The Kennedy Ranch on Kaiser Hill

I do not know when Bowen’s sold or willed the ranch to their son-in-law and daughter, Chauncey E. and Jessie Hoyt Kennedy. Jessie and Chauncey were married by Rev. H.F. Pemberton of the St. Paul Methodist Church at their home on Broadway on January 8, 1908. Chauncey was an employee of the Walker Commercial Company of Philipsburg according to the wedding announcement. 

I found where Chauncey’s legs were fractured when Jessie struck him with the family vehicle as he was opening the gate for her to drive through. After the accident, Jessie immediately drove him to the Murray Hospital, in Butte stated the Mail, November 21,1908. I also found articles that stated C.E Kennedy was appointed by the School Board as a judge for the school elections, such as in The Mail, March 17, 1922. 

Announced in the October 16, 1910 Mail was “Born to Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Kennedy in this city on Monday, October 12, a daughter” which referred to the birth of Fern. Their other children were: Eugene (Chauncey Jr.), Basil, Dale and Keith. Two year old Keith was accidentally shot with a gun while Jessie and the four boys were visiting the Bowen grandparent’s, at the ranch, on June 20, 1926. He was buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Chauncey and Jessie were still living in Philipsburg, according to the 1930 Federal Census. By the 1940 Census they were living on the ranch with Dave Bowen age 78 and Milo Hoyt age 58 residing in their household. 

Jessie died after a month long illness in the local hospital on February 28, 1955. 

Chauncey born in 1874 died in 1965 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena from a pulmonary embolism. They are both buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Basil, born August 28, 1912 married Miss Bessie (Elizabeth and also called Betty) Twiggs of Philipsburg in the Mountain View Methodist Church in Butte on August 14, 1937 They honeymooned at Yellowstone then made their home in Philipsburg. Don Dee and Karen Kennedy were born to Basil and Bessie before they divorced. Bessie died about 1978 in the Hi-Line area of Montana. Basil then married Utahna Measom on November 3, 1950. To this marriage was born Kal K., Luana and Jon Taylor. Jon was still born on February 22, 1961 and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery Of interest, Utahna was a cousin of Jennie Ray Kennedy (Eugene’s wife). 

Basil lived in Philipsburg where he served as both deputy treasurer and treasurer. He then became the Montana State City/County auditor/examiner until he retired. After his retirement Basil served as a Granite County Commissioner. He died at the Granite County Hospital after a long illness on August 9, 1974. Basil was survived by his wife and four married children; thirteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren. 

Basil’s son, Don Dee served as a Juvenile Officer and Chief of Police for Philipsburg in 1960. He married Margaret Reed from Anaconda in 1962 and they had two girls and a boy. Don Dee worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad Police until 1965 then tried mining, logging and carpenter work. He joined the Military and served from 1968 through 1970. He was Sheriff of Granite County from 1991 to 1998. Don Dee and wife Margaret continue to live in Granite County. 

On October 11, 1937, Dale Kennedy married Maxine Wickershime (Wickersheim) in the parsonage of the Methodist Church. This marriage was short lived and Dale then married Margaurite Lueck, daughter of Sheriff and Mrs. Fritz Lueck. In the early forties Dale and Margaurite took over operation of the Kennedy Ranch. A few years after their children Gail and Michael were born, they moved to California. Dale born January 15, 1916 died August 26, 1997 in California and was interred in the Philipsburg Cemetery. His headstone has a cowboy and horse engraved on it with the inscription “Gone Ranching with God.” 

Eugene (Chauncey Jr.) married Miss Jennie Ray daughter of Paul and Phoebe Wells, on October 21, 1937 and they made their home in Butte. Gene was a graduate of the Butte Business College and Jennie was a graduate of the Murray Nursing School. Jennie died in 1957 and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Fern Kennedy married Dee D. Cooper on August 20, 1934 at the family residence in Philipsburg. She attended the State Normal School at Dillon and taught at numerous schools in Granite County, including the Rock Creek School. Mr. Cooper had been teaching at Granite County High School and had accepted a position on the White Sulfur Springs High School teaching staff, for the ensuing school year. 

The Kennedy ranch, in recent time, was sold to the Bauer Ranch and most of the buildings have now been torn down.

The Kaiser Homestead that became the Bowen Ranch

Another ranch located on the west slope of Kaiser Hill that looked out over the Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek valley and the 3-H ranch was the original Kaiser homestead founded prior to 1895 as research revealed “Herman Kaiser has gone to the Kaiser ranch on upper Rock Creek to remain for some time”( The Mail January 17, 1895). 

Kenneth Smith an Anaconda Dairy owner bought the homestead from Kaiser about 1897 with the dream of becoming a cattle baron in an area as good as the “Big Hole.” Smith believed that the B., A. & P. Railroad was going to be built from Anaconda to Hamilton right past the ranch in the next couple of years and that would mean he could ship beef directly from the ranch. When Smith’s dream became a bust he sold the Kaiser homestead to Dave Bowen. 

D.T. Bowen and Mrs. Dora Hoyt were married in Helena on April 27, 1898 and returned to Philipsburg the next day. Dora brought to this marriage four children: Basil, Jessie, Martha and Milo Hoyt. In February 2, 1900 Mrs. D.T. (Dora) Bowen had what was referred to as a hospital and was involved in providing care to the county poor. The County Commissioners awarded her the contract to provide care and requested a bond of $800.00 be filed before the contract was in effect. At this same time Dr. Wm. Ray was awarded the contract for supplying medical attendance and had to file a $1,500.00 bond. 

During the same year, I found articles that sometimes referred to D.T. and sometimes T.D. as being in town from the Ross’ Fork Ranch leading me to deduce the ranch was bought during 1900. In 1908 under the Court proceedings on March 6 was listed “David Bowen vs. Amelia Bowen notice of intention to move for a new trial.” But I am unable to find any follow-up to this matter. Then on September 25, 1914 was: “Emelia A. Bowen vs. David T. Bowen and Thomas Gravenitis; to quiet title to real estate. Cause was heard before Judge Patterson, Judge Winston being disqualified. Plaintiff failing to appear, defendants put in proof and the court ordered that judgment be entered in their favor. As discussed previously, Bowen also had a long running civil case with J.A. Naef. 

Dora’s son Basil Hoyt died from injuries at the Anaconda Round House on October 21, 1906, at the age of twenty-two years. During the night shift an engine and other cars came lose crashing into each other killing one man and Basil died a few hours later. He had worked at the Round House since spring. His funeral was held at the Bowen home on the south side of Philipsburg, confirming they continued a residence in town, while operating the ranch. 

Assessed taxes for the year 1927 were $259.10 for D.T. Bowen according to The Mail, January 1,1928 but the assets are not listed. 

Dora born December 23, 1850 in Pennsylvania died just short of her eighty-first birthday on November 12, 1931 in Philipsburg. She married Emory B. Hoyt prior to 1882 as that was the year Milo was born. They moved to Anaconda in 1886 then to Rumsey in 1881. Mr. Hoyt died in Rumsey in 1895. Dora and David Bowen were married in 1898 then took up residence at the Kaiser homestead ranch in 1900. Her funeral was held at son-in-law Chauncey Kennedy’s home in Philipsburg on November 14, 1931.

David, born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1859 was a freighter in the Dakota Territories before he moved to Philipsburg and operated the Hoffman Hotel in 1888. A reference in 1925 stated Dave Bowen and his brother Jack Bowen built the Hoffman House by the Northern Pacific Depot in 1861. (the Depot was built in 1887). The article goes on to state they completed the building about the time the N.P. Branch came from Drummond to Philipsburg. Dave died in a local business November 1, 1941 after suffering a heart attack at the age of eighty-two years. 

Dora’s daughter Martha Hoyt married young Ed Rodda from Rock Creek in 1912. Her son Milo Hoyt born January 10, 1882 in Pennsylvania moved with his parents to Anaconda when he was four years old, then Rumsey five years later. He worked for the Forest Service for years and then returned to ranching. I remember him living in the bunk house at the Kennedy Ranch. Milo retired in 1945 and died after a long illness at the Granite County Medical Center on June 5, 1952. 

Daughter Jessie married Chauncey Kennedy on January 8, 1908. He was an employee of the Walker Commercial Company of Philipsburg. To be continued in the Kennedy Ranch article.

3-H Ranch and others co-mingled into Bauer Ranch

Tom and Louise Barr Circa 1920

Many of the original homesteads at the base of Mt. Amerine (Emerine) are now co¬mingled into what is known as the Bauer Ranch on Ross’ Fork. Some of this property was previously known as the Barr and then the Christensen Ranch. 

Louise Hoben after having Harold and Miss Katherine married Tom Barr and he bought the ranch in 1920. The assessed taxes in 1927 for Tom and Louise Barr were $179.02 according to the taxes published in the Mail, January 20, 1928. Miss Katherine Hoben married Rexford Samson on October 11, 1927 in the Methodist Church in Philipsburg. Prior to her marriage she had taught at the Middle Fork School according to her marriage announcement. 

Tom Barr died at the ranch on April 26, 1930. His death was secondary to pneumonia suffered during the winter. Tom was born in Ireland on February 19, 1878 and came to America as a young man. He followed the trade of plasterer for a number of years in New York and Pennsylvania. Then he moved west and worked in the Black Hills. When he located in Philipsburg Tom formed a partnership with Edward Miller and they worked as general contractors. This included leasing the Granite Bi-Metallic mine where they realized success. When the lease expired the partnership was dissolved and Tom bought the ranch on Rock Creek in August of 1920. Survivors were: wife Louise, a step-daughter Mrs. H.R.(Katherine) Sampson and step-son Harold Hoben both of Chicago and a sister Mrs. Madge Carter of Levenworth, Kansas. Funeral services were held at St. Philip’s Catholic Church by Rev. Father Casey. Internment was in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Louise then married Eli Christensen as was discussed in the Christensen family article. Local Information was that the price of the Barr/Hoben Ranch in 1948 was $14,000. This was when Harold Hoben bought the ranch from the bank after Eli and Louise went bankrupt. Harold the son of Louise Barr Christensen worked for the Mars Candy Company in Chicago. Almost twenty years later, Harold originally asked $300,000 and raised that to $500,000, when he sold to Bauer in 1967. 

Lorraine Hoben the daughter of Robert and Florence Smith of Chicago, Illinois married Harold on April 21, 1949. When Harold Hoben and his wife Lorraine (Smith) sold to Bauer they moved to Anaconda. Harold died later that year and Lorraine died at the age of ninety on February 10, 2005, in Anaconda. 

Other property, besides the Hoben Ranch (3-H) that now comprise the current Bauer Ranch are the O’Connor/Stephens Ranch and Reservoir; the Rupp/Shoblom, then Verlanic Ranch, originally owned by David and Ellen Helm and leased by my grandparents May and Billy Bentz in the late twenties through 1946; the Charles Gray place located on the south side of the Ross’ Fork Road; the Kaiser homestead (later owned by D. T. Bowen, then Kennedy) located on the Kaiser Hill on the east side of Ross’ Fork; and the Russell place which was in the meadow below the Helm ranch. 

I found where Helm’s lived in the area in 1920 when Adolph Helm was one of the students going to Missoula to attend the Montana High School annual track meet detailed in the Mail, May 13, 1920. Also, a news article revealed Ellen Helm died in Birmington, Washington on February 7, 1928. The article stated they were former ranchers on Ross Fork of Rock Creek. Ellen was born fifty years before in Sweden and was survived by husband David; daughters: Lillian, Alvira and Elsie and two sons: Theodore of San Francisco and Adolph of Philipsburg. Her son, Adolph married Emily Flickinger. Adolph died in 1983 and Emily died in 1992. They are both buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

The Stephens’ Place and Reservoir was named after George Stephens who was the original owner of the Stephens Hotel. Stories are that he traded Tom O’Conner the hotel for the ranch. The date O’Connor’s took over the Hotel is 1929. The date Stephens’ began ranching was about 1917 according to his obituary on August 13, 1937.

Bus Hess, recalled that a person named Vaughn leased the Stephens place before Ray Hess signed a lease in 1929. George may have operated the hotel while leasing the ranch and then moved out to the ranch after O’Connor took over the hotel. George’s wife Edna moved to California with the children in 1923 according to her obituary in March of 1939. George Stephens was the Philipsburg City Marshal and he submitted his resignation letter in the November 17, 1899 Mail. 

T. J. (Tom) O’Connor (1871-1943) left ranching and became the owner of the Stephens Hotel in 1929. Shortly after the transaction, his wife Ida B. (Kelley) died September 18, 1929. at the age of fifty. After Ida’s death Tom married Mary Ellen Naef, in 1931 and she died a year later. Tom also ranched on Trout Creek as I found where he sold his place located next to the Schuh ranch to the W. M. Montgomery and Company butchering firm of Anaconda in June of 1910. He received $40 per acre for the unstated amount of acreage.

The Bauer Ranch currently also owns sections of land on the Middle Fork, one of which was originally homesteaded by Charles Adams. Research shows where he paid $440.78 in taxes to Granite county for the 1927 tax year..

Where did the name Ross come from

In “The Philipsburg Story” authored by Robert Oakley in August 1981 it is stated that Ross Fork “was named for a prospector that frequented the drainage in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s.” I have researched for more than twenty years and found no one named Ross in this area at that time. Also the Fork was named before the eighties and nineties because Nez Perce Jones, (The New Northwest , July 19, 1878) references watching the Nez Perce Indians traveling up Ross’ Fork as he sat on top of what is now Mt. Emerine (Amerine) after he climbed the mountain to get away from the renegades. This tells me that the Fork was already commonly known as Ross’ Fork during Nez Perce Jones prospecting ventures. 

Continued research shows only two people named Ross entering Montana when it was virgin land or a Territory. Granville and James Stuart with friend Reece Anderson arrived in the Big Hole in October of 1857 and their journals speak frequently of a person named only “Ross” camped with Grant and Meeks and he was with the Stuart’s often in their travels including Deer Lodge and Flint Creek, but never do they speak of traveling on any Forks of what was then known as Stony Creek. This Ross almost drowned in the Big Hole and then a year later did drown crossing a stream in high water in the Flathead valley, in the early 1860’s. There is no one named Ross listed in the 1862-63 early settlers Census contained in Contributions Vol. I, 1876. 

The second person involved in Montana ‘s early history was Alexander Ross a trapper with the Hudson Bay Fur Company. Born at Nairnshire, Scotland in 1783 he immigrated to Canada in 1805 and in 1810 traveled to New York where he enrolled in the John Jacob Astor Pacific Fur Company. In October of 1813 the Pacific Fur Company was passed over to The Hudson Bay Company while The U.S. and Britain were involved in the War of 1812. Thus Ross spent most of his 15 years in the fur trade with the Hudson Bay Company. In 1823 Ross was tendered a new trapping route in the Snake River country. He began his duties early and had great difficulties obtaining adequate trappers at Spokane House. Traveling into the Flathead he continued hiring men, whose families usually traveled with them, ultimately totaling twenty five women and sixty four children. Against expert advise he decided to begin the trip down the Bitter Root in early March. By March 20th they had reached the area which is just south of present day Sula with heavy snow and about fourteen below zero. Until the 14th of April the group of men and their horses battled this valley to cross over the pass into the Big Hole. 

In Ross’ words “Making the road took the united labour of fifty men and two hundred and forty horses, with all the available means within our power, (most of the time trampling down snow that was ten feet deep) for twenty one days…and our supper at night depended on the good or bad luck of our hunters during the day.” 

 Ross named the area "The Valley of Troubles" and shortly thereafter it became known as "Ross’ Hole", as is the current map depiction. This “Hole” is located at the base of the Sapphire Mountains south of Sula. About fifteen miles from the top of the ridge on the eastern slope is located the source of the Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek. As you travel east on the creek you then come to the South Fork of Ross’ Fork which comes in from a south westerly direction and the Pintler Range. These waters continue on down Ross’ Fork passing the south side of Mount Emerine and dump into the West Fork about one-thousand yards from the confluence of the Middle Fork and the beginning of upper Rock Creek. 

Ross resigned from the Fur Company after he completed this difficult first Snake River trip in 1824 and moved to the Red River country in Canada. He became a popular politician and died in what is now known as Winnepeg in 1856. 

After a lot of research, conversations, heated discussions and thought, I have come to the conclusion that Ross’ Fork is named after Alexander Ross and his infamous Ross’ Hole. In Ross’ journals he discusses numerous ventures of him and his men traveling up the mountain sides while hunting and attempting to find another way out of the valley, during their twenty-one day ordeal. I imagine at least once they looked over the ridge into the Ross’ Fork area.

Abbie's Story

Abbie and Will McClain circa 1930

The following is a story told by Abbie M. McLain to Garnet Stephenson at Georgetown Lake in 1964:

 "I Abbie May Belyea McClain was born in the green timber land of New Brunswick, Canada Sunday afternoon of January 18, 1885..at 5:00 p. m…My father John Wesley Belyea was a hard working dairy farmer. My mother Mary Elizabeth Delong Belyea who was thirty-nine when I was born was a good farm woman. I was her tenth and youngest child. Four girls and five boys lived to maturity. One child died at birth. My father worked in the lumber woods in the winter. I was one month past five years of age when my father died of dropsy at the age of forty-eight. His body filled up with water and when it reached his heart he passed away…My brothers stayed home to finish paying for the farm. $300.00 was owed on it… 

I was twenty-three years old when in July 1908, my sister’s husband and oldest boy came to Missoula, Montana. The following March I helped my sister bring her seven children to Missoula... I fully intended to go back to New Brunswick where I had done housework for another family for seven years. I was young, pretty and had good clothes. 

I had blue eyes, a straight nose and cheeks that stole the bloom of the wild rose. I wore my hair in a large bun on the top of my head. I had a fancy pin in it. My tall, slim figure was clothed in dresses of the bustle-mutton-leg sleeve style. The better dresses had long trains that trailed behind. Women often carried the trains over their arms. Shoes were high top button style. 

I found a job doing housework in a place called Washington Gulch eighteen miles north of Avon. I worked there sixteen months, then I went to Missoula to work. I arrived in Missoula December 3, 1910. While I was in Missoula a neighbor, Mr. Gibson used to tease me about a Will McClain. I had never seen Will, but jokingly told him to invite Will down sometime. The Gibson’s had worked for Will and his brother Charlie on their farm in the Bitterroot. I found Will to be a handsome, blue-eyed man of medium build with dark curly hair. 

We had supper at Gibson’s then Will and I went to a revival meeting. A teacher named Lowry had meetings in a big tent across the tracks. We went to revival meetings often after that. I had been in Missoula exactly one year when Will and I were married December 3, 1911… 

Will was thirty-eight and I was twenty-six. I, the bride wore a brown suit with an ecru lace blouse. I paid $10.00 for the blouse. On my head was a brown velvet hat trimmed in front with blue net. We drove a buggy from Missoula to the ranch near Philipsburg. Will and I lived on the ranch from 1911 until he died January 26, 1949. Will and I worked hard and over the years we expanded the original ranch of 160 acres to 2,470 acres. 

We had three children. The first was a boy who died when he was ten days old. He was born January 29, 1913. Howard was born eleven months later on Christmas day, 1913. Emily was born December 6, 1917… To make a living we raised horses, range cattle, chickens and milked cows. We sold fifty pounds of butter a week…I have always been fond of chickens but Will never wanted to have any. I took some of my own money that I had earned and put away before my marriage and bought a dozen hens. Later I bought another dozen red hens. When Will saw that I could make money with them he built me a hen house… 

We milked one cow at first then Mrs. Belleview had cows she wanted to sell. We then bought more from Cleve Metcalf. Fourteen were the most we milked at one time. We both milked and after they were big enough the kids milked. After Howard was three years old, we had a hired man all of the time. 

The years have passed and I am an old woman. I have five granddaughters: Lesa Marjorie Lyon, Charlotte, Mary Etta, Lydia “Gail”, and Nellie McClain and one grandson George W. McClain. The ranch that I worked so hard to help pay for is still in the family. My son Howard operates it. I had my part in the progress of the west and now I relinquish the work to younger, stronger hands.” 

 Abbie lived a simple life consisting of hard work, harsh reality, and her legacy: the ranch and family including the Sheriff’s better half.

Naef Brother's married Parker Sisters

The story goes that the J.A. Naef place was originally the Pleasant Schillings homestead. The property was bought by Naef in 1901. I do not know where Schillings was living when he was arrested in 1904 and 1906. Documents show the Schillings Homestead on Section 34 and 35, Township 5 in a 1914 printing and J.A. Naef as a registered voter living on Section 26 in The Mail, November 1912 voter’s list. It is a possibility that Schillings originally had all 3 sections. 

Of interest is research revealing court notices of D.T. Bowen versus J.A. Naef, set for Monday, March 20, 1916 in the Mail, March 10, 1916. Then I found a comment in the case of D.T. Bowen vs. John A. Naef where the jury found for the defendant (Naef) for a sum of approximately $6,000 in The Mail, March 24, 1916. Next I found under cases passed for the term was D.T. Bowen vs. J.A. Naef in the Mail, December 15, 1916. On the March 1918 court calendar “D.T. Bowen versus J.A. Naef, demurrer to complaint” was filed. Then in May 1918 I found where the D.T. Bowen vs. J.A. Naef damages were set for trial June 17, 1918. Unfortunately that was the last court notices printed in the Mail, until March of the next year. It is unknown what would be a case for that large a sum of money. D.T. Bowen at that time owned the original Kaiser homestead in Section 18, T.5. 

The three Naef brothers: John, H.R. (Roy) and Joseph (Jake) Naef, married sisters, Mary Ellen, Jennie and Minnie, the daughter’s of Thomas and Fannie Parker, of Anaconda. I found this reference in the obituary of Jennie Naef on January 20, 1911. She died at French Gulch and was survived by her husband, son and daughter. Sadly none of them are named in her obituary. 

J.A. (John) (1873-1929), married Mary Ellen Parker in Anaconda and shortly after their marriage came to Granite County. They had seven children. John, (age fifty-six) was working at a mine in Butte when found dead in his hotel room on May 29, 1929. It was believed he died in his sleep. Trying to earn a living wage on a homestead was impossible causing many to work away from home. Survivors were: wife Mary Ellen, children: Miss Ruth and Mrs. Florence Pickett of Philipsburg; Mrs. Grace Peterson and Howard of San Francisco; Asa, Lawrence and John of Philipsburg. 

Mary Ellen (1875-1932) was born to Thomas and Fannie Parker in Cedar Fort, Utah. After John died, Mary married T.J. (Tom) O’Connor in 1931, who was a rancher in section 10. Tom traded his place to George Stephen’s for the Stephens Hotel and they moved into town where Mary died a year later. Survivors were: husband Tom; her seven children; mother Fannie Parker and sister Minnie Naef of Anaconda. 

Of the Naef children: Lawrence “Bud’ Naef (1910-1939) married Ruth Owsley in 1934. On May 14, 1939 he was working at the Contact Mine east of Philipsburg when a jackhammer being hoisted to the surface fell off the cage. Bud who was working 100 feet below was hit with the falling hammer and died instantly. 

Howard (1898-1994) married Ruby Carnegie in the early 1920’s and moved to California. They had a daughter Helen. Howard was in the U.S. Army in WWII from September 9, 1942 to February 12, 1945 and they divorced in 1945. He returned to Granite County in 1950 and married Lola (Van Blarcum) Page, Metcalf in 1951 for a short time. Howard moved into the Norman Bohrnsen bunkhouse and then fixed up the Ike Sander’s house across the road. He lived there until he was moved to the Granite County Nursing Home in March of 1994. Survivors were: daughter Helen McIntyre and sister Grace Peterson (ninety-eight) of California; four grandchildren: and two great grandchildren. 

Florence, married Emmett Picket, who worked at the Haverty Garage, March 10, 1926. Grace married Andrew Peterson and their son (name unknown) died in the early 2000’s in a motor vehicle accident. 

Ruth married Fred Adams and after she died Eleanora the widow of Asa married Fred in 1980. 

John lived in California, with his wife Joy. 

Asa (1901-1957) married Eleanora Steber (1912-2005) December 3, 1933. Asa was six months old when the family settled on the ranch on Ross’ Fork. He lived with his young family on the Featherman Place on Middle Fork then became an employee of the Moorlight Mining Company which became Taylor-Knapp. After thirty-seven years for the company, ill health forced retirement five months before his death. Son Ronald (1934-2000) was a Navy veteran of the Korean War; daughter Marie Dean and son John (Judy Fessler) visit Philipsburg often.

Christensen's of Ross' Fork

Rasmus and Anna Christensen

In 1928 Rasmus Christensen bought the Carnegie ranch on Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek from the Kroger Bank (First State Bank). I am assuming the Carnegie children were unable to run the ranch and turned it back to the bank, after the parents died. 

Family history states Rasmus Christensen born in 1880, came to America in 1898. He returned to Denmark to marry Anna Mortensen and after Eli was born in 1902 they immigrated to Tacoma, Washington. They moved to Montana in 1908 according to Eli’s obituary. In 1919 Rasmus began his career with the Northern Pacific Railroad as a section foreman until he retired in 1945. Rasmus continued working on the Railroad after buying the Carnegie place and died at the Northern Pacific Railroad Hospital in Missoula after a short illness on October 29, 1957.

Alice, Eli, Carl, Francis with Baby Bob and toddler Ozzie sitting on the box

 Anna born in 1873 died in 1959 and is buried next to Rasmus. During their marriage seven children were born. The eldest, Constatine Eli Bessmere-Christensen was born in Denmark in 1902 and arrived in the United States at the age of one. In 1908 the family moved to Jens, Montana, then moved to Bearmouth in 1918. In 1928 Eli began working on the Barr Ranch north east of the Christensen place. Eli authored the book, Just watching the sunset, in 1975. While employed at the Hoben/Barr ranch (now the Bauer Ranch), Eli married a niece of Louise Barr. After a short time the niece (name unknown) left the ranch. After Tom Barr died on April 26, 1930, Eli stayed on at the ranch and married Louise (1884-1976) in 1944. 

In 1950 the ranch went bankrupt and they moved to Philipsburg. Eli worked as the janitor at the court house and on the rural mail route. In 1956 they moved to the Virginia City area, then returned to Philipsburg in 1960 and Eli resumed his position as courthouse janitor. As an active citizen Eli served as a county commissioner and then Justice of the Peace. His obituary stated he retired in 1967 but I found an Official Bond notice for him as Justice in The Mail, March 27, 1969. 

Eli married Annie Debree in Anaconda in 1981 and lived in Philipsburg until 1992 when they moved to Deer Lodge where he died on March 9, 1996. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Carl, Oswald, Robert; sister Anne Sullivan and infant brother Oscar and sister Frances who had died as a young girl. 

Rasmus and Annie’s son, Oswald H. known as Ozzie was born in 1911. He worked on the ranch with Robert (Bob) for many years until he married Mrs. Betty (Groves) Horrigan. After their marriage he moved into Philipsburg and helped her manage the Granada Theatre. Ozzie served in the U.S. Army in WWII and died in Philipsburg in 1982. 

Carl Christensen never married and lived out his later life in Kansas. 

Alice Christensen also lived a single life in the Seattle area and California. 

Violet married Frank Hertz who worked for the Milwaukie Railroad and they lived in Deer lodge. They had two daughters: Francis and Anne. She later married a man named Benasch. Her daughter Anne Findlay still lives in Deer Lodge, according to Joel Christiansen.

Robert L. (Bob) born November 13, 1913 spent most of his life on the Christensen ranch. He married Mary Helen Carey from the William M. Carey Ranch, located near the confluence of East Fork and Middle Fork, on August 19, 1937. They had four children: William (1938-2018), Helen (Loran) (1939-2019); James (1942), Steven (1950) and adopted Marilyn (Silva). 

Bob died of cancer on January 11, 1996 at the age of eighty-two and Mary Helen died at the Granite County Medical Center Nursing Home on November 28, 2006. Steven and his wife Ginger continued to operate the ranch until 2008 when they sold out and moved to White Hall. 

Christensen’s kept the Carnegie tradition of raising and slaughtering hogs. Neighbors would go to the ranch early in the day and the men spent the day slaughtering, while the women cooked and the kids played. One year us kids went to the slaughter and watched for a short time before the men shooed us away, so decided to butcher our dolls. We built an elaborate hoist, found a pot to dip the dolls in and brought out hot water, to complete the process. Grandma Christensen saw us hauling out the hot water and told Mom and Mary Helen. When they found us, we had successfully dipped the dolls and were cutting them up. My sister had a ceramic headed doll with eyes that rolled back. The hot water pealed the ceramic head, recessed the eyes and the stuffing fell out as we dismembered her. My rubber doll was not repairable after the hot water and dismemberment. We were all soundly spanked and had to throw away our dolls. I do not know about Helen, but Rosalie and I never had another doll.

The Glover and Carnegie Families of Ross' Fork

Southwest of Zeke’s Meadow on the Ross’ Fork is another meadow known as “Cow Camp.” This camp was built by Alex “Speed” Glover a local rancher. It was used as a round-up cabin for people with cattle grazing in the area in the summer and for trappers to use in the winter. In February of 1921 Alex and his brother William of Anaconda took off from the Glover Ranch to hike the fifteen miles to the camp. After about ten miles on the trail Alex told William he was not feeling well and to go on to the cabin and he would follow. William took the heavier pack and went on to the cabin. He built a fire and waited for a while, then became concerned. He walked back down the trail about four miles and found Alex dead in the trail. Knowing he could not pack his brother in the deep snow, Will walked to the J.A. Naef Ranch to get help. Naef helped him build a stretcher and they carried the body out to the ranch. Then they took the body by sled and wagon on to Anaconda. Only forty-six, he had ranched and trapped on Ross Fork of Rock Creek for the past ten to twelve years and was the son of Andrew Glover an early settler of Deer Lodge Valley. Survivors were: brothers Tom, William, Andrew and sister Mrs. William Nevin.  

Andrew “Dan” Glover and Miss Rosella Carnegie married September 25, 1916 at the Methodist parsonage in Philipsburg. Andrew died at his home in South Philipsburg on January 2, 1929 after a short illness from heart trouble. He moved from Anaconda to Philipsburg in 1915. After numerous jobs he and his wife had contracted to run the county farm a year before his death. Survivors were: wife Rosella, four small children, his sister Mrs. William Nevin and brothers, Tom and William. After services at the family home he was interred in the Philipsburg cemetery next to Dorothy Mae Glover who apparently was one of their children. 

The Carnegie ranch, was located in a meadow south west of the current Bauer (3-H) Ranch on Ross’ Fork. After Frank, Sarah and family moved to Rock Creek I found numerous articles in The Mail where the family came to town from Rock Creek plus events at the ranch, including a large hog being slaughtered on April 1, 1908 that weighed at least 500 pounds. 

On September 17, 1915, The Mail stated: “Sudden death came Wednesday (15th) evening to Frank Carnegie one of the best known ranchers and stock men of the upper Rock Creek district. Mr. Carnegie had just driven in from the ranch and after taking some things from the wagon at the home in south Philipsburg, was proceeding to take several cans of cream to the depot for shipment when he suddenly fell from the seat into the bottom of his wagon. George Higley was in the vicinity on horseback and saw the team starting off on a trot without a driver. After stopping the team he observed Mr. Carnegie lying in the wagon unconscious but still breathing. Summoning Merritt Robey [a trained nurse] who was passing by they drove hurriedly to the office of Dr. Power but when they reached there life was extinct. Heart trouble was the cause of death.” at fifty-five years and eighteen days of age. Frank had been ill for two years. Sarah, Ruby and Rosella had moved into town from the ranch so the daughters could attend school while Frank remained on the ranch with two sons. 

Born in Minnesota, Frank was a resident of Montana for more than thirty years. He first lived near Hall as late as 1893, then bought the ranch on Ross’ Fork. He was survived by Sarah and six children. Sarah was a resident of Montana for twenty-eight years and of Rock Creek for twenty years when she died February 9, 1919, fifty-four years and nine months of age. She had suffered from a kidney problem since August of 1918 and was by survived their children: Mrs. Ed Caruthers of Deitrich, Idaho and Mrs. Rosella Glover, Miss Ruby, Vernie, Emery and Irva of Philipsburg. The funeral at the Red Men’s Hall was conducted by Rev. W.H. Calvert with internment next to Frank. Emery (1895-1970) is buried next to them. 

The Glover Homestead was not recorded until February 6, 1941 by Rosella Glover (Grace, Jurin). Rosella received $30.00 a month “Mothers Pension” in 1935. She ran the County “Poor Farm” and married Louis Grace in 1936. After his death she married Chris Jurin. Rosella (1891-1985) became a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1956 and worked at Granite County Medical Center for many years.

Schilling'Brothers were known to use their fists

Schilling’s Gulch is located above the old Carnegie/Christensen Ranch on Ross’ Fork. The gulch was named for Pleasant A. Schilling, who resided in the area for a number of years and sold to J.A. Naef in 1900. News articles on Pleasant were limited with one in 1890 showing lot 7 Block 2 in Philipsburg up for tax sale for $24.89 and another for delinquent taxes in December 1893 on a frame house on lots 1 and 2 in block 7 Weinstein’s Addition and 8 vehicles, 20 horses, 1 stallion and 1 cow for $26.91. 

In April 1887 Pleasant took offense at some remarks made by D.M. Durfee Esq and punched him. He plead guilty and was fined $10 and costs. Next in the March 25, 1904 Mail: “In the district court yesterday, P.A. Schilling was found guilty of horse stealing and his punishment was fixed at imprisonment for a term of one year in the state’s prison. The verdict of the jury was unanimous, and was arrived at after 18 hours of deliberation. After hearing the verdict the court ordered the sheriff to take charge of the defendant. 

Apparently Schilling did not believe that he would be found guilty. He begged the court for a thirty day stay so he could adjust his business affairs after the court passed sentence for one year at hard labor. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for the cost of the prosecution. He planned on filing an appeal before he went to Deer Lodge. In that same issue of the Mail, Schilling wrote a letter asking the population to not accuse him of what he was not guilty of. “I only ask what is due me! If you feel that I have not been a man with you, and my grief is your joy, then tramp me as low as you can. I remain a human being. Signed P.A. Schilling. 

Then a court case of the State versus P.A. Schilling for grand larceny scheduled for March 16, 1906 was settled and the action dismissed. This was the last mention of Pleasant until his brother Newton’s obituary. 

On the East Fork of Rock Creek was a ranch located on Meadow Creek in Sec.35, T. 5 N., R. 15 W., owned by Travis Newton Schilling. He was known by Newt. Newt originally lived in Walkerville and had a propensity to get into fist fights over young ladies as early as Thanksgiving 1890. When he could not win the fight he drafted a small army and went back to finish the war. This resulted in Newt being kicked unconscious and “was unconscious until he felt the surgeon’s stitches passing through his torn lip. Four of the group were arrested under a $100 bond.” When released from jail on December 22, he immediately “proceeded to dress out Billy McDonnell. McDonnell either got the worst or voluntarily quit fighting. Schilling is (again) under arrest.” 

On July 10, 1892, an article headlined “Rich, and Racey but not Rare, stated Newt was observed by Henry Rice‘…rolling out of bed with Catherine Rice” and when she refused to go to Virginia City with her husband a divorce was filed naming Newt as the reason. Catherine’s belongings were shipped to Pleasants home in Philipsburg and Henry Rice received the divorce and custody of their four children. Newt then moved to Granite County. Catherine’s fate is unknown. 

Ever popular, Newt celebrated his birthday in 1920 with almost one hundred guests who dined and then danced the night away. His obituary stated: “Newton Schilling well known pioneer rancher of East Fork of Rock Creek died early Monday morning [August 19, 1929], from injuries received at his ranch Thursday evening, when a team of horses ran away. Mr. Schilling had been working in the hay field and was unhitching his team for the evening when the accident occurred. He overlooked one tug which remained fastened to the rake and when he started to drive the horses to the barn, the tongue of the rake struck one horse, causing the run away... Mr. Schilling became entangled in the rake and was dragged a considerable distance. He was found unconscious and badly bruised.” He suffered a severe concussion, never regained consciousness and died at the age of seventy three. 

Born in Missouri on February 12, 1856, he came to Montana about 1889. Newt ranched on the East Fork for thirty-five years and belonged to the Selish Tribe of I.O.R.M. and the Pocahontas Lodge of Philipsburg. Survivors were: a sister in Texas; a brother in Missouri; and two nieces of Great Falls. Obviously, Pleasant had returned to Missouri after he served his sentence for horse rustling. Funeral services were held in Anaconda.

Early Settler's of Ross' Fork

Near the headwaters of the Ross Fork of Rock Creek on the south side of Mount Amerine is a valley named after Vesper “Zeke” Judy and sometimes referred to as Big Moose Meadows. The meadow was settled by Judy about 1898. Zeke was known to be a congenial host and spent every penny he could earn improving his tranquil setting. Every winter he worked in the mines around Philipsburg, to have money to improve the property in the summer. While working his fifth shift at the Algonquin Mine on May 9, 1922 Zeke was at the 600 foot level. When other miners heard a rock fall they ran to see what happened and found Zeke pinned under a corner of the rock. It took two hours of work with jacks and levers to get the body released. His funeral was at Carmichael’s Funeral Parlor and pallbearers were: Albert Forsman, Milo Hoyt, Frank Johnson, Emery and Vern Carnegie and Thomas Roberts, all from Ross’ Fork. Zeke was interred in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Zeke’s Meadows was bought by Al Forsman from an unknown woman who was probably Zeke’s niece. Al apparently failed to pay the agreed price. Yeats later, without knowing the circumstances, Bob Christensen bought the meadow from Forsman. Bob asked Al a number of times for the title then realized there was a problem. He hired an attorney and took the case to court to obtain a clear title. Bob’s son Steve continued to pasture cattle during the summer in Zeke’s Meadow until selling the property in the spring of 2008. 

Another early settler, Harry Barber Smith came to Granite County possibly running from the law. Harry located his family in a remote meadow south of Medicine Lake near Ross’ Fork. The ranch is now known as the Forsman Place. The story goes that he would walk out to the J.A. Naef place (originally the Schilling homestead) and go to town with the Naef’s when they needed supplies. Right before a blizzard Harry left home to go to the Naef place. His wife did not become concerned until he had not returned a week later. She thought he was at Naef’s waiting out a storm. When she walked out to Naef’s and realized he never arrived a search was mounted, but his body was never found. Research fails to produce any articles about Harry’s disappearance. Mabel remained in the remote area for a time and then moved to the Flood Block in Anaconda where she raised Foster, Lawrence and Ione. She was the sister of Mrs. T.R. Bowen. News articles show her son Foster Smith was involved in a explosion at the Rock Quarry near Anaconda in 1896 but had only minor injuries. 

An article in the Mail January 19, 1917 stated: John Johnson of Anaconda a man employed by J. Forsman to feed stock on the H.B. Smith ranch on upper Ross’s Fork of Rock Creek, was found dead on Thursday of last week by Howard Naef, a neighbor, who visited the place. Johnson had evidently been dead several days as the stock in the barns had not been fed and horses were gnawing each other’s mane and tails and the wood of the manager and stalls. Heart disease is believed to be the cause of death. …Coroner J.J. Carmichael…decided that no inquest was necessary as death came from natural causes. 

Harry Smith’s daughter Ione married John Albert Forsman in August of 1926 and that is why the ranch is now known as the Forsman Place. John Albert Forsman died on June 24, 1951 at the age of fifty-six in the family home in Anaconda. He had been a rancher and at one time operated the Gold Coin Mine. The son of Joseph Forsman a pioneer resident John was born in the West Valley of Anaconda on April 22, 1895. He was buried at New Hill cemetery in Anaconda. Descendants of the original Forsman family continue to spend vacations and holidays at the ranch. 

Medicine Lake mentioned earlier was a Native American spiritual landmark. According to folk lore before the white man arrived in this area the Lake was used by the Indians for spiritual journeys. Fishing is very good in this pristine area and has been for many years. The area, according to a document in my possession, was a patented mining claim known as The White Swan Placer Mineral Location, in 1903. The claim was deeded from F.D. Sayrs to George Stephen Congdon in December 1921 and apparently was then a fish hatchery.

Fessler: A Man Above Reproach

W.N. and Etta Fessler

W.N. Fessler known as Wilbur was born on February 5, 1866 in Perry, Iowa. He married Etta Bennett on February 11, 1889 and they lived on a farm in Iowa for the next ten years. Next they lived on a farm in North Dakota for nine years. In 1909 the family moved to the Bitter Root for eleven months then took up a homestead three miles west of Philipsburg in the Flint Creek Valley. He settled there on the advice of his brother Dr. Emmett Fessler, who died in 1925. 

In the possession of LouAnn Fessler Sichveland is a notebook full of memories that Nina Eva Fessler recalled and wrote down sometime in the mid century. Born to Etta and W. N. Fessler, Nina began with her birth on Wednesday September 17, 1902 at McHenry, North Dakota; then her sister Leonita Gwendolyn Crystal was born December 18, 1903 also at McHenry, North Dakota. Nina indicated that they lived in North Dakota through 1907. In 1908 all the family “took a trip to Stevensville to visit Uncle Elmer, Dr. in Stevensville. Stayed all winter.” In 1909 they moved to Stevensville and she and Leonita went to the first grade there; “Kermit Wilbur was born there on December 22.” 

The family moved to Philipsburg on a homestead in 1910 and Vinson Bodkin was born on July 4. The middle name Bodkin was his grandmother’s maiden name; “Uncle Elmer Dr. in P’Berg.” In 1912 “Cains bought Dr. Fessler’s Homestead next to us.” Nina did not make any entries again until 1917 when Frank went into the military “and only stayed 6 weeks.” The family story is they could not find his birth records, so sent him home. 

Arthur and Cecil went into the Service on June 1, 1919 and Leonita died on July 22. Leonita’s obituary in the Mail, July 26, 1918 stated: “…14 years old and youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.N. Fessler died at the family home…after an illness of only a week’s duration. Death resulted from Chorea complicated with endocarditis.” Her funeral was held after Cecil and Arthur were able to return from encampment at Petersburg, Virginia on July 27. 

W.N. Fessler was rural mail carrier on the Rock Creek route April, 1911 through 1917, then route was cancelled because of World War I. “Wilbur worked as a contractor and business man who was above reproach in his dealings.” He contracted pneumonia and died at his home on October 5, 1932. Survivors were: wife Etta, sons, Arthur of Portland, Cecil of Roseburg, and Frank, Kermit and Vinson of Philipsburg; two daughters, Mrs. Nina Drinville and Mrs. Ina Sharkey; a brother Lewis and a sister Mrs. S.J. Ballard of Iowa; and three grandchildren. Internment was in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Nina Fessler chronicles: “1962- Mom went to Stevensville October 13 came home for Xmas, also Judy (Fessler Naef) and John (Naef) they live in Kent Washington. Mom went back 1st of Jan(uary). 1963- Went to see Mom on Easter. Mom died Fri (April) 19th.” Etta Flora Bennett Fessler was a midwife during the 20’s and 30’s in and around Philipsburg and was the rural mail carrier when W.N. took his vacations. 

Kermit Fessler (1909-1975) married Cecile Porter from Oregon and they had Janet and Judy. Janet married and lived in Oregon with children Heidi and Brent. Judy married John Naef and they live in Washington and Arizona. They had three daughters: Paula, Lisa and Jonna (b.d.1963); three grandchildren and a great grandson Mason. 

Frank Nicholas Fessler known as “Stub” (1892-1967) married Beatrice Beekman (1910-1967). Stub bought the rural school houses when they closed and remodeled them into dwellings, two of which are located near Skalkaho Junction. 

Cecil Fessler and Arthur Fessler did not remain in Montana after the War was over. Vinson (Vince) (d-1987) worked for the Trout Mining Company when he married Maxine (Kopie) Ray (1914-1987) on March 16, 1935. Vince bought property from Joe Porter on the south west corner of Porter’s Lane and worked for years on the ranch plus had a trucking business with his brothers hauling ore for Taylor and Knapp and other mining companies. Their daughter Mryna married Ed Leiphmer. They live in Butte and Georgetown Lake and have four children: Edwin G., Mark, Stacey, and Jill and many grand and great grandchildren. Daughter, LouAnn married Don Sichveland (1937-2008) and remained in Philipsburg as do their sons: Thor and Dirk. Daughter Krista and granddaughter Ashley live in Missoula. 

Ina Fessler (1897-1984) married Patrick Sharkey (1893-1975) in September 1918. Their son Cecil (1926-2016) married Dionysia (1926-1995). They are survived by two sons; Jim and Rick; seven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. 

W.N. and Etta’s heirs continue life’s above reproach in Granite County and other states.

Heartaches By The Dozen

Josie Walberg, Parfitt, Rupp, Shoblom was a very strong woman as evidenced by the hardship and grief she experienced early in her life and the manner in which she managed a fortune later. Josie was born in 1890 to John (1858-1936) and Anna Ecklund (1863-1938) Walberg. Her parents married in 1884 in Sweden had immigrated to the United States about 1888. John’s obituary states they lived first in Nebraska and then came to Granite County in the 1890‘s, and staked a homestead on lower Rock Creek. Preceding both of them in death was their son Andrew who died at the age of eighteen on November 9, 1911. Survivors were daughters Josie and Violet (Gormley) and grandchildren, Lucille and Vernon Gormley Jr. 

Anna was also survived by sisters: Mrs. Alex McDonald and Mrs. H.K. Westin, both of Seattle, Washington. Anna’s mother Catherine Ecklund had died on January 25, 1905 in Hall. At the time of Catherine’s death there was five children living: Anna Walberg, Mrs. Fred Westin and Mrs. Charles Weaver, of Philipsburg, Albert, of Hall and Andrew of Lincoln County, Nebraska. 

Anna’s father Albert Ecklund died on December 29, 1929. He started out as a rancher in Hall then changed his occupation to mining in 1899 at Georgetown. Albert followed that occupation for thirty years. He became too ill to work three months before his death and was cared for by Anna at the Walberg ranch. Internment was in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Josie married Henry “Harry” Parfitt Jr. in 1915 and in their three year marriage five children were born. First she had twin‘s: Betty died shortly after birth and Billy died at the age of five days on January 11, 1916. Then their daughter Vivian Josephine died at the age of five weeks in January of 1917. In November 1917 their last child Thomas was born. The Parfitt family also lost Harry’s brother Tom as the first casualty of WWI in 1918. 

In January,1918 Harry left his job at Huffman Grocery and they moved to the Waldberg ranch on Rock Creek. That fall, Harry became ill with the Spanish Influenza. Josie loaded him up in the family wagon and took off from their lower Rock Creek ranch for Philipsburg. While fording Rock Creek the wiffle tree broke as the team attempted to pull the wagon up the steep bank of the creek. Josie, walked back to a ranch house to get another wiffle tree. Poor Harry, remained in the wagon, while his strong wife took care of the crisis. In town Harry appeared to be getting better, then was stricken with pneumonia and died October 21, 1918. 

After Harry’s death Josie worked hard to support herself and little Thomas. But her grief was still not realized. Two year and nine month old, Thomas died at his Parfitt grandparents home on July 17, 1920. On July 9, Thomas had fallen off a fence at the Waldberg ranch cutting his leg on a hoe and blood poisoning set in. There is no headstone, so my assumption is Thomas was buried in one of the siblings graves and Josie did not have the money for a stone. 

Josie (Waldberg) Parfitt circa 1920

Josie began working for Al Rupp as cook in 1920 at his 3,655 acre Willow Creek Ranch located at the Highway 328 and Willow Creek Road junction. Part of theis property was originally owned by Levi Johnson and bought by Rupp and his partner August Greenheck in 1900. 

The bachelor married his cook on July 6, 1929. Al, a prominent pioneer stockman of Granite county. was born in Fon du Lac, Wisconsin in 1863 and arrived in 1889 in Montana. Handsome and wealthy, Al was sought by local females but managed to stay single while involved in many monetary ventures both by himself and with other county residents. 

News articles abound, such as: “Albert Schuh and Albert Rupp arrived last week from the Flathead where they have been ranging some cattle since early last spring. They made a shipment of beef cattle to Spokane a week ago on which they did very well. One steer in the bunch weighed 2010 pounds.” Rupp and August Greenheck operated butcher stores in Granite until 1893; in Philipsburg before and after 1893 and Drummond in 1896, plus a slaughter house for many years along with the cattle ranch(s). Al had also built on Broadway, housing the Central Café by 1928. 

After the marriage, and in failing health Al lived at their home in Philipsburg, until his death November 21, 1932 and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Josie managed the estate very well including the ranch on Willow Creek, the Helm Ranch on Ross’ Fork and many properties in and around Philipsburg. 

Josie married Herman Shoblom December 17, 1934. When Josie died in 1966 the Willow Creek ranch was inherited by her sister and brother-in-law, Violet and Vern Gormley.

Chickens Can Make Money

The following is a story told by Abbie M. McLain to Garnet Stephenson at Georgetown Lake in 1964: I Abbie May Belyea McClain was born in the green timber land of New Brunswick, Canada Sunday afternoon of January 18, 1885..at 5:00 p. m…My father John Wesley Belyea was a hard working dairy farmer. My mother Mary Elizabeth Delong Belyea who was thirty-nine when I was born was a good farm woman. I was her tenth and youngest child. Four girls and five boys lived to maturity. One child died at birth. My father worked in the lumber woods in the winter. I was one month past five years of age when my father died of dropsy at the age of forty-eight. His body filled up with water and when it reached his heart he passed away…My brothers stayed home to finish paying for the farm. $300.00 was owed on it… I was twenty-three years old when in July 1908, my sister’s husband and oldest boy came to Missoula, Montana. 

The following March I helped my sister bring her seven children to Missoula... I fully intended to go back to New Brunswick where I had done housework for another family for seven years. I was young, pretty and had good clothes. I had blue eyes, a straight nose and cheeks that stole the bloom of the wild rose. I wore my hair in a large bun on the top of my head. I had a fancy pin in it. My tall, slim figure was clothed in dresses of the bustle-mutton-leg sleeve style. The better dresses had long trains that trailed behind. Women often carried the trains over their arms. Shoes were high top button style. I found a job doing housework in a place called Washington Gulch eighteen miles north of Avon. I worked there sixteen months, then I went to Missoula to work. 

I arrived in Missoula December 3, 1910. While I was in Missoula a neighbor, Mr. Gibson used to tease me about a Will McClain. I had never seen Will, but jokingly told him to invite Will down sometime. The Gibson’s had worked for Will and his brother Charlie on their farm in the Bitterroot. I found Will to be a handsome, blue-eyed man of medium build with dark curly hair. We had supper at Gibson’s then Will and I went to a revival meeting. A teacher named Lowry had meetings in a big tent across the tracks. We went to revival meetings often after that. 

Abbie and W.H. McClain

I had been in Missoula exactly one year when Will and I were married December 3, 1911… Will was thirty-eight and I was twenty-six. I, the bride wore a brown suit with an ecru lace blouse. I paid $10.00 for the blouse. On my head was a brown velvet hat trimmed in front with blue net. We drove a buggy from Missoula to the ranch near Philipsburg. Will and I lived on the ranch from 1911 until he died January 26, 1949. Will and I worked hard and over the years we expanded the original ranch of 160 acres to 2,470 acres. 

We had three children. The first was a boy who died when he was ten days old. He was born January 29, 1913. Howard was born eleven months later on Christmas day, 1913. Emily was born December 6, 1917… To make a living we raised horses, range cattle, chickens and milked cows. We sold fifty pounds of butter a week…I have always been fond of chickens but Will never wanted to have any. I took some of my own money that I had earned and put away before my marriage and bought a dozen hens. Later I bought another dozen red hens. When Will saw that I could make money with them he built me a hen house… We milked one cow at first then Mrs. Belleview had cows she wanted to sell. We then bought more from Cleve Metcalf. Fourteen were the most we milked at one time. We both milked and after they were big enough the kids milked. After Howard was three years old, we had a hired man all of the time. 

The years have passed and I am an old woman. I have five granddaughters: Lesa Marjorie Lyon, Charlotte, Mary Etta, Lydia “Gail”, and Nellie McClain and one grandson George W. McClain. The ranch that I worked so hard to help pay for is still in the family. My son Howard operates it. I had my part in the progress of the west and now I relinquish the work to younger, stronger hands.

Abbie an unassuming person lived a simple life consisting of hard work, harsh reality, and her legacy: the ranch and grandchildren.

A Crib For The Generations

Earlier this summer at Flint Creek Valley Days, in a conversation with Helen Hauck Shanklin, I asked her if she had any pictures of her maternal great-grandparents, Anna and Charles Kroger. A short time later I was honored to receive not only pictures of the Kroger’s but also a family article written by Catherine Hauck Taylor (daughter of Dora and Lawrence Hauck). 

The following contains excerpts from this family article, written at an unknown date. “ I have wondered what my grandmother, a woman of gentile upbringing from an entirely different environment, thought of the new land where she was to make her home. The names were far from reassuring. Leaving Deer Lodge, they traveled by wagon to the Mouth of Bear, now Bearmouth, hearing of the Hell Gate on down the canyon to the west, then up Bear Gulch high in the mountain country to Beartown. This four year old, rough frontier town consisted of log cabins hastily built, rather close together, to house one thousand miners…Such was the environment which greeted my pioneering grandmother and where she proceeded to make a home for her family for almost five years while they steadily improved their financial standing.” “Two children were born to the Kroger’s in Beartown, Dora Catherine on September 11, 1871 and Walter Wesley on July 11, 1873. My mother was the first white child born in Beartown. 

Anna (Rusch) Kroger

Charles Kroger

This brings to mind two stories. My grandfather bought Grandmother a sewing machine which arrived in time to help her making the layette. One day as she sat at her sewing machine in front of a window, light was cut off suddenly and she looked up startled to see what made the room so dark. The window was filled with the faces of Indians looking at this object of strange magic. Fearfully she continued to sew. After what seemed an eternity, the light returned. The Indians left quietly.” 

“The second story is about a little crib. Originally it was a cradle, but the rockers have been lost through the years. My mother’s coming had created considerable interest in the camp. As a special gift, Mrs. Joaquin Abascal and her husband, recent arrivals who had established a general store in Beartown, sent for the cradle. It came by train to Corrine, Utah; thence to Deer Lodge by freighter and from there to Beartown by packhorse to be delivered by the mail carrier, Mrs. Abascal’s brother W.A. Clark, Sr. (shortly thereafter, Mr. Clark went into other fields, becoming heavily interested in the Butte copper mines. In later years he became Unites States Senator from Montana.) Grandmother told me they used to carry the baby in the crib to dances and other community gatherings where she slept peacefully, not awakening even on the trip home. No baby sitter problems for them! Four generations have slept in the little crib, my mother and her three brothers, my mother’s five children, five of her grandchildren and four of her great-grandchildren. Following is the list: Dora Catherine Kroger September 11, 1871; Walter Wesley Kroger July 11, 1873; Henry August Kroger October 25, 1975; Frederick William Kroger January 22, 1879; Herman Lawrence Hauck November 18, 1894; Catherine Dorothy Hauck September 10, 1901; Elsie Christine Hauck August 13, 1903; Dora Marguerite Hauck April 6, 1905; John Christian Hauck December 22, 1910; Lois Jean Hauck November 4. 1926; Marian Irene Hauck November 2, 1928; Elsie Margaret Taylor June 30, 1929; Dora Catherine Taylor September 27, 1932; Ellen Jean Taylor February 22, 1944; John Ryan McGarvey June 15, 1955; Allan Michael McGarvey June 26, 1957; Michael Dale McGarvey December 12, 1960; Margaret Ellen McGarvey February 18, 1964.” 

“During those early years in primitive Beartown, Grandmother and Grandfather often spoke longingly of their homes in Schleswig-Holstein and their families there. Finally, in 1874, fortified with eight bags of gold dust to finance the trip, they started out on the long trip from Beartown with their two small children, Dora, three years and Walter, one year old, to visit for several months in Germany. I do not know how many months it took for them to get there, but it could not have been an easy trip with such young children. According to Uncle Fritz, mother’s youngest brother, as he had heard the story, ‘the return trip was made with the two small children, three 16 gauge, pin fire shotguns, a large 12 tune cylindrical music box, a medicine chest, miscellaneous boxes and the necessary traveling luggage. By ship to New York, by train to Corrine, Utah and home by stage coach. A trip to end all time.’ Grandmother told me that she and Grandfather took turns holding the precious music box wrapped in a steamer robe.” 

 Wonderful stories!

Dora (Rusch) Lehsou, Anna (Rusch) and Charles Kroger, John Lehsou

Munis (Munesi)

South of the Mungas ranch on East Fork Road was located their cousin’s ranch owned by George and Annie Munis (Munesi) (Unknown when the spelling changed). The November 1, 1912 Mail, listed registered voters of Granite county with George Munesi living at Sec. 24, T5N, R15W. 

Born in 1881 in Yugoslavia, he came to America in 1900 and moved to Philipsburg in 1903. The homestead was taken up in 1910 and he married Anna in 1912. 

Annie and George (Joe) Munis 1912

Born to Annie and George were Nick, John, George, Mitchell and Robert. George’s (often known by Joe), headstone in the Philipsburg cemetery states George Joe Munis. 

Annie Parich (Perish, Perich) born 1887 in Yugoslavia came to the Flint Creek valley in 1912 when she married George and moved to the homestead. She lived there continuously with sons George and Robert after becoming a widow, until her death in 1954, at the age of sixty-seven. 

Their son Nick, born in 1913, was under-sheriff for Bryan Hynes beginning in 1946. He continued the position when Fritz Lueck was elected to the Sheriff office and when Fritz left the office Nick was acting sheriff until the 1954 election. He won the election and served as Sheriff until he retired in 1980. Prior to under-sheriff, Nick worked on the family ranch, logged, worked the Sapphire Mines, the Anaconda Smelter and the East Fork Dam Project. He held the Philipsburg Chief of Police position and resigned as of February 1, 1953. Apparently, he was filling the job of under-sheriff and chief of police at the same time. Nick lived on the Mitchell Munis ranch after he retired until his health forced him to move to the Granite County Memorial Nursing Home. He was an active member of the Flint Creek Masonic Lodge and The Montana Law Enforcement Association. He died at the Nursing Home July 10, 1996. 

Robert (Bob), born in 1931, worked for eighteen years for the Granite County Road Department and then ranched with his brother George. He died at the age of fifty-three, in 1985 from a motor vehicle accident at the junction of Highway 38 and what is now Highway One. 

John, born in 1914 married Bessie Terkla in 1937 and went to work in the local mines. On January 18, 1944, John enlisted in the Army and served during WWII until 1945. In 1947, John and Bessie bought the Miller ranch located just off the Skalkaho Highway in Section 5 and he ranched there until his death in 1994. He was a member of the Maxville Veteran of Foreign Wars and served on the Philipsburg School Board. Survivors were: wife Bessie; sons John and wife Peggy (Mungas) of Billings and Michael and wife Nancy of Manhattan; grandchildren Dr. James Munis of Boston and Bonnie Sue of Concord, New Hampshire and five great grandchildren; Bessie continued living in Philipsburg until her death on December 18, 2002. 

Mitchell, born in 1917 began to learn the trade of raising purebred Hereford cattle at a Wyoming Hereford ranch at the age of seventeen. Next he was herdsman at the ranch of Governor Dan Thornton of Gunnison, Colorado. He was drafted into the Army in 1942 and discharged after serving in France, North Africa and Germany in 1945. Mitchell returned to the cattle business in Colorado and Wyoming, being involved in the first sale of a $100,000 bull at the Baca Grant Ranch disperser sale. He married Rosalie Moore ( a telephone operator) in Gunnison, Colorado in 1953. 

They moved back to Philipsburg in 1956 and leased then, bought the Ed Heimark ranch in 1959. They had two children: William and Betty (New). Mitchell died in Missoula at St. Patrick’s Hospital in 2001. 

Mitchell and Rosalie’s son William “Bill” (1955) graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Agriculture Mechanic and died at the age of fifty at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula in 2006. Survivors were: his mother Rosalie and sister Betty New of Boise, Idaho. Rosalie lived in assisted living near her daughter Betty in Boise her final year and died in 2016. 

George born in 1916 spent his entire life on the ranch, except for WWII. He was as a sharpshooter from 1941 to 1945 with the 18th Infantry Brigade, Company F and earned the combat Infantryman’s Badge. He was wounded, received a Purple Heart and was discharged with the rank of Sgt. George married Mary Diane Sward in 1957 and they had: Brian, Joe, David, Stephen and Jennifer. They later divorced. The ranch specialized in registered Herefords and Black Angus cattle. George died in the same house he was born in at the age of ninety in 2006.. 

The fourth generation of Munis families continue to manage the ranches.

Who was the Mungas Hill and Willow Creek Mungas Named After

Mike Mungas circa 1914

One family instrumental in the development of the Trout creek area was Mungas. Water was the life blood of ranching and the following article in the Mail October 15, 1937 discussed the long standing battle waged to protect what was needed to ranch effectively: “A complaint, praying for the adjudication of the water of the East Fork of Rock Creek, was filed in the District Court on October 9th . Rock Creek Ditch and Flume Company, a corporation, John Hickey, George Munesi, Mitchell Mungas and George Mungas are named as plaintiffs and The Flint Creek Water User’s Association, State Water Conservation Board et al are named as defendants. The complaint alleges that plaintiffs appropriated 1000 miners inches equivalent to a flow of 25 cubic feet of water per second, on or about July 18, 1910. …plaintiffs were denied the right to transport their irrigation water through the canal and water system constructed by the defendants as provided for in an agreement.” As you can see by the date the issue started about 1910 and when the law suit was filed in 1937 this action was long lived and ended up with most of the Trout and Flint Creek valley involved in the action, making water a very contentious and precious product. 

The very first settlement I found regarding water rights was in 1905 and pertained to the rights in Flint Creek. The suit was by the Montana Water, Electric Power and Mining Company versus Mary Schuh et al. This suit was settled in the circuit court of Helena and published on the October 6, 1905 issue of the Mail. The settlement gave the power company 1200 miners inches of water and “that on average one and one-half inches of water per acre is ample and sufficient to properly irrigate the said lands of the defendants.” The East Fork water issue was thought solved in an item published in the June 12, 1914 Mail with the headline “Water from Rock Creek is now flowing over the divide.” The article stated: “Water from East Fork of Rock Creek is now flowing through the Mungas ditch and down the Trout Creek slope toward Flint Creek… With irrigation the fertile bench lands of this section will become the most productive in Granite County. The idea of bringing the water from the East Fork of Rock Creek over the divide to irrigate thousands of acres along the Trout Creek is not a new one. Such a project was planned and surveys made more than twenty years ago. But the cost of the enterprise proved a barrier; it was more than most of the ranchers could afford to put into an irrigation scheme. Finally M. Mungas became interested and to his enterprise and persistent effort is due the successful completion of the project. It makes intensified farming in the Trout Creek district a possibility and in a few years will bring a complete transformation to the upper valley. While the cost of the big ditch has been a small fortune its value to the district is inestimable. Mr. Mungas has earned distinction as an empire builder. 

I am not certain when Mungas located on East Fork. Reference in the Mail November 5, 1909 stated “W.B. Ritz who worked at the Mungas saw mill in Sluice Gulch was brought to town with his left hand so badly lacerated it had to be amputated.” Sluice Gulch is located north of Antelope Gulch in Township 6, so was a number of miles north of the Mungas homestead. Mike Mungas made homestead entry No. 05516 on N½,S½ section 12 Township 5, North, Range 15 West, on October 20, 1914 and his Notice of Publication was March 8- April 15, 1918 in the Mail. Witnesses were: John Hickey, William Carey, George Carey and Axel Sandin. 

According to Michael’s obituary, he was born in Dubrave, Yugoslavia March 17, 1858 and immigrated to the United States in 1888, Michael first settled in West Virginia where he worked in the coal mines for about one year then returned to Yugoslavia. In 1895 he returned to the United States and was employed at the Anaconda Reduction Works for a few months before he came to the Philipsburg area where he was employed at cutting stulls for “a number of years.” Then Michael became a prosperous rancher in 1912 on upper Trout Creek. Michael died in St. Ann’s Hospital in Anaconda on March 14, 1944 just three days before his eighty-sixth birthday. Survivors were: widow Mrs. Christine (Boja) Mungas, sons George and Mitchell and grandson George M. Jr., who all lived on the home ranch. Mike’s wife Christine (Boja) Mungas died in 1947 and is buried next to him.
                               
                                         "Zatesalo is Much Too Cumbersome"
In 1890 twenty three year old George Zatesalo left his wife Mary and infant son Peter in Yugoslavia to find a better life in America. He arrived in New York, then went to relatives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he began work in the steel mills. George worked across the country until he arrived in Anaconda, Montana and worked for the smelter. At an unknown date he started working for Mike Mungas and on March 17, 1913 a 160 acre homestead on upper Willow Creek was recorded for George Zatesalo Mungas. Mike had told George that “Zatesalo was much too cumbersome” and suggested George change his last name to Mungas (Anne Luthje, “Upper Willow Creek”).

George built a two room log cabin on his homestead and sent for wife Mary and now seventeen year-old son Peter. Within the first year after arrival Mary gave birth to a daughter named Emma. Life was hard but the family never gave up. Peter worked at home and on the other ranches helping put up hay and calving. In his thirties he met a young seventeen year old girl through a friend in Anaconda. Anjah (Angela) Kosanovich immigrated from “the old country” at the age of sixteen.

Mary, Emma George and Peter (standing) Zatesalo Mungas

Anjah and Peter married and had two son’s: George (1922) and Peter (1924).  Father George was involved in a wagon roll over and his team went on to the Luthje ranch without a driver. Henry Luthje found George lying in rocks with a broken hip. George refused care and was crippled the rest of his life. Mary died of pancreatic cancer in 1936 at the age of sixty-nine. Grandson Peter was run over by a vehicle in India, while serving in World War II and died July 4th, 1945 and Grandpa George died later that year of prostate cancer.

After the Spring Creek School house was moved to Willow Creek on 1.7 acres George had provided, the school teachers boarded at the Mungas ranch. That is how young George fell in love with Miss Dorothy McGrath and married her. Born to this marriage was Peggy (1943), James (1944). Bob (1947) and Dan( 1952).

Emma completed teacher’s college and taught in a rural school west of Kalispell. She died in 1981 and is buried next to her husband in Kalispell. Anjah died in 1955; Peter died in 1970.

While George ran the family ranch, Dorothy taught school in Philipsburg for many years. In 1973, George and Dorothy sold the ranch. Peggy married John Munis; Bob married Andrea; Dan became a Doctor and married Theresa; James became a Doctor and married Carol. James died from ALS January 2011 in Great Falls. Dorothy and George died December 2008-January 2009.

And that is how there became the Mungas Hill and Willow Creek Mungas’s.

Now back to the second generation living on Mungas Hill: It is apparent the monetary aspect of the Mungas ranch was being managed by the son prior to Michaels death as taxes for George M. Mungas for the year 1927 were $637.38. George was president of the Montana Stock Growers Association; a legislative assembly delegate from Granite County in 1937; Secretary of the Rock Creek Grazing Association; a charter member of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame; a member of the Montana State College Experiment Station Advisory Board; director of the Deer Lodge Bank and Trust; school board member; Granite County chairman of the U.S. Savings Bond program; State Legislative Representative for Granite county in 1937; a member of the Masonic Lodge and Shrine; a lifetime member of the Rotary and attended the Episcopal Church.

George born in 1888 in Austria, died September 13, 1976 at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula. Survivors were: wife Margaret, son and wife: Mr. and Mrs. George M. Mungas Jr.; three grandchildren: Michael, Mona Gaye and Craig and cousins: Nick, John, George, Mitchell and Robert Munis.

Mitchell Mungas, made homestead entry No. 05517 on October 20, 1914 at the age of 21. Mitchell was a member of the Flint Creek AF&AM. Born on October 15, 1893 he died on March 25, 1970 of a heart attack.

George and Margaret’s son George M. Mungas Jr., born November 4, 1943 took over the 2T Ranch after his father died in 1976. He attended University of Montana and studied Business Administration. After serving in the Army, George returned to the ranch and married Dana Skoglund in 1964. They had Mike and Mona, then divorced and George married Sharon Barkell in 1975. Craig and Joe were born to this marriage.

George and Sharon started The Mungas Company in 1981 and built a thriving business in mine reclamation and construction. George died May 16, 2006. The family continues to manage the property and business.