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.”