As stated in the Colonel and Major Blog article when Major John Morse died, Charlotte rented their home out to Senator and Mrs. Metcalf and went to Pennsylvania. She suddenly “returned Monday and moved into her old home.” Mrs. Metcalf realizing Charlotte was not thinking correctly left the house and notified officials. Adjudging her insane, Sheriff Kennedy and attorney W.E. Morse accompanied her to Warm Springs (December 3, 1909 Mail). Senator Metcalf was attending the state legislature at the time of this occurrence.
Anthony George Metcalf was the second of ten children born to Anthony and Mary Reeder Metcalf in Brigham City, Utah. He left home at the age of fourteen and worked in mines around Utah then moved to Idaho and was a freighter with ox teams from Idaho to Montana. In 1876 he moved to Virginia City and operated his own freighting business until 1880.
George married Sarah Richards in Malad, Idaho September 18, 1880. Then freighted from Wood River to Challis, Idaho for two years. Their next moves were to Marysville then Anaconda where he worked for the Anaconda Copper Company. He next worked a contract for the Butte and Gallatin Railroad and moved to Philipsburg in 1891 to build a branch railroad from the depot to the Bi-Metallic Company.In 1893 he bought a ranch on upper Trout Creek. He also, may have lived in Granite in 1885.
Established as a successful rancher by 1898, George ran for Sheriff on the Republican ticket and won by two votes over Findlay McDonald. George was sworn into office on January 2, 1899 and appointed J.D. Kennedy as his undersheriff. In 1900, George was re-elected by 278 votes in a race against Levi Johnson.
A major arrest while George was sheriff involved a large amount of retort stolen from the Bi-Metallic. The Philipsburg Mail September 1, 1899 carried the following account:
Sheriff Metcalf took John Boyd into custody when he received news from Butte that Boyd had been charged with Grand Larceny. Boyd was alleged to have stole from the Bi-Metallic while he was a watchman at the Company somewhere between $10,000 and $70,000 worth of retort. The company had become aware of a continuous loss over the past fourteen months and Paul Fusz offered Boyd a $500 reward to discover the guilty party. Detectives were also employed by the Company. Apparently Mr. Boyd visited Butte the week prior and around the same time $30,000 worth of retort was found with a man named Max Meyer (an assayer) and was identified as coming from the Bi-Metallic. Mr. Meyer was also taken into custody. John Boyd was transferred to Butte to face the charges.
Mr. Boyd, the brother of Mayor Charles Boyd and liverymen, A.J and David Boyd had an excellent reputation. John was released on a $10,000 bond. In 1901 the case was vacated, lacking evidence.
While serving as Sheriff, George also served as President of the District I School Board. He bought the 320 acre Yandell ranch that adjoined the original ranch in 1900. By 1904, George was elected State Representative out of a field of seven candidates that included Thomas Hynes. He remained a State Representative until elected State Senator in 1906.
During his legislative years George was very active in water rights and agriculture issues that concerned the Flint and Trout Creek valleys. In November 1913 he ran against A.R. Dearborn for re-election and lost by 375 votes. He then became president of the Board of Directors for the Granite County Milling and Elevator Company. This mill produced Grantana flour but had a short life as competition was steep from the eastern side of the divide. Next George was a member and probably president of the Trout and Rock Creek Grazing Association. His final employment was as President of the Philipsburg State Bank until 1922 when poor health forced him to give up that position. He went to California for medical treatment and after having surgery died there on May 20, 1923. He is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery.
Born to the marriage of George and Sarah were nine children: Three boys died as infants: C.E aged six months, Baby William and Baby Charles are all buried in the Philipsburg Cemetery. Four sons and two daughters survived childhood and are named as follows: W.E. known as William, Will and Bill married Annie Bowen then after her death married Agnes Courtney and a few years later married Lola Page; C.A. (Cleveland Anthony) known as Cleve married Mary Pauline Sauer and after her death married Margaret Eckley Nicolaysen. R.D. (Robert Drew) known as Bob married Mamie “Dolly” Burton; George known as Lee married Jessie Olney; Mary known as Mollie married Roy Burditt; and Margaret married Rueben Huffman.
These children continued service to the community.
From left to right: Senator Metcalf, Cleve, Lee, Will, Margaret, Mollie, Bob and Sarah
Thanks for your sharing.Glass transport Rack
ReplyDeleteThats my family!!!! Im Rueben Linn's Grandchild. Rueben Linn is Rueben Huffmans grandson if im remembering correctly. My papa cried when his Aunt Mollie died and Jean his mother died when he was young. We went from Metcalf to Huffman to Linn.
ReplyDeleteHi So glad you found this blog. The Huffman Family is also discussed here. Just Google The Huffman Family and it will come up. I am a shirt tail relative as my Grandfather's half brother's daughter Mona Rau married George's grandson Clevie Metcalf. Their son Bruce is still alive and lives in Butte, Montana. Nice to hear feom you, My name is Loraine Bentz Domine.
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ReplyDeleteHello! I believe I am the great great granddaughter of George Metcalf! Roy and Mollie had my grandmother Donna, my mothers mom! I'm making my family tree and found this blog. From what i recall, my mother would talk about Mollie as a woman with wanderlust, taking advantage of the Homestead act of 1863 in Missoula, but I'm a little confused on the dates. My family and I went to Missoula, Montana, to visit the homestead when i was a young child. We met some distant cousins who still live there but I don't remember their names. Thank you for making this blog, Do you have the birthdates of George and Sarah?
ReplyDeleteGeorge was born to Anthony and Mary Reeder Metcalf on March 4, 1857 in Brigham City, Utah. His parents immigrated from England in 1853. Sarah was born December 10, 1859 in Brigham City, Utah and her parents went tp Bannock, Montana Territory in 1864 then Idaho where she met George. Although he was in Montana at intervals they did not move to Granite County until 1891. They had a total of nine children: C.E., William and Charles died as babies and are buried in the family plot i the Philipsburg cemetery. Robert was born in 1882; William E was born in 1883; George Lee (I do not have his birthdate handy); Margaret 1885 lived to be 103; Mary Ethel (Mollie) died in 1938. Her husband Rpy Burditt died in 1938. Daughter Donna maried Bill Mackey and they had Sarah, Mary Anna and Tony,
DeleteI have a large article on the Metcalf family in "Mettle of Granite County Book Two" that was published in 2009 and is for sale in the Granite County Museum in Philipsburg, Montana.
I do not have any information on Molly homesteading near Missoula. The Metcalf ranch was south of Philipsburg and is now a number of smaller properties. Sheryl Metcalf provided me with a lot of the information but she is now deceased. Her brother Bruce is still alive and lives in Butte. Their mother Mona Rau Metcalf was my third cousin. She was married to Cleveland R. Metcalf son of Cleveland A. and Pauline Saurer Metcalf
I realized as I published the reply I had not listed Cleveland A as one of George and Sarah's children. He was born in 1889 and married Pauline Saurer. They had Cleveland R and a little girl, Inis, that died in 1919. Pauline died in 1930 and Cleve then married Margaret Nicholaysen. Their is a large family plot at the Philipsburg cemetery.
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