stories and stones

MISSOULA CITY CEMETERY
Presents
STORIES AND STONES
Photo Courtesy of: Vicki Correia
A historical journey through Missoula's past.
This booklet was compiled and printed by Missoula City Cemetery as an informational booklet
for individual use. Missoula City Cemetery is a department of the City of Missoula in
Missoula, Montana.
Questions and comments should be directed to:
Missoula City Cemetery
2000 Cemetery Road
Missoula, Montana 59802
Phone: (406) 552-6070
Fax: (406) 327-2173
Email staff to:
 Request information from burial records genealogy purposes.
 Contribute life histories and photos. Note - Items submitted to the cemetery may be used
in future historical tours.
 Purchase graves, niches, flower boxes or flower beds.
 Arrange for future or at need burials.
Stories and Stones email requests
On our website you’ll find:
 A complete alphabetical interment listing.
 Historical information including tour guidebooks, photos, and links to video
presentations, as available.
 Grave purchase information, burial fees, forms, and cemetery regulations.
 Grave decoration allowances and schedules.
www.ci.missoula.mt.us/cemetery
Additional cemetery tour guidebooks available:
 Missoula County Sheriffs – Thirteen colorful stories of taming Missoula’s Wild West.
 Missoula Mayors – Twenty-six stories of Missoula’s leadership and development.
Video story presentations:
 MCAT has provided video presentations of each story online. On the Youtube website
simply type in the search box: Stories and Stones
Missoula City Cemetery’s historical tours are made possible through your continued
generous donations. We thank you!
© 2016 Missoula City Cemetery
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Contents
NOTABLE HISTORIES ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Missoula City Cemetery (1884-present) ............................................................................................................. 6
Missoula Burial Sites (1800s-present) ................................................................................................................ 7
Symbolism ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
Cemetery Traditions.......................................................................................................................................... 12
Cemetery Folklore – The Lighter Side of the Grave ........................................................................................ 13
Funeral Directors .............................................................................................................................................. 14
Fun Facts ........................................................................................................................................................... 15
Storyteller Map ................................................................................................................................................. 16
LIFE HISTORIES ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Jacob Alles (1868-1937) ................................................................................................................................... 17
Daniel Edward Bandmann (1840-1905) ........................................................................................................... 18
Henry "Hank" Butler Beaman (1848-1897) ..................................................................................................... 20
Harry Oscar “H. O.” Bell (1884-1971) ............................................................................................................. 22
Golden Bibee (1884-1976) ............................................................................................................................... 24
Edward L. Bonner (1834-1902) ........................................................................................................................ 26
John B. Catlin (1837-1917)............................................................................................................................... 27
Will Cave (1863-1954) ..................................................................................................................................... 28
Civil War and the Grand Army of the Republic ............................................................................................... 29
Jean Clark (1910-1997)..................................................................................................................................... 30
Hazel Simonton (1912-1997)............................................................................................................................ 30
Wallace Nichols Clark, Sr. (1916-1990)........................................................................................................... 32
Oscar J Craig (1846-1911) ................................................................................................................................ 33
Jerrold “Jerry” “Hog” Daniels (1941-1982) ..................................................................................................... 35
Deschamps Family ............................................................................................................................................ 36
Emma Slack Dickinson (1838-1926) ................................................................................................................ 37
William H. H. Dickinson (1840-1910) ............................................................................................................. 38
Joseph Moore Dixon (1867-1934) .................................................................................................................... 39
Josephine Dukes (1835-1903)........................................................................................................................... 40
Louis Fred Effinger (1878-1921) ...................................................................................................................... 41
Lee Elliott (1892-1964) & Bessie Elliott (1894-1980) ..................................................................................... 42
Jim Flansburg (1904-1988) ............................................................................................................................... 43
Garnet, Montana (est. 1895) ............................................................................................................................. 44
Albert John “A. J.” Gibson (1862-1927) .......................................................................................................... 47
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mary Bown Gibson (1870-1927) ....................................................................................... 48
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Mary Gleim (1849-1914) .................................................................................................................................. 49
Greek Community............................................................................................................................................. 50
Thomas Greenough (1852-1911) ...................................................................................................................... 51
Juliet M. Gregory (1896-1990) ......................................................................................................................... 52
Haakon Kristian Hauge (1862-1912) ................................................................................................................ 53
Christopher P. Higgins (1830-1889) ................................................................................................................. 55
Kirby Grant Hoon (1941-1985) ........................................................................................................................ 56
William H. Houston (1853-1937) ..................................................................................................................... 57
Japanese Railroad Burials ................................................................................................................................. 58
Jewish Community............................................................................................................................................ 60
James Henry “Nez Perce” Jones (1844-1926) .................................................................................................. 61
Daniel Kendall (1847-1898) ............................................................................................................................. 62
Joseph Kogan (1910-2006) ............................................................................................................................... 63
John Lehsou (1840 - 1921) ............................................................................................................................... 65
Thomas Lewis (1843-1911) .............................................................................................................................. 66
Clara Maclean (1872-1952) .............................................................................................................................. 68
John William Martin (1922-2005) .................................................................................................................... 69
George Thomas McCullough (1858-1938) ....................................................................................................... 70
Leah H. Smith Strothman Mott (1861-1903).................................................................................................... 71
Louis Henry Mott (1856-1904)......................................................................................................................... 71
Wayne Nance (1955-1986) ............................................................................................................................... 72
Norwegian Community..................................................................................................................................... 73
Anna Lester O’Keefe (1834-1900) ................................................................................................................... 74
Edgar S. Paxson (1852-1919) ........................................................................................................................... 75
David Polson (1826-1900) ................................................................................................................................ 76
Emma Hansen Randolph (1877-1956).............................................................................................................. 77
William Henry Randolph (1872-1956) ............................................................................................................. 78
Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973) .......................................................................................................................... 78
Paul Albro Read (1899-1933) ........................................................................................................................... 79
Rodney Salisbury (1888-1938) ......................................................................................................................... 81
Frederick Scheuch (1871-1954) ........................................................................................................................ 83
Herman Schnitzmeyer (1879-1939) .................................................................................................................. 84
Ralph Starr (1895-1961) ................................................................................................................................... 85
Josephine Graf Stepanzoff (1905-1993) ........................................................................................................... 86
August Trautwein (1862-1885)......................................................................................................................... 87
Rosanna Ireland Miller VanAlstine (1853-1936) ............................................................................................. 87
Hezekiah Vandorn (1823-1903) ....................................................................................................................... 89
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George Ernest Veuve (1843?-1916) ................................................................................................................. 90
Wilma Theatre History ..................................................................................................................................... 90
Frank H. Woody (1833-1916)........................................................................................................................... 92
Sarah Elizabeth “Lizzie” Countryman Woody (1853-1919) ............................................................................ 93
Francis “Frank” Worden (1830-1887) .............................................................................................................. 94
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 95
**Note: Information provided in this booklet was compiled from family members, cemetery records, funeral records, obituaries,
newspaper archives, and public documents located at Missoula County Records Management, Missoula County Clerk and Recorder,
Missoula Public Library, Mansfield Library collections, and various archival websites. All effort was made to note the individuals
who have donated research and/or photos to make these histories and biographies as complete as possible.
Individual written and video histories can be found on the Missoula City Cemetery website (www.ci.missoula.mt.us/cemetery)
Video presentations of these stories are also available for sale or play request at MCAT (406) 542-6228.
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NOTABLE HISTORIES
Missoula City Cemetery (1884-present)
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1884-Missoula Valley Improvement Company. On December 1,
1884 four prominent area businessmen formed a corporation named Missoula
Valley Improvement Company. The Certificate for Incorporation said the
corporation was established for the purposes of “buying and selling lands and
laying out same for cemetery and other purposes.” The corporation was formed
with $10,000 in capital stock divided into two hundred shares valued at $50 per
1905 Stone Gates
share. The original document noted the corporation was to exist for twenty
years and was to be managed by a four member board of trustees listed as and
signed by: Frank H. Woody, William H. H. Dickinson, Dr. Isadore E. Cohn, and Judge Thomas C. Marshall.
Dickinson and Cohn soon sold their interests to Frank L. Worden and Andrew B. Hammond. The corporation
dissolved in 1901 shortly after selling the cemetery to the city.
1884-Railroad land sale. On December 6, 1884 the Montana Division of Northern Pacific Railroad Company
sold a portion of land “lying north of the Right of Way of the Northern Pacific Railroad of S17-T13N-R19W”
consisting of “14 acres, more or less” to Frank H. Woody for $168. (No corporate minutes can be found to
specify why this deed of sale was made to Woody instead of the corporation but speculation is simply the timing
of incorporation in conjunction with the timing of the land sale.)
1884-Woody land sale. On January 24, 1885 Frank H. and (his wife) Lizzie Woody re-sold the purchased
railroad land to Missoula Valley Improvement Company for the original purchase price of $168.
1885-Survey and plat recorded. Missoula County Surveyor, H. V. Wheeler, was commissioned by Missoula
Valley Improvement Company in December 1884 to survey and plat the proposed cemetery land. His official
record was filed with Missoula County on January 21, 1885. The plat showed a triangular section of land. The
location was stated as approximately three miles northwest of the city center of Missoula in the Montana
Territory. The cemetery was listed on the survey as Missoula City Cemetery; however, other references at this
time show the name as Missoula Valley Cemetery.
Design. The initial survey plotted the land into block sections. Roads were placed along the outside boundaries
with one set at a diagonal angle through the middle of the cemetery. Numerous alleyways were placed in each
block. The alleyways were designed to accommodate horse and carriage including some larger square and
circular hitching stations. As the cemetery expanded, many of the alleyways were abandoned and separated into
additional gravesites. It is believed the cemetery also used those original alleyways for irrigation lines due to
pieces of black piping found during some grave preparations.
Naming roads and alleyways. From the inception of the cemetery, roads and alleyways were given a very clear,
distinct naming structure.
• Virtues. The original triangular section of cemetery land is bordered by roadways named for the three
Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity. Two perpendicular roadways within this border follow
the religious naming convention with Laurel and Rose streets.
• Trees. Roadways laid out from west to east were named after trees. (Beech, Pine, Spruce, etc.)
• Flowers. Alleyways for accessing various cemetery sections laid out north to south were named after
flowers. (Daisy, Lilac, Hyacinth, etc.) Over time these alleyways were omitted and used for additional
burial sites.
• Directional. By the 1917 plat map a new section of land to the north was surveyed for cemetery purpose.
This section was bordered using directional names: South, West, and North. The tree and flower naming
convention were still in use at this time, however, the cemetery was evolving in other ways:
• Graves, roads, and alleyways were eliminated to form a plaza in the original triangular section.
Today that plaza is home to a large fountain, columbarium walls, and flower gardens.
• “Hitching squares” were placed on the plat map designating where visitors were to tie their horses
and buggies. By 1925 automobile accommodations were made by eliminating the hitching
squares and incorporating large circular roundabouts at various road intersections throughout the
cemetery.
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1901–Garden City Cemetery. On March 16, 1901 the cemetery land was sold to the City of Missoula for one
dollar. The City Council passed Ordinance #109 of acceptance and appointed the first Board of Trustees to
manage the care of the cemetery. An undated letter prior to this transfer required the current cemetery trustees to
“raise by public subscription the money necessary to place a permanent supply of water to said cemetery.”
Newspaper clippings show this was accomplished in conjunction with the fairgrounds water line. At that time the
fairgrounds were located west of the cemetery toward the entrance to the Grant Creek Valley.
Board of Trustees. The City of Missoula appointed six trustees to govern cemetery operations. Those trustees
were Samuel Bellew, Harriet Keith, Lizzie Mills, E. A. Winstanley, Lizzie Woody, and Lucinda Worden. (Most
of these original trustees forever reside in the cemetery today.) One of the first actions of business taken by this
group was to change the cemetery name to better reflect the growth and importance of the city. The cemetery
would forevermore be known as Missoula City Cemetery. The mission of the trustees continues today: to
develop a tranquil and dignified park setting for the burial of the deceased. The master plan has expanded over
the years with acquisition of additional cemetery land.
1905. Stone pillars with rod iron gates mark the original cemetery entrance. One pillar is engraved “1905.” No
records have yet been found regarding their placement or dedication. The width between the pillars is quite
narrow as it was designed for horse and wagon to pass through.
Size. Since 1884 numerous purchases, exchanges, and donations of land have occurred. Missoula City Cemetery
now consists of approximately 40 acres developed and 40 acres undeveloped land. The cemetery holds just under
21,000 burials and memorials. This cemetery is at the forefront of all Montana cemeteries in record automation,
genealogy assistance, and public access to records. Missoula City Cemetery remains one of the largest cemeteries
in the state.
Availability. Missoula City Cemetery remains open for grave and niche sales and burials. Please contact the
cemetery office for purchasing options and further information.
Missoula City Cemetery belongs to the public and is rich with history of the land, the people, and the
development of Missoula.
Researched by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager. Information sources: original land transaction
documents, original surveyed plat maps, and historical cemetery documents on file with Missoula City Cemetery, City of Missoula,
Missoula County, and the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library.
Missoula Burial Sites (1800s-present)
Prior to establishing formal cemeteries in Missoula, burials occurred throughout the
valley alongside wagon trails and rail lines, on the family homestead, and in outlying
areas near town. By 1884 Missoula City Cemetery was formally established as
Missoula’s public cemetery option and St. Mary’s Cemetery, established in the same
year, was the Catholic congregation cemetery option. Some families disinterred
Burial marker found in field off Mullan Rd.
individuals from their original locations and moved them to one of the two newly
established cemeteries. Many others buried throughout the valley remained in place
and their gravesites have simply disappeared with time. As development grew, many times bones were unearthed
denoting a burial site of some kind. Records of early burials are scarce if documented at all resulting in many
“unknowns”.
Missoula City Cemetery has a similar mystery. A common question remains unanswered, “Who was the first person
buried in the cemetery?” An undated stone lies within the cemetery inscribed “In Memory of John R. Reynolds, First
Person Buried in This Cemetery.” To date, no record of this individual has ever been found.
Below are a few of the more well-known burial sites in the Missoula valley:
 Prescott School – Prescott School sits at the base of Mount Jumbo and the entrance to the Rattlesnake Valley.
Early Missoula had a substantial population of Chinese immigrants who lived and established businesses in this
location. Chinese have profound and legendary respect for their ancestors which led them to choose an area with
a clear and prestigious view of the Missoula valley for their final resting place. Records state the Chinese
regularly buried in this location as early as 1883 and maintained a secondary burial site a short distance away on
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Poplar Street. No documentation has been found to determine the exact number of gravesites that were “covered
up” with the later development of the area. Likewise, no documentation has been found showing any of those
bodies were ever moved elsewhere. In 1937 excavation work to level Cherry Street unveiled a silver handled
casket which contained silk trousers, kimono, shoes and a brick that read “Foo Lim is buried here” written in
Chinese. It is unknown what happened to that casket.
Rattlesnake School – Rattlesnake School sits about two miles up the Rattlesnake Valley and is located above a
documented burial ground. Missoula County’s Poor Farm and Pest House regularly buried there. It is believed
some of the buried were removed from the site and re-interred in the Missoula City Cemetery; however, this
information has not been fully researched. Today, a memorial plaque sits outside the school in Pineview Park to
pay tribute to the sacredness of the site.
• Poor Farm / County Hospital – In the early 1880s, Missoula was developing as the ‘Garden City’ and a
major industrial hub. Along with the industry came transients and local poor who could not always care
for themselves. As these indigents grew in number, citizens petitioned the County Commissioners to find
a place to house them so as not to deflect from Missoula’s ‘quality of life’. Henry C. Hollenbeck sold the
County 40 acres in the lower Rattlesnake to develop housing and care facilities for this group. A
Pauper’s Application for County aid was necessary for admittance onto the farm. Length of stay
depended on individual circumstances. Most residents had physical, emotional, or addiction disorders.
Residents were given three meals a day, shelter, and medical attention. Able workers assisted the resident
superintendent with chores on the farm. Those who died on the property were buried there. Funeral
records in 1987 stated approximately 1,000 individuals were buried under the current school baseball
field. Burials ceased in the mid-1920s. The Poor Farm burned down in 1936 and was not re-built.
• County Pest House – was virtually the only public health program in early Missoula. Small houses were
used to quarantine people with contagious diseases, small pox being the most dreaded. The walls were
built of two thicknesses of brick with iron shutters on the windows. The purpose of the precautionary
measures can only be surmised since most of the patients sent there were too weak to need such restraints.
Family members left food and supplies outside the doors. Upon death the rooms were quickly and
completely scrubbed and disinfected in preparation for the next resident.
Missoula County Cemetery – The current Rimrock Apartment buildings on Missoula’s north side were once the
site of Missoula County Cemetery. This cemetery was established December 1, 1939 as a replacement option for
pauper burials after the Poor Farm burned down. Missoula City Cemetery trustees did not want this new
cemetery so they took action by sending a letter to the county commissioners agreeing to lower pauper burial rates
and accept the re-interment of the few bodies buried in the county’s cemetery. Terms were accepted and
Missoula County Cemetery was vacated on December 3, 1940 by Missoula County Commissioners: H. P.
Glasscock, L. M. Felton, and J. D. Finefrock. Stucky Bricker Funeral Home handled the dis-interment, transfer,
and re-interment of the cemetery’s eight bodies to Missoula City Cemetery in July 1940.
Safeway Store on West Broadway Street – During 1950 a small Indian bone skeleton packed in a wooden box
with a pocket full of tiny white beads was found. The moccasins were of a three-piece type worn by Indian tribes
of the interior and eastern Canada according to the Montana State University anthropologists. It is estimated that
the burial preceded the founding of Missoula by several decades. Local legend notes many other Indian burial
grounds located throughout the Missoula valley.
South Higgins Avenue and Pattee Creek – At the base of Whitaker Hill was ranch land owned by Christopher
P. Higgins. The family fenced a small section of pasture land and meticulously cared for their private family
cemetery for many years. Eventually Higgins descendants began selling ranch land for continued development of
Missoula. The bodies of Higgins family members were dis-interred in 1914 to their permanent resting site in
Missoula City Cemetery. A large monument inscribed with “Higgins” sits in the middle of the gravesites
surrounded by small cement markers depicting where each member lies.
• Left Behind. One body from the Higgins cemetery was “left behind” in 1914. Eighteen year old Alfred
McConnell worked on the ranch. He was bitten by a tick while plowing and died from Rocky Mountain
spotted fever on May 20, 1889. He was buried in the Higgins family cemetery. The McConnell family
cared for Alfred’s gravesite until the war caused the family to leave Missoula. Around 1950 Alfred’s
headstone was found in a shed at the local city hall. How it arrived there was a mystery. The headstone
remained unclaimed until the 1960s when McConnell relatives arrived in Missoula for the funeral of
Alfred’s brother, David S. McConnell. Upon learning of Alfred’s forgotten grave, these descendants set
out to correct the situation. Their original plan to dis-inter Alfred’s casket after almost 80 years was
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discouraged by local officials. Instead, a bucket of earth was taken from the original grave location, the
wayward headstone retrieved from city hall, and both were ceremoniously placed between the graves of
Alfred’s parents who were already buried in Missoula City Cemetery.
Fort Missoula Post Cemetery – Missoula’s oldest cemetery still in operation today lies at Historical Fort
Missoula. Fort Missoula Post Cemetery consists of one acre and was established in 1878. At that time Fort
Missoula was a bustling military post full of soldiers and their families. An acre of land was set aside for the
cemetery and outlined with a crude wood corral fence. In 1905 the military took action to care for the cemetery
after the local newspapers ran a story stating the cemetery was a disgrace to the military. At that time, the army
replaced the crude post fencing with the wrought iron fencing that exists today. Fresh soil was spread over the
weeds, boulders, and shallow gravesites. Trees were planted, grass was sown, dilapidated board markers were
replaced with marble stones, and eventually water lines were placed. The cemetery was deeded to Missoula
County in 1939 as the army believed Fort Missoula would soon be no longer in operation. Once again the
cemetery fell into disrepair. The army reclaimed ownership and care of the cemetery in the 1960s through present
day. As of 2011 there were 264 individuals buried there. Fort Missoula Post Cemetery will continue to bury
veterans until it reaches its quota of just under 500 graves. Those eligible for burial in the cemetery must be
veterans with a lifetime of service or who died in active duty or who are documented with a 100% service-related
disability. Historians and researchers have placed historical documentation regarding the cemetery and its
residents on file at Fort Missoula Historical Museum and the Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library.
• Unknown Soldier. An unnamed marker dated 1860 places a soldier’s death before the cemetery was
established. It is believed this soldier was originally buried at Fort Ellis near Bozeman, Montana. If the
date is correct, this soldier would have served in the War of Mexico (1846-1848). Upon military orders to
abandon Fort Ellis, the final 37 unclaimed bodies were unceremoniously exhumed, shipped, and re-buried
in Fort Missoula Post Cemetery. It was March, 1887, when this soldier’s casket and wooden head board
arrived at its final resting site. The soldiers brought from Fort Ellis can easily be detected in the post
cemetery because all their monuments list their service in the Second Cavalry whereas Missoula was not a
cavalry post.
• Sergeant Bozo - the dog. One small broken marker in the cemetery has caused great controversy. Some
believe it to be the final resting place of Sergeant Bozo – the dog. Sergeant Bozo was three weeks old
when he was commissioned into service as the mascot for Fort Missoula. At four years old he was
promoted to the rank of honorary master sergeant and adopted by the men of the Fourth Infantry.
Sergeant Bozo tragically was killed October 23, 1940 when he was struck by a Conservation Corps truck
near the guardhouse. Local newspapers throughout the state ran tributes to the dog. The military stated
the beloved dog was given full military honors and laid to rest “in a place of honor” at the post. His
footprints and name are scratched into the cement step in front of the powder magazine. No proof has
been found that the small broken marker is the actual site of the dog’s burial. Disagreement continues as
to its possibility. Government officials remain firm that rules were followed and no animal burials were
ever allowed in the cemetery. Researchers define the description “a place of honor” at the fort would
have been in only one of two places: under the flag pole or in the post cemetery. Then again, could the
beloved dog have been placed near his name and prints? No documentation has ever been found to
confirm or refute the burial location. The government has its own mystery as there remains no record of a
burial in this site, yet it clearly has a marker. The small broken marker has few clues to aid in solving this
mystery except the signs of its longevity on this sacred location.
St. Mary’s Cemetery – is the only cemetery in Missoula devoted to the Catholic congregation. It was
established in 1884. When Father L. B. Paladino arrived in Missoula in 1873, he was intent on “solemnizing”
life’s major passages of birth, marriage, and death. Father Paladino was revered for establishing the first Catholic
school and Providence Hospital in Missoula. The Catholic Diocese officially purchased the cemetery on February
11, 1901 for $100. Original restrictions allowed burial rites for only those in good standing with the Catholic
Church. In fear of filling the historic cemetery, the diocese purchased additional cemetery land from the city of
Missoula. St. Mary’s Cemetery and new annex actively conduct burials today.
The University of Montana – This area was an active Indian camping ground so burials were common across the
campus area. In 1952, boys were digging a cave in an embankment west of Maurice Avenue when they unearthed
the remains of a 35-year-old Indian woman buried with tribal ritual from around 1850. The local newspaper
reported, “Hundreds of ornamental beads, some brass jewelry, and fragments of dyed buckskin clothing
accompanied the body. A portion of the woman’s hand was mummified by a large ring of coiled brass wire
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wrapped about a center finger. A piece of abalone shell was also found near the body, indicating that the
woman’s tribe was in contact with west coast inhabitants. Tribal ceremonial burial was apparently indicated by
several small animal bones found near the head of the Indian skeleton.”
Grant Creek – This area was a well-known Indian burial ground. Prior to the development of the area, the
hillsides were littered with Indian relics and signs of burial rituals. As late as 2005 Missoula City Cemetery was
notified of the unearthing of ancient bones by contractors during excavation on the site of the new Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation headquarters.
Sunset Memorial Gardens – is located west of Missoula on Mullan Road. It is Missoula’s only privately owned
cemetery. It sits on a rise overlooking the Missoula valley adjacent to the location of the first trading post
established in 1860 by C. P. Higgins and Frank Woody. Sunset officially opened for business on December 31,
1953 with its first interment for Mary Van Houten. From inception, Sunset Memorial Gardens envisioned a new
type of cemetery service for the Missoula area.
• Flush cemetery. Sunset broke with tradition and is dedicated to lawn level markers instead of the
traditional upright monuments found in most cemeteries.
• 1978-Crematory. Sunset opened the first crematory in western Montana. Prior to that, funeral directors
transported deceased individuals to Spokane, Washington for cremation.
• 1984-Columbarium. Sunset built its first columbarium for niche interments.
• 1986-Mausoleum. Sunset built the first mausoleum building in western Montana designed for crypt
entombments.
• 1988-Funeral Home. A funeral home was opened on-site at the cemetery.
Sunset Memorial Cemetery is currently home to almost 7,000 interments.
• Country Legend. Lloyd D. “Doug” Dugger was buried at Sunset on June 1, 2005. As a Missouri youth
he sang and played banjo. In 1946 he left naval service and moved to Missoula, Montana. His musical
break came when he attended a show by country artist T. Texas Tyler and was asked to come on stage to
play with the band. He was hired and toured with the band until 1956. Doug joined the ABC television
network as the host of the talent search show “Ozark Jubilee.” Doug was an old-time country crooner and
songwriter whose religious style of music led him to be dubbed the “Chaplain of Country Music.” In
2003 Doug Dugger was inducted into the Country Legends Association Hall of Fame as a “living
legend.”
• Baha’i Sect. Dr. Leland Jensen was buried at Sunset on August 8, 1966. Dr. Jensen was a third
generation Baha’i. In 1960 he was excommunicated from the mainstream Baha’i community. He formed
his own sect “Baha’i’s Under the Provisions of the Covenant” (BUPC). In 1959 Dr. Jensen served a short
prison sentence. While incarcerated he believed he was chosen by God. His religion focused on natural
and manmade disasters in the Bible. He believed he had been gifted with the ability to predict the end of
the world. One such nuclear holocaust prediction made national headlines in 1980 when Dr. Leland led a
group of followers into a fallout shelter in Missoula to await the end of the earth. Dr. Jensen believed all
of his predictions came to fruition. His explanation was “the prophecy was fulfilled spiritually or
physically but simply not in the manner expected.”
Western Montana Veterans Cemetery – is located in the Target Range area on Tower Street. WMVC is
Missoula’s newest cemetery. A September 11, 2008 dedication ceremony, filled with an abundance of military
pomp and circumstance and attended by hundreds of individuals, marked the opening. The State of Montana
owns and operates two other veteran cemeteries, one in Helena and one in Miles City. WMVC consists of 14
acres developed and 10 acres undeveloped and is currently home to 434 veterans and their spouses. All major
military conflicts since World War One are represented there:
1 – WWI
3 – Operation Desert Storm
80 – spouses
169 – WWII
2 – Iraq War
55 – Korean War
1 - Afghanistan
56 – Vietnam War
65 – Served during peace time
The establishment of WMVC was a long awaited dream of area veterans. In fact, numerous veterans left written
instructions over the years for their families to hold or move their remains to Missoula once the cemetery became
a reality. The cemetery contains numerous niche walls but it is the white marble military markers in direct
alignment that bring a sense of real pride to the community.
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First Burial. One month after the grand opening the very public first burial occurred. Steve Koski was 83
years old when he began writing letters to petition the military and Montana politicians to establish a veteran
cemetery in Missoula. Koski was a veteran of WWII and served with the Army’s Merrill’s Marauders. He
passionately believed that Missoula’s size and military history warranted a veteran cemetery for western
Montana. Prior to his death, he left written instruction to hold his remains until his vision came to fruition
and he could be placed in Missoula’s very own veteran cemetery. Koski was given honorary placement in the
first niche on the top row of the first columbarium wall known as Plot A-1.
WWI Burial. William A. Hover was a WWI veteran and had died almost thirty years prior to the opening of
WMVC. That did not prevent his family from placing their family veterans in the new prestigious veteran
cemetery. In January 2009 Hover descendants placed the remains of William A. Hover (WWI veteran), his
spouse Ercell G. Hover, and their son, William G. Hover (WW II veteran) alongside each other in a touching
ceremony of honor.
Researched by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager.. Information sources: Historian - Wally Long,
original plat maps, local historical researchers, archived news articles, and historical cemetery documents on file with Missoula City
Cemetery, Western Montana Veterans Cemetery, Sunset Memorial Gardens, City of Missoula, Missoula County, and the Mike and
Maureen Mansfield Library.
Symbolism
Cemeteries are a rich source of information and art. Most historical information is located in the form of paper
documentation maintained in the cemetery office. Historical artwork, however, is depicted throughout the cemetery
grounds in the shape, size, and engravings found on each monument. Monuments shapes and their engraved symbols
each tell a story about the deceased individual: ethnicity, religion, association membership, occupation, genealogy,
hobbies, cultural beliefs, and historical events.
Missoula City Cemetery contains a plethora of symbolism in its monuments and street names. Watchful eyes will find
poetry, short stories, letters, genealogy lineage, photos, hobbies, scripture, occupations, culture, religion, statues, and
more. Some symbols are commonly found throughout the cemetery along with two very unique monuments. The
meanings of these symbols vary depending on cultural and religious belief. Symbolic meanings that stand out in Missoula
City Cemetery are:
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Street Names – Faith, Hope, Charity, Laurel, and Rose each represent special meanings.
o Faith – Belief in God.
o Hope – Belief in not despairing with expectation of something better waiting.
o Charity – Selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving kindness.
o Laurel – Tokens of peace, quiet.
o Rose – Love, beauty. Five roses in a bunch signify the five wounds of Christ.
Monument Symbols
o Cross - Belief in God, salvation, redemption, sacrifice
o Praying Hands – Prayer
o Open Book - the Holy Bible, the Word of God
o Ivy - Memory, fidelity
o Star of David - Eternal divine protection
o Dove - Peace, purity
o Wheat sheaves - Eucharist, the body of Christ
o Lamb - the Lord as the Good Shepherd, innocence (commonly denotes the grave of a child)
o Lily - Purity, marriage, Christ’s resurrection
Occupations and Labor Organizations – each represented by their individual symbols.
Veterans are represented by military monuments noting rank, title, and war service and can be found near the
veteran’s monument as well as throughout the grounds.
Missoula City Cemetery is home to many unique monument styles that depict history of events, religion, status, and
culture.
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Cement markers – Small flat cement markers can be found throughout the cemetery. Cemetery staff poured
small flat slabs of cement, roughly stamped a surname and year of death into the cement and then placed the
marker on a gravesite for identification purposes. Over the course of the life of the cemetery many of these
markers have become overgrown with sod and are only recovered after light probing with a shovel. These
markers can be quite deceiving in the stories they tell. The majority of these markers tell tales of poverty,
epidemics, or class status. However, others represent the expiration of an entire family, a feud carried to the grave
and wealthy individuals forgotten by their descendants. Today many descendants are replacing these old markers
with new monuments.
Above ground burial crypts – These burial sites contain the full casket of an individual within a multi-chamber
system above ground. Historically, these monuments were built for those with high status or wealth. Many older
cemeteries have quite elaborate mausoleum crypts including elaborate buildings the size of many smaller homes.
These buildings are decorated with symbolism inside and out. Missoula City Cemetery is home to three relatively
modest above ground crypts; two directly across from the cemetery office and one along the north fence line.
Iron cross – An iron cross is located directly across from the cemetery office. This marker was common among
the Germans from the Russia area. The Germans migrated to the steppes of Russia where there were no trees;
therefore, they made iron markers. No two markers were the same. Generally, markers never noted personal
information on them. Only the family was to know who was buried under the cross. This cross is unique because
it has a ceramic plate noting in German that August Trautwein lies there. The iron cross in Missoula City
Cemetery is the only one of its kind found in western Montana.
Victorian monument – Missoula City Cemetery is home to only one Victorian momument belonging to Daniel
Kendall (1847-1898). Victorian monuments were known for their elaborate symbolism and were placed on
graves of highly esteemed or greatly loved individuals. This monument is located directly across from the
cemetery office. Its symbololic meanings represent the cultural and religious beliefs of an 1800s family. The
monument is covered in the following symbols:
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Ivy – eternal memory
Anchor – another symbol of the cross
Dove – peace, love
Eggs in nest – rebirth, Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
Fern – renewal, rebirth
Rope – ladder to Heaven
Tree Trunk – renewal, rebirth
Drapery on urn – mourning, sadness
Forget-me-nots – remembrance
Scroll – petition to God to accept this soul
Researched by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager and Paulette Parpart, Missoula City-County Library genealogist.
Information sources: “Stories in Stone” by Douglas Keister and historical cemetery documents on file with Missoula City Cemetery.
Cemetery Traditions
Many cemetery traditions have been passed down through generations based on religious and cultural beliefs. The
foundation for these traditions was to show displays of respect and honor for the dead. The following are some cemetery
traditions found in Missoula City Cemetery.
 Not walking on graves. This tradition is still upheld by many of the older visitors to the cemetery. This was
thought to be a way to show respect of the dead. However, it actually was more of a cemetery rule than a
tradition as the cemetery was designed with wagon roads between each row of graves. People were requested to
walk on the roadways rather than on the graves themselves. In early cemeteries the graves tended to be rather
‘shallow’ so it was a wise decision not to walk on the graves just in case a soft spot in the soil caused you to ‘sink’
into the grave somewhat. Walking directly on a grave today is no longer a cardinal sin nor is it a major safety
factor as cemeteries are better maintained. This tradition remains one of personal preference.
 Indian sagebrush. In areas where sage is available, many traditional Indians still practice this custom. Prior to
entering the cemetery grounds, an Indian would take a small piece of sage and stroke it along each side of their
face and across their forehead. The scent from the sage provides a calming aura. It is meant to allow an
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individual to leave all life’s stresses and troubles behind them for the moment and enter the cemetery grounds
with a clean, peaceful spirit to pay tribute to their past elders. This custom truly does put you into a calm spirit;
maybe we should all start growing sagebrush in our homes and workplaces.
Stones on monuments. The Jewish traditions of placing stones on monuments each time a person visits a grave
dates back to the beginning of time when shallow graves were mounded with rocks to protect the site from wild
animals. Each time family visited a grave they would bring a bucket of stones with them to repair any damage to
the grave. Today, the more traditional Jewish families still maintain this custom by bringing a stone(s) with them
and placing them on the monument. Please refrain from removing these stones as they have been placed with care
onto their loved one’s grave.
Japanese incense and white carnations. The Japanese tradition of paying homage to their past elders involves
the burning of incense sticks and the placing of a white carnation onto the gravesite. Incense sticks are lit and
waved across the grave to chase away ill spirits and cleanse the area. A white carnation is placed on the grave as
a sign of purification and peace. The Japanese have long standing traditions of visiting known Japanese graves
and paying homage to them even though they are not directly related to the individuals buried in the cemetery.
The act of respect is applied across all past Japanese individuals. When walking through our Japanese section, the
air at times will smell wonderfully scented after families have visited. Please refrain from removing these items
as they have been placed with care onto their past elders’ graves.
Laying flowers on graves. Flowers have traditionally been laid on graves in memory of the dead. In Victorian
times flowers were symbolic and had specific meanings. The use of symbols and gestures were a common form of
silent communication. Today, however, most flowers are placed as a sentimental gesture rather than for their
symbolic meaning.
Other tokens. A watchful eye may see numerous other types of offerings left on a gravesite. You may see toys
left on a child’s grave, a local biker’s friends leave beer and cigarettes, a hiker has hiking boots left on his grave, a
skier has a ski pole stuck in the ground at the head of his grave. The cemetery has strict regulations as to what is
allowed on the grounds and regularly clears the gravesites, however, if you should happen to see items such as
these or others, please refrain from removing them as they have been placed with care onto a loved one’s grave
and have special meaning for that family.
Researched by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager.
Cemetery Folklore – The Lighter Side of the Grave
One man’s superstitions are another man’s beliefs. Many old world traditions and beliefs strictly followed in the past
have fallen out of common practice in today’s society. Although some of these beliefs have been dismissed as
superstition, others may still be followed but in a more relaxed manner.
 Passing a cemetery. A person must hold their breath when passing a cemetery or they will breathe in the spirit of
someone who has recently died. Tuck your thumbs into your fists when passing a cemetery to protect your
parents.
 A bird in the house. If a red-breasted robin flies into a room through a window then death will follow shortly.
 A clock. If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes there will be a death in the family. You will
have bad luck if you do not stop the clock in the room when a death occurs.
 Open a window. All windows should be opened at the moment of death so the soul may have a speedy journey
to the other side.
 Lighting of candles. On the night after November 1st a candle should be lit for each deceased relative and placed
in a window.
 Mirrors. Mirrors in the house with a corpse should be covered or the person who sees himself will die next. If a
mirror should fall from the wall and breaks itself then someone in the house will die soon.
 Eye twitching. If a person’s left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
 Thunder. Thunder following a funeral means the person’s soul has reached heaven.
 Pregnant women. Pregnant women attending a funeral and walking on the grave will result in a child with club
feet.
 Grave. If the person lived a good life, flowers will grow on the grave. If the person was evil, weeds will grow.
 Photograph. If three people are photographed together the one in the middle will die first.
 Thirteen. If thirteen people sit down at a table to eat one of them will die before the year is over.
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Umbrella. Dropping an umbrella on the floor means there will be a murder in the house.
Hearse. A hearse stopping at someone’s door on the way to the funeral is a death omen for the householder.
Collecting epitaphs. Collecting epitaphs from tombstones is unlucky and will result in losing your memory.
Cures. Being near or in an open grave cures all manner of illness including toothache, boils, and incontinence.
Order of burial. The first person buried in a cemetery is unlucky. The last person buried in a cemetery must
forever have their spirit stand watch over all the others.
Plants. Tying a piece of black ribbon around plants on someone’s death will prevent the plant from dying too.
Speaking ill of the dead. Never speak ill of the dead or their spirit will come back to haunt you.
Witch. A witch must be buried face down to prevent the community further supernatural spells. If this doesn’t
work, unbury them and turn their clothes inside out, then re-bury them face down. This should do the trick.
Crows. One crow = Bad luck. Two crows = Good luck. Three crows = Health. Four crows = Sickness. Five
crows = Death.
Dog howling. If a dog howls three times it means someone is going to die. If a dog howls at night when
someone in the house is sick it is a bad omen. This omen can be reversed by reaching under the bed and turning
over a shoe.
Bell ringing. When a bell rings it means an angel received their wings.
Dish. An old Mexican belief is that if a dish or pot falls and breaks for no reason, someone in your family is
dead.
Removing a corpse. A corpse should be removed from the house feet first to prevent their spirit from looking
back into the house and beckoning another member of the family to follow.
Bells on grave. The fear of someone being buried alive led coffin makers to design caskets with an internal chain
attached to a bell on the grave. If the person should awake they would pull the bell and alert the community to
their premature burial. Hence the saying “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
Wakes. Bodies were watched over every minute for 3-4 days after death to prevent a premature burial for
someone who might simply be in a coma rather than actually dead.
Placement of burial. The deceased lies with their head to the West and their feet to the East. This very old
custom comes from both the Pagans who worship the rise and setting of the sun and the Christians who believe
the final summons of Judgment will come from the East.
Yawning. Always cover your mouth when yawning to prevent your spirit from leaving and the devil entering.
Procession. It is bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on. If it cannot be avoided then hold onto a button
until the procession passes. A funeral procession should never return from the cemetery the same way they came
to prevent the spirit of the deceased from following them home again.
Three knocks of death. If you hear three knocks and no one is there it means someone close to you has died.
Spine chills. When you experience a chill up your spine someone has just walked over your future grave site.
Shoes on the table. Leaving shoes on the table will bring sickness and possibly death by hanging.
Hen. Hearing a hen crow means death unless you kill the hen. (Who knew a hen could crow!)
Coffee grounds. If coffee grounds in the bottom of a cup form a long straight line you can anticipate a funeral.
Touching the deceased. If you touch a loved one who has died you won’t have dreams about them.
Tombstones. Some cultures believe placing a tombstone on the grave keeps the ghosts weighed down.
Mazes. Mazes were placed at some cemetery entrances to prevent spirits from returning to the world as it was
known that ghosts could only travel in a straight line.
Researched by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager.
Funeral Directors
The funeral business has changed drastically over the past 100 years. The greatest and most improved area is in record
keeping. Missoula is currently home to numerous funeral homes but is very fortunate to have all historical funeral records
dating back to the mid-1800s located in one facility. The pre-1900 records, however, are very sketchy and brief. The
further into the 1900s, the more family information was recorded. Today, those original paper records remain intact and
are being automated for permanent preservation of information.
• A good example of record keeping at the funeral homes was in 1901. The records show there were 120
deaths that year with 36 of those being children. The cause of death ranged from pneumonia, infantile
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(historical medical terms list an “infantile paralysis” or in modern terms “polio” but many records simply
note “infantile” with no further description), and meningitis. Many older people died of typhoid fever,
Bright’s disease, cholera, spotted fever, and even suicide.
• The railroad was a large employer in the community and, of
course, had many accidental deaths occur due to the dangerous
line of work. Records show the railroad paid funeral expense for
all their workers.
• Records also show the large number of Missoula men who died
defending our country during World War I, World War II,
Korea, Vietnam, and into today’s modern wars.
In the early days of the funeral business, the funeral director was usually
Horse drawn hearse
part of another business. For example:
• J. M. Lucy. He owned the Lucy Furniture and Carpet store and
served as coroner and funeral director. The store advertisement noted they were “The Largest Wholesale
& Retail Furniture Store in the Northwest” with “undertaking in connection.”
• C. H. Marsh. He owned Eclipse Livery, Feed & Sale Stables and served as funeral director and
embalmer. C. H. Marsh was one of Missoula’s first funeral directors.
Past Funeral Homes. Past funeral homes and funeral directors familiar to Missoulians were: Lucy Funeral
Home, Lucy & Sons, Marsh & Powell Mortuary, Lucy-Hayes Funeral Home, Geraghty Funeral Home, SquireSimmons & Carr, Stuckey Funeral Home, Livingston Chapel, and Livingston-Malletta & Geraghty. Historical
burial records from these funeral homes and others have been preserved and are now held in a library collection
located at Garden City Funeral Home at 1700 West Broadway Street in Missoula, Montana.
Funeral Services. The majority of early funeral services were held in individual homes. Smaller numbers of
services were held in churches. The majority of burials were traditional caskets, however, cremations were found
in early funeral records. Bodies were carried to the cemetery in horse drawn hearses. The average service
consisted of one hearse unless the individual was very prominent. In that instance, the funeral procession would
include two to four carriages.
Until the 1960s the closest crematory was located in Spokane, Washington.
Information provided by Steve Davolt, Funeral Director at Livingston, Malletta, Geraghty Funeral Home. To access historic funeral records, please
contact one of the local funeral homes for information.
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Fun Facts
Mount Jumbo. The first circus came to Missoula on August 19, 1886. Between shows an elephant escaped from
its chains. The giant beast proceeded to curiously explore the surrounding area. A great hunting expedition
pursued until the elephant was finally caught. The animal was tied to a tree near the house of Frank Worden. The
Worden home was located at the base of the mountain. The mountain was later named Mount Jumbo.
Bathtub. The first bath tub was installed in the home of John Rankin who lived at 134 Madison in Missoula.
Secret Room. Hiram Knowles designed a house full of rooms of many colors at 900 S. 1st in Missoula. He had
blue rooms, green rooms, and red rooms but the room that received the most attention was his ‘secret room.’ The
‘secret room’ was for his grandchildren. It was actually a wine cellar that had to be reached by using a dumb
waiter.
Researched by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager.
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Storyteller Map
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LIFE HISTORIES
Jacob Alles (1868-1937)
A German Russian who escaped the persecutions of the Russian monarchy by
immigrating to America only to find much of the same fear driven society with the
outbreak of WWI. Jacob persevered to successfully own and operate one of
Missoula’s first garbage services.
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 Historical Note: On July 9, 1762, Catherine II assumed leadership of
Russia upon the assassination of her husband, Peter III. She became the
longest ruling female leader of Russia and was dubbed “Catherine the Great.”
Catherine set out to modernize Russia. Embracing her German heritage,
Jacob Alles in later years
Catherine recruited Germans to settle and develop land along the Volga River.
These Germans came to a blank landscape and endured great hardships as they began to shape the land. They
were a tight knit group, consisting mostly of farmers, who built churches, homes, and schools. Catherine II’s
successors disagreed with many of Catherine’s visions. Upon her death on November 17, 1796, Catherine’s son,
Paul I, inherited the throne and immediately set in motion the retraction of many of Catherine II’s policies. One
of his first orders of business was to reclaim Russian land for Russians, not Germans. He invoked heavy taxation,
then began outlawing everything German including the speaking of the German language. To escape the
persecution, those Germans, who were able began, to flee the area.
1868-Birth. May 23, 1868 in Walter Russia in the state of Saratov. Jacob’s parents were
German farmers who raised hops, wheat, barley, rye, potatoes, and sugar beets. His family
came to Russia in 1768.
1890s-Army. Jacob was one of many young German men drafted into the Russian Army.
He was ordered to serve in Poland as part of a Russian peace keeping force. It is unknown
when or how he left that service.
1894-Marriage. Jacob married his first wife, Katherine Giesick. Together they had four
Jacob's military photo
children.
1898-United States. Persecution of the German Russians became intolerable for this young
family. Jacob, Katherine, their baby son, George, and one of their nieces immigrated to the United States. They
went directly to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Jacob worked for a railroad company that served all the Midwestern
states. (The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad had extensive tracks from Sheridan, Wyoming to St.
Louis, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois.)
1906-Death and Marriage. Jacob and Katherine’s family had grown to four children when tragedy struck. Their
one-year-old baby boy died from sickness; then soon after, Katherine died of tuberculosis. As a widower left with
small children and a need to care for them, he soon married Anna Marie Luft Froesheiser. Anna was a widow
with two children of her own. Together, Jacob and Anna would have another six children.
Taxi Business. Jacob acquired a horse and surrey and entered his entrepreneurial stage-running a successful taxi
business. His horse was known for its beauty and his surrey for its fringe on the top. Unfortunately, luck was not
with him for long.
1910-Fire. Jacob’s entire livelihood literally went up in flames. It is believed a local drunk dropped a lantern at
the livery barn where Jacob rented space for his horse and surrey. The entire building was lost including all
livestock and equipment housed there. Jacob lost the means to support his ever growing family.
Farming. Jacob returned to his farming roots. He joined a brother in Vassar, Michigan and worked the sugar
beets. He later attempted to establish a farm in Glendale, Arizona but soon realized the arid environment was not
conducive to sugar beet growing. He moved his family again. This time to Portland, Oregon for four years.
1916-Park City, Montana. Jacob moved his family to Park City, Montana in one final attempt to homestead a
farm. Unfortunately he found there was little land to be had and was forced to work for others to support his large
family. None of Jacob’s attempts at farming proved successful. Sugar beets required irrigation and a large labor
force, of which he had neither.
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1918-Flu and WWI. The onset of WWI found Jacob once again a target. This time it was a target of social fear.
Germans were viewed as anti-government and strict codes were enforced to ban their language, customs, and
beliefs. His children would tell chilling tales of retribution for the slightest offense. Jacob’s English was limited
which now cut off his communication to the outside world. It was his children who taught him to write English
from their primers at the dining room table each evening. The tragedy that dogged Jacob soon dealt him a double
dose. The flu epidemic of 1918 did not leave his household unscathed. Anna was a strong woman with a large
heart. She took it upon herself to aid her fellow neighbors by tending to their illness. Unfortunately, she
contracted the disease herself and died on December 14, 1918. Jacob was once again left alone with a houseful of
children.
Depression. Throughout the next decade Jacob followed the beets. He moved his family to Billings, Montana
and worked in the beet factory. As a second job, he hired out to local farmers. A hard life but needed for his
family to simply survive. One by one the children married and left home. As they left, however, they often took
one or more younger siblings with them to alleviate some of their father’s burden.
1927-Missoula, Montana. Jacob and his remaining three daughters arrived in Missoula, Montana. The girls
were placed in area homes where they worked for room and board until Jacob finally sent them to live with their
older married sisters.
1929-Garbage Business. In the year of the great stock market crash, Jacob purchased a horse and wagon. He
opened a garbage hauling business. For 25 cents a household could have their garbage hauled, their furnace
cleaned, and the ashes disposed. At last Jacob prospered. He purchased his first home on Fifth Street which still
stands. He sent word for his young daughters to return home. Eventually, Jacob bought a Ford truck from H.O.
Bell. He employed his son Emmanuel (E.J.) Alles, son-in-law Henry Wittman, along with Peter Stickney and Mr.
Raymond. The dump was located along the Clark Fork River on the north side of the Orange Street Bridge where
the old Fox Theater resided.
 1937-Death. Jacob died on October 14, 1937 at his home on Fifth Street
in Missoula, Montana. The garbage business was divided and sold. Peter Stickney
purchased the service on the south side of the river and Mr. Raymond purchased
the service on the north side of the river.
Information and photos of Jacob Alles provided by Jacob’s granddaughter, Brenda Holland. She
wrote “Jacob Alles was a typical American immigrant. He was not a spectacular success and in fact
spent much of his life dealing with tragedy and failure. He knew only one thing - work. He was not
educated or particularly ambitious. In fact, he was not special at all. But he supported his family
Grave 6 - Lot 12 - Block 44A
and he was courageous enough to come to a new country he knew little about. He was known as an
honest hardworking man of faith. When he died at age 69, he was a respected citizen of Missoula
and he had established a home and a business in spite of revolution, war, disease, and drought. He was not special at all. He simply
managed to survive. He lost two wives, a son, and two businesses. He became proficient in reading and writing three languages –
German, Russian, and English. His descendants prospered. Many of them remain citizens of western Montana. They became teachers,
nurses, carpenters, policemen, farmers, engineers, editors, and more. Jacob was nothing special but he and millions like him made
America a great nation.”
Historical note provided by Mary Ellen Stubb, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager and great-granddaughter of Jacob.
Daniel Edward Bandmann (1840-1905)
A renowned Shakespearean theater actor who lived his life on and off the stage to its fullest
dramatic potential. As a local rancher he was credited with horticulture milestones. Daniel’s
fortune, ranch, and reputation came crashing down alongside the stock market crash of 1893.
 1837 or 1840-Birth. Daniel was born to German parents in Cassel, Germany.
The exact year of birth has long been questioned.
 1858–New York City, New York. As a teenager, Daniel arrived in New York
City traveling with a German theater group whose productions were completely in the
German language. Daniel was struck with the wonder of this bustling city and left the
German troupe to pursue an acting career in America. He enrolled at Cooper Union to
learn English. It is said his English teacher was a little known man named Alexander
Graham Bell. It was another thirteen years before Bell invented the telephone and became
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a household name.
1863–Theater. On January 15, 1863, Daniel made his first American theater
performance at Niblo’s Garden in New York City as Shylock, the miserly Jewish
moneylender in Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice.” Daniel evolved into one of
the most famous names in American theater during the 1870s – 1880s. He
traveled around the world twice with extended stays in Canada, England, the
United States, Australia, and the Far East.
1863–Marriage. Daniel met and married his first wife, Alice Henchel, during his
acting tenure in New York’s theaters.
Daniel’s second wife,
 1869–Marriage.
Millicent Palmer, was an actress from Lancaster
England. They had one daughter and one son,
Maurice (1877). Their divorce was the first of
many of Daniel’s marital debacles.
 1879–Tour. Daniel launched a five year
theatrical tour of Australia and the Far East.
 1884–American adaptations.
Throughout the late 1880s Daniel
introduced stage adaptations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. These productions were
so skillfully done they produced sell out performances throughout the United
States and London theaters.
 1884–Missoula, Montana. Daniel’s first role in Missoula, Montana was a
performance at the opening of Maguire’s Opera House which was located on the
south side of West Main Street. Throughout the years, Daniel performed in
numerous Montana theaters including the Empire Theater in Missoula, the
Margaret Hotel in Bonner, Ming’s Opera house in Helena, and the Grand Opera House
in Butte. He was dedicated to labor union rights and conducted numerous benefit shows.
Daniel’s first Montana land investment was in the early 1880s. He entered into a short-term partnership with
Robert Childs. They purchased an 80 acre ranch near Florence, Montana.
1885-Book. Daniel penned and published a book titled “Seventy Thousand miles with Shakespeare.” It focused
on his worldwide theatrical tour and detailed both his professional and personal life. Daniel’s troublesome life on
and off the state was great fodder for the book.
1887-Bandmann Flats. Daniel purchased two ranches totaling 320 acres in Hellgate Canyon east of Missoula.
The area has long been known as Bandmann Flats and is now the home of Canyon River Golf Course. At the
time he purchased the ranch, Daniel knew nothing about livestock or ranching, however, he would later establish
himself as an innovator in the horticultural field. He was a co-founder of the Montana Board of Horticulture.
Daniel introduced the first McIntosh red apples to Montana. His orchards were said to be one of the finest apple
orchards in the state. In 1902 his orchard yielded 2,500 boxes of apples. Daniel worked with Dr. Morton Elrod of
Montana State University to stamp out pests common to apple orchards.
Livestock. Daniel introduced exotic breeds of cattle, pigs, and poultry to Montana. He originated the first
Holstein cattle and later sold 13 head of the livestock to Bitterroot “Copper King” Marcus Daly. Daniel imported
the first Percheron horses from France. He incorporated pigs as a tribute to his fellow man of which he felt were
all “greedy pigs” himself included. Daniel’s pride was his exotic line of Royal chickens.
1889-Race. Daniel loved attention. In June 1889 a discussion with some of the locals soon turned into a wager
of means. He bet he could walk from downtown to the top of Mount Sentinel and back within two hours. The
newspaper reported the distance as roughly six miles total. Daniel set out at the Higgins Avenue Bridge at
6:30pm. It was documented that hundreds of people turned out downtown and the excitement of the race grew so
exponentially that many side bets were made. At one hour and forty minutes Daniel crossed the finish line. It
was not reported whether anyone accompanied him or verified the completion of the course nor was it noted who
resulted in the greatest financial gain.
1892 – Marriage. Daniel met and married his third and final wife, actress Mary Therese Kelly of California,
when she and her acting troupe visited his ranch. Together they had four children: Eva (1892), Susan (1893),
Hebe (1895), and Daniel E. (1905). After Daniel’s death, Mary re-settled her family to the Spokane, Washington
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area. Their youngest son, Daniel, was born three weeks before his father’s death and later changed his surname to
‘Bandman’ with only one ‘n.’
Louise Beaudet. Daniel’s marriage to Mary Kelly caused quite a commotion. It seemed another woman by the
name of Louise Beaudet was already known as “Mrs. Daniel Bandmann.” Louise was a student and ward who
had lived with Daniel since his worldwide tour (1869-1884). It was Louise who traveled the world with Daniel as
his professional and personal partner. When Daniel suddenly married Mary Kelly it came as quite a shock to
Louise. Daniel’s memory served him well in the theater but he seemed to have great difficulty keeping track of
his marital status and to whom he was married at any given time. Louise sued Daniel in a very public display and
she claimed ownership of the ranch. When the dust settled, all the proper divorce and marriage documents were
said to be in order but Daniel’s assets were considerably lowered.
1893-Money lost and found. Along with the melee of public proceedings with Louise Beaudet, the stock market
crash of 1893 left Daniel practically penniless. Ever resourceful, Daniel concocted a new source of income.
Daniel had previously purchased the old Northern Pacific Railroad trestle bridge that was located on his ranch and
served as the main public connection between Bonner and East Missoula. He initiated a toll for use of the
crossing. The new fee was accepted by most of the locals as it allowed them to avoid the more treacherous climb
over Marshall Grade. The native Indians however, refused the toll. They had accessed this area prior to
Bandmann and would continue their traditional route uninhibited. The band of Indians set up camp near the
bridge to wait out this decision. This did not bother Daniel until his flock of Royal chickens dwindled in number.
He realized that when one of his free roaming chickens roamed into a teepee they did not come out. He devised a
plan. When the next group of Indians arrived to settle in his yard he stepped out of his door in a terrifying
costume which included a black stove pipe hat, a red shaggy wig, bushy waxed facial hair, and a double barrel
shotgun. He approached the Indians waving the shotgun and reciting theatrical lines at the top of his voice
switching languages from German to English to French throughout his oration. The Indians were spellbound. At
the end of Daniel’s act he abruptly turned around and re-entered his home. He and a friend watched from the
kitchen window as the Indians gathered round in consultation then systematically packed up and moved on never
to use his yard as a camping spot again.
Montana Theater. Daniel was the first major theater artist to live and work in Montana. Even after his
retirement, Daniel remained a huge influence and supporter of local theater. It was said young actors who played
Missoula’s stage were “frequently impressed with the figure of a grim, shaggyhaired, stern-browed old man sitting in the first row who watched their
performances with a keen and penetrating interest.” After each performance Daniel
would venture backstage to offer theatrical suggestions and reminisce of bygone
days in the theater. It was Daniel Bandmann who prodded The University of
Montana to launch its theater.
 1905-Death. Daniel died on November 23, 1905. He was reported to have
“dropped dead from heart failure superseded by acute indigestion” at his ranch near
Grave 7 - Lot 17 - Block 23
East Missoula, Montana.
Researched by Kim Briggeman-reporter for The Missoulian, Marcia Porter – retired records manager supervisor for Missoula County, and Mary
Ellen Stubb – Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager. Information and photos sources: National library archives, world-wide newspaper
archives, public land documents, public court documents, and local legend.
Henry "Hank" Butler Beaman (18481897)
Sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota, friends with Calamity Jane and was
represented in the HBO miniseries “Deadwood”. He was a landowner and
fireman who invented the fire towers much like the one used by the Forest Service
today.
Beaman Children
 1848-Birth. Henry was born on February 22, 1848 in Morgan
Township, Owen County, Indiana to Isaac Beaman and Martha “Patsy”
Langdon.
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Married: February 22, 1879 in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa to Mary Jane Munger who was the daughter of
Simon Peter Munger and Elizabeth Wilkinson. Mary was born May 30, 1856 in Essex County, Ontario,
Canada. They had 10 children with 5 surviving to adulthood. (Melvin – 1880, Stella – 1881, Cleaveland – 1883,
Lafayette – 1885, David – 1890, Ruth – 1892, Ethel – 1894, Clarence – 1897, Clark – unknown, infant –
unknown)
1860: Both parents having passed away, Hank is found at age 12 living with the family of John and Elizabeth
(Beaman) Halton in Washington Township, Clay County, Indiana.
1876: The first known record of Hank in Deadwood, South Dakota Territory, is found in the local newspaper
dated August 19, 1876, a few weeks after the death of Wild Bill Hitchcock. However, it is likely he went there
with thousands of other men when gold was discovered in the Hills in 1875. The newspaper itself wasn't in
business until 1876 with many of the early articles written on paper bags which were used for a variety of
purposes by members of the community. Many of these did not survive and those that did were extremely
difficult to read.
Community. Hank quickly became an esteemed member of the community. He was employed in various
occupations; carpenter, fireman, deputy sheriff, landowner. He would earn a reputation for being honest, fearless
and hardworking, contributing many hours to labor, as well as his talents to the social events of the day.
Businessman. Hank was also known as an astute businessman. He was the owner of several prime lots of real
estate, including the lot he and his partner would sell to Seth Bullock and Sol Star. Located on the corner of
Sherman and Lee Streets, it was sold for $800. It would house Bullock and Star's hardware store. These two men
were not only Hank's friends, they would play a huge role in the history of Deadwood both politically and
economically. Their lives would eventually become the basis for the popular HBO mini-series, "Deadwood",
which was based loosely on the history of Deadwood. Other properties owned by Hank would be sold, or built on
and rented out. Many of these were simply known as "Beaman's building". Just as miners contended with claim
jumpers, land owners in town contended with lot jumpers. Hank experienced this problem, being both the jumper
and the jumpee, having attempted to "inch" his way onto another man's property.
Fire Protection. Building codes were literally unheard of in Deadwood. Lot owners built as close to the next
building as possible. Often times the main streets were so loaded with lumber, wagons could not pass
through. The demand for lumber was so great; it was often used raw in building. All of these factors created an
immediate concern for the citizens of Deadwood - FIRE! The Deadwood Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was
formed. Hank was a member of this group from its inception. He held various positions within the company.
These included finding the right type of equipment to be used, revamping the building that would house the
equipment, raising funds for various uses by the company as well as building the hooks and ladders. This of
course led to the need for water. It was up to Hank to see that all was well. Another of his duties was to inspect
fireplace flues. He would institute the construction of brick chimneys as well as inspect those that already existed
to insure they were up to code. The code was entirely based on his knowledge of construction. He also instituted
the idea of look-out towers, much like those used by the forest service of today. There were many fires in
Deadwood that destroyed large portions of the town during the years Hank was there. He would lose 5 houses in
one such fire. He also fought fires in the surrounding towns as well. It was in one of these fires that Hank would
be injured. It would eventually affect his entire family.
1877-While in Deadwood, Hank was a member of the Knights of Pythais, as well as the Knights of the Silver
Cross of Cyrus. He was a stout Democrat and was a delegate to the Democratic County Convention in 1877. He
would also campaign for the local politicians, as well as taking an interest in the politics of Indiana, his home
state.
1880: During the time Hank spent in Deadwood, he was elected deputy sheriff. He arrested both men and women
for a variety of crimes. He also transported prisoners from Deadwood to other prisons as well as insane
asylums. He himself would be arrested on more than one occasion. Most of the crimes he was charged with were
of no consequence with charges often being dropped. However, on May 4, 1880, while in a saloon, Hank shot a
man. He was charged with ‘assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill.’ He was required to post $3,000
bond, which was provided by his friends, including Seth Bullock. Members of the community wrote letters to the
judge in the case stating what a decent man Hank was. His physician testified Hank had been receiving the
medication morphine for injuries received while fighting a fire. This in combination with drink had been the
primary reason for Hanks' actions, something which Hank would have had no control over and therefore could not
be held responsible. Hank was released of all charges, but would immediately resign from his positions with both
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the police and fire departments. He would later be reinstated. Costner, the man Hank shot, would eventually
recover from his wounds.
1882: Hank left Deadwood and headed for Montana. He and his family resided in the areas of Livingston,
Gardiner, and Helena before arriving in Missoula in June 1894. Hank is said to have held a variety of positions
along the way, including that of stagecoach driver into Yellowstone. Hank died in
Missoula in 1897, likely due to the effects of morphine from his back injury. He
left his wife pregnant with their youngest son who was born in August of that same
year. Mary Jane's family now literally lived hand-to-mouth. An audio recording
tells of their living in a Conestoga wagon for a time. A kindly neighbor would
eventually allow them to live free of charge in a home he normally rented. The
children would go through town collecting cardboard, sticks, etc. to burn for heat
and to use for cooking. The older children would do odd jobs to support their
mother and younger siblings. They sold newspapers, ran errands, etc. until they
Grave 6 - Lot 4 - Block 053
eventually found more stable employment.
1897-Death: April 17, 1897 in Missoula, Montana at 49 years old.
Information and photo provided by Jane Short, the wife of Henry and Mary’s great-grandson.
Harry Oscar “H. O.” Bell (1884-1971)
Bought the first Ford car dealership in Missoula in 1915. In 1929 he opened the first
modern sales and service building on South Higgins Avenue. He was an avid aviation
enthusiast and played a principle role in the development of Missoula’s airport.
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His beliefs for success:
• You have to love what you are doing.
• There isn’t a thing you can’t learn if you want to and are willing to work at
it hard enough.
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 1884-Birth: December 4, 1884 in Coshocton, Ohio. Parents were William
Jefferson Bell, a general insurance agent, and Susan Mullett Bell, a teacher.
 1909-Marriage: 1st Wife. Grace in 1909. Two daughters: Dorothy and
Betty. Grace was killed in an automobile accident in 1950 when a fraternity student
rolled her vehicle after a dinner out.
 Harry’s father died when he was nine years old. His mother was left with four
children and a farm mortgage, so all the children were required to help run the farm.
Harry never attended school again after his father’s death. His formal education amounted to about a 5 th grade
equivalent. Rivalry between Harry and his older brother drove his mother to send Harry to live with an uncle and
aunt on a farm near Fort Wayne, Indiana to work on their farm.
1899. Harry’s Uncle Daniel Mullett bought the first car in that part of the country – a Milwaukee Steamer. This
laid the foundation for Harry’s love of automobiles and his future destiny. He would take the car, and future cars,
apart then put them back together and drive them around the country roads.
1901. Fascinated by a Winton automobile owned by his uncle, Harry went to the Indianapolis agency where it
was purchased and sought employment. He was hired at a dollar a day
and remained working for the Carl Fisher
Automobile Company for five years.
1901-1906. Harry spent these years tearing apart and re-building the
many race cars owned by Carl Fisher. (Carl Fisher eventually built the
Indianapolis Speedway and Miami Beach Florida Speedway.) Long
distance auto racing was thought to be the ‘way of the future’ and was
used to gain insight into improvements in design and construction of
automobiles. Through Harry’s experimenting, he successfully invented
a safety plug used in acetylene tanks to illuminate early headlights.
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1904-1905. Harry traveled the race car circuit throughout the Midwest as Carl Fisher’s mechanic. At one point,
Harry was the relief driver for Jap Clemmons who was driving at a National stock car. The 1905 Model C
Nationals stock cars were on a run to set the world’s record for distance
covered in 24 hours.
 1906. His love of fishing brought him west to Spokane,
Washington. His friend, Lou A Rose, had an uncle in the car business in
Spokane who offered a line of credit to the boys to open a new store.
The business closed after one year. Other ventures were tried but also
failed.
 1909. Hired by Jack Stoner who owned the Stoddard-Dayton
Reo Dealership. Harry did most of his racing at this time. Harry won the
Wemme Trophy race in Portland, Oregon driving a Studebaker at 56 mph
for 100 miles. The 100 mile race was driven on a 14-mile consisting of dirt measuring 4-5 inch deep in spots and
4 right angle turns along with one “S” turn every 14 miles.
1910. Harry ventured back East. He had his first balloon ride over Indianapolis but due to lack of wind, three
hours later they were only 40 miles from their take-off point and had to wait for a motorist below to grab the drag
rope and tie it to a tree to let them down.
1912. Became a wholesale manager traveling Washington, Idaho, and Montana, establishing new dealerships.
Note. There were no show rooms in the early years of car sales, only garages. Everything but the body of the car
was considered an accessory and cost extra such as the lights, windshield, and tops. Early car owners didn’t care
about style but performance was the key. Gas tanks were located under one of the seats. Automobiles brought
issues needing the City of Missoula’s attention such as:
• 1906. Ordinance limiting the speed of an auto to eight miles per hour and requiring it to stop if
frightening the horses.
• 1907. Ordinance requiring two lights in front and one in back of every auto.
1915. Harry was offered financing to open the Ford dealership in Missoula. $30,000 in cash and an equal amount
of credit was provided by his boss, under the terms of a contract written by the 30-year-old Bell. He owned this
business for 55 years.
1927. Harry was an avid aviation enthusiast. He was elected chapter president of the local chapter of the
National Aeronautic Association and served on the board of directors for over 30 years. Their goal was to foster
aviation progress in the Missoula area. They wanted to secure a feeder line from Missoula to connect with a
proposed Butte-to-Salt Lake City air-mail route. They also wanted Missoula designated a stop on the New Yorkto-Spokane route of the 1927 National Air Races. Placing Missoula on the race route was extremely important to
advertise the 80 acres of land southwest of Missoula near the fairgrounds. (The site of the UofM College of
Technology) Harry and local businessman, C. H. McLeod, lead the effort and the county soon acquired the land
for its first airport. In the mid-1930s the airport would be named Hale Field in honor of Missoula County’s
aviation minded county surveyor, R. J. Hale.
1952-Marriage. 2nd Wife. Mary E. Mista Bell.
U of M athletes. A firm supporter of The University of Montana athletes, Harry sponsored many an athlete. He
assisted with their tuition and even housed some at his own home. The students worked odd jobs for him in
exchange for their financial support.
Rancher. Harry and Mary loved their Bar Lazy B Ranch near Ronan. They raised Arabian horses and Hereford
cattle until the day Harry died. Mary then sold the ranch and moved into Missoula.
Harry was very successful and much credit is given to the two women who loved and supported him through the
years and every one of his endeavors. He was a community servant and loved Missoula and Montana with a
passion. He firmly believed in everything our country stands for and loved the history of such things as the
Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
Poem written by Harry Oscar ‘H O’ Bell depicting his spirit:
The power to choose the work I do,
To grow and have the larger view,
To know and feel that I am free,
To stand erect, not bow the knee,
To be no chattel of the State,
To be the master of my fate,
To dare, to risk, to lose, to win,
To make my own career begin.
To serve the world in my own way,
To gain in wisdom, day by day,
With hope and zest to climb, to rise,
I call that PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
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Death: October 22, 1971 in Missoula, Montana.
Information provided by: Betty Skibsted, daughter.
Golden Bibee (1884-1976)
Local poet and songwriter. He arrived in Polson in 1910 after a harrowing trip
through the forest fires. He was the caretaker at the Flathead State Park until late
into his 80s. His writings paint a picture of the Montana ranch life in vivid color.
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1884-Birth. February 3, 1884 in Kirksville, Missouri.
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1906-Marriage. Hattie Gordon in Denver in 1906. They had 3
daughters. Hattie died in 1953.
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1910-Fire. Golden came to Polson, Montana with his parents and
brother, Sylvester, during the area’s most disastrous fire season ever recorded.
Golden Bibee
There were 2,500 small fires and 50 large blazes in northeastern Washington,
the Idaho Panhandle, and western Montana. The winds gusted up to 70 miles per
hour. Within 48 hours some three million acres and between seven to eight billion board feet of timber burned.
Eighty-five persons died, 78 of them firefighters. The advancing walls of flame gobbled up the eastern third of
Wallace, Idaho, all of the Montana communities of Belknap, Taft, Deborgia, Haugen, parts of Noxon, Trout Creek,
Heron, Tuscor and Whitepine, then skirted around Mullan, skipped over Avery, and stopped just west of Thompson
Falls. Golden E. Bibee was among early settlers who arrived at the north end of Flathead Lake via the Great Northern
Railroad and then came to Polson by boat from Somers. He recounted the train trip from the southern edge of the new
Glacier National Park. Forest fires raged on all sides. He wrote:
“It looked like the world was on fire. A pilot engine ran ahead of our train. The night was dark but most of the way the forest
fire lighted the coaches like day. "Somewhere in the middle of the burn, the train stopped and several people came aboard.
One young mother apologized to my wife because her children had whooping cough. She said they had a very narrow escape
and were very thankful to get away from the fire alive." The boat trip to Polson was no less hazardous. The Bibees were
aboard the City of Polson when the boat became lost in the smoke. As if the smoke weren't bad enough, a windstorm struck
as they were half-way down the lake. "The winds grew wilder and the wind stronger, causing the smoke to sting the eyes
intensely. My little family clung together and hung on. My wife was too seasick to care whether the ship went down or not
and the crew seemed uneasy. There was much consultation -- we were facing the storm, bouncing like a cork on the waves.
For some time we barely held our own. Then the squall stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The sun disappeared behind a
mountain and darkness came on sudden and intense. "Then came the search for the shoreline and the Narrows. How this was
accomplished I'll never understand. I couldn't see the bow of the boat. The squall seemed to have thickened the smoke rather
than clear it." The boat crept throughout the narrows safely, sped up and pretty soon slowed down again, as the captain
groped for the dock, guided by the electric plant's whistle.”
Golden’s mother died soon after arriving in Polson. She was the second person to be buried in the Lakeview
Cemetery.
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Jobs. Golden worked at the Cline flour mill in Polson, Montana for six years then at a local harness shop. He
homesteaded in the Big Arm area.
1955-1968. As the caretaker at the Flathead Lake State Park near Big Arm, Golden gained worldwide fame for
his kindliness and hospitality. During this time he also had a thrice weekly radio program on KOFI. At 84 years
of age his application for renewal of the caretaker job was turned down. Golden put an editorial in the Flathead
Courier in response:
“I was born on a farm in Missouri at a time when wood was our only fuel so my father chopped the wood for our
stove and fireplace. We children had the job of picking up chips for fuel. As soon as I was able to walk I too picked
chips. I don't remember but I feel sure that I enjoyed the labor and I almost got my name from it for the first threesentence word I spoke was 'pick up chips'. Thus began by life as a laborer and the habit has stayed with me through
life...
…To my friends who expect to see me next season I am sorry to miss seeing you. But do go on, get together, shake
hands, go fishing, sleep in the cool shade, gather around the campfire, tell some good yarns, enjoy every hour of
your stay. Welcome the stranger, be happy, and plan to return.”
Poet. Golden was well known for writing poetry books and songs. He published what he called the "Pony
Express" series of limericks and poems. The volumes included "In the Realm of Flathead Lake," "Golden
Treasures," "Golden Harvest," "Ranch Ramblins," and "A Peep at People," which was a collection of poems about
local people he knew and admired. His songs were "Montana Means Home to Me," "Say a Good Word for the
Master,” and "Ridin' Alone".
I would like to tell a story
One you haven’t heard before,
And I’ll start at the beginning
Sixty years ago or more.
Three Bears
Al declared, with less assumption
Than his big ten-gallon hat,
“In a very pronto order
We shall put a stop to that.”
Now his tail was right there handy
And he had his greasy nose
Pushed with wild determination
‘Gainst the boss’s sleepin’ clothes.
In the hills of old Wyoming
Just a lad, named Albert Fly,
Was learning every detail
Of the West, as time passed by.
Now Al was sleeping soundly
To the patter of the rain,
When his wife called, “Al, the bear,
They have broke a windowpane.”
Al was not a man of silence
But he’d not a word to say,
When with very slight resistance
All the buttons gave away.
Then he drifted to Montana
And he brought what serves the best,
Judgment, guts and brains and honor
Underneath a man-sized vest.
Al was up in just a minute
And with set determined frown,
He was opening up the warehouse
In his long-tailed sleeping gown.
At the finish of the ruckus
Albert dropped the slippery ham,
And he grabbed with desperation
At the swiftly passing jamb.
Now the camp at “Many Glaciers”
Needed someone that was tough,
One the people could depend on,
And that Grizzlies couldn’t bluff.
There was bruin, he was chewin’
On a precious picnic ham
Al he grabbed the ham and slapped him
With a big hay-maker wham.
Al was clinging to the doorway,
Like a flash the bear was gone,
And he took into the darkness
All the clothes that Al had on.
For the bear were making trouble
‘Til it went beyond endurance,
And a man to put ‘em runnin’
Would be very good insurance.
And again in that same instant
Whacked him soundly on the rump,
Like a flash he cleared the threshold
With a swift and mighty jump.
Now the whole camp was alerted
Bright beamed lights began to play,
And the gruff old captain ordered,
“Turn them lights the other way.”
So the need was circulated
And tho’ many did apply,
The job without a question
Was assigned to Albert Fly.
And behold there was another
Coming from the pickle kegs,
And he made his dash for freedom
Right between the boss’s legs.
Those two bear had met their master,
As I’m sure you will agree,
And the camp’s own supervisor
He became bare number three!
Though the bear with supper plenty
At the garbage pits were blessed,
They would often raid the warehouse
Just to mutilate the rest.
Al had rode some tough old broncos
But them rides could not compare,
With that fraction of an instant
Ridin’ backwards on a bear.
Rowing
Row along, row along, row along,
Dripping oars, keeping time with my song;
Little waves tippy tapping the prow,
All appear to invite me somehow.
And the sun and the breeze seem to say:
"We're so glad you came rowing today."
 After retirement Golden lived in La Grande, Oregon
and then Olympia, Washington. In Olympia he frequently
appeared with the Apple Jam Young Peoples Group where he
told stories, recited poetry, and danced the jig.
 1976-Death. Golden died on May 6, 1976 in
Olympia, Washington from complications following surgery.
There's a melody down in my throat,
So I sing to the lake and the boat;
Gleaming water so crystal and clear
Seems to be far away yet so near;
There the clouds do reflect tenderness
I am rowing to Heaven, I guess.
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Edward L. Bonner (1834-1902)
Pioneer merchant, railroad baron, and lumber magnate; namesake of Bonners Ferry and
Bonner County, Idaho; Bonner, Montana; and Bonner Park in Missoula.
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 1834-Birth. August 18, 1834, in Orwell New York.
 1865-Marriage. Carrie Kenyon on January 27, 1865 in Lewiston Idaho
Territory.
 Children. Five were born to the Bonners. Two died in infancy. Of the three
remaining children: Son Charles died at age 34 in Dubuque, Iowa on March 28, 1902,
six weeks before his father’s death; daughter Lenita (Spottswood) was 25 and daughter
Bessie was 14 when Edward died.
 Boyhood. Edward grew up in a lumber town in northwestern New York. He
was the son of a lumberman and farmer. At 13 he became a clerk at the original Lord &
Taylor in New York City. He later worked at a store in Boston.
1857. He traveled by way of Panama to the Pacific Coast and settled in Walla Walla, Washington Territory.
There he farmed, ranched and later acted as agent for the Oregon Steam Navigation Co. in Lewiston Idaho.
Dec. 22, 1864. An act by Idaho Territory authorized Bonner, Richard
A. Eddy and John Walton to establish and maintain a ferry across the
Kootenai River on the route to gold fields in British Columbia. The
town sites that grew up in the area were named Bonners Ferry in 1899.
1866. Bonner, Eddy and Daniel Welch formed a partnership to bring
merchandise from Walla Walla Washington to Missoula Montana by
125-animal pack trains; opened a trading post about 100 feet west of
the Florence Hotel and called it Bonner & Welch. It later became the
Missoula Mercantile Co.
Nov 3, 1870. Bonner was quoted in Missoula as saying that Montana
would have rail connections with the east sometime in 1872.
1870’s. Welch left the business, which was renamed E.L. Bonner and
Co. Branch stores serving mining camps and farming regions began
Bonner Mansion 1900
springing up in western Montana. Bonner moved to a busier Deer
Lodge Montana in 1872 and established a store there. He opened another branch in Butte in 1873 or 1874. A.B.
Hammond was hired to work at the Missoula store in 1873 and became Bonner’s business partner in 1876.
1880’s. Bonner made his fortune building railroads for the Northern Pacific, usually in partnership with
Hammond and Samuel T. Hauser of Helena. They typically supplied all labor and materials except the steel rails
to build the mainline through western Montana and branch lines from Butte to Garrison, Drummond to
Philipsburg, Rimini to Helena and Missoula to Darby.
1882. He became president of the newly formed Montana Improvement Co. (MIC) The MIC’s purposed was to
harvest and market timber in western Montana. Bonner, Hammond and the MIC established one of the nation’s
largest lumber mills on the banks of the Big Blackfoot (Bonner Montana). As the
mill neared completion in 1885, the Northern Pacific established a signal stop
nearby and named it in Bonner’s honor.
 1890’s. With Hammond, Bonner continued to build a mercantile
empire in western Montana that became known as the Missoula Mercantile Co.
in 1885. Bonner was President of the Montana Real Estate Association and a
co-owner of the First National Bank in Missoula.
 July 10, 1902. While driving one of Missoula’s earliest automobiles
around the streets of south Missoula, Bonner was struck by a heart attack and
fell from the car, dying instantly. He was Montana’s representative to the
National Republican Committee at the time.
 1902-Death. July 10, 1902 in Missoula, Montana.
Information researched by Kim Briggeman, news reporter for Missoulian.
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John B. Catlin (1837-1917)
Montana pioneer, Civil War veteran, businessman, and highly respected
lawmaker.
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 Born. June 21, 1837 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the oldest of five
children born to Arod and Mary (Babcock) Catlin. His parents moved to Porte
County, Indiana when John was two years old.
 August 4, 1862. John enlisted in the Civil War under Capt. Sabin of
Union Mills in the 87th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. John studied infantry tactics
so hard that his first promotion was to 5th Sergeant. In front of Atlanta he was
promoted to Captain and commanded his company to the close of the war. He
was in the Grand Review at Washington, D.C. at the close of the war, and was
mustered out of the service at Indianapolis in the summer of 1865.
1866-Wagon train to Montana. John was hired as a bullwhacker with the Nelson Story wagon train and large
herd of cattle as they crossed the Plains to Bozeman, Montana. Near Fort Reno the wagon train was attacked by
Indians who drove off some of the cattle. John was in the party of men that followed the Indians into the
Badlands and retrieved the cattle. The wagon train was stopped at Fort Phil Kearney by General Carrington who
forbade them to go on because of hostile Indians. After waiting two weeks for permission to proceed and not
getting it, they left in the night, and by so doing escaped the December massacre at Fort Kearney. The wagon
train traveled by night to Fort Smith on the Big Horn before fording the Yellowstone River and successfully
arriving in Bozeman, Montana.
1868-Bitterroot Valley. After traveling the Pacific Northwest, John settled in the Bitterroot Valley where other
families from Indiana had located. These families built an outside fence around their homesteads which was
known far and wide as the “Big Corral.” He sold the ranch in 1880.
1870-Marriage. On December 6, 1870 John married Eliza Taylor in Waterloo, Iowa. They had three children:
Fred, Belle, and Wilbur. Fred died from spinal meningitis when he was 11 years old.
1877-Battle of the Big Hole. John led a company of citizens who joined the battle. His family was sent to a
hastily constructed fort south of Corvallis.
Businessman. In 1880, John and a partner purchased the Bell Brothers Hotel. He later purchased a livery stable
which was burned by a fire spread from the saloon. John filed many placer mining claims in Bitterroot streams
and was an incorporator of the Mountain Chief Mining Company. He later would serve as Collector of Internal
Revenue.
1889-Agent. John was appointed as Agent to the Blackfeet Indians and moved his family to the reservation north
of Great Falls, Montana.
1890-Land Office. John was appointed Receiver of the U.S. Land Office in Missoula.
Orchard Homes. John was associated with Cobban and Dinsmore in their development of the Orchard Homes
area.
Chief Charlo. When the Flathead Indians were moved from the Bitterroot Valley to the reservation, John
assisted in this operation. Chief Charlo consented to a photo with John because of their friendship and mutual
respect.
Political. John was a staunch Republican. He was a member of the Republican Central Committee, a delegate to
the Republican conventions, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1883. He also served as election
judge, school trustee, and ran unsuccessfully for county assessor. He was one of the incorporators of the Interlake
Publishing Company which published a Republican Weekly.
GAR. John was the longtime head of the Fred Winthrop post of the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic)
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John raised his children in a very soldierly way always admonishing
them to “stand up straight” and to “keep step.” He was highly
respected throughout his entire life. His closest friends were Dr.
Parsons, Edgar Paxson, and Arthur Stone. John was not above
suggestive critiques of Paxson’s paintings. Arthur Stone interviewed
and wrote about John’s life in the book “Following Old Trails.”
1917-Death. John died on July 30, 1917 in Missoula, Montana.
Information was provided by great-grandson, John Catlin Coffee, who
submitted a biography of John B. Catlin which was written by John B. Catlin’s
daughter, Belle C. Hershey, in the year 1943.
Will Cave (1863-1954)
Missoula resident for more than 80 years; Missoula and Western Montana
historian; organizer of first U.S. volunteers in the Spanish American War in 1898;
Missoula County’s first auditor.
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 1863 - Birth. December 8, 1863, on the Laurin Ranch near the mouth of
Alder Gulch to George Hackleman and Caroline Nicol Hackleman. He was
reportedly the second white child born in the Alder Gulch area after the discovery
of gold there in May of 1863.
 Marriages. 1890 - Married Beatrice L. Hunt O'Gorman. They had one
daughter, Irene, born in May 1891, who died at age 16 in July 1907. Beatrice died
in February 1897. Will married Elizabeth Sneed Adams in September 1901. His
final marriage was to Lulu Munday Goodrich in April 1908. They remained
married until her dead in 1939.
 1870. George Hackleman left Caroline and 6-year-old Will at her
brother’s ranch in the Bitterroot Valley. He never saw his wife again; he was reunited with Will 42 years later.
1871. Caroline received a legal separation from George Hackleman and married Alfred Cave, a freighter and
teamster from Missouri and a childhood playmate of Samuel Clements.
1872. The Caves moved to Missoula from Cedar Creek for the winter, returning to Cedar Creek the following
spring and to Missoula in the fall, where Alfred bought 160 acres near Fort Missoula and what became the family
home at 321 E. Front St., what’s now a bank parking lot across from the Missoula Public Library.
Late 1870s, early 1880s: Will finished high school in Missoula and a two-year course at the Montana Collegiate
Institute in Deer Lodge. Alfred Cave, was elected to the territorial legislature from Missoula County in 1876.
1884. At age 20, Will went to work at the Missoula Mercantile.
1885. January – By act of the Montana territorial legislature, James William Hackleman’s name was changed to
William Cave.
1891. Will was appointed Missoula County’s first auditor by Gov. Joseph Toole. He later served as deputy county
clerk for eight years, as well as county assessor, deputy state humane officer and justice of the peace.
1897. Feb. 28 -- Cave’s first wife, Beatrice, died. She was buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Missoula.
August – Cave left Missoula for the Klondike. He returned later in the year, intending to go back after tending to
some business with Kansas City investors.
1898. January – Will left Seattle to return to the Yukon. His steamship “Corona” wrecked off Lewis Island on the
British Columbia coast, midway between Vancouver and Juneau. No one was injured, but the passengers were
shipped back to Seattle.
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March 30 – Will secured more than 50 signatures for volunteers in a few hours, 22 days before the U.S.
joined the Spanish-American War. He has the distinction of being the first volunteer in the U.S. SpanishAmerican war. He was lieutenant and drillmaster of his troop, which trained in Georgia but was mustered
out later that year without deployment overseas.
1901. Oct. 29 – Cave’s mother, Caroline, died in Missoula. She was buried in the city cemetery.
1907. July 17 -- Irene A. Cave, Will’s daughter with first wife Beatrice, died at age 16.
1909. March 17 – Alfred Cave died in Missoula. He was buried in the city cemetery.
1912. Will found his birth father, whom he hadn’t seen since 1871 and thought had long been dead. After leaving
the family George Hackelman had changed his name to Harland, which was his own biological father's name. The
story of their reunion was published in The Missoulian on Dec. 23, 1912. Harland died in Missoula in November
1918 at age 93.
1921. Aug. 7 – Cave’s long, second-hand account on the Battle of the Big Hole in 1877 was published in the
Sunday Missoulian under the headline “Most Bitter Indian Battle Near Missoula.”
1922. Wrote an in-depth, four-part series on Missoula history and place names in
Western Montana.
1939. After a long association with the Society of Montana Pioneers, Cave served
as president .
1943. At age 80, Will sold the abstract business he owned for many years. He
lived at the Elks Club on East Main at the time.
1954. On the night of Feb. 28, Will died at the Veterans Hospital at Fort Harrison,
Helena.
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Researched by Kim Briggeman-reporter for The Missoulian
Civil War and the Grand Army of the Republic
A social and political force that consisted of Union Veterans of the Civil War restricted to
individuals who had served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Revenue Cutter Service.
 1861-1865. As part of the Dakota, Idaho, and Montana Territories, the area
provided 206 Union recruits which was equivalent to 8% of the territory population. Six of
these would be killed, mortally wounded, or die of disease.
 May 26, 1864. President Abraham Lincoln creates the Montana Territory
 April 10, 1865. With the end of the war, thousands of both Union and
Confederate soldiers from all parts of the nation would head west to the Montana
Territory. The post-war boom in mining, farming and ranching, then the coming railroad
and the service trades provided the lure for these soldiers.
 Thomas F. Meagher. One of the best known soldiers was Thomas F. Meagher.
Meagher served the Union Army as a U.S. citizen. As acting Major he led Company K of
the 69th Regiment (which would be known as the "Fighting 69th") of the New York State Militia at Bull Run (1st
Manassas). He returned to New York to form the Irish Brigade and led it at as Brigadier-General. He resigned in
May 1863 over the army's refusal to let him return to New York to raise reinforcements for his battered brigade:
4,000 strong in mid-May 1862, by late May 1863 the brigade had only approximately 500 combat-ready men left.
After the war, Meagher was appointed Secretary of the new Territory of Montana, and soon after arriving in the
territory was designated the Acting Governor. In the summer of 1867 he traveled to Fort Benton, Montana, to
receive a shipment of guns and ammunition sent by General Sherman for use by the Montana Militia. There he
fell off a boat on the Missouri River and drowned. Meagher's death is still considered to be suspicious, however;
and as he was outspoken, there could have been numerous persons who would have wanted to murder him. He is
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remembered for his service to Montana with a statue on the front lawn of the Capitol grounds in Helena, Montana,
and with another statue in Billings, Montana. Meagher County, Montana was also named in his honor.
Many of the common soldiers who also came west are buried in the Missoula City Cemetery. Some are marked
with the White Government Memorial Stone and may also include a GAR Marking.
November 8, 1889.
Montana becomes the 41st State of the
Union.
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
Early 1866. The United States of America, now securely one
nation again, was waking to the reality of recovery from war.
Groups of war veterans began joining together, first for
camaraderie and then for political power. Emerging most powerful
among various organizations would be the Grand Army of the
Republic (GAR).
April 6, 1866. This fraternal organization was founded in Decatur, Illinois by Benjamin F. Stephenson. The
organization was based partly on the traditions of Freemasonry and partly on military tradition, being divided into
“Departments” at the state level and “Post” at the community level. Military-style uniforms were worn by its
members.
1890. It reached its largest size with 409,489 members. There were posts in every state in the U.S. and several
overseas.
March 10, 1885. The local Missoula GAR post was the Frederick Winthrop Post #11 and chartered with 21
members.
The GAR Auxiliary Monument is located at the Missoula City Cemetery old Entrance. Its inscription reads:
“ERECTED IN THE YEAR 1919 IN HONOR OF OUR HERORIC AND UNKNOWN DEAD UNDER THE
AUSPICES OF THE WOMENS RELIEF CORP No 7 DEPARTMENT OF MONTANA AUXILIARY TO THE
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC”
Information researched by: Jim Sims, retired Sgt. 1st Class of the 379th Battalion.
Jean Clark (1910-1997)
 1910-Birth. September 29, 1910 in Arbroath, Scotland. Parents’ names
are unknown. Sisters: Margaret and Jenny. Brothers: Joseph and Thomas. Her
mother died at her birth and her father died when she was 10 years old.
 1920. Arrived by ship to Paterson, New Jersey to be raised by her aunt.
 Education. Eighth grade, then went to work in a factory.
 1930. Attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, graduating in 1932.
 1935. Naturalized as an American citizen.
 Ministry included conducting Vacation Bible School and Sunday School
classes
 1997-Death. October 14, 1997 in Missoula, Montana
Hazel Simonton (1912-1997)
1912-Birth. April 10, 1912 in Paterson, New Jersey to Walter and
Mattie (Van Loo) Simonton. Brothers: Charles and Neilius. Sister: Jean
Wyka.
 Attended Columbia Bible College in South Carolina
 Graduated from business college in New Jersey.
 During WW II. Worked as a telephone operator for Curtis Wright
Propeller Company.
 1997-Death. January 3, 1997 in Missoula Montana.
Together, They…
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 1944. Accepted as a Bible Club missionary with the Bible Club
Movement (BMC International Inc.) Jean and Hazel were introduced and
assigned as a team. Together they were charged with starting Bible Clubs for
children. They had no income as their mission was called a “faith mission”
which meant they trusted God to speak to people to give. They arrived with
$40 per month pledged between the two of them, numerous financial gifts
given to them before they left, and ration cards that were being used during
WW II.
 December 1944. Arrived in Missoula, Montana. They had been in
Early days as missionaries
Montana for several months. They first arrived in Billings and worked their way
westward until settling in Missoula.
January 1945. Established first Bible Club. Clubs were held in homes, community centers, and churches.
Eventually clubs were conducted in schools also. The program consisted of songs, teaching a Bible verse, having
a Bible drill (to see who could find the verse the quickest), and teaching a Bible lesson using a flannel board and
flannel graph pictures.
Clinton. One of the places where they held Bible Club was in the Women’s Clubhouse in Clinton. Children
would come there after school. Eventually they began holding Sunday services there. Clinton Community
Church is an outgrowth of that work and today they are in the process of
constructing their own building.
1947. The summer camp program began on a friend’s ranch at Salmon Prairie
in the Swan valley. Then they rented camps on Flathead Lake each summer
until they felt led by God to purchase their own BCM property. With just $100
down on a piece of choice lake property near Bigfork in 1961, they embarked
on this new journey in their mid-50s – Big Sky Bible Camp. Within a few
months they would need a sizeable payment which would come from donors all
over the country. Friends rallied and the money came in every year to make the
annual property payment. Donations were provided for building materials and
volunteers gathered to begin building the first building. The first camps were
held in the summer of 1962. Since then, Big Sky Bible Camp has continued to
grow on the shores of Peterson Lake, not only in buildings, but programs, which
include a wilderness program, two weeks for campers with disabilities, and for
several years sponsored a nine month Bible College level institute.
Today. Bible Clubs continue in the Missoula, Kalispell, and Bitterroot areas. Both ladies lived full and
productive lives. They taught many children the Word of God and changed their lives. Both women went
“HOME” to their God and Saviour in 1997 only a few months apart from each other.
Jean Clark and Hazel Simonton, missionaries who truly lived the life of faith. They came to Missoula as young women
with no money, touched the lives of countless people, and grew the Bible Club Movement into a renowned organization in
this area.
Information and photos provided by Karen DeVries , their apprentice and now Missionary with Bible Club Movement Inc.
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Wallace Nichols Clark, Sr. (1916-1990)
Missoula Municipal Court Judge was known for his unique form of justice and interpretation of
the law.
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 1916-Birth. Wallace was born October 1, 1916 in Sweet Grass, MT to Agnes
Shane Clark and Othniel Dee Clark. The Clark family came to Montana in the 1890s from
Kentucky. The Shane family came to the Montana highline via Canada.
 1946-Marriage. Wallace met Marybeth Emily Toney at a church social. They
married and had three children. Marybeth’s father purchased a home in Missoula in 1905
which has been home to five generations of this family.
 Wallace grew up in a law enforcement family. His father, Othniel was the sheriff
of Toole County before retiring as a U.S. Marshall in Great Falls, MT. Wallace’s mother,
Agnes, may have been very short in stature but was tough as nails and kept every family
member in line right up until the day she died.
School. Wallace graduated high school from Shelby, MT then headed to Missoula, MT for college. During the
summers of his college years, Wallace served with the Border Patrol on the U.S. / Canadian Border. He
graduated from the University of Montana in 1940.
Military. Wallace enlisted in the MT National Guard in September 1940. Wallace’s mother was very patriotic
and instilled a sense of duty to her son to join the military. In May 1941 Wallace joined the regular army where
he received an officer’s commission. With the onset of WW II, Wallace served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, then
southern France. He served in the infantry prior to his transfer into a medical battalion. After the war, Wallace
returned to Missoula, MT to continue his law education.
1947-1963. When Wallace graduated from law school at the University of Montana in 1947 he was torn between
wanting to be a lawyer and joining the military. He found the solution in the newly formed (JAG) U.S. Air Force
Judge Advocate General’s Corp. His service took him around the world; to Turkey, Japan, and his final posting at
the Pentagon. While stationed in Turkey, Wallace thought it would be fun to entertain the troops. He organized a
good old-fashioned Montana rodeo complete with bucking broncos and roping expeditions. On a more serious
side, Wallace also had the reputation of taking care of the service men. When a service man landed in a Turkish
jail he first tried to get them released. It that was unsuccessful then he spent the night outside their cell to assure
their safety from the Turkish police. He was very proud of his service time and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Health. Wallace retired from the military after having cataract surgery. He never trusted his vision enough to
drive again. His family lived downtown and he walked everywhere he went which aided him in staying in tune
with happenings and people around town.
1963. The Clark family moved back to Missoula where Wallace started a private sector law practice and worked
for the Missoula County Attorney’s office for a short while. He ran unsuccessfully for Missoula County Coroner.
Hobbies. Wallace was a life-long student of many subjects and a voracious reader. His favorite subject was
history, especially the history of Montanans. He was always interested in people and their family histories. One
day he and his friend, John Toole, who would later become Mayor of Missoula, were walking by the Missoula
County Courthouse when they spied a huge amount of historical records in a dumpster. They took turns guarding
the dumpster until they rounded up a pickup truck. They then climbed into the dumpster, salvaged the records,
and took them to the Mansfield Library where they are preserved to this day.
1967. Wallace served as City Police Judge. This position mostly oversaw traffic citations. The city police
department had a row of temporary holding cells where prisoners were held overnight awaiting their court
appearance. Much like his time in the service, Judge Clark would get up at night, walk down, and check on the
prisoners unannounced. He wanted to keep everyone, prisoners and law enforcement, on their toes knowing he
was watching.
1977-1989. The Montana Legislature created the position of Municipal Court Judge. The first Montana city to
have a Municipal Court Judge was Missoula. In April 1977 Wallace Clark was elected to the post. It was during
these years that his name would become legendary in Missoula due to his unique forms of justice and
interpretation of the law. Judge Clark had firm beliefs and opinions and was not shy in voicing those. He felt he
was a judge and his job was to look at a case and make his own determination of the situation, treating each case
uniquely. His forms of justice were based on numerous factors; the evidence, the individual’s ability to pay, the
individual’s criminal and family history. Hate him or love him, everyone in Missoula had their favorite Judge
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“Wally” story. These few examples of Judge Clark’s unique sentencing show his personality and beliefs ranging
rom compassion to uncompromising:
• Judge Clark wanted to know the person in front of his bench. A single mother moved to Missoula from
Spokane after her boyfriend stole all of their belongings. The mother was arrested for shoplifting. She
pled guilty and said she needed the items for her children. Judge Clark pulled the arresting officer aside
and asked for a list of the stolen items. The list confirmed that all the items were for children. Judge
Clark purchased all the items with his own money, gave them to the mother as a loan that had to be repaid, and instructed her to stay out of trouble. Later when she came to pay the loan he thanked her for
keeping her end of the deal and changed the loan to a gift.
• Judge Clark was charitable to anyone down on their luck. He often took a defendant down the block to
Hamburger Ace and bought them a meal. Many times that hamburger was the only meal some of the
individuals had for the day.
• Judge Clark gained the reputation of being a cantankerous cowboy who questioned people about their
backgrounds and tailored his sentencing based on family ties. He openly dared lawyers to appeal,
admonishing them that their clients would sit in jail for years before the case got to the Supreme Court.
• He did not tolerate disobedience of one of his sentences. In 1979 a young Bonner man was brought
before Judge Clark with the crime of digging a grave on the courthouse lawn during an anti-nuclear
protest. The man was sentenced to 300 hours work at the city pound. When he refused to work, Judge
Clark sentenced him to three days in jail to “re-consider his options.” The man agreed to work but didn’t
want people to see him so Judge Clark sent him to the city cemetery where he worked one day but failed
to appear the next. Judge Clark was furious and quoted as saying, “I’m going to put him in jail the first
time I get my hands on him. I’m going to sentence him to six months in jail and then see if he’ll work.
And if he won’t I’m going to sentence him to life imprisonment six months at a time.” Judge Clark
changed his mind the next day when the man came to him and explained that pressing business had forced
him to miss work. Judge Clark quashed the arrest warrant and the man completed his work sentence.
• One infraction never tolerated in Judge Clark’s court was fighting with the police. In 1977 a young man
pleaded guilty to obstructing and injuring an officer and resisting arrest. Judge Clark ordered him to 30
nights in the city jail so he can “see what the police are up against.” The sentence was from 9p.m. to
6a.m. each night. “He is forced to see the police dealing with drunks, with them screaming and punching,
to get them into jail,” Judge Clark said. “He sees what the police are up against, how much abuse they
take.” Judge Clark said leaving the man free in the daytime will allow him to keep his job, saving the city
$14 a day. “We don’t feed him. He has to go and earn his own food money during the day.”
• In later years, Judge Clark no longer appreciated being called out at all hours during the night to sign a
search or arrest warrant. His solution to a good night’s sleep was to have
a small stack of signed warrants in his desk readily available for officers
over a weekend. The officers would grab one as needed, make the
arrest, and the warrant would be waiting on Judge Clark’s desk Monday
morning.
1980s. He made an unsuccessful run at the Montana Supreme Court.
1990-Death. Wallace Clark was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1988 and
died at his home surrounded by his family on November 26, 1990.
Information provided by Wallace’s son, Josh Clark, past law enforcement officers, and Missoula newspaper
archives.
Oscar J Craig (1846-1911)
First President of The University of Montana. He nearly single-handedly managed the university for its first thirteen years. “The
University – it shall prosper”
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1846-Birth. April 18, 1846 in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana. He was the son of Miles W. and Mary S.
(Feather) Craig. The family was of Scotch-Irish descent. Oscar was the sixth of five sons and two daughters born
to Miles and Mary Craig and raised on the family homestead in Indiana.
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1875-Marriage. He married Miss Narcissa E. Gasaway on August 24, 1875 in Kansas. They had three
children: Mary A. who graduated from Purdue University and became a librarian at The University of Montana;
William O. who graduated from the University of Montana in 1902; and Vincent W. S. who was a member of the
preparatory class of the university.
1863. At seventeen, Oscar enlisted in the First Indiana Heavy Artillery. His command was sent to the
Department of the Gulf where he fought in the battles of Baton Rouge, Alexandria, and Fort Balow, Louisiana.
He was honorably discharged in 1865.
School. Dr. Craig was a school man from Indiana and through his disciplines spent the next fourteen years
gaining knowledge and education. He earned a Ph.D. from Wooster College, Ohio,
where he was named Professor of History and Political Science. He furthered his
career teaching and serving as academic president at Purdue University.
 1895. Dr. Oscar Craig was appointed the as the first president of the newly
established University of Montana on June 3, 1895. He moved to Missoula,
Montana on July 1, 1895. He was the sole administrator with only four faculty to
teach the fifty students duly enrolled. Missoula’s population was around 4,000 at
this time.
 President. Craig was the first and one of the longest standing Presidents of
The University of Montana serving for thirteen years. His tenure as President of UM
began when the doors first opened on September 11, 1895. His yearly salary at the
time was $2,500. Imagine his shock of finding no buildings to conduct school and no
land secured as a location for the university. Oscar Craig had a daunting task. He
began by working with the City of Missoula to rent a three story public school
building where offices, classrooms, gymnasium and dormitory living were located
for nearly four years.
 1896. Edward L. Bonner and C. P. Higgins donated the acreage for the
university. Local groups gathered in celebration of Arbor Day and many of the mature trees you see on campus
today were planted at this time.
1897. Dr. Craig influenced campus and building design and was instrumental in the construction of the first two
campus buildings: University Hall (Main Hall) and the Science Building. Both buildings broke ground that
year. They soon became focal points for travelers going west.
1901. Craig’s concern for the safety and comfort of the growing number of women attending the institution
resulted in the construction of the first dorm devoted exclusively to women: Craig Hall.
1902. By this time, Oscar Craig had worked to secure entirely through gifts to the university, a total of 640 acres
of land along the Clark Fork River to the top of Mount Sentinel. He now had what he recognized as a “real
campus.” He was truly an invested president organizing programs, administrating faculty, working with
educators across the state and continuing to teach two or three classes each semester. He truly signified the
dedication of the early, traditional, pioneer educators and leaders of these original academic institutions.
1908. Dr. Oscar Craig retired due to illness. He sadly died
three years later.
Inspector of the Schools. Dr. Craig had a passion for
equipping Montana school children for college. He traveled
extensively to understand the needs of education in the
Montana
Territory.
Working
with
Montana
Superintendents, Dr. Craig labored persistently at the task
of preparing curricula for both elementary and high schools
for many years. He was named the official Inspector of
Schools for Montana. By the end of his career in 1908,
twenty six secondary schools were accredited to prepare
pupils to enter college. This was a distinction he was most
noted for and one that he cherished throughout his lifetime.
1911-Death. March 5, 1911 from nephritis in San Diego California.
Information researched by Pat Hossle.
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Jerrold “Jerry” “Hog” Daniels (1941-1982)
The youngest smokejumper in Missoula’s history and a CIA operative. Jerry lived and
worked directly with the Hmong General Vang Pao to rescue Hmong refugees, many of
whom were brought to the Missoula and Bitterroot area. Mystery surrounds his death,
including whether he is really dead.
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 1941-Birth. June 11, 1941 in Palo Alto, CA. Parents: Bob and Louise
Daniels. Three brothers: Ronald, Jack, and Kent. Moved to Helmville, MT in
1951. Graduated from Missoula County High School in 1959. Avid hunter and
fisherman.
 1958-1960. ‘Fudged’ application and became one of the youngest
smokejumpers in Missoula’s history at barely 17 years old. Attended fires in
Montana, New Mexico, and California.
 1960-1963. While a smokejumper, the CIA asked him to be a ‘cargo kicker’
based out of Thailand. Cargo kickers were often smokejumpers as they had such familiarity with parachutes and
jumping and surviving in rough terrain. Planes were loaded with cargo, flown into areas accessible only by plane,
and cargo was then ‘kicked’ out the door, and parachuted to drop off points on ground.
1963-1969. Jerry returned to Missoula to study international relations courses at The University of Montana. He
divided his time between classes and job duties as a CIA Junior Case Officer in Laos for the Hmong people. Jerry
graduated in 1969 and was promoted to a full Case Officer in Laos upon graduation.
1970-1975. Personal Case Officer for General Vang Pao. Worked closely with the General on front-line military
operations: battle plans, support of troops, equipment needs, finance needs, etc. The area had intense fighting.
The Long Cheng airstrip was the stronghold for General Vang Pao and one of the busiest airports in the world at
that time, moving troops and equipment. The only access to this area was via this airstrip. The airstrip was a mile
long and handled C130, C47, and C46 planes. This airstrip was a top secret joint
operation between Laos and the United States. CIA worked directly with the Hmong
without government interference.
1973. A cease fire was called but existed on paper only. The Pathet Lao (Communist)
and the Royalists (pro-American) troops continued to fight heavily through 1975.
1973–1975. With U.S. funding, one of Jerry’s tasks was to aid in the postwar
reconstruction projects and job development for the thousands of Hmong soldiers living
in the Long Cheng area.
5/01-14/1975. The United States rapidly began airlifting people and troops out of
Vietnam prior to the fall of Saigon to Communist forces. Jerry was left to orchestrate
secret air evacuations of Hmong from Laos to Thailand. He single-handedly was
responsible for saving 2,500 Hmong leaders and their families. The Hmong did not have
a written language so screening was done visually and verbally to determine a person’s
loyalty to the United States. Jerry’s position in the Hmong community gave him great insight in this area. Many
refugees were sent to General Vang Pao’s farm in the Bitterroot during this time period.
1975-1982. Jerry returned to Thailand and worked for the State Dept. as an Ethnic Affairs Officer.
 4/29/1982-Death. Mysterious death in Bangkok. Official report:
Jerry Daniels died of asphyxiation from propane water heater in his apartment.
A disfigured body was found in his apartment, said to be dead a few days.
Without visual or DNA testing, the body was declared by the U. S. Embassy
to be that of Jerry Daniels. The casket was sealed with explicit instructions
and security to guarantee it not be opened. The family was told Jerry was in
the casket but no verifiable proof has ever been submitted. Upon the casket
arriving in Missoula, the Hmong were allowed to honor him with a full formal
three day traditional Hmong funeral celebration. Never before has any nonHmong been paid such tribute.
 To this day, Hmong around the world claim to have seen Jerry in
Grave 3 - Lot 18 - Block 13A
Laos, the United States, and Europe since the time of his ‘proclaimed’ death.
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Many of the Hmong believe Jerry was placed into protection and continues his work to this day.
Jerry’s stone notes his call name “Hog” and is carved with a picturesque view of the Long Chen airstrip.
Information and photos provided by Kent (Dan) Daniels - brother of Jerry, Kim Briggeman – Missoulian reporter, Gayle Morrison –
author of Hog’s Exit, Hmong soldiers who worked directly with Jerry, various newspaper clippings, and interviews with friends,
acquaintances, and friends.
Deschamps Family
The Deschamps family was a prominent pioneer family of ranchers and
politicians. The French Canadians homesteaded the Frenchtown area. The
Deschamps family has played a prominent role in the growing and changing
economy of the Missoula area.
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 ‘Deschamps’ means “of the fields” in French.
 1700. The family came to North America and settled in Quebec in
French
Canada. The leader of the St Louis French river boatmen who brought
Grave 5 - Lot 6 - Block 15A
Lewis and Clark up the Missouri River was a Deschamps.
 Early descendants were Antoine Deschamps (1805-1893) and Julia
Marca Deschamps. They had three children all born in Canada: Antoine, Gaspard, and Joseph. All three sons
settled in the Missoula area in the 1870s.
Gaspard Deschamps (1846-1920). He arrived in Cedar Creek gold camps in 1870. He soon moved to the
Flathead where he ran cattle and was one of five white men living with the Salish Indians. In 1877 he moved to
Frenchtown and married Denise Cyr (1856-1934). Over time they came to operate a 2,500 acre ranch in Grass
Valley and had 12 children.
Joseph Deschamps (1851-1935). Joseph bought Gaspard’s interest in a Missoula blacksmith shop called Hamel
& Deschamps, located on W Main Street, which he
continued to operate until the 1920s. He married Louise
LeBeau (1863-1912) in 1879. They had five children.
 Antoine Deschamps (1836-1911). He was the
oldest son and bought Gaspard’s Lavalle Creek ranch
in 1882. In 1883, his wife, Pamela Courtreau (18371915), and their daughters, and two youngest sons
arrived. Two of their oldest sons had already come to
the Frenchtown area in the 1870s.
 1883. Antoine and Julia moved from Quebec
to join their growing family in Missoula. Both died in
Missoula and are buried at St. Mary’s cemetery along
with most of their children and grandchildren.
Until after WW II, the French-Canadian immigrants maintained their heritage and spoke only French until they
entered the school systems. The French Catholic holiday of St. John the Baptist Day was the town’s major
holiday complete with parades and celebrations.
Today. The 8th generation of Deschamps continue living in the Frenchtown and Missoula areas. Over the years,
the Deschamps family has played a major role in the growing and changing economy of the Missoula area. Many
members of the family have been active in state and local politics, education from grade schools to the University,
community and civic activities, and the arts.
Information and photos provided by Robert ‘Dusty’ Deschamps III, direct descendant and Montana. District Court Judge.
36
Emma Slack Dickinson (1838-1926)
The first teacher in Missoula who not only pioneered education in town, but also was required
to live under very strict rules.
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 1838 - Birth. Emma was born on December 4, 1838 in Baltimore, Maryland
to Andrew and Mary Ruff Slack who were of German and Scottish descent.
 1863. She and several other Baltimore girls nursed the wounded soldiers.
 1868. Her brother, John (Jasper) Slack, who had settled in Montana after
eleven years of wandering, sent letters that aroused Emma’s desire to see the western
wilderness. John sent money for Emma and her half-brother, Lamar Kelly, to come to
Montana.
 1869. They left Baltimore by rail to Sioux City, Iowa, then by boat to Fort
Benton. The trip was to take three weeks but the Missouri was so low (the boat kept
hanging up on sandbars) that it took six weeks. At Bismarck, North Dakota, a war
party of Crow Indians, who had just finished an encounter with a Sioux tribe, were
having a war dance. They demanded to be allowed to board the boat to travel to their
next destination. They brought two captive Sioux women and numerous Sioux scalps on
board with them. Their war dance was continued on the boat. They ate all the food they wanted. This was very
frightening, but the Indians left everyone alone and disembarked at their destination without incident. John
waited at Fort Benton for three weeks for them to arrive, then took them by wagon to the Bitterroot Valley.
Emma was not fond of camping or buffalo meat. Accustomed to Southern comfort, this was quite an adjustment.
1869. John took her to Missoula where the school board had just been formed. Since there were no teachers in
the area, she was given a teaching certificate with no questions asked and offered $100 a month salary. Upon her
acceptance, she was given the school board’s list of rules for a teacher:
1.
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RULES FOR SCHOOL TEACHERS
You will not marry during the term of your contract.
You are not to keep company with men.
You must be home between the hours of 8pm and 6am unless attending a school function.
You may not loiter downtown in any of the ice cream stores.
You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.
You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
You may not smoke cigarettes.
You may not dress in bright colors.
You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
You must wear at least two petticoats.
Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
To keep the classroom neat and clean, you must:
a. Sweep the floor at least once daily.
b. Scrub the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water
c. Clean the blackboards at least once a day
d. Start the fire at 7am so the room will be warm by 8am
1869 to1871. The first school was a frame building on east Front Street in Missoula. She had 16 pupils
including two of the Higgins children. School terms were three months in length. There were only about 25
families in the Missoula area at that time. Her friends consisted of the Higgins, Woody, Worden, and
Hammond families.
1871-Marriage. William Henry Harrison Dickinson on November 5, 1871. They had five children. Their
wedding is believed to be the first performed by a Protestant minister in the area. According to the rules,
Emma was forced to resign her teaching position once she became a married woman.
1872. Her husband, William, was commissioned postmaster and they lived behind the post office for many
years. (This building was across from the old Mercantile in downtown Missoula) William was the first
photographer and established himself in real estate and mining. They made their fortune by subdividing 160
acres of land near the city and selling it for residential property. Gold dust was used for payment at this time
and Bitterroot residents had to travel to Missoula to get their mail.
Emma walked with a cane and distinct limp after falling early in their marriage and breaking her hip. Even
doctors in Baltimore who re-broke the hip could not help her limp.
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She began the first protestant church, the Methodist / Presbyterian.
She was a woman of character and strength, kind, courageous, adventurous, self-reliant, and yet shy. She
learned to sew out of necessity but once she discovered Erick’s mail order catalog (Chicago based company)
her sewing ended. She dressed differently than local women of her time as she preferred clothes with more
stylish flair.
 She was always interested in education and world events such as the
Sufferance movement and Women’s suffrage.
 1926-Death. Emma died on December 31, 1926 from pneumonia at
her son’s home in Missoula at age 88.
William H. H. Dickinson (1840-1910)
One of Missoula’s early Post Masters. Missoula’s first photographer, a teacher, and
businessman.
 1840-Birth. October 23, 1840 in Salem, Ohio. (William Henry Harrison
Dickinson – named after General Harrison)
 1871-Marriage. Emma Slack on November 5, 1871 near Corvallis,
Montana. Emma was the first teacher in Missoula history and their marriage is
believed to be the first performed by a Protestant minister in the area. They had
five children.
 1910-Death. September 4, 1910 in Missoula from heart failure.
 The Dickinson family was originally from the English countryside. At an
early day, they settled in the New Jersey area. William was the youngest of seven
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children.
July 30, 1861. Paid his own way to Kansas and was one of the first to sign up for war during the Rebellion as he
loathed slavery and oppression. He enlisted under Colonel Montgomery and Lieutenant Coppie, one of John
Brown’s men. He served three years until August 21, 1864.
1865. William was employed by the government in Leavenworth
Kansas. He made three trips to Montana, the first in the spring of
1865.
May 31, 1869. He began his journey to live in Montana. At Fort
Peck the water was so low, the journey ended with some people
proceeding on foot while others (Dickinson included) remained
until teams could be procured from Fort Benton some 500 miles
north. Indians were extremely hostile all around the fort and men
exited the fort at the risk of their own lives.
September 13, 1869. William left the fort early one morning to
hunt for game and was attacked by four Indians on horseback.
He killed one, drove the others away, and reached the fort with
his face besmeared with blood after he had been shot in the
cheek. Upon arriving back at the fort, he found the teams had
come for the other passengers and freight. A group of men tried
to follow the Indians and upon finding the dead Indian, William
took the Indian’s scalp, gun, and pony to keep for himself.
October 23, 1869. He arrived in the Bitterroot Valley near
Corvallis. He was the first school teacher in the Bitterroot valley.
1870. William opened the first photography business in
Missoula. He conducted business as the first photographer in all of
Western Montana. Miners were especially fond of having photos of themselves with their mining stakes.
1872. Commissioned as a Republican Post Master of Missoula for $240 per year. By the end of his service his
salary had increased to $2400 per year in 1886.
Invested in real estate and mining businesses. His wealth came when he subdivided 160 acres of land near the
city of Missoula for residential development.
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Affiliations – (not all inclusive)
• Republican – strict member since the party’s inception
• Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
• Intl Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)
Joseph Moore Dixon (1867-1934)
Senator, and Montana’s seventh governor. Joseph was a man before his time due
to his far reaching proposals in tax reform. He openly battled the giant copper
companies who eventually ruined his political career.
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 1867-Birth. Joseph was born on July 31, 1867 in Snow Camp, North
Carolina to Quaker parents who operated a farm and a small factory.
 1889-Graduation. Joseph graduated from the Quaker school of
Guilford College in North Carolina. He excelled at history, debate, and
oratory.
 1891-Law School. Joseph moved to the western frontier town of
Missoula, Montana to study law.
 1893-Attorney. He first served as assistant prosecuting attorney and
was then promoted to prosecuting attorney for Missoula County.
 1896-Marriage. Joseph married Caroline M. Worden, daughter of
Missoula’s co-founder, Frank Worden. They had seven children: Virginia,
Florence, Dorothy, Betty, Mary, Peggy, and Frank. (Frank Dixon died on February 24, 1912 in Washington, D.C.
as an infant only three days old.)
Wealth. Joseph’s law career led to his financial ability to invest in real estate, newspaper ownership, and dairy
farming. All of his ventures led to great financial success.
1900-Missoulian. Joseph Dixon purchased a local newspaper named the Missoulian at a time where political
views were interwoven into stories. It would not be until much later that he would concentrate on this newspaper
to further his progressive political views.
1900–Representative. Joseph was elected as Montana’s lone representative to Congress and served two terms.
He promoted development and expansion of Fort Missoula, helped create Glacier National Park, assisted in giving
Missoula a regional headquarters for the U.S. Forest Service, and passed legislation for the National Bison Range.
1907–Senator. He supported measures such as a federal graduated income tax, inheritance taxes, protectionist
tariffs, and direct election of U.S. senators.
1912–Bull Moose. Joseph was an ardent admirer of President Theodore Roosevelt. He abandoned the
mainstream Republican party to join the Republican progressive wing party named “Bull Moose.” Joseph
managed Roosevelt’s re-election campaign and shared the Bull Moose ticket for his own senate campaign. Both
he and Roosevelt were unsuccessful in their re-election efforts.
1912-Missoulian. Out of office, Joseph returned to Missoula, Montana to concentrate on his newspaper
investment. He quickly entered into battle with the Amalgamated Copper Company which dominated both
political parties through their corrupt spending. The copper giant would battle Joseph through the use of their
own rival newspaper, the Missoula Sentinel. It appeared Joseph had beaten down Amalgamated when they sold
him the Sentinel. In an ironic twist Joseph sold the paper in 1917 to three businessmen from Chicago: Martin J.
Hutchens, Lester L. Jones, and George B. Rice. They reportedly had ties to Joseph’s arch rival, the copper
company, and in turn sold the newspaper back to Anaconda Company in 1926.
1920-Governor. Joseph pushed for reform and won election as governor by a landslide only to face drought, low
crop prices and a $2 million deficit. He enacted one of the nation’s first old-age pension programs and
spearheaded efforts at tax reform. His attempts to raise taxes on mines,
however, led to a systematic opposition from Amalgamated Copper
Company and eventually to Joseph’s political demise. He was defeated
for re-election as governor in 1924.
1928–Senate. His final run for political office was as an unsuccessful
candidate for U.S. Senate.
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Grave 8 - Lot 2 - Block 036
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1929-Appointment. Joseph was appointed by President Hoover to First Assistant Secretary of the Interior. He
was devoted to developing water power on the Flathead Indian reservation along with a complex network of water
rights.
Joseph Dixon left a living legacy in Montana when residents elected to name their town in his honor. The town of
Dixon is a farming community located in northwestern Montana off U.S. Highway 200.
1934-Death. Joseph died on May 22, 1934 in Missoula, Montana from heart failure.
Researched by Mary Ellen Stub, Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager. Information and photo sources: National library archives, worldwide newspaper archives, and public legal documents.
Josephine Dukes (1835-1903)
One of Montana’s women pioneers. It is said that she had the unique
record of having lived in four states without having moved out of her
original house. The four states were Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and
Montana.
 1835-Birth. 1835 near St Louis IL as Josephine Pelkey
(Peltier, Pelletier, Pelky)
 1861-Marriage. Josephine married her first husband,
Peter Meininger, who drowned in 1861 in the Snake River near
Fort Hall, ID (Pocatello, ID today). They were on their way west
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with their small son, Thomas.
1861 - She arrived in Missoula in October with her young son, Thomas, and her brother, Robert A. Pelkey and his
wife Adaline, and their mother. Adaline gave birth (January 13, 1862) to the first white child born in what is
/would become the state of Montana.
1862-Marriage. Josephine married her second husband, George P. White. They were the first white couple
married within the present boundaries of Montana. They had five children: The oldest three George H (1863)
Washington Territory, William (1864) Idaho Territory, and Richard (1866) Montana Territory who were all born
in the same house but in three different Territories. They had two other children, one of whom died as an infant.
Josephine and George had a butcher shop on East Front Street in Missoula until 1870. George died in 1871.
1872 or 1873-Marriage. Josephine married her third husband, Edward D Dukes. Josephine and Edwin had three
children, one died as an infant. Edwin died in 1882.
1903-Death. Josephine died on April 7, 1903 at her home in Hellgate from ‘apoplexy’ (possible stroke).
It is believed that Josephine is the first white woman to reside continuously in what is now the state of Montana.
There are two or three documented other women, however, like Josephine’s mother and sister in law, these
women moved in and out of Montana through the years.
Hells Gate (Hellgate on Mullan Road today) – was barely a settlement when Josephine arrived and settled on a
ranch in the area.
Historical items Josephine witnessed:
• The first church for whites, St Michaels, built by the Catholic priests.
• The migration of Indians as they camped below her home on their way from the Bitterroot Valley to the
Mission Valley.
• The first saloon in Hellgate as it became a courtroom.
• The road agents from Henry Plummer’s gang hanging the morning after the Vigilantes did their work at
the Higgins and Worden store.
• 1865 Higgins and Worden moved their business to Missoula Mills (about where the Holiday Inn is today)
• 1860 – 1865 the population of Hellgate never exceeded 14. During this time there were nine or ten
violent deaths recorded. Perhaps that is why George P. White was a Probate Judge and also Coroner.
During Josephine’s lifetime in Hellgate, she lived in three Territories: Washington, Idaho and Montana; and in
the State of Montana.
Information researched and provided by Marcia Porter, retired Missoula County Records Supervisor.
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Louis Fred Effinger (1878-1921)
Missoula farmer accused and convicted of Montana’s harsh sedition laws of 1918.
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 1878-Birth. April 27, 1878 in Indiana.
 1921-Death. July 3, 1921 from obstruction of the bowels in Missoula
Montana.
 Louis Fred Effinger was a bachelor German farmer who labored to
conquer the rocky soil of the upper Rattlesnake Valley, continuing his father’s
legacy. His short life—he died in 1921 at age 43—was testament to the
backbreaking work of immigrant homesteaders. But it may also have been
Grave 8 - Lot 14 - Block 4
shortened by an unjust conviction for sedition in 1918, an incident that revealed
the community’s fear of all things German in World War I.
History. Born in Indiana, Louis was the youngest son of Sebastian and Matilde Effinger. Sebastian, born in 1850
in Bavaria, had immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island in 1870. The family headed west when Louis
was a toddler and became the first settlers in the upper Rattlesnake Valley. Sebastian and his family did
everything possible to tame the rocky lands they claimed as their own. Sebastian filed homestead claims on both
sides of Rattlesnake Creek near Spring Gulch beginning in 1882 and built a two-story log cabin on the east side of
the Creek that still stands. To irrigate some of the 1,000 acres he owned, on which he grew crops and fruit trees,
he filed for numerous water rights and dammed several lakes high in the Rattlesnake range, breaching the dams in
summer to feed the parched land below with flumes that he and his sons built. Sebastian also filed mining claims
in the Homestake and Rattlesnake lodes.
Family. Louis may have had three siblings. The eldest may have been Sebastian, known as Bostie. A Bostie
Effinger is on the rolls of the University of Montana in the 1895-96 school year, along with Missoula names such
as Craig, Evans, Higgins, Knowles, Woody and Jeannette Rankin. Another brother, Charles, worked as a
teamster. He and a sister, Mary, are buried in the Missoula City Cemetery along with Louis and their parents.
Louis Effinger never married. His father died in 1916, leaving him to take care of Matilde and the homestead.
1918. The U.S. geared up to send troops to Europe, domestic “radicals” such as the I.W.W. threatened the
American war effort, and irrational fears of German spies swept the country. To silence war critics, the Montana
Legislature passed a law on Feb. 23 punishing sedition, which it defined as occurring when "any person… shall
utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, violent, scurrilous, contemptuous, slurring or abusive language
about the [U.S. form of government constitution, soldiers or sailors, flag or uniform].”
The incident. Exactly one month after the law was enacted, Louis Effinger ran afoul of it. According to
newspaper and court records, he and another Rattlesnake farmer, L.E. Tucker, were standing outside Don Oliver’s
store in Missoula, talking about farming and Effinger borrowing a seed cleaner from Tucker. A newspaper boy
came along, hawking the Saturday evening Missoula Sentinel. Tucker bought the paper. A headline read, “British
Line is Broken by Drive. Germans Take 25,000 Men—700 Guns.”
According to Tucker’s testimony later, he remarked, “That is too bad,” to which, he said that Effinger replied that
“he wished the Dutch would take every son-of-a-bitching one of them.” (By “Dutch,” he meant the Deutsch or the
Germans.)
Tucker punched him in the face. Bystanders ran to a nearby hardware store to fetch a rope for an impromptu
lynching. Only the intervention of Patrolman Kingston stopped the mob. But Effinger was charged with violating
the new sedition law, the first person in Missoula County to be arrested on that charge.
On Sep. 12, Effinger and hundreds of other men in Missoula County registered for military service. Three weeks
later, at his sedition trial on Oct. 1-2, before Judge Asa L. Duncan, Effinger sought to clarify his remarks, but his
testimony that he didn’t care who won the war did nothing to endear him to the 12-man jury. His lawyer argued
that the sedition law was invalid, because only the federal government could enact such laws. It was a good
argument, but well ahead of its time. Jury instructions stressing that Effinger was an American citizen and that his
German descent shouldn’t have any prejudicial effect were refused.
The jury found Effinger guilty of sedition and fined him $800, a sum that today would amount to more than
$11,500. He was one of 79 men and women in Montana convicted of sedition in 1918-1919, 41 of whom went to
prison*.
On July 1, 1921, when Effinger was 43, he “just dropped over dead one day when he as working out in the
fields,” according to one recollection. Bostie, who had gone east to work for Golden Rule Store Co., came home
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and sold the family farm. The buyers were Edward and Minnie Ray from Grass Valley. They established the Sun
Ray Dairy with a herd of 40 cows.
In May 2006, Gov. Brian Schweitzer posthumously pardoned Louis Effinger and his fellow sedition convicts,
following a successful campaign by UM law and journalism students.
This information was provided by Professor Clemens P. Work, Journalism Professor at the University of Montana, author of “Darkest Before Dawn:
Sedition and Free Speech in the American West,” and force behind the Montana Sedition Project.
*See http://www.seditionproject.net
A brief sketch about Louis Effinger is included in my 2005 book, “Darkest Before Dawn: Sedition and Free Speech in the American West.”
Many thanks to Albert Borgmann, who writes of the Effinger homestead in “Holding on to Reality: The Nature of Information at the Turn of the
Millenium.” Professor Borgmann also passed on to me sources that he used:
Comer, Daniel S.,“Historic Settlement of the Rattlesnake Drainage.” (M.A. Thesis, 2005).
Mendel, Nancy, “The Rattlesnake Valley: The Land and its People,” (academic paper, 1973).
Poe, Forrest and Flossie Galland, “Life in the Rattlesnake,” Mark Ratledge, editor, 1992.
Lee Elliott (1892-1964) & Bessie Elliott (1894-1980)
One of the Clinton and Rock Creek valleys’ pioneering families. When not fishing the Rock Creek, Lee could be found ranching
or working to bring electricity to the Bonita / Clinton area. Bess was often flying down the railroad tracks as “a midwife is always
on the ready.” Together, they built the Rock Creek Lodge by sawing logs from their own land. Five generations of this family
have continued operating service businesses in the Clinton and Bonita area to this day.
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 182-Birth. Lee was born on February 20, 1892 in Bonita, Montana;
Bessie was born on September 12, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois.
 1915-Marriage. Lee and Bessie were married November 1, 1915.
 Deaths. Lee died November 7, 1964 and Bessie died July 22,
1980
 Lee and Bess's Children. They had five children: Bruce, Jean,
Doris, Ross, and Joann.
 Bess’ Family. Bess's parents Robert and Ida Thompson moved to
Montana in 1910. They came on the train from Chicago to Clinton with their
three children - Bessie, Blanche and Monte. Clinton seemed to them to be
the end of the earth.
 DuPont Powder: Bess's family ran the DuPont Powder Company in
Clinton for several years. It supplied blasting supplies for the local miners
and farmers.
 Lee's Family. Lee's parents, Stephen Lee Elliott and Hulda Elliott,
were Bonita pioneers. They had two children, Lee and Florence. His father,
Stephen, had attended school at the Bonita school house traveling by
horseback or foot, and then attended the business college in Missoula. Stephen ended up in the saw business at
Taft, Montana. Stephen died in a saw accident in 1907 when Lee was 15
years old.
1913. Bess entered nurses training at St Patrick School of Nursing. She
attended for two years. When she married Lee, she became the
neighborhood midwife. When word would come of a birth soon to happen,
she was often put on a railroad speeder and sent flying down the tracks.
1915-1947. Lee and Bess ranched and farmed in Bonita. They raised
cows, chickens and hogs which they sold from Bonita to Missoula. At one
point there were 21 cows to be milked. Quite the chore it was, twice a day,
once in the morning and once in the night and all done by hand. The hogs
were often taken to town to John R Daily’s for slaughtering. Lee was president of Missoula County Farm Bureau.
1937. Lee was elected Vice President of the original board of the Missoula Electric Cooperative. He did a lot of
traveling to Helena, attending many meetings, to bring electricity to the Bonita/Clinton area.
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Grave 5 - Lot 2 - Block 21
 1947-1972. One of Lee and Bess's favorite pastimes was fishing
Rock Creek. With the help of their children, they built and started the Rock
Creek Lodge. All the timber for the building was sawed from their land. They
operated Rock Creek Lodge for 25 years, their children continued on with the
business after Lee and Bess's retirement.
 1972. They retired to a new home built just for them where the
sawmill had once stood.
 1975. Lee and Bess's daughter, Doris, and her husband, Jim,
followed family tradition building Ekstrom Stage Station, a restaurant and
campground along Rock Creek, still a popular stopping spot to this day. This
family has been in the service industry in the general area of the Clark Fork
and Rock Creek Valleys for five generations, from 1883 to the present.
Information provided by Doris Elliott Ekstrom, daughter of Lee & Bessie, owner Ekstrom Stage
Station.
Jim Flansburg (1904-1988)
A Clinton logger and rancher who owned and operated the first gas station and grocery store in the Clinton area. A
logging accident left 19- year- old Jim with a crippled leg. A true rugged pioneer, Jim saw this as an “inconvenience” and
persevered on through many successes, failures, and the survival of the Great Depression era.
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1904-Birth. On February 8, 1904 in Calgary, Canada, Jim Flansburg was born. His mother named him Lelan
Lawrence Flansburg but his father called him Jim. Later on when he married Eunice
Winifred Mueller, she would sometimes call him James (often preceded by a “now”
at those peak moments in a marriage.)
 Jim’s father, Olin Mattison Flansburg, was a stone mason and a wanderer.
He traveled to where the work was. Olin would follow a job and send for the
family. Jim’s mother, Alice Elizabeth Clark, would then bundle the herd of small
children, hop aboard the train and travel the long trips to rejoin her husband at the
next promise of work. Consequently, nine children were born all over the country;
from Missouri to Oklahoma Territory, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Canada.
The Flansburg family settled in Montana, first around the Bonner-Milltown area,
then Clinton at Connick Gulch and finally in Dixon on an 80 acre ranch up behind
the old school house.
 At the age of eight, Jim started logging with his father. School was hit and
miss around Evaro, MT.
“Because he was gypoing he didn’t want to waste the little time it would take to
go back and get his good ‘cant’ hook. “This’ll do for this one load anyway,” he said to himself. He
climbed onto the deck and kicked some logs loose. With his good hook he could have caught and
guided the logs as they rolled down, but the old one didn’t hook right and didn’t hold.
Jim ran backwards until he ran out of room to go, then fell onto his back on the far side of the
dray. About three thousand feet of logs bounced clear over the top of the dray and landed on top of
him. The size logs were in those days, three thousand feet probably amounted to two or three big
logs plus the ‘little one’ on his chest. He was broken and pinned down and fully conscious.
(‘Tough, Willing, and Able’, pgs. 2-3)”
Jim moved to Clinton and started a garage and service station there following his logging accident. It was in
Clinton at the town dances that he met the local school teacher fresh from Missouri and the teacher’s college in
Dillon. Jim and Eunice took the train to Deer Lodge MT on July 7, 1928 and were married. They returned home
to Clinton; Eunice went back to her boarding house and Jim went back to his garage. They kept their marriage a
secret for fear of what Eunice’s family would think of her marrying a tough old rawhide like Jim. Eunice like
Jim’s smile and sense of humor in spite of his bum leg. She liked his spirit of hard work and tenacity.
When it became obvious that a child was on the way, Eunice had to quit her teaching job and become a full time
wife and mother. Women simply were not allowed to teach in that condition.
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The young couple stayed in Clinton, worked hard, and started ranching while running the local gas station,
garage, and driving the school bus. Eunice raised a truck garden, canned, and cooked for the men and extra hay
crews every summer. It was hard work and long days. When times got tougher on the ranch, Jim started logging
to make ends meet. He logged outside of the ranch for about twenty years.
Jim Flansburg endured several more injuries to his bum leg over the years until eventually it was amputated. This
never slowed Jim down. He got more done on a wooden leg than
most people could in three lifetimes. Disabled was NEVER in
Jim or Eunice’s vocabulary.
Jim and Eunice Flansburg were married fifty-six years ending
with Eunice’s passing in 1984. Jim followed in 1988. During
their life together they had three children: Margery Lois, Rex
James, and George Robert. Baby George died at five and one half
months old.
Lois married and had two daughters, Ruth and Laura. All three live in the Missoula area. Rex never married and
still lives on part of the original ranch in Clinton at the head of Flansburg Gulch (formerly Connick Gulch).
Information provided by Flansburg family and in book by Lois Flansburg Haaglund “Tough, Willing and Able – Tales of a Montana
Family”.
Garnet, Montana (est. 1895)
Garnet is Montana’s best preserved ghost town. The Garnet district is managed by The Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
This once booming mining town remains a treasure-trove for historical and educational opportunities.
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1865 - Montana Gold. The 1865 gold strike on Bear Creek in the Garnet Range spawned Beartown, a rowdy,
lawless camp that drew prospectors from far and wide. With choice
sites quickly claimed, fortune seekers searched for the “mother
lode,” the source of Beartown’s placer gold. The character of the
gold washed down from First Chance Gulch indicated the promise of
rich quartz veins. Without a road and dependent on snow melt for
placer mining, prospectors eked out a living for the next three
decades. Finally, with road construction allowing access to heavy
equipment, the transition from placer to hard rock mining took place.
 1895 – Garnet established. In 1895 Dr. Armistead
Mitchell and Dr. Charles Mussigbrod developed a stamp mill and the
camp of Mitchell at First Chance Gulch. When Samuel Ritchey
struck a rich vein of gold at his Nancy Hanks mine, just west of the
mill in 1896, a new camp called Garnet sprang to life. While men
dominated Montana’s earlier mining camps, Garnet miners brought their families. A school served forty-one
students. Dances, hay rides, quilting bees, sewing circles, and picnics provided family oriented social activities.
Garnet supported numerous saloons, but its family emphasis tempered usual mining camp vices. Cordial relations
between independent mine owners and the miners union
contrasted with single company towns such as Butte and
Philipsburg, prompting the Garnet Mining News to proclaim
the town a “poor Man’s paradise.”
Through boom and bust, Frank A. Davey’s steadfast belief in
the future of Garnet while owning a general store, the hotel
and the stage line, gained him the status of Garnet’s most
prominent resident. His death in 1947 and the sale of his
holdings in 1948 marked the beginning of Garnet as a ghost
town.
Today, the remaining commercial false-front and log
dwellings reflect Garnet’s life span from 1895 to 1948.
1972 – BLM. Since 1972, the Bureau of Land Management
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(BLM) has stabilized many of the town’s buildings and vigilantly oversees its historic resources.
Garnet Preservation Association. The Garnet Preservation Association is a non-profit organization
dedicated to protect and preserve Garnet Ghost Town. They work in partnership with BLM to enhance
the education of Garnet and assist with the stabilization of the town and its remaining buildings.
2010 - Garnet Ghost Town was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Garnet Residents documented as buried in Missoula City Cemetery:
 Frank Davey. Frank owned and operated Davey’s
General Store and the Garnet Stage line, owned a hotel, a mining
claim, and a blacksmith shop. Frank always wore a buffalo robe
when he drove the stage and was known to have an ample supply
of buffalo robes available to keep the women passengers warm on
their ascent into the Garnet range. At the time of Frank’s death in
1947, Frank Davey owned the entire town. By 1948 the majority
of his leftover store merchandise, personal belongings, and
mining claims were auctioned. His Garnet Lode claim, which
consisted of most of the land where the town had been built, was
donated to the United States Government by Davey’s heirs.
 James & Lillian Boles. James was a miner. He and his wife Lillian lived in Garnet.
 Gus & Anna Dalberg. Gus and Anna were both Swedish immigrants. Gus came to
Garnet to work the mines for other mine owners. Anna rode the train as far as Minneapolis where she worked in a
bakery and learned English. She eventually saved the train money needed to reach Bearmouth only to find the
stage had left and she had to walk the twelve steep miles to reach Garnet. She worked in the Wells Hotel serving
breakfast to the miners who boarded there until she married Gus. In 1905 Gus partnered with Sam Ritchey and
purchased the Garnet Water System. They pumped water from a reservoir to many homes. In 1907 the Dalbergs
purchased a large parcel of land and built a four room house with a covered passageway to outdoor buildings. In
1907 the Dalbergs purchased a large ranch in the lower Bear Gulch.
 Myrtle Dalberg Hamilton. Myrtle was the daughter of Gus & Anna Dalberg. She
was born in Garnet with Mrs. Murphy serving as midwife.
 Henry & Maude Lehsou. Henry was the oldest son of John Lehsou. He was born in
Beartown, Montana. He grew up in Garnet and graduated from The College of Montana at
Deer Lodge, Montana where he won state honors as a tennis champion. Henry served as the
Assayer for Garnet and in 1898 he also served in the Legislature as the representative for
Granite County. In 1902 he became the “long-time director” of the Western National Bank in
Missoula, Montana.
 John & Dora Lehsou. John was a German immigrant. He first arrived in the
Bitterroot valley when he brought a load of freight from Nebraska. He settled on land near
today’s Bearmouth, Montana. John opened a stage line “up the mouth of the Bear.” In 1879
John partnered with Charles Kroger to file the first placer mining claim in the heart of what
would later become Garnet. John owned a cabin at the mining site but his main residence was at Beartown, where
he was appointed postmaster in 1888. He served in that position for four years. Dora and her sister were on
vacation in Montana visiting their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Bein, who ran a store in Deer Lodge where miners
bought supplies. John Lehsou and Charles Kroger were invited for dinner to meet two young girls from their
hometown. John married Dora and Charles married her sister, Anna. In 1897 he filed the first of many mining
claims. In 1892 John and Dora bought a large ranch outside of Missoula, Montana where he established a fruit
orchard. John became a principal stockholder in the Western National Bank. Part of John’s land was transferred
to Missoula City Cemetery where his family and mining friends were buried. In 1990 the Montana Revenue
Department’s Abandoned Property Bureau discovered a small cardboard box in the bank vault. When the Lehsou
heirs opened the box they found a cache of 77 gold nuggets and a vial of gold dust along with a note directing
them to keep the gold in the family.
 John Elfers. John was a miner on Top O’Deep.
 Donald Angus MacDonald. Donald owned the Garnet Hotel.
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Philip Newman. Philip owned a large steam engine powered sawmill located on Anderson Hill near Garnet.
Lumber for Garnet’s buildings, mines, and mills was processed at his sawmill. Philip fell in love with a woman
from a red light district. He built a house dubbed by townsfolk as “Gingerbread House.” There was no detail too
trivial in design and construction of this labor of love. He even hauled a piano up the extremely sharp grade and
purchased a new Majestic range from the Missoula Mercantile so his bride would have every luxury.
Unfortunately, prior to the completion of the house, the woman hopped the stage for Helena, Montana never to
return to Garnet. Philip stopped construction and lived in the unfinished home by himself. In 1971 arsonists
destroyed the building. Philip also had built the Joseph Fitzgerald house up Dublin Gulch. That house was the
only one in Garnet with a concrete foundation. The architectural designs and outstanding craftsmanship were a
masterpiece.
Tom Tonkin. In 1912 a massive fire broke out in Garnet that almost wiped out the town. The fire started in the
Joe F. Fitzgerald’s saloon around 4:00 a.m. and spread rapidly. The business section of town was destroyed
except for the Davey Store, the hotel, and Kelly’s saloon. All
buildings on both sides of the street below these buildings were
destroyed including residential buildings. Tom Tonkin was the
only person injured. He suffered severe burns and was brought
to Beartown on the stage. Tom died four years later from internal
infection from the burns and the antiseptics used to coat them.
William Heard. William was a miner. He, his wife, and their
children lived in a cabin near the school.
Nels & Lena Seadin. Nels and Lena Seadin were Swedish
immigrants who came to Garnet in 1905. Nels was a miner.
The Seadin family would move from Garnet many times
throughout the years following work opportunities. In 1930 they
returned to Garnet for the last time. Nels was hired as the
postmaster until his death in 1939.
 Tor Seadin. Tor was the son of Nels and Lena Seadin. He was born in Garnet.
Tor graduated from high school in Missoula, Montana. In 1923 he enrolled in the Butte
School of Mines which specialized in science and engineering. Tor spent the summer
before college started at the Elm Orlu mine in Butte where he was killed in a mine
explosion.
 Margaret Seadin. Margaret was the daughter of Nels and Lena Seadin. She
was born in Garnet. She was born with Spina Bifida and spent her entire life in a
wheelchair. She was a beautiful girl with bouncing blonde curls. The entire town of
Garnet adored her. She died from her disease when she was 25 years old.
 Leslie & Jessie Lewis. Leslie was a miner at Garnet.
 Robert & Elizabeth Hart. Robert was a placer miner on Elk Creek, near
Garnet.
 John & Christine Kohr. John Kohr was a miner who originally settled in the
small town of Coloma, adjacent to Garnet. In 1945 he worked as a miner in Garnet. It was during this time that
he met Christine. Christine was born and raised just over the hill from Garnet in the farm lands of Potomac,
Montana. The Kohr family lived in Garnet until the 1950s. They would return to Garnet to oversee John’s
mining claims. John and Christine purchased a summer cabin in Garnet, located next to the Dahl house, which
their children still visit. The Kohr family is also related to the McDonald family, also Garnet residents.
Glen Kohr. Glen was the son of John & Christine Kohr. He was born in Missoula, Montana. He traveled across
the nation but always considered the Garnet cabin home. He died unexpectedly in 2010 and is buried with his
mother, Christine Kohr.
Margaret Olson Cummings. When Margaret was widowed, she became a cook at a boarding house in Garnet.
George & Murrel McDonald. George was the son of Margaret Cummings. He and his wife lived in Garnet.
Clarence McDonald. Clarence was the brother-in-law of Margaret Olson Cummings.
Robert & Agnes McMahan. Robert was a miner. He and his wife, Agnes, came to Garnet during the mid 1930
gold rush. Agnes was picked up the town’s mail in Drummond, Montana and used a section of Davey’s General
Store to distribute the mail to Garnet residents. It was on one of her mail runs that she found Frank Davey
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unconscious alongside one of his claims. She went for help but Frank had lain there unassisted for an unknown
number of days. He did not survive.
Henry Eppel. Henry was a miner. He never married.
John Donlon. John was a miner. He never married.
John H. Toole. “Johnny,” as he was called, spent his teenage years working his family’s mines in the Top
O’Deep district and Garnet. His experiences are recorded in his book The Baron, the Logger, the Miner, and Me.
John graduated from The University of Montana, fought with the army in WW II, opened an insurance company
in Missoula, and was Missoula’s 47th mayor. He wrote many books about his family and the Missoula area.
Information was provided by the Bureau of Land Management archives, Garnet Preservation documents, and Missoula City Cemetery records. The
Seadin family information and photos were provided by Sharon Seadin Baldwin, the granddaughter of Nels & Lena Seadin.
Albert John “A. J.” Gibson (1862-1927)
The Missoula architect who designed the Missoula County Courthouse, The University
of Montana’s Main Hall and many beautiful Missoula homes. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson’s
lives are remembered with unusual grave markers.
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 1862-Birth. April 1, 1862 on a farm two miles from Savannah in
Ashland County, Ohio.
 1889-Marriage. Maud Lockley on January 30, 1889. She was the
daughter of Frederick Lockley, a veteran of the Civil War and a pioneer
newspaperman.
 Education. A few months a year in a country school. However, he was a
genius with the use of tools, but the problem to be solved was how to obtain the
tools. To purchase his first set of tools, he trapped mink and sold their furs.
Building and mechanics came naturally to him, according to Helen F. Sanders, an
early biographer.
1880. At age 18, A. J. hand cut the family barn where every log and timber fitted perfectly. This was the first
witness to neighbors of his talent.
1883. He arrived in Butte Montana after his father’s death.
1889. A. J. arrived in Missoula to enter into the carpentry business, opening a short-lived partnership with E.C.
Selander. Later he partnered with Robert Mentrum, but this partnership also was short-lived.
Projects. (not all-inclusive)
• St Patrick Hospital—built, but not designed by Gibson; demolished
• The Greenough Mansion—lost to fire
• The first five buildings on The University of Montana campus—two of which have been demolished.
• Numerous private homes and commercial buildings in downtown Missoula, Hamilton, and Stevensville.
• Hawthorne School
• Lowell School
• The Sacred Heart Academy-demolished
• The Carnegie Public Library—now the Missoula Art Museum
• The Missoula County Courthouse
• Hellgate High School—only its central core is by Gibson
• The Daly Mansion near Hamilton—the last major remodeling of the largest home in the state of
Montana
• First Presbyterian Church
Purchased many business lots and constructed the Gibson Block made of brick on the NE corner of North Higgins
Ave. and Broadway (then Cedar). This was considered quite a folly in a time of economic depression. It was
demolished in the 1950s.
1909. He retired to travel with his wife in one of the first automobiles in Missoula. As an automobile enthusiast,
he helped form the local automobile club. They traveled extensively on the west coast, but also visited
Washington D.C.
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1910. They were the first Montanans to drive across the Canadian and Mexican borders. He and his wife made
the first cross country trip by automobile from Montana to New York, although some of it was done by rail. This
was quite remarkable as automobiles were novelties and roads
were no more than trails.
1927-Death. December 31, 1927. A. J. and Maud were killed
instantly when their automobile was struck by a train in
Missoula. The local Missoulian newspaper reported that A. J.
was partially deaf at the time, preventing him from hearing the
oncoming train and the windows of the automobile were frosted
over, preventing him from seeing the train approaching.
Information provided by: Jim McDonald, historical architect. For more Gibson history
and to see photos of his architectural masterpieces, read Raphael Chacon’s book: The
Original Man: The Life and Work of Montana Architect A. J. Gibson.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Mary Bown Gibson
(1870-1927)
Niece of Missoula’s Madame, Mary Gleim, and is responsible for the legend of Mary’s
infamous large monument turned sideways.
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 1870-Birth. February 19, 1870 in London, England to John Bown of
England and Johanna Gleason of Ireland.
 1891-Marriage. John Randolph Gibson on March 10, 1891 in Butte,
Montana. They had eleven children, all born about two years apart from each
other. Three of her children died: two stillborns and one daughter fell off a wagon
near Anaconda and was run over by a team of horses. That daughter, Cassie, is
buried in the Anaconda cemetery.
 Education. She was highly educated in England. Elizabeth attended a
convent school and learned eight languages which served her well in later life. She helped miners read and write
letters back and forth to their relatives in their homelands since most miners did not know how to read or write.
1890. Elizabeth came to America to live with her aunt, Mary Gleim. It was her Aunt Mary who had directed and
financed her education. Elizabeth came to America at her aunt’s insistence that she could provide a better life for
her niece. Elizabeth’s younger brother, Benjamin, came to America in 1891 as well. In 1892, Mary Gleim
applied for and received guardianship of Benjamin, as he was quite a trouble-maker and Aunt Mary believed she
could handle the child. Mary was also very loyal to and cared very deeply for the future of her family.
Legend. Elizabeth is responsible for the great legend surrounding Madam Mary Gleim’s stone. When her Aunt
Mary died in 1914, she left Elizabeth and Benjamin her fortune consisting of $100,000. Elizabeth wanted to do
something special for her aunt and ordered a beautiful stone that cost $10,000. When the stone was delivered to
the cemetery however, it was so large that it would not fit in the normal grave head space, therefore, the
monument had to be placed sideways. However, the turning of the stone developed into quite the local legend
that the infamous madam had noted in her will that her cemetery stone was to be turned so she could forever wave
to her ‘boys’ from the railroad. Mary Gleim left no provisions in her will
except that her fortune be given to her niece and nephew. So, little did
Elizabeth realize the kind of folk lore her tribute would become.
After Mary’ death, Elizabeth and her family moved to Front Street and lived
their remaining life in one of Mary’s buildings. Elizabeth and Benjamin sold
off all Mary’s assets and she lived a very comfortable life.
1927-Death. May 23, 1927 in Missoula, Montana.
Information provided by Kim Kaufman, historical re-enactor.
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Mary Gleim (1849-1914)
A woman with a controversial role in Missoula’s history. Mary Gleim was
known as the Madame of Missoula and a business woman “suspected” of some
businesses slightly on the border of legality.
 1849-Birth. 1849 to Irish parents. Her father was a ‘squire’
landowner, but not of the nobility kind.
 Marriage. John Gleim from St. Louis, Missouri.
 Highly educated in England. Conversant in all of the Latin
languages and liberally educated in English.
 She came to Missoula in 1888 with her husband to begin a new
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adventure.
Mary was a picturesque, unforgettable, full-figured woman. Few persons in Missoula have not heard of her and
to the old-timers, she was very well known. She was a very large woman and it was rumored she could – and did
– whip any man or woman that crossed her.
She was a woman of mystery. She was of the underworld from the time of her arrival in Missoula until her death.
Mr. Gleim was interred in St. Louis near his family homestead. Mary Gleim sought to establish a right of
inheritance; however, the will stated that ‘in case he left no issue, the property should revert to other relatives’.
They had no children so Mary Gleim lost the suit. Her husband’s family homestead was one of the picturesque
points in the city of St. Louis. The property was in the Gleim family by Indian inheritance. Mr. Gleim’s
grandfather had married a Wisconsin Indian and this property was her share of a tribal allotment. At the time of
the suit, the old homestead stood in the business district of St. Louis, surrounded by lofty business blocks.
She was extremely wealthy, worth over $100,000 at the time of her death. She handled and invested all of her
husband’s money, which, of course became HER money upon entering into marriage. Mary did have money of
her own prior to the marriage. She owned much property, not only in Missoula, but in outlying western Montana.
“Alleged” Business Ventures. (not all inclusive)
• Standard Brick Company – was the only business investment where she lost money (approx. $135,000
lost at that time)
• Smuggling laces and diamonds
• Brothel Madam indulging in ‘rollicking sin’.
• Underground railway transporting Chinamen and their opium into this country
• Real estate throughout all of Western Montana
• Twice tried to get a footing in Alaska and left here to engage in business there, but as she was under
suspicion of the British and American customs officers, she was unsuccessful.
1894. She was accused of hiring two hit men to blow up Bobby Burns in his residence. One of these men
squealed and was released. The other went to prison for 14 years. Mary, lacking $15,000 bond, was thrown into
the Missoula jail (Sheriff Ramsey’s boarding house) with enough booze to keep her happy for a few days. She
promptly drank it all and spent the night hollering at another female prisoner confined in the cell opposite her
own. Mary then railed against the judge that this was a conspiracy by her enemies to get her. Once she found her
manners, she was allowed to be escorted by deputy during the day to attend to her business affairs. Found guilty
by jury trial, she accepted a 14-year prison sentence. ‘Took it like a man’, ‘the Heavyweight Champion of
Gleimville’, it was reported. Thirteen months later, she returned to trial by the Montana Supreme Court. The
Missoulian doubted she could be convicted again because the evidence against her, ‘came from a class of people
who have no particular homes.’ According to record, some of Missoula’s leading citizens came up with the
money for the $7,000 bond. It is rumored ‘she must have had something on everyone’. Before the re-trial even
took place, she was charged with second-degree assault on French Emma, one of her girls. She won both cases
for in Bobby Burn’s instance, two of the original jurors were convicted felons and were of questionable sincerity,
and in French Emma’s case, a $100 fine plus court costs were found sufficient.
Very charitable. It was rumored that Mary was very generous to most causes. However, she also was a
‘relentless hater’.
Monument Legend. It is legend that Mary’s will stipulated her monument must face the railroad tracks so she
could ‘wave to her boys’ as they went by. The railroad ‘boys’ were her best customers. The Gleim monument is
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extremely large and is the only one to face East and West in the cemetery. However, it is believed that her only
known survivors (a niece, Elizabeth Gibson and a nephew, Bennie Bown,
purchased this huge monument for $700 and it was simply too large to place
on a grave normally so had to be turned sideways to fit. Mary left no will of
record.
All her holdings were shared between her niece and nephew. Bennie,
however, married a woman who set out to ‘steal his money’. She claimed
abuse and due to her physical handicaps was able to convince a judge it was
true. Bennie and Elizabeth were forced to liquidate almost all of the asset
holdings and the money was ordered to go to Bennie’s ex-wife. Bennie
worked until the day he died at the Missoula Mercantile. Elizabeth Gibson
and members of her family are buried in the Gleim plot.
Benjamin ‘Bennie’ Bown and his second wife, Ella, are buried elsewhere in
the Missoula City Cemetery. Bennie’s first wife, Catherine Somers, who ran
through all his money in the early years, is also buried in the Missoula City
Cemetery in a plainly marked grave.
1914-Death. February 22, 1914 from ‘Influenza’ (rheumatism was also
thought to be a contributor)
Information researched by Kim Kaufman, historical re-enactor.
Greek Community
Discover what brought families from Greece to Missoula, how they
earned a living, and how they continue to maintain a strong community
within Missoula to this day.
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 1800s.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, railroad
construction brought numerous southern European laborers to
western Montana. Included in this work force were men from
Greece. Most of these workers were unmarried and seldom stayed
longer than the work lasted. A few decided to remain for a variety of
reasons, but mainly because they liked the environment or saw
business opportunities that could make them a decent living.
1900s. Marrying local women, Greek men quickly integrated into American society, tried to learn the language
and to become literate enough to get along. Those who decided to marry within their ethnicity waited until they
had established themselves enough to return to Greece and bring a Greek bride to Missoula. This resulted in less
than a dozen families with both husband and wife being Greek. Many of Missoula’s Greek families arrived in the
early 1900’s.
Railroad workers. Among those who made careers with the railroads and stayed till retirement were Andrew
George, Gus Datsopoulos, Peter Pappas and Gus Papanaoum on the Northern Pacific and John Kafentzis and
Peter Robbins on the Milwaukee Railroad.
Business owners. Greeks that didn’t stay with the railroads branched out into a variety of small business, usually
with partners. In many instances these partners were relatives. Typically these businesses included restaurants,
fruit markets, floral shops, candy stores with soda fountains and shoe shine parlors with shoe repair shops. A
short list would include:
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Garden City Floral…Jim and Sam Caras
Park Hotel…Peter and John (Jocko) Lambros
The Grill Café…Sam and Bill Poulos
Sunshine Candy…John and Mike Pappas
High School Candy…George and Nick Papantony
Pallas Candy…John Gogas and George Koures
Missoula Shoe Shine…Christ Callas and Jim George (They also cleaned and blocked felt hats.)
Pony Café…Harry Bates and Tom Theros
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Jim’s Café…Jim Zakos
AHEPOA. Greek immigrants to the United States, realizing the importance of education as well as integration,
formed a nationwide fraternal organization: The American Hellenic Education Progressive Association. The
association’s objective was to develop more informed, responsible American citizens. Missoula had a very strong
AHEPOA chapter in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Annual rotating conventions were hosted with Butte, Great Falls,
and Billings. The ladies association was called the Daughters of Penelope. The youth auxiliaries were the Sons
of Pericles and the Maids of Athens.
Orthodox Church. For centuries the Orthodox Church has been an integral part of Greek culture. Greek
immigrants, if they could afford it, usually established a community church. In Montana, the first church was
built and maintained in Great Falls. Missoula had no church of its own until 1957. Thus, if the priest in Great
Falls could not travel to Missoula for religious services - baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc., - then local Greeks
had to go to Great Falls.
Greek immigrants continued to come to Missoula into the last half of the 20th century, usually sponsored by a
family member who had been here for some time.
The makeup of the Greek community, however, has changed considerably as the first generation has passed on
and the second and third generations have scattered. Yet, a few of the old family names linger on with
considerable importance in law, real estate, and landscaping.
Information provided by Greek pioneer descendants and local businessmen George Gogas and Bill Caras.
Thomas Greenough (1852-1911)
A major businessman in Missoula’s lumber history, providing the ties for construction of
the railway between the Dakotas and Washington. He built Missoula’s first and largest
mansion, which was an icon of the valley for many years. His Christmas gift of
Greenough Park to the City of Missoula remains a Rattlesnake area treasure.
 1852-Birth. About 1852 in Davis County, Iowa but raised in Kansas.
 Marriage. Spouse was Tennessee.
 Although not one of Missoula’s earliest families, the Greenough family was
among its most important.
 He left home to work in railroad construction and gold mining. He worked
in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory prior to coming to Missoula and
homesteading in Clinton.
 1882. Thomas arrived in Missoula and began a wood-cutting business. His
business grew rapidly and he went on to purchase land and build the lumber mill at
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Bonner, Montana.
Lumber. He contracted with Northern Pacific Railroad to provide them with the ties for the railroad’s line from
the Dakotas to what is now the Idaho-Washington state line. The tamarack trees of the lower Rattlesnake Creek
proved to be one of the best stands of timber so Greenough harvested these to fulfill his lumber contracts.
Mining. His next major business venture was mining in the Missoula, Butte, Anaconda, and Idaho areas. It
seemed whatever he touched turned to gold.
Banking. Thomas was on the board of directors for many of the largest banks throughout Montana, Idaho, and
Washington.
1894-Greenough mansion. As he had now amassed a great fortune, he wanted a home befitting a family of such
wealth. He hired Missoula architect, A. J. Gibson, to design and build the “Mansion” situated on the Rattlesnake
Creek near the Van Buren interchange of I-90. The home was decorated by an Englishman, Willie Morris.
Wrought iron fencing surrounded the grounds. The home had 22 rooms with six baths and two fireplaces.
1902. As a Christmas gift, the Greenough family donated land adjacent to their mansion to the City of Missoula
for a public park. Greenough Park still remains one of the most cherished, beautiful, and well-used picnic and
park land in Missoula.
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After Thomas’ death, his wife and children continued to live in the
mansion and the home was used for many local social events.
Eventually, the home was sold to a family member, Arthur and Ruth
(Greenough) Mosby in the 1960s. The Mansion suffered fires and moves.
A replica of the original mansion now sits on the south side of Missoula
and is a bed and breakfast stop.
1911-Death. July 23, 1911 in Spokane, Washington.
Note: The Greenough monument is one of the largest in the entire cemetery. Thomas even ordered
individual monuments shaped like cash registers each for himself and his wife.
Juliet M. Gregory (1896-1990)
Missoula’s first and only female mayor and very active in the community. While she
was mayor, the first park and planning boards were established as well as downtown
corner streetlights and parking meters. She went on to serve on the U.S. commission
for UNESCO.
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 1896-Birth. 1896 in San Francisco, California to Isabella B. and John T.
Minson.
 1919. Juliet graduated from San Diego State College after obtaining an
elementary teaching certificate. She taught school for two years in the San Diego,
California area.
 1921-1925. She worked as a social worker for the Young Women’s
Christian Association (YWCA).
 1925-Marriage. Horace W Gregory on December 10, 1925. Horace was the
Director of Highways in Boise, Idaho. They had two sons.
1932. Juliet’s husband accepted a job transfer which landed them in Helena, Montana. During those years, Juliet
worked as a full-time homemaker.
1935. Following Helena’s earthquake of 1935, the Gregory family settled in Missoula, Montana.
WWI. Juliet worked as a hostess at many serviceman camps, on naval ships, and military hospitals. She literally
‘danced her way through WWI.’
1947-1949. Elected as Missoula’s 31st mayor and received a congratulatory phone call from Jeanette Rankin.
Juliet made a notable re-entry into the workforce. After 22 years of work as a homemaker, she ran for Mayor of
Missoula when she was unable to convince then Mayor Dwight Mason to start a City-County Planning Board.
Unable to find anyone willing to run against him, she became Missoula’s first and only woman mayor to date.
Her campaign slogan was: “I am Running for Mayor of Missoula on a Firm, Fearless Platform with a Plan”.
Juliet was known as a ‘woman with very strong convictions who wasn’t going to just go in there and sit in the
Mayor’s chair. She was going to get things done.’ Her direct nature, as she administered her duties as Mayor,
cost her the bid for re-election. Her major accomplishments were many:
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Installed parking meters
Purchased first police motorcycles
Trained sanitarians to inspect restaurants, bars, markets, dairies
Developed parks and purchased playground equipment
Hired recreation director to supervise programs of play and street dances
Fired the Fire Chief for false inspection reports
Paved Higgins Avenue
Established the bid process for City projects
Pushed development of the Missoula City Cemetery
Purchased sorely needed new road equipment
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Annexed land into the City and imposed a 6% liquor tax revenue source
Initiated police training programs
Added additional street lighting to downtown
1949. Juliet returned to school at Montana State University in Missoula, Montana. She also returned to teaching
elementary school while she worked toward a degree.
1952-1955. DACOWITS. Upon the request of President Dwight Eisenhower, Juliet served on the Defense
Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. This Commission was established in 1951. Civilian men and
women are appointed to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment
and retention, treatment, employment, integration, and well-being of highly qualified professional women in the
Armed Forces. The Under Secretary of Defense may act upon this Committee’s advice and recommendations.
1955. She received her Bachelor Degree with honors.
1962. Juliet retired from teaching.
1964. Gregory served on the Montana Republican delegation for the 1964 Republican National Convention.
Civic Duties. Juliet’s civic commitment is too large to list. Examples are: President of Missoula County
Republican Women’s Club, Parent Teachers’ Association, Daughters of the American Revolution, Business and
Professional Women, Missoula Women’s Club, League of Women Voters, Red Cross Board – World War II,
Episcopal Church and St Hilda’s Guild, Montana Education Association, Missoula Teachers Association,
Missoula County Board of Museums – she was an originator of the Missoula Museum of Art, and Chairman of
the Missoula City Cemetery Board of Trustees for ten years.
1985. Mayor John Toole presented Juliet the mayor’s award for civic
achievement. He stated, “She carried a standard of integrity in her
private and public life. She marched into controversial matters with
vigor, yet I can remember seeing her in her office gray with fatigue over
the frustrations of the job she held. She’s always been on the side of
people who want to do something progressive.”
1990-Death. December 6, 1990 at her home in Missoula, Montana from
natural causes.
Juliet Gregory is not interred in the Missoula City Cemetery. It is unknown where she and her husband are buried. On May 30, 1971
Juliet placed a memorial plaque on the cemetery grounds in honor of her late husband.
Haakon Kristian Hauge (1862-1912)
A railroad engineer and Norwegian immigrant made famous 97 years after his death. A letter written to a man who died in 1912.
A cryptic message etched on a cardboard token. Clues to the past.
 1862-Birth. In 1862 in Skien, Norway to Andreas and Gabrielle
Hauge. Andreas was a parish state-church minister. Gabrielle was 15 years
younger than her husband. Research shows the Hauges had only one horse
which seems extremely conservative. The local minister basically ran the
town at that time, which should have placed them in a solid financial
position.
 1901-Marriage. Hanna Svendsbakken in March 1901.
 Children. They had four daughters: Ella born in 1902; Karen born
1905, lived only seven weeks; Anna born in 1906; and Kirsti born in 1908.
 1912-Death. July 12, 1912 in a rear room of the Stockholm Saloon
in Missoula. The coroner’s report said he died of a “protracted spleen” due
to alcoholism.
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The Letter. Missoula City Cemetery received a letter on October
28, 2009 addressed to Haakon Hauge who had died 97 years earlier. There
was no return address. The letter was mailed from France and written in a
foreign language. Inside the neatly folded pink notepaper was a cardboard
token. Haakon’s life story was pieced together through the diligence of cemetery
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staff, local historians, and researchers, and eventually, the author of the mysterious letter, Haakon’s greatgranddaughter.
 1878. Haakon was very
educated and
received
numerous technical degrees.
 1883.
Haakon
brought his wife with him to
America.
He worked for
various railway companies in
the western and northern
states and in British Columbia.
 1890. He became the
“first engineer” with the
Montana Midland Railroad, probably the Montana
Central.
 1895. Hauge traveled back to Norway. He owned and operated a stone quarry.
 1901. He and Hanna returned to the U.S. Haakon secured as position as division engineer with the Northern
Pacific. In the next few years, he engineered for railroads in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.
 1905. He owned and managed a mine in Arizona.
 1906. Haakon and his family returned to Norway. He then purchased and operated a peat bog in Hjuksebo. Until
now, Haakon’s business adventures had proven to be very successful. Not much is known about what happened
in this final venture except that everything went wrong. His entire fortune was lost and he found himself and his
family penniless. There was only one thing left to do. He must return to America to cash in his holdings in the
Arizona mine.
 1910. Haakon made his final trip to America alone. He promised Hanna and his daughters that he would be gone
no longer than one year and would write to them regularly. Family lore says the gold mine was dried up and his
business partner had taken the money and disappeared by the time Haakon returned to the mine.
 What happened? It was at this point his letters stopped arriving in Norway. It was a few years later that his
family learned he had traveled to Missoula, Montana and had died there. No information has been found as to
how or why he came to Missoula.
**Note: Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager, Mary Ellen Stubb, headed the research on this project and contacted the greatgranddaughter from France who wrote the mysterious letter. The letter was an exercise in psycho-genealogy: the belief that our lives run
parallel courses to a specific ancestor and in order to stop any future destruction in our life course, a person must break free from that ancestor.
A letter is written and usually burned on the gravesite to complete the process. In this case, the letter was written and sent to the only cemetery
found for Missoula after an internet search.
The “Loser Card” letter as Missoulians dubbed it made national news as the cemetery sought out answers to try to aid this family. Mary Ellen
Stubb authored a narrative of the events in the American Cemetery trade magazine in September 2010. The Hauge family plans a trip to
Missoula to see the gravesite and finally have the closure surrounding his mysterious death. His family continues to piece together the events
that led Haakon to his death in Missoula. Maybe one day those answers can be added to this information to complete the puzzle.
Researchers who worked on this project:
Annick Drosdal-Levillaine (author of letter and Haakon’s great-granddaughter)
Mary Ellen Stubb (Missoula City Cemetery Administrative Manager)
Jane Plummer (Missoula City Cemetery receptionist)
Betty Wing (Sons of Norway, Missoula Chapter President)
Simon Roaldset (University of Montana Norwegian student)
Marcia Porter (Records Management Supervisor, Missoula County)
Steve Davolt (Funeral Director, Missoula Funeral Homes)
Kim Briggeman (News Reporter, Missoulian)
Janet Barnes (Records clerk, Missoula County)
Paulette Parpart (Library genealogist, Missoula County)
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Christopher P. Higgins (1830-1889)
A captain in the arm, he worked on Indian treaty negotiations. He co-founded
Missoula in 1862 and erected one of the first lumber mills in the vicinity. He was a
bank president and helped build the Higgins block in downtown Missoula.
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 1830-Birth. March 16, 1830 in Ireland. Parents were Christopher and
Mary Higgins.
 1848. At age 18, he came to the United States and went immediately
west. He enlisted in the army to defend his new-found home.
 1853. At age 23, he joined Governor Stephens, the famous Indian
fighter of the northwest. Under Governor Stephens, C. P. Higgins assisted in
the original survey of the Northern Pacific. In 1855 the treaty was drawn up
with the Nez Perce Indians. This treaty led to the final peace covenant with the
Flatheads and the Pend d’Oreilles. Crossing a swollen river in 1855 on a raft, C.
P. Higgins saved the life of Governor Stevens by jumping into the river, swimming
to shore, and securing the raft to a tree. The following year in 1856, the party went to Fort Benton, where they
negotiated with the Blackfoot Indians. Their mission completed, the company disbanded at Olympia,
Washington.
1856. He was commissioned as a captain in the Army and charged to carry on his work of subduing the Indians.
For four years more he served his country, two years of which he was acting as government agent in Walla Walla,
Washington.
1860. C. P. Higgins resumed his life as a civilian and purchased Mr. Isaac’s interest in the mercantile business of
Wooden & Isaacs in Walla Walla, Washington. Loading his share of the merchandise on the backs of 75 pack
animals, he went through Hell Gate Canyon and set up in business with a partner, Francis L Worden. The hired
clerk was Frank Woody. They established the first settlement in the Missoula area at the Hellgate Trading Post
(located on Mullan Road today).
1863-Marriage. Juliet P. Grant on March 30, 1863. Juliet was the daughter of Missoula pioneer Richard Grant
(Grant Creek area) C. P. and Julia had nine children.
1865-Missoula Mills. C. P. built one of the area’s first lumber and flouring mills on the Clark Fork River located
about four mile east of current Downtown Missoula. It was known as Missoula Mills.
1870. He built the Higgins-Worden block (Higgins Ave downtown block today).
Commissions. One of Missoula County’s original county commissioners, a member of Montana’s first
Territorial Legislature, an incorporator of the Montana Historical Society, one of the founders and first president
of the First National Bank of Missoula, commissioned a city
block in downtown Missoula, member of the Masonic
fraternity. In politics, he was a Democrat. In church, a more
‘modern’ Catholic – with a high regard and reverence for the
essential ethics of the church, yet tolerant in his judgment of
his fellow man, and generously charitable.
Ranching. C. P. had a passion for raising cattle and horses.
He had large real estate holdings in Missoula, Portland, and
Seattle. He donated 20 acres for the construction of the
University of Montana.
University area streets named after the children of C P
Higgins: Francis, Maurice, Arthur, Helen, Hilda, Ronald, and
Gerald.
1889-Death. October 14, 1889 at age 59 after a fall between
his home and his new bank construction site.
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Kirby Grant Hoon (1941-1985)
An actor and Hollywood star known as “Sky King.” From 1951-1962 Skyler King was
an Arizona rancher-pilot who fought bad guys and rescued people in trouble using his
airplane,’ Songbird.’ Hoon did little acting after the show but bought and traveled with
the Carson and Barnes circus. The grave of Sky King brings many visitors from around
the world each year.
 1911-Birth. November 24, 1911 in Butte, MT to Henrietta and Kirby
Hoon Sr.
 Marriage. Kirby married Carolyn and they had three children.
 Actor. A long time B-movie actor. Kirby was most notable for his lead
role in ‘Sky King.’
 Music. He was a child prodigy violinist and singer and at one time led a
dance band.
 Education. Attended elementary and high schools in Helena, Montana,
college at The University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, Whitman
College in Walla Walla, Washington, and The American Conservatory of Music
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in Hammond, Indiana.
Employment. Kirby’s first jobs were as a radio and supper club entertainer. By the 1930s he began playing
cowboys and mounties. He seldom sung and mostly acted in forgettable films.
1945-Name Change. He used the name "Robert Stanton". That name was also used by actor Robert "Bob"
Haymes.
1951-Sky King. Kirby took the role of Schuyler or Skyler (Sky) King. The show was filmed in black-and-white
during three periods as sponsors changed: 1951-52, 1955-56 and 1957-62. It continued in syndication for years
afterward and Grant became an icon to the aviation community. In it he played Arizona rancher-pilot Sky King,
who fought bad guys and rescued people in trouble using his airplane. In the series the plane was named the
"Songbird." Sky King's ranch was named the "Flying Crown."
Grant did little acting after the show ended although he and co-star Gloria Winters were in demand for personal
appearances at fairs and aviation events.
1965-Circus. He bought and traveled with the Carson and Barnes circus.
In real life Grant was a pilot and in the first few years the series used Grant's personal plane.
1970-Retirement. Kirby retired and moved to Florida from California where he and his wife founded the
nonprofit Sky King Youth Ranches of America, which provided homes for abandoned or orphaned children.
He had plans to resurrect the Sky King series with the Flying Crown Ranch becoming a home for throwaway kids
and telling their stories, but it never materialized.
During retirement he also took many lead parts in local theatrical productions.
1979. He was appointed Good Will Ambassador for Sea World of Orlando, Florida.
1985-Death. Kirby Grant was killed in a car accident near Titusville Florida on October 30, 1985. He was on his
way to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger at Cape Canaveral, where he was also to be honored by
the astronauts for encouraging aviation and space flight.
Montana always remained his ‘home of heart’ where he returned
regularly to enjoy his favorite sport of fly fishing. He was buried in a
family plot with his sister, Janice, and alongside his parents, aunt, and
uncle. Kirby’s wife, Carolyn, died in 1989 and was buried in Payne
Cemetery in Illinois.
Kirby’s gravesite is visited regularly by people from all over the world.
His gravesite is a popular Montana stop for cyber treasure hunters in a
practice known as Geocaching.
Some information was obtained from Hoon family members living in Great Falls, Montana.
There seems to be no contact available for any of Kirby Hoon’s children.
Grave 8 - Lot 1 - Block 002
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William H. Houston (1853-1937)
He was the 17th and 29th Missoula County Sheriff. A friend of Wild Bill Hickok and a
railroad conductor, Houston became one of Missoula’s most colorful and controversial
sheriffs. He was known for capturing renegade Indians (sometimes in very
nonconventional ways), hanging the murderer of young Maurice Higgins, trimming the
City Police Department budget down 60% due to lack of criminals, which, ultimately could
have led to his being kicked out of office for supplementing his budget through the making
of moonshine.
1853-Birth. May 17, 1853 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana.
1880-Marriage. Married Mary Quigley on April 8, 1880 in Omaha,
Nebraska. They had one child, Harvey A Houston.
 William received a very limited education. Experience served as his
education. When he was a young lad four of his brothers were called to fight in the
Civil War, leaving William to tend to business at home.
 In his early years, William was a guard on a stage coach from Cheyenne,
Wyoming to Deadwood, South Dakota. He obtained this job on the reference of Wild Bill Hickok. Years later it
was said that William pistol-whipped Wild Bill after an altercation in town and ran him out of Missoula.
1878. His first job was with the railroad as a brakeman on the Panhandle. He traveled west with the railroad
working his way up until he was promoted to conductor of passenger trains.
1883. When the Northern Pacific railroad was built, he followed it to Missoula. At that time, he ventured into the
hotel business by purchasing the Grand Central Hotel.
1885. Northern Pacific offered him the conductor position, so he ended his
hotel business and served in that position until 1889.
1889. William was elected as the 17th Missoula County Sheriff. He was
known for capturing the many renegade Indians in the area. The
unfortunate criminals who shot at the Sheriff received a direct hit with each
bullet that left his gun.
1892. Sheriff Houston was responsible for the arrest and hanging of John
Burns. Burns murdered Maurice Higgins. On the night of August 14,
1892, one of Missoula’s worst fires broke out in the main area of downtown
off Front Street. At that time, all the wooden buildings were lined with
boardwalks which added fuel to the fire. Building after building was
destroyed. Practically the entire male population turned out to battle the
blaze. One of the volunteers was Maurice Higgins, the son of Missoula’s
co-founder, C. P. Higgins. In the early morning after the fires had been
squelched, the men were gathered on a corner surveying the remains.
Meanwhile, John Burns was outside the local saloon down the street from this gathering. Burns and his partner
had recently robbed a jewelry store in Spokane, Washington. The loot was not being distributed as Burns wished
so he came downtown expecting to be able to easily shoot his partner in the crowd during the fire and take the
loot for himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t find the man he was searching for until after the fire and the crowds
were gone. Needless to say, Burns shot the man, hitting him in the side. Burns immediately shot again. This
time, however he hit young Maurice Higgins in the forehead. Burns fled but Sheriff Houston caught him a short
time later. Maurice died early the next day. Burns was tried, found guilty, and hung on December 16, 1892.
Case closed. Or was it? The Missoulian reported on December 31, 1892: “The Body of Burns is Not in the
Grave”. The story goes on to say that his body stands in the ‘mystic chamber of the Hijis at their hall on the
Eastside.’ The reporter alone, supposedly, entered the strange place to find what he described as ‘Burns’ body
embalmed and fastened to a steel rod to hold it upright. Scalpel marks were clearly evident,’ stated the reporter.
This report was never verified according to another article by Deane Jones which ran in the Missoulian on
January 31, 1971. Mr. Jones ran a follow up article on May 21, 1971 when a man from Cummings, North Dakota
claimed to have a pair of moccasins made from the skin of this same John Burns. Interesting…
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Indian hangings. A group of four Kootenai tribal Indians committed numerous infamous murders in the region
during 1887 - 1889. They were all captured by Sheriff Houston and hung at the same time on the same gallows.
This was the only recorded multiple hanging of its kind. Those gallows now sit at the Fort Missoula Historic
Museum.
(Left to Right: Pierre Paul, Pascale, Lala See, Antley)
Each Indian declared their innocence right to the end.
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When a man named Lamb robbed the Northern Pacific of $5,000 and escaped to Mexico, Sheriff Houston trailed
him. He then hired a Mexican to chase Lamb across the International Bridge right into Sheriff Houston’s hands.
The man was brought back to Missoula for trial.
1894–1920. He served with the United Sates Land Office and as City Commissioner. He was applauded for
reducing taxpayer burden by trimming expenses in these offices. William claimed to have cut the $20,000 per
year cost of running the City Police Dept. down to a trim $9,000 per year and simultaneously collected $9,400 in
fines for the same year.
 1920. William was elected as the 29th Missoula County Sheriff. This term lasted
only eleven months. William was removed from office and charged with incompetency,
connivance with bootleggers, and his deputies were
accused of making moonshine.
 Upon retirement, William was instrumental in
the continued development of Missoula. He partnered
with C. P. Higgins and T. L. Greenough to build the
Union Block.
 William was one of wealthiest men in
Missoula.
He invested heavily in real estate
throughout the Missoula area.
 Politically, William was a progressive
Republican. Socially, he was a member of the Masonic
Lodge.
A few days before his death, William Houston was quoted as telling an old friend, “I
made the greatest cleanup the West ever had. I hanged five men, shot one on the street, and sent more than one
hundred men over the road to the penitentiary for different crimes.”
1937-Death. April 14, 1937 of prostate disease in Missoula, Montana.
William H. Houston was buried in the Houston family plots alongside his wife, Mary, and son, Harvey. Another family member by the name of A. J.
Houston is buried there also, but the exact relationship lineage has not been determined.
Japanese Railroad Burials
Between the years 1880-1920 about 2,000 Japanese men came to Missoula to work,
sending their paychecks back home to support their families. The men buried here
were all railroad workers who died on the job. Little is known about them.
 1880-1920. Roughly 2,000 Japanese men came to Missoula to work,
sending most of their paychecks back home to support their families. They relied
on Japanese contracting companies for initial employment in America. Many of
these men worked in agriculture, railroad, lumber, fishing, and mining industries.
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1903. Northern Pacific Railway purchased two whole blocks consisting of nearly 400 grave sites. These graves
were used to inter 100 bodies of Japanese laborers moved from the area around Paradise, Montana to make room
for the new rail line. Most of these sites remain unmarked to this day. Little is known of their origin, their names,
or their history. A small few monuments written in Japanese have been placed. Many remain unmarked to this
day
Many of these men died from disease, accidents, and weather. Coming from the much warmer climate in Japan,
Montana’s cold winters were very difficult for some.
Tradition for the railroad was to bury workers that died alongside the rail lines. Missoula City Cemetery’s
Japanese railroad workers were originally buried along the rail lines around the Thompson Falls and Plains areas.
When the railroad expanded and altered the lines, these workers (400 of them) were basically, dug up, hauled to
Missoula and re-buried in the new city-owned cemetery. The railroad followed through on their promise to these
workers and set stones written in Japanese noting the individual’s name, death date, and Japanese township if
known. Some stones have both Japanese and English translations on them.
When walking through this area, you may at times smell incense and see white carnations placed on the graves.
This is a Japanese tradition of paying respect to their past elders. The incense is lit to remove any ill spirits and
the white carnation signifies the cleansing of the area and peace.
1994. Masako Kuriyama, the wife of Japan’s ambassador to the United States, visited the Japanese section of the
cemetery on a trip across the state. She learned of the Japanese section from former Senator Mike Mansfield who
was appointed to serve as U. S. Ambassador in Japan in 1977. She was surprised and sad to see so many Japanese
burials in Montana. She noted the young men were not accustomed to the bitter cold Montana winters but were
working the railroad as a means of support for their families left in Japan.
1991. Kazuo Watanabe placed a monument for his grandfather, Tashichi Watanabe, who had arrived in Missoula
in 1904. Kazuo was unable to locate his grandfather’s gravesite as Japanese records noted his place of death as
‘Mobra, MT’. The Missoulian reported:
“…Tashichi had married the daughter of a prosperous farmer, but in his fondness for gambling had lost most of
the family’s land. His decision to head for America came out of a sense of shame and a desire to recover the
money he had lost. Tashichi landed a job as a cook for the Northern Pacific Railroad. He felt America was a
grand place as noted in a letter he wrote to his wife who remained in Japan: ‘The food that I get to eat would be
considered high class in Japan. The amenities here are amazing. There is no comparison between Japan and
the United States.’ Tashichi’s last letter was postmarked from Avery, Idaho, and dated December, 1912. A year
later, word came from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Tashichi, at age 41, had died on Oct. 13, 1913, in
Mobra, Mont…”
When Kazuo Watanabe retired from his job as school principal, he decided to find his grandfather’s burial place.
Through many letters to government and railroad agencies, the pieces of his grandfather’s last days were
compiled. Tashichi was working with the railroad outside Butte, Montana when he became ill and decided to
return to Japan. When his Seattle bound train reached Missoula, his illness was so severe, he was placed into the
Northern Pacific Hospital where he died the next day. His body was brought to the Missoula City Cemetery for
burial. Kazuo’s search was documented in the local newspapers and his search was documented by the Mansfield
Library in a publication titled ‘About Our Ancestors’. In 1993, Kazuo returned to Missoula bringing family
members of two others buried here. A formal ceremonial blessing was held by Buddhist priests for all the
Japanese resting here.
 2007. Jay and Shoko Kakigawa of Japan visited the cemetery. They paid homage to their descendants by
burning incense and placing white carnations on the graves. They volunteered to interpret the Japanese
inscriptions on the monuments. Donna Syvertson, a local journalist, accompanied them and wrote down their
dictations. Donna then gathered further research from the Missoula Public Library. The information noted
that the majority of the men were married, probably sending money back to Japan to support their families.
The stones list the deceased name, sometimes the rail worker ‘gang’ they were in, the name of their village or
County in Japan, their age, and sometimes cause of death.
o Wajiro Kumagai. He is buried in Grave 41 of this section. His monument notes that he was decorated
on the national 8th grade level by Japan. It does not say why although Jay Kakigawa suggested he had
been honored when serving as a soldier in the war with Russia in 1904 – 1908. Jay said, “It was very
important for them (the people in the cemetery). He might have been a leader.”
o Toyotaro Watari. His monument bears his family coat of arms. All Japanese have coats of arms but this
is the only one that Jay noticed on a tombstone.
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Jewish Community
Missoula’s Jewish community has had mixed success in organizing itself and in many ways has been an
interesting combination of pioneers and dreamers who often put their energies into the broader community
of their own creative impulses. Several important citizens are highlighted.
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 1870 – Jacob Leiser. Within 10 years of the establishment of the Missoula community, Jewish
citizens found their way to Missoula. The first known Jew, Jacob Leiser, was from Germany and immigrated to
California for a number of years before moving to Helena, Montana. He lived in Helena until he lost his business
in a fire. Jacob returned to California to save money for his move back to Montana. Legend has it that Jacob
walked from the California Bay area all the way to Missoula, MT. He established a “general store” on Front
Street, married and raised a family. An important part of his business was with the Salish people of western
Montana.
1879 – Herman Kohn. Herman Kohn was Bohemian and established himself first in California before moving to
Missoula via Helena. Initially, he worked as a harness maker, and quickly established himself as a hard working
business man. He opened a jewelry and loan store in 1883 known as Kohn’s Jewelers. Herman invested heavily
in downtown Missoula properties. One of the original founders and investors in the Missoula City Cemetery, he
was an active, community-minded citizen, serving on several boards, including the school board. He helped
found Lowell School, the oldest of the present public schools in Missoula. The Kohn family kept the jewelry
store until 1955 when they sold it to Oz Stoverud. Kohn’s clock at the northwest corner of Front and Higgins
streets was a landmark at the location of the historic “Free Speech” Corner, made famous by
the “Wobblies.”
Colorful Jewish citizens are part of the fabric of Missoula history. Some were business men,
some professionals, and some were professors at the university.
1929 – Henry Silver.
Henry Silver moved to Missoula in 1929. When Henry’s
Philadelphia business was destroyed by a suspicious fire, it seems he took the insurance
money and quickly headed west. Big Broadway, a dry goods store in the best of Jewish
tradition, was his Missoula reincarnation of the Philadelphia business and the store was an
anchor retail business on West Broadway for decades.
University of Montana. As the university grew, so did the number of Jewish faculty. Among these were:
o Louis Levine. Louis Levine was a young economist hired by the university in the late 1910s. The Board
of Regents requested he write a report on mine taxation in Montana. The report caused such an outrage
on the part of the mining interests that pressure was put on the Board of Regents to fire him. Despite
support for Levine by the faculty and administration, he resigned. He left Missoula and changed his name
to Louis Lorwin. He went on to become quite famous as a noted economist and labor historian and wrote
for many professional journals and books. A teachers union was formed in the early 1920s in response to
his treatment in Missoula.
o Robert Houseman. Robert Houseman was the first person in the world to receive a doctorate in
journalism. He wrote an article for the Atlantic Monthly in 1941 describing his marriage to a gentile. The
article launched many lively discussions over inter-faith marriages, which were quite uncommon at the
time.
o Leslie Fiedler. Leslie Fiedler was a literary critic, professor of English, and author of many challenging
works on a variety of subjects. He was a cornerstone of the Missoula Jewish community from 1941 until
1964. His writings were widely read, though often not accepted. He was known as a national voice of
Jewish intellectuals with an international following.
1920-1950 Sam Rivin. Sam Rivin was a local union and Jewish community organizer.
Sam worked as a retail clerk in Hudson, New York until the company expanded and
transferred him to Browning, MT. He stayed a short time in Browning, moved to Butte,
Montana until his daughter’s health necessitated his final move to Missoula, MT. Sam
and his wife, Fannie, hosted many local Jewish gatherings and celebrations from the mid
1920s through the 1950s.
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Torah. Missoula held religious services and was home to at least two Torah scrolls (the five books of Moses)
over the years. The present Torah was a gift from the Helena community.
1970s. The Har Shalom congregation was established in the 1970s and remains the center of local Jewish life
today. The Missoula Jewish community purchased a building in 2007 and finally has a home of its own.
Information provided by Har Shalom President-Emeritus and Missoula Jewish community descendant, Bert Chessin.
Cemetery historical note: in the early 1880s, Missoula Jewish community representatives purchased the entire front section of the newly
formed Missoula Valley Cemetery. Those representatives were Jacob Leiser, Herman Kohn, and Joe Solomon. Jewish custom dictates
only members of the Jewish faith may bury in a designated Jewish cemetery. An expectation of posterity for the Jewish community in
Missoula prompted the purchase of these hundreds of graves. Eventually though, the Jewish community dwindled to such a small number
that a designated Jewish burial section was no longer realistic. Over time, the originally purchased graves sold back to the cemetery with
a small number remaining for the use of designated Jewish family members.
James Henry “Nez Perce” Jones (1844-1926)
Sole survivor of the 1878 Rock Creek massacre, prospector, Indian fighter, freighter, and pioneer.
His story is told in many local history books.
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 1844-Birth. January 31, 1844 in Carthage Missouri.
 Married. His wife’s name was Rosa. James and Rosa did not have any children of
their own but they did rear eight children, six of them before coming west and two others
after arriving here.
 James remained in the mid-west until the lure of gold and the intangible something
that makes pioneers of mere men called him and he answered the call. He and Rosa crossed
the plains to Colorado by ox team, then north along the Mullan trail to Helena and from
there to Philipsburg where he was known as a placer miner.
 July 11, 1878-“Nez Perce” legend. James earned a nickname in 1878 that followed
him to his grave. A group of renegade Nez Perce Indians broke away from Chief Joseph set
on revenge against the white man. This band of Indians were looting lonely cabins and
murdering solitary prospectors throughout that section of the country. The band of Indians
had followed Willow Creek down to where it empties into Rock Creek and set up camp on
the West Fork of Rock Creek. That evening, the Indians went to John Hays’ cabin, about ¾ of
a mile below Jones’ camp in McKay Gulch. The Indians took everything John Hays owned and left him for dead.
July 12, 1878. Jones and three other men were panning the gravel along the Ross Fork of Rock Creek about 35
miles from Philipsburg. The Indian group came upon these men unaware. The Indians began firing shots, killing
each of Jones’ companions and slightly wounding him. Upon the realization of what was happening, Jones knew
his only chance of survival was to flee the area so he started running through the woods toward Philipsburg, 35
miles away. The Indians followed in pursuit, reveling in the thrill of a hunt and anxious to add his scalp to the
other three bloody scalps hanging from their belts.
Jones was weaponless and dodged from tree to tree and rock to rock to avoid the rifle shots being fired at him and
stopping occasionally to throw rocks at the savages. Jones continued quickly through the woods toward the town
and help. The fierceness of his attack, his courage, and his woodsmanship soon convinced the Nez Perce band
that they were following a man of unusual character, and they gave up after several miles of fruitless chasing.
Jones reached the Schuh ranch, outside of Philipsburg, while the family was at dinner and began knocking on the
door. After several minutes and many questions, the family realized he was not an Indian and opened the door to
allow him inside. He quickly re-told his story and the rancher gave him a horse to ride into town and spread the
alarm. At 11:00 p.m., the old miner rode into Philipsburg tired, dirty, and covered with blood from his wound to
sound the Indian alarm.
 A group of townsmen set out to recover the bodies of the slain miners and
give them a proper burial. The town was placed on alert. The newly christened
‘Nez Perce Jones’ directed defenses, planning reprisals on the Indians as calm
and cool as he had been during his retreat from the savages.
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1926-Death. April 5, 1926 in Philipsburg, Montana.
Visit Philipsburg, MT to see a statue of Jones and historical artifacts in the museum.
Daniel Kendall (1847-1898)
Daniel Kendall’s marker is an amazing collection of Victorian
symbolism and the only one of its kind in Missoula City
Cemetery. Take a look at the stone and try to unveil the
meanings of each hand carved symbol.
Do you know what these symbols represent: anchor, dove, drapery, eggs in a nest, various fauna, rope, scroll, tree, and
wood? Here are the answers:
Anchor: another symbol of the cross
Dove: peace/love
Drapery on the Urn: mourning/loss/sadness
Eggs in the nest: rebirth/The Holy Trinity:
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Fern: renewal/rebirth
Forget-Me-Not (flower): remembrance
Lily: Eve’s tears as she left the Garden of Eden
Nest: home
Rope: ladder to Heaven
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Scroll: petition to God to accept this soul
Tree trunk: renewal/rebirth
Are you interested in more symbolism? Try this book at your Missoula Public Library: Stories in Stone, by Douglas Keister. The book can also be
found in the Library’s Genealogy Collection. The call number is 731.549 KEISTER.
Researched by Library Genealogist: Paulette Parpart, Missoula City-County Library
Joseph Kogan (1910-2006)
Jewish immigrant who lived through Stalin’s political purges, two years hiding behind enemy lines as an escaped prisoner, over a
year under suspicion as being an enemy spy, three years as a refugee, and years of hardship in this country learning a new
language and re-claiming his career. He was an engineer. His greatest accomplishment was the spring loaded cables used to help
launch and catch jets taking off and landing on aircraft carriers, and developing and implementing many of the early concepts of
computer time sharing.
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Joseph Kogan was born August 16, 1910 near the city of Vinitza in Ukraine. He grew up as Czarist Russia was
overturned by the Bolshevik Revolution and the Soviet Union was formed. Left fatherless
at the age of six, his character was molded by the responsibility of having to help support
his mother, three sisters, and younger brother through times of famine and severe
hardship. After a youth coping with the economic collapse and chronic food shortages
brought on by communist mismanagement, he lived through Stalin’s political purges,
two years hiding behind enemy lines as an escaped prisoner, over a year under
suspicion of being an enemy spy, three years as a refugee, and years of hardship in this
country learning a new language and starting a career. Through a combination of
intuition, fortitude, and luck, he survived calamities that caused over fifty million
deaths, imprisoned millions more, and left a trail of devastation which is difficult for us
to imagine or comprehend.
 Math came easily to him and from it came odd jobs unusual for someone so
young. While in high school he worked as a surveyor. College had to be postponed so
he could help support his mother and siblings by working in road construction and helping
collective farms repair their equipment. Finally in his late twenties with his siblings grown and the worst of the
famines over, he was able to attend the Kiev Polytechnic Institute and in 1941 he graduated with a degree in
Mechanical Engineering. On the day of his oral thesis presentation and defense the Germans began bombing
Kiev as part of their invasion of the Soviet Union. The professors judging the thesis, ordinarily a very difficult
and critical group seemed somewhat distracted. Joseph’s thesis went unchallenged, no questions were asked, his
thesis was approved, and he marched out of the Institute and headed to the recruiting office to enlist.
When the German invasion known as Operation Barbarosa began, it overwhelmed everything in its path and
proceeded eastward into the Soviet Union at a record pace along three fronts. Within months over a million
Soviet troops were captured. It was into this behemoth assault that Joseph’s troop of fresh recruits was sent. As
they drove westward, all they saw were Soviet troops retreating, but they had their orders. His official war
service lasted less than a month. It was spent mostly sitting around the campfire waiting to be captured by the
German infantry mopping up behind the Panzer tank divisions that had long since pushed eastward. During that
time of waiting, soldiers in his troops each told about their lives in intimate detail. Little did he know at the time
how critical these talks would be to his survival.
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Eventually his troop was found, surrounded and captured. The pleasant campfire conversations were over.
Quickly the Germans screened all prisoners for anyone looking Jewish. These prisoners were immediately shot.
Joseph was a Jew without stereotypical Jewish features. This saved his life. But there were also surprise
bathroom checks looking for anyone who was circumcised. He managed to avoid or sneak out of several of these,
but they were very close calls. So he knew he would not survive as a prisoner for very long. One day on a work
detail he found a moment when he was untied and no guards were near and none were watching his general area.
He dropped into the vegetation, crawled, ran, and successfully escaped.
Now on the loose in his own country, but behind enemy lines in unfamiliar villages and rural areas, he decided to
travel toward the village of one of the soldiers who had described his home and family around the campfire.
Learning quickly enough that Germans paid rewards for any Jews who were turned in, he traveled on back roads,
begging and working for food. When he felt he was the object of glances that looked too suspicious, he would
change his route or hide. Steadfastly, he made his way to an isolated farm house occupied by a mother and her
daughter whose only wish in life was that their son/brother would return alive from the war. The details of how
Joseph made it to that house and exactly where that house was are lost, but he did make it, and after he told them
all that he knew about their son, and about the love, devotion, and heart-break that filled their son’s stories, that
mother and her daughter welcomed Joseph as if he was their own flesh and blood.
For over a year he took on the life of the family’s son. Because he was helping with the farm chores, his “sister”
got a job in town largely to be able to keep aware of rumors of where the Germans policing the area were, and
who they might be looking for. Joseph maintained a low profile, and managed to stay through two winters. Still it
was impossible to keep rumors about the strange man at the farmhouse from spreading, and like a hunted animal
he developed a wariness and intuition that somehow repeatedly saved him from making a fatal misstep. One key
was the way people he barely knew looked at him. There was a certain kind of look which told him he should not
stay much longer. He had seen several of those looks and took to returning to the farm house in round about ways
from which he could survey the surrounding area without being seen. One day there was a German military
vehicle parked at the house. Joseph turned around, resumed his wandering and never returned.
At least three other times, that weird intuition or sense of discomfort saved his life as he traveled from village to
village, staying where he could find work, moving on when he felt it was time. In one village where he stayed for
several weeks he regularly followed a path along a small creek when returning from the place he worked to the
farmhouse where he ate and slept. There were paths on both sides of the creek, but he had always walked on only
one of them. One day he just decided to cross the creek and follow the other trail. Five minutes later he saw a
group of German soldiers come down the path he would have been on. In another village he found a small car
repair shop that needed his help. The owner was very friendly, and wanted him to start work the next day. The
following day, he started to go there, but felt uneasy and decided not to. When he did return a day later, the
garage was destroyed. Someone had identified the owner as a Jew, and the Germans came and shot him. And
lastly there was the Soviet Reoccupation. It should have been a time of great celebration, but apparently in the
army there were rumors of too much collaboration between Ukrainian villagers and their German occupiers.
Joseph tried to stay relatively hidden during the reoccupation, but during those first days he saw more civilians
killed than he had seen at any other time in his wanderings.
Surfacing as an escaped prisoner of war would raise questions about how he had escaped. Was he really a
prisoner of war, or wasn’t he more likely just a deserter? Or even worse, he could be a spy. In the time of Stalin
evidence was not necessary. Such questions alone would be enough to send him to the Soviet’s own slave labor
camps. So Joseph waited until the front line troops had passed, then found a Captain of an Engineering Corps he
felt he could confide in. The Soviet Army badly needed engineers to rebuild bridges that Germans were
destroying as they retreated. Joseph had been in an Engineering Corps and his offer of assistance was gratefully
accepted. For over a year he stayed with the Corps, but as the war was winding down, and victory was assured,
the political commissars attached to each unit, began to inspect the credentials of soldiers much more carefully.
Unfortunately Joseph’s credentials were highly suspect. It was his captain who realized the commissar was
asking too many questions about Joseph and who knew what the likely outcome of those questions would be?
Quickly he managed to find a reason to justify sending Joseph away from the front back to Kiev for a brief
assignment. His parting advice was that coming back after the assignment was completed might not be too smart
of an idea.
In Kiev, tens of thousands of civilians who had fled prior to the German occupation were now returning. There
was horror at the discovery of what had happened to their loved ones and to their beautiful city, but there was this
overwhelming sense of joy at the realization that the war was almost over and that they had survived. And in
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Kiev, Joseph had the good fortune of bumping into a friend who knew the whereabouts of a woman Joseph had
just begun getting to know prior to the war, and had thought about and dreamed of through all his travails. Soon
to be classified as a deserter and as a prisoner of war who had escaped under suspicious circumstances and should
be treated as a German spy, he knew he had to get out of the Soviet Union. He found that woman, Dora
Knyazhitskaya, expressed his love and devotion and convinced her to abandon her family and country and join
him in his journey to what he hoped would be a better life. With false military papers they flew to Poland and
from there embarked on a difficult four month journey through war ravaged eastern Europe until they arrived in
Italy. There they stayed in camps and housing for war refugees for almost two and a half years until they received
permission to emigrate to the United States with the help of Joseph’s older sister who was already a U.S. citizen.
Their time in Italy was difficult, but not in comparison to the war they had survived. Just the fact that they were
alive was cause for celebration. In many ways these were the best days of the little that remained of their youth.
Just as permission to immigrate to the US came, Dora gave birth to their son in Rome. She had an emergency
caesarian section, but the hospital then informed Joseph that there were no antibiotics. Dora survived because of
Joseph’s resourcefulness in finding the necessary medicines on the black market, and getting them quickly.
Joseph and Dora’s first decade in the US was a very difficult and frustrating time. First there was the struggle to
learn and communicate with a new language. Though he had a degree in Engineering, in the U.S. he had to work
as a draftsman because of his language limitations and because he had no way to prove he had a degree from a
Soviet Institution. He knew it was futile for him to even attempt to communicate with institutions in the Soviet
Union. Unfortunately, Dora had sent letters to her sisters telling about their journey and successful arrival in
Italy, and subsequent arrival in the U.S. They later found out that as a result, her relatives were subject to many
difficult interrogation sessions.
With a great deal of persistence and determination, Joseph finally managed to persuade professors at the
University of Pennsylvania to allow him to enter an evening Master’s Program, and he spent six years of evenings
and weekends pursuing his degree. By this time his language had greatly improved and he wound up tutoring and
helping many other students in the program. One of those students happened to be the Chief Engineer at
Lakehurst Naval Air Station, and it was there that Joseph finally got a real engineering job. His primary
accomplishments at Lakehurst were his work on the spring loaded cables used to help launch and catch jets taking
off and landing on aircraft carriers, and on developing and implementing many of the early concepts of computer
time sharing.
He worked at Lakehurst for over thirty years until he was 83. He and Dora came to Missoula in 2001 to be closer
to their son, Jerry, and daughter-in-law, Irena, and grandsons, Lewis and Clark. Their participation in Mall
Walkers drew them into a sphere of caring and interesting people who made them feel very much at home in this
community. Joseph died at home on August 6, 2006, just ten days prior
to his 96th birthday.
Joseph’s generation of immigrants went through hardships few of us can
imagine or comprehend. Through a long series of tribulations that
changed but did not end even after he had arrived in the U.S., he
displayed a resiliency and determination that one can only look at with
awe. Everyone who got to know him realized what a truly unique man
he was.
Information provided by Jerry Kogan, C K Software and only son of Joseph and Dora.
John Lehsou (1840 - 1921)
A German immigrant who made his fortune in mining claims in the Garnet
Mountain Range, a stage line operator, postmaster of Beartown, a Missoula ranch
owner, and Vice-President of Western National Bank.
 1840-Birth. John was born in Holstein, Germany.
 1873-Married. Dora and her sister were on vacation in Montana
visiting their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Bein, who ran a store in Deer Lodge
where miners bought supplies. One source indicated that they worked for
Konrad Kohrs. John Lehsou and Charles Kroger were invited for dinner to meet
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the two young girls from Holstein. John married Dora in 1873 and Charles married her sister, Anna, in 1870 in
Deerlodge, Montana. John and Dora had two sons, Emil and Henry.
1865-Arrived. John arrived in the United States from Germany. He worked in Iowa and Nebraska for a year
then went to work freighting with an outfit that arrived in Montana in 1866. Traveling over the infamous
Bozeman cutoff, his train lost three men to hostile Sioux, as well as most of their horses. With what remained
they went straight to the Bitter Root, delivering mining tools and groceries. He was working as a teamster for
John Owen at that time.
1866-Stage Station. John opened a stage station on the Mullan Trail, near Bearmouth, “up the mouth of the
Bear.” It was on Birmingham Flats near a new I-90 rest area. The actual stage station was moved to Rock Creek
and reconstructed as today's Ekstrom's Stage Station Restaurant.
1870-Beartown. He settled in Beartown near today’s Bearmouth, Montana.
1879-First Placer Mining Claim. In 1879 John partnered with Charles Kroger to file the first placer mining
claim in the heart of what would later become Garnet. They constructed numerous dams and dug miles of hillside
ditches to bring much-needed water to placer operations in the Garnet Range. John owned a cabin at the mining
site but he and his family lived in Beartown for 22 years.
1887-First mining claim. In 1897 John filed the first of many mining claims. His partners included Henry Eppel,
John Elfers, and John Donlon. They were all members of the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF).
Recent research suggests that Lehsou and Kroger profited more from the water that ran through their claims than
the gold that they dug out of the ground. Lehsou and Kroger owned all the water rights at the top of the mountain.
All the other placer miners needed that water down below in order to run their sluice boxes. As water ran out for
other miners, Lehsou and Kroger bought up all the mining claims.
1888-Postmaster. John was appointed postmaster in 1888. He served in that position for four years.
1892-Ranch. In 1892 John and Dora bought a large ranch outside of Missoula, Montana (reaching from Grant
Creek to today's Missoula City Cemetery) where he established a fruit orchard.
1900-Bank. John became a principal stockholder and Vice President of the Western National Bank.
Cemetery land donation. 20 acres of John’s land was transferred to Missoula City Cemetery (for $1), where his
family and three mining partners are buried. Eppel, Elfers, and Donlon were life-long bachelors, and the IOOF
saw to their last rites. They have identical IOOF gravestones.
1921-Death. John died on April 27, 1921 in Missoula from myocarditis. He is buried in the Lehsou plot with his
wife and sons.
1990-Abandoned Property. In 1990 the Montana Revenue Department’s Abandoned Property Bureau
discovered a small cardboard box in the bank vault. When the Lehsou heirs opened the box they found a cache of
77 gold nuggets and a vial of gold dust along with a note directing them to keep the gold in the family. The gold
was valued at $10,000.
Thomas Lewis (1843-1911)
From a young boy who fought as a Confederate soldier to a bullwhacker on the SantaFe Trail
to soldier resurrected from the dead to a Baptist minister to a rancher, this story could only be
real life in the west. Here is a minister who commissioned the sheriff to keep the drunks in line
during church services held, where else, but in the local saloon.
•
 1843-Birth. Thomas Lewis was born on April 5th,
1843, in a log cabin on homesteaded land across the Missouri
River from Fort Leavenworth.
 1871-Marriage. In 1871 while the pastor of a
county church near Gallatin MO he met his wife to be,
Martha Surface.
 The Reverend Thomas Lindsay Lewis – that was
Father. But to “Nell”, the youngest of his five daughters, he
was always three distinct men.
"First was Papa a very hospitable and warm loving man, intensely interested
in the pursuits of his children and never hesitating to get down on all fours to
Nell Lewis Macgregor
Author of "The Long
Tough Trail"
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growl like a grizzly, sending us all to scatter, playfully shrieking and screaming with delight.
Second was the minister, who stood with dignity before his congregation; a man dedicated to God. He
was handsome with a striking resemblance to the portraits of the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee. As
a working partner of The Almighty, the church stood between us…and he was never exclusively our own.
• Third was the man created in my imagination from the tales that he told. The young Tom Lewis of the
Missouri River frontier, a two-gun Santa Fe trail-man shooting from the hip, Confederate cavalryman,
Colorado logger and teamster, who became a struggling ministerial student in the “Reconstruction” days
after the Civil War."
As a child Thomas was an avid reader, including “fiction” which Grandfather, “Ezekiel” did not approve of.
“Tom” was a little too “bookish” for Ezekiel’s “hard-shell” Baptist views.
1861. The Civil War broke out and although neither Thomas nor Ezekiel held with slavery being “proper”, they
were Democrats who strictly believed in “States Rights”, unlike Lincoln and those Republicans. So Thomas, at
19, joined the Missouri Militia Volunteers under General Sterling Price to support the South. During that first
year Tom was devastated when his childhood friend, Jim Nugent, died at his side in battle. That same year
Thomas had conversations with fellow-confederate, Frank James (Jesse’s brother) regarding their mutual interest
in the William Jewell “Baptist” College where Frank and Jesse’s father had been on the Board of Directors.
While on furlough from the war, recovering from contagious measles, Thomas took work as a “bullwhacker”,
driving ox-drawn wagons down the Santa Fe Trail. On one trip he was captured by Indians, who curiously
offered him a woman and five ponies if he would join their tribe. Although he had to concede that this was a very
fine offer, he bartered his freedom for the negotiated price of a nice four-cornered blanket and a hand mirror.
After re-enlisting with the Confederate cavalry under General Marmaduke, Thomas was shot in the back. From
this he survived, only to be later captured and incarcerated in the infamous “Gratiot State Prison in St Louis where
he remained until months after the war.
When Thomas returned home he was confronted by a very suspicious, new stepmother who believed that “Tom”
had been killed, but when “Coon” the family dog, whimpering excitedly, wagged his tail and licked Tom
frantically, his stepmother was convinced that this very sickly, disheveled young man must be her husband’s son
Tom, who had somehow survived the awful war and found his way back home.
After regaining his health, Tom worked in Colorado at logging camps and silver mines in order to earn tuition for
college.
1866. Thomas registered at William Jewell “Baptist” College in Liberty, Missouri, where he attained his
education while he survived on a diet of corn-mush.
1886. While a Pastor at “Brush Creek” Mo. his wife, Martha, gave birth to their 5th daughter, “Nellie Nannie Ray
Lewis”. Having names in common with the old family horses and cows, she would later settle for “Nell”, with
hopes that others might think it was a derivative of something more glamorous.
"Meanwhile poor “Papa” felt so deprived that he was not being blessed with a “son”, that he went on a
reckless binge, purchasing extravagant books about Ancient Monarchies, which were considerably out of the
family budget. Years after his death, I realized that the date of purchase inside the books was also the day I
was born! At that moment I sat on the floor, hugging the books to my chest and laughing aloud thinking how
a man who had trustingly believed in his prayers for a son had been so let down by both his wife and The
Lord."
Possibly these frustrations led to his request to move West, which was granted by the Baptist Missionary Board
when they sent him to a brand new Baptist Church in Stevensville, Montana, a church that still stands today, in
2009, as the oldest of its kind in Montana. A Bible that he secured for the church in 1887 is still prominently
displayed under the cross inside the church.
1887. Thomas found beautiful prairie land with timber next to Big Creek in Victor where the church members
helped him build a two-story log cabin that still stands today as of 2009.
1889. The Baptist Mission Board transferred Thomas to Cheney, Washington, where a troubled congregation
needed the strong leadership that the Rev. Lewis possessed. It was during this period that their family received an
extraordinary “missionary box”. These boxes were often filled with items of old un-wearable clothes sent by
other congregations to missionary families like the Lewis family. However in “this” box Rev. Lewis received a
very nice suit, suitable to wear for preaching. The previous owner’s name, “John D. Rockefeller” was sewn
inside - and the breast pocket contained a handsome $10.00 bill.
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For the next several years the Mission Board sent Rev. Lewis to various
congregations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and back to Montana that
were in need of his strong leadership.
Winter of 1897. Thomas and Martha Lewis sold the ranch and moved the
family to Missoula where they bought an old two-story house on the corner
of South 4th and Orange Streets, in order to take in student boarders from
the new University - where their children Mary and Sue, and “Yes, my
younger brother, Frank, who Papa had prayed for, would eventually attend
and graduate." That old Missoula home somehow survived and still stands
today as of 2009.
As the years passed, Thomas's health forced him to retire from his
missionary work. He spent his last days in the Missoula home engaged in
his favorite passions: classifying geological specimens and listening to Nell
playing classic piano pieces or reading various biographies.
1911-Death. At the age of 69, in the winter of 1911, he passed away. The
last almost illegible scrawl of words he wrote sang in triumph, “Though He
slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Thomas was laid to rest in the Missoula City
Cemetery. Later Martha, and Nell's first child who was still-born and eventually Nell would join Thomas all in
the same grave site. Donald and Margaret, the parents of Nell’s husband, were also laid to rest in the Missoula
City Cemetery.
All information taken from the "The Long Tough Trail" written by Nell Lewis Macgregor, daughter of Thomas & Martha.
Clara Maclean (1872-1952)
Prominent minister’s wife and mother of Norman MacLean, author of “A
River Runs Through It.” Clara was the rock that held the family together, an
advocate for mission work, and the silent leader of the church.
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 182-Birth. Clara was born August 17, 1872 in Chatham,
Argenteuil, Quebec Canada. She was one of 12 children born to John and
Cecilia Davidson of English/Irish descent.
 1878. Clara’s family traveled by wagon and oxen to Manitoba to
homestead. Her mother and sister were the first white woman and child
born in the Manitoba township.
Education. All Clara’s brothers were given money for college but the girls were expected to marry. The
Davidson girls bucked this expectation and were granted further education to become teachers. Clara’s first
teaching position was at Mowbray near the United States border.
1893-Marriage. On August 1, 1893 Clara married John Norman Maclean a Presbyterian minister and ten years
her senior. They moved to the United States following John’s ministerial calling.
Children. Clara and John had two sons: Norman (1902) and Paul (1906). Norman was a professor at the
University of Chicago and an avid storyteller who wrote many short stories and books including A River Runs
Through It. Paul was a journalist and worked for many noted newspapers. After hours, however, Paul was a
lady’s man, prankster, and nightlife carouser who was murdered in Chicago in 1938.
Epitome of 19th century women roles. Clara stood quietly and steadfastly behind her husband. She always
referred to him in public as Dr. Maclean. She raised her boys and kept house in an era of brooms, scrub brushes,
and hand washing. Clara was ‘stable boy’ for a large succession of Chesapeake Bay retrievers which the Maclean
men used for hunting. The Maclean men tended to ‘forget’ about the dogs’ care until hunting season each year.
Fly fishing consumed the men’s free time with casting lessons conducted from the dock at the Seeley Lake cabin
using Clara’s metronome from her piano for the ‘proper casting timing’.
Sundays. Clara and John reserved Sundays entirely for religion and family. In the morning the boys went to
Sunday school then to morning services to hear their father preach. In the afternoons the boys had to study and
recite ‘The Westminster Catechism’ before they were allowed to go for a walk. In the evenings, family Bible
studies were held then off to evening services to hear their father preach again.
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1908. The Macleans moved to Missoula, Montana. John became the minister of the First Presbyterian Church in
1909. They arrived in time to have 33 days straight of rain and witnessed the great Missoula flood. They
witnessed the wash out of the original Higgins Avenue Bridge.
Clara was determined to keep her boys from fighting as Missoula was a ‘wild, fighting’ town at that time and they
had a tendency to be ‘wild’. Rev. Maclean only became concerned if the boys lost a fight. Affection was never
displayed in the Maclean household. The Rev. Maclean stated once how he hated to ride on the train as he would
be required to kiss his wife in public prior to boarding. Clara had a special fondness for Paul due to his
mischievous nature and happy-go-lucky attitude which was so different from the staunch order expected in the
household.
Clara tutored the children at home until 1913. School time was from 9am to noon. Each hour was divided into
two parts: studying for 45 minutes in the room across from father’s study then 15 minutes to recite to him their
studies.
Rev. Maclean conducted all sermons, baptisms, marriages, and burials in the church. All other church work was
considered ‘woman’s work’. Clara tended her husband’s flock by caring for the sick and needy, listening to their
problems, visiting new members, running charities for the reservation tribes, and running the Ladies’ Aid,
Christian Endeavor, and Women’s Guilds to in state mission work. She was also expected to sing each hymn
seamlessly and louder than anyone else in the congregation.
Every summer was spent at the log cabin built by Rev. Maclean at Seeley Lake, Montana. The logs used for this
cabin were cut on one side of the lake and floated across to the family property. It remains a family gathering
place to this day.
1952-Death. July 13, 1952 in Missoula MT.
Contact the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula for more information on the MacLean family.
John William Martin (1922-2005)
A member of the elite paratroopers group, Company E of the 101 st Airborne. His life
story was re-told in the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.” Easy Company played a
pivotal role in the outcome of WWII. After the war, he formed his own construction
company and became a prominent builder throughout Arizona and Missoula.
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 1922-Birth. May 12, 1922 in Columbus, Ohio. The eldest son of William
McCarthy and Ester McCombs Martin.
 Marriage. Patricia Mary Mantell during training for Easy Company.
Two children: Sharon Snavely in Missoula, Montana and Bill Martin in Phoenix,
Arizona.
 In his early years in Ohio, John was always very industrious, working
several jobs while attending high school. Upon graduation from North High in
Columbus, he immediately enlisted in the Army.
 He was selected to be an original member of the elite paratroopers group,
Company E of the 101st Airborne. This group of military specialists was honored
in the HBO mini-series ‘Band of Brothers.’ He was trained at Camp Taccoa,
Georgia.
1944. As a member of the Band of Brothers, he parachuted into Normandy in advance of the Allied D-Day
invasion force on June 6, 1944. During his World War II service, John also served with distinction in repelling
the German tank forces at Bastogne, Belgium, which was an instrumental battle in turning the war in favor of the
Allies and led to the eventual defeat of Germany.
After the war. John returned to Columbus, Ohio with his family. Always a ‘go getter,’ he worked for the C&O
Railroad and built homes on the side.
1960. With $10,000 in his pocket, he moved his family to Phoenix, Arizona. He formed his own construction
company and built numerous custom homes in the upscale Paradise Valley area of the Valley of the Sun. He later
built commercial projects in Arizona and Montana which included nursing care facilities, shopping centers, and
office buildings.
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1970s. John visited and fell in love with western Montana. He eventually purchased a residence in Missoula, the
Elk Horn ranch, and two ranches in Ovando, Montana.
Over the next 30 years, John and his wife, Pat, shared their lives between Phoenix and Missoula.
John lived a very full life and accomplished everything he wanted. He
had a saying that he told his daughter, Sharon, many times – ‘You get
out of life what you put into life.’
John and Pat died very close together and are buried together in
Missoula City Cemetery.
Throughout his life, John remained very close with the members of Easy
Company, annually attending their conventions for 58 years.
2005-Death. January 25, 2005 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Information provided by: Sharon and Don Snavely, daughter and son-in-law.
George Thomas McCullough (18581938)
A pioneer doctor credited with early research and cure of Rocky Mountain spotted
fever.
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 1858-Birth. George was born on November 22, 1858 in East
Springfield, Jefferson County, Ohio to Alexander and Beth Ann McCullough.
He was one of seven children. George’s father was of strong Scotch-Iris
stock. George’s grandfather, John McCullough emigrated from northern
Ireland to homestead in Ohio after the Revolution.
Dr. George T. & Molli McCullough - 1912
 1872-Missouri. Alexander and Beth Ann moved their young
family to Howard
County, Missouri to farm and raise livestock.
Early schooling. George attended public schools in Ohio and Missouri, and graduated from Central College at
Fayette, Missouri.
Government Survey. George abandoned his pre-medical studies to assist with the government survey in New
Mexico.
1866-Marriage. George married Mollie Massey in Missouri in 1886. They had two children, Massey (1888) and
Maud (1890).
Medical Degrees. George returned his focus to medicine and graduated from the State University of Missouri in
1887. He earned his M.D. in 1889. He practiced for several months then entered Bellevue Hospital Medical
College in New York City where he completed his post graduate course in 1890. Later he returned to New York
to complete a post-graduate degree.
Mexico. George first practiced medicine as a doctor in Mexico.
1890-Missoula, Montana. George opened his highly successful clinic. He was revered for always keeping
abreast of the latest medical literature and advancements in science. George is credited with the early research
and cure of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. He also held the position of county physician for many years
Rancher. George ventured into sheep ranching.
Organizations. George held membership in the State Medical Society, of which he was president in 1899, the
Rocky Mountain Inter-State Medical Association and the American Medical Association. George was also a
member of the United States pension examiners.
Political. George was a Republican.
1938-Death. George died of lobar pneumonia on May 18, 1938 in Missoula, Montana.
Information resource: “Progressive Men of Montana” from the University of Montana Library archives.
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Leah H. Smith Strothman Mott (1861-1903)
Local businessman’s wife who was murdered by her husband. Together the Motts built a
successful laundry business. The success of the business led to the alcohol and drug
addiction of Mr. Mott. This ultimately led to the tragic murder of a woman and the
orphaning of four children with their father hanged for his crime.
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 1861-Birth. Leah was born in 1861 in Iowa to Joseph and Adelaide E.
Smith. She had eight brothers and sisters.
 1870-Iowa. Leah’s family moved to Pleasant Grove, Iowa. Joseph was a
farmer, and his farm was valued at $2,500 with $580 worth of personal property.
That was about an average size for a farm in that area at that time.
 1877-Marriage. At 16 years old, Leah married William Strothman on
February 6, 1877. William was the son of Prussian immigrants Henry and
Christiana Strothman. Leah and William would have two sons: Henry (1877) and
Oscar (1880). The young family lived with William’s parents where he worked as
a laborer on the farm.
 1885-Westward. It is unknown if the Strothman marriage ended in
divorce or the death of William. Leah and her sons moved westward to Whitman,
Washington in Walla Walla County.
1888-Married. Leah married her second husband Louis Henry Mott in Seattle, Washington. The Motts moved
to Missoula, Montana where they had two daughters: Alice (1893) and Ethel (1898).
Debt. The laundry was in Leah’s name and held a $1,400 mortgage. Leah unsuccessfully attempted numerous
times to have Louis admitted to a hospital for treatment of his illness.
Sale of business. During one of Louis’ prolonged absences (rumored to be a run from creditors), Leah sold the
laundry to Jones Brothers of Spokane, Washington.
1903-Shooting death. On Sunday, January 4, 1903 the family had their noon meal at their home above the
laundry. The group included the new owners of the laundry and their cook. After the meal, Louis had continued
to complain about the sale of the laundry. He sent their two daughters to another
room. Leah decided to leave the house, and as she went down the steps, Louis shot
her four times in the back. She fell to the bottom of the stairs. Two policemen
were nearby, and came to the scene, where they took Louis into custody and
removed him to the jail. Leah was taken to the Sisters’ Hospital. She was
interviewed and named her husband as her attacker, saying that he was under the
influence of drugs and liquor. Leah died a few hours later. Prior to her death, she
Grave 5 -Lot 6 - Block 53
testified to the circumstances and named her husband as the shooter. She requested
her young daughters be looked after. Ethel was one year old and placed with a
well-to-do family in Missoula, Montana. Alice was nine years old and sent to live with Leah’s sister, Anne
Cardwell in Denver, Colorado. Her sons, Henry and Oscar, were adults.
Leah was buried in a family lot where eventually a son, daughter-in-law, and a grandchild were buried.
Louis Henry Mott (1856-1904)
A successful laundryman whose love of alcohol and morphine led to the murder of his wife followed by Louis’ public trial and
ultimate hanging.
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1856-Birth. Louis Henry Mott was born in 1856. His exact birthplace is unknown. He was orphaned at an early
age and lived with his grandmother, Mary, as well as with numerous other relatives.
1870-Adoption. Louis was adopted by his Uncle Lamoine. They moved to Des Moines, Iowa.
Laundry. Louis’ entire work experience focused in the laundry business. He is documented as operating a
laundry business as far west as San Francisco, California and as far east as Mississippi. He was in charge of the
laundry department for the Park Transportation company in Yellowstone National Park for several years.
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Spokane, Washington. The Mott family moved back and forth between Missoula, Montana and Spokane,
Washington. They always worked their laundry business. In 1900, the three younger children still resided at
home. The Motts employed one household servant girl.
Troy Steam Laundry. The Motts purchased a laundry franchise named Troy Steam Laundry. Promotional
material for the laundry said that “the establishment is thoroughly equipped with the most approved laundering
machinery, wash, drying, and ironing rooms, and the facilities are the best for turning out the finest class of work.
Work is done here without the use of chemicals that rot and destroy goods of fine texture.”
Illness. Louis was documented as having a “nervous disorder” made worse by his heavy drinking and use of
morphine. His illness resulted in Louis disappearing for short periods at first, then longer and longer terms.
When he did return home he was strange and violent.
When Louis returned home to find his business sold, he became extremely angry. He claimed he had gone to
Mandan, North Dakota and obtained money to invest in the business. Leah’s sale of the laundry had ruined his
business opportunities. He began drinking more heavily and began threatening Leah’s life in public. On January
4, 1903, he shot and killed her.
1903-Trial. Louis stood trial for Leah’s murder. His attorneys attempted to use a defense of mental illness, but
Louis refused to cooperate with that defense, and he was convicted and sentenced to death.
1904-Hanging. After appeals, Louis was executed on March 18, 1904. Sheriff Harry Thompson conducted the
hanging. A temporary stockade was erected at the rear of the jail to keep people from watching. The gallows was
described as a gruesome-looking instrument of death, painted black. After the hanging, Sheriff Thompson burned
the rope to discourage souvenir hunters.
Louis requested to be buried next to Leah but her son, Henry protested. Louis was buried in a grave far across the
cemetery from Leah’s grave.
Researched by: Susan Hintz, retired Missoula County Undersheriff and historical researcher. Information resources: Public documents, census
records, newspaper archives.
Wayne Nance (1955-1986)
Serial murderer. A local boy who grew to become Missoula’s serial murderer beginning when he was a teenager. Law
enforcement will tell the chilling tale of his crimes and of how clues were used to piece together some cold case murders that have
been now linked to Nance through DNA.
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1955-Birth. October 18, 1955 in Missoula Montana.
 Education. Wayne grew up in the Milltown and East Missoula areas graduating
from Bonner Elementary School and Sentinel High School class of 1974.
**Note: It may never be known exactly who or how many murders were conducted by
Wayne Nance but this is what is known per law enforcement documentation as of today –
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 1974 - Donna Pounds. On April 11, 1974, Donna Pounds, a minister’s wife
was found dead in the basement of her West Riverside home with gunshot wounds.
Nance was friends with the Pounds high-school-age children and lived nearby. All
evidence found at the scene and at the Nance home leads to Nance as the murderer.
 1984 – Unknown women. While Nance was a bouncer at the Cabin bar in East
Missoula, women began disappearing. The following women are believed to be prey to
Nance:
 Debbie Deer Creek. A body discovered in a shallow grave on Deer Creek in
December 24, 1985 with a gunshot wound to the head. This body was identified as
Marcella Bachman in the spring of 2006 by DNA.
 Christy Crystal Creek. A body found on Crystal Creek in September 1985 with a gunshot wound to the
head. This body has not been identified to date.
 Betty Beavertail. A body found in 1979 stabbed to death. This body was identified as Devonna Nelson.
1985 – Mike and Teresa Shook. Ravalli County Sheriff, Dale Dye, contacted Missoula County Sheriff Dept.
and advised that they had an unsolved double homicide that occurred on December 12. The suspect gained entry
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to the house in Ravalli County, tied up the couple, murdered both, and then set fire to the house almost killing
four small children. Items missing from the house were a ceramic bugling elk and a kelgin knife. A search
warrant was served locating both items at the Nance home with a photo of George Nance dated January 1986
receiving the elk as a Christmas present.
1986 – Kris and Doug Wells. On the night of September 3, 1986 Doug and Kris Wells were at their home at
100 Parker Court. Kris was manager of Conlin’s furniture in Missoula where Wayne was a delivery worker in the
warehouse. Doug Wells was contacted by Nance outside the home and asked for a flashlight. Doug led Nance
into the house and was hit on back of the head. Nance then forced Kris to
tie Doug before Nance tied Kris in the bedroom. Doug was taken
downstairs and tied to a support post. Doug was beaten before Nance
stabbed him in the chest with an 8-inch knife. Doug testified that he
became enraged when Nance wiped the bloody knife on Doug’s pants.
Nance left Doug in the basement and went upstairs to where he had left
Kris bound on the bed. Doug escaped from the bindings and loaded one
round into a model 99 Savage 250-3000 and made his way up the steps to
the bedroom. Nance heard Doug approaching and met him on the
landing. Nance was shot in the side. He crawled and staggered back to
the bedroom while Doug continuously swung the rifle at him. In the
Grave 3 - Lot 15 - Block 18B
bedroom, Nance retrieved his 22 revolver and shot three rounds. Nance
eventually collapsed unconscious with a bullet wound to the head. 911 was
called. Doug Wells suffered a stab wound to the chest, a bullet wound to his leg, head and chest bruises, and
multiple contusions.
1986-Death. Nance was pronounced dead at St. Patrick’s Hospital emergency room on September 4, 1986.
Information provided by Missoula County Sheriff Department records.
Norwegian Community
There is a common perception from Norwegian folk storyteller, Garrison Keeler, that all Norwegian immigrants were farmers,
many bachelors, and most inhabited Minnesota. Missoula maintains a strong Norwegian heritage with a highly diverse
Norwegian community.
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1000s. Viking explorations began with a settlement at l’Anse Aux Medow in Newfoundland, Canada.
1825. Only a few dozen Norwegians came to America prior to 1825. The Norwegian sloop boat, Restoration,
although sometimes referred to as the “Norwegian Mayflower,” carried 52 passengers seeking religious freedom.
Many of those settled in the Texas and Oklahoma areas. They were from strict Norwegian traditions and hoped to
establish communities based on their principles.
1830s. The movement to America began in earnest in the 1830s. In Norway, farmland was scarce. Families with
land in Norway passed the farm intact to the oldest son in order to keep the farm large enough to support a family.
The rest of the siblings worked as tenant farmers with little to no opportunity to own their own land.
Norwegian settlements first sprang up in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota where homesteading land was readily
available. As the lands in the Midwest were quickly taken by European immigrants, migration continued
westward through the Dakotas and Montana, spurred by the Homestead Act and railroad expansion.
1900s. By the time Norwegians came to western Montana in the 1900s, all the free farmland was gone. Many
Norwegians turned to work in the lumber mill, logging, masonry, carpentry, and railroad industries. Many of the
women worked as cooks and housekeepers for the wealthier families in the area.
 Church. Norwegians in western Montana tended to
blend into their surroundings. While some groups settled
together in areas like Bonner, Milltown, and Orchard
Homes, most Norwegians spread throughout the
community and blended in rapidly. While education and
learning the English language was extremely important
to them, the church was the focal point of maintaining
their Norwegian heritage. Families originally met in
homes to worship where all services, church records, and
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family histories were in Norwegian. In the 1920s the Norwegian community built the first church building which
still stands today; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is located on Brooks Street. The cornerstones of the church are
inscribed: St. Paul’s English Church signified that all services and records were now in the English language.
1941 - Sons of Norway. Norwegians maintain a strong commitment to their heritage. Founding the fraternal
lodges of Sons of Norway has been highly successful in continuing to pass that heritage to younger generations.
Missoula members met at various locations over the years before building the current Nordic Pines lodge on Hwy
93 south of Missoula. In areas like Glendive, Montana, where speaking the Norwegian language was prohibited
in public, the fraternal lodges opened the door to maintaining their heritage.
Norwegians are rooted in water and mountains so it was very common for many of Missoula’s Norwegians to
have cabins on area lakes, rivers, and streams. Flathead Lake was the most popular water destination with many
Norwegian families purchasing cabins next to each other.
Missoula Norwegians. Some of the early Norwegian families highlighted today are:
o Louis and Dina Sorheim. Louis worked for the Northern Pacific Rail Road as an engineer. They lived
on the Northside of Missoula. Dina worked as a cook and housekeeper for the Keith family. They
worked hard and were very thrifty. They eventually bought a cabin on the south shore of Flathead Lake
in Big Arm where they loved to fish and host gatherings. There were several Scandinavian families in a
row there: Lang, Hallgren, and Solheim.
o Oscar Marshall Moy. Oscar lived below the Marshall Canyon ski area between East Missoula and
Bonner. He told tales of how he would walk down the mountain and catch the electric trolley to go to
school.
o Other recognizable Norwegian families buried here are: Nels Martin Andersen, S. J. Knudsen,
Thorsrud, Garnaas, Egeland, Sude, Mathesen, and Andersen. All these families came to Missoula in the
late 1800s and early 1900s.
Information provided by Norwegian descendant, Rolf Tandberg.
Anna Lester O’Keefe (1834-1900)
A descendant of Scottish royalty, she married an infamous Missoula baron only to be shocked by her new “palace.”
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1834-Birth. December 25, 1834 near Cashel, Tipperary County, Ireland to Richard Lester. (Her mother’s name
has not been located.) Her family called her Annie. Anna was of English and Scottish descent. She was a
descendant of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
 1844. At age eleven, she traveled by ship with her parents to America. On
the trip her mother died from cholera after she took “a horrible black medicine.”
Her mother was buried at sea. Anna and her father landed in Ontario, Canada
then later moved to Iowa.
 1863. Anna and a group of friends traveled by ox train to Montana.
They arrived in Virginia City in Montana Territory after a three-month arduous
journey. She became a seamstress for a short time before being hired to teach
school. She taught until she married in 1865.
 1865. Anna met and married Cornelius O’Keefe known as “Baron
O’Keefe.” Cornelius was delivering potatoes in Virginia City when they met.
He charmed Anna with his dashing gallant handlebar mustache and selfproclaimed nobility (hence the name ‘Baron’). He claimed to be a member of
Irish nobility. They married after a whirlwind three day courtship. Cornelius
told Annie if she would marry him he would provide her “a life of ease and
plenty in a baronial palace back at (current day) O’Keefe’s Creek in Missoula,
Montana. She was quite surprised to find the palace was a one room cabin with a
dirt floor and the “Baron” was an Irish peasant, but a man with a sense of humor and
personal grandeur. It was a lonely time for Annie with very few other women in the area to visit. Life was hard.
The Baron could be generous and kind but very cruel and frightful when he took to drinking. This union
produced two daughters, Mary (Mollie) and Margaret (Maggie).
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Scrapbook. It was very important to Anna that her daughters
Amidst the dark blue Mountains
grow up with an awareness of a more cultured world. Anna
Of my Montana home
kept a scrapbook full of feminine niceties, sentimental
I
love
its sunny fountains
Victorian valentines, faded photographs, articles, and poems
As through its woods I roam.
(many of which she wrote herself). The scrapbook showed
the conflict between Anna’s love for the refined life she had
When wandering o'er its dark green hills
and her love for the wilderness she pioneered.
I sometimes wend my way
1883. The Northern Pacific Railroad was completed, and the
I love to hear the murmuring rills
main line was only a small distance from the O’Keefe’s
Make music day by day.
Ranch. Anna was offered a lifetime pass on the railroad when
And oftentimes entranced I gaze
she averted a bad train accident. While out walking with
Upon the setting sun
Maggie, she noticed a broken rail and removed tie. She
Upon
its gorgeous tinted rays
hurried up the tracks and flagged
When its days’ work is done.
down an approaching train. She
turned down the free pass down
though, stating she had done what any good citizen would do.
 Died in 1900. In her final years, Anna lived with her daughter and son-inlaw, Mary Ross and Kenneth Ross in Missoula, Montana. She had lost her eyesight
but not her vision of Montana’s beauty.
*Note: Cornelius “Baron” O’Keefe went on to become a successful rancher in the Missoula area.
He was the first probate judge of the county and county commissioner for twelve years. He was a
Democrat. His favor with people held him in high regards with the general public. So, although he
slightly stretched the truth to gain Annie’s favor before they wed, he eventually provided her with a
lifestyle of comfort.
Anna’s ancestry would have made her a Catholic, however she is not buried with her husband in St Mary’s Catholic cemetery. It is believed that she
possibly had joined the Scottish Presbyterian Church as both her daughters were Protestant. Her scrapbook and writings are on record at the Mike
and Maureen Mansfield Library on The University of Montana campus. The O’Keefe history is noted in John Toole’s family history “The Baron,
The Logger, the Miner and Me”.
Edgar S. Paxson (1852-1919)
In his early years was a scout, guide and telegraph line walker in the west. His many
encounters with Indians gave him many of the images and themes for his later paintings,
several of which hang in the Missoula County Courthouse.
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 1852-Birth. April 25, 1852 in East Hamburg, New York.
 1874-Marriage. Edgar married Laura Johnson in 1874.
 1919-Death. Edgar died on November 9, 1919.
 Paxson began work by painting signs and carriages for his father’s
carriage-building business.
 1875. He set out for the West empowered by a growing sense of the
importance of the events transpiring throughout the American West, the injustices
suffered by the Sioux in the Black Hills, and the ensuing battle on the Little
Bighorn River in southeastern Montana.
 Work. Edgar was a stagecoach guide, hunter for cattle ranchers to provide
fresh venison for cowboys, scout, messenger, and artist.
1877. He arrived in Montana Territory where he experienced the trauma of the Bannock War, came to know long
anxiety-filled nights while camped in Indian country, and lived through many face-to-face encounters with hostile
Indians. He also experienced the camaraderie of high country hunting expeditions and shared campfires with both
Indian and white companions.
1878. Edgar lived in Deer Lodge, Montana where he painted signs and scenery for theatrical backdrops.
1881. He moved to Butte, Montana where he painted scenery and established his first studio. He began to
produce easel paintings of historical subject and portraits of Indians.
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“Pistol Grip.” Edgar wrote articles about trapshooting and hunting for a sportsman’s journal under his pen name
“Pistol Grip.”
1898. He was mustered into the Army and sent to the Philippines for active service during the Spanish-American
War.
1906. Edgar moved from Butte to Missoula where he opened a studio in his home. The Paxsons were very
involved in the social society.
Paxson was believed to be entirely self-taught in his art. His works were the most truthful to the appearance of
the land and the people in the northern Rockies where he spent most of his life. They captured the essence of the
fast-disappearing Old West which he personally experienced. Paxson was not merely an artist-illustrator but a
documentary picture maker – an artist-historian. It is known that he studied other artists’ work and may have
taken an art class in Chicago in the early 1900’s.
Some artwork examples:
• 1899 Custer’s Last Stand. Twenty years of research, eight years of painting, and over 200 figures went
into this 6’ x 9’ work during which he established friendships with both Indians and soldiers who had
fought at the Little Bighorn. One year after the battle, Paxson toured the site with Major Reno who had
helped bury the dead.
• 1904. Edgar exhibited paintings at the Louisiana purchase Exposition in St Louis Missouri
• 1905. He exhibited paintings at the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland Oregon
• 1911. He was commissioned to paint six scenes of Montana history for the Senate chambers at the
Montana Capitol in Helena.
• 1912. Commissioned to paint eight paintings for the Missoula County Courthouse.
Friends. Charles Russell, Buffalo Bill Cody, Captain Jack Crawford, Granville Stuart.
David Polson (1826-1900)
The city of Polson was named after this pioneer rancher.
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 1826-Birth. David was born in 1826 in New Haven, Connecticut. He was of
Scottish descent.
 1849: David joined the Gold Rush and migrated to California. He worked his
way west with a string of pack horses. He then moved on to Carson City, Nevada.
 1861: He traveled by pack train to Walla Walla, Washington before heading
east into Orofino, Idaho.
 1861-Marriage. David married Mary Kane in 1861. Mary was a Nez Perce
Indian woman whom David met in his travels. They had one daughter named Agnes.
 1863: David and his family crossed the Lolo Pass into the Bitter Root valley with
a hunting party of the Nez Perce. He settled in the Bitter Root Valley.
1870: He and Mary packed up and moved to the Flathead Indian Reservation and located on a ranch five miles
east of Lambert’s Landing. He raised stock and became very popular among the Flathead Indians. He was a
renowned fiddler and was in demand at all the dances and pow wows.
Naming of the town. The Salish Indians called the area Pied d’lai or “foot of the
lake.” Then in 1880 Harry Lambert settled at “the foot of the lake” and began
operating a general merchandise store. At this time the area became known as
Lambert’s Landing. Another settler was Batiste Eneas who established a ferry
business. The ferry boat was constructed of long cedar poles and worked the river
north of the current day Polson Bridge. Towns on the reservation began to grow
rapidly from 1890-1897. Post offices were established in each town. One such post
office had been approved for this settlement on the lake but needed an official name.
The area settlers elected Batiste Eneas and David Polson to name the town. After
much discussion, David Polson suggested they name the town Eneas. Eneas was
honored but hastily declined and recommended they name the town Polson as he
thought it was a more fitting sounding name for a town. Hence, Polson, Montana was
named.
1900-Death. David died on December 14, 1900.
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Emma Hansen Randolph (1877-1956)
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 1877-Birth. Emma was born on March 3, 1877 at Fort Logan, Montana.
She was the oldest of eight children in an established ranching family in White
Sulphur Springs, Montana.
 August 28, 1900-Marriage. Emma married William Randolph in 1900 in
White Sulphur Springs, Montana. They set off in a covered wagon to honeymoon
in Lewiston, Idaho. They had three sons: Keith (1901), Robert (1903), and
William Jr. (1911). Emma so desperately wanted a girl that she dressed William Jr.
in rag curls and dresses until he was old enough to protest.
 1907 - A dream come true. She trained as a teacher in the first class of
students admitted to The University of Montana. However, her dream was to raise
a family on her own farm. The dream came true after seven years of marriage, when
the Randolphs bought an old homestead in the North Hills of Missoula, Montana and
moved there with their two young sons. The ranch included a three-room cabin, a barn, and an orchard.
The family kept chickens (several hundred) and cattle, raised fruit and vegetables for Missoula markets, and were
extremely generous in hard times. During the Great Depression, the farm Emma always wanted became a place
with a reputation for generosity where there was always room and something to eat. For many years, when
William would become restless and travel with a new work prospect, Emma and the boys ran the farm on their
own.
Daily Accomplishments. Emma Randolph's accomplishments were mostly everyday duties that contributed to
her resourceful character. She helped run the farm business specializing in milk products and eggs. She raised
three sons and nannied a generation of grandchildren, including Keith's four daughters.
Religion. A strong-willed Seventh Day Adventist, Emma frowned on
alcohol. Husband William was said to occasionally slip away to drink
with hobos and Native Americans camped out on the verges of Missoula.
She ran her household and her poultry business with brisk efficiency.
Emma Randolph's life was one of hard work, fresh air, and small rewards
easily overlooked. She was an early version of the modern busy Missoula
mother, trying to raise a family and do "her own thing" at the same time,
all on a modest budget and with a restless, daydreaming husband to boot.
1956-Death. Emma died on January 3, 1956 from heart disease in
Missoula Montana.
The Moon-Randolph Homestead consists of 470 acres in Missoula Montana’s
North Hills. The homestead was purchased by the City of Missoula in 1996 as part of Open Space. Caretakers are
employed to maintain, protect, and educate the public while continuing to actively work the homestead. Public trail
systems access the property. For further information or to visit the homestead contact: [email protected]
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William Henry Randolph
(1872-1956)
 1872-Birth.
William was born on
February 6, 1872 in Holt County, Missouri.
 Early 1890’s: As an adventurous, restless
young man, William was instrumental in
persuading his entire family to move with him to a
brand-new state called Montana. The family made
the trip by Missouri river steamboat. They landed
in Billings, Montana where they ran a stagecoach
stop for about a year before settling in White
Sulphur Springs, Montana. There the Randolph
family purchased a hotel that catered to the healthseeking tourists who came to soak in the town’s
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mineral springs.
1906: William was working as a laborer in Missoula, Montana. By 1907 he
moved Emma and their two sons to Missoula for a fresh start. They entered into
an
agreement to purchase over time an 80-acre property in Missoula's North Hills which was first homesteaded in
1889. During the depression they purchased additional acreage adjacent to their property.
By 1944 the
homestead consisted of 144 acres of working land. Today, their homestead is part of Missoula’s Open Space.
Caretakers live and operate the homestead as an educational window to the past.
Farmer: By wits and hard work, William Randolph was able to eventually expand his holdings in the Hills and
hang on to the family farm through the depths of the Great Depression. He made ends meet by selling mostly
homestead products of vegetables, fruit, eggs, and milk from the back of a horse-drawn wagon he drove into
town. Ranching takes water and it soon became apparent there was not enough. William hand dug an additional
30 foot well close to the house. William also discovered and worked a small coal mine on the property called
"Little Phoebe" which kept many hard-hit Missoula families warm over the winter.
Inventor: Though he proved a decent farmer, William dreamt of being an inventor. In 1905, he took a train to
Washington, DC to patent his idea for a mowing machine. The concept consisted of five different inventions,
needing separate applications. William never found the money to re-draft his plans
nor the time to complete the paperwork. However, he kept trying, even well into his
later years, to find that golden-ticket invention that would make his fortune. He
never did. His life is a tribute to the everyday hardworking class who dream big
but must make do with what they have. He may not have become a famous
inventor but William had a good life here. His homestead is now a Missoula
treasure that will live in perpetuity.
 1956-Death. William died in his sleep from natural caused on June 26,
1956 in Missoula, Montana.
Information provided by previous caretakers for the homestead: Andrew & Joann Smetanka and
“Butterflies and Railroad Ties” by Caitlin DeSilvey.
Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973)
Suffragist, feminist, pacifist, political reformer, battler for children’s rights, and
economic justice for the poor. First woman elected to the U.S. congress. Her
election took place before women had the right to vote. Learn about her childhood in
Missoula and the other influences that shaped her life and made her an advocate for
social justice.
 1880-Birth. Jeannette was born on June 11, 1880 on a ranch in the
Grant Creek area of Missoula, Montana. Parents were John Rankin, a rancher
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and lumber merchant, and Olive Pickering, a former schoolteacher. The family was of Scottish descent.
1902. Jeannette graduated from Montana State University located in Missoula, Montana with a bachelor degree
in science. She was a schoolteacher, seamstress, and studied furniture design. When her father died in 1902, he
left money to Jeannette which was paid out to her over her lifetime.
1904. Inspired by slum conditions on a trip to Boston, she took up the field of social work. She became a
resident in a San Francisco Settlement House for four months then entered school in New York to gain her degree
in Social Work. Upon completion, she returned to the west to become a social worker in a children’s home in
Spokane, Washington. This lasted only a few weeks.
1910. She became involved in the woman suffrage movement while studying at The University of Washington.
Visiting Montana, Rankin became the first woman to speak before the Montana legislature, where she surprised
the spectators and legislators alike with her speaking ability. She organized and spoke for the Equal Franchise
Society.
1912. She became a field secretary of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She was among the
thousands of suffragists at the 1913 suffrage march in Washington, D.C. before the inauguration of Woodrow
Wilson.
1914. Jeannette returned to Montana to organize the successful Montana suffrage campaign.
1916. She was the first woman elected to Congress. She was a Republican. (This was three years before women
were guaranteed the Constitutional right to vote.) She won the election even though the papers first mistakenly
reported she had lost. She was the one of the first women in the world to be elected to a parliamentary body. She
lost her bid for US Senate in 1918. She made history by voting against World War I. She violated protocol by
speaking during the roll call before casting her vote. Her stand led to the Republican party pulling all support,
leaving her as Independent.
The political reforms she worked on during her terms included: civil liberties, suffrage, birth control, equal pay,
and child welfare, right to vote for women. At one point, her peace activist roles led her to be accused of being a
‘Communist’. In 1917 she opened congressional debate on the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, which passed the
House and Senate to become the 19th Amendment. Other campaigns included were: 1922 Women’s Independent
Citizenship; 1921 Maternity and Infancy Protection Act; 1924 Child Labor Amendment.
1940. Jeannette was elected to Congress. She cast the ONLY vote against World War II. Again, she violated
protocol by speaking during the roll call before casting her vote, announcing “As a woman I can’t go to war, and I
refuse to send anyone else”. She was then denounced by the press and her colleagues and barely escaped an
angry mob. She believed that Franklin D Roosevelt had deliberately provoked the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor.
1968. Jeannette led 5,000 women in a protest in Washington, D.C. demanding the US withdraw from Vietnam.
She headed the group and it was called the Jeannette Rankin Brigade.
She lived in self-imposed poverty, spending the last half of her life traveling the world for peace and equality for
women.
1973-Death. Jeannette died on May 18, 1973 in her sleep in Carmen, California. Her ashes were reportedly
spread at sea.
Paul Albro Read (1899-1933)
The 21 Federal Prohibition officer to die from intentional gunshot wounds. Special
Agent Read was killed in the line of duty in Missoula, Montana.
st
 1899-Birth. Paul was born on April 8, 1899 in Hurricane Lake, Pierce
County, North Dakota to Edward Delaus and Celia Brager Read. He was the
second of thirteen children and the oldest son. Paul’s father was an English farmer
who also delivered mail in the area around Leeds, North Dakota. In later life, his
Norwegian mother would tell her grandchildren about the hungry Indians who
would sometimes come to her back door looking for food.
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Family. Paul’s family was active in the Lutheran church in Leeds, North Dakota. They had first settled in Maine
then moved to Minnesota and operated a grist mill before homesteading in North Dakota. Paul’s parents managed
to scrape together money and purchased musical instruments. The children helped one another learn how to make
music. They soon had a family band. Paul could play the pump
organ as well as many other instruments.
1923-Marriage. Paul met his wife while on vacation to visit his
Uncle Burt in Minnesota. He married Leona Ida Keeney in
September 1923 at the Read family farm. Leona was the daughter
of a Primitive Baptist preacher. They had two children who died in
infancy during an influenza epidemic in 1929: Richard ‘Dick’ and
George. Three children survived him: Katherine (1924), Barbara
(1929), and Harry (1932).
Personal. Paul loved camping and hunting. He and Leona spent
their honeymoon camping along the Old Yellowstone Trail as they
traveled to their new home in Post Falls, Idaho. Leona never knew
when Paul would come home with a different car than the one in
which he had left home. He loved to “dicker” and regularly took
advantage of the sale of confiscated vehicles the government sold.
One such time he came home with a large touring car complete
with extra rows of seats and a vase for flowers in a let-down shelf
on the back of a seat. Unbeknownst to Paul, the shelf also
Time for Sunday school. The car had
contained a make-up kit. Leona was horrified when the family
arrived at church to find the two girls in the back seat with smeared only three rows of seats but, by the grace
of God, everyone was squeezed in. Photo:
rouge and lipstick all over their faces.
Courtesy of Katherine Read Baeth, from
Faith. Paul was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in
the Missoulian
Missoula, Montana. For several years before his death he took his big
touring car to East Missoula each Sunday. There he would load as many children as would fit into the car to take
them to church for Sunday school.
Musician. Paul was an accomplished musician and could play many instruments. During the years of the
depression entertainment was often of the home-made variety. On summer evenings Paul and his neighbors sat
on their front porches. Paul would play his accordion or guitar welcoming requests
for favorite tunes from those living close by. Voices from all sides of the street
sang along to the tunes.
 Neighbor. During the depression years, Paul often brought unexpected
guests home for a meal. When Paul’s duties involved the arrest of a young
bootlegger who had a wife and family to support, he and Leona would deliver
groceries to the family’s isolated home. Paul had to be assured the family could
survive while the man served his jail sentence. Paul also brought people home
with him rather than leave them stranded along the highway.
 Career. Read began his law enforcement career as a deputy sheriff in
Wallace, Idaho. He also served as a traffic cop throughout the area between Coeur
d’Alene, Idaho and the Washington state border. Read entered the prohibition service in 1925. His work
encompassed the area between the Idaho border and Canada in western Montana. Much of the time his work
entailed camping out while he searched for stills in isolated areas of the countryside.
**Note: The following information is public record. The reporting
sources show conflicting events for what unfolded that night. Read was
known not to carry his gun on his person. He normally left his gun
locked in the glove box of his vehicle. The night of his murder,
investigating officers found Read’s gun covered by clothing and other
articles in his vehicle parked in front of the Palace Hotel, two blocks
away from the scene of the shooting. The only weapon found on the
scene was the one used by Cates. A gallon of moonshine whiskey was
removed from Cates’ car. The convicted murderer, William Clarence
Cates, maintained throughout his trial that he shot in self-defense.
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Cates is buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Missoula, Montana.
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United States Department of Justice: The Officer Down Memorial Pages
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William Clarence Cates. Cates was previously convicted under state and federal liquor laws as a bootlegger.
He had become a well-known sworn enemy of all prohibition officers. This is his account as reported in
questioning by Sheriff J. R. Thompson, court records during his trial, and subsequent hearings, and in his lone
interview with journalist Dean Jones of the Missoulian:
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“Special Agent Read was shot and killed in the line of duty in Missoula, Montana. He had gone to a location after receiving
a tip that a bar at the corner of Broadway and Higgins was serving illegal alcohol during prohibition. He entered the bar
and purchased a beer. After being served he arrested the proprietor. Special Agent Read had locked his service weapon in
the glove box prior to entering the bar and did not search or handcuff the suspect before placing him in his vehicle for the
trip to the county jail. As they pulled up to the jail the suspect pulled out a concealed revolver and shot Agent Read three
times.”
“On the night of July 21, 1933, he was called from his home to deliver a gallon of moonshine, supposedly to a regular
customer, but in reality to a prohibition officer, Paul Read. As he stopped his car in an alley behind the old Oxford, Federal
Agent Read stepped on the running board, looked at the whiskey and told Cates he was under arrest. While Read stood on
the running boards, Cates stated Read poked a gun in his face and told Cates to drive where he was told. Cates drove Read
to the courthouse and a few feet from the driveway to the jail. Cates refused to be arrested and taken into the jail. Read
reached for the keys to the ignition and the first shot rang out. During his trial, Cates stated he shot in self-defense. “It was
either him or me.” Cates also made numerous allegations that Read was in regular dealings with the moonshiners and
received a take to allow the operation to continue. Cates stated he “hated to be double crossed.”
Paul Read’s testimonial on his deathbed. In semi-consciousness at the hospital, Paul Read attempted to tell
officers about the shooting but was unable to do so fully before succumbing to his wounds.
“Read stated he had just arrested Cates for violation of the liquor laws. Read said the only item he was carrying that night
was a flashlight. He stated his gun was locked in the glove box of his vehicle. Read stated he didn’t think Cates had the
nerve to shoot him.”
Constable L. F. Harlow - The Witness. Constable L. F. Harlow viewed the scene from his front porch on
Woody St.
“The car turned onto Woody Street from West Broadway and stopped in the middle of the street in front of the courthouse.
Read and the other man talked for a minute or two and as Read was getting out of the car two shots were fired. Read went
behind the car, apparently for protection, and the man (Cates) got out on the left side and went after him. Paul started
running towards the courthouse over the lawn and three more shots were fired. He yelled and dropped on the lawn.”
Sentencing. Cates always maintained self-defense and that Read regularly received bribes. Neither of these
statements could be proven. Three different Montana governors became involved in the case during a series of
nine stays of execution . The case was prolonged until 1937 when at that time Cates was convicted and sent to the
Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana. He was paroled in 1957.
William Clarence Cates lived the rest of his life in Missoula and worked as a
cabinet maker. He died on March 29, 1972 and was buried in St. Mary’s
Catholic Cemetery in Missoula, Montana. His death certificate notes he was
divorced and the burial informant was listed as Missoula County Welfare.
1933-Death. Paul died on July 12, 1933 from gunshot wounds in Missoula,
Montana and was buried next to his two infant sons. He was the 21 st
Federal Prohibition officer to die in the line of duty from intentional gunshot
wounds.
Personal information provided by daughter, Kitty Read Baeth. Testimonial information provided by
newspaper clippings and law enforcement notes. William Cates information provided by newspaper
clippings, cemetery records, and death certificate.
Rodney Salisbury (1888-1938)
Radical Sheridan County sheriff who co-organized the strong socialist movement in Montana. He was suspected to have
masterminded the robbery of the county payroll and area banks to fund socialist activities. He publicly raised two families: one
with his wife and one with his mistress who happened to be married to another man!
*Note: Knowledge of Salisbury’s early life is sketchy.
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 1888-Birth. Rodney was born on May 2, 1888 in either Wisconsin or
Brinsmead, North Dakota where the family homesteaded. He was the oldest
of eight children.
 School. He left school after the fourth grade to work on the farm. As
a youth he also allegedly performed in a traveling road show where he danced
for dimes and quarters and performed a comedy act with his grandfather.
 Marriage. It was in Brinsmead where he met and married Emma
Ryan. The couple soon moved to northeastern Montana where they
homesteaded in the community of Raymond. They eventually had six
children.
 1920's. During the 1920s as homestead farmers in eastern Montana
and the Dakotas were stricken by drought and low wheat prices, they
Center: Rodney Salisbury
Photo courtesy: Glyn Deem, Deem Studios
From The Red Corner by Verlaine McDonald
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increasingly turned to politicians offering radical solutions to their problems.
This trend was especially strong in Sheridan County in Montana’s furthest
northeast corner. Here voters throughout the decade elected self-proclaimed
Communists to virtually every single public office.
1923-1928. He was Sheridan County Sheriff. He was one of the most prominent and probably the most radical of
Sheridan County’s “red” office-holders during his tenure as sheriff.
Charles "Red Flag" Taylor. Salisbury was an early follower of Mr. Taylor, the charismatic Communist editor of
Plentywood’s popular farmer-labor newspaper, The Producers News. With Taylor’s support, Salisbury won
election to the county sheriff position as part of a slate of radical candidates who rode to office on a tide of farmer
unrest. Taylor lauded Salisbury as a skillful organizer but also noted that he was “an extremist and kind of a
Wobbly type.”
Controversy. Salisbury’s six-year tenure as Sheridan County Sheriff was controversial to say the least. Over the
years he was accused of taking bribes from bootleggers, engaging himself in the illicit liquor trade, working in
partnership with the owners of local brothels, and masterminding the armed robbery of the county treasurer’s
office. It was rumors of Salisbury’s involvement in the treasurer’s office robbery in
late November, 1926 that led to the loss
of his re-election bid in 1928. The
robbers made off with more than
$100,000 and were never caught.
Salisbury
emphatically
denied
involvement in any of the crimes that his
political enemies and rival newspapers accused him of committing. Meanwhile the Producers News noted that
“newspapers under the control of the Bankers and Usurers in the county are making weekly assaults upon him.”
The Other Woman. Nor was Salisbury’s personal life above reproach. Sometime in the mid-1920s, he began a
long-term affair with Marie Chapman Hansen, the wife of a local flour merchant. Marie was among the first
women in the county to bob her hair and she shared Salisbury’s radical politics, having worked for the “Producers
News.” Salisbury eventually fathered three children with Marie. The first two were born before she divorced
her husband. The couple never attempted to hide their relationship which was well known throughout the
county.
1932-Janis Salisbury funeral. The death of Rodney’s daughter, Janis, illustrated the conflict between religion
and the Communist movement. It is believed this single event was the beginning of the end for the socialist
movement in the area. Janis died of appendicitis but her funeral services drew national attention. It was well
known that children were taught socialist ideals through school clubs. Janis’ funeral was described in detail on
the front page of the Producers News. The service was conducted with full Bolshevik rites including her
classmates marching in and singing revolutionary songs and reciting the pledge to the “Red Flag.” With such a
public display of communism came a backlash of criticism from the public which would lead to the ousting of
socialist candidates during the next upcoming election.
Following his tenure as sheriff, Salisbury remained active with the Communist Party and ran for governor of
Montana on the Communist ticket in 1932. He received only a handful of votes and was buried in the Franklin D.
Roosevelt Democratic landslide of that year.
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Several years later, Salisbury, Marie, and their three children moved from Sheridan County to Billings and from
there they soon relocated to Missoula. He remained a radical activist, serving as president of the Montana Farm
Holiday Association, a group calling upon farmers to keep their crops off the market until prices went up. It was
Salisbury’s involvement with this group that cost him his membership in the Communist Party, as party leaders
regarded Association members as traitors to the red cause.
1938-Death. Taylor died on June 14, 1938, of a cerebral hemorrhage while visiting friends in Plentywood. Even
his death was not without controversy. Rumors quickly circulated that he
might have been poisoned by Marie. Others speculated that the
hemorrhage was the result of a barroom fight. Salisbury’s daughter
attributed his death to a stroke. Upon Salisbury’s death, the Plentywood
Herald observed: “Probably no other man in Sheridan County has been on
the lips of friend and foe as Rodney Salisbury. His enemies and others
bitterly condemn his past activities. Friends today said he was fearless in
his convictions and that he was no lover of sham. His fight, they say, was
for the underdog.”
Information and photos of Rodney Salisbury gathered from Montana newspaper clippings and the book
“The Red Corner: The Rise and Fall of Communism in Northeastern Montana” written by Verlaine McDonald. The happenings in Sheridan County
during these years were swept under the rug by most residents and preferred to be forgotten. Sheridan County historians are now developing a
documentary about their role in our nation’s political history.
*Note: Janis Salisbury was originally buried at the Salisbury home in Plentywood, MT. When Rodney moved to Missoula, he dis-interred Janis and
reburied her in the Missoula City Cemetery. Her grave lies across the street from his.
Frederick Scheuch (1871-1954)
He was a University of Montana professor and founder of Missoula’s fraternity of Sigma Chi. He was considered the “Father of
Sigma Chi in the West” as he established the undergraduate program in five western states in the early 1900s. His wise and
compassionate counsel led many young men to be successful leaders in business.
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1871-Birth. Frederick was born in 1871 in Lafayette, Indiana. He grew up in Spain where his father served as a
U.S. Consulate.
Marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Scheuch had one daughter, Natalie.
Education. Frederick returned to the United States to attend Purdue. When he started at Purdue he could barely
speak English and employed a translator to improve his language skill.
1892. Scheuch served as Purdue's undergraduate delegate to the Grand Chapter of Sigma Chi in Indianapolis
where he was also appointed Kustos of his local chapter. At that time, the structure of the Fraternity was different,
and such appointments were made at Grand Chapter.
Throughout Scheuch's lifetime, he attended 12 Grand Chapters. Before going west to Montana, he was Grand
Praetor of the then-fourth Province in Indiana.
 1895. Frederick arrived in Missoula, Montana to teach French,
German and Spanish. Here he served as the Grand Praetor of what was
then called the 17th Province. According to Scheuch there were only four
Sigma Chis living in Montana - all of them on the staff of the university.
There were no undergraduate chapters at the University of Montana. The
nearest undergraduate chapters were 1,200 miles to the west in
Washington and 700 miles to the east in Minnesota.
 1930's. By the time Scheuch retired, he had actively worked on
the establishment of the undergraduate chapters at The University of
Montana and Montana State. After the establishment of the chapter at
the University of Montana. Scheuch spent most of his free time in the
chapter house. He often held court with students in the kitchen. He
offered a cup of coffee and advice to all who sought his counsel.
In addition to Scheuch's Sigma Chi efforts in Montana, he also guided the establishment of additional chapters in
the states of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Washington.
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During his career in Montana, Frederick served as interim university president on five separate occasions. When
asked to assume the position permanently, he refused saying it would take him away from his daily contact with
his students.
1939. In August, during the 44th Grand Chapter in Los Angeles, the
Sigma Chi membership chose Scheuch to serve as 30th Grand
Counsul.
1948. Frederick was among the first group of Sigma Chis to be
inducted into the Order of Constantine, the Fraternity's highest honor.
1954-Death. Frederick died on January 17, 1954 in Los Angeles,
California after a long illness.
Fall of 1954. The dedication of the Scheuch Memorial Planetarium
took place on the campus of Montana State University, which is now
The University of Montana, Missoula.
Information provided by The Magazine of Sigma Chi – Spring 2008.
Herman Schnitzmeyer (1879-1939)
A photographer who captured the homesteading and development of the Flathead Valley and the
railroad infrastructure. Herman was a recluse and eccentric. Although once renowned for his
photography, he died penniless and was buried at county expense. Today, his work is resurfacing
as pictorial history masterpieces.
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 1879-Birth. Herman was born on November 1, 1879 in Centralia Illinois to
German immigrant parents.
 1900. He developed a passion and skill for the art of photography. He operated a
commercial photo studio in Nashville, Illinois.
 1910. Herman moved to Montana upon successfully winning one of 300 lottery
drawings for land when the Flathead Reservation opened for homesteading. He located his
homestead of 160 acres on Wild Horse Island on Flathead Lake, naming it Apollo Heights. Here he envisioned
the formation of a utopian society, The Apollo Club, whose goal would be to gain “further creativeness and a love
for the great and wonderful out-of-doors”. This society would operate as a self-sufficient community engaged in
agriculture and small manufacturing for the benefit of its members, selling any surplus to acquire needed supplies.
Being more of a philosopher than a farmer, Herman’s vision never materialized and he returned to photography to
supplement his income.
1912. Worked as an assistant for the Riggins Photo Gallery in Dayton, Montana. He formed a partnership with a
fellow homesteader, Louise Desch, and began making postcards and photos documenting the homesteading boom
and important events in the Flathead and Mission valleys. He continued to record his philosophical musings in
handwritten journals and to seek inspiration from the beauty which surrounded him.
1914. Sold his stony land on Wild Horse Island, re-located to Polson, and opened the Polson Studio photo
gallery. He offered portrait and commercial photography. Many of his photos were used for real estate and
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business promotion in the rapidly growing reservation communities. Although he received much praise for the
quality of his work, his main interest was in scenic photography which led him to wander the mountains instead
of maintaining regular business hours.
1920. Northern Pacific Railroad took notice of his scenic photography and regularly hired him to do free-lance
projects which further deteriorated his business. By 1922, he sold the studio to his apprentice, Julius Meiers, to
work exclusively for the railroad. He traveled to Yellowstone Park, the Grand Tetons, and throughout the Pacific
Northwest. For the next ten years he documented railroad infrastructure and scenic destinations for the railroad
traveling as far as the Cascades but always returned to Polson.
1926. Short of funds, Herman sold most of his scenic negatives and some equipment to an acquaintance, Johan
W. Rode, who in subsequent years moved to Berkley, California, put his own name on the prints, and sold them
all across the nation as his own original work.
1930. Moved to Missoula and resided in the Penwell Hotel, the Great Depression having snuffed out his freelance contract with the railroad. He stopped taking photographs completely and occasionally lectured at the
University of Montana.
By mid-decade his health began to fail. He became paranoid, suspecting that the British were trying to take over
America. Although cared for by his close friends, Mr. and Mrs. Arceal Henri, Herman was impoverished and too
proud to accept charity. A Missoula druggist and friend, Kenneth Vincent, visited Herman at the Thornton
Hospital moments prior to his death. Mr. Vincent stated the aging photographer literally starved to death, having
reduced his diet to bread and milk. Missoula County buried him in the
city-owned cemetery in a section with other transients and poor.
1939-Death. Herman died on September 2, 1939 at the Thornton Hospital
in Missoula, Montana.
During his lifetime, he was renowned for his photography. In death, he
had faded into obscurity. Today, his work is resurfacing as one of the
finest histories of the development of the Flathead valley.
In honor of Herman’s creativity and contribution to local history, the Missoula City Cemetery
contacted a local monument company, Garden City Monument Services, owned and operated by
Bob Jordan. Mr. Jordan enthusiastically donated a piece of granite for a monument, designed
and inscribed it with Herman’s philosophical motto. Photo collection held by Denny Kellogg in Kalispell, MT
Ralph Starr (1895-1961)
He was the 32nd Mayor of Missoula. A well renowned Justice of the Peace, he was reelected eight times and only left the position upon his election as mayor. Learn about
numerous Starr family members all buried together in a family lot.
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 1895-Birth. Ralph was born on August 8, 1895 in Anaconda, Montana.
 Marriage. Ralph married Florence Smith. They had two children.
 Education. Ralph attended Central Grade School and graduated from
Missoula County High School.
 WWI. He served in the U.S. Army in World War I. He saw action with
the
11th
Machine
Gun
Company
11th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Division.
Ralph suffered being gassed during the war and
received minor wounds.
1917. Ralph rode horseback all the way to
Missoula County recruits pose outside of the courthouse 1918
Albuquerque, New Mexico. He stopped in
Nevada to get a room and was run out of town because he
had the same last name as Belle Starr. She was a notorious outlaw, known to run with the Jesse James Gang.
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 After the war, Ralph was employed with an electrical crew for
Missoula Public Service Company. After seven years he was transferred to
the street car service and served as motorman for six years until the street
car service was abandoned in January 1932. At that time, buses replaced
the streetcars and Ralph drove the last operating streetcar into the car barn.
 1932. Starr was elected Justice of the Peace in Hellgate Township.
He was re-elected 8 times and left the position only after receiving the bid
for Mayor. During his service as Justice of the Peace there were many
marriages performed in home on 4th Street.
 1949. He was elected as Missoula’s 32nd mayor. He served for 62
months. At that time, Missoula changed to a ‘commission-manager’ form
Electric streetcars began operating on May 12, 1910.
of government.
Ralph was Grand Marshal of many parades in Missoula and was joined many times by Indian chiefs from Salish
Kootenai tribes.
1957. Ralph became a vendor for the state retail liquor in Missoula.
1960. Ralph retired.
He was an avid fisherman and an accomplished fly fisherman. He
traveled to the coast, Rock Creek, Lolo Hot Springs and the Jocko
many times, taking his family with him. Ralph also loved to hunt for
duck and pheasant.
Mr. Starr bought the family cabin at Lolo Hot Springs in 1950, it is still
in the family and owned by his son Ralph Starr, Jr. The Starr sign still
hangs over the gate.
1961-Death. Ralph died on March 20, 1961 in Missoula, Montana.
Josephine Graf Stepanzoff (1905-1993)
The daughter of a German baker who brought his family to America in premonition of WWI, Josephine was a founding member
of the International Students Club at the University of Montana.
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1905-Birth. Josephine was born on March 30, 1905 in Bavaria, Germany to Eugene and Josephine Graf.
Josephine’s father was an accomplished German baker who feared the onset of World War I. Mr. Graf moved
his family to Bozeman, Montana where he established the long lasting Bon-Ton Bakery. The Graf family
established bakeries in Montana cities of Bozeman, Billings, and Missoula along with a flour-mill in Bozeman
that supplied all the bakeries with flour. Each bakery made 600 loaves of bread per day along with a full list of
other baked goods.
1926-University of Montana. Josephine received her degree in English from the University of Montana.
Language and writing were Josephine’s passions. She received numerous literary awards for her writings in many
literary magazines. Josephine loved to write about real life; living, dying, trouble, tragedy.
Editing. Josephine also used her English expertise to edit speeches and papers for Austrian psychiatrist, Alfred
Adler who was an early associate of Sigmund Freud.
Alex Stepanzoff. Alex Stepanzoff was a dashing young Russian. He originally came from Russia to California
where he tended to socialize with other Russian families. One day Alex asked one of his professors to help him
find a college where he would be the only Russian-speaking student. Alex felt this would force him to learn to
speak English. He came to the University of Montana where he was instrumental in establishing the International
Club.
1930-Marriage. Alex graduated and moved to New York City where he worked at a banking institute. Upon
Josephine’s graduation, she followed him there and they were married. They loved the big city and all it offered
in music, culture, and the arts. They also loved to travel and made numerous trips to Europe where they
flourished in the experience of their cultural heritage. They loved to entertain and have long discussions on the
state of the world, music, and travel.
1933-Missoula. In 1933 Josephine’s father offered Alex the opportunity to run the Missoula bakery. Alex and
Josephine returned to Missoula where their only daughter, Allegra, was born.
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Music. Music played a large part in their lives. Alex led a long career as Missoula City Band conductor.
Josephine was a homemaker, raised their daughter, and focused on her writing. Josephine always had her lawn
chair in the front row at every band concert. They were both so proud when Missoula built the current shelter in
Bonner Park.
1966. The Missoula bakery was sold.
1991. Josephine’s health deteriorated.
1992. Alex and Josephine moved to California to be near their daughter, Allegra. They were saddened to sell
their home in Missoula’s university area and leave all their many friends behind.
1993-Death. Josephine died on December 16, 1993 in San Rafael, California. Alex brought her remains back to
Missoula for burial. Alex lived a number of years later and died in California where his daughter holds his
cremated remains.
August Trautwein (1862-1885)
A murdered German Russian immigrant.
 1862-Birth. August was born on September 27, 1862 in Deutschland.
 1885-Death. August was murdered on September 16, 1885 in Big Flat Missoula at
his homestead. (The death year on the marker is incorrect per all legal accounts.)
 Translation of Marker: “Here lies August Trautwein born in Deutschland on 27
Sept. 1862, murdered in Big Flat on 16 Sept. 1886”
 August was found at his home on Big Flat which was on the bend of the river about
eight miles below town. He had been shot. Two sheaves of oats were lying by him which
evidenced that he was returning from the field. He was 22 years old. His father was
working at the Bennett ranch near Stevensville, Montana at the time of the shooting.
 The murder investigation determined that August had probably been killed by one
of the bands of Indians camped on his property. Initially, it was believed that the Indians
may have stolen vegetables from his garden and then killed August after they were
confronted. Citizen descriptions noted the group was of the Nez Perce Indians from Idaho. A
posse was rounded up and headed after the Indians before they could arrive back at their reservation. The various
Indian groups had separated with a small group going through the Bitterroot Valley and a much larger group
heading through the Frenchtown Valley. The posse set out after the larger group of Indians. After a hard trek
through the mountainous region, they came upon the Indian band only to find they were the wrong ones. These
Indians were Flatheads, had all their papers in order, and did not match the citizen descriptions. The posse then
backtracked to the Bitterroot Valley to find the trail of the smaller Indian band. The trail led them on an old trail
leading from the Lou Lou (Lolo) to Mosse Creek ferry and then Grave Creek. They went as far as Dan
Woodman’s ranch before they spied the Indians. Seven Indian men were arrested and held in captivity in one of
Woodman’s outbuildings. Upon further inquiries, however, the Indians were released and no charges were filed.
Other theories were discussed but the case is believed to have never been officially solved.
The iron sign was a marker used by the Germans from Russia. The Germans migrated to the steppes of Russia where there were no trees so they
made iron markers. Most of these Germans were of Catholic faith. No two markers were ever alike. Most of these crosses are found in prairie areas
throughout the states where ever these German pioneers settled. This cross is the ONLY one found in western Montana and is especially unique due
to its enamel plaque. Information researched by Paulette Parpart, Missoula Public Library historian.
Rosanna Ireland Miller VanAlstine (1853-1936)
In Minnesota, 1862 was a time of opportunity for the white settlers. But gain for the settlers and loss for the Dakota people meant
conflict. Rose survived captivity and was rescued by ten young Lakota men who became known as the “Fool Soldiers.”
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1853-Birth. Rosanna was born on September 16, 1853 in New Bedford, Bureau, Illinois. She was the second of
four daughters of Thomas Ireland and Sophia Walters Ireland.
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1861. Like many other families of the time, her parents moved farther west, looking for better land and more
opportunities. The family eventually reached Lake Shetek in Murray County, Minnesota. They lived in a cabin
near the southeast corner of Owanka Bay.
 The Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. Unfortunately a clash
of cultures resulted between the settlers and the Sioux Indians
who were trying to maintain their own ways. As a result of this
conflict, a band of Indians determined to attack settlers and push
them eastward.
 August 20, 1862. When Rosanna was nine years old,
attacks began at several locations in the area. The Irelands fled
their cabin to seek safety with others at a nearby home. One
group of Indians in the area told the settlers that they would not
be harmed if they left immediately. The settlers left with women
and children in a wagon, but the Indians pursued and shot at them.
The settlers sought refuge in a slough that contained high grass.
Lake Shetek Survivors at Fort Randall, Dakota Territory. November 1862
Rose Ireland on far left, her sister Ellen Ireland on far right.
Photo from the Collections of South Dakota Historical Society and Archive
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Rose’s parents were shot and injured as were many other
adults and children. The Indians said that if the women and
children would come out, they would not be harmed. The
women came out with their children in tow. Along with other women and children, Rosanna’s mother was shot
and killed as were her sisters Sarah Jane (11) and Julianne (3).
Captivity. Rosanna, her sister Ellen (7), four other girls, and two women were taken captive. The Indians
travelled about 800 miles in three months, trying to stay away from pursuers. The captives had only the clothes
they were wearing and worn out moccasins. When food was scarce they were not fed. Rosanna was the most
favored above all the other captives and she was given some blue trading beads which she kept wrapped around
her waist under her petticoat so that she would not lose them. She was given the name “Ondee” meaning “Rain.”
November 1862. In November 1862 a group of ten Teton Lakota Indians negotiated with the captors, risking
their lives and traded their own horses, guns, and other goods for the release of the prisoners. Once freed, the two
women and six girls were taken by foot about 100 miles in wintery November weather to Fort Pierrre in South
Dakota then by stagecoach back to their homes. Some bands called this group of Indians “fool Soldiers” because
of their efforts to bring about peace with settlers.
Reunited. When Rosanna and Ellen returned home they found their father had survived after being shot eight
times. He lived another 35 years.
1875. By the time she was 16, Rosanna had moved away from Lake Shetek. By 1875 she lived with her father,
step-mother Sally, and sister n Mankato, Minnesota.
1880. Rosanna was a servant in the household of a Presbyterian minister.
1885. Rosanna was hired as a servant for a Prussian couple. After the death of her stepmother in February 1885,
Rosanna’s father moved in with her. Thomas died in 1897 in Mankato, Minnesota.
1898. Rosanna moved to Butte, Montana as a live-in domestic for the family of Thomas Buzzo, a mine
superintendent in Walkerville.
1903-Marriage. At the age of 50, Rosanna married a widower, Joseph R. Miller in Butte, Montana. Joseph was a
carpenter from Missoula, Montana where the couple resided after their wedding. Only 17 months later, Joseph
died of heart failure at Orchard Homes on the outskirts of Missoula, Montana.
1906-Marriage. Rosanna married her second husband, Samuel VanAlstine. He had worked as a teamster in
Lincoln, Montana. In 1909 they owned a farm in Orchard Homes. By 1915 they were living in town at 1117
Grand Avenue where Rosanna lived the rest of her life.
1915-Deserted. On about July 20, 1915 Samuel left Rosanna and apparently left the state. After four years of
being deserted, Rosanna filed for divorce on April 10, 1919. The grounds for her petition were that Samuel
willfully neglected to provide her with the common necessaries of life, namely food, clothing, and shelter.
Rosanna said that from the time they were married, she had to work and earn money to provide for herself, and
that Samuel had the means to do so, except for his idleness. The sheriff’s department tried to find him to serve
the summons and the court sent a letter to the Missoula post office which was not deliverable. Finally, an
advertisement was posted in the Missoulian with the text of the summons. Samuel was not to be found. The
divorce records show no final action taken by the court, so it appears that the divorce was never finalized.
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1917. The city directory listed Rosanna as the widow of Samuel so perhaps she did not want people then to
know she had been deserted.
1920-Cook. Rosanna worked as a cook at the YMCA. In later years,
the jobs were described as waitress at the YW and helper at the YMCA.
1936-Death. Rosanna died on April 16, 1936 in Missoula, Montana
from heart disease. Her only surviving immediate relative named was
her sister Ellen. Rosanna had no children of her own.
Researched by Susan Hintz, researcher. Information resources: Legal documents, census
reports, and library archives.
Hezekiah Vandorn (1823-1903)
Missoula’s first blacksmith located in Grass Valley at Hellgate village. Hezekiah sought
his fortune as a placer miner in California and Washington. He was gold partners with
Mark Twain and noted in Twains’ book “Roughin it.” He served as County
Commissioner in 1861.
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 1823-Birth. Hezekiah was born in 1823 in Covington, Fountain County,
Indiana.
 Marriage: Spouse and six children.
 1849. One of the many fortune hunters who crossed the continent and
built his cabin in the placer fields of California. He worked north along the
Columbia River into Washington and came into Montana in 1859.
 1849. Mark Twain noted in his book ‘Roughin it’ that Hezekiah Van Dorn
was a partner of his in the Gold Rush of ’49. The story notes that three young
German brothers found ‘cement full of dull yellow metal’ in a mountain gorge in California. The brothers each
took some of the ‘cement’ and headed back to town. Only one brother arrived with only a small amount gold.
The man wanted nothing to do with the land again and gave his map and information to another miner. Hezekiah
was one of a party that headed out to find this vein of ‘cement’ in the mountains. However, by the time they
reached the general area, miners from all over the region had heard enough whispers of the vein that the area was
well staked and too troublesome for the party. They instead traveled down to a lake known as the ‘Dead Sea of
California’ and set up such a comfortable camp that they stayed and explored the area for quite some time.
1859. Hezekiah began farming in Grass Valley. He later located up Miller Creek.
Blacksmith. Hezekiah was the first known blacksmith operating his shop at Hellgate by the store owned by
Higgins and Worden. He later re-located his shop into town when Higgins and Worden moved their store.
1861. Elected County Commissioner in 1861 along with Captain C. P. Higgins and Granville Stuart.
Legend. In The West magazine dated 1966, family members recall stories of Hezekiah:
• Plummer gang. It was on his Grass Valley ranch that members of the Plummer gang were captured in
the Missoula area, tried in the store at Hellgate village, and hung nearby, allegedly on the ranch operated
by Hezekiah Van Dorn. The Plummer gang was a band of horse thieves and highwaymen whom the
vigilantes of Virginia City chased across the mountains into Missoula County, finally exterminating the
band. The members that night consisted of George Shears, Cyrus Skinner, Whisky Bill Graves, and men
named Cooper, Zachery, and Carter.
• Fort Fizzle. In 1877 Hezekiah was one of 100 volunteers to help stop Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce.
Chief Joseph was leading his people on an escape from the required reservation. Captain Rawn was in
charge of stopping these Indians from going any further. All the settlers were frightened that the Indians
would conduct a major massacre here in Missoula so joined forces with the army to defend this area.
When Chief Joseph sent word ahead that he had no quarrel with the volunteers, only with the army, the
volunteers quickly deserted Captain Rawn. Chief Joseph left his campfires burning on the hillsides as a
decoy and slipped through the pass and Captain Rawn’s army. The fort was then known as Fort Fizzle
for its failure.
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George Ernest Veuve (1843?-1916)
Medal of Honor recipient. He entered the Army as a hired substitute for a wealthy man who
was avoiding the draft. He won his medal for a hand to hand combat with a hostile Indian.
The Historical Society has procured a military monument reflecting his prestigious award.
The Missoula City Cemetery placed the stone in his honor.
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 1843 or 1845–Birth. George was born on March 19, 1843/1845 (exact date is
uncertain) in Neuchatel, Switzerland.
 Education. It is unknown, however trained as a coppersmith.
 Spring 1864 or 1866. George emigrated, arrived and lived in New York City
until joining the Union Army.
 Coppersmith. Army records state George was a coppersmith prior to entering
the army.
 Military History. He entered the Army as a hired substitute for a wealthy man
who was avoiding the draft (legal to do at that time). He enlisted in one of the German
speaking regiments. He was wounded by a Confederate cavalryman during Sherman’s March to the Sea.
(**Note: There is a discrepancy between dates of emigration and dates of this civil war event that may be
contradictory.)
Following the Civil War, he chose to stay in the Army. His enlistments were:
• 1866-1869. U.S. Infantry Regiment
• 1869-1874. Co. A, 4th Cavalry
• 1875-1880. Co. 14, 3rd U. S. Infantry Regiment
November 3, 1874 - Medal of Honor. While serving with the 4th Cavalry in Texas in the Red River War, Farrier
Veuve won his medal for a hand to hand combat with a hostile Indian. This original medal is now part of the
Historical Museum collection located at Fort Missoula.
1877. On or about November 14, 1877, he arrived at Fort Missoula as part of the escort for a 3 rd Infantry wagon
train coming to the fort. He remained at Fort Missoula as a sergeant.
1880. Married Anna McCarthy on January 22, 1880.
1880. Retired from the Army as Supply Sgt. When he started a wood business his military status secured him the
contract for supplying fire wood to Fort Missoula along with private Missoula citizens.
1916-Death. George died on June 17, 1916 at his home at 608 East Pine St in Missoula, Montana.
1957. The local Army Reserve Center was named and dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Veuve on November 17,
1957.
2005. Medal of Honor Historical Society ordered Medal of Honor monument placed on Sgt. Veuve’s grave.
Wilma Theatre History
The Wilma Theatre’s ornate architecture and colorful past keep this historic
landmark alive.
 William A. “Billy” Simons. William A. “Billy” Simons was born in
Kansas in 1864. When he was 14 years old, his father died in a logging
accident leaving Billy, the oldest of six siblings, and his widowed mother to
struggle making ends meet. Billy quit school and began work for a carpentry
shop. Billy was a quick study and proved to be a very good businessman. It
was not long before he became a proprietor of numerous, mostly all successful
business ventures such as a dressmaking shop run by his mother, a railroad lunch
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cart, and a roller rink.
1886. Billy moved to Montana in 1886 with $5,000 in his pocket and almost immediately schemed putting
together a Wild West Show so big that no tent could possibly contain it. He had hundreds of costumed
participants, cowboys, Indians, shooting tricks, ponies, bison (which proved to be extremely uncooperative
loading and unloading onto trains), and supposedly, a mountain lion trained to ride a pony. The venture did not
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work out. On July 5, 1887, the show arrived in Butte, Montana headed on tour to the Midwestern states.
Unfortunately, a major summer blizzard with five inches of snow arrived in Butte simultaneously. Everything
that could go wrong on that Midwest tour did and the Wild West Show plunged into obscurity.
 1909-Marriage. Billy proved wise in his investments. He owned land and buildings in
Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Because of his love of the entertainment industry, Billy began
purchasing theatres and hiring touring and vaudeville groups. One vaudeville group hired was
the Wilma Sisters. The Wilma Sisters were a very popular lite opera act that never made it
big. Billy was smitten with one sister, Edna Wilma. They were married in Portland OR in
1909 after a year courtship. Edna also proved excellent in business ventures and worked
alongside her husband, all the while continuing to perform.
 1920-Missoula. The couple moved to Missoula, Montana in 1920 where Billy built
the Smead-Simon Building known as The Wilma, named after Billy’s wife Edna. This
building was Montana’s first skyscraper and was quite the sensation because it had Montana’s
first indoor swimming pool, Crystal Plunge, in its basement. The south wall of the Wilma
building formed a barrier for the Clark Fork River where the water line is visible today. The
building claimed to be fireproof, a substantial asset because the movie industry was in full swing
and the films used were made of nitrates that could spontaneously combust and burst into flames.
1937-Death. Billy suffered a stroke in the 1930s. Edna took him by horse and wagon often to their cabin in Lolo
Hot Springs where the sulphur was said to help heal his stroke-related injuries. Billy Simons died on March 27,
1937 leaving all his assets to his wife.
Businesswoman. At the time of his death, Edna became the most powerful woman in the U.S. theatre industry,
especially in the Northwest, owning 31 theatres across Montana, Idaho, and Alaska. She built a large theatre in
Wallace, Idaho dedicated to Billy. Edna was a shrewd businesswoman. She also owned a small interest in Daily
Meat Co. and purchased several ranches where she raised livestock.
1940-Fox Corp. One of the largest film industries in Hollywood held firm control over theatres including The
Wilma. The Fox Corp. reputedly practiced “block booking,” where they forced theatres to show their movies or
no movies. In 1948 the Supreme Court passed the Paramount Consent that made this practice illegal and Fox
Corp. was forced to leave The Wilma. Fox Corp. did not go quietly but stripped the entire inside of the theatre
removing chairs and the organ, leaving bare walls and floors. Workers threw riggings, rope, and projector
equipment into the river through the side exit door. Edna used her own money to restore the theatre to a state of
grandeur including the installation of a perfume fountain in the lobby where women dipped their handkerchiefs
before finding their seats.
1950-Ed Sharp. Edna met Edward “Eddie” Sharp just prior to WWII and corresponded by letter with him while
he served in the Navy during the war. Eddie was 25 years her junior and openly homosexual, however, he and
Edna married in 1950. Edna said she married her best friend whom she loved and with whom she had so much in
common.
1954-Death. Edna died in July 25, 1954 in her Wilma building apartment in the arms of her beloved Eddie.
Every year on the anniversary of her death, Eddie locked himself in his apartment for several days remembering
and mourning, admitting no one. He maintained a gas flame at Edna’s grave in the city cemetery and a heated
glass box set in her burial stone stocked with fresh flowers year round. There were rumors that a condition of her
will was that he was to visit the grave weekly in order to keep the inheritance, however, no documentation has
been found substantiating this.
Koro Hatto. Besides his love for Edna, Eddie loved birds. His famous
companion was a pigeon named Koro Hatto. This bird was his constant
companion, riding everywhere on Eddie’s shoulder. Koro Hatto had the
reputation of loving money and always picked the higher denomination
when asked to choose. The bird flew dollar bills across the drive-in to the
cash register then flew the change back to Eddie. Koro Hatto lived to be 20
years old and was entombed with Eddie. Eddie also fed and maintained
300-500 pigeons on the roof of the Wilma building.
1982-Chapel of the Dove. Eddie built a chapel in the Wilma basement, which was a mirror image of the chapel
in New York where he and Edna married. The chapel was famous for its Almond Roca candy and birds flying
and hovering about the store.
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1956-Robert Sias. Two years after Edna’s death, Eddie formed a partnership with Robert Sias. They would live
and run the theatre businesses together over the next 40 years. Together they continued to expand the theatre
business to include the Roxy and the Go West Drive-in theatres.
Rat Ranstrom. Rat Ranstrom was the face everyone saw each night
when coming to the movies. Rat managed the theatre under Eddie
and Bob for 26 years.
Deaths. Eddie Sharp died on December 12, 1993 in Missoula.
Before his death, Eddie and Bob sold the Wilma Theatre. The
theatre was in need of major repairs and a financing collaboration
with Missoula Redevelopment Agency was unsuccessful. Eddie and
Bob maintained ownership of their apartment until Bob died on
August 5, 1999.
Ownership. The Wilma Theatre continues to show some films and
continues to change ownership. Each owner has restored a small
piece of its history. The future of the building is unknown.
Researched by Andy Smetanka, writer and researcher, cemetery records, and historical newspaper articles. Cemetery note: The Simons owned four
burial sites which consist of (L to R) Edith Ketch (Edna’s sister), Edna Wilma Simons Sharp, Ed Sharp and Robert Sias buried together in one
grave along with Koro Hatto entombed inside the stone, then William “Billy” Simons.
Frank H. Woody (1833-1916)
Co-founder of Missoula, a member of one of Missoula’s most influential families, and Missoula’s first mayor.
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1833-Birth. Frank was born on December 10, 1833 in Chatham County, North Carolina. On the paternal side:
Quaker descent; maternal side: old Revolutionary stock.
 1871-Marriage. Frank married Lizzie Countryman in 1871. Lizzie was
the daughter of Horace and Elizabeth Countryman, originally from California.
 Early life. Farming with little educational advantages.
 1851. Attended New Garden Boarding School (now Guilford College), a
Quaker institute near Greensboro, North Carolina.
 1852. He taught school in the east for a few years until he caught the fever
to move westward. He worked his way through Kansas, Utah, and Washington
before joining a party of traders coming to the Flathead country (now Ravalli and
Missoula Counties).
 Woody was paid $15 a month to drive an oxen team of supplies to
Flathead country to trade with the Indians.
 1856. October 15th arrived at Hell Gate River (on Mullan Road today).
He noted there were on that day 300 lodges of Indians camped where Missoula
now stands. Missoula was at that time Washington Territory.
 Woody, Higgins, and Worden were three of the most prominent founding
fathers of Missoula.
 1866. Frank was appointed to serve an unexpired term as clerk and
recorder. He was then elected to continue this seat until 1880 when he refused to continue any further. During
his tenure, the office of clerk and recorder was combined with the office of probate judge, thus Judge Woody was
virtually the incumbent of two offices at the same time, besides which for eight years he was deputy clerk of the
Second Judicial District Court of Missoula county.
1877. He was admitted to the Montana Bar as Missoula’s first attorney. He built an extensive clientele and was
noted as one of the leading lawyers in western Montana.
1883. Frank was Missoula’s first mayor elected April 19, 1883. He served for 13 months.
1892. He received the Democratic nomination for office of District Judge and was soundly elected and re-elected
in 1896.
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1893. First (temporary) chairman of University Committee that lobbied the 1893 legislature for legislation
allowing the building of the University of Montana. Considerable amount of money was spent on whiskey and
three different types of cigars by the 25 lobbyists in their efforts.
1916-Death. Frank died on December 16, 1916 in Missoula from
‘nephritis’ (inflammation of the kidney). At the time of Frank’s death,
he had lived in Montana longer than any other white man.
Sarah Elizabeth
“Lizzie”
Countryman
Woody (18531919)
She was wife of one of Missoula’s co-founders, Frank Woody. As a child, she traveled with her family by wagon train from Iowa
to Montana. Sarah was a teacher in various Montana schools and organized the first Sunday school in Missoula. She was
married to Frank Woody for 45 years.
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1853-Birth. Sarah was born on January 6, 1853 in Yuba County, California on Dry Creek. Her parents were
Horace and Elizabeth (Payne) Countryman.
1855. The Countryman family moved via Isthmus of Panama to New York. Sarah was 1-1/2 years old.
1860. The Countryman family moved to Marysville, California. The trip took six months. There were 75
wagons, 5 women, 3 children. Horace Countryman was the captain of the outfit. According to a great grandson,
Sara fell into a camp fire and was badly burned. She lost the end of her little finger and injured her hip so that she
walked with a limp and had to use a cane for the rest of her life.
1865. The Countryman family moved to Virginia City, Montana. During this time, Sara’s father put up the first
quartz mill at Summit, built the Masonic Hall in Virginia City and a mill and Masonic Hall in Philipsburg. He
rode from Stillwater, Montana (now Columbus) to Helena to carry the news of the massacre of Custer and his
men.
1865. Sarah was a teacher in Philipsburg, Montana. She had few students but they were lively. In Iowa the
teachers boarded with families on rotation. In Philipsburg, Sara lived at home but at noon she was besieged to go
home with the students for lunch. She went with a different student every day so that no one would have hurt
feelings.
1869. The Countryman family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah so Sarah and her brother could attend St. Mark’s
Episcopal school under the care of Bishop Tuttle. The trip took three weeks. Sarah was ill at the time.
1870. Sarah and her father traveled to Deer Lodge, Montana. It was a bitter cold trip, so cold that on another
stage, a group of Chinese men froze to death. The rest of the Countryman family joined them in June of that year.
July 5, 1870. Sarah accepted the teacher position in Missoula, Montana. It was the second term held at the
school. In a letter written by Sarah Woody, she stated “There were 6 women in Missoula at that time.” This may
be inaccurate. The women wore heavy, linsey clothing in the winter and calico dresses in the summer. Almost all
the clothes were handmade, with calico selling at 50 cents a yard. Sunbonnets were the popular millinery wear.
1870. Sarah organized the first Sunday school. Among her pupils were Catholics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians,
and Methodists. Adults as well as children attended her classes.
1870. Sarah’s mother died in Deer Lodge. Sarah returned to tend the family until the following spring of 1871.
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1871-Marriage. Sarah married Franklin Hargrave Woody on December 10, 1871 in Missoula, Montana. The
Rector from Deer Lodge came to town to perform the ceremony. Over the next twenty-eight years, nine children
were born: Frank, Alice, Rose, Flora, Ruth, Rachel, Robert, Beth, and Rebecca. Five of these children died very
young. Sarah and Frank were married for 45 years.
1919-Death. Sarah died on July 15, 1919 after a 3-month illness with a form of Parkinson’s Disease.
Francis “Frank” Worden (1830-1887)
A co-founder of Missoula and our city was first called Wordensville. He started his trading
post at Hell Gate. When he died in 1913, Frank Worden left his 36 year old widow, Lucretia
Miller Worden and their seven children.
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1830-Birth. Francis was born on October 15, 1830 in Vermont of Welsh
descent.
1844. At 14 years old he began clerking in Troy, New York upon completion of
business education.
1852. Francis traveled to San Francisco CA as a clerk.
1854. He traveled to Oregon and dabbled in mining.
1855. He joined the Oregon volunteers in a war against the Oregon and
Washington Territory Indians.
1856. Francis was clerk for the Indian department under Isaac I Stephens.
1877. He took a small amount of trade goods to Walla Walla, Washington. He
was only the second person engaged in the merchandise business in that area. He soon bought out the other
business man and became the sole merchant in that part of the country. He also was commissioned the Post
Master of that territory.
1860. Francis formed partnership with Captain C. P. Higgins and arrived in Missoula at Hell Gate (Mullan Road
today). The Worden family continues in business today in various locations in Missoula.
1862. Gold was discovered in Gold Creek. The partners built a store stocked with goods which continued until
1863.
1863. They moved all their goods to Deer Lodge MT to open the first mercantile in the area. This business was
sold in 1868.
1864. Worden, Higgins, and David Pattee (Pattee Street) built a saw mill and grist mill in Missoula (about where
the Holiday Inn sits today). The mill property was finished as one of the finest and most complete mills and
workmanship in the valley.
1864. Elected to the Territorial Legislature, representing the counties of Missoula, Deer Lodge, and Choteau. He
was also elected County Commissioner and served as Chairman. He had a long political career on the Republican
ticket.
1866-Marriage. Frank married 14 year old Lucretia Miller on November 29, 1866. Her parents were Henry and
Caroline Miller of Pennsylvania. Their wedding was a community holiday attended by everyone. Their Pine
Street home, where they raised their seven children, is where the first Elm and Maple trees and lilac bushes in
Missoula were planted. Worden transplanted the trees from Vermont.
Worden, Higgins, and McCormick. The company laid out about 100 acres in town lots as an addition to
Missoula city.
1883. Francis engaged in ditching and laying pipes for the purpose of supplying the city with water.
1886. He was the first chairman of the cemetery board. Mrs. Worden was also later on the cemetery board at a
time when it was unheard of for women to be in such a position.
1887-Death. Frank died on February 5, 1887 in Missoula, Montana.
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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
The Missoula City Cemetery wishes to acknowledge all the volunteers who make this event possible. The storytellers
truly make history come to life! Please take the time to thank each of those storytellers who believe in making history
fun.
Storytellers. This event is made possible because of the many individuals who volunteer to tell the histories of
individuals, families, or local history. Each of the individuals named in this guidebook is essential for providing this
service to the public. Our hats go off to each of you and a HUGE thank you!
Cemetery.
Board of Directors – For the commitment to this program. The Board hosts a brunch for all storytellers in
appreciation of their volunteerism and commitment to this program. There are no public funds for this brunch,
the board members personally provide this appreciative brunch.
Staff – For their hard work in putting this event together and their commitment to showcasing this beautiful
cemetery for the public. The cemetery staff is very dedicated to creating a beautiful, peaceful, and respectful park
setting as a final resting place for families.
Storyteller Volunteer Coordinator – Jennie Pak portrays Sarah Woody and volunteered in 2015 to assist in
coordinating storytellers for this event. Thank you Jennie for all your hard work and commitment!
Film and Photography.
Ron Scholl – MCAT – For filming the event. Watch the MCAT public television channel during November and
December to view re-runs of the programs presented here today. You can request special re-runs of shows for
airing so feel free to contact the MCAT office to see past Stories and Stones as well as our two summer history
walks: Missoula County Sheriffs and Missoula Mayors.
YouTube – MCAT has posted all available video presentations on their YouTube channel. Search for: Stories
and Stones.
Vicki Correia. Since 2003, she has donated photos of this event for cemetery advertising purposes. Her personal
photos have been published in several magazines, including Montana Magazine, as note cards and postcards for
Travers’ Rest State Park, and she has her own line of note cards for sale in a number of local businesses under the
name of Montana Magic Photography.
Food Vendors.
Lighthouse Espresso – For providing hot coffee.
Polka Dot Patties – For providing food and drinks.
Researchers.
UofM Mansfield Library – Providing photos and historical documents.
Missoula Public Library – Providing genealogy records and historical research assistance.
Missoula County Records Management – Searching county records.
Missoula County Clerk and Recorder – Providing missing vitals information.
**Special Thanks to the numerous family members who contacted the cemetery office with photos, stories,
genealogy, and articles relating to their family histories.
Services.
Missoula County Print Shop – Providing assistance with guidebook preparation.
Sweet Pea Sewer and Septic – Providing portable toilet facilities.
UofM – Athletic Dept. – Providing club carts for transporting the public throughout the day.
Old Time Fiddler Association – Providing beautiful music throughout the day.
And lastly a huge thank you to Steve and Betty Wing for their willingness to review and edit guidebook entries.
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