History of Courtney Family

The first records found concerning the Courtney family are the 1860 Federal Census showing the wife of Humphrey Courtney had arrived in New York with an infant son Humphrey and husband about 1836 from Ireland. Catharine lived with her son Humphrey as a widow in the 1970 and 1980 census. Son, Humphrey living in Florence, New York, married Ellen Bolane about 1856. She was born in 1838, in New York. According to the 1970 and 1980 census records they had the following children: John (1958), Catharine (1860), Michael (1862), Bridget (1864), Patrick (1866), Maurice (1868), Julie (1873), Humphrey (1876), Catharine (1878) and Daniel (1879). I have to assume that the Catharine born in 1860 did not survive. The Census was not done in 1890 and by 1900 I find Humphrey living in Butte, Montana as a lodger with the Thompson family and 17 other men. 

His obituary states that he moved to Butte at the age of 20 and worked as a miner there for several years before he came to Philipsburg about 1913 and leased the Coyle manganese mine in Hasmark with his brother Maurice. Pictures from the Tex Crawley collection show the “Metcalf Four Team” with Fred Barbour as teamster unloading ore into railroad cars at the Northern Pacific station from the Coyle Mine. The money they earned from this lease is what they used to buy the property and build the Courtney Hotel on South Sansome. Going from being a miner to becoming a hotel proprietor, in the late 19th and early 20th century made perfect sense at that time. As stated in “A Room for the Night”, The influence of western hotel proprietors was considerable. Townspeople knew that most prosperous communities had good to excellent hotels. “In these hotels life was acted out-birth, marriage and death.” My grandfather, Billy Bentz spent the final weeks of his life in the Courtney Hotel. Important people such as resident, Merrill Riddick, namesake of the airport, had Charles Lindberg visit recalls Steve Immenschuh. 

Clifton, Applegate and Lawler were the contractors that built the hotel in 1918 and the original two story building had a third story added, before completion in 1919, “Making it the best and most substantial modern building in the city.” (Philipsburg Mail, February 14, 1919.) By 1920 , the Hotel added 14 more rooms and a spacious lobby. Advertized rates were “$1 and up.” Humphrey married (Catherine) Agnes Lowney, the daughter of Dennis and Catherine Lowney in Butte on April 29, 1925. Maurice continued living at the Hotel and Humphrey and wife moved to a home on the North side of town. They welcomed baby Humphrey James on June 21, 1926. 

Maurice, a bachelor, died August 8, 1940 at the age of 72 of Chronic Myocarditis secondary to bad teeth and age. Patrick died at St. James in Butte, from Apoplexy secondary to myocarditis and nephritis at the age of 80. Census records show him in Silver Bow in 1900; as a farmer in Madison County in 1910; a miner at a silver mine in Philipsburg in 1920; a farmer in Rosebud, Montana in 1930 and a guest at the Courtney Hotel in 1940. 

Humphrey retired from the hotel business in 1957 and died at St. John’s Hospital in Helena on February 2, 1961. Survivors included nephews Jack and Donald Courtney in Philipsburg. Son Humphrey had completed his education and was a Priest teaching at Carrol College in Helena. Agnes by 1950, was living in Seattle where she was teaching math and died of Pneumonia April 12, 1993 age 97, residing with Humphrey. He died November 12, 1999 at Carroll College 

While writing the above details about the Courtney family, I was left with numerous questions and had the need to continuing researching. When I wrote “Mettle of Granite County Book One” in 2009 I stated the Courtney Hotel was built by Charles and Humphrey. Obviously that information was incorrect and the source was recalling from memory. I had documented that Charles married Elizabeth Steber in 1914. As I researched the Federal Census reports I could not trace Charles with the original Humphrey Courtney family from New York. But I could find a Charles and Elizabeth in Philipsburg in the 1920,1930, 1940 and 1950 Federal census. When I finally solved this issue, I determined Charles was not born until February 19, 1882. 

The 1880 census showed Daniel as the youngest child. There was no census performed in 1890 and by 1900 Charles was 18 and had moved from his parents home. So far I have not determined where he was in 1900 and 1910. Elizabeth Steber was born, November 20 1896 in Granite and was 17 when they married on September 26,1914 and Charles was 32. Their children were: John (1916), Ellen (1918), Charles (1922), Lois (1926), and Donald (Maury) (1939). Elizabeth worked as the City Clerk and died from a Heart Block, July 31, 1957. Charles died March 12, 1959 in Philipsburg of Prostate Cancer. 

Their daughter Ellen married Ben Walkup, but I have not yet found the date (probably 1935 or 36). They had Albert in 1937 and Loretta in 1939. Daughter Lois married Wesley Warehouse in Spokane October 11, 1947. They had Robert age 1 and baby Willard in the 1950 census while living in Spokane. John was still living with his parents in 1940 and I have been unable to find him in 1950. Charles was in Yakima, Washington in 1950 with wife June and three year old son Richard and baby Michael. Donald always known as Maury was born March 12, 1939, graduated from Granite County High school and served in the United States Military. Ancestry shows children as Scooter, Dawnette, Michelle, Dennis and James. He died on March 24, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. 

The oldest child from the Senior Humphrey Courtney family was Michael born in 1862. In the 1900 Federal Census, he was with his wife Julia whom he married April 16, 1895, living in Butte, Montana with Michael’s brother Patrick and children Ella (Mildred) age 4 and Edward age 2. By 1910 they also had daughter Florence age 10 and still living in Butte. In 1920 they had moved to Philipsburg and were living with brother Patrick, Maurice and Humphrey with children; Ella age 23, Edward age 22 and Humphrey age 12?. Florence had died on October 10, 1919. Michael died at St. James Hospital in Butte at the age of 63 on March 19, 1925 of Uremia secondary to Prostate Hypertrophy and Urine Retention. The family was still living in Philipsburg and Michael was a member of the High School Board until his death. Julia remained socially active in the community while living in her apartment in the Courtney Hotel, according to the May 15, 1928, Philipsburg Mail. Julia died of a Cerebral hemorrhage at St. John’s Hospital in Helena, on May 21, 1951. While there to attend Humphrey’s ordainment at the Cathedral she suffered a stroke on the 19th. She had been living in Grass Valley, California in the 1950 Federal Census. 

The second to youngest Courtney brother born in New York was Daniel born May 7, 1879 and he died in September 7, 1948 in Warm Springs of Tuberculosis as a bachelor. Because it was such a large family, I will never do it justice unless a family member does a family tree. So I apologize to all the descendants I have omitted.