bought a place on the Woody and continued to run Hereford cattle until his retirement in 1948, then he mc,.red to Jordan to live. For recreati on the Smiths worked, played for dances, went to picnics and visited with the neighbors. As Told by Dave and Vira Smith, two of the finest persons I have known since[...]watermelon that was raised on the f'~[...]RoyceBiddle at the saw, cutting ice Vira Smith, Pearl & Blanch Pangburn tor refrigeration- 1928. Not enough with a 1 small catch'[...] |
| Tom Eldredge Born in Iowa in 1885. Moved to Minnesota in 1900. Came to Montana in This is the way I happened to locate where I did north of Haxby. A For recreation we had dances in any house that had a room big enough for |
| to the North. These people were all old timers when we came. My sister Olive married Frank Cole, one of the Cole Brothers that a ranch on the river. They had come there in 1902. Frank and Olive are both gone now. Their oldes t son is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force now flying freight plane s to Vietnam every two weeks. Folks in the Haxby ne i ghborhood at that time all went to Glasgow to do our trading, crossing the river on a cable ferry or the ice when the river was frozen over. The Edith Cole Story South of Glasgcm. It was a very isolated county, just cowboys. There were no[...]folks. |
| [...]to John and Caroline Barrett in Corn- wall,England,May 19th 1878. The family of John Barrett came to America in 1879 when Brem was one year old. Mrs. Barrett and the children went by trai[...]On that trip bandits boarded the train and Caroline re[...]and hid it and her money in Brem• s clothing, t[...]sville,Montana(near Helena). A few years later the family moved to a ranch near Augusta. At the age of 13 Brem started to work on ranches in the area including the FUF and Fay Ranches. The summer of 1902 Brem and his younger brother, John, brought their cattle and belongings to the Squaw Creek, where Brem took up a homestead (now owned by Glen Cesna). John stayed only about a year. Brem worked for the Hooker and Kramer ranch and repped for the Squaw Creek Pool, H. Cross, and other well known[...]chool at Leedy,Montana. They moved that spring to the ranch on Lone Tree (30 miles west of Jordan). They stayed on Lone Tree until 1929 when they moved to the north side of the Missouri River. In 1938 they bought the Tom Stratton place in Phillips County. Myrtle Evans was born at F[...]ebruary 9th, 1884 to William and Elizabeth Evans. In the summer of 1902 the family moved to Culbertson. The family ranched and raised cattle and horses. Myrt[...]Antelope before going to Leedy to teach. To the Barretta were born six daughters and t wo sons. E[...]Clara, Gladys, Shirley and Beatrice all attended the Swanser School; only Brenchley, their son, did not attend that school. Brem was a rugged individual with a hearty "Hello" that took you ~ight into his he art. He was insulated with a s aving sense of humor and his built-in character was the quality tha t made his life a success. He might razz you unmercifully but[...]his own misfortunes but was always ready to help a neighbor through his difficulties. Annihila[...]up by his bootstraps until he was sitting on top of the world financi ally. Myrtle stood shoulder to shou[...]uraging, sharing, and comforting . They exemplify the pioneer spirit t hat won the west. 1/-0!1- |
| He and his faithful wife, Myrtle, left their children the heritage of doing with and without. His children remember him as a hard driving, fun-making, family-loving father who instill- ed in them the qualities of honesty, loyalty and inititive. Myrtle passe[...]7, 1945 and Brem passed away October 10th 1955 on the ranch. Three of their children have passed away. Their second child, a son, died in infancy; Brenchley their second son was killed from a fall off a horse in October 1939; and Gladys and her husband Frank Weiderrick were killed in a train-truck accident in November 1961. All of their remaining daughters are married and live in eastern Montana. Two of them, Ethel and Shirley still reside in Garfield County. Ethel, Mrs. Phil Fellman, has always lived there and Shirley, Mrs. John Ryan, has lived in the Brusett area all of married life. The others are as follows:[...] |
| THE LOOMIS FANILY Fred Loomis was born Octob[...]We came from Michi gan to Miles City, Montana in the year |
| THE LAWRENCE SWANSER STORY[...]y parents, Lawrence and Maggie Swahser, came here in 1913 from Lewistown and filed on a homestead in the Brusett area, when Loney and I were real Sll&ll. We lived in a tent the first summer while Dad and Bill Beckel built the Rock House that is still standing and is occupied. Mother came to the United States from Scotland with her grandmother when she was 7 :,ears old. They arrived in Canada and later made the trip to Montana by wagon to the Lewistown area with her aunt and uncle, Mr. & Mrs. Bill Kevin. That summer, that we lived in the tent, we had two pet wolf pups. The:, were real tame. One night Dad got home from the railroad with a six horse teaa and a wagon load of supplies. It was late, so he just dropped the harness where he stopped. The next morning he found his lines and parts of his harness all chewed in bits. • That ended the career o! the Pet Wolf Pups. L. to R.: Viola, Selah, Loney[...]Hunter |
| discovered worked that around the muleon stood Lewistown th the ranehtrip much better than the horses. He co-workers was the late Charles M• c a:sssel,[...]admired of his[...]"I ain't working now, I'm retired, but I had a few head now and then before the big freeze ruint us all in 1 88. I got in kind of a scrape about then and heades out of the country for a while. As we left, rrry partner got both his wood[...]f and couldn't walk good, and so he was caught by the sheriff. But I got me a pack hourse and wolded and rode all the way to the Klondike. Took me two years to get there. Didn't[...]back Bill to Montana." Cherry was a well known figure in Garfield County.[...] |
| THE T. K. STANTON FAMILY In August, 1914, Mr. and Mrs. T. K. Stanton and thei[...]n), Hattie, Irl, Ray, Ebert and Niles and one |
| Dances, dinners and baseball in the summer were our only kinds of recreation. In later years radios were shared with our neighbors. Coil had a little store down by Sheldons in the early years. Then Mrs. Highland had one later on. Then Baan Wille had the Brusett Store which is now owned by Leland Richards. The second year we were here our grocery bill was $120. We had to pay $20.00 for 100 pound sack of sugar for which I still have the bills. Our neighbors to the north were Mrs. Ness and d~ughters, Louise Hauso,[...]rs. McDonald and Christie Lervick. Northeast of us were Ralph Reeves, Lester Jays, bud Goins. East of us was Dents. South of us were L.A. Swansers, Cora Wells, Henry Clay and two children, Willie and Mary. To the West were Lizzie Cheevers, a widow, and hired man, Jack Beck, u. G. Adkins, an[...]; J.E. and Bill. They have 12 grandchildren. In 1932, Niles married Clara Worthington. They had 1[...]ey have eight grandchildren. Irl passed away in 1944. We had one boy, Glenn, and one girl, Dora ([...]have 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. In 1956, I remarried to P.R. ttcurly" Cooper. He had 9 children and several grandchildren. Both the girls, Hattie and Ida have passed away. Hattie ha[...]Lagge), Orlena (Michael) and Margaret (Wedel) and a number of grandchildren. Ida had two boys, Marvin and Otis. Niles passed away in December, 1968, leaving one of the original family still living. That being Ebert, who h.s. s a trucking firm in Jordan. Three of the widows still live in the county and I, being the other, make it bac k to visit each summer. All of the land homesteaded by the family is still owned by descendents with[...] |
| HISTORY OF THE DAVE FPENCHES AND T"tlEIR FAMILY My parent[...]S~afford, |
| look at his race horses. He had several which he entered in the races at Malta and elsewhere. Bob Cooper lived on what was l a ter called the Wes Huston Ranch. The only r anches at that time , between Jordan and Henry Linebarger's were Barretta, Kreamers and the Sims Ranch. A man by the name of Papsey Lal Williams l i ved down where Charlie Crane later took up his homestead. Soon followed the Dave Linebargers and fa mily, Maude, Walt er, and[...]son, Bill, and daughter, Helen, and Antrims came a little later on. In the fall of 1907 an early winter caught us with our house only a few logs high so lived in a one room cabin on the Henry Linebarger place. We were later told that some horse theives had lived there a year or two before. In March we went bac k to the Sims ranch, where my sister Doris was born March 28th, 1908. In July 1908 we went back t~ North Dakota to prove up on my father's homestead. In 1910 we returned to Montana. We visited a short time with the Clarence Heisels on Woody Cree k . Mr. and Mrs. S[...]Aareta had married Clarence. We then went back to the Blackfoot Country and Dad took up a homestead joining Henry Linebarger on the East. As a summer school was in progress, my bother and I attended the rest of the term. Mrs. Trotter was the teacher, and those attending besides my brother a[...]z abeth and Johnny Trotter. 'Ibis was then called the Linebarger school. During the time before I wa s married and moved to South Dakota, the teachers at the Linebarger School were: Mrs. John Trotter, Amelia[...]went very little that winter as Marjorie was born in August. The winter was similar to this year of 1968-1969. Our entertainment was dances and a few picnics in the summer with of course a big celebration nearly every 4th of July. I remember one 4th of July very distinctly, when several families of us including Mr. and Mrs. Locke and family, Mr. and Mrs. Antri~ - Mr. and Mrs. Wes Huston, h is sister and a small daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Laipple, and a few others besides ourselves went to Jordan with teams and wagons. We camped some- wheres close to where the lumber yard is at prese nt. This was a 90 mile round trip for us and farther for t h ose living in the breaks. Another outstanding 4th of July was when Mox Magallon rode Henry Linebargers horse called "Copper" at the r.:.odeo. "Copper" had thrown every man that bad tried to ride h i m thus far. Old Copper wiped the grotmd first on one side and then the other bawling every time he made a swipe but Mox rode him to a finish. We thought nothing of going 35 or 40 miles horseback to a dance. One time eight of us went to a dance at Ga l lengers horse- b k d th Gall[...]r saddle horses. Mr. ~~ Mrs~~utt: used to come up the Leedy Tra i l h orseback to the dances at the Linebarger School. Mrs~ Butts rode a side saddle and she always brought a delicious ca e.[...] |
| I began teaching school at Lou Tripps when I was 18 in the year of 1916-17. They cleaned out the ice house and we had school in it. My- pupils were Clyde, John, Louise and Clara Tripp, and Ben Garthofner. While staying at Tripps in the fall we went down to Garthofners to a. dance in Ed Tripps Motor boat. It was a b~autiful boat ride. In the spring when the river had airholes in the ice we watched 16 head of three year old steers go down and nothi~E anyone could do to save them. We got our mail at the Leedy Postoffice. This was a nine mile trip horseback from our place and then we had tu cross the river. It was 30 miles around by road to Gallengers across from "Leedy". This road had many curves in it and in later years Lewis Butts could drive it with a car just as if it was a black-top bighwa1. In 1917-1918 I attended highscnool in Jordan. Some of the graduates were Clayton Farrington, Leland Wellma[...]d Mable Johnson. Mr. McIntosh was Superintendent. The two Ennis girls taught in the grades. Florence Fulford was our Home Econonics[...]glish and social studies. Mrs. Fraser ran the dormitory, which was the old Ambruster house, located across the creek on the hill. There were nine of us that stayed there. As the first world War was going strong and there was a shortage of teachers, I took the teachers exam and passed. I taught the Seiferd School that winter, 24 miles south of Jordan on Sand Creek. I had four pupils, the two Seiferd Girls and the two Church boys. The following summer in 1919 I taught one month at the Bragg school. They thought they had enough money for three months of school, instead they had money for one month each[...]years. Billy Louise, Our first daughter was born in 1920. In. 1928 we returned to Montana. We stayed in Dora Linebarger•s house all winter and went over to Melstone with Buster and Frances Knapp in the spring. We rented a farm arid during the winter we lived in Sumatra, where Burley worked and Louise went to school. WP. lived in Sumatra two years. In the Summer of 1929 we stayed one month at the Louis Butts ranch on the Missouri River while Louis and his wife took a vaca-tion. While there we were to meet Hannah Armingtou., Edna and Ed Skibby, and a girl from New York that was staying with her uncle. We were to meet them on the North side of the Missouri River, and go to a dance on Sun Prairie, which was 17 miles going the short cut, and 24 miles by the road, which we took coming back. Just before we had s[...]sen, Ben Garthofner, and Chuck Wardlo came riding in. After supper we went across the river in a boat .swimming our horses. Th is was the last big horse back ride I made. Lou ise was abo[...]ode double. on Sylvans 1 i ttle horse. Hannah had a small black puppy to travel. He was so tir[...] |
| to leave him there. We lived in Sumatra two years Burle worked at the gara ~e for Mrs. Bartlet and Bill Gut~an. y In the spring we rented Mrs. Badgley's place near Bruset[...]' ' Louise attended the Lone Tree School. Goldie Lia p-ple was her teac[...]ur most enjoyable entertainment at that time were the big community dinners and "sings'' we had at the different homes Mrs. Will Butts or "Dolly", as she was better known, sponso;ed most of these. Robert Beard and Mrs. Jones used to sing d[...]• We attended dances at the Lone Tree School and Fairview Hall. I sometimes[...]ances. Merle was born August 10, 1933 and in 1935 we moved to the Garrett ranch near Baan Willes store. We lived th[...]ise go to school. ' We lived in Jordan 28 years. During that time Burley worked as a carpenter, ran the li quor store, wa s undersheriff and judge. I cooked in the cafes one year, worked in the F. s. A. office for Duke Baumon and f or the County Agent, Maurice Zimmerman. We went out to Tacoma Washington in 1942, worked two vears in the ship yards. Louise wor ked there too while Vern Mury was in the army overs eas. We came back in 1944. In the fall of 1947 Merle and I went to Bi llings. Merle to High School and I to Eastern Montana College of Eduaa tion. In entering I took the G. E. D. test, passed and have kept up a ''B" average. I had one year of High School. After Christmas vacation I taught the "Pitzer" school until the end of the term, a nd Merle went to the Jordan School. During the time Merle was in hi gh school, she, Norma Strausburg, and Mary Alexander formed a dance orchestra. As they had no drummer that cou[...]hey needed, I took drum lessons from Gene Brown, the Ameri~an Legion's Blue ribbon Drummer, at ,.Eastern". That summer I bought a full set of drums and we played for dances all over Eastern Montana for three years. They called their orchestra the "Music Maids". In 1948-49 I taught the Harbaugh School with Gene and Don as pupils. In 1949-50 and 1950-51 I taught the Kester School. The last half, Nellie Kerr taught as I e nded up in the hospital with Pneumonia. The next summe r I taught part of the term at the North Star School as I wanted to atte nd Summer School at ''Eastern" in Billings. The followin g year I taught the Ca stle Butte School. The next two years I taught in Winne tt and we nearly always returne d to Jordan for the wee k ends a nd the summer months. I taught one more year in Garfield County at the Freedom School. After that I taught two years i n[...]years 1n Melstone, one year at Box Elder Sc h ool in Fer gus County, Th ree years at Bu ffalo, one year at Fore st Grove and two years at the Flatwillow School in Petroleum County. At pres e nt I am the Libraian in the Hobs on Hi gh School. During the summer I attended school in Billi ngs nearl y every ye ar and before we bought a home there, and my mo~her, Mrs. French 1 ve 1 our home here in Hobson we always returnei tg or~andas we v[...] |
| Louise married Vern Mury and he was killed in the 2nd World War. She later married Charles Allen. They have one daughter, Myrna Kay, Myrna married Jack Allen, the son of a Bozeman contractor, and we have two cute little g[...]Lenae, 4 and one half years, and Chuchie, one and a half. Merle married Don Bauman. They have six children, one boy, David a Jr. in high school. Donna a sophomore, De n ise a Freshman, Deree in Jr. High, Debbie in the 3rd grade and Dottie in the 2nd grade. Don's dad USA to be the F. S. A. man in Garfield County and Ot Bauman ran a cafe in ~ordan. The two families now own Eddies Corner and they all w[...]Taken at the Duncan Home[...] |
| A DRIFTER by Roland[...]I came from Kentucky, the state where I was born, where the corn is full of kernels and the colonels full of corn. I was born in a log cabin, I have split r[...]molasses, went without - sox laid in front of the fireplace, and read Diamond[...]I got fascinated with the West, got ahold of a pair of shoes and drifted up into Iowa and found a job tearing down an old building. The re was another drifter wo[...]h hiw. He said he went by the name of 0 1 Rielly. I asked why he did that and he said all of the railroad bulls were Irish and if they caught you bumming a ride and you gave them an Irish name, they usually turned you loose. We got in an emigrant car and got to Minneapolis. The Great Northern was shipping men to Bowdoin, Montana for $2.00 or to Armington for $J.OO for a job mucking (I never did know what that meant). We took the one to Bowdoin for $2.00, that left us with a little money to eat on. They gave us a passenger coach to ride in. They hooked us on train Number 3 that was a second class train that was better for us because it stopped at every station, which gave us a chance to get something to eat (a can of pork & beans, or cheese and· crackers, or a can of sardines). It was February, 1907 and they had had a hard winter. There were box cars along for stations in North Dakota and the snow was about level with the tops of them. They had a big chinook 1n Montana and the snow was about gone when we got near Saco. This 0[...]hoveling mud, so let's get off at Saco and get on the blind baggage and go right on to the Coast." We went through Bowdoin all right, but when we got to Malta and they stopped to take water, the fireman climbed up on the teQder to get the water spout. He saw us in there ~nd he put that spout (it was about 8 inches across) right over us and pulled the rope and drowned us both off. It was in the middle of the night. We went over to the Castle Berg Hotel and got a room for 50 cents, dried out and had enough left to get break- fast, and, that's the way I got to Montana. We were walking around next morning when a fellow asked us if we wanted a job, we s~:d yes and he bought me a bed and some clothes and took us out to the Larb Hills to work on a sheep ranch. I had a job watching a bunch of lambs and digging holes for a shed, while I was resting. (It's a cattle ranch now and a good one.) When lambing was over he took us to Malta. It was shearing time and it seems that the sheep shearers went on a strike and they were hiring anybody, so I went in and I./ I 7 |
| learned to she a r sheep. I shear~d for Saylor Brothers in 1915 ( but more about that later). When shearing was over I got a job haying on a ranch 50 miles south of Ma l ta, hnown as the Prouty Ranch belonging to the Prouty Com".nission Co., South St. Paul. They also ba d a ranch at Buford, North Da kota, that they used just for steers. We only put up hay for the saddle horses. (Th is place belongs to John Matovich now.) I fooled around out there for a year or so, then went to work for the Long X Cattle and Horse Ranch. There were two summers and one winter that I never went to town. The old timers called it "going to the road". Them days I never got lonesome as long as I could get some thing to read. I did burn up a lot of kerosene reading at night. One winter I s en~ off[...]a kes peare and O'Henry's wor1s. I never got mucp of a kick out of Sha kespeare (too dumb, I guess). I did li ke the O'Henry books. I read all of B. M. Bowers, Bertrand Sinclair, James Oliver Curwood, and Jack London. In fact about every- thir.g I could get my hands on. I was sou th of the river when Zane Grey came out with ttTne Riders Of The Purple Sage (the book that made him famous). Fred Gibson said to p[...]oter under your pillow to read that. I got the most kick out of running hors e s of any job I ever had. I changed horses five times one day. I got the horses you have heard the expression about "throwing up their tails", that'[...]. Two men can take them anywhere, one rider ahead of them and one behind, the one thing I didn't like, we run lots of colts to death. Jim Cotter had a sheep ranch half way between the Long X and Malta, and we stopped there lots to run horses. Cotter had a nephew that came out from New York, his name was Tommy Vaughn. 'Ihey wanted to make a ranch hand out of him, but Tommy didn't think much of work. All he wanted to do was get on a horse and follow us around. Jim Cotter had a brother called Mickey that called me "Rawlins". Somebody asked him what kind of a ranch hand Tommy was and .Mick told him, "He was just like that Rawlins, not worth a damn, only to ride a horse and dance. There was probably more truth than poetry to that. The fall of 1911, I was on the roundup for the Long X. We had made two shipments and had another herd together 50 miles south of Malta, and the cook ouit. The boss, Norval Wallace, asked me to cook until we got to town, so I did. We were camped on the stage road to Leedy when Helen Hadley and her mot[...]going to make another one, but it turned cold and the ground froze, so we couldn't drive the tent pegs. The boss went to Chicago with the cattle and asked me to take the roundup wagons and horses back to the ranch. That was my expErience as "wagon boss". That winter, 1911-12, Ed Herman built a dance hall at Leedy. I was floor manager and this Tommy Vaughn kept after me to gEt him a §irl to dance with. I always called him the "Wild Irish Rose'. I recognized Helen Haldey there and I took him o,.,er to her and to l d her, "The Wild Irish Rose wants to meet the Boston Queen''• That's how Helen got the name of the Boston queen. I rode over the best land there was. I didn't wan t to settle down. In 1913, I filed on a homestead in the present 4 Ii |
| Garfield County, on Hay Coulee near the Wes Huston and John Mccarter place, built a log house and rode by it once in a while, so I could prove up on it. I rode with the H-Cross wagon in 1913 and 14, and for R. a. Varney. In the winter I stayed at the John Mccart er ranch while he went to Honolulu. On Christmas I went down to Leedy after the mail. A heavy package came for him and I tho ~ght it was ph onograph records. He had an old Victor phonograph, and the records were getting old and squeaky. We were getting a little tired of Ada Jones and Billie Murray. I put in lots of ti me packing that package on my saddle, and when I got home with it and opened it up it was a fruit cake John's sister had sent to him from Cut Ba~k I think. I was at Leedy after the ~ail the next Christmas ' and here came another one. We had a penny-ante poker game that lasted about all night[...]ter and one winter they were out sawing wood with a dull cross-cut saw and Ji~my said t0 John, '•r wouldn't mind you riding the saw if you would just lift your feet up.n John told him, "You better come in the house and get your time." He fired him, but he hi[...]again. I don't know if it was that same winter or the next that Jimmy was there, and John only had one good pitch fork. Jimmy took it to the hay stack and rammed it in the stack and reared back on it and it snapped right off. The hay was frozen and cold. John fired him again. The county was settling up pretty fast in 1913 and 14. In 1915 I sorta stuck around my homestead, and as I said before I learned to shear sheep. I sheared for the Saylor Brothers. Ed seemed to be the main owner. They had a place up near the divide, between Squaw Creek and the Big Dry. We called that divide, "Fiddler's Ridge.n It seems that nearly all of the people that lived there were fiddler's. Norval Nallace had a homestead joining mine and he always said when he was wagon boss and foreman at the Long X, that he was going to hire a negro boy to wake him up at 10:00 o'clock and say, "second guard". He was going to have a boot handy to hit the negro over the head with and go back to sleep. I reckon as how he never caught up on sleep. During the depression, he had a Federal Land Bank loan on his land and a bank loan on his cattle, and they sent a man out to collect. He told him to take them, but[...]et him try an- other year. Next summer he was out in the corral milking hi~ cows and the sun was about straight up. John Mccarter ' horseback and said to Norval, "Ain't you a little came along late milking the cows.," Norval said, "Maybe I am but they belong to the bank and the bank don't do any business until after 9:00 o'clock." (The banks opened at 9:00 o'clock then.) Garfiel[...]fices and schoolhouses than any county I was ever in. I have danced in almost every schoolhouse in the county, from Jordan west. Lots of good people in Garfield County and a lot of my friends are buried there. r heard of a town about like Jordan, where a fellow put up a saloon too close to the church. The women told the Mayor that according to law, they were too close. The Mayor went and looked it up. and sure enough, it was so. He gave them 30 days to move the church. 4 1t |
| [...]ldren, Billie, David and Elizabeth. At their home in 1924. Raland Matthews, Edd Tripp, Ada (Cadinus) tluston[...] |
| [...]y sister, Lila, and I attended Butte Creek School in 1936. The teacher then was Mrs. Turner. Mrs. Kimball taught next and I remember her well because I considered her one of the nicest teachers I had in grade school. The John Murnion children attended school at that time. They were Philip, James, Kathleen and Coleman. Also the Ray Stanton children: Florence, Gertrude, Dale and Harold. Florence Stanton died the first year we went there. The Williams children: John and Jim. They drove in a one-horse buggy. Cora Marie Weeding also went tha[...]iles at that time. One incident that sticks in my memory was one year we had this teacher, who f[...]side and climbed this tall ladder that went up to a little window. He was looking in the window and singing "I Have No Use For the Women." We had a woman teacher, so that didn't go over too well.[...]chers. They were Mrs. Fadele and Miss Burke. The children who attended at that time were Kathryn a[...]Written by Shirley Taylor The O'Connell, Koelbl., am Murnion Childr[...] |
| [...]dersons Al and Jenny Gunderson were married in Chicago, Ill. Both had come to the United States from Norway when they were both young. They came to Garfield County in the early 1900 1 s and settled in what is known as the Butte Creek Area. Al homesteaded in this area and farmed while Jenny took care of the Butte Creek Postoffice for a number of years. I remember George Miller as the mail carrier on the route and that the mail was carried on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I, Bertha, was born in Miles City, Montana in 1923. I attenii- ed the Butte Creek School and moved to Jordan to complet[...]and High School. Mother worked for Mrs. Davis at the Resturant as cook for sometime but later worked at the Sewing Club for several years. Many of our nsighbors in the Butte Creek Area were the John Murnions, The Andrew Ofstedals, Bill Larson, Alex Able, "Doc" Williams and many more that I cannot recall. As to the early day entertainment, I recollect the old "4th of July" _picnics, the country dances at the Fairview school, fami ly get-togethers on Sundays and the trips to the Wille Store and trips into Jordan were a special treat. After my father passed away in 1937 Mother worked in Jordan for several years, then later moved to California to live near me as I was living in California. It was here that she died. I, Bertha, live in Hacienda Heights, California with my family. I ha[...]Mi: ,3. Andrew Of stedahl, Mrs. Carl[...] |
| [...]i am Arthur Hanshaw came from Michigan to Montana in 1900 and settled on the Missouri River in 1906. He and John Hubbard settled on land that had been the N-N. horse pasture. This was before the government survey. To the best of their ability they guessed at where the survey lines wou ld be, and they wanted to build their houses near each other. When the survey di d go through, John had to move his house a short ways west. The Darneel family were their nearest nei ghbor, and they always gave a Christmas p arty and it was Bell's job to ride horse- back to Jordan for the fresh oyste r s. Mr. Hanshaw and Mr . Hubbard developed one of the early alfalfa bottoms on the river. He lived there until his ~eath in 1934. He was Jack Whitmers father. Adam Marte[...]About 3 miles we st of Frank |
| [...]s Story I have spent my fifty years mostly in Garfield County. I 1ived my first six years like any other happy little ranch girl. I went to school in Jordan and Lone Tree at Brusett. I had to ride se[...]rseback to Lone Tree School. We would go to the dances on Saturday night and on Sunday we would go visiting or have company. We had a Brusett club that met once a month at different homes. We also had a Satur- day night 11 Sing", where people would come from miles around to sing and spend the evening visiting. I went to Garfield County High School and stayed at the "Dorm". I was one of the first classes to graduate from the present high school. Twenty years later my daughter, Pat was the first child of the first class to graduate in the same high school. After I finished high school, I[...]my folks at their Jordan Dairy. Boyl I wish I had a penny for all the bottles I have washed. I also worked downtown on NYA. I married Ray Shawver in 1938. We worked a year and half for my Dad, Claude Saylor, on his dairy in Jordan. We lived in Idaho for six months and Ray worked in a lumber yard. When we returne d to Garfiel d County, we bought a ranch at Brusett, where we farm & raise sheep and[...]o y ou work so many hours and take s o many pains of writing books?" I always answer the same, "People that have lived here all these years should be remembered~ So I feel all the headaches and hours of time have been well spent. I feel my b0oks bring back memories and this is my memor- ial for the people. When I was just a child, I would sit for hours and listen to all the stories of the homestead days. People came here with high hopes of a "Garden of Eden." But in a few years, people were praying for rain as their[...]way. Many gave up and moved away but many stayed. The next few years would be fairly good and finally the rain would come, so the grass would be good, stock would be fat and cr0ps[...], although it didn't seem like it. It was usually the bad years that was remembered. My father, a wonderful man always looked at the bright side of life. Whenever t i mes were bad or we needed enco[...]ach other and some- thing to eat and we c ould be a darne d sight worse off." Whenever times g[...] |
| Art Saylor's Experiences in Early Days I was about 16 when I first came to Montana. My dad had a ranch in Cascade County, right up against the mountain. One day he asked me to take a. team o:f horses and wagon and go up the mountain side and cut some green poles, as he wanted to make a calf pen. So I took the team, they were gentle enough ordinarily but they were locoed (This is a disease, animals have :from eating loco weed)anyo[...]u never can .tell how they will act, they may shy in passing a fenee post or wait until you are ready to hitch them up a:fter dinner. But I went and got the poles and started home, the trail was narrow and rocky down the mountain side. I was getting along ok until a jackrabbit jumped up beside the trail and spooked them. I had to stay on the trail, on my right side was a cut-bank and on the left side was another cut- bank steeper than ever. The horses were running faster every minute, the lurching of the wagon caused the load of poles to slide forward and pretty soon I was seated over the double trees. The heavy green poles took the front endgate out of the wagon box and they were nearly touching the team. I could not see much future :for myself, if I ever prayed it was then, the Lord cert- ainly had his arms around me as something had to happen soon and it did. The upper hill side of the road leveled off and I was able to swing that team off the trail and start them up the hill. That soon got their wind and they wanted to stop. Before going back to school in Minn; I got an.other thrill but this time no one told me to do it or ask me too. A big sorrel stray horse showed up there on my dad's ranch. I got a rope on him and took him behind the bar~1~ There was an old saddle there with no horn[...]was no horn or anything to hang on to, I quit him in mid-air and landed beside him instead of under him. I was kinda scared of horses after that and decided to go back to Manka[...]school. After my brother Ed, came home from the Philippine Islands at the end of the Spanish-American War. Ed and I headed west again, this was at the turn of the Century. We worked for our Dad for two years and then we went down the Yellowstone river looking for open range country. We left Great Falls in March of 1904 and worked out for wages until winter. During the summer of 1904, Ed met a man by the name of Gardner, he had a dug-out and a saddle horse at what was called "Grey Stud Springs", next to Maggie Allen finally homesteaded Late in 1904, we left the Yellowstone County and went north ;ast the "Hole in the Rock" and stayed over at Vand- uesens ranch. We had left our winter food supplies in the wagon with a tarp over it, during the night, horses smelled the oats in the wagon. They got the tarp up and scattered flour,sugar and most everything in the snow. We had to go to Jordan and restock and landed without any accidents at the dug-out next to Maggie Allen on New Yeard[...] |
| We built two cabins and a barn between the fifteenth of January and the first of April. It was 55 below once in January and again in February. In the spring Ed went to work for Harry Vanduesen, I stayed at our claim during the summer. In the fall I started across country for Great Falls. I[...]n what cattle we had left up there. During the winter of 1906, I met Jim Barnes, he decided to trade his place there for cattle and go to the Kussellshell county. I bought some mor e calves between us, we had about 65 head for the drive. We left his place about the first of May . We had two covered wagons coupled together. It was a late dry spring in 1906. We got as far as Blood Creek in Fergus County. when it started to rain. It rained for 10 days and nights. This was another time l uck held of someone bigger than you or I was in charge. The sun came out £or a day and than it rained for another week. It was so boggy that the wagons would bog on the range. There had been a old corral there, made of big pitch posts and we had plenty of fire wood for camp, about~ mile away was a big set of corrals, where we could pen the herd at night. Imagine how it would or could hav[...]nd 4 years old, comi'ortable and warm. Its a funny thing if you are on a long trip and ask someone, you meet about directions, you are apt to get a bum steer as we did, when ve meet a man, after we left the corrals and were traveling three or four days. A man passed us and told Jim Barnes, that we were a long ways from the Mussellshell. Tb.ere just happened to be a big rock by the trail, I told Jim, 0 we should be on the river before nigh-t! 11 and we were, I had. passed by there on my way up last fall. The river was high and rising so we were there for some time. We would put sticks on the edge of the water, to see how much it would rise in 24 hours. -Barnes lost a good saddle horse, he bogged down and chilled. It was a very good thing, that I had passed that way before. When we swam our horses, I went first and when I reached the other side the bank was to high, but I knew that not far to the right the ground leveled and the crossing was good . We swam our horses and went to a place called Kismet,con- sisting of one or two buildings. A man was there and he said if we would help him cross the Musselshell with his horses , he would come back and help us cross our herd of cattle,we waited several days but he never came b[...]s. My luck held again when, Henry Butts•s sr,11-in-law, Claude Moran came along in a buggy with his wife,we h3l~ed him to cross and he helped us cross our cattl~ As we approche~ Kismet, we saw the fellow that we had waited for at the river to help us cross our herd. He was coming out of the house when he saw us, he made a rnn for the Missouri River, wh~re he had a boat and made a quick get away. Barnes said, "he had a notion to scuttle the guy's boat~ After two more days we had finished the 300 mile drive. Ed and I were with Barnes a[...]out to Barnes. We went to work for Joe Marshall, the sheepman. We bought 500 head of sheep from Marshall and in 2 or 3 years, we went in business for ourse_lves.[...] |
| [...]le we were working with Marshall, I was camped on the Big Dry, it was in July. I had 3300 ewes and l~mbs. It was very hot and the sheep didn't move till about three in the afternoon, I noticed that there were some clouds in the southwest, I knew I had better get busy. I worked the sheep out of the creek, the storm was coming fast with about a 75 or 80 mile an hour wind behind it, soon the Big Dry was a raging torrent wit h hail the size of half an egg. When the storm was over my horse was gone but the dog had stayed with me. My hat was gone, my sheep wagon wa s upside down. I had a new pair or shoes, when the storm start- ed but believe it or not the soles or those new shoes were torn loose just trying to stand in the gale, the shoes got very well soaked, that helpe d to loosen the soles. Another time, I had two of my sheep dogs p ick up some poison and die. After seven years in the sheep busine ss, we turned back to the cattle and horses and gene ral ranching . Ed and I continued to ranch until 1954, whe n the ranch was sold to Ed's son Irven. Than I moved to[...]e Saylor, my husband, and I were born and grew up in and around Mankato, Minn. We were married in 1910, and we de- cided we wanted a farm. Montana was our selection, we decided to get some of the "Free Land 11 Uncle Sam was -o ffering. By the way we didn't find it so free. Claude had two brothers, Art and Ed Saylor, who were in the sheep business in Dawson County, sixty-five miles north of Sumatra. Ed's wife, Rena, who was inin Sumatra, June l; Ed Saylor was there waiting for us and the next morning we started on our 65 mile trip to the ranch. I will never forget the awful desolation we were moving into, but as we traveled the country became a little less for- midable. The sun was so hot and as we were in a wagon with no shade it w.as almost unbearable, just a trail to follow. We spent that night in Sand Springs, there were buf'falo horns over the door of the store and postoffice. Mr. Allen the owner also had lodging, were he served meals. I m[...]er husband were working there. Mrs. Robertson was a bride of six months. Through the years we would renew our acquaintance at picmics and other meetings. We made Art Heisels the next night and arrived at Art Saylors ranch on Squaw Greek the' next day where we made our home for most of the next year. Ed Saylor had a homestead on Lone Tree but hadn't built .his house yet so they too lived with Art. We squatted o~ a piece of land on the Blackfoot divide which I still own. We plowed our furrow around it to show ownership. In the fall of 1911, we returned to Mankato and purchased some cows, chickens. We hired a railroad car loaded our stock and furniture that[...]d and returne d to Montana. We moved on our place in 1912. We made butter to sell people, most- ly bac[...]round to buy it. Not having any ice we had to dig a pit in- the ground to keep it cool.[...] |
| We covered it with tarpaper and had a trap door, it looked like a grave. At different times we sold butter to the store in Jordan. Claude would have to start early in the morning and get the butter to Jordan before the day got hot. Our nearest neighbors, Will and[...]miles away, they remained our close friends thru the years. It was not long till every half section had someone on it. There were some jumping of claims. I seldom saw a women but the men were circulating around and always showed up at meal time. The winter of 1912, the men put up ice and we would make ice cream which was quite a treat. The cowboys were always around and one day one of the cowboys, Max Magellan, said he would get some chickens if I would cook them. So the next 3unday we had a big feed and later I found he had stolen them from our chicken-coop the rt-Pup". On Sunday the men would ride un-broken horses and if they didn't have any horses th~ would ride the neighbors cows. One day they threw up Claude's derby, which he had wore to Montana, and shot it full of holes, anything for a little excitement was great fun for them. One night Billy Porter, a neigh- bor of ours was standing in his doorway and they shot into the casing above his head, Billy failed to see the humor of it. The only social affairs were dances at the homes or at the school houses, On 4th of July we usually had a celebration at the Limberger schoolhouse. Another fourth of July celebration was held at Big Jim Wrights down in |
| In the fall of 1912, I went back to Mankato, where my son, Woodrow, was born in November and it was to dangerous at that time of year to come home so I had to stay with my parent[...]husband, Byron Troy and two children came out to the ranch in the fall while I was in Minnesota and lived with Claude. The men built on a addition to the cabin which I never saw. As one night when they were all gone the house burned to the ground. Later another sister, Ardelle Ady and her two sons, Irving and Howard, homesteaded in the neighborhood, also my brother, Henry and his wife, Martha settled on a homestead adjoining us In about 1916 we al7. oegan -tnfiiKing about a school, so the neighbors got together and decided to start a school. The nearest school was twelve mile s a~ay. We offered our bunkhouse for the schoolhouse and the men used native lumber to make desks and seats. Miss Louise Ness was the first teacher, the children were Bernice, Lorin Troy, Rosie Pense, J[...]ullerton. Soon many schools were established in our district 19- I remember there were six schools in 1918, as Claude was clerk of the school board and had a difficult time getting teachers. About this time we decided to build a schoolhouse so we had quite a time selecting the schoolhouse site. We decid- ed on a day to go, Mr. Anderson and Jud Magellan went on horseback to the place where we were to meet, Frank Hash and Max Magallan who were breaking a horse to drive, gathered up the rest of us, a whole wagonload. Someone suggested going over to the Antrim Postoffice and store to get some candy and the mail which we did. We were all having such a merry time that it got to late to join the two men at our meeting place, they were very much perturbed they got disgusted and had gone home. A family with three children moved to the west of us so Mr. Byrd let the district build a schoolhouse on his land. The schoolhouse was called Eagle Nest after a big eagle's nest in a tree near the school. I was the first teacher in the new school, my two sisters, and sister-in- law were all teachers also Irving Ady and a niece Ad~ Matteson from Minn. War work took so many teachers out of Montana that it was hard to get teachers. During World War I, I had only three weeks vacation in three years. We had seven months of summer school at Eagle Nest, where I was teaching and I would teach six months in other school and then close on Friday night and s[...]everal terms at Eagle Nest. Mrs. Rainwater taught the year that my daughter Jessie was born. I didn't plan to teach in 1920 but there was no teacher for the Eagle Nest school. This was the year that Ella Hooker was in eigth grade and her father came to see me. As he was one of our friends, he didn't say will you please come and teach our school, Oh no, he laid down the law. He said, "You can get a woman to take care of the baby but we can't find a teacher,• so I went and taught the school, Many times in later years, how many times I had retired to rock in my old rocking chair and let the world go by but each time I would go back and fin[...]an, Mr. Ginsty, teach our school one term, he had a wooden leg which he broke one day and replaced it with a new one. One day we were late getting home so he used his old wooden leg to make a fire to cook his supper. As I think back over the past fifty-eight years, I think of the many hardships we had endured. · We were all you[...]took them for granted. When my utility bills come in I often think of the kerosene lamps and the wood ranges • The men h¥,ring to mine the coal and h_a ul in the wood in the fall. The men taking the grain to the railroad and bring back our years supply ~f groce[...]raised good gardens and had our own me~t and all the wild berries for jellies and jams. Qur living expense~ were light and the men would ~ ;J.. '1 |
| put up wild hay for the stock . The grass was so high that it would wave in the wind like grain but sook the stock kept the grass down and people start- ed to farm, and the folks fenced their land. When we first came[...]l ves and mountain lions but soon vanished after the people came, but soon vanished after the people settled the country. Many who homesteaded moved away ater pro[...]by our commissioners has made wonderful progress in so parsefully settle land. I hope someday we may[...]oyed and be able to stay here. My narrative of the early settling of Garfield County is getting long. I am sure that other older Beople have wri tten about the depression and the draught of the thirties whed so many of our settlers threw up their places and mo[...] |
| The Spracklin Families[...]acklin and his wife, Julia Anna, moved to Montana in 1914 from Iowa with their family, Amos·, Oliver, Harley, Clifford, and LeRoy. They settled on the South Fork of . Lone Tree, Northwest of Jordan. Mr. Spracklin later bought out the _homestead of a nephew, Harry Spracklin. They brought 2 car loads of draft horses · with them to be used on the ranch. The Spracklin children attended school in Jordan. Forest Spracklin was born here, March 21, 1917, and Clara, the youngest child, was born March 28, 1919 ( according to the Garfield County files, Clara's birth was the first birth to be recorded on the files of the newly created Garfield County-- there may have be[...]Spracklin died, 1938 and Mrs. Spracklin followed in 1942. Amos now lives in Hamilton, Oliver was killed at F~rt -Peck'' in 1934; Harley died in a car accident in 1964; Clifford works on Tongue River, near Miles[...]Hubbard,7tex Hill, ? 2. Billy .:>~arls at a 4h of July tt'odeo at tlell Creek Billy Se[...] |
| Story of tne Famous Spinner as t[...]ana Kid" Searls The story of Spinner began at the First Annual Roundup held in Miles City, Montana July 3-4 and 5, 1913. In the midst of all the spectacular developments arising out of the unfolding of the first Roundup celebration appeared Spinner, the horse that had established a reputation in "dismount- ing his riders". On his return to Helena, Governor Stewart, in an interview published in the Record-Harold said, among other things,"another[...]ular and amusing occurred when an animal known as the whirling horse was picked. The horse whirled around and around much like a dog chasing his tail. His first rider, a white man, was thrown, and later Bird-in-the-Ground, a crow Indian, rode the horse. The horse whirled and whirled until he became so dizzy that he could not walk. It was amusing to see the dizzy ho~se and the dizzy Indian." Lieutenant Governor McDowell also was impressed by the action of Spinner. He remarked, after attending the last day's event in the arena, "the show hardly proceeded half way; the best show I ever saw". It was his pleasure to see the spinning bronco for the first time. Montana Kid William (Billy) Searls, known in the present and balmy days of his cowboy and riding career, now residing in Miles City, also took part in the arena events. Later he came into possession of Spinner, "the world's famous spinning horse", which had the reputation of throwing n1ore riders than any other horse in the state of Montana. The Montana Kid, as Searls came to be known in roundup circles of his day, recalls that Smokey Nichols brought the spinning horse to Miles City and the court trial which established ownership in ~runes Jasper in 1913, after the holding of the first annual roundup held in Miles City. George McKinnon was associated with Jasper, having a homestead on Hell Creek in northern Garfield County. Searls was employed as a trailer for the outfit. As the Montana Kid tells it, "I rode the Spinner in Jordan in an exhibition bef'ore I traded for him and he quit spinning."When I got off I felt like I had been on a cheap drunk. I managed to stay on my feet, but I did a lot of staggering around." It was in the spring of 1915 or 1916, the Kid recalls, when the French and British representatives were buying horses for the first world war, that the owners of Spinner brought him to the hor~e sale. Just to have some fun to job a certain cowboy who was a fairly good rider and stock hand who had been lay[...]dan drinking and beating up on other drunks. Lots of the old- timers remember him around Miles City and Forsyth. He was always bragging and boasting what a great rider he was. Said he could ride any four l[...]d you like to make some easy money?" "I ain't got a red sow," Bill replied. "Would you like to make s[...]ll, "lead me to it." Searls told him he had a little bay horse that he had been breaking for Bill Nation and that he had brought him in to ride in an exhibition, that the animal didn't buck very hard, but[...] |
| made a good showing and was eas t o ride and if he wanted to try him out we would pass the hat, take up a collection and split the purse 50-50. He shook hands with me and jumped at a chance to show the folks in Jordan what a great rider he was. Attired in Boots, chaps and sp urs which he had borrowed from Del Hubbard, the rider returned and announced that he was all set. Wildcat Jack Ginther, in the meantime, had assisted Searls in saddling the Spinner. The rider was singing an old song to the tune of "See that old Gray Couple Over There", paraphras- ing the words to "See that old bay Pony over there? Watch this rider ride him in the air. O, he's a bear, he's a bear". "Cut the Comedy," shouted Searls to the cowboy, "and come and mount the pony". So he came hopping as big as you please. I eared him down till the cowboy mounted and got all set, and then I turned[...]n that old pony unwind and turn! Describing the aftermath, Searls says the rider "stayed about three rounds when he went off and hit on his back." Regain- ing his feet, the rider turned to Searls with "why that's the spinning son of a sea otter, why didn't you tell that was Spinner?"[...]ith you if it takes ten years." Bill Searls split the purse with the rider; the amount was about $12. A Michigan lad attempted to ride the Spinner. This boy came out from Michigan and boasted that he could ride any horse in the state of Montana, and he was visiting Lloyd Shively at the time. "Bill", said Shively to Searls, "you have a bucking horse over at your place; bring him over, we'll see what the boy c an do." Baker said, "If he got a horse and got a good hold on the saddle no horse could throw him." At a dance being held at Elmer Trurnbos on Hell Creek, Searls announced that Bill Baker of Michigan was going to attempt to ride the Spinner. The crowd came outside. I saddled Spinner and eared him down till Bill got on. Then I turned him loose, gave him a slap and he sure turned it on. He bucked and spun[...]'t think he can do it again", Baker saii. He made the attempt, but didn't last long till he hit again. Later Searls broke Spinner. In his first attempt the Spinner was surprised when Searls slapped him with his left hand along side the head when he stopp ed still. That was the end of bucking for Spinner, "He sure did make a top cutting horse," said Searls. In 1920 Searls ro de Spinner at a ro deo in Jordan, in a pot- ato race and our side won, and everybody gai'e- the Spinner much credit and comment in winning the race. And finally, says Searls, "There isn't much[...]s too much horse for Roy. It seems Roy was afraid of him and he & Spinner knew it. Well, he traded his saddle and old Spinner back to me for a new Fur bronc saddle, I had bought a short time before !'or $45. "Then as I was selling out I traded him ~o Frank Haney, then my father-in-l aw for a team of h orses which~ sold at my sale for $50. Haney had him thre e or four years when he died of distemper. So that is the end of the trail for the famous Spinner. This event hap pened on the E. J. Trumbo ranch near Jordan, Mont. This story wa s sent in by Mrs. E.J.(Ruth)Trumbo,Jordan Mont.[...] |
| [...]onard K-3nph came from Clay Center County, Kansas in 1896. He landed in Virginia Cit.,,r, Montana. A year later he went to work for the 2 Dot Wilson Ranch which was located on the Mussellshell River above Harlowtown. Two of the men he worked with were Tate Broomfield and Augus[...]. Augestine Allen got his nickman, one morning at the cow camp when the woman who waited tables quit her job during break[...]off his chaps, spurs and hat and started serving the 14 cowboys. Joe Kemph called him Maggie and that[...]ver since. Joe then came to Dawson Co. with the 79 Ranch that was located where the Edwards Post Office used to be. He ar~ived there Jan. 1, 1900. He then took up a homestead near Chalky Butte in 1901. He had a string team of 14 horses and pulled c wagons and a ndinky" (a dinky was a~ wheeled cart with just enough room to . carry food supplies, cook in sleep.) In nice weather he cooked on a camp-fire and slept out side. In the summer he hauled freight from Miles City and Ingamar and in the winter he cut posts, house logs and corral poles from his land and sold them. •tMaggie" Allen had a brother Charley . Mrs. Charley Allen was the first teacher in Jordan. She quit before her term was up and Miss Fannie Mcdibboney a school teacher from Springfield, Mo. finished her term. At least 4 of the pupils she taught in Springfield later become residents of this county, Ira Kellogg, George Dinnegar, and Wesley & Ray Grant. Fannie remained in the county and taught school for 20 years. In 1909 Joe Kemph and Fannie McGibboney went to Old Roundup and were married there. They returned a f ter the honeymoon to the homestead, where Joe continued his freighting and[...]h school. They had 3 sons, Mack Williams and the twins Avon Leonard & Aaron Joseph. Joseph Leonard[...]Fannie died Sept. 23rd 1960. They were proceeded in death by their oldest son Mack William in Aug. 3, 192:4·.[...]Mack, Aaron, Avon Kemp. The Woody Creek years recall a community picnic and ball game every |
| The M. W. Ro bucks Moved onto our homestead the last part of May, 1916. There was (Daddy), |
| The two Snyder teachers I mentioned earl- ier, one of them taught our school one swnrner.[...]Helm; Fannie or Mrs. Joe Kemph, a Miss Lillian Colb[...]ne who could play the fiddle, Banjo or Mandalin took turns. The Trotters had a portable folding organ they used to bring on a pack- horse. Some[...]ally danced until the sun came up or at least till it was light out. Families came by wagon in summer and sled in winter. They put hay in for the horse over night[...]tie our horse to the wagon ·or sled as the case be, to eat a midnight lunch was a pot-luck affair mostly cake and sandwitches. The men would build a fire outside and make the coffee. (the small children run and played around the fire riding their stick-horses and the men would keep shooting them back from getting too close) The coffee which was usually made in a wash boiler was then carried in and set someplac~ handy to all. The women then passed their food arou.rin and[...] |
| [...]Martin Derenburger. 10. Ronald Derenburger killed in Viet Nam. 11. Arthur Turner, George Turner[...] |
| [...]Davenport A report of Sgt. Davenport's death in ttI went to visit his company and the grave after the battle was over," Allied Head~uarters in the Southwest Pacific On a slimy jungle battlefield where there is no monopoly on heroism, a |
| [...]By Lois Slaughter Belcher Haxby had a local combination grocery store and Post of.fice which was run by Mr. & Mrs. Harry Conklin. Had mail delivery twice weekly from Jordan and Glasgow. In summer it was very regular but winters depended a lot on the snow and rain from Jordan and the Missouri River from Glasgow. During the summer there was a .ferry which was owned by "Froggy" Ferguson and oper- ated usually by 11 Kippy" Hugo Kipf, and it was very dependable but in winter the river was crossed on ice. In the fall before it was .frozen solid the river had to be crossed by rowboat or on foot and the same was true in the spring when the ice was break- ing up, At this time of the year the rowboat crossing could be quite hazardous as the mail carrier had to dodge the ice float coming down the river. The Jordan Mail carrier had the badlands to contend with, especi- ally "Soap Hill", which was slippery as soap when just a little wet. But all in all there were very few mail deliveries missed by[...]Local entertainment was "Country dancing" to the tune of a fiddle and guitar and the whole family from the baby to the grandparents attended and every one big enough to walk danced everything from the waltz to the polka to the old fashioned square dance. Other local entertainment included Sunday gather- ings at neighbors. A .family would cook their "Sunday dinner" and take[...]at one home, each bringing their own dinner, and the day would be spent in visiting, horseshoe pitching,horse racing or even[...],with no advance planning. There was always the Christmas Program put on by the schools in which each student had a "piece" to speak after which there was usually a "box social'' dance and the fellow who bought the "box" at with who ever brought it; with many a bachelor enjoying a hearty meal with some married lady and all he~ children and thoroughly enjoying it because most of the women were exception- ally good cooks. Occasionally some "talented" groµp o.f adults would "put ofl a Home Talent play with occasionally the cast being thanked by eggs and tomatoes being thrown at them. Every gather- ing such as the above, political rallies, etc., were always followed by a dance. Almost every summer there was a week or two of summer Bible School held for the children at the local school, with most children attending on foo[...]ional Preacher who came through and held services in the school building with the entire community "turning out" for the ·services. No preacher ever preached to an empty house. Most Sundays during the summer Sunday School was held at a local school, and it always ended in the fall with a big Sunday School picnic, again with everyone attending. There were three schqols in the 20 mile area from Haxby to the Missouri River, Haxby Sch.o.ol, Big Dry Sc[...] |
| Each was a one-room school house with one teacher, teaching[...]etimes as far as 7 miles to school. During the early days people worked hard. Many a day working .from daylight to way past dark, with the whole family 11 pitching in". In the fall there was the annual roundup of range cattle, which would be branded, a community affair, with each !'armer tak- ing his cattle to the home place for the winter after the brand- was completed. There was no one who had "hard Cash" but on the other hand very few of the local people even realized there was a depression during the late 1 20 1 s and early '30 1 s. Outside of flour and sugar most families raised and crammed their own "living~ The hardy pioneers of Garfield County were like the Ants. They put away enough in the summer to last the winter through, but unlike the ant when there was a chance to play, they could sure be grass- hoppers. At any of the public gathering there always were liquid refres[...]" available outside for anyone inter- ested. And the local "supplier" probably had more of the "Hard Cash" than any one else around. In other words he did a good business. Some of the personsthat we remember who lived 0 neighbor" to[...]and his wife Alice lives 1n Nevada. Minnie lives in Calit'ornia, Glenn in Montana & Lois in Reno, Nevada.[...] |
| The Corda Locke Story Corda Locke was born in Missouri in 1891, where he later met and married Mable Zollman in 1910,in September of 1913 they decid- ed to head West, so with their 9 month old son Gilbert, they pack- ed up and bought a ticket ($30.00 would take them to any point west[...]ver been separated- from her twin sister u.ntil a few months before, they llen'& Dy st. Paul, Minn[...]st through Montana. Stopping at Bozeman to visit a friend, they met Tom Kirk who pursuaded them to[...]never rode their ticket to California. In the spring of 1915, they left the Gallatin Valley and headed out to homestead alon[...]tled near or on Lone Tree. They had to drive down in wagons from Smnatr~, some 65 miles and were almost rained out at a camp on Black Tail. The Saylors, Butts, Merlaks, and Sparlins came earier. Corda and Mable moved into a cabin built by his brother Therm.an Locke the spring before, and Thurman homesteaded the next place on the East. Charlie Bourns on the South. In the Fall of' 1915, with th~ Boll!ns and several others they went by wagon to the Dakotas to thresh , with Mable and Lida Bourn running the cook wagon for tbe ~hreshing crew, the trip took 9 days, stopping in Miles City on the way home to buy $150.00 of groceries and supplies to last them through to the next harvest. The next two fall they made similar trips to harvest with the Oscar Edsalls, Bourns, Dave Baas and others with the women cooking for the harvest crew each season. In 1918 Corda received his notice to prepare for his draft call and loading everything in a wagon, with the milch cow tied behind the wagon and the chickens in a coop under the wagon,headed f'or Bozeman to await his final call. The war ended before his nmnber was called, so they went to work for Mr. Dameral on his wheat ranch. In December they lost their son Gilbert. In the spring of l. 919, wl th. 2 month old Lila, and a car load of cattle they shipped back to Sumatra and on to the homestead by wagon, driving the cattle. It was a cold, snowy 65 miles. That was a bad spring and hay was $50.00 a ton when you could find it and had the money to buy it. Corda started carrying the mail to Butte Creek about 1920 by spring wagon and later in a model T Ford. Mable helped carry when he was busy on the ranch, and later they had the route from Edwards to Brusett until 1928. In 1921 Roana joined the family. In 1924 a neighbor, Doc Searles, insisted Corda auction off .his possessions as the local auctioneer ha:d. passed on and Miles City was a long way to import one. Corda had never auctioned a thing in his life and just laughed but Doe said "I'm going to Jordan and have the bills made, are you .going to take me?" That's how he started a career that has lasted some 45 years. (He was heard practicing around the ranch as he brought in the cows) In the summer of 1925 he had a sale every other day for 35 days, that ls a lot of talking! I The ladies always served lunch and Corda |
| .furnished the ti~ t cups. (Oh, the fun of washing those cups after every sale. Corda was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 1928 to serve with Jim Vance and Art Markley, the next 2 years with Jim Vance and Fred Kibler and the last 2 with Fred Kibler and Woodward Clyde o•Connor was sheriff at the time. It was quite a job espec- ially during the depression, the siege of army worms, the drouth, dust and grasshoppers that ate everything in sight, even the sage- brush and chewed on the fence posts. It was a rough looking country for a few years. In 1930 Wayne was born in Jordan. In the next 4 years Corda and Harry Ross bought and·shi[...]ndiana and Wisconsin, driving them to Brockway to the railway. Part of them were halter-broken and some were broke to work. They came from every part of the county. The school house of log was near the lone pine tree where the creek _got it's name and was attended in summer as the winters were too severe. Mrs. French, Mrs. Tiegan, Delpha Brown and Goldie Laipple were some of the teachers. The pupils either walked or rode horse back. Corda and Mable .aold outand moved to Oregon in Oct. of 1934 where Corda continued to ranch and aution sa[...]78 he buys cattle for consignment and even cries a few sales now and then. Mable passed away in 1960. Roana and husband Kenneth Kooch have a ranch in the valley and raise registered herefords as well as farming. Wayne is parts manager at the Dodge Garage and his wife Laura Jean 1s deput7 aheritt, Lila and husband. Myrle Zollman ranch. The Ed Saylor•s, the Julius Saylors, Earl Atchley, the Herlaks |
| [...]la 6. Lone Tree School I IN ft l t |
MD | |
| Short histories and descriptions of Garfield County, Montana, settlers, famili[...] | |
| MHS County Histories PDF/Garfield County The Golden Years_V1-2.pdf | |
| Local Histories of Montana | |
| Local Histories of Montana |
Schillreff, Fern and Jessie M. Shawver, Garfield County: The Golden Years (1969). Montana History Portal, accessed 25/03/2025, https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/5589
