Wendla Three Times a Widow

 

Wendla Maria Granback, born January 18, 1898, immigrated to America from Finland in 1916 at the age of eighteen. Her death certificate states her father’s name was John Granback and mother’s name was unknown. She had attended school through the sixth grade and spoke Swedish. Federal Census records found in 1920 show her married to Harry Peterson age 24 and living in Philipsburg, with a son Erick aged five months. Archive data shows that Harry was born at Georgetown, in Deer Lodge County, Montana on January 26, 1896. By 1900 Harry was living in South Philipsburg at the age of four. He married Wendla, November 21, 1918 in Anaconda. Harry’s parents were Johan Emil Peterson and Johanna Mathilda Sanders. Johanna Mathilda Sanders was from the Rock Creek Sanders family. A daughter Hazel (Lawry) was born to this marriage, prior to Harry’s sudden death from Myocarditis secondary to Pulmonary Pthisis (an old medical term used for Tuberculosis), on June 27, 1922. This event left Wendla a widow with two children under the age of three. Without any programs available it is unknown how she earned money to feed these children. 

Herman C. Swanson always known as Carl, born in Dalsland, Sweden on June 29, 1893, immigrated to the United States in 1909. The earliest Federal Census where he was listed under the name Carl was 1920. He was living in Granite with the George Walters Sr. family as a partner in a silver mine lease. In the Census it is noted that he could read, write and speak English but does not state he was naturalized. The possibility that he would have known Wendla and her plight was good as Harry Peterson’s mother (from Rock Creek) would have known George Walter’s sister Annie Walters Gillies, of Rock Creek. Herman (Carl) married Wendla on December 21, 1923. I found where Carl was injured in an accident at the Scratchall Mine on March 30, 1928. Then research revealed a death certificate for Herman Swanson dated June 17, 1930 stating “Found dead on Highway .Freezing from extreme cold weather. Family history states he froze to death sitting against a tree on the road to Granite. The Philipsburg Mail states he was found by A.J. Budel about 2 miles south of Philipsburg on the highway in front of the Owen ranch, on Sunday morning. He apparently was at a friends house and tried to walk home in 30 degree below zero weather. He was 36 years, 6 months and 20 days of age. The informant on the death certificate was Mrs. Charles Pearson from Anaconda who gave the information that his parents were Ole and Annie Johnson Swanson and that he had immigrated in 1914. The death certificate was signed by Clayton Carmichael coroner and the burial was in Anaconda, Montana. 

The 1930 Federal Census showed Wendla Swanson as a widow with Eric Peterson age 10, Hazel Peterson age 9, Leanord H. Swanson age 5 and Carl E. Swanson age 1. Fortunately, sometime prior to Herman’s death, he and Wendla became citizens (I found where Carl filled out a draft card on June 5, 1917 which probably assisted with their naturalization papers and Social Security Cards which granted Leanord and Carl (known as Elmer) and Wendla Social Security benefits. 

 Carl Gustav Issacson was born June 1, 1894 in Torendo, Norrbotten Sverige (Sweden) and is found in the 1940 Federal Census married to Wendla. They were married in Deer Lodge on April 30, 1935. Records show a son Garry L. Isaacson was born to this marriage in 1942. Carl died from a Heart Attack at home December 14, 1975 leaving Wendla again a widow. Fortunately all the children had left home, so she enjoyed grandchildren until her death May 8, 1979 at St Patrick’s Hospital from a Heart Attack.

McKay Gulch and John Jones in 1878 by Unknown Author

 

The following is the unknown author letter detailing the Nez Perce Indians in McKay Gulch. “The indains went up McKay that afternoon camped in a side gulch where Jack Hayes was Placer Mining Killed him that evening clubbed him to death left him for dead but he crawled up to a spring where he got water and died there. The next morning the indains went to John Jones cabin in McKay gulch knock on door just after daylight Jones ask who is there an Indian said Indian heap hungry. Jones let them in told them they could have breckfast as soon as he had it cook it he & his Pardners got up & Jones built a fire started cooking the miners, Amos Joy, Charles Elliot & John Jones, the door was open & Joy went in timber close to cabin Elliot was sitting on Bed he heard a shot he look & seen Joy fall he said My god they shot Joy. Jones ran out the door he ran right of cabin an indain was standing at corner & struck at Jones he turned & ran past the door jump down in the digings and ran for his life three indains took after him two indains played out but one was long winded and followed Jones up Mount Emerine (Amerine) to nearly top of Mountain Jones got shot in left arm he throwed Rock at the indain. 

 John ran to nearly where the Saphier Mines are now crossed the Westfork Rock Cr. to high Peaks west of Mouth of Antelope Creek he crossed Rock Cr, went up Antelope Cr. and Henry Shoeys (Schuh) Ranch and gave the alarm, he and the Shury (Schuh) family drove to Phillipsburg that night 4 foroclock in Morning and gave the alarm. 

They Killed Elliot in cabin the ranchers & people in the serounding Country in lower Flint Cr. Valley went to New Chicago some went to Phillipsburg they dig some riffle Pits & trenches on hill between Main town and N.P. depot, but there was no railroads then. Mr. Frisby supertndent of trout Mine at Tower telegraph to Gover to send guns & anation so the Govenr sent a lot of guns, John G. McClean took charge as Captain several joined The Company, they scouted around the valley. They went out brought in Hayes Amos Joy, Charles Elliot, that was in July 1878. John Jones was surely stiff and sore from his long run from the indains in 1877 (1878). 

 The End

The Unknown Author History Unedited

 

The following is a continuation of the letter written by an unknown author and has a number of historical details missing or inaccurate. “In about 1894, a Mr. West Spur, from Indiana he had T.B. the Drs. advised him to come out west and camp out in the mountains he got aquainted with Sim Shavely (Schively) and Hamp Allen. Went prospecting. Shavely (Schively) and Allen located a claim on Moose Gulch on Stoney Creek. Mr. Sput would roam the hills of Saturdays Prospecting over on quarts and Baison gulch he seen a big tree had blown down. left a hole three foot deep the gravel look good to him he told Shavley and Allen that he thought there was a good Place to Prospect. Sim told him it was no good he Prospected that gulch 20 years before. Mr Spurs said he would try it anyway he took Pick shovel & gold pan start working it he paned out a few shovels full in one pan he got fine gold and a 25 cent nugget. West, Shivley and Hamp Allen they went and located some Claims, located some friends in with them. Joe Parde (Pardee), John G.McLean  & a blacksmith in with them. Then it leaked out several located Claims & it was called Baisen Gulch. it was rich after three seasons work they sold the Claims for several thousand dollars. Basin and quarts Gulch creeks flow into Rock Creek 22 Miles from Phillipsburg and was discovered by a tenderfoot came to Montana for his Halth he got his heth back and went home with a few thousand dollars.

 The Hope Mine was discovered in the later 60 sixties about two miles north of Phillipsburg they built the Hope Mill it was rich in silver. Then the Front (Trout) Mine discovered 2 ½ two & half Miles up gulch from Phillipsburg they built a Mill at Mine, Name the Niebhorhood Tower. Mr. Harve (Harvey) Showers was Foreman of Mine and Mill, a Mr. Tresby (Frisby) superentindent, after the Nez Perce Indians broke out in Origen General Howard took after them in 1877. General Gibbons headed them of in Big Hole. There was several people in the Bitter Root valley joined General Howard they had a battle in Big Hole some Killed both Indains & white the indains got away they were on their way to join the Soux Nation. General Miles cought up with them in the Bear Paw Mountains captured a lot of them a lot got away, started back for Oregon. They came over the divide over the Cadot Pass headwaters of Big Blackfoot river turned of went up elk creek & down bear gulch into Flint Creek Valley. They branched of a few went up Flint creek valley and other went up Harvey Creek. Chief Joseph Called & seen Monro Hanna on Barns Cr. 8 eight Miles from New Chicago Monro Hanna. Knew Chief Joseph in Oregon. The indains that went up Harvey Cr. down upper willow cr.& up Rock Cr. They Met Drunk Cambell on Rock Cr. He was packing met to the miners up McKay gulch they stopped Cambell ask him questions in Inglish then talk in their tongue talk among themselves what to do with him he told them he knew what they were saying he talk to them in Nesperce. he told that he was in Oregon & that had been his home for years, and named several indains he knew. They were surprised & let him go.” 

The unknown author letter continues on detailing the McKay Gulch encounter and Nez Perce Jones which will be published later.

More Settlers By Unknown Author

 

“Degenhart (Lee) owned a livery stable in town and other property he took up land two miles from town on Flint Creek and bought a couple sictions (sections) he married Miss Mary O’Niel (O’Neil) a daughter of John (Hugh) O’Niel (O’Neil) a miner and prose (prize) fighter. he fought Con Oran (Orem) 84 Rounds one time Oran (Orem) was a blacksmith.  Degenhart (Lee) raised three boys. Joe – Frank and Chris one girl Lena. Chris owns the ranch now. Mr. Lucas Parker came from Missouri and located on land ajoing Phillipsburg south afterwards he surveyed town lots and it was named Parkerville he located in 1876. Mr. frank Durfee came east in 1878. started a saw mill down on Rock Creek at mouth of Stoney creek. hauled lumber with ox teams. he quit the lumber business and located a ranch two miles west of town on Rock Creek Road (now Marshall Creek). Nick and Hans suthje (Luthje) located on ranches on upper willow creek Archa (Angus) and Alick (Alex) McDonald on willow creek. in the 80ties Mr. Eli Holland and James Estill discovered the Granite Mine 5 miles from Phillipsburg S.E. of Phillipsburg on top of Granite Mountain in the 70tys they sold it to L.M. Rumsey and Mr. Fuse (Fuze)-Charles D. McClure Charles Clark, all from saint lojis (Louis), M.O. for $40,000 then left & Mr. Holland and Estell located in Deer Lodge and started a livery stable I heard. Mr. Holland, wanted some meat he would woak up towards Tower or Stumptown in the clipp of Rocks a mile from Town & Kill a mountain sheep for his winter Meat the town of Granite in 1890 had a population of over 2,000 several saloons, and a bording Houses, three Groceries stores. John W. Hall and John Hickey had 10,000 contract, had several teams hauling wood to Granite Hoist and Mill and ____Houst John Hall also had 50 head of Pack horses & mules packing cord wood out of places. that cost to Much to build roads among large boulders. They would cut second groth timber, make trails & shovel snow on It & Pack it down Pack a cord of wood to 5 head mules or horses. Pack it to Mill & Mine Frank Durand came from Ruby vally with 75 head Mules. got a contract to Pack wood for the Granite Mountain Mining Co. Finely the Granite Mining company built a Mill on Fred Bur (Burr) Creek called it Rumsey. They ran a tunel from Mine to Mill for ore to treat at the Mill. Syrus, Morgan took a large contract to furnish wood to the Rumsey Mill, he cut the wood in summers gulch and huled the wood in half Mile of the Mill he built a track out of wood got ore car wheels he built two cars, to haul wood had a switch in the middle the loaded car would pull up the empty one. The N.P. Rail Road built a spur from Phillipsburg to Rumsey a distance of eight miles to haul fraight to Rumsey. they are now ghost towns Granite and Rumsey. When the price of silver droped the sapphire Mines on west Fork of Rock was discovered by a man called cross eyed Myers and a Man name Johnson got hold of it located other claims on Cole creek and other gulches brought water from Stoney Lake by flumes and ditch, also ditches out of small strams that ran into westfork Rock creek the Company Known as the American Gem Mining Co. some seasons they took out 4 four tons of sapphires___” I have typed this article as the author did; corrected spelling when I recognized names. The spelling of Phillipsburg was changed in 1909, so the article was probably written prior to that date. More later…..

Settlers in Montana 1860 and 1870

 

As I was cleaning out files last week, I came across a typed 6 page paper with a hand written note at the top stating “From original, undated and unsigned letter.” I have no idea where this article came from or the author. It is titled as above and I am typing it as found with ( ) added to correct the spelling of names and adding research details when different than the author.. 

 “Mr. Henry Schnipel (Schnepel) & wife their Daughter Matilda, came from St. Louis Mo. across the Plains, about 1865. They drove in covered wagons 3 yok of cattle 2 cows & 4 steers they settled first on Ten Mile. Then they moved to Phillipsburg took a Homestead one mile west of town, raising cattle and horses, in about 1876. Miss Matilda Schnipel married John Wenenda (Wenandy). They lived together a couple of years then separated. John Wenenda got killed by Bill Gruner in John Rains Saloon. After Wenenda hit him and knocked him down. Gruner went to Deer Lodge gave himself up he got clear, as Wenenda was quarlsome they had one child Henry Wenenda. The Father took him to Mike Duffy a rancher to Rais. (Henry was living with his mother and grandparents in the 1880 Federal census. Until now I knew nothing about John. I will continue looking for a news article.) 

Mr. Schnepel drove some steers to Silver Bow & Butte & sold them also took 2 two barrels of Butter sold it at 50cent lb. the steers sold for $30.00 in the winter 1873 & 1874 (above it states they moved to Phillipsburg about 1876) Mr. Schnipel lost 200 head of his heard of 500 head. hay was $60.00 a ton there was none to buy. Miss Tilde Schnipel pre-empted 160 acres, two miles up Flint Creek, & Mr. Ethrige pre-empted 160 acres for Mr. Schnipel where the John McDonald ranch is now, at present time the ranch holding is about 1,500 acres. Henry Schur (Schuh) and Family came across the Planes, in covered wagon, from St. Joe M.O. in about 1865 located at mouth of Trout Creek about one mile from its mouth where it flows into flint Creek he lost one third of his cattle in winter 1873 & 1874, he had about 300 three hundred head, his wife (Mary) & two Girls and 3 boys, Henry, Walter and William Schur (Schuh) it is where Grunhick (Greenheck) ranch is now. John Mullan took up a ranch at mouth of Fred Bur Creek where it flows into Flint Creek, he started to rais horses, in 1870. John McCloud (McLeod) bought it afterwards. Ben Degenhart took up a large tract of land, 5 miles south of Phillipsburg he raised horses. There was a stray horse running with his horses. A man named George Carpenter drove the horses in Ben Degenharts correll and caught it was leading the horse out Degenhart shot him and killed him. Mr. and Mrs. John Hickey were there fishing on Spring Creek they seen the it cost Ben Degenhart all his ranch and horses. To get out of the killing he left and went to Butte. John Hickey was one of the first settlers. He took up a ranch just south of Phillipsburg he married a widow lady her name Mrs. Mary Williams. From Baison, Montana. She was working for Mr. Douglas, in lower Flint creek valley. He was going with her for six months. When Mr. Hickey got married her he went after her he drove a yoke of cattle off to a wagon. A spring seat on the box the newly married couple drove home that way. When he wanted them to turn-right he said Gee-turn left to Haw. They raised three boys and a Girl Jim, John, Thomas and Mary. To be continued…

A Diamond in the Rough

 An individual frequently mentioned in the Philipsburg Mail and in regards to the American Gem Mining Syndicate was Dan Smith. Numerous documents sent from St. Louis to Dan Smith and Smith responding back are in the Montana Historical Society Archives.

The June 25, 1926, Mail reported that Dan Smith was electrocuted at Algonquin Mine. “Dan Smith, a resident of Philipsburg since 1887, was instantly killed Tuesday morning about 9:30 o’clock when his head accidentally came in contact with two electric wires carrying 2300 volts, while moving the transformers from the Algonquin mine. He was standing on top of the transformer, which had been cut loose, adjusting a chain over the arm of a pole to hang a chain block, as it was necessary to move the transformer about four feet to get it on the wagon to carry it away. George Bell, a teamster and only actual witness of the accident, had just got down from the transformer to get a board to run the transformer to the wagon. Glancing up he saw Mr. Smith crumple and jumped to save him from falling. In catching him Mr. Bell was also given a slight shock, but was not hurt. The victim was burned quite badly on the right ear and left side of the neck. He fell from the transformer to the ground, striking his head and cutting a deep gash, but the electric shock had already killed him. Coroner J.J. Carmichael and Dr W.I. Power were called, but nothing could be done. and the coroners jury returned a verdict that death was due to accidentally coming into contact with live wires carrying a current of 2300 volts through the sub-station of the Algonquin Mine to the Trout Mine. That the deceased, in attempting to adjust a block and tackle to move a transformer came in contact with two live wires and was instantly killed by such contact. ‘We further find that no person connected with the management of the Algonquin or the Trout Mine were in any manner to blame for the accident’ " 

The Smith family moved to Philipsburg around 1887, from Minnesota, when Dan was about thirteen years of age. He attended the schools in Philipsburg and was very active in the community. He was involved from the inception with the Philipsburg Fire Brigade and served in numerous positions of management for the group. Dan was a member of the Philipsburg City Council until the term prior to his death, when he moved outside the city limits to the Bi-Metallic. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Public School Board, foreman for the Philipsburg Mining Company, The American Gem Mining Syndicate and of other interests connected with the old Bi-Metallic company. Prior to this position he was employed in the capacity of foreman for the Hope Mining company. Dan was a member of the Woodsmen of the World and the Anaconda B.P.O.E No. 239. Robert McBride of Anaconda acted in the role of exalted ruler of the Elk’s, for the services conducted at Dan’s home. Pallbearers were: John J. Orr, Ralph L. McLeod, S.E. McClees, Allan McKenzie, Walter Kroger, and Dr. W.I. Power. “Philipsburg friends of the family will remember that his brother, Eugene Smith, met his death, in much the same manner as the deceased, about 12 years ago in Anaconda. Surviving him are his step-mother: Mrs. Kate Smith; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Thompson; a brother-in-law, Henry A. Kroger… and many nieces and nephews. The fire truck loaded with flowers followed by the Brigade, led the procession from the house. The Woodsmen of the World, of which he was a member, came next in the procession. An Eulogy in the July 2, 1926 Mail stated “He was a man, a diamond in the rough.”

P'Burg Once Had Rodeo's

 

                        Picture from the Tex Crawley Collection of 1932 Rodeo at the school grounds

                                                          Rider believed to be Hank Warren

It is hard for anyone currently looking at the Philipsburg Grade and High school property to visualize that there was a rodeo arena in the southwest corner. I am not certain when the first Rodeo was held there as the earliest newspaper article I have found was in the Philipsburg Mail on June 30, 1929. The article covered three full columns in the paper and discussed both the upcoming rodeo and Fourth of July parade. "The stage is all set for the fourth of July celebration in Granite County. The Rodeo field has been completely fenced and is ready for Hollopeter’s herd of wild steers and Smokey Sutherland’s bucking horses. Bleachers with a seating capacity of 2,000 have been completed and when the riders are doing their stuff Philipsburg people will see some of the best entertainment in the rodeo line that has ever been pulled off on western Montana” 

Hollopeter’s lived on the property immediately north of where the Fred Burr bridge is now and Smokey had a ranch on the West Fork of Rock Creek, west of Beaver Creek. I remember attending rodeos there and my father participating in the saddle bronc and bareback events, in the early forties. I have pictures from the Tex Crawley collection of one of the events where the grade school is visible. It does not have the fire escapes and because I am able to identify participants I believe these pictures are of the 1932 event. 

Edward Bohrnsen detailed to me his attendance at the 1930 Rodeo. He was only four years-old and his mother told him he was too young to attend, but being Edward, begged until she finally agreed to let him go with the sapphire miners off work that day and his older half-brother Raymond Rau. (His mother Ruth was the Cook and Father Hans was the supervisor of the American Gem Sapphire Mines located on the Skalkaho.) 

Fairly early in the rodeo “Whiskey Bill” Terkla began his ride on a bucking horse and was bucked off with the horse kicking him in the head as he fell. The shod hoof caused an open skull fracture as it hit Bills head. With blood gushing and the crowd gasping young Edward covered his face and became very upset. The fright continued after the accident and he sobbed during every ride with his face covered so he had to be taken home to his mother for comfort. 

“Whiskey Bill” was a fifteen year old high school student and I would love to know how he earned that nickname. Sadly, the young man was mortally injured. Mrs. Ralph Williams, Mrs. H.A. Murphy, Mrs. Rosella Glover and Mrs. Wasa Rail gave emergency care to the youth and he was transported to the hospital in Butte. Due to the conditions in a rodeo arena, the open wound contaminated the brain and Bill died of meningitis secondary to the skull fracture, on July 14th. 

Bill’s father Gabriel “Gabo” Terkla had died in 1922 leaving his mother Annie, Bill and his five sisters: Olga, Diane, Doris, Bessie and Mary as survivors. Gabo immigrated to the United States from Bosnia/Herzegovnia in 1893 at the age of 15 but I do not know where the family lived prior to arriving in Philipsburg in October 1914. Ancestry records show a Donna born in 1913 but I have failed to find any history of that name. There is a headstone for Baby Michael July 22,1918 in the Philipsburg Cemetery, I assume was the child of Gabo and Annie. 

All of the daughters lived a large part of their lives around Philipsburg. Olga (Rogan, Carey, Minster) born in 1910 died in 1985. Diane (Rice) born in 1912 died in 2014. Doris (Kempfer) born in 1914 died in 1975. Mary (Davis) born in 1920 died in 2006. Bessie (Munis) born in 1921 died 2002.

Swastika Mine 'Looks Better Everyday"

 Headlines in the Philipsburg Mail on August 22, 1913 were “The Swastika Mine in the eastern part of the city continues to look good and everyone interested is optimistic about the future of the property. Manager W.W. Williams went to Butte this week to purchase a sinking pump, air compressor and an air hammer drill which the management purposes to install as soon as possible. Two shifts are kept at work sinking and they are now down about 110 feet. No trouble has so far been experienced in handling the water with a bucket and good progress is being made. Nevertheless the work seems slow and in view of the splendid showing made so far the installation of better equipment was deemed justified. Last week a short drill east was made at the 100 foot level and at the end of this drift a crosscut to determine the width of the lead. Ten feet and three inches, measured from the hanging wall, is the width of the win at 14 percent copper and good values in silver and gold. Picked samples of the ore run high in this point. The foot wall has not been reached yet. The vein dips to the west and has a strike of northeast and southwest. The character and value of the ore in the bottom of the shaft continues about the same, from 8 to 14 percent silver but of course it is not all like that. Plenty of high grade ore no doubt would be found by drifting along the vein or crosscutting to the foot wall but the management has decided not to do further exploring until the shaft is 200 feet. The electric hoist is proving highly efficient and economical and with the addition of the mining plants now in operation in this part of the state. The Swastika has become almost a household word in the community. Everybody is interested and there is a score of visitors at the new mine everyday inspecting the rock as it comes from the shaft.” 

When I found this article, I was very interested, as the Stuart/Hope Mill and Cordova Mine are located in this area as is the current Granite County Stamp Mill and I had never heard of the name before. Research was absent any information in the Mining Bible Written by Emmons so I tried AI and found the following: “The Swastika Mining Company (which operated the Swastika mine at the east end of Philipsburg) was incorporated in the early 20th century. In 1913, amid pre-World War II, the name reflected the ancient Sanskrit symbol for Good Luck and Prosperity. At that time Philipsburg was transitioning from its historic silver boom. The broader Philipsburg mining district was shifting its focus due to an escalating demand for domestic manganese, a resource that soon turned the area into one of the largest suppliers in the United States. 

The Swastika mine operated primarily as an underground hard-rock operation, extracting complex vein ores common to the Flint Creek Range.” Overtime the property was consolidated and owned by the Philipsburg Mining Company, led by corporate president L.S. Mitchell and superintendent J.C. Yob. Obviously, Manganese became the profit-maker and another silver, gold and copper vein was left for better pastures. 

As we all know the little town sits on many dreams, surrounded by a mountain of Hope.

David Conkling and his Stony Creek Mining Dream

 

The Philipsburg Mail on July 10, 1914 carried a full column article about Stony Creek and David T. Conkling. David had moved his mining equipment and prospecting drill with his crew to Stony Creek. Their plan was to drill holes down to bedrock for the purpose of prospecting for placer gold. Research showed that David had previously been a mining superintendent at Sunrise Mine in 1900. Prior to David taking on this venture, the gulch had been mined for a number of years by Richard Stingle further up the gulch, about 10 years ago, but he never got to bedrock. Herman Kaiser also had organized a company to operate about forty claims along the gulch. Their plan was to make drain tunnels to draw water from the bedrock so that shafts could be sunk and mining carried out by drifting along bedrock. The tunnel was to start at a low point north of the Wyman ranch and pointing south, cut through the hogback to the Wyman house and then into the channel at Stony Creek. This project was abandoned mainly due to a shortage of funds. 

 

Conkling had prospected the creek while at Sunrise and felt it was one of the most promising gulches in Montana. For unknown reasons, he instead went to work managing the forests near Bozeman, Montana as evidenced by the 1910 Federal Census. He also became a married man on August 4,1909 when he took Verena Eleanor (Rena) Hartley as his wife. The 1920 Federal Census showed David in 2 places: At Moose Lake living as a boarder with 18 other men in Mary McDonalds’s Boarding House and in Anaconda with his wife Rena and Nettie age nine and David age five. As the Newspaper cites” Stony Creek is among the longest west side tributaries of Rock creek and its source is in gold district, gold quartz mining being located at the head of the gulch. It was the placer gold found along Stony creek and on West Fork of Rock creek that led to the discovery of basin and Quartz gulches which are due south of Stony Creek and have their source in the same range of mountains (This range is the Sapphire Mountains). These gulches have yielded probably a million dollars in placer gold during the past twenty years and are still producing. It is believed Stony creek is the richest of all, only the gold is not so easy to get at.”

As locals know, this area continues to be of interest and produces with significant labor. But some of the Sapphire foothills are easy to find color. My dad, Harry Bentz, had a claim named ‘Monkey Business” at the head of McKay gulch on the south side of West Fork with a large amount of gold in the tree roots. Enough that he could buy hay for his appaloosa horses every winter from a few weeks of panning and sluicing the black soils in the tree roots. 

Obviously David’s dream of drilling to the bedrock was not that easy. I know my sister and I dug with a spoon in the false bedrock in Maley Gulch, while laying on our stomachs looking for sapphires and often found gold nuggets. Maley Gulch is right over the ridge to the southwest of Stony. 

Apparently neither were his mining dreams at Moose lake, as the 1930 Census shows him and family living in Butte with David working as a laborer and they were living as “domestics” at the Manganese plant where he worked. His mining dreams ended on April 29, 1931 when he died of Myocarditis in Butte at the age of 63. Survivors were his wife and the two children.

The Nations Heraldry on the One Dollar Bill

 

I have believed for a number of years that I am a well-educated individual, then a few days ago realized that I had no idea of what the images on a One Dollar Bill signifies, nor the story behind the composition. Humility is good for all of us so I will accept this significant gap in my knowledge. After much thought I have chalked it up to being of the era of the “Silver Dollar”. I was most unhappy when Montana quit using the Silver Dollar as our only mode of a dollar and my wallet became stuffed with petty one-dollar bills. They were and still are a real nuisance to me. The point of this dialogue is that very possibly I am not the only Montana, Granite County or Philipsburg native that has never been instructed on the story written on our One-Dollar bill, so I am offering up this bit of education. 

 

On July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress declared that the American people were going ”to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of Nature and Nature’s God entitle them,” it appointed a committee to design and propose a “seal for the United States of America”. This seal was to be the official expression of sovereign authority we were fighting for in the War of Independence. Due to the matters at hand, specifically a hard-fought war, this action was delayed and the recommendations submitted by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were not acted upon and four years went by before a second committee was formed and they made their own recommendations. It was another two years later, while peace talks were underway that the need for an official seal became pressing and a third committee was appointed. 

Charles Thomson, Secretary of the United States Congress was asked to take the recommendations of the three committees into account and submit a proposal for the Great Seal. The incorporation of these recommendations is signified on the back of our One Dollar Bill. I am sure most of us know George Washington is on the front of the bill, but I have never paid much attention to the engravings on the back. Looking at the back of a dollar bill you will see on the right side a depiction of the front of the Great Seal and on the left the depiction of the back side of our Great Seal. Thomson submitted to Congress what heraldists call a “blazon” accompanied by remarks and explanation on June 20, 1782. Thomson’s words alone, which are part of the law officially approving the Seal, are the final authority for what the Great Seal of the United States is and what it means. On the front we behold an American Bald eagle bearing on its breast a shield with 13 vertical stripes; clutching in its left talon 13 arrows and in its right talon an olive branch; a scroll held in the eagles beak; the eagle’s head is turned right towards the olive branch; a scroll held in the eagle’s beak bears the famous motto in Latin E Plutbis Unum; and a crest above the eagle’s head contains 13 stars which “glory” emanates, breaking through a cloud. This is our Nations Coat of Arms. Thirteen represents our original 13 states; the Latin motto “out of many, one” expresses the joining of those states into a nation; the shield represents born on the breast of an American Eagle without any other supporters to denote that the United States of America ought to rely on their own virtue; the olive branch and arrow denote the power of peace and war; the eagles head is turned to the olive branch rather than the arrows because we fight wars for the sake of peace. On the reverse side of the Great Seal is a Pyramid unfinished. In the Zenith an Eye is a triangle surrounded with glory proper with “Annuit Coeptis” (He approves of what has been started); on the base of the Pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI (1776) and underneath the motto “Novus Ordo Seclorum” (New Order of the Ages). This Pyramid signifies Strength and Duration with the Eye over it and the Motto alluding to the many signal interpositions of providence in favor of the American cause and the date signifies the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of the new American Era. This Era has now survived 250 years.

The History of Pioneer Brands

Livestock have been an important part of the area now known as Granite County history. The Shoshone Indians brought horses into the area in the late 1700’s. Documents show that Father Peter DeSmet at St. Mary’s Mission in the Bitterroot valley was probably the first person to bring cattle into the area in 1841. Major John Owen bought the Mission and herd turning it into Fort Owen in 1850. Then former fur trappers and people that came to the area with Lieutenant’s Isaac Stevens and John Mullen remained and used the Big Hole, Bitterroot, Deer Lodge and Flint Creek Valley to fatten the worn out cattle from the Emigrant Trails: Fred Burr 1857 in the Bitterroot; Tom Adams 1858 in the Flint Creek Valley and Johnny Grant in the Big Hole in the 1850’s and the Deer Lodge Valley in 1859, becoming the Conrad Kohrs’ Ranch in 1866, 

By 1870 the western inter-mountain valleys were filled with European domesticated cattle herds and brands became a necessity to identify the massive herds grazing freely on the open range. Documents state that at one time Kohrs’ had cattle with over 500 different brands. The selection of a brand and the reason behind it frequently is a story that cannot be verified. One story is Colonel George Morse’s brand was 71 because that is the year he arrived in the Flint Creek Valley. But the brand registered to Colonel Morse is 17. The brand 71 is registered to John Edwards. Another story documented in the 1984 “Brands Across Montana” cites Torrey B. Johnson of Busby. Montana saying his “forbears had cattle in Montana as early as 1849…they were named Spears and ranched at New Chicago.” New Chicago did not happen until after the Mullen Road was completed (1858-1863), not does the 1862 list of persons living in the area contain the name of Spears. 

I have tried numerous times to write an article about the cattle and horse brands of our early pioneer's and the information has always ended up in a file folder labeled Brands. The biggest problem is because brands have a language of their own and if you are not familiar with the lingo nothing in writing makes sense. The best way to describe a brand is to draw it and because the keyboard does not contain these symbols that becomes impossible except with pictures. 

Brands were first registered in the 1860’s through county brand offices. The first brand book was published in 1872 which was a 44  page version with 251 brands. Prior to this publication you had to go to the county brand office, starting in 1864 at the clerk and recorder's office. Then in 1872 the legislature made the recording of brands the duty of the Clerk of the Supreme Court. In 1887 the Board of Stock Growers Association under the leadership of Granville Stuart was given the responsibility. Currently all brands are registered with the Department of Livestock and since 2011, brands must be re-registered every ten years. Because of a donation by Montana author Ivan Doig and his wife Carol in 2002, all the Montana recorded brands have been put on microfilm and are housed at the MHS Research Library and are also available online through the ‘Montana Memory Project” 

One of the first pioneers to register a brand in this area was Henrietta Schnepel (1872) and it was for the horse brand HS on the shoulder. The “Triangle” on the right side cattle brand was not found registered until 1900. This brand has been passed down by inheritance to the John “Pat” and Easter McDonald family. Another pioneer brand is the AJ. Gillis “AG” brand passed down to the Joe Gillies descendants on Upper Rock Creek. Obviously slow to follow the law, in 1900 there were only 41 brands registered in Granite County.

"V" For Victory

Years ago, a classmate Charlotte McClain Russell, shared with me an account about a magazine contest her mother Lydia had entered and a picture of the natural tree growth on their property depicting the “V” for Victory during WWII. We had no idea what magazine, at that time. Over the years I have read a couple of social media posts that had vague recall of the event and then found a picture in the Fan Harrington collection of “kids playing in the Trout Creek school yard 1915 shown in the background is the timber patch west of the Greenheck ranch showing the “V” for Victory sign, emblem used for victory in World War II.”

                                                  Photo taken by Lydia McClain in 1941

                               Photo from Fan Harrrington Collection at Trout Creek School in 1915

 At that time I tried Googling information and came up with nothing. Recently cleaning out my files I came across the two pictures again and began further research. The following is what I have discovered:  The following is what I have discovered: 

Victor de Laveleye was a radio host on the British broadcasting Corporation which produced the Voice of Radio Belgium. In January 1941 he came up with the idea that V was the perfect symbol. V was victory in the French word victoire and Flemish Vryheid meaning freedom. On January 12, 1941, he announce to Radio Free Europe to chalk the letter V on buildings, in the streets and to paint it where ever they could as a symbol of defiance, of freedom, and of final victory. The idea took off like wildfire. Winston Churchill, in July endorsed the V symbol and the campaign was broadcast in sixty languages with each broadcast beginning with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The reason this symphony was used was because the fourth note came out as "dot dot dot dash" which is the letter V in the Morris Code and the other name for the tune is "Symphony of Fate".

Churchill began flashing the V sign with his hands and the crowds went wild. During his visit to the United States in December, 1941 following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America’s entrance into the War, Churchill addressed the United States Senate and as he left the podium he held up his left hand and made the V sign. By that time America was aware of the V symbol and soon the ‘Victory’ sign became an amazing piece of propaganda for the whole world. The symbol was used in the industries manufacturing military equipment; recruiting posters for the military; labor posters, and War bonds. The Victory Gardens soon came into being. where most households grew their own produce to supplement the severe rationing, so our troops could have food.

Recognizing this massive trend, Life Magazine, the premier photographic magazine at that time, held a reader submission contest. The “Pictures to the Editors” section in the November 24, 1941 Life issue gave the directions to submit photographs and how the V for Victory symbol was used for advertisements in the 1941 Life magazine. They also gave examples of the type of natural occurring V shapes that could be submitted by readers. Life readers went to creative lengths to capture the letter V in their everyday life. These submissions included pictures of mother hens sitting in perfect V formation, patterns of clouds in the sky, office equipment arranged creatively, custom mowed lawns and crops shaded into the V emblem. The photographs were posted in the Life magazine over the next few months and the winners of the various categories were rewarded with a $10 check. This is where the natural occurring V in timber growth on the Antelope range gained notoriety! I can only imagine how much that $10 meant during this period of rationing and tight budgeting by the women running a household, often absent of the primary wage earner due to the mandatory draft. 

I will continue to search for any local newspaper articles identifying winners and am waiting for archived pages of published photographs of winners in the Life magazines.

Shooting Leaves a Widow and Five Children

One of the first articles I found when I began researching The Philipsburg Mail articles at the Montana Historical Archives microfilm in Helena about 1999 was the headline “Joe Gird’s Murder- Two bullets do their deadly destruction. J. Brown fires both shots.” The shooting took place at Flint Station (an early railroad spur located just south of Stone Spur) in the saloon of Brown and Clay in May of 1893… The remains of the unfortunate man were brought to Philipsburg Monday afternoon and buried beside his mother and child in the Philipsburg cemetery. He was survived by his wife Mary (Byrne) and five children (Mary age eleven, Helen age ten, Agnes age nine, Joe age seven and Emmett age 2) to mourn the loss of a loving husband and parent, and the entire community sympathizes with them in their terrible bereavement. Joseph A. Gird was 38 years old and had lived in Montana most of his life. He was numbered among the earliest settlers on Willow creek, was industrious and provided well for his family. He was well known throughout the county and was highly thought of by all his acquaintances who regret the circumstance of his sad demise.” 

The following week, The Call had a paragraph stating that the killing of Joe Gird by J.W. Brown at Charleston during the past week had been the principal topic of conversation during the past week. I have never heard the Stone or Flint Station area called Charleston at any other time so wonder if maybe Charleston was the name of the saloon where the murder occurred. On April 21, 1905, The Philipsburg Mail had an article which stated Tom Higgins and J.F. Gerbil were getting ready to open the old Silver King mine on Gird creek. I assume that sometime after the murder the creek near the original Stone Station was named for the murdered man. At this time the signage for Gird creek is prominently displayed along Highway One a couple of miles above the Boulder Creek bridge. A map (in my possession) of Montana dated 1895 has the sites of Stone Spur, Flint Spur, Toohy Spur and Nabbs Spur identified between New Chicago and Philipsburg next to the Northern Pacific Railroad extension that had been built from Philipsburg to Drummond. 

The life of Mary had to become very difficult after Joe’s death, although her parents had a farm nearby I cannot imagine that Don and Ellen Byrne were in any position to support five grandchildren, plus their own. On November 2, 1895 The Citizen’s Call stated “ Mrs. Mary Gird has leased the Sharp boarding house and will open up a first class restaurant. Mrs. Gird was born and raised in Granite county and we bespeak her success.” Then on January 22, 1898 the Philipsburg Mail stated “Mrs. Mary Gird has concluded to remove to her ranch in the valley with her family and will consequently give up the restaurant business. We are informed that Mrs. James Vallely has taken charge of the stand and will conduct the business.” Next the Mail carried an article on September 23, 1898 from Mrs. Mary Gird that stated she would rent her ranch for two to four years. It was identified as 320 acres on Willow Creek with 180 acres fenced. At that time Mary’s address was Stone Station, Montana. The January 10, 1900 Philipsburg Mail carried the announcement: “Notice of private sale of Gird property on February 5, 1900.” 

By the 1900 Federal Census Mary was operating a Boarding House in Granite and had Agnes (16), young Joseph (13), and Emmett (9) living with her. Helen (17) was living with Owen and Helena McBride, an Aunt and Uncle in South Philipsburg and Mary (18) was living at Stone Station with her grandmother Ellen Byrne, aunt Anna McHugh and Uncle Patrick Byrne. I have failed to find a record of Mary’s death.

The Granite County Stamp Mill

 

                       Housing of the Stamp Mill -Photo taken by Steve Neal at Miner's Union Day 2025

The Granite County’s Stamp Mill, Steam Engine, Drill and Amalgamator, is a historical treasure assembled and operated by Dave Harris and Jim Waldbillig, contributing members of Granite County Historical Society, located at the east end of Broadway in Philipsburg, Montana. The original Royal Mine Ten Stamp Mill, ran by a steam engine, owned by Paul Antonioli and Dave Harris was manually removed from the original mine site and transferred to the Philipsburg site by volunteers Jim Waldbillig, Dave Harris, Larry Hoffman and Phil McDonald, in 2013. This endeavor was made possible by Larry Hoffman, mining engineer from Butte, who donated his time and equipment to the project. 

On September 27, 2014, Larry Hoffman with his Boom Truck, Bill Antonioli with a fork lift from the Contact Mine, Dave Harris, Jim Waldbillig, Phil Richardson, Jim Hyatt and Don Dee Kennedy began erecting what would become a five stamp mill at the original James Stuart/Hope Mill site (established 1867). Phil Richardson, owner and operator of a large industrial machine shop, was instrumental in the initial mill set-up and the heavy machine work, shaping of timber structures and bolt hole drilling in the timbers of the structure. 

After countless hours of manual labor and test runs the basic 5 stamp mill was demonstrated to the public in June of 2017. Charles Connell of Arizona is credited with the sharing of his vast knowledge in setting up a stamp mill, having traveled all over the world, where stamp mills still exist, plus restoring a ten stamp mill in Arizona. His frequent conversations and yearly visits will be missed as he passed away a couple of years ago. 

With many additional hours of experience, research and hard work the following historic components have been added to the original restoration of the mill, that initially was operated by a pulley on a tractor turning the cam shaft.

 1. Steam Engine. A stationary horizontal steam engine with a seven inch cylinder diameter and eleven inch stroke that was built by T.M. Nagle Company of Erie Pennsylvania sometime in the time period of 1879 to 1895. It was purchased from Phil Richardson in 2021 and became operational, running the stamp mill in 2024. Some parts were missing, including the large brass crankshaft bearing, which Jim machined from new brass stock in his shop. A fly-ball governor, drive pulley and automatic oiler were obtained and installed. 

2. The Boiler. Is of the vertical type, believed to be manufactured by Orr and Sembower of Reading, Pennsylvania in the early 20th century (the builders plate was missing). The Boiler was tested by ultrasound and found to be in need of repair, which was accomplished by a certified boiler repairman. Then the Montana State Boiler Inspector ran their initial inspection and it passed. This inspection must be done annually to continue operation. Next, other missing parts such as boiler base, grates, ash pan and firebox door were fabricated. Finally the plumbing which included water injectors, valves, piping etc. was completed.

3. Amalgamator. (also called amalgamating pan) was purchased from a party in Grants Pass, Oregon through Larry Hoffman, who drove to Oregon and hauled the pan back to Philipsburg. It was manufactured by the Dodge Mining Machinery Company of San Francisco California and is called the “Dodge Amalgamator.” An aside note: no amalgamating pans were used in the initial Royal Stamp Mill. These were used primarily in silver mills. The Hope Mill used amalgamating pans, employing what was known as the Washoe Process, (developed at the Comstock Lode in Nevada). This process employed salt, mercury and copper sulfate mixed in the pan with pulverized ore. The mixture was agitated slowly by a rotating paddle called a muller, for a number of hours. A chemical reaction released the silver in the ore to amalgamate with the mercury. 

4. Sullivan steam powered Diamond Drill. This model of core drill was evidently built sometime between 1884 and 1902. Rotation of the drill was powered by two small steam cylinder, as was the hoist used to pull the rod-string out of the hole. Use of the hoist required a thirty foot pole tripod. Pressure on the rods and bit was provided by water pressure from a steam piston water pump. This drill was purchased through Larry Hoffman in 2024. It is operational, except we do not have a chuck, rods or bits. 

The Boiler and Steam Engine License is thanks to Jim Waldbillig. In 1992, he obtained a steam tractor and became acquainted with the late Marvin Troutwine at about that time. Marvin was responsible for setting up the steam sawmill demonstration at Fort Missoula and Jim assisted him, gaining a lot of knowledge and experience. Jim then took the state exam, passed it and received his license. Although the license lapsed, Jim took the exam again and obtained his license back. So he is the reason this boiler and engine can be operated for community demonstrations. The Mill is currently operated for public viewing during the Flint Creek Valley Days the last weekend in July on Sunday afternoon during the car show and on Miners Union Day, usually the first Saturday in September after Labor day. 

It is believed that this is the only operational stamp mill in Montana and one of sixteen operational in the United States. This mill is also, one of only two stamp mills in the United States run off a steam engine. The second one is located in California.

                    Back side of Housing of Stamp Mill-photo by Steve Neal at Miner's Union Day 2025

                                                              photo by Steve Neal  2025

                                            Steam Engine             Photo by Steve Neal  2025

                                             Ted Antonioli Directing- Miner's Union Day 2025

                  Crowd watching Demonstration at Miner's Union Day 2025 Photo by Steve Neal

                              Exposed stamps at Miner's Union Day 2025 photo by Steve Neal

                                        Demonstration of Stamp Mill Photo taken by Ian Frank

                Steam and dust while Stamps are working at Demonstration  Photo taken by Ian Frank

                                       Jim Waldnillig checking steam pressure photo by Ian Frank

Adding wood to furnace and Jimm Waldbillig and Dave Harris discussing Pulley to Cam Shaft

                                                               Photo by Ian Frank

Exposed Cam Shaft photo by Ian Frank

                             Early operation before housing was completed Photo by Ian Frank

An early demonstration (2017) when 2 stamps were dropping. Video submitted by Ted Antonioli

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 Stev. 

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 1. They had four daughter896 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), Cleo (Sept 10,1930) 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. Cleo married Galen Bradshaw on April 4, 1949. Galen was born July 5, 1925 and died on April 13, 1967. There were four girls born to that union. Cleo died September 4, 2011.  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.

History of the Courtney Hotel

The Original Town site Block 3 lots 1-4 at 135 S. Sansome Street in Philipsburg, Montana was owned by Alice Weinstein. Around 1914 the lots were bought by Humphrey and Maurice Courtney, with money they were earning from Manganese ore mined from their “Coyle Mine” and they began construction of the Courtney Hotel. Humphrey’s obituary states he lived in Philipsburg six years before the Hotel opened in 1919 under the ownership of the Courtney Bros. The building had the Philipsburg Garage with Gus Olson on the bottom floor on the west side and on the main floor was the Overland Auto Company who could drive their automobiles into the show room through the massive front doors, on the east (Sansome Street) side. The two upper floors were rooms that were rented out for the night, weeks or longer. 

The 1920 Federal Census had Michael, Patrick and Maurice Courtney and Edwin Harrington listed as Boarders. Humphrey married Agnes Catherine Lowney from Butte on April 29, 1925. She was teaching school in Butte according to the 1920 Census. Their son Humphrey J. was born in 1927 and Humphrey, Agnes and toddler Humphrey were living in North Philipsburg in the 1930 Census. The 1940 Census has Ida Fullerton, Patrick and Maurice Courtney as Boarders and Walter Kramer age 60 as an employee living there. The 1950 Census showed Wallace McPhetters, John Erickson, Fred Coward, and Gerald Sullivan (age 34) living there. Mr. Sullivan, the music teacher for both the grade school and high school, stayed there during the school year until he retired (at least 16 years later). 

Humphrey managed the hotel until he retired in 1957 and sold the hotel to Agnes and Humphrey J. Agnes was, at that time, a math teacher at Union High School in Seattle, Washington and Humphrey was a Priest teaching at Carroll College, in Helena. Jack and Gert Lorenz took over the management of the Building when Senior Humphrey retired. They remodeled and renamed the hotel “The Pintlar”. There was now a restaurant and lounge where the defunct auto company had been housed. The basement housed the massive furnace where the original garage was.. EBay, currently has a matchbook cover advertising Jack and Gert at the Pintlar Hotel for sale for $7.87. 

Rita Immenschuh, and her three children, took over the management when Jack and Gert moved to Alaska about 1963. She married Joe Metesh in 1965. Steve Immenschuh has memories of the following: removing many wheelbarrows full of dirt from the basement floor before reaching cement, Instead of having a snow day off from school, he and his brother Kevin had a “Coal Day” when the train brought a car of coal (Twenty-five tons) to be used every year in the furnace, By adding lodge pole to the coal it burned a hotter fire, Receiving “probation’ for not following the rules, which consisted of painting the hotel rooms, Dr. Cunningham had his office across the street and Rita had a little sign that she put up when he came over for lunch or a break that stated “The Doctor is in”. 

Eldridge Petersen bought the hotel about 1969 and Rita and Joe gave up management. The Petersen’s operated the Hotel for about ten years and then sold to Loretta Sternberg, who never operated as a business. Next it was owned by James Herron and Loretta Sternberg and was a vacant building. Robert L. Derosia then bought the building and used it for storage. About 1990 the Flint Creek Valley Bank took the building over due to unpaid debt. The bank turned the building over to the Town of Philipsburg for unpaid taxes and in 1993 the town deeded the building to The Granite County Museum and Cultural Center. 

The Museum volunteers have worked tirelessly to update and restore the historical building. 

An Abundant Harvest

The Friday August 8, 1913 Philipsburg Mail expounded on the hay and grain harvest of the Flint Creek Valley in the following article: “Winter wheat is ripening and almost ready for the reapers. J.W. Duffy has banner wheat fields which will yield upwards of 40 bushels to the acre. Grain not hurt by frost. New fields are seeded. The harvest season in Flint Creek valley is now fairly on. Everywhere in the fields the ranchers are busy cutting and stacking hay and aided by favorable weather, good progress is being made. Haystacks are springing up all over the valley, almost like mushrooms overnight. In this part of the valley the crop generally is about like last year-in some places the yield is more and in others somewhat less. But last year was a banner year. In the lower valley, the yield on the bottom lands is thought to be lighter than the last season but on higher ground it is heavier, The condition is probably due to too much rain and cool weather which retarded the growth of the grass in the bottoms. But the bench lands are yielding heavy crops in both hay and grain. 

The Philipsburg district will again excel in Turkey Red wheat which is now ripening rapidly and is almost ready to cut. The binders will likely be started in several fields in this vicinity by next week. The finest stand of winter wheat-Turkey Red- is west of the city on the ranch of John W. Duffy. He has 100 acres, almost ready to cut, of as fine a grain as any country has ever produced and the yield is estimated to be at not less than 40 to 45 bushels per acre. …it is sure to go for 15 bushels an acre more than last year. The grain is full and heavy and shows no sign of damage from frost. It is in a locality where frost does not touch. The Franz brothers at the six-mile ranch have fine growing crops of wheat, rye and oats, all of which will yield heavy. 

Fine fields are to be seen west of the city at the ranches of C.L. Schoonover and C.F. Drewry. The grain is ripening evenly, is full and heavy and soon will be ready to cut. Heavy crops of hay are being put up at the ranches of John Kaiser, J.J. McDonald, the Degenhart place, M.C. Durfee, Eric Johnson, Mars Mohr and at the Groth ranch, farmed by C.L. Owen, where the yield is considerably more than last year. There has been little rain to interfere with the work in the fields and none to damage the hay which is of superior quality and being put up in fine shape. 

In the upper valley the usual big crops are in evidence and within two weeks the haystacks will be more numerous than a year ago. Much new ground has been broken and seeded in winter wheat. which is just beginning to show green. Just south of the city Fred Kroger has a fine field of about 100 acres which looks promising. Frank Goodman at the Hynes place also has a large tract and at Fred Burr Creek, Albert Budel has quite a field of tall wheat. Across Flint Creek on the bench John Kaiser, J.J. McDonald and Thomas Mitchell have seeded large tracts in wheat which should give a large yield next season as the soil and location are favorable.” 

As I have stated many times, the ranches kept the county surviving during the periods that mining was not profitable. Ranches, really have never been profitable, but provide survival when hard work, strategy and credit are available. These factors and good soil have fattened cattle in this valley since Thomas Adams brought herds into it in 1858.

The Philipsburg Affair

 

The July 28, 1887 Helena Weekly Herald published the following account about their article in the July 23rd Daily publication concerning The North Granite Mining Company located in Philipsburg, and F.L. Currie who was the recent Superintendent. Mr. Currie “seen by a Herald reporter said the report of the occurrence as published in last evening’s issue was substantially correct; only he had not witnessed the alleged strangulation proceedings. The mob, however, had requested him to leave the town on account of various claim jumping projects in which they supposed him interested and desiring to vindicate himself, he talked freely with the reporter on the matter. 

Mr. Currie furnishes the following statement of the case: ‘In 1883 Thomas F. Hynes located the Katy lode. A bond was given on it to Lewis Demars but expired in 1884 without being taken up. In April, 1885, Hynes and his wife deeded the Katy lode to the former’s mother, Mrs. Honora Hynes for $1,000 and the title thereby passed to her. In October, 1886, Thomas Hynes and wife gave to Phil M. Saunders a bond on the property for $50,000 under which a company was formed and $8,000 worth of development work put upon the property. 

I was superintendent of the North Granite Company and found out about the above condition of affairs with that Hynes and his wife had given Saunders a bond for property not owned by them and that the claim was open to jumping. I explained the situation to Joseph Sorenson and he relocated the claim under the name of the Parrot lode, agreeing to transfer to the company for a small consideration. My object was to secure to the company a clear title to the ground so as to obviate any trouble if anyone else should jump it. I received no consideration for my share in the transaction and was simply working for the interest of the company. 

Sorenson relocated the ground about the 14th inst. and gave to Phil M. Saunders a bond for $500 and 150,000 shares of stock of the company formed to work it. There was a tacit understanding between Saunders and myself that 5,000 shares of stock, in the new company, which I acquired from personal expenditure in the former company, should be secured to me, also 5,000 shares to Wm. Weinstein and John Dawson acquired by similar means, which in a measure I considered myself responsible for. 

These were the only considerations stipulated in the transaction and they were merely mutual understandings between Mr. Saunders and myself, no written agreement was made. Throughout the transaction I acted with Mr. Saunders knowledge and consent, he approving of the relocation project as the best means to secure the safety of the property. After the affair was consummated I turned all of the papers to Mr. Saunders, who took them to Helena to consult his attorney on the situation. 

When he returned to Philipsburg I was discharged by him, as he alleged, on the expressed desires of the directors, who requested a change in the office after he had stated to them the occurrences of the past few days. What his statement was , I do not know. His authority was unquestionable and I was obliged to abide by it, condemned but not heard. 

There had been various rumors previous to this about my being interested with Lewis Demars and Samuel Tolman on the jumping of the Granite Belle, The Young America and the Nelson properties. These were without foundation, but in the heat and excitement resulting from them and the action, seemingly, of the North Granite Co. I was allowed to suffer a never to be forgotten indignity at the hands of men who personally were my enemies, regardless of jumping claims….’ ”. And that was the demise of Mr. Currie as Superintendent of The North Granite Mining Company.

Tidbits about Philipsburg Saloons

 

Saloons have been a large part of the town of Philipsburg since almost the beginning of the camp. Tradition was that Churches were established on the north slope, thus became named as Church Hill and the drinking establishments were located on the south side of Broadway. This tradition continued until the Brewery established their Pub in the Hyde/Sayrs building in 2012. 

Research shows that by 1870 there were at least five saloons and by 1875 Henry Inkamp, one of the first owner’s “ran the finest saloon west of Deer Lodge” according to The New Northwest. Sadly I have not found a name for this saloon. Besides Inkamp, Billy Lang, John Rains, M.O. Regan, Angus McIntyre, Dick Dickenson and Johnny Gerber operated saloons during the early days. Numerous deadly incidents have been documented as occurring in or near the drinking establishments and miners were often known to drink their sustenance saddled up to a bar instead of going home after their long and tiring shifts. Often the patron ran a tab and on payday a large portion went to their favorite watering hole. Bartenders were known to also take the patron’s check and retrieve it from the safe when the spouse showed up the next morning after payday. When the mines or mills were rumored to be shutting down the newspapers carried notices that establishments were going to cash only and bills needed to be paid in full before a published date. W

When I moved from West Fork to town, although I was underage, it was okay for me to drink in the bars, because I was married. Although we could vote, women were still viewed as property. I guess, if I did something wrong it would be my over 21, husband’s responsibility. T

The following topics about the drinking establishments will begin as I recalled them in the late 1950’s. LeRoy and Nancy (Miller) Owens have kindly assisted me in the stories, proprietors and names, to bring them up to date. At the east end of Broadway the first tavern as you headed west from Montgomery was the Antlers owned by Bill Crncivich “The Greek”. This establishment catered more to the casual person seeking entertainment but not looking for any trouble. Bill, with partners, Lum Wanderer and Roddy McRae, built a bowling alley on the second floor that became very popular in the community and created numerous bowling leagues. It also gave a lot of employment to the town youngsters, as pin setters. This task was a real serious responsibility for the youngster and earned deep respect amongst their peers. One had to be fast, accurate and able to get out of the way of very high speed bowlers to avoid serious injury. In the early 2000’s I ran into Bill at a local Pub in Troutdale, Oregon, reminding one of how small this world is. We had some good laughs of the P’Burg characters he could recall. A

After Bill sold, there were numerous owners including Phil and Dean Salois, Ron McComber, Pat Carlin, Joe Braach, David McRae, and Judy (Winninghoff) Loobey. Then Anne Filmore and partner renovated the entire bottom floor into Montana John’s Silver Mill with an upscale restaurant serving steaks, seafood and prime rib. It currently is named Zia’s and serves Italian fare. 

The west side of the downstairs building was the M and M bar, owned by G.J. Moorman and Ross Hayworth. My recall was a very dim lit establishment that did not take kindly to our young groups habit of buying a drink at one bar and walking up to the next bar to turn in the glass and order another drink, so we just skipped entering that door. 

The next Bar was the White Front with a long history from at least 1887 and a well established record of service to their clientele, even during prohibition. While named the Busy Bee during prohibition it is rumored client’s thirst was quenched in the basement. More than once the proprietor’s were served with papers detailing charges for bottles of alcohol being sold without charging state tax in the back alley etc. Research fails to reveal any outcome of the charges. Since the owner’s were upstanding citizens I am certain they were able to erase the offenses. Oral information and recall, thanks to LeRoy and Nancy Owens and Marlene Andre Chor starts with Peter Andre as the owner, with son Adolph “Dooley” taking over next. 

Dooley was recalled into service during the Korean conflict, so Bernard “Bumo” LeRoy took over for Dooley and Harry Hanifen helped. My Step Father-in-law, Helmer enjoyed the group of miners and mill men that congregated at this establishment. Next, LeRoy Owen and Scott Anderson took their turn. Dooley’s daughter, Marlene Andre Chor followed and after visiting the White Front during Flint Creek Valley Days and falling in love with the bar, Bill Mackley contacted Marlene wanting to buy. She was not interested in selling but told him to call back in the summer. Bill called back and ended up owning the establishment for a long period of time. T

The current owners, who also own the Sunshine Station (established long after my bar walks), are an LLC from outside of Granite County. 

On the southwest corner of Sansome sits the Cartier building that housed The First State Bank. Then was purchased by W.E Metcalf in 1931. First it had the Banquet café ran by Jack Keating then it became the Club Bar with Jack Polich and Art Taylor. The “bank vault” became a barber shop and then a women’s lounge. Next Cleveland A. and son Clevie Metcalf bought the property from W.E. and continued the operation as The Club Bar with Art Taylor. 

During our Broadway walk the women’s lounge was often operating as a “Crap Table” and many a paycheck was taken by the house, while a noisy, cigar smoking group of miners and upstanding business men rolled their dice. My father-in-law enjoyed this room with a grin from ear to ear on those special days. 

After the Metcalf’s sold the building there have been many renovations, numerous owners, including Bob and Dee Derosia and name changes. Sheryl and Keith Barkell are the current owners and operate under the name Bunkhouse Whiskey. 

South on Sansome was the Courtney/Pintlar Hotel with a quiet secluded lounge developed by Lorenz, as manager under the ownership of Agnes and Father Humphrey Courtney. This establishment was out of our social class, so to speak, therefore not included in the walk. 

Next on Broadway was the Silver Tavern, owned by Cleveland Metcalf and at some date Charles Anderson. George and Mildred McKee were the owners during our walks and showed great concern for their patrons. More than once George ran a tab on payday for my husband and gave me his paycheck when I stopped by in the morning. After the McKee’s, David McRae, then Joe Haggard were operators. When Jean Breeden became owner it was named the Hungry Buzzard. That building is now demolished. 

The last watering hole on broadway was the Rodeo Inn owned by George and Bye McLane. It could become a very rowdy spot and had a lot of history. LeRoy and Nancy recount Clyde Gregory “Hickory Nuts” being shot by Con Stage (a cook at the Brown Derby). He was very drunk and looking for Derosia at the Club but ended up in the Rodeo Inn. Needless to say when news reached the White Front, LeRoy closed and went home. The bar is now The Thirsty Dog.