A Mining Family Named Jarvi

                                                                Walter and Eunice Jarvi

The First mention I find of the Jarvi name is when John Jarvi has an unclaimed letter listed in the Philipsburg Mail in 1894 and then, in 1896 Mrs. John Jarvi gave birth to a girl. This girl was named Sima as her death certificate gives a birth date of November 19th. John was born in Finland on December 31, 1862 and immigrated to the United States in either 1883 (1900 census) or 1880 (1910 census). 

In 1889 he married Ina (Ida) whose maiden name was either Haidala or Sandeen. She was born in Finland about 1870 and immigrated to the United States before 1889. They originally lived in Michigan where the first son Mathew was born on July 4, 1889. A Federal Census was not conducted in 1890 and by 1900 they were living at Granite where John was a miner for the Bi-Metallic. Besides Mathew, they had son John Emil known as Emil in 1892; daughter Helma 1893 and Sima 1896; daughter Jennie 1898; son Arthur in May of 1899 who died at the age of 14 months on July 2, 1900 and was buried in the Philipsburg Cemetery. Then daughter Laura was born in 1903; son Edward (Edmond) in 1907 and Walter the youngest five years later according to the 1920 Federal Census. 

John died from a second pulmonary hemorrhage due to Miner’s Consumption on April 22, 1914 and son Emil provided the information on the death certificate. This left Ina widowed with Emil age 27 helping her raise Laura, Edward and Walter according to the 1920 Census. Emil was employed as a miner. Ida (Ina) at an unknown date married John (Jack) Salo and she died in 1947 with burial in the Philipsburg Cemetery.

Mathew married Jennie Berg in Missoula on December 23, 1919 and lived in Philipsburg, mining silver. By 1930 Mathew and Jennie had moved to Michigan where he was mining Iron. They had daughters (Arlove) Carol and Kathleen M. In 1940 Mathew was in Hot Springs, Alaska where the archive text stated he was a proprietor. Wow he had changed from a miner to a business owner!. But inspecting the actual census document shows he was a prospector at a placer site. Apparently Jennie had remained in Michigan, because he was listed as married. Mathew died in Ironwood, Michigan on October 4, 1946 and is buried at the Lakeside cemetery. Carol’s son John still lives on the Ironwood homestead. 

 Photo :Emil Jarvi, Lizzie Adams Edwards, Maggie Adams Jarvi, Ebbe Millis and Jean Gallagher

                                          Photo courtesy of Mary Kay Bennett from Facebook

Emil in the 1930 Federal Census was married to Maggie Adams who was born in Oregon and they lived at Moose Lake, next door to Maggie’s sister Elizabeth and husband Harry Edwards. They were busy mining gold and running trap lines. Emil as stated previously assisted in the search and recovery of Moose Lake Johnson in 1941 and on February 27, 1942 died at his cabin at Moose Lake “from over exertion on a trap line in heavy snow”. The story goes that friends believed he had a heart attack the winter before and suffered another one while trying to get through the snow. He made it back to his cabin where he collapsed. His wife Maggie moved to the Harvey Hotel in Helena and lived there 18 years before dying the 24th of May 1960 before her 72nd birthday. 

Sima born in Granite married Emil Elo and they lived in Milltown where they had a daughter Ellen. She died a widow in Hillside Nursing Home from Pneumonia on June 27, 1987 at the age of 90. 

Laura married Pavvo Posti in 1931 in Duncan, British Columbia, and died there in 1995. 

Helma (Davies) buried in Philipsburg died in 1967. Her children were Barbara and Bryan. 

Edward was married to Lyyte (age 39) and immigrant from Finland, in the 1940 Census and was, of course, employed as a silver miner in Granite County. Jean Jarvi Weissenfluh recalls visiting Ed in Portland, Oregon in 1952 and his wife was Simi. Research has failed further information. 

Walter, on December 25, 1935, married Eunice McLees, the adopted daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Katie) McLees, born in Helena in 1912. Following the family tradition, Walter spent his life working in the mines around Philipsburg. Born to this marriage were daughters: Joan (Roberts) who died on December 22, 2009; and Jean (Weissenfluh) who lives in Colorado and sons: Walter Wayne born November 9, 1943 who died April 17, 1945 and Bill who lives in Opportunity, Montana. 

Walter died in March 21, 1969, about 14 miles west of Philipsburg at his home on Rock Creek. Eunice died on June 5, 1975 in San Diego, California. They are survived by their children plus grandchildren: Debbie, Cindy, Misty Roberts Morgan, Julie Gammons , Mark Weisenfluh and Wayne Jarvi. They are both buried next to son Walter Wayne in the Philipsburg Cemetery.

Prominent Jeweler and politician: S.E. McLees

Samuel E. (known as S.E.) McLees, was a very active merchant jeweler at 38 West Park Street in Butte, according to The Anaconda Standard in September 1890 and then in Philipsburg where he was also a politician in early Philipsburg days. The Philipsburg Mail December 9, 1898 stated” To break the monotony of every-day life and have a little sport on Christmas afternoon, several of our enterprising business men have arranged a racing tournament to take place on Broadway….The races are confined to Granite County horses.” Then the article states all of the prizes and who donated them. Many were donated by S.E. McLees including a $60 split-second chronograph watch ; a $70, 14 carat gold-filled stop watch and a $30 silver stop watch. 

In The 1901, Philipsburg Mail’s, there are frequent references to his Jewelry store, such as October 4: “S.E. McLees, the jeweler, has added to his already extensive stock, a complete line of cutlery--razors, pocket knives etc”. 

Samuel Edward McLees, born in Taylorstown, Pennsylvania on August 1, 1867 to Alexander E. and Isabelle Hodgens McLees, was one of three children. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania and followed the mercantile trade business. Sam’s father died at age sixty, in 1877 and his mother lived until 1917. From the age of fourteen to eighteen, Sam served an apprenticeship in a jewelry store in Washington, Pennsylvania, and came west, when this ended, to Fargo N.D. After working as a jeweler for two years, he returned to the east and took a course in engraving, then became employed by the Elgin Watch Factory. Next he moved to Butte and opened a store that burned down within thirty days. He re-opened and stayed in business there for two years, then moved to Philipsburg. 

He married Catherine Rose McCullough, an immigrant from Canada, on April 20, 1898 in Philipsburg. S.E. served as City Alderman for four years, then was first elected as Mayor to Philipsburg in 1910. While campaigning for his re-election in 1914, McLees, was cited by a large article in the Philipsburg Mail, as doing an excellent job of cleaning up the City Sewer problems, also the contamination of Camp Creek, which was causing unhealthy issues in the lower part of the city and had increased the property owned by Philipsburg, while cutting taxes coming into the town, by $1,000.00. Property now owned by the city included City Water Works, valued at $40,000.00; $5,000.00 worth of building and furnishings for City Hall; $200.00 for the jail and pound; $1,525.00, worth of hose, hook and ladder wagon, four wheel and two wheel carts, Bell and Fire tower; City Sewer, worth $15,000.00 and thirty cement street crossings and eight cement alley crossings, for a total value of $64,835.00. 

S.E.’s mother died in Taylorsville, Pennsylvania, on June 8.1917. According to the Mail, (Mayor) “Mr. McLees, arrived at her bedside before she lost consciousness, so was able to speak with her.” In March, 1918, Mr. Haverty sold a Dodge Brothers touring car to Mayor S.E. McLees. In June of 1926, S.E. presented an interesting paper to the Rotary Club, describing precious stones and where they were found. At that time, he was still an active merchant of the city and the Mayor. He declined to run for Mayor, in 1928, after serving for seventeen consecutive years in that position. His favorite cause was the municipal water system. 

Sam was actively involved in the Masons, Odd Fellow’s, Selish Tribe Order of Red Men and the Philipsburg Rotary Club and served on the Grade and High School Boards over the years. 

Samuel E. McLees died of bladder and prostrate cancer, October 4, 1930, in a Butte Hospital, after having surgery. The funeral was held from his home on California Street, to the Episcopal Church with Rev. Lawrence Rose officiating. Internment was in the Philipsburg cemetery, with pallbearers: John Yenter, Freeman Tinklepaugh, Chauncey Kennedy, E. Irvine, Fred Geiger and Walter Kroger. Honorary pallbearers were: Hon. D.M. Durfee, Frank Winninghoff, A.S. Huffman, Thomas Botscheider, Hon. J.D. Kennedy, W. Albright, John J. Orr, R.E. McHugh and Roy Neitz. 

The McLees Jewelry Store was purchased by Charles B. Lawrenson, of Missoula in February of 1931. Mrs. McLees operated the store after Sam died until it was sold. Lawrenson had operated a jewelry store in Missoula and Hamilton, before working for Frank Borg Jewelry Store, in Philipsburg. 

Catherine (Katie) McCullough McLees was born to John and Isadore Lundy McCullough October 2, 1867 and died at the age of eighty-three, November 27, 1950. Her descendants were: daughter Eunice McLees Jarvi and her spouse Walter, plus grandchildren Joan, Jean and Bill Jarvi.

Twice Divorced and Three Times A Bride

                                                              Bessie Dunn Musselman

Bessie, youngest daughter of John P. and Catherine (Kate) Dunn was born April 7, 1887 in Anaconda, Montana. As she grew into a beautiful red headed lady her marriages made frequent news. Her first marriage was an elopement on March 17, 1906 at the Justice of The Peace in Deer Lodge to Frank Gillmurray.  

By the 1910 Federal Census, Bessie was back living at home with her parents. By WWI, she had married for the second time to a young clerk at the Anaconda Reduction Works named William T. Masten. Known as “Tom” and in the National Guard he was soon transferred into the regular Army. He was cited twice for bravery while overseas and advanced from Private to Captain. Shortly after his return from the war, the marriage dissolved and he remarried. Bessie…now known as Betty also remarried in a short time to a High School Coach named E. Raymond Musselman. Known as “Tip” he was younger than Bessie and doted on her every whim. Descriptors about him are: “a skinny school teacher”; “ liked to live well without working”; “worshipped the ground Betty walked on and never doubted her.”

A story in “Gold on a Shoe String” stated that although “known as the Mine Manager he was never an aggressive partner. Once while in the extensive tunnels he dropped and broke his carbide lamp. Lost for hours, he was ever after terrified of the dark, demanding the electric plant at the cabin be kept going all night so he could have a light on. The noise of the motor carried across the lake annoying others.” 

As stated in the John Dunn article, Bessie became secretary of the John P. Dunn Mining Company when it was incorporated in 1919. By 1922, John had deeded all the Homestead acreage and cabins to Bessie. When John died in 1925, all of the rest of the Dunn properties at the Lake were inherited by Bessie and ended the family relationships. Thus it was up to Bessie to make the business profitable. The Frog Pond Basin Mines were creating a lot of excitement with eastern investors and it became Betty’s task to interest these investors in her enterprise. Some say this included face –lifting saloons and adding switches to her “full” head of hair plus “In the spring as soon as the buttercups bloomed Bessie returned home to salt her mines.” 

The story goes that fascinating people came to visit Bessie at the Lake but no one ever met them “because she wanted to keep them insulated from any adverse information about the mines.” One guest was a Dutch mining engineer who was infatuated with his Hostess and sent her lavish gifts; another was a European woman who wore flowers in her hair. These guests were seen out on the Lake or on the streets of Philipsburg and Anaconda. 

In the early 1930’s William Isom and Arthur Taggart bought up a section of the patented claims running east up the canyon behind Whale Mountain and with J.L. Darnell Jr. began building a new mill. Bessie brought suit against them and before the mill was finished Bessie won, with Isom and Taggart gone from the lake. During this period, Betty met a Knight in shining armor named Bill Leamon and a new romance blossomed. Bill was a college graduate and executive and major stockholder in the Houdaille Company, manufacturing hydraulic equipment. Bill invested more than $9,000 in Bessie’s operations and they formed the Toro Mining Company in 1933. They began construction on a new mill with a dozen or more men working during the winter and more than 25 during the summer months. 

Bill and Betty spent most of their time in the east and “Tip” continued as Mine Manager. Bill even christened a drink for Bessie known as the “Golden Betty.” By 1935, the main vein was being followed up the hill rich in gold. Leamon had located nine different outcroppings of ore and many green outcroppings of copper. 

Bill loved to fly and in July of 1936, Bill, Betty and Bill’s two son’s took off in a four passenger plane for the east. They dropped the boys off in Chicago and went on to New York. On their return flight near Fair Oaks, Indiana the plane developed engine problems. Bill sent out one flare before the plane crashed. He was 40 and she was 49. Earlier Betty had deeded “Tip” six of her claims and now her Will gave him all the Lake property and claims. 

He had neither the will or motivation to keep things going and his final report in 1939 showed income $6,328.12 and expenses $8,375.51. Betty Musselman is buried at Lower Hill Cemetery in Anaconda.

The Dunn Mines At Moose Lake

                                                                    John P. Dunn

Legend has it that one of the most profitable gold ventures near Moose Lake was the Dunn Mines. More than twenty five men at a time worked these mines and continued for four decades. John P. Dunn born in Little Falls, New York in September 1845 traveled from Bellevue, Iowa to Montana in 1864 with numerous other family members. First arriving in Butte it was not long before they moved on to Virginia City. John’s brother staked a claim and soon sold it for $2,000 then left “never to be seen again.” 

John returned to Iowa and married Catherine (Kate) Sophia Dyas and they started a family. But in the late 1870’s he felt the “lure of the mountains” and returned to Butte. In 1880, Kate and three small children Robert, Lulu and Harry joined him. They bought a six room house and lived there four years. John worked various jobs including running a ranch at Warm Springs and hauling bullion from the Elkhorn mine to Butte. When Marcus Daly began construction of his smelter in Anaconda in 1883, Dunn realized that was where the money was going to be and opened up a grocery store on Commercial Avenue. He then bought a lot from Marcus and Maggie Daly and built a home on West Park Street. Three years after moving to Anaconda, their youngest child Bessie (later known as Betty) was born. 

Although the grocery store was successful, John loved mining and grub staked many prospector’s and because of this his name appears on many claims in both Deer Lodge and Granite County Courthouses. In 1895, John and companions made a strike at Moose Lake and began staking many claims east of the lake. Often he used the name “Gold” such as Gold Hill, Gold Eagle, Gold Comet, Gold Enuf. But the richer claims were Daisy, Dandy, Abe Lincoln, Chief, Old Dominion, Toro and many others. By 1896 Dunn sold the grocery store and gave all of his energy to developing claims and building a mill. He eventually owned more than thirty claims running up both sides of the narrow canyon and extending almost to the lakes southern end. These claims produced for forty years and in 1902 the Mail stated that Dunn was shipping ore worth $80 a ton from the Lincoln group of claims. 

In 1903, John created “The Moose Lake Mining Company, Inc.” and continued building on his mill. The ore was hauled from the mines up a steep hillside where it was crushed and crudely processed then fell through chutes to wagons parked below. Mill workers said “it was wood fired and a bit of a disaster but it worked.” 

When living at the lake the Dunn family resided in a small prospectors cabin built by George Watsoon the east shore looking out at the Pintlers. In due time a cook cabin and sleeping cabin were added to the scene. In the beginning the family came by horse drawn wagons and stopped over night at Strom’s Wayside Station on George Town Lake. In later years they used a Model T truck to haul everyone the 50 miles from Anaconda around the south side of George Town Lake and then followed section lines to the Middle Fork Canyon. 

The whole family pitched in to help and one year when the smelter was on strike, even the in-laws including newly weds Harry and Jane, spent months working at the Abe Lincoln. In 1919 the John P. Dunn Mining Company was incorporated with John as President, Bessie as Secretary, Robert as treasurer and Harry and Tom Masten (Bessie’s then husband ) on the Board. Lulu’s Husband William Hayes, usually was employed elsewhere. 

In 1922 just two years before the Forest service platted cottage sites around the lake, John obtained a homestead title for 160 acres that included 177 feet of lakeside frontage; the meadow where the cabins were located and then a narrow corridor that extended beyond the north end of the lake then west to the Middle Fork and north for one mile along the Middle Fork. 

 Just two years later Kate died from Chronic Nephritis. The Hayes family who had provided care for her moved into the West Park Avenue home to care for John. John deeded all of the homestead to Bessie and on December 12, 1925 died of acute Bronchopneumonia at the West Park Avenue home in Anaconda. 

Daughter Bessie, now known as Betty (twice divorced and three times a bride) somehow influenced her father to give her sole ownership of the seven patented claims, many unpatented claims, all of the mines, the mill and all of the outbuildings.

Schoonover An Early Ranch Family

                                                                Charles Schoonover

Another early rancher in the Flint Creek Valley was James S. Schoonover. He was born in Marion County, Illinois on August 18, 1860 and married Charlotte Friend in Illinois on February 14, 1883. They moved to Montana in 1885 with children George, Cleo and (Charles) Edward and took up the homestead located two miles west of Philipsburg. They operated a ranch and dairy business on this homestead, and had three more children: Milton (1888), Percy (1890), and Edith (1898).  

In 1900 James was elected to the Granite County School Board and as a road supervisor. James’ obituary stated he served as under-sheriff, but I have not been able to verify that. In 1902 they sold the ranch to Charles and Josephine Schoonover and moved into Philipsburg.. James was nominated at the Democratic Convention in Drummond on September 28, 1904 by Paul A. Fusz for state representative and won the November election by a plurality of seven votes over James McGowan on November 4, 1904. James McGowan contested the election with many allegations, the least not being that the Granite Bi-Metallic Consolidated Mining Company had “used coercion, threats and intimidation” on it’s 200 employees to vote for Schoonover, according to the Mail December 9, 1904. Paul Fusz the manager of the Bi-metallic was obviously the focus of this assertion. H.G. McIntire of Helena and W.E. Moore of Philipsburg were the attorney’s representing McGowan. The election contest was transferred directly to the Helena legislature when schedules conflicted between Judges Rust and Connolly and the attorney’s for Schoonover and McGowan. Although the news article stated that Mr. McGowan had an abundance of evidence to prove every one of the charges, the committee on privileges and elections must not have felt the charges adequate. James was seated in the state legislature as a Democratic representative and George Metcalf was seated as the Republican representative. After serving one term, James solicited Lucas of the Bi-metallic to write letters to Governor O’Toole asking that he be appointed as game warden. I do not find any evidence this happened 

Their son, Charles Edward married Isabella Jamison from Missoula in Helena, in September 1906, After their honeymoon they settled in Augusta where James was stationed with the Forest Service. On October 27, 1908, Percy, the youngest Schoonover son died in the Butte Hospital after having surgery for a telescoping bowel. He had been ill for about two weeks and was in serious condition when the surgery was performed. Percy was eighteen years, seven months and twenty-five days of age when he died. The funeral was held at the Presbyterian Church on October 31 with Rev. J.B. Stevens officiating. Pallbearers were his classmates: Cleve Metcalf, George Mungas, Irving Durfee, James Brown, Kenneth McDonald and Ralph McCleod. 

James and Charlotte’s daughter Cleo married Albert Cunningham August 18, 1909 in Missoula. Mr. Cunningham was a fireman on the Northern Pacific Railroad between Missoula and Butte. He had previously been on the Philipsburg Branch when he met Cleo. The wedding attendant was Miss Katie McDonald stated the Mail, August 20, 1909. They had a son Leland in 1909 and daughter Geraldine Charlotte in 1913. Geraldine died at St. Patrick's Hospital, in Missoula, the week of March 12, 1926, secondary to “ear trouble” (probably mastoiditis), and was buried in Philipsburg on March 13, 1926. 

Sometime between !910 and 1920 James and Charlotte moved to Moiese and operated a ranch with their sons: J.H. and M.E. Schoonover. Shortly after celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, Charlotte died in July, 1933. James died in Moiese on April 10, 1943 and his body was returned to the Wilson Funeral Home for the funeral and was interred in the Philipsburg cemetery next to Charlotte and their children: Percy and Geraldine Charlotte. 

Josephine and Charles Schoonover came to Granite County in 1889. In 1902 they moved to the James Schoonover homestead and after raising their family on the ranch moved into Philipsburg. Josephine and Charles were both from Saldora, Mason County, Illinois and were married there in 1879. From this marriage were born three children. Josephine’s obituary on January 27, 1922 stated she was survived by: George (Bert) living in Miles City, Montana; Mrs. J.T. (Ruby) Pardee of Washington D.C., husband Charles (1885-1943), a sister Mrs. G. L. Atwood of Philipsburg. Son, Charles E. preceded her in death. 

Mary Pardee, daughter of J.T. and Ruby Schoonover Pardee married Ralph Kelly on May 31, 1937. They bought the Schoonover ranch in 1947 and operated it until 1965, then leased the land to neighboring ranchers. Ruby lived on the ranch with the Kelly’s in the summers and died in Missoula at the age of eighty-nine in March of 1976.