Wyman: Sawmills, Horse Thief's and Lions

According to Alphonso Wyman’s obituary, he arrived in Philipsburg in 1879. One of the first newspaper articles found regarding the Wyman family was in the September 22, 1887, Citizen Call: “A. Wyman arrived from a visit to Whitefield ,Maine, where he has been since April. He has brought wife and family home with him. His sawmill ran steadily during his absence and he will now take charge.” Obviously, Alphonso lived in Granite County for eight years before going back to Maine and moving his family here. 

he next reference I found was in the Philipsburg Mail, May 17, 1888: “The sawmill man, A. Wyman, is erecting a handsome dwelling just beyond James Vallely’s residence. The building is frame but very large and roomy.” This home was located in Parkerville and the family resided there during the winter for a number of years and Alphonso and Lizzie spent their later years in this home. 

Alphonso(1841) and wife Elizabeth (Lizzie) (1844) were married in 1863 and brought to Montana their children: Henry Sylvester ( 1869- 1952), Forrest Alphonso ( 1871-1960), Cyrus King (1867-1920) and two of their three daughters: Edna Etta (Hunt) (1876-1977), and Hanna (Annie) Carleton (Boyd) (1874-1907). Daughter Hattie Jane (Moody) (1865-1930) did not come with the family in 1887). 

During his lifetime, Alphonso operated sawmills in numerous locations: Rock Creek, Flint Creek, Willow Creek (1891), Wyman Gulch and Boulder Gulch (July, 1891). According to his obituary, Alphonso, furnished all the lumber in 1888 for the Methodist Church to be built. He hauled the lumber to Philipsburg by ox teams. Alphonso also had a sub-contract when John A. Spencer, was awarded a contract for 15,000 ties for the Northern Pacific Railroad. The article in the Mail January 22, 1898 stated “Wyman …will start up his mill on Willow Creek on the job.” 

I also found a court case of J.W. Morse versus A. Wyman with judgment for the plaintiff ordered on August 8, 1894 in the Citizen Call and Mail. Alphonso won a law suit in a jury trial, brought by D. Charest in 1893 and finally settled May 24, 1894. 

I am not certain, the exact date the family began their life on Rock Creek, but prior to him applying and being rejected on a homestead entry for 160 acres in Sec. 12, Township 5 N. Range 15 W. in 1911 on Mungas Hill. As the Wyman’s saw the need for more land for their cattle and homes for the marrying children, they bought up neighboring properties creating ranches on both Upper Rock Creek and Rock Creek Road. 

When their sons Henry and Forest grew up they married the Wanamaker sisters Grace and Maggie. The Wanamaker girls, born in Suffern, New York, came with their parents to Montana in the early 1890’s. Henry and Grace were married in “One of the most noteable events that have transpired in Parkerville society of late.” on December 22, 1898. 

Originally both Forrest and Henry took up ranching on Rock Creek. Henry’s address in 1912 was “Unsurveyed “ land on T. 7, N. R 16 W. and Sec. 3, T.6, R 15 with 3,006 acres and more than 100 cattle in the 1954 Ranch Directory. 

When Forrest’s wife, Maggie died in 1914, he was left with three children: Clyde, Eva and Nina. (Clyde married Lavina Hess in 1920). Forrest married Augusta Ballard Potts (1917) and had moved to California by the time Alphonso died. This left Henry and Grace with their son Harold running the ranches. 

Elizabeth died at her home in Parkerville of pneumonia January 27, 1901 after being in delicate health for several years. She was an active member of the Pearl Chapter of Eastern Star. Alphonso died at Henry‘s Ranch home on Rock Creek at the age of eighty-four in 1925. He had attended the execution of the horse thief that shot and killed his son Cyrus in 1920 (See below) and was an active member of The Flint Creek Chapter of the Masonic Order. Although Henry lost a hand after a hunting accident as a youngster he was always busy, such as being elected as Road Supervisor of Lower Rock Creek District 12 in April 1900. Also, Henry was awarded the contract for hauling the machinery to build the Stony Stamp Mill for the Crescent Mining Company in 1909. The news article stated the ore on Stony was assaying at $14 per ton. 

 After retiring, Grace arranged for Henry to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday: “in their new home in Philipsburg.”(1944). Henry was eighty three when he died in 1952 at GCMC. Grace died at the hospital after a short illness in 1968 and was buried beside her family in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Cyrus Wyman, referred to as C.K. was deputized frequently for incidences that occurred on Rock Creek. He ran for Constable of Philipsburg Township in November 1900 and won serving one term. 

November, 24, 1904, Cyrus was involved in the Brady shooting. The newspaper article stated that Frank Brady “the noted outlaw” was killed on lower Rock Creek while resisting arrest. “News of the tragedy reached here yesterday afternoon when Special Deputy Sheriff C.K. Wyman, telephoning from Bonita informed County Attorney D.M. Durfee that Frank Brady was dead and asked what disposition should be made of the body.” Brady had been a fugitive from justice for some time. He was wanted for horse stealing and other offences. “Last winter he was arrested in Anaconda for killing beaver, having twenty beaver skins in his possession.” In a hearing before Judge Connolly, he was bound over to the District Court, with a $500 Bond. Out on bond, he was arrested again for stealing a horse of David Deejardin. Again released on bail of $100. When the case was called for preliminary hearing, Brady failed to appear and forfeited his bond. 

 It was believed Brady had left the country and gone to Idaho. Shortly thereafter, it was learned Brady was on lower Rock Creek. He visited at the camps of different miners and prospectors, but always managed to elude the officers. Brady became more bold as time passed and was frequently seen and heard from. “Special Deputy Sheriff Cyrus K. Wyman and Harry Morgan, the well known hunter, had been after him for some time. They finally located his camp on lower Rock Creek, some five or six miles above Quigley, and set out to capture their man. Brady, it is said, was in Bonita yesterday morning and was told that the officers were after him. His reply was that they would never take him.” He then went right up Rock Creek, and shortly after noon the officers came down to Bonita with the news of his death. “When commanded to throw up his hands Brady pulled his gun and commenced to shoot, but both officers were ready for him. 

He was known to be a good shot and the officers could not afford to take any chances.” “Brady was not a bad fellow. He was not without his good qualities and he had a good many friends, but he was daring and reckless and always in trouble. He was setting a bad example for the younger men, some who looked up to him as a hero and a brave bad man. His death, while deplorable, may have a wholesome influence over others with leanings in the direction he was going.” 

The December 1, 1904 inquest returned a jury verdict “that Brady resisted arrest and Harry Morgan and C.K. Wyman were justified in firing upon and killing him.” Brady was hit with two bullets, one from each lawman. 

Next, Frank’s brother Thomas filed a complaint and warrants were issued for both officers charging them with murder. Both “were released on their own recognizance and in view of the verdict of the coroner’s jury it is not probable that any further proceedings will be had in the matter other than to dismiss the action filed against them” (December 2, 1904 Mail). 

The April 21, 1905 Mail stated: “Constable C.K. Wyman and James Schoonover, detective for the Flint Creek Stock Association, returned Monday from a trip through the mountains at the head of Harvey Creek. The two men had made a very difficult trip by horseback into the Gilbert Gulch area and found about eighty-five head of horses they believed were stashed there by Frank Brady. Apparently, Brady would round up horses until he had a herd large enough to drive to Canada and sell his stolen property. It was rumored that he had done this as recent as the previous July.” 

The snow was so deep that they left the horses there and planned to return in June. Next, Thomas Brady and Clyde Lee were arraigned in June, 1905 and charged with horse stealing. neither could meet the $1,000 bond so were held in the Granite County Jail. Apparently, Brady and Lee had ridden to lower Rock Creek to round up Frank horses when they were discovered with a horse having the Metcalf brand. The case did not go to court until March of 1906. After deliberating for seven hours the jury returned a not guilty verdict.

Cyrus and others in 1906

 Cyrus became a Forest Ranger in 1906 around Philipsburg. He was transferred as the Supervisor of the Big Hole National Forest working out of the Dillon office in 1907. Next Cyrus was elected Sheriff of Beaverhead County in 1916 and  in 1920 became was at the other end of a barrel from a horse thief. "He was shot twice: through the abdomen and the lungs, dying within an hour of receiving the wounds.According to reports,,,upon his arrival in Monida (to arrest the horsethief) the sheriff found the man and placed him under arrest. The outlaw made no protest and asked for permission to get his coat which was in a abin a short distance from where the arrest was made. Wyman accompanied the man to the building and as they rounded the corner the outlaw whirled with a gun in each hand and shot the sheriff who was following a short distance behind" (Philipsburg Mail, April 23, 1920). 

Cyrus was survived by a wife and daughter Thelma.

Henry and Grace had one son Harold H., born January 4, 1900 at Parkerville. As Harold grew up he became very involved in the Wyman ranches and spent a lot of time hunting as reported in the following new article January 13, 1922: “With only his thorobred [sic] dogs for companions, Harold Wyman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wyman of lower Rock Creek, went out hunting on Christmas day and was successful in killing one of the largest lions killed on Rock Creek this year, according to Mrs. Josephine Parfitt, who was in from the Walberg ranch in the early part of the week. Starting out on Christmas day with his dogs, Mr. Wyman ran across the tracks of the mountain lion a short distance from his home. After trailing the animal all day the dogs succeeded in getting it up a tree before dark, and by the time Mr. Wyman got to the location it was so dark he could not distinguish the animal clearly, but could make out its outline faintly against the starlit sky. The young hunter fired a shot and the animal fell from the tree in which it was crouching and rolled down the hillside into some thick brush. Harold followed down the side-hill and lighted matches to see where the animal had gone, and found it dead in a thick clump of brush. Last Monday he again went hunting in the mountains near his home and was successful in killing a lynx.”

He graduated with a diploma from the L.L. Cook School of Electricity in Chicago in 1926. Harold married Matilda Richards, from Hall whom he met while she was teaching at the Rock Creek School. The story goes that he went to the teacherage to ask Martha Murray for a date, but Joe Gillies got there and asked first. As he stood feeling remorseful Matilda who was living in the teacherage with Martha told the forlorn gentleman “well it isn’t all that bad” and thus began their courtship.

Matilda was one of the children educated at the Cow Creek School (previously discussed) and graduated from Granite County High School in 1923. She always spoke in a slow drawl. They were married June 20, 1928 at Ravalli, Montana. He and Matilda operated the Wyman ranch alone after Henry and Grace moved to town in 1943.

Harold and Matilda circa 1928

                                               

In May of 1960 Harold received a plaque from the Anaconda Sportsmen’s association for his dedication to wildlife preservation. After numerous hospitalizations and at least one major surgery, Harold died at St’ Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula from cancer in 1961 ( Social Security has his death date as February and Ancestry has his death date as September). Funeral services were held at the Wilson Funeral Home with Reverend Howard Huff of the First Methodist Church of Anaconda officiating. Pallbearers were: Howard Naef, Stuart Markle (Game Warden), William Ball, Vern Gormley, Fred Bowen and Joe Gillies. Survivors were wife Matilda and mother Grace, plus numerous in-laws from the Richards family and two aunts: Mrs. Edith (Wanamaker) Storer of Philipsburg and Mrs. Edna (Wyman) Hunt of California.

 Matilda died February 19, 1991 and is buried next to Harold in the Philipsburg Cemetery. There are two Wyman Gulches: one north east of Philipsburg and one on the west side of Rock Creek on the original Wyman ranch. A lot of research has failed to reveal who the Wyman Gulch near Philipsburg was named after, but it is my belief that the very first sawmill of Alphonso Wyman was located at the mouth of that Wyman Gulch.

Because many transactions have occurred with the property since Harold’s time I am not going to attempt to discuss the present history.