The Huffman Mines and Jaspar Huffman

The 1870 Federal Census shows Jaspar Huffman age five living with his parents Thomas Jefferson (38) and Julia Ann Reins Huffman (34) in Pipers Gap of Carrol County near Hillville, Virginia with siblings: Addison (13), Susan (10), Elizabeth (9), John (8), Cosmo (6 months) and Grandmother Elizabeth (84). 

The first reference found about Jaspar S. Huffman in the Philipsburg Mail was August 8, 1889 when Jaspar, horse and carriage went over an embankment on the road coming down from Granite. The horse and Jasper were okay as they hung up on a tree, but the carriage was not found. Jaspar was manager for the Freyschlag, Huffman and Company Store in Granite and was ill with a severe case of Quincy according to the May 23, 1893, Philipsburg Mail and during that same year Jasper made a trip to the Oregon coast. He was an election judge for the 2nd Ward in Philipsburg in May,1894 and for District Number One in November, 1895. 

Also, in the Citizen Call, Jaspar circulated a petition to have the Montana legislature reconsider women’s right to vote in May 1895, ”He desires to be a candidate for Congress and thinks he can make his calling and election sure if the ladies can be enfranchised.” By May of 1895, Jaspar was involved in a mine in Princeton and also mining in the Boulder District. By July 1896 “Jaspar is in from a summers work on his placer ground and from the way he has ‘spruced up’ rumor is left to believe he has made a fortune and is looking for one of the fair sex to share his good fortune.” 

By September, 1896, Jaspar and Sam Synder were prospecting in the Red Lion District. August 8, 1898 Mail stated that Jaspar “was in town from the Boulder Country to sell his dust and whiskers.” He was also on the volunteer list from Granite County for the Spanish American War in 1898. The May 5, 1899 Mail states “J.S. Huffman and Webster Butcher, who have been working the mines owned by P.J. Brophy and others near Princeton under lease, have struck a rich body of excellent ore which has every indication of being sufficient to give them a very good start in life. The ore it is said, will average over $100 per ton in gold and about forty five tons are already on the dump. Mssrs, Meacham and Clark, who operated the property several years ago, will have charge of the milling of the ore. All of the above parties are interested in this mine and mill. Messrs. Huffman and Butcher owning one-fourth.” 

 By June the Huntington mill was up and running and within a week had milled about $1,000. This mill is believed to be located near the mouth of Smart Creek, close to Maxville. The 1900 Federal Census shows Jaspar (35) living in Princeton with his brother John (38). As a Democrat, Jaspar won the November 6, 1906 election for Granite County Assessor. 

Also, Henderson Gulch had a revival in 1909 when Jaspar found a five foot vein five miles up Henderson Gulch. He believed this was the source of the millions of dollars worth of gold that had been removed by placer, below his claim. The ore assayed from $4 to $18 a ton. 

Jaspar married Dora Bushman in Butte on June 1, 1907 and they were living in North Philipsburg according to the 1910 Federal Census. By 1920, Jaspar and Dora were living in California, but returned to Deer Lodge where Dora died of Uremia on August 25, 1920 and was transported to St. Louis for burial by Jaspar and brother Ad. 

The February 16, 1923, Mail stated that “the Huffman Mine at Maxville had been sold six months prior for the sum of $100,000.00. Barton Mitchell was the general manager of the new company owned by New York investors.” The Huffman family history relates the Huffman share was placed in a bank that failed right after the money was deposited. At this time research has not identified which bank it was. 

Jaspar was living in Philipsburg when Ad Huffman married his second wife Lucy Carpenter in 1924. At an unknown date, Jaspar married Ave Marie C. Golden and returned to Los Angeles, California where he died in November, 1927. His obituary stated he had been a resident of Philipsburg for thirty-five years and had interest in the Gold Reef, Gold Hill, Huffman Copper and many other smaller mining properties in Granite County. His body was accompanied by his wife to St. Louis where he was buried next to his first wife Dora in the Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum.

Tid-bits of History and Hazards of the Henderson Mining Area

As a person drives down what is now known as Highway One from Maxville to Hall you pass a sign that says Henderson Gulch on the left side of the road just beyond Boulder and then Stone. Often these three landmarks go un-noticed by the traveler. Previously I have written articles about Emmetsburg and the Monument plus the fact that Henderson Gulch was probably the first discovery of gold in Montana, but have written little about other events in this part of the narrow Flint Creek Canyon. 

One of the first news article research revealed concerning Henderson Gulch was June 13, 1894 in the Citizen Call. James Mallette died in a mine accident in the Healy tunnel on the Washington claim in the Henderson district. This property had only recently been bought by the Charles McLure Mining group and a large force of men had been clearing out the tunnel for about ten days. At the time of the accident only Mallette and Hugh Mellen were in the tunnel. Mallette was filling the wheelbarrow and Mellen was wheeling the muck to the dump. As Mellen was returning from the dump he heard a muffled sound in the tunnel and called his partners name. Hearing no response Mellen immediately sought help. Calling for Mallette the men began digging about where they thought Mallete was located. The deceased was found after about 30 minutes of digging. He was face down and wedged by a wheelbarrow that had been thrown across his legs. There were no marks on the body except a slight scratch on his nose so the cause of death was assumed to be suffocation. 

Coroner Ray was summoned and held an inquest. The verdict follows:”At an inquest held at the Healy mine, in the county of Granite, State of Montana, on the 8th day of June, 1894, before me William Ray, the coroner for said county, upon the body of James Mallette, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are herein subscribed, the said jurors upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death by an accidental cave-in of the Washington lode tunnel; we the jury exonerate the foreman and the company : James Franzman, Foreman, B.R. Horton, R.D. McRae, Dominick Byrne, Jacob Franklin, Jurors.” 

The article went on to state that Mallette had been warned about working in the tunnel before the lagging had been placed. But he believed the dirt was too loose to fall in large quantities so had proceeded with the cleanup. 

At the time of death, James was the president of the Granite Miner’s Union and vice-president of the State Federation of Labor. Born in Cromwell, England in 1862, Mallette came to Montana in 1887 and to Granite one year later. He had lived in Granite until 10 days prior when he came to work at the Healy. There was no mention of survivors and after a funeral service at the Granite Miner’s Union Hall he was interred in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

The Philipsburg Mail carried a short article on December 19, 1895 that stated: “News reached town yesterday of an accident in Henderson Gulch whereby two Chinamen met death by the caving in of an open ditch in which they were engaged in placer mining. The news was reported here by another Chinaman who could talk very little English and no further particulars could be learned. 

An article in the Philipsburg Mail on August 26, 1904 detailed the visit of Asher Adams and told that he was a pioneer of Henderson Gulch. He and his partners (unnamed) were the first miners to operate in the Flint Creek District in 1865 and worked the placer diggings for three years. Mr. Adams stated that they made as much as $33 a day in the early placer diggings, but the price of flour was $125 a hundredweight. When he got tired of mining he returned to Osage City and engaged in a mercantile business, until retirement. 

W.T. Parkison, the superintendent of the Henderson Mining Company’s properties was quite ill according to the October 20, 1905 Drummond Call. Research fails to find more information on W.T., but the daughter of W.T. and Mary J.Parkison, named Virginia died at birth July 11, 1907 and is buried in Block 19 in the Philipsburg Cemetery. 

The December 28, 1923 Philipsburg Mail published a list of property owners and the taxes owed. This list included Henderson Mining Company (Paul Gow) with at least 16 claims located in Township 8 and 9, Range 14 with total taxes owed assessed at $82.35. 

 

According to the “Mining Bible” by William Harvey Emmons titled Geology and Ore Deposits of the Philipsburg Quadrangle, Montana, the Henderson Area began at the Combination Mine which is “west of Henderson Mountain on the crest of the ridge between Smart Creek and Lower Willow Creek approximately 6,500 feet above sea level.” 

About 12 miles northeast of Philipsburg, the closest railroad station was at Stone which was ten miles away by a wagon road. Combination Mine was discovered in 1882 with the first heavy work done beginning in 1885 when a few hundred ton of ore was run through the Hope Mill. At that time the property was bonded by James A. Pack for $25,000 and he formed a syndicate which was organized as the Black Pine Mining Company. They built a 10-stamp mill on Willow Creek about one and one half mile northeast of the mine in 1887 but it only ran for a few months because the company was unable to meet their bills and the property was sold at a Sheriff Auction. A new syndicate formed and was named the Combination Mining and Milling Company with stock holders of the Black Pine Company receiving pro rata allotments of stock in the new company. This new organization was under the control of Charles D. McLure and others that owned Granite and Bimetallic mines. 

By 1891 ten additional stamps had been added to the mill along with concentrating equipment and roasters to facilitate separation by pan amalgamation. Most of the years from 1888 to 1897 the mine and mill operated with the end result of approximately 2,135,00 ounces of silver and 1,411 ounces of gold valued at $1,496,862. Unfortunately the cost of extraction was almost equal to the bullion receipts. Thus causing difficulty receiving financing and the closure of the operation. 

Paul and W.C. Scott owned the Douglas Mine located on the west slope of Henderson Mountain approximately two miles east of the Combination. They built a mill a short distance from the mine that had rock crushers, steam stamps and cyanide tanks and ran about 200 tons of ore but the money was scant due to the lack of equipment to treat the slimes that carried away much of the metal. The Peacock Mine three quarters of a mile Northeast of the Douglas was also owned by the Scott brothers. This 700 feet of work done in two tunnels has a shoot of rich ore from one to eight inches wide carrying silver and copper. Again the outcome was the same as the Douglas. 

The Queen Mine known to most of the locals as the Sunrise Mine was situated on Sunrise Mountain just north of the camp of Henderson about five miles from Stone Station. This mine was worked at intervals from 1892 to 1903 and was troubled throughout the period with litigation. By 1913 the property was owned by Charles D. McLure et al. and had produced about $120,000 in gold. The mill was located in Henderson Gulch south of the mine and was connected by a surface gravity tramway. “The ore from the various tunnels was collected into a bin at the top of the gravity tramway through a number of surface chutes and level tramways and was treated by wet-crushing, amalgamation and concentration.” 

Research revealed the mining application published in the Philipsburg Mail April 12, 1894 by the Sunrise Mining Company for the Maud S. Lode and the Queen Lode which totaled 101.71 acres of land. On August 1,1895 the Philipsburg Mail stated that Superintendent Frederick W. Sherman of the Sunrise was “quite seriously sick at his home at Sunrise. About four weeks ago Mr. Sherman was afflicted with asthma and before he had fully recovered from that he went into the mine and caught cold which brought on an attack of Muscular Rheumatism.” 

The August 4, 1899 Philipsburg Mail, detailed the splendid mines being opened in the Dunkleberg District and stated that a Mr. Rhodes responsible for a real cleanup of good paying ore in that district had also been responsible for the discovery of the “Sunrise Gold Property, which is known to be one of the best and richest in the State. He had also discovered lodes in the Princeton District where Jaspar Huffman and others were now operating. Other early mines in Henderson Gulch were Bunker Hill located one-half mile below the Henderson Mill and was the property of the Henderson Mining Company. Opening in 1894 it produced about $20,000 in gold and silver. Also owned by the Henderson Mining Company was the Belleflower Mine about one mile northwest of the Sunrise, which I found little information about.

"Bronco Bill's" Vacation

A colorful article was published in the April 20, 1923 Philipsburg Mail, about “Broncho Bill” an old man who lived in Coulter Gulch and followed the occupation of Charcoal burner until he was sent to Warm Springs about a year before the news article .

“Bronco Bill” decided he needed a vacation from the “Insane Asylum” and “..left the Warm Springs Asylum via the ‘French leave’ route and returned to his old haunts in Coulter Gulch about five miles southeast of Philipsburg. His old cabin was not in the best of condition and ‘Broncho’ needed something to eat, so he started to borrow from his neighbors without their consent. His favorite food was chicken and he borrowed unmercifully from neighbors in the upper valley, who were often startled in the early morning hours by a commotion in the chicken coop, and when morning came they would discover that ‘Broncho Bill’ had paid them a visit. 

“Broncho Bill’ always seemed harmless enough if he was not bothered, but he was always armed and was ready to fight for his liberty. A story is told about one of ‘Bills’ neighbors who went into the timber one day and came face to face with the ‘Broncho’. ‘Bill’ saw the neighbor first and had him covered with a rifle and when the neighbor discovered ‘Bill’ pointing a rifle at him he simply couldn’t move for a few seconds, he was so badly scared. Then he started backing away, Bill keeping him covered all the time. The neighbor finally tripped over a snag and fell; he never stopped to see if Broncho Bill was still watching him, but as soon as he recovered from the fall he got away from Bill’s territory with all the speed of a race horse. 

For several months all trace was lost of ‘Bill’ and it was only last Saturday that his whereabouts became known. Deputy Sheriff E.J. Muchmore and Federal officer Russell Osborn were looking for moon-shining plants last Saturday in the Gird Creek district, and when they arrived at Frank Barnes’ cabin, Mr. Barnes told them about his cabin being robbed. Trunks, eatables, and everything of value had been removed from the cabin. The three men started out to look for some trace of the stolen property and near the head of Gird creek they came upon a lean-to built at the foot of a cliff. In the shanty was all of the stolen property, and the men at once came to the conclusion that it was ‘Broncho Bill’s’ present home. 

 After a short search they found the man returning to his home from a scouting expedition. ‘Bill’ tried to get to the shanty before the officers did, but they beat him there and confiscated the guns so Bill had to give himself up and soon was on his way to Drummond where the officers took the train to Warm Springs, where ‘Broncho Bill’ will again take up his residence after a very delightful and successful vacation.” 

Unfortunately, I am unable to determine “Broncho Bill’s” given name so cannot complete the story of his life. If anyone knows more details please let me know.

Damsels in Distress

The November 24, 1905 Drummond Call carried an article of adventure for two Philipsburg ladies that mistakenly ended up in Bearmouth:”The two [ladies] had started for their home in Philipsburg from Drummond. They were unacquainted with the road, but depended on their horses to take them to their destination. Night fell and no evidence of the ‘burg’ hove in sight. To make their situation more serious, no lights were visible in any direction and no on was encountered who could apprise them of the right direction to take. There was but one thing to do and that was to keep driving. 

At this critical moment a heavy storm began and the last hope fled from the minds of the two luckless wayfarers. Finally the ladies discerned a house in the darkness, alongside of the road. They sought its shadows for shelter. On examination it was found that the house was locked and no one was living there and their newborn hope took the same speedy flight as previous ones. While debating what the next best step to be taken should be, the shrill whistle of a locomotive was heard a short distance away and the ladies concluded that they were not far from Hall, but could not account for the ‘burg’ train going down the valley at that hour on Sunday. 

They finally concluded however, to unhitch the horse and proceed with it to Hall, leaving the carriage at the deserted farm house, it being now altogether too dark to keep the road by driving. They had proceeding but a short distance in this manner when the horse showed a fright at a dark object a short distance ahead and refused to be led further in that direction. Now alarmed to the last degree by the fear that the dark object was a lone grizzly, the ladies hastily beat their retreat to where the carriage had been left. 

After another brief counsel of war the hapless women saw safety in no other direction than that in which lay the dreaded bear and again they proceeded, determined to crawl upon the back of the horse and urge him on to safety. Their second venture proved more successful and it was but a short time before they pulled up, not at Hall, as they confidently believed, but in front of the hotel at Bearmouth. 

Miss Stuart, the proprietor, furnishing them with dry clothing and in other ways administering to their comfort. The ladies spent the night at the hotel and the following morning were given the right direction and they started home again, arriving safely later in the day. 

That their fears regarding the presence of a wild animal was not unfounded, was proven the next day when Mr. Lannen visited the field through which the ladies had passed and found that during the night a young calf had been killed by a mountain lion. Mr. Lannen and his men are now making a thorough search for the beast.” 

Research has failed to disclose the names of these damsel’s that went west instead of south.

Express Train Dynamited Near Bearmouth

The June 17, 1904 Philipsburg Mail carried the following article: “The east bound North Coast Limited train was held up last night about two miles east of Bearmouth. The express car was dynamited and the safe blown open and a large amount of money was taken. Posse’s from Missoula, Drummond, Philipsburg and Deer Lodge, with bloodhounds, are in hot pursuit of the robbers who were headed toward Rock Creek, in a southwesterly direction from the scene of the holdup. News of their capture may be received at any moment. The first news of the train robbery was received here by agent G.S. Johnson from the N.P. detective at Billings, requesting him to notify the sheriff that No.2, “North Coast Limited” eastbound, had been held up at a point one and a half miles east of Bearmouth, the express car blown up and a large amount of money taken, and to be on the lookout for suspicious looking characters. Sheriff McDonald and Undersheriff O.F. Featherman left for the hills where they expect to meet the posses in pursuit. Later news received is to the effect that the penitentiary bloodhounds, which were taken to the scene from Deer Lodge by special train had scented the highwaymen to where their horses had been tied, a point about three miles south from the scene of the robbery, and that at this point the dogs have lost the scent. The tracks of the horses were found leading off in a southwesterly direction towards Rock Creek… The holdup occurred at practically the same place where the “North Coast Limited” train was held up on October 24, 1902, and engineer Dan O’Neal was killed. The holdup of two years ago was on the night from Thursday to Friday, same as the one last night, and the same train. No booty was secured at that time on account of the robbers running short of dynamite. The amount secured last night is unknown, but it is reported to be large. It is not known how many robbers participated in the holdup, but there were at least two. 

Conductor C.L. Brickell reports an incident at Flint several evenings ago that looks somewhat as if train robbers had been contemplating a raid on the local branch train. Tuesday night, John H. Miller and Henry Bush, who live at Flint, reported to the train crew that two bad-looking men had been hanging around there during the evening, and they suspected then to be train robbers. Miller and Bush seemed to be pretty much frightened, but the train crew did not take the matter seriously. The train was several hours late that night, but it reached Philipsburg without any attempt at hold-up having been made. Wednesday evening the train was on time and Flint was passed while it was yet daylight. The suspicious men were again seen, this time by the train crew, and they no longer doubted that the men were there for a purpose. About one and a half miles this side of Flint two horses were seen tied in the brush, which no doubt belonged to the men seen near the station. It is believed that they were surveying the situation. Conductor Brickell reported the incident to Supervisor Palmer and the crew received instructions to be on guard. The men seen at Flint are probably the same men who held up the train at Bearmouth last night. It is believed that they are familiar with the country and are in the rugged mountains.” 

On July 29, 1904 the Mail carried the announcement that a press release from Spokane, Washington stated George F. Hammond, “one of the bandits who dynamited a Northern Pacific passenger train on the night of June 16” had made a full confession to Sheriff Doust of Spokane county and to the railroad officials. 

The August 12, 1904 Mail, carried the story that John Christie age 22 was the holdup partner and was arrested at his wife’s parents home in Hope N.D. the prior week and was now in the jail in Philipsburg. He was brought before Judge Connolly on Monday and arraigned on charges of grand larceny and having stolen property in his possession. His bail was fixed at $15,000. Christie “couldn’t stand prosperity” was the reason the detectives that arrested him gave for him getting caught. His trial was to take place in September and his confession collaborated the confession of Hammond. They had taken $65,000 in diamonds, plus money. 

The June 9, 1905 Mail carried the notice that the State of Montana vs George Hammond, Grand Larceny trial was set for June 22 at 9:20 a.m. Research has not revealed the outcome of either trial.

A Trip Through the Lower Valley and The Hoover Family

A New Northwest article on October 30, 1885 stated Deer Lodge Sheriff Jim McMaster took a buggy ride to Philipsburg with the New Northwest editor, James Mills and described the layout of the land and names of the residences from Gold Creek to Drummond: Benton Hoover, George Beeber, Thomas Stark, S. Leonard, Thomas Morse, Frank Morse, Thomas Griffin, Berry and Rider and John Edwards. 

As they continued on to New Chicago were the property of William Wallace, David Dunkleberg, William Periman, Prosser and Franzman and the Dingwall brothers. In New Chicago the merchandising was done by J.A. and J.B. Featherman and the Dingwall brothers. The McPhail brothers ran the Valley House, a very comfortable hotel; Prosser and Franzman were the blacksmiths; Featherman Brothers ran the meat market, “Zeb Haynes has a pleasant place of rest for the boys; Judge Ferguson keeps Watch and Ward, dispensing justice impartially to all. The large flouring mill of Morse & Co. now makes two grades of flour.” 

The article continued on after spending the night at the McPhail House, with McMaster naming the residents on Willow Creek: west of town were McPhail Brothers and Colonel Morse while further south the Willow Creek emptied into Flint Creek and the following residences were located: Louise J. Henderson, Joseph Henderson, Charles Tinklepaugh, Thomas and Jones, Thomas Buchanan, M. Dooley, P. Dooley, Angus McDonald, Gus Pearson, Paul Pellitier, P. Ryan, Jack Harrington, John Fahey, John Lannan, Mrs. Magone and Mrs. Nierling. As the buggy left New Chicago for Philipsburg the ranches were described “alternately on the right and left” as John A. Featherman, P. Brogan (bought from Oscar Gruwell), Hi Thomas (bought from Alex Long), Coulson’s, (the old Charley Cooper place), Peter Long, Frank Johnson, Alex Wight’s, John A. Featherman’s upper ranch, the three Heilman brothers (James, Edward and Joseph), the old Dan Gruwell garden ranch, Rory McRae’s Stone Station (Benjamin Horton was the postmaster), William Albright, James Butler, Dave Hennessey’s Boulder House, and off to the right of Stone Station was D.H. Mellan (sic) and James Byrne. 

Benton Hoover named above was actually Alfred Benton Hoover. When he died at the age of 88 on January 25, 1928, Benton was the oldest surviving member of the Montana Pioneers and had been so recognized at their last meeting. Benton had been living at the home of his son-in-law, Richard Hall, at the time of death. 

Mr. Hoover was born in Miami county, Indiana on April 24, 1840 and at the age of six his family moved to a farm in Iowa where Benton received his common school education. At the age of 19 he started across the plains to Pike’s Peak with three wagons and a group of ten men. On the trail the group received discouraging news about Pike’s Peak so decided to go to Nevada by way of Fort Laramie, Wyoming and Soda Springs, Utah. They arrived at Virginia City, Nevada in August 1859. One month after arriving there Mr. Hoover located a claim on what is now known as the Comstock Mine. Hoover took the first five tons of ore down the canyon to be shipped and mined in that area for almost eight years. 

Hoover came to Montana in 1866 and engaged in mining in Grizzly Gulch outside of Helena. He stayed in that area, mining until the fall of 1871 when he purchased a ranch in the Hellgate Valley above Drummond. Benton remained on that ranch until a few years ago when he moved into Drummond. Benton married Anna E. Miller of Missouri in 1884. Survivors were his wife, son Chester and daughter Mrs. Richard Hall all of Drummond. His funeral was held in Drummond with internment at the Valley cemetery. 

 Anna E. Miller Hoover born May 16, 1854 died on March 4, 1934 at the age of 80. Their son Chester born March 24, 1889 died at the age of 88 on February 21, 1978, just a month before his 89th birthday. Chester’s wife Ada, who was born October 26, 1890 died on September 14, 1940 at the age of 49. There is also an Infant Hoover buried in the Valley cemetery but the file has no birth or death date. 

Research revealed where Annie Hoover Hall died in Drummond after being ill for many months. Survivors were: her husband Richard Hall, son Chester and mother Mrs. Hoover according to the December 4, 1931 Philipsburg Mail. Born in 1893 Annie was only 38 years of age at the time of death. Richard died in 1954 at the age of 62. Records do not show any other family members buried in the Valley cemetery.

Merry Christmas to all and to All a Good Night!

After homesteading in Apache Gulch on Willow Creek in about 1917, the Billy Bentz family lived on Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek where they leased a ranch owned by Al Rupp. The ranch was located on the east slope of Mt. Amerine foothill just below the Stephen’s Reservoir. Most of the ranch is currently owned by Robin Bauer. 

When my parent’s Harry and Nina (Stevens, Kamimura) Bentz first married they lived at Shillings Gulch then moved onto the ranch when Uncle Walt went into the military (WWII) and grandpa Billy became ill, so my first memories are at the ranch. The Christmas when I was three and a half, Granny and Grandpa had moved to a home in the Lewiston, Idaho Orchards so just Mom, Dad, Rosalie (my half sister, aged 5 ), “Corky” (18 months) and I were living on the ranch. Dad and I were in the shop about 300 yards from the house putting the finishing touches on a rocking horse, for Corky. Dad had carved out a really handsome horse and attached real horse mane and tail. He also made a nice rope halter and attached a child’s saddle. It was Christmas Eve and after supper, so was dark and we were using lanterns to see. We always got up early Christmas morning to open our packages from Santa so I had no expectations of anything happening that evening, when suddenly I heard sleigh bells and “Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!” Dad and I dashed out of the shop and heard sleigh bells trailing off to the south. We ran with the lantern to the house and in the kitchen found Mom and Rosalie finishing up the dishes. They had not heard anything. We opened the living room door and found brightly wrapped presents under the Christmas tree where earlier had been bare floor. Mom and Rosalie swore we were crazy and insisted they had never left the kitchen. Well then who could have been there? 

We were snowed in, which was not uncommon and never shopped more than once a month even in the summer, so did not hitch up a team to plow the roads. There were no tracks on the ground around the house and being me I was way more interested in where the packages came from than what was in them. Climbing the ladder to the roof with a lantern revealed a pair of sled tracks and deer tracks plus big boot tracks to the chimney. Whoever brought the presents actually came down the chimney! I do not remember any of the presents but have pondered who pulled this off for many decades . 

When people, especially my children, grand and great grandchildren have asked about Santa I have recounted this occurrence and let them mull over the happening. Mom died in 1997 and Dad in 2003. Neither one ever disclosed to me how this happened. Mom just always shrugged and changed the subject, Rosalie insisted until she died in 1997 that her and Mom never left the kitchen or heard anything. Dad always chuckled and said that was for me to figure out. 

The closest ranches were Christensen’s and the 3-H ranch. They had their own lives so would have never traveled that distance roundtrip in deep snow to do all of the detail. Price Townsend and Paddy Ward always helped us hay and would come by in the winter to “borrow” flour and sugar when we were away. These items were always replaced within a few weeks. My parents may have set the details up for one or both of them but that would have been real dedication to a task. Must have been more than fruit cake in payment and I know we did not have money. Although both had cabin’s on Ross’ Fork making the trip easier than from Moose Lake over Lone Pine it still would have been more than 10 miles round trip on snow shoes in the dark. I looked for days for evidence of any snow shoe tracks and did not find their route. 

So in conclusion, if anyone asked you if there is a Santa tell them my story and let them know after decades I still have to believe he landed with his deer on my roof and came down the chimney. Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night! Have a really wonderful and Happy New Year.

Interesting Mining and desires of Rock Creek

Numerous mining claims were staked around the Rock Creek and Basin Gulch area with newspaper references made to claims such as in the August 21, 1896, Mail: “The report of another rich placer section in Granite County reaches the Mail. It is located near the famous Quartz Gulch and the Miller brothers of Parkerville are the lucky discoverers. (It is) called Montgomery Gulch and runs at right angles with Quartz gulch, in which the famous Eureka and other rich placer properties are located. The two gulches almost meet at the top of the mountain and have their termination in Rock Creek… There is no use of anyone stampeding there, however, as we are informed the ground of the entire gulch is already staked. 

Always believing that the next claim would be the big one, news was upbeat, such as The Mail, July 1, 1898: “Work has been commenced on the Antelope road which will be put into shape by the county as rapidly as possible. James McGeeney hauled four men and the necessary camp outfit out there Tuesday and reports say there will be a large number of men put to work on the road and also constructing the branch road up to the properties recently purchased by James A. Murray, the Butte Millionaire and Frank D. Brown, the Philipsburg mining man. Mr. Brown states that as soon as the road is built work will begin on the stamp and leaching process which it is contemplated to erect on the property. The road as it has been was in such a condition to make it impossible to haul machinery over it except at a big expense and Mr. Brown stated that the plant would never be built until the road was constructed. County surveyor Cralle now has the matter in hand and it may be depended upon that when finished it will be a credit to the county.” How does a millionaire and a newsman/politician got a county road developed on a promise of plants that I found no evidence of ever being completed? 

In the Mail, March 25, 1904, claims owned by James and William Schoonover and William Smith were bonded for $15,000. The bond covered the Tornado, Yellow Jacket, Cabin Home and Amended Iowa Boys Claims, situated on Rock Creek between Antelope Gulch and Sluice Gulch. Considerable development work had been done on several of the claims. Messrs. Hughes and Crowley, recently employed at the Henderson mines were experienced, practical miners. J.B. Hand a millwright from Ann Arbor, Michigan was supervising the erection of a twenty-stamp quartz mill for the Crescent Gold Mining Company on Stony Creek. The article in the Mail on November 5, 1909 stated Mr. Hand hoped to get the mill construction ready before winter weather set in so the workers could continue processing during the winter months. At the time of the article several teams were still busy hauling machinery into Stony Creek. The Company owned a group of eleven claims which they had been developing for the past ten years. An air compressor was installed some years prior and power drills had advanced the ability to drill tunnels. A large crosscut tunnel had been developed but so far had not reached the ore shown in the upper workings of the claim. The news article stated that according to F. Wagner: “…the ore occurs in a large porphyry dyke. The country rock east of the dyke is slate. The vein is a true fissure five feet wide and carries average values at $14 per ton in gold. The ore is free milling. Some of the ore in the upper digging runs as high as $100 per ton, in the Red Top claim near the top of the mountain and a road would need to be built to get the ore down to the mill. 

By July 10, 1914 the tunnels were being replaced by placer mining. David T. Conkling had moved his drilling equipment to Stony creek where they were drilling to bedrock for the purpose of prospecting for placer gold. Richard Stingle mined this area for several seasons but had never mined the bedrock. Herman Kaiser also mined about forty claims along the course of the creek. The project was to tunnel north of the Wyman place and cut through the hogback extending down into the Wyman place and into the channel of Stony Creek. “The project was abandoned, principally on account of the shortage of funds.” If this dream had came to fruition the Stony Creek gulch would look a lot different in this day and age. The fishing certainly would not be as it is, let alone the beautiful hillsides of wild flowers.

Because water was a valuable asset Rock Creek was eyed by more than just Granite county as shown by the following headlines in the Mail on May 27, 1904: “TO CONSTRUCT BIG DITCH. Water from Rock Creek to be utilized in operating Bitter Root Placer Mines. The Stevensville Correspondent of the Butte Miner says that it is stated on good authority that a big ditch will be built this season from Rock Creek to the Three Mile Placer mines near Stevensville in the Bitter Root valley. The ditch will be a long one and will cost many thousands of dollars. Much lumber will be required in building flumes along the mountain side and across ravines. It is the intention of the promoters of the enterprise to have a portable sawmill accompany the construction crew and to saw the lumber near the point where needed. It is expected that the ditch will be used as fast as completed in floating the lumber to the point of operations.” Obviously this was another dream that fortunately never transpired. The issue of water rights had to have been quickly brought up when the news was published. I found no other articles pertaining to this item. 

I know from reading “The Bitterroot Trails”, that cattle were brought over the Bitter Root Pass (also known as the Bitterroot Direct Trail) to pasture during the summer in Stony Creek. The route started in the valley at Burnt Fork over the Sapphire Mountains and along the Alder Ridge then zigzagged down to Rock Creek. This, plus the fact numerous families who homesteaded in the Bitter Root were originally from Philipsburg probably created an idea that they were of one people, rather than two different counties. 

As late as 1917 the 25 mile trek was being used by newly weds Clarence and Thelma Hamm to transport their belongings to a new home. Dr. Prince from Stevensville followed that same trail to deliver their son that November. the story goes that the father was known for his sense of humor and told the Doctor that since his son was born in a tent he should have an Indian name. years later when “Snook” went into the military he found out his birth certificate had his name as Hiawatha. it was then legally changed to Clarence H. Hamm Jr. 

On August 21, 1908 in the Mail there was even talk of a railroad cut off going down Rock Creek. “During the past several weeks rumors have been frequent that the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad is again considering the Rock Creek cut-off between Butte and Missoula. The route has been surveyed several times and is said to be 26 miles shorter than by way of Deer Lodge and Drummond, but the grade is considerably heavier. Possibilities of electric power along Rock Creek, however, is a factor which the railroad people have not lost sight of. It is the purpose of the Milwaukee Road to use this natural power where ever available and along the St. Joe River in Idaho work has been in progress for some time for a series of dams and power stations which are to supply the power for moving the trains over the Idaho division through the tunnel at Taft into Montana….that Rock creek is capable of developing all the electric power the railroad would ever need over this cut-off is a well known fact. Between Eagle Canyon and Bonita any number of power stations might be installed without even inconveniencing anyone. The long canyon for approximately forty miles is practically without a settler and no damage would result by damming the stream. Electricity is the power of the immediate future and wherever nature’s forces can be made to supply it the problem of cheap power is solved…. “ 

A similar conversation was discussed in 1937 when the East Fork Dam was being explored and people felt that Eagle Canyon would be the natural spot to place a dam. My visualization of this would be my brother “Corky” ice fishing this winter over a spot where East Fork and Middle Fork originally merged and the Spud Mountains and the west side of Mungas Hill being little knobs sticking out like Piney Point does at Georgetown Lake. Maybe the (unknown name) Lake would be so large that it enveloped Moose Lake also. Granite County is so fortunate that Rock Creek was preserved and none of these idea’s materialized.