W.I. Power was a major contributor to Granite county history. He was born in Farmington, Michigan to Thomas H. and Lydia (Stockwell) Power on September 17, 1860, the fourth born of seven sons. According to “Progressive Men of Montana” “…His educational advantages were very limited, owing to the size and circumstances of the family; and besides a few weeks attendance at the public schools during the winter months for about three years, he obtained nothing in this line except what he worked out for himself- teaching school for a time and with the money earned working his way through higher grades until he was able to take a full academic course at the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing, where he was graduated in 1885, teaching and selling books during the vacations to defray expenses.” After his graduation William taught one year at Waterford and in 1886 he entered Detroit Medical College.
He graduated in 1889 and spent a year as house surgeon in St. Mary’s Hospital in Detroit before coming to Granite, Montana. He worked as an assistant to Dr. Sligh for two years for the Bi-Metallic Company’s hospital. Then in January 1892 he moved to Philipsburg and began his private practice there. Dr. Power married Miss Mary Williams Treveaille of Butte on January 27, 1892 in Granite. Mary came to Granite about 12 years before her death on April 5, 1897, when she succumbed to an un-named cause. Dr. Power quickly became involved in the community health issues as observed when he notified the public: “All persons living along streams where water is needed for general purposes are warned not to dump or throw manure or other refuse material into such streams as water so polluted is unfit for general use. W.I. Power M.D., chairman Board of Health for Granite County.” Philipsburg Mail, September 24, 1897.
The following year Dr. Power married Mrs. Marietta Sewell of Paola, Kansas on September 12, 1898. That same year, Dr. Power was nominated for the state senate by the Silver wing of the republican party. He was defeated by Jerry Connolly by 30 votes. At the end of 1899, Dr. Power went east to study and took a graduate course in the New York City Post Graduate School, specializing in General Medicine. It was expected that he would re-locate his practice somewhere in the east. But obviously had a change of heart, as the May 4, 1900 Mail announced that Dr. Power had returned and was occupying the old office of Dr. G.W. Young in the McLeod-Doe block. He had also bought the C.F. Jacky residence at the corner of California and Kearney streets but the “consideration was unknown.”
As the public health officer, it was documented many times, how he warned the public about the dangers of the flu epidemic, especially during WWI. Dr. Power served as Mayor for one term beginning in 1908 and served two terms as county coroner. He was a member and held offices in: The Masons, Royal Arch Masons, Eastern Star, Scottish Rites and Algeria Temple of Helena, Woodmen of the World, Lincoln Homestead, Brotherhood of America Yoemen and the Rotary. He was a member of the American Red Cross and served as county chairman for a number of years. In 1908 he was also “secretary-treasurer of the Eureka Mining and Development Company diggings in Quartz Gulch and brought home a few of the large gold nuggets.” Dr. Power ran on the republican ticket for State senator in 1910. The October 21, 1910 Mail carried the following descriptor: “…He has taken a leading position in every line of public or private business he has undertaken. he has been second-class in nothing; first class in everything. He is a tireless worker, with judgment sound and business-like, and therefore a leader in whatever he attempts to do. He has no superior in the extent his loyalty to the interests of the people of this county..” He lost the Senate seat by 6 votes to Democrat A.R. Dearborn (Pharmacist at Doe’s Drug Store).
The April 26, 1929 Mail carried the sad news that Dr. Power was dead. In continuation of his community service, the Doctor was serving as the president of the State Bank at the time of his death. The cause of death was flu-pneumonia and had happened the day the paper was published. Besides his wife, Dr. Power was survived by a step-son Harry F. Sewell of California and two nephews. Funeral services were held in the Masonic Temple on April 29th and the body was then forwarded to Spokane for cremation.
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