Hugh O’Neil married Margaret Pitt Meredith in 1858. She was born to Joseph Meredith from London, England and Marguarite Pitt Meredith from Wales, in Glen Morganshire, Wales, on June 18, 1844. The family story states. “Margaret’s family was on a wagon train coming west, when they were attacked by Indians in what was believed to be present day Colorado. The only survivors were some of the young members of the wagon that had been hidden in the woods. These survivor’s, including Margaret, were picked up by a Mormon wagon train and “one of the Mormon men wanted to add her to his already numerous list of wives. The army was sent out to protect the wagon train after the Indian attack, found the children and Margaret met Hugh O’Neil, one of the army teamster men. They were married in Fort Bridger in 1858, by the military, then a Methodist minister they encountered (at an undocumented date or place) and finally by a Jesuit Priest.” I assume that the Priest was Father Giordia in Virginia City.
Margaret is credited with being the first white woman to ride into Montana on horseback, in 1858.
Margaret and Hugh had eight children: Jane, John, Mary Ellen (Ellen), Hugh, Mary, Adelaide or Adaline (Addie), Elizabeth (Liddie), and William (Willie).Willie died at the age of three years and five months, in 1877, from pneumonia. He is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery.
O’Neil ran for Sheriff of Deer Lodge County in 1865, on the Peoples Ticket and the election results were: Hugh O’Neil 788, Fred Burr, Democrat, 835, C.S. Williams, Independent, nineteen.
Family stories tell of the family living on the Flathead Reservation when Hugh was an Indian Agent. It is possible that in 1871, during the time Agent Galbraith served he was removed due to Chief Charlo refuting the treaty and Hugh filled in until Peter Ronan was appointed in 1873.
Documenting Hugh provided support for the Missoula sheriff is this news item: “Fight or Run---Last week W. C. Taylor took it into his head that he could run the town. He managed to do so until shut off by Hugh O’Neil and Sheriff Pelkey…He was put under $500 bonds for assault with a deadly weapon and disturbing the peace.” (Missoula Pioneer ,1871.)
Hugh was a Deputy Marshall for Missoula County in 1874 (Helena Herald).
The New Northwest November 25,1881 states” Warden Hugh O’Neil returned from Helena Sunday…and brought over discharges for …” listing five prisoners. and stating the prison population would then be 62 convicts."
Hugh and Margaret separated sometime after they moved to Philipsburg, in 1875. The Divorce document states the 26th day of August 1887 was the first date of publication and September 16, 1887 was the last date of publication notifying Hugh O’Neil that a divorce was being requested by Margaret.
The New Northwest, in Deer Lodge stated: “Mr. Hugh O’Neil and H. S. Neal are building substantial residences. The latter is on the west side, near the bridge, and the former in the southern part of town”, on July 15, 1881.
So, Hugh was living in Deer Lodge again in 1881, but in the Philipsburg items of The New Northwest, in 1882 was the statement: “…now under our new and elegant Kaiser House is the billiard hall and sample rooms presided over by Herman K., who as a very apt pupil of Hugh O’Neil, has attained such admirable proficiency, in the manly art as to make himself a terror to amateurs in the fist cuff line.
Research does not reveal whether he left his new home and returned to Philipsburg or was providing tutelage to Kaiser, while living in Deer Lodge.
Hugh, died of cancer at St. Patrick’s Hospital and was buried February 23, 1895, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Missoula, Montana. The obituary had Hugh’s last name misspelled as O’Neal, but the history recited belonged to O‘Neil.
“The deceased was a man of powerful frame in his younger days and many are the feats of strength, heroism, and endurance credited to him by his old time friends” (Citizen Call, February 27, 1895).
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