Granite County History
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Coloma: Another Mining Dream
A Tough Hombre: Sam Clark
Whitesides Property and Legal Issues
Bearmouth and Weaver Archeological History
A Mining Camp named Beartown
Nine Lives: Thomas McGuire
Flood of 1908 The Flood of 1908 Loraine Bentz Domine Granite County Historical Society In June of 1908 Drummond was the scene of a massive flood. After a three day snow, sleet and rain storm all the creeks in the area overflowed filling the canyons with many feet of water. The Northern Pacific Railroad tracks were washed out between Garrison and Drummond which blocked the main-line rail traffic for three weeks. Many Butte passengers were “marooned” in Drummond. In June of 1908 Frank Morse stated “it rained for forty days and nights”, in an account to Fan Harrington written up in the Montana Standard on July 5, 1976. Morse said: “…accompanied by Fred Maxwell, I walked from Drummond to within a few miles of Philipsburg. A train crew was working on a washed out track at six mile, and we waited for the men to finish their work then we would ride the train into town. The first morning H.A. Featherman, Lawrence Hauck, Otis Mercereau and a lineman, who was to repair the telephone lines, and myself started for Drummond on a railroad handcar. When we came to a washout one man splashed ahead through the water for a short way in order to stop the handcar if it got away from the men who were pushing it. The bridge at Drummond was washed away and there was no train service between Drummond and Philipsburg for six weeks. On the day of my wedding a few days later, water was within an inch of the floor level of the house where the ceremony was to take place. The piano which had been on saw horses and the parlor rug and furniture which had been removed in-case the room flooded were put back in place and the wedding was performed on schedule.” The June 12, 1908 Philipsburg Mail described the flood as the worst since the white man “..had set foot in this part of the state.” As bad as the damage was there was no loss of life and by June 12th the waters were receding, but fear was still present as the weather had warmed and caused the high mountain snows to start melting very fast. Flint Creek and Rock Creek were very high but the high bridges had withstood the rushing waters. Wagon roads everywhere were washed completely away, including the bridge at Stone over Flint Creek; the bridge at Jenkins ranch near Hall; at Drummond the south approach to the steel bridge across Hellgate was gone, leaving an eighty foot gap between the road and the bridge; at Bearmouth the county bridge across Hellgate was washed out which left Garnet cut off from the railroad. The only road open from Garnet on the 12th of June was the one over the mountain and Rattler gulch to Drummond. All other roads were able to be traveled on except Drummond, Stone and Bearmouth. The week after the flood started, County Commissioner John Duffy and a crew of miners went down to the pot hole (about 6 miles north of Philipsburg), and blasted out the reef of rock. They then graded a new road along the high ground so all could pass without any fear of the raging water. This flood was very similar to the one 16 years prior but the water higher and damages greater. The railroad track was washed out between Philipsburg and Drummond near the Franz ranch. The county commissioners rotated shifts at the rock reef, to keep teams from trying to cross that flooded section of road. No trains were able to travel the tracks for several weeks. The Philipsburg Mail June 5, 1908 estimated the number of travelers stranded at Drummond as 900. By June 12th the news was that everyone was doing okay for supplies in both Drummond and Philipsburg but all the train crews were idled except for the repair crews. There had been “..no mail, express or even a pound of freight for Philipsburg or Drummond and from present indications the branch line will be open for traffic at least a week before anything is moving on the main line.” A big washout was in Alex Wight’s field about 100 yards north of the bridge across Flint creek. The embankment was washed away for about twenty feet and gouged a hole ten to twenty feet deep. All in all, the tone of the day was cheerful and positive throughout the weeks of repairs detailed in the newspapers. As a result of the storm the flour supply in Drummond was exhausted and was replenished by a shipment brought from Philipsburg on a handcar. The merchants of Philipsburg ran out of sugar, ham and bacon, so these items were freighted from Anaconda by team. During all of this many head of livestock were drowned.
In June of 1908, Drummond was the scene of a massive flood. After a three day snow, sleet and rain storm all the creeks in the area overflowed filling the canyons with many feet of water. The Northern Pacific Railroad tracks were washed out between Garrison and Drummond which blocked the main-line rail traffic for three weeks. Many Butte passengers were “marooned” in Drummond.
In June of 1908 Frank Morse stated “it rained for forty days and nights”, in an account to Fan Harrington written up in the Montana Standard on July 5, 1976. Morse said: “…accompanied by Fred Maxwell, I walked from Drummond to within a few miles of Philipsburg. A train crew was working on a washed out track at six mile, and we waited for the men to finish their work then we would ride the train into town. The first morning H.A. Featherman, Lawrence Hauck, Otis Mercereau and a lineman, who was to repair the telephone lines, and myself started for Drummond on a railroad handcar. When we came to a washout one man splashed ahead through the water for a short way in order to stop the handcar if it got away from the men who were pushing it. The bridge at Drummond was washed away and there was no train service between Drummond and Philipsburg for six weeks. On the day of my wedding a few days later, water was within an inch of the floor level of the house where the ceremony was to take place. The piano which had been on saw horses and the parlor rug and furniture which had been removed in-case the room flooded were put back in place and the wedding was performed on schedule.”
The June 12, 1908 Philipsburg Mail described the flood as the worst since the white man “..had set foot in this part of the state.” As bad as the damage was there was no loss of life and by June 12th the waters were receding, but fear was still present as the weather had warmed and caused the high mountain snows to start melting very fast. Flint Creek and Rock Creek were very high but the high bridges had withstood the rushing waters. Wagon roads everywhere were washed completely away, including the bridge at Stone over Flint Creek; the bridge at Jenkins ranch near Hall; at Drummond the south approach to the steel bridge across Hellgate was gone, leaving an eighty foot gap between the road and the bridge; at Bearmouth the county bridge across Hellgate was washed out which left Garnet cut off from the railroad. The only road open from Garnet on the 12th of June was the one over the mountain and Rattler gulch to Drummond. All other roads were able to be traveled on except Drummond, Stone and Bearmouth.
The week after the flood started, County Commissioner John Duffy and a crew of miners went down to the pot hole (about 6 miles north of Philipsburg), and blasted out the reef of rock. They then graded a new road along the high ground so all could pass without any fear of the raging water. This flood was very similar to the one 16 years prior but the water higher and damages greater. The railroad track was washed out between Philipsburg and Drummond near the Franz ranch. The county commissioners rotated shifts at the rock reef, to keep teams from trying to cross that flooded section of road. No trains were able to travel the tracks for several weeks.
The Philipsburg Mail June 5, 1908 estimated the number of travelers stranded at Drummond as 900. By June 12th the news was that everyone was doing okay for supplies in both Drummond and Philipsburg but all the train crews were idled except for the repair crews. There had been “..no mail, express or even a pound of freight for Philipsburg or Drummond and from present indications the branch line will be open for traffic at least a week before anything is moving on the main line.” A big washout was in Alex Wight’s field about 100 yards north of the bridge across Flint creek. The embankment was washed away for about twenty feet and gouged a hole ten to twenty feet deep.
All in all, the tone of the day was cheerful and positive throughout the weeks of repairs detailed in the newspapers. As a result of the storm the flour supply in Drummond was exhausted and was replenished by a shipment brought from Philipsburg on a handcar. The merchants of Philipsburg ran out of sugar, ham and bacon, so these items were freighted from Anaconda by team. During all of this many head of livestock were drowned.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Great Contributors to the Lower Valley: Piche Family
Tireless Worker Without Judgment Sound and Business-like: Dr. Power
W.I. Power was a major contributor to Granite county history. He was born in Farmington, Michigan to Thomas H. and Lydia (Stockwell) Power on September 17, 1860, the fourth born of seven sons. According to “Progressive Men of Montana” “…His educational advantages were very limited, owing to the size and circumstances of the family; and besides a few weeks attendance at the public schools during the winter months for about three years, he obtained nothing in this line except what he worked out for himself- teaching school for a time and with the money earned working his way through higher grades until he was able to take a full academic course at the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing, where he was graduated in 1885, teaching and selling books during the vacations to defray expenses.” After his graduation William taught one year at Waterford and in 1886 he entered Detroit Medical College.
He graduated in 1889 and spent a year as house surgeon in St. Mary’s Hospital in Detroit before coming to Granite, Montana. He worked as an assistant to Dr. Sligh for two years for the Bi-Metallic Company’s hospital. Then in January 1892 he moved to Philipsburg and began his private practice there. Dr. Power married Miss Mary Williams Treveaille of Butte on January 27, 1892 in Granite. Mary came to Granite about 12 years before her death on April 5, 1897, when she succumbed to an un-named cause. Dr. Power quickly became involved in the community health issues as observed when he notified the public: “All persons living along streams where water is needed for general purposes are warned not to dump or throw manure or other refuse material into such streams as water so polluted is unfit for general use. W.I. Power M.D., chairman Board of Health for Granite County.” Philipsburg Mail, September 24, 1897.
The following year Dr. Power married Mrs. Marietta Sewell of Paola, Kansas on September 12, 1898. That same year, Dr. Power was nominated for the state senate by the Silver wing of the republican party. He was defeated by Jerry Connolly by 30 votes. At the end of 1899, Dr. Power went east to study and took a graduate course in the New York City Post Graduate School, specializing in General Medicine. It was expected that he would re-locate his practice somewhere in the east. But obviously had a change of heart, as the May 4, 1900 Mail announced that Dr. Power had returned and was occupying the old office of Dr. G.W. Young in the McLeod-Doe block. He had also bought the C.F. Jacky residence at the corner of California and Kearney streets but the “consideration was unknown.”
As the public health officer, it was documented many times, how he warned the public about the dangers of the flu epidemic, especially during WWI. Dr. Power served as Mayor for one term beginning in 1908 and served two terms as county coroner. He was a member and held offices in: The Masons, Royal Arch Masons, Eastern Star, Scottish Rites and Algeria Temple of Helena, Woodmen of the World, Lincoln Homestead, Brotherhood of America Yoemen and the Rotary. He was a member of the American Red Cross and served as county chairman for a number of years. In 1908 he was also “secretary-treasurer of the Eureka Mining and Development Company diggings in Quartz Gulch and brought home a few of the large gold nuggets.” Dr. Power ran on the republican ticket for State senator in 1910. The October 21, 1910 Mail carried the following descriptor: “…He has taken a leading position in every line of public or private business he has undertaken. he has been second-class in nothing; first class in everything. He is a tireless worker, with judgment sound and business-like, and therefore a leader in whatever he attempts to do. He has no superior in the extent his loyalty to the interests of the people of this county..” He lost the Senate seat by 6 votes to Democrat A.R. Dearborn (Pharmacist at Doe’s Drug Store).
The April 26, 1929 Mail carried the sad news that Dr. Power was dead. In continuation of his community service, the Doctor was serving as the president of the State Bank at the time of his death. The cause of death was flu-pneumonia and had happened the day the paper was published. Besides his wife, Dr. Power was survived by a step-son Harry F. Sewell of California and two nephews. Funeral services were held in the Masonic Temple on April 29th and the body was then forwarded to Spokane for cremation.
Ability to Read and Write English
We're Glad We Helped Santa
Now me and my bud had been pitchin’ down hay
To feed the cows for a night and a day
We’d put down a lot, and we had a reason
It was late in December, and the holiday season.
We headed for home, and the snow it was deep
Real tough for the horses, too deep for a Jeep.
We was makin’ it fine, not too far to go
When we found this here sleigh, stuck in the snow.
It’s a real fancy rig, loaded plum full of stuff.
And with night commin’ on it was gonta be tuff.
The guy in the red suit said his chargers had flown,
And left him a’ sittin’ out there in the snow.
We shook out our ropes, and tied onto the sled
We knew where to find him a good soft, warm bed.
We took care of the horses, then helped him unload.
We left the sleigh there, headed out for the road.
We got in our bunks, and we sure slept tight.
We didn’t wake up ‘till it plum turned daylight.
The stranger had gone, and so was the sled.
But the boxes and bags was all stacked on the bed.
He left us a note sayin’ thanks for the lift.
If we’d look in the boxes, we’d all find a gift.
My brother and me, we each had a surprise
And the things for our sisters sure opened their eyes.
There was pearls for our mom, and a hat for our dad.
It turned out to be, the best Christmas we’d had.
Sometimes we’re just guessin’ about how things will go.
But we’re glad we helped Santa, when he was stuck in the snow.
(Authored by George Melvin Owen [1916-1999])
Melvin was one of eight children born to Charles and Geneva (Schenck) Owen. Charles and Geneva moved from Wyoming in 1910 and leased the newly bought 600 acre Groth Ranch, originally owned by R.R. McLeod, 2 miles south of Philipsburg. He traveled to Chicago to buy 100 head of cattle and always raised exceptional ones under the name Treasure State Herefords. One of his off-spring, Melvin married Ida Berry on November 1, 1942 and they had seven children: Carma, Ted, Kathleen, Cheryl, Charles, Douglas and Judy. I do not find any Montana information about Melvin after his marriage (in Arizona). He was living in Arizona when he died in 1999.
I am privileged to have in my possession from the courtesy of Charles grandson, Don Scott, a booklet written by Naomi (Owen) where she shares these facts with her grandchildren:
Happenings of American Gem Mining Company
Doesn't Cost Me Much to Live
Little Notoriety: John R. Lucas
The Outcome of Booze Versus Brothers
On December 22, 1899, The Philipsburg Mail carried the ghastly story of the Johnson brother’s quarrel. Apparently the three brothers had lived in the Antelope area about 4 miles west of Philipsburg for several years and were from Finland. They made a living by cutting timber into railroad ties and chopping cordwood. “About 4 o’clock Wednesday morning, John Johnson, a Finlander, accompanied by his brother Herman appeared at the sheriff’s office and informed Sheriff Metcalf that he had shot and killed his brother Jacob and had come to give himself up. …Johnson informed the sheriff that the brother Jacob had been to town Tuesday and returned to camp late very intoxicated and with a bad temper. He swore he would kill John and arming himself with a broadaxe, proceeded to chop his way into the cabin. John told him, if he would lay down the axe and come in to bed everything would be all right, but if he did not let up with the axe he would shoot. Jacob continued to chop and was making good headway when John got the rifle and shot through the door. The chopping ceased and when John and Herman opened the door to investigate they found their brother laying there, mortally wounded. They carried him inside and laid him on the bed where he soon expired. After hearing the story, Sheriff Metcalf locked John Johnson up, and in company with George W. Opp drove to the scene of the tragedy, where the dead man was found, as told by the brother. Another Finlander was found asleep in the cabin, and on being awakened informed the sheriff that he knew of no trouble and had heard no shooting. He did not know that a man was dead in the cabin or that anything out of the ordinary had taken place during the night. A coroner’s jury, composed of J.D. Hartwell, F.C. Walker, Frank Freschlag, Wm. Clawson, Archie McDonald and G. W. Opp visited the camp and inspected the premises…. It was found that he ball had entered the body on the right side of the abdomen and came out in the back near the left kidney.”
John Johnson was about thirty years old and his brother was two years his senior. The Mail learned from John that he and his brother quarreled frequently due to Jacob’s temper when he drank. Jacob was the teamster and brought the product to market while the other two brother’s did the chopping.
John’s trial was set for March 12th 1900, at which time he was tried for the killing of his brother. Both the Johnson brother’s and many of the other witnesses spoke very poor English and so most of the testimony was given through an interpreter. Many people were called before a jury could be convened and so after 3 days the short trial began and a verdict was returned after one hour of deliberation. “The courtroom was packed when the jury returned with the verdict and when it was known that John Johnson was to go free there was joy among the Finlanders, who all seemed to favor John Johnson…The jury evidently took the view that the defendant had acted in self-defense when he fired the fatal shot that took the life of his brother.”
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Maybe Should Have Been Named Deceit Not Hope
A Really Good Friend Tried to Help
In Memory of a Peaceful Man
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Was Justice Served
From Rough Neck To Law Enforcer