The Maehl Family and Jim "The Mayor of Maxville"

                                               Ernest and Margaret Maehl's wedding picture

Agnes holding baby James, Carl standing on the right Marg  standing back left and Mary left front.

One of the long time residents and known as the “Mayor of Maxville” was James Maehl and his wife Grace (Collins). Jim was born near Porter’s Corner, south of Philipsburg, on September 17, 1916. and was the youngest of the five children born to Ernest and Margaret Maehl. 

Jim’s father, Ernest Maehl, moved from the Missoula area to a home near Porter’s Corner, in 1911 and is remembered by several major structures he built or worked on. Known jobs he worked are the Flint Creek Grade, with his son “Bud”; the wooden flumes built for the American Gem Mining Syndicate on the Skalkaho; the “Ewing Bungalow” originally owned by the president of the American Gem Mining Syndicate, and the Winninghoff garage. A number of people credit Ernest with building the stately Lawrence Hauck home, but there is no evidence of his involvement. 

Ernest was born on December 4, 1876 in Reese, Michigan and married Margaret Emily McGibbon. She was born on September 25, 1869 in Brantford Ontario, Canada to Daniel McGibbon, born in Scotland and Sarah Ann Mills McGibbon, born in Canada. The family history states she was sent to Laramie, Wyoming at the age of eleven or twelve to live with an uncle who had a sheep ranch. She may have returned to Canada as the 1900 census stated she came to the U.S. in 1896. In the 1900 census Margaret was listed as a servant for William and Elizabeth Cordiner. At an unknown date she moved to Missoula and was working for a lumber company in Missoula when she married Ernest Maehl on June 29, 1904. 

Their children married the following people: Sarah Agnes born May 14, 1905 (in Lolo) married John William McDonald, son of J.J; Margaret, born March 29, 1909 married Jim Mitchell July 3, 1934. Jim was killed in a mine accident on October 20, 1936. Margaret then married Robert Henry Lawry on October 29, 1941 in Philipsburg. She died at the age of eighty-five, on June 8, 1994 at her home in Philipsburg. They did not have any children; 

Carl, known as Bud was born on October 31, 1911 in Philipsburg. He married Edith Emma Hansen on March 4, 1938 in Deer Lodge (Her obituary stated May 4); Edith was born on January 27, 1916 in Arco, Idaho to Nels and Christine (Wilkinson) Hansen. Edith graduated from Dillon Normal school before moving to Philipsburg where she was the housekeeper for the Catholic Church. Bud assisted his father with many perilous jobs including the Flint Creek Hill road. Bud died on October 17, 1986 and Edith died on March 26, 1996, at the Anaconda Hospital. Survivors were: Children and their spouses: Carl (Karen) of Helena, Lois (Tom) Lowe of Oregon, Robert (Joyce) of Anaconda and Edith (Matt) Roberts of California; 

Mary born on April 14, 1914 married William Winfield Moore, March 27, 1941 in Drummond. William was born on September 5, 1900 in Clay Center, Kansas. William James Moore was born to them on September 29, 1943 in Butte. Mary died in 1971 in Philipsburg and William died in August 1974 in Helena; 

Their youngest child James born September 14 (according to baptismal record) or 16, 1916 near Porter’s Corner. He married Grace C. Collins on August 21, 1948 in Missoula. Grace was born in Dixon, Montana on January 20, 1920. 

Ernest died in 1951 at the age of seventy-five and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. Survivors were: wife Margaret, the children listed above and grandchildren: John and Peggy McDonald, Carl, Lois and Robert Maehl, and Billy Moore. Margaret died in 1972 at the age of 103 and is buried next to Ernest. 

After graduating from the Granite County High School in 1936, Jim worked local jobs before serving in the military during WWII. Fortunately Jim’s son, Bill wrote a family history that included a detailed account of his fathers war experience. After being discharged from the service, Jim returned to Philipsburg and began working for Winninghoff Motors. During this time he met Grace Collins, daughter of Edward and Fannie (Cody) Collins. They were married on August 21, 1948 in Missoula, Montana. The couple then began building their “dream” home on the banks of Boulder Creek in Maxville. The couple spent their life together there. Three sons were born to the couple: David James was stillborn on July 1, 1950 in Missoula and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery; William Cody was born November 29, 1954 in Missoula; Ronald James was born on August 24, 1956 in Anaconda.

The following chronology was documented by James’ son Bill: “James enlisted into the Army on October 10, 1941 and served in World War II in the South Pacific. He was 5’9” tall and weighed 144 pounds when he enlisted. His army serial number was 39603180. He served with the 41st Division, 186th Infantry Regiment and was with the 218th Field Artillery Battalion (10/10/1941 – 2/13/1942), 641st Tank Destroyer Battalion (2/14/1942 – 6/23/1944), and the 98th Chemical Battalion (6/24/1944 – 12/1/1944) 10/10/1941 

Inducted into army-Missoula, Mt. and travel to Ft. Lewis, Wa. 

Oct. 1941 Left knee blown-out in basic training. 1

0/16/1941 Transferred to Camp Roberts, Ca. for basic training. 

12/7/1941 Assigned to guard the west coast beaches near Grayland, Wa. 

4/22/1942 Left San Francisco with the 41st Division in convoy aboard the SS Matsonia. Early May, 1942 Convoy had to skirt major ship battles in Coral Sea. 

5/13/1942 Arrived Port Adelaide, Australia. 

5/13/1942 - 7/1942 Training at Puckapunyal, Australia. 7/1942 – 1/1/1943 Jungle training at Rockhampton, Australia. 

1/1/1943 Shipped with 41st Division aboard Bendigo to Port Moresby, New Guinea. Encountered heavy bombing while in port. Jan. 1943 Engaged in combat to secure Sananada. After allied troops got through the last enemy defense line, they found evidence of Japanese cannibalism (eating of American soldiers). 

Feb.-Mar. 1943 Landed on Palawan Island, completing the occupation by March 8th. Allied losses totaled 8,546 killed and wounded. 

Jan – April 1943 Engaged in the Owens Stanley Ridge campaign turning back enemy counterattacks. Rainfall of 10 inches per day in saw-toothed jungle range reaching a height of 13,000 feet. High temperatures and humidity near the coasts contrast with biting cold above 5,000 feet. Tangled growth requires a machete to cut through it. Knife edged kunai grass up to 7 feet high, reeking swamps full of leeches and malarial mosquitoes, and a slippery ground surface under dripping vegetation add to the formidable obstacle course. One group stumbled and slid 2,000 feet downhill in forty minutes; it took eight hours to recover the distance. 

4/14/1943 Survived intense bombing raid of up to 100 Japanese bombers while in port at Milne Bay, New Guinea. Witnessed bombs drop on either side of his ship and two transports sunk within his convoy. This memory and story never forgotten and retold often. 

July 1943 Return to Australia with over 35% of troops down with a active malaria. 

Late 1943 Back to New Guinea and island hopping with Higgins landing craft around the east end of New Guinea and northward to Bougainville, Hollandia, Wadke and Biak. 

4/17/1944 Invasion of Hollandia and Cyclops Airfield. U.S. casualties when the Hollandia campaign was officially closed were listed as 124 killed, 28 missing and 1,057 wounded. The Japanese losses were 4,475 killed. 

May 1944 Elements of the 641st Tank Destroyer Battalion supported the 41st Division with the 4.2 inch chemical mortars they had received while in New Guinea. The enemy feared this weapon. The mortar men then used phosphorus rounds which, when exploded, sent pieces of burning phosphorus into the enemy foxholes, forcing them back to exposed ground. The Americans then fired high explosive rounds again to decimate the enemy. 

5/27/1944 Landed and participated in the battle for Biak Island. The island was not completely secured until mid-July. The casualty figure for the U.S. at Biak was 474 killed, 2443 wounded and 7,234 non-battle casualties. The non-battle casualties resulted from malaria, scrub typhus, dengue fever, psycho-neurosis, and other afflictions. Total casualties numbered 10,151, approximately equaling the number of U.S. troops making the original landings (one of the worse [sic] battle fought during WWII). 

9/13/1944 Left Australia on ship headed back to USA. 

9/30/ 1944 James Maehl arrives back in USA. 

9/30 – 12/1/1944 Debriefing, civilian training at Santa Barbara, California. Comes down with first bout of chronic malaria. 

12/1/1944 Discharged at Fort Douglas, Utah. 

Jim was active in the VFW #1876 and the DAV Post #13 and often served as commander of the local Philipsburg VFW. Jim served on the Maxville District School Board (#6) from at least 1960-1966. Jim died on June 22, 2009 at the age of 94 and ¾ years of age. Survivors were his wife Grace, sons: Bill at Billings, Montana and Ron at Carson City, Nevada and their families which include 3 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. 

Grace worked for 33 years along side Jim at Winninghoff Motors as the primary bookkeeper and died

in her sleep at their home in Maxville on June 14, 2010.

 in her sleep at their home in Maxville, on June 14, 2010. To be continued…

"Macville" and R.R. McLeod

The above photo is at the Presbyterian Church with R.R. McLeod's coach and team. The men standing in front left to right are: R. R. McLeod, Angus Murray and "Doc" Power.

The little hamlet now known as Maxville located in the Flint Creek Valley on Boulder Creek was originally named Flint Spur on my 1895 Rand, McNally and Co. map. It then was called Flint City according to the October 13, 1911 Mail and was to be re-named Hennessy after it had been laid out and surveyed by V.O. Eastland. “The town site is now being platted and will shortly be filed with the office of the Clerk of Court in the city where lots will soon be for sale.” The property was owned by R. R.. McLeod and he believed these plots would make suitable places to build houses and businesses that would be operating due to the extensive mining in that area. The town would be “located from the railroad tract to the county road.” 

Apparently, by 1912 the residents decided to name it after R.R. McLeod when they applied for a post office and the application for Macville was mistakenly recorded as Maxville. The first Postmaster was Henry Bauer. Research does not reveal any other references to the town ever being called Hennessy. 

Robert Ross MacLeod, most often referred to as R.R. , was born August 15, 1858 in Cape Briton, Nova Scotia and immigrated to America either in 1879 or 1880. He married Miss Christina McLennan daughter of Duncan and Janette McArthur McLennan on March 13 1887 in Butte and she then returned to Nova Scotia for one year. The couple located in Philipsburg on her return. Their second child, Robert D. was born in August 1891 and died 19 days later on September 14th. His headstone, a marble lamb laying on a scroll, is located in Block 17, Lot 21, Grave 7 at the Philipsburg Cemetery. 

By January 1896, R.R. was the proprietor of The Rock Creek Stage which ran from Bonita to the mines in Quigley and in July the stage was held up by two masked men and robbed the driver of $35.00. In February the Mail announced that R.R. had a contract hauling machinery and supplies to Flint Creek Falls with eleven railroad cars arriving in Drummond that week for him to haul. 

According to the 1900 Federal Census the McLeod family included R.R.(42), Christina (39), Agnes (11), Jessie (7) and Anna Louise (4 months). The Mail announced Anna Louise’s birth on January 13th and stated the family lived in Parkerville. R.R. paid $215 in taxes for the year 1904. In June of 1905, R.R., F.J. Wilson and Percy Geirson were charged with seining fish in Stewart Creek on the Georgetown Flats and each fined $25. 

By September, 1905, R.R. was running as an Independent for the office of Sheriff and lost handily to J.D. Kennedy. By October “R.R. McLeod the well known contractor has obtained a lease on the Hughes and Peoples Iron Mines” with Charles Harding handling the mining and McLeod hauling the ore. In 1907 the Mail stated that McLeod owned the original Durfee ranch and had just bought the Ralph Kelly Ranch at Fred Burr. Then in 1910 McLeod sold 700 acres of ranch land at $40 and acre to G. R. Groth of South Dakota. (Groth leased this ranch to the Elery Owen family.) 

In 1915, daughter Jessie, age 21 went to Butte for “an operation that seemed unimportant” and died after the surgery on January 31st. She had been a student at Deer Lodge College and just recently accepted a position as telephone operator at Deer Lodge. Daughter Agnes, married Kenneth Hannah on June 18, 1913 in Deer Lodge and Louise the baby of the family married Harry Herron on November 28, 1919 in the Presbyterian Church. Harry worked at the Bryant Mines. 

R.R. was the owner of many buildings on Broadway by this time, thus the name “The McLeod Block” was a frequent reference. R.R. (Bob) died September 21, 1935 at the family home from Pneumonia at the age of 79. His obituary stated “ Besides ranching he was engaged in teaming and contracting and employed a large crew of men. He hauled the first machinery installed in the Granite and Bi-Metallic mines. About 25 years ago he retired from ranching and has resided part of his time in Maxville, where he had numerous property holdings, among them the town site of Maxville.” He was renowned for his ability to move large buildings. He was survived by his daughters: Mrs. Harry (Louise) Herron and Mrs. Kenneth (Agnes) Hannah, grandchildren and three brothers and two sisters. He was buried in the family plot Block 17, Lot 21, Grave 4. Christina died at her home on January 11, 1951 at the age of 90. and was interred in grave 3 in the family plot.

The Huffman Mines and Jaspar Huffman

The 1870 Federal Census shows Jaspar Huffman age five living with his parents Thomas Jefferson (38) and Julia Ann Reins Huffman (34) in Pipers Gap of Carrol County near Hillville, Virginia with siblings: Addison (13), Susan (10), Elizabeth (9), John (8), Cosmo (6 months) and Grandmother Elizabeth (84). 

The first reference found about Jaspar S. Huffman in the Philipsburg Mail was August 8, 1889 when Jaspar, horse and carriage went over an embankment on the road coming down from Granite. The horse and Jasper were okay as they hung up on a tree, but the carriage was not found. Jaspar was manager for the Freyschlag, Huffman and Company Store in Granite and was ill with a severe case of Quincy according to the May 23, 1893, Philipsburg Mail and during that same year Jasper made a trip to the Oregon coast. He was an election judge for the 2nd Ward in Philipsburg in May,1894 and for District Number One in November, 1895. 

Also, in the Citizen Call, Jaspar circulated a petition to have the Montana legislature reconsider women’s right to vote in May 1895, ”He desires to be a candidate for Congress and thinks he can make his calling and election sure if the ladies can be enfranchised.” By May of 1895, Jaspar was involved in a mine in Princeton and also mining in the Boulder District. By July 1896 “Jaspar is in from a summers work on his placer ground and from the way he has ‘spruced up’ rumor is left to believe he has made a fortune and is looking for one of the fair sex to share his good fortune.” 

By September, 1896, Jaspar and Sam Synder were prospecting in the Red Lion District. August 8, 1898 Mail stated that Jaspar “was in town from the Boulder Country to sell his dust and whiskers.” He was also on the volunteer list from Granite County for the Spanish American War in 1898. The May 5, 1899 Mail states “J.S. Huffman and Webster Butcher, who have been working the mines owned by P.J. Brophy and others near Princeton under lease, have struck a rich body of excellent ore which has every indication of being sufficient to give them a very good start in life. The ore it is said, will average over $100 per ton in gold and about forty five tons are already on the dump. Mssrs, Meacham and Clark, who operated the property several years ago, will have charge of the milling of the ore. All of the above parties are interested in this mine and mill. Messrs. Huffman and Butcher owning one-fourth.” 

 By June the Huntington mill was up and running and within a week had milled about $1,000. This mill is believed to be located near the mouth of Smart Creek, close to Maxville. The 1900 Federal Census shows Jaspar (35) living in Princeton with his brother John (38). As a Democrat, Jaspar won the November 6, 1906 election for Granite County Assessor. 

Also, Henderson Gulch had a revival in 1909 when Jaspar found a five foot vein five miles up Henderson Gulch. He believed this was the source of the millions of dollars worth of gold that had been removed by placer, below his claim. The ore assayed from $4 to $18 a ton. 

Jaspar married Dora Bushman in Butte on June 1, 1907 and they were living in North Philipsburg according to the 1910 Federal Census. By 1920, Jaspar and Dora were living in California, but returned to Deer Lodge where Dora died of Uremia on August 25, 1920 and was transported to St. Louis for burial by Jaspar and brother Ad. 

The February 16, 1923, Mail stated that “the Huffman Mine at Maxville had been sold six months prior for the sum of $100,000.00. Barton Mitchell was the general manager of the new company owned by New York investors.” The Huffman family history relates the Huffman share was placed in a bank that failed right after the money was deposited. At this time research has not identified which bank it was. 

Jaspar was living in Philipsburg when Ad Huffman married his second wife Lucy Carpenter in 1924. At an unknown date, Jaspar married Ave Marie C. Golden and returned to Los Angeles, California where he died in November, 1927. His obituary stated he had been a resident of Philipsburg for thirty-five years and had interest in the Gold Reef, Gold Hill, Huffman Copper and many other smaller mining properties in Granite County. His body was accompanied by his wife to St. Louis where he was buried next to his first wife Dora in the Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum.

Tid-bits of History and Hazards of the Henderson Mining Area

As a person drives down what is now known as Highway One from Maxville to Hall you pass a sign that says Henderson Gulch on the left side of the road just beyond Boulder and then Stone. Often these three landmarks go un-noticed by the traveler. Previously I have written articles about Emmetsburg and the Monument plus the fact that Henderson Gulch was probably the first discovery of gold in Montana, but have written little about other events in this part of the narrow Flint Creek Canyon. 

One of the first news article research revealed concerning Henderson Gulch was June 13, 1894 in the Citizen Call. James Mallette died in a mine accident in the Healy tunnel on the Washington claim in the Henderson district. This property had only recently been bought by the Charles McLure Mining group and a large force of men had been clearing out the tunnel for about ten days. At the time of the accident only Mallette and Hugh Mellen were in the tunnel. Mallette was filling the wheelbarrow and Mellen was wheeling the muck to the dump. As Mellen was returning from the dump he heard a muffled sound in the tunnel and called his partners name. Hearing no response Mellen immediately sought help. Calling for Mallette the men began digging about where they thought Mallete was located. The deceased was found after about 30 minutes of digging. He was face down and wedged by a wheelbarrow that had been thrown across his legs. There were no marks on the body except a slight scratch on his nose so the cause of death was assumed to be suffocation. 

Coroner Ray was summoned and held an inquest. The verdict follows:”At an inquest held at the Healy mine, in the county of Granite, State of Montana, on the 8th day of June, 1894, before me William Ray, the coroner for said county, upon the body of James Mallette, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are herein subscribed, the said jurors upon their oaths do say that the deceased came to his death by an accidental cave-in of the Washington lode tunnel; we the jury exonerate the foreman and the company : James Franzman, Foreman, B.R. Horton, R.D. McRae, Dominick Byrne, Jacob Franklin, Jurors.” 

The article went on to state that Mallette had been warned about working in the tunnel before the lagging had been placed. But he believed the dirt was too loose to fall in large quantities so had proceeded with the cleanup. 

At the time of death, James was the president of the Granite Miner’s Union and vice-president of the State Federation of Labor. Born in Cromwell, England in 1862, Mallette came to Montana in 1887 and to Granite one year later. He had lived in Granite until 10 days prior when he came to work at the Healy. There was no mention of survivors and after a funeral service at the Granite Miner’s Union Hall he was interred in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

The Philipsburg Mail carried a short article on December 19, 1895 that stated: “News reached town yesterday of an accident in Henderson Gulch whereby two Chinamen met death by the caving in of an open ditch in which they were engaged in placer mining. The news was reported here by another Chinaman who could talk very little English and no further particulars could be learned. 

An article in the Philipsburg Mail on August 26, 1904 detailed the visit of Asher Adams and told that he was a pioneer of Henderson Gulch. He and his partners (unnamed) were the first miners to operate in the Flint Creek District in 1865 and worked the placer diggings for three years. Mr. Adams stated that they made as much as $33 a day in the early placer diggings, but the price of flour was $125 a hundredweight. When he got tired of mining he returned to Osage City and engaged in a mercantile business, until retirement. 

W.T. Parkison, the superintendent of the Henderson Mining Company’s properties was quite ill according to the October 20, 1905 Drummond Call. Research fails to find more information on W.T., but the daughter of W.T. and Mary J.Parkison, named Virginia died at birth July 11, 1907 and is buried in Block 19 in the Philipsburg Cemetery. 

The December 28, 1923 Philipsburg Mail published a list of property owners and the taxes owed. This list included Henderson Mining Company (Paul Gow) with at least 16 claims located in Township 8 and 9, Range 14 with total taxes owed assessed at $82.35. 

 

According to the “Mining Bible” by William Harvey Emmons titled Geology and Ore Deposits of the Philipsburg Quadrangle, Montana, the Henderson Area began at the Combination Mine which is “west of Henderson Mountain on the crest of the ridge between Smart Creek and Lower Willow Creek approximately 6,500 feet above sea level.” 

About 12 miles northeast of Philipsburg, the closest railroad station was at Stone which was ten miles away by a wagon road. Combination Mine was discovered in 1882 with the first heavy work done beginning in 1885 when a few hundred ton of ore was run through the Hope Mill. At that time the property was bonded by James A. Pack for $25,000 and he formed a syndicate which was organized as the Black Pine Mining Company. They built a 10-stamp mill on Willow Creek about one and one half mile northeast of the mine in 1887 but it only ran for a few months because the company was unable to meet their bills and the property was sold at a Sheriff Auction. A new syndicate formed and was named the Combination Mining and Milling Company with stock holders of the Black Pine Company receiving pro rata allotments of stock in the new company. This new organization was under the control of Charles D. McLure and others that owned Granite and Bimetallic mines. 

By 1891 ten additional stamps had been added to the mill along with concentrating equipment and roasters to facilitate separation by pan amalgamation. Most of the years from 1888 to 1897 the mine and mill operated with the end result of approximately 2,135,00 ounces of silver and 1,411 ounces of gold valued at $1,496,862. Unfortunately the cost of extraction was almost equal to the bullion receipts. Thus causing difficulty receiving financing and the closure of the operation. 

Paul and W.C. Scott owned the Douglas Mine located on the west slope of Henderson Mountain approximately two miles east of the Combination. They built a mill a short distance from the mine that had rock crushers, steam stamps and cyanide tanks and ran about 200 tons of ore but the money was scant due to the lack of equipment to treat the slimes that carried away much of the metal. The Peacock Mine three quarters of a mile Northeast of the Douglas was also owned by the Scott brothers. This 700 feet of work done in two tunnels has a shoot of rich ore from one to eight inches wide carrying silver and copper. Again the outcome was the same as the Douglas. 

The Queen Mine known to most of the locals as the Sunrise Mine was situated on Sunrise Mountain just north of the camp of Henderson about five miles from Stone Station. This mine was worked at intervals from 1892 to 1903 and was troubled throughout the period with litigation. By 1913 the property was owned by Charles D. McLure et al. and had produced about $120,000 in gold. The mill was located in Henderson Gulch south of the mine and was connected by a surface gravity tramway. “The ore from the various tunnels was collected into a bin at the top of the gravity tramway through a number of surface chutes and level tramways and was treated by wet-crushing, amalgamation and concentration.” 

Research revealed the mining application published in the Philipsburg Mail April 12, 1894 by the Sunrise Mining Company for the Maud S. Lode and the Queen Lode which totaled 101.71 acres of land. On August 1,1895 the Philipsburg Mail stated that Superintendent Frederick W. Sherman of the Sunrise was “quite seriously sick at his home at Sunrise. About four weeks ago Mr. Sherman was afflicted with asthma and before he had fully recovered from that he went into the mine and caught cold which brought on an attack of Muscular Rheumatism.” 

The August 4, 1899 Philipsburg Mail, detailed the splendid mines being opened in the Dunkleberg District and stated that a Mr. Rhodes responsible for a real cleanup of good paying ore in that district had also been responsible for the discovery of the “Sunrise Gold Property, which is known to be one of the best and richest in the State. He had also discovered lodes in the Princeton District where Jaspar Huffman and others were now operating. Other early mines in Henderson Gulch were Bunker Hill located one-half mile below the Henderson Mill and was the property of the Henderson Mining Company. Opening in 1894 it produced about $20,000 in gold and silver. Also owned by the Henderson Mining Company was the Belleflower Mine about one mile northwest of the Sunrise, which I found little information about.

"Bronco Bill's" Vacation

A colorful article was published in the April 20, 1923 Philipsburg Mail, about “Broncho Bill” an old man who lived in Coulter Gulch and followed the occupation of Charcoal burner until he was sent to Warm Springs about a year before the news article .

“Bronco Bill” decided he needed a vacation from the “Insane Asylum” and “..left the Warm Springs Asylum via the ‘French leave’ route and returned to his old haunts in Coulter Gulch about five miles southeast of Philipsburg. His old cabin was not in the best of condition and ‘Broncho’ needed something to eat, so he started to borrow from his neighbors without their consent. His favorite food was chicken and he borrowed unmercifully from neighbors in the upper valley, who were often startled in the early morning hours by a commotion in the chicken coop, and when morning came they would discover that ‘Broncho Bill’ had paid them a visit. 

“Broncho Bill’ always seemed harmless enough if he was not bothered, but he was always armed and was ready to fight for his liberty. A story is told about one of ‘Bills’ neighbors who went into the timber one day and came face to face with the ‘Broncho’. ‘Bill’ saw the neighbor first and had him covered with a rifle and when the neighbor discovered ‘Bill’ pointing a rifle at him he simply couldn’t move for a few seconds, he was so badly scared. Then he started backing away, Bill keeping him covered all the time. The neighbor finally tripped over a snag and fell; he never stopped to see if Broncho Bill was still watching him, but as soon as he recovered from the fall he got away from Bill’s territory with all the speed of a race horse. 

For several months all trace was lost of ‘Bill’ and it was only last Saturday that his whereabouts became known. Deputy Sheriff E.J. Muchmore and Federal officer Russell Osborn were looking for moon-shining plants last Saturday in the Gird Creek district, and when they arrived at Frank Barnes’ cabin, Mr. Barnes told them about his cabin being robbed. Trunks, eatables, and everything of value had been removed from the cabin. The three men started out to look for some trace of the stolen property and near the head of Gird creek they came upon a lean-to built at the foot of a cliff. In the shanty was all of the stolen property, and the men at once came to the conclusion that it was ‘Broncho Bill’s’ present home. 

 After a short search they found the man returning to his home from a scouting expedition. ‘Bill’ tried to get to the shanty before the officers did, but they beat him there and confiscated the guns so Bill had to give himself up and soon was on his way to Drummond where the officers took the train to Warm Springs, where ‘Broncho Bill’ will again take up his residence after a very delightful and successful vacation.” 

Unfortunately, I am unable to determine “Broncho Bill’s” given name so cannot complete the story of his life. If anyone knows more details please let me know.

Damsels in Distress

The November 24, 1905 Drummond Call carried an article of adventure for two Philipsburg ladies that mistakenly ended up in Bearmouth:”The two [ladies] had started for their home in Philipsburg from Drummond. They were unacquainted with the road, but depended on their horses to take them to their destination. Night fell and no evidence of the ‘burg’ hove in sight. To make their situation more serious, no lights were visible in any direction and no on was encountered who could apprise them of the right direction to take. There was but one thing to do and that was to keep driving. 

At this critical moment a heavy storm began and the last hope fled from the minds of the two luckless wayfarers. Finally the ladies discerned a house in the darkness, alongside of the road. They sought its shadows for shelter. On examination it was found that the house was locked and no one was living there and their newborn hope took the same speedy flight as previous ones. While debating what the next best step to be taken should be, the shrill whistle of a locomotive was heard a short distance away and the ladies concluded that they were not far from Hall, but could not account for the ‘burg’ train going down the valley at that hour on Sunday. 

They finally concluded however, to unhitch the horse and proceed with it to Hall, leaving the carriage at the deserted farm house, it being now altogether too dark to keep the road by driving. They had proceeding but a short distance in this manner when the horse showed a fright at a dark object a short distance ahead and refused to be led further in that direction. Now alarmed to the last degree by the fear that the dark object was a lone grizzly, the ladies hastily beat their retreat to where the carriage had been left. 

After another brief counsel of war the hapless women saw safety in no other direction than that in which lay the dreaded bear and again they proceeded, determined to crawl upon the back of the horse and urge him on to safety. Their second venture proved more successful and it was but a short time before they pulled up, not at Hall, as they confidently believed, but in front of the hotel at Bearmouth. 

Miss Stuart, the proprietor, furnishing them with dry clothing and in other ways administering to their comfort. The ladies spent the night at the hotel and the following morning were given the right direction and they started home again, arriving safely later in the day. 

That their fears regarding the presence of a wild animal was not unfounded, was proven the next day when Mr. Lannen visited the field through which the ladies had passed and found that during the night a young calf had been killed by a mountain lion. Mr. Lannen and his men are now making a thorough search for the beast.” 

Research has failed to disclose the names of these damsel’s that went west instead of south.

Express Train Dynamited Near Bearmouth

The June 17, 1904 Philipsburg Mail carried the following article: “The east bound North Coast Limited train was held up last night about two miles east of Bearmouth. The express car was dynamited and the safe blown open and a large amount of money was taken. Posse’s from Missoula, Drummond, Philipsburg and Deer Lodge, with bloodhounds, are in hot pursuit of the robbers who were headed toward Rock Creek, in a southwesterly direction from the scene of the holdup. News of their capture may be received at any moment. The first news of the train robbery was received here by agent G.S. Johnson from the N.P. detective at Billings, requesting him to notify the sheriff that No.2, “North Coast Limited” eastbound, had been held up at a point one and a half miles east of Bearmouth, the express car blown up and a large amount of money taken, and to be on the lookout for suspicious looking characters. Sheriff McDonald and Undersheriff O.F. Featherman left for the hills where they expect to meet the posses in pursuit. Later news received is to the effect that the penitentiary bloodhounds, which were taken to the scene from Deer Lodge by special train had scented the highwaymen to where their horses had been tied, a point about three miles south from the scene of the robbery, and that at this point the dogs have lost the scent. The tracks of the horses were found leading off in a southwesterly direction towards Rock Creek… The holdup occurred at practically the same place where the “North Coast Limited” train was held up on October 24, 1902, and engineer Dan O’Neal was killed. The holdup of two years ago was on the night from Thursday to Friday, same as the one last night, and the same train. No booty was secured at that time on account of the robbers running short of dynamite. The amount secured last night is unknown, but it is reported to be large. It is not known how many robbers participated in the holdup, but there were at least two. 

Conductor C.L. Brickell reports an incident at Flint several evenings ago that looks somewhat as if train robbers had been contemplating a raid on the local branch train. Tuesday night, John H. Miller and Henry Bush, who live at Flint, reported to the train crew that two bad-looking men had been hanging around there during the evening, and they suspected then to be train robbers. Miller and Bush seemed to be pretty much frightened, but the train crew did not take the matter seriously. The train was several hours late that night, but it reached Philipsburg without any attempt at hold-up having been made. Wednesday evening the train was on time and Flint was passed while it was yet daylight. The suspicious men were again seen, this time by the train crew, and they no longer doubted that the men were there for a purpose. About one and a half miles this side of Flint two horses were seen tied in the brush, which no doubt belonged to the men seen near the station. It is believed that they were surveying the situation. Conductor Brickell reported the incident to Supervisor Palmer and the crew received instructions to be on guard. The men seen at Flint are probably the same men who held up the train at Bearmouth last night. It is believed that they are familiar with the country and are in the rugged mountains.” 

On July 29, 1904 the Mail carried the announcement that a press release from Spokane, Washington stated George F. Hammond, “one of the bandits who dynamited a Northern Pacific passenger train on the night of June 16” had made a full confession to Sheriff Doust of Spokane county and to the railroad officials. 

The August 12, 1904 Mail, carried the story that John Christie age 22 was the holdup partner and was arrested at his wife’s parents home in Hope N.D. the prior week and was now in the jail in Philipsburg. He was brought before Judge Connolly on Monday and arraigned on charges of grand larceny and having stolen property in his possession. His bail was fixed at $15,000. Christie “couldn’t stand prosperity” was the reason the detectives that arrested him gave for him getting caught. His trial was to take place in September and his confession collaborated the confession of Hammond. They had taken $65,000 in diamonds, plus money. 

The June 9, 1905 Mail carried the notice that the State of Montana vs George Hammond, Grand Larceny trial was set for June 22 at 9:20 a.m. Research has not revealed the outcome of either trial.

A Trip Through the Lower Valley and The Hoover Family

A New Northwest article on October 30, 1885 stated Deer Lodge Sheriff Jim McMaster took a buggy ride to Philipsburg with the New Northwest editor, James Mills and described the layout of the land and names of the residences from Gold Creek to Drummond: Benton Hoover, George Beeber, Thomas Stark, S. Leonard, Thomas Morse, Frank Morse, Thomas Griffin, Berry and Rider and John Edwards. 

As they continued on to New Chicago were the property of William Wallace, David Dunkleberg, William Periman, Prosser and Franzman and the Dingwall brothers. In New Chicago the merchandising was done by J.A. and J.B. Featherman and the Dingwall brothers. The McPhail brothers ran the Valley House, a very comfortable hotel; Prosser and Franzman were the blacksmiths; Featherman Brothers ran the meat market, “Zeb Haynes has a pleasant place of rest for the boys; Judge Ferguson keeps Watch and Ward, dispensing justice impartially to all. The large flouring mill of Morse & Co. now makes two grades of flour.” 

The article continued on after spending the night at the McPhail House, with McMaster naming the residents on Willow Creek: west of town were McPhail Brothers and Colonel Morse while further south the Willow Creek emptied into Flint Creek and the following residences were located: Louise J. Henderson, Joseph Henderson, Charles Tinklepaugh, Thomas and Jones, Thomas Buchanan, M. Dooley, P. Dooley, Angus McDonald, Gus Pearson, Paul Pellitier, P. Ryan, Jack Harrington, John Fahey, John Lannan, Mrs. Magone and Mrs. Nierling. As the buggy left New Chicago for Philipsburg the ranches were described “alternately on the right and left” as John A. Featherman, P. Brogan (bought from Oscar Gruwell), Hi Thomas (bought from Alex Long), Coulson’s, (the old Charley Cooper place), Peter Long, Frank Johnson, Alex Wight’s, John A. Featherman’s upper ranch, the three Heilman brothers (James, Edward and Joseph), the old Dan Gruwell garden ranch, Rory McRae’s Stone Station (Benjamin Horton was the postmaster), William Albright, James Butler, Dave Hennessey’s Boulder House, and off to the right of Stone Station was D.H. Mellan (sic) and James Byrne. 

Benton Hoover named above was actually Alfred Benton Hoover. When he died at the age of 88 on January 25, 1928, Benton was the oldest surviving member of the Montana Pioneers and had been so recognized at their last meeting. Benton had been living at the home of his son-in-law, Richard Hall, at the time of death. 

Mr. Hoover was born in Miami county, Indiana on April 24, 1840 and at the age of six his family moved to a farm in Iowa where Benton received his common school education. At the age of 19 he started across the plains to Pike’s Peak with three wagons and a group of ten men. On the trail the group received discouraging news about Pike’s Peak so decided to go to Nevada by way of Fort Laramie, Wyoming and Soda Springs, Utah. They arrived at Virginia City, Nevada in August 1859. One month after arriving there Mr. Hoover located a claim on what is now known as the Comstock Mine. Hoover took the first five tons of ore down the canyon to be shipped and mined in that area for almost eight years. 

Hoover came to Montana in 1866 and engaged in mining in Grizzly Gulch outside of Helena. He stayed in that area, mining until the fall of 1871 when he purchased a ranch in the Hellgate Valley above Drummond. Benton remained on that ranch until a few years ago when he moved into Drummond. Benton married Anna E. Miller of Missouri in 1884. Survivors were his wife, son Chester and daughter Mrs. Richard Hall all of Drummond. His funeral was held in Drummond with internment at the Valley cemetery. 

 Anna E. Miller Hoover born May 16, 1854 died on March 4, 1934 at the age of 80. Their son Chester born March 24, 1889 died at the age of 88 on February 21, 1978, just a month before his 89th birthday. Chester’s wife Ada, who was born October 26, 1890 died on September 14, 1940 at the age of 49. There is also an Infant Hoover buried in the Valley cemetery but the file has no birth or death date. 

Research revealed where Annie Hoover Hall died in Drummond after being ill for many months. Survivors were: her husband Richard Hall, son Chester and mother Mrs. Hoover according to the December 4, 1931 Philipsburg Mail. Born in 1893 Annie was only 38 years of age at the time of death. Richard died in 1954 at the age of 62. Records do not show any other family members buried in the Valley cemetery.

Merry Christmas to all and to All a Good Night!

After homesteading in Apache Gulch on Willow Creek in about 1917, the Billy Bentz family lived on Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek where they leased a ranch owned by Al Rupp. The ranch was located on the east slope of Mt. Amerine foothill just below the Stephen’s Reservoir. Most of the ranch is currently owned by Robin Bauer. 

When my parent’s Harry and Nina (Stevens, Kamimura) Bentz first married they lived at Shillings Gulch then moved onto the ranch when Uncle Walt went into the military (WWII) and grandpa Billy became ill, so my first memories are at the ranch. The Christmas when I was three and a half, Granny and Grandpa had moved to a home in the Lewiston, Idaho Orchards so just Mom, Dad, Rosalie (my half sister, aged 5 ), “Corky” (18 months) and I were living on the ranch. Dad and I were in the shop about 300 yards from the house putting the finishing touches on a rocking horse, for Corky. Dad had carved out a really handsome horse and attached real horse mane and tail. He also made a nice rope halter and attached a child’s saddle. It was Christmas Eve and after supper, so was dark and we were using lanterns to see. We always got up early Christmas morning to open our packages from Santa so I had no expectations of anything happening that evening, when suddenly I heard sleigh bells and “Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!” Dad and I dashed out of the shop and heard sleigh bells trailing off to the south. We ran with the lantern to the house and in the kitchen found Mom and Rosalie finishing up the dishes. They had not heard anything. We opened the living room door and found brightly wrapped presents under the Christmas tree where earlier had been bare floor. Mom and Rosalie swore we were crazy and insisted they had never left the kitchen. Well then who could have been there? 

We were snowed in, which was not uncommon and never shopped more than once a month even in the summer, so did not hitch up a team to plow the roads. There were no tracks on the ground around the house and being me I was way more interested in where the packages came from than what was in them. Climbing the ladder to the roof with a lantern revealed a pair of sled tracks and deer tracks plus big boot tracks to the chimney. Whoever brought the presents actually came down the chimney! I do not remember any of the presents but have pondered who pulled this off for many decades . 

When people, especially my children, grand and great grandchildren have asked about Santa I have recounted this occurrence and let them mull over the happening. Mom died in 1997 and Dad in 2003. Neither one ever disclosed to me how this happened. Mom just always shrugged and changed the subject, Rosalie insisted until she died in 1997 that her and Mom never left the kitchen or heard anything. Dad always chuckled and said that was for me to figure out. 

The closest ranches were Christensen’s and the 3-H ranch. They had their own lives so would have never traveled that distance roundtrip in deep snow to do all of the detail. Price Townsend and Paddy Ward always helped us hay and would come by in the winter to “borrow” flour and sugar when we were away. These items were always replaced within a few weeks. My parents may have set the details up for one or both of them but that would have been real dedication to a task. Must have been more than fruit cake in payment and I know we did not have money. Although both had cabin’s on Ross’ Fork making the trip easier than from Moose Lake over Lone Pine it still would have been more than 10 miles round trip on snow shoes in the dark. I looked for days for evidence of any snow shoe tracks and did not find their route. 

So in conclusion, if anyone asked you if there is a Santa tell them my story and let them know after decades I still have to believe he landed with his deer on my roof and came down the chimney. Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night! Have a really wonderful and Happy New Year.

Interesting Mining and desires of Rock Creek

Numerous mining claims were staked around the Rock Creek and Basin Gulch area with newspaper references made to claims such as in the August 21, 1896, Mail: “The report of another rich placer section in Granite County reaches the Mail. It is located near the famous Quartz Gulch and the Miller brothers of Parkerville are the lucky discoverers. (It is) called Montgomery Gulch and runs at right angles with Quartz gulch, in which the famous Eureka and other rich placer properties are located. The two gulches almost meet at the top of the mountain and have their termination in Rock Creek… There is no use of anyone stampeding there, however, as we are informed the ground of the entire gulch is already staked. 

Always believing that the next claim would be the big one, news was upbeat, such as The Mail, July 1, 1898: “Work has been commenced on the Antelope road which will be put into shape by the county as rapidly as possible. James McGeeney hauled four men and the necessary camp outfit out there Tuesday and reports say there will be a large number of men put to work on the road and also constructing the branch road up to the properties recently purchased by James A. Murray, the Butte Millionaire and Frank D. Brown, the Philipsburg mining man. Mr. Brown states that as soon as the road is built work will begin on the stamp and leaching process which it is contemplated to erect on the property. The road as it has been was in such a condition to make it impossible to haul machinery over it except at a big expense and Mr. Brown stated that the plant would never be built until the road was constructed. County surveyor Cralle now has the matter in hand and it may be depended upon that when finished it will be a credit to the county.” How does a millionaire and a newsman/politician got a county road developed on a promise of plants that I found no evidence of ever being completed? 

In the Mail, March 25, 1904, claims owned by James and William Schoonover and William Smith were bonded for $15,000. The bond covered the Tornado, Yellow Jacket, Cabin Home and Amended Iowa Boys Claims, situated on Rock Creek between Antelope Gulch and Sluice Gulch. Considerable development work had been done on several of the claims. Messrs. Hughes and Crowley, recently employed at the Henderson mines were experienced, practical miners. J.B. Hand a millwright from Ann Arbor, Michigan was supervising the erection of a twenty-stamp quartz mill for the Crescent Gold Mining Company on Stony Creek. The article in the Mail on November 5, 1909 stated Mr. Hand hoped to get the mill construction ready before winter weather set in so the workers could continue processing during the winter months. At the time of the article several teams were still busy hauling machinery into Stony Creek. The Company owned a group of eleven claims which they had been developing for the past ten years. An air compressor was installed some years prior and power drills had advanced the ability to drill tunnels. A large crosscut tunnel had been developed but so far had not reached the ore shown in the upper workings of the claim. The news article stated that according to F. Wagner: “…the ore occurs in a large porphyry dyke. The country rock east of the dyke is slate. The vein is a true fissure five feet wide and carries average values at $14 per ton in gold. The ore is free milling. Some of the ore in the upper digging runs as high as $100 per ton, in the Red Top claim near the top of the mountain and a road would need to be built to get the ore down to the mill. 

By July 10, 1914 the tunnels were being replaced by placer mining. David T. Conkling had moved his drilling equipment to Stony creek where they were drilling to bedrock for the purpose of prospecting for placer gold. Richard Stingle mined this area for several seasons but had never mined the bedrock. Herman Kaiser also mined about forty claims along the course of the creek. The project was to tunnel north of the Wyman place and cut through the hogback extending down into the Wyman place and into the channel of Stony Creek. “The project was abandoned, principally on account of the shortage of funds.” If this dream had came to fruition the Stony Creek gulch would look a lot different in this day and age. The fishing certainly would not be as it is, let alone the beautiful hillsides of wild flowers.

Because water was a valuable asset Rock Creek was eyed by more than just Granite county as shown by the following headlines in the Mail on May 27, 1904: “TO CONSTRUCT BIG DITCH. Water from Rock Creek to be utilized in operating Bitter Root Placer Mines. The Stevensville Correspondent of the Butte Miner says that it is stated on good authority that a big ditch will be built this season from Rock Creek to the Three Mile Placer mines near Stevensville in the Bitter Root valley. The ditch will be a long one and will cost many thousands of dollars. Much lumber will be required in building flumes along the mountain side and across ravines. It is the intention of the promoters of the enterprise to have a portable sawmill accompany the construction crew and to saw the lumber near the point where needed. It is expected that the ditch will be used as fast as completed in floating the lumber to the point of operations.” Obviously this was another dream that fortunately never transpired. The issue of water rights had to have been quickly brought up when the news was published. I found no other articles pertaining to this item. 

I know from reading “The Bitterroot Trails”, that cattle were brought over the Bitter Root Pass (also known as the Bitterroot Direct Trail) to pasture during the summer in Stony Creek. The route started in the valley at Burnt Fork over the Sapphire Mountains and along the Alder Ridge then zigzagged down to Rock Creek. This, plus the fact numerous families who homesteaded in the Bitter Root were originally from Philipsburg probably created an idea that they were of one people, rather than two different counties. 

As late as 1917 the 25 mile trek was being used by newly weds Clarence and Thelma Hamm to transport their belongings to a new home. Dr. Prince from Stevensville followed that same trail to deliver their son that November. the story goes that the father was known for his sense of humor and told the Doctor that since his son was born in a tent he should have an Indian name. years later when “Snook” went into the military he found out his birth certificate had his name as Hiawatha. it was then legally changed to Clarence H. Hamm Jr. 

On August 21, 1908 in the Mail there was even talk of a railroad cut off going down Rock Creek. “During the past several weeks rumors have been frequent that the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad is again considering the Rock Creek cut-off between Butte and Missoula. The route has been surveyed several times and is said to be 26 miles shorter than by way of Deer Lodge and Drummond, but the grade is considerably heavier. Possibilities of electric power along Rock Creek, however, is a factor which the railroad people have not lost sight of. It is the purpose of the Milwaukee Road to use this natural power where ever available and along the St. Joe River in Idaho work has been in progress for some time for a series of dams and power stations which are to supply the power for moving the trains over the Idaho division through the tunnel at Taft into Montana….that Rock creek is capable of developing all the electric power the railroad would ever need over this cut-off is a well known fact. Between Eagle Canyon and Bonita any number of power stations might be installed without even inconveniencing anyone. The long canyon for approximately forty miles is practically without a settler and no damage would result by damming the stream. Electricity is the power of the immediate future and wherever nature’s forces can be made to supply it the problem of cheap power is solved…. “ 

A similar conversation was discussed in 1937 when the East Fork Dam was being explored and people felt that Eagle Canyon would be the natural spot to place a dam. My visualization of this would be my brother “Corky” ice fishing this winter over a spot where East Fork and Middle Fork originally merged and the Spud Mountains and the west side of Mungas Hill being little knobs sticking out like Piney Point does at Georgetown Lake. Maybe the (unknown name) Lake would be so large that it enveloped Moose Lake also. Granite County is so fortunate that Rock Creek was preserved and none of these idea’s materialized.

Nicholas H. Connelly

 Another notable asset, to the history of Granite County was Nicholas H. Connolly. Progressive Men of the State of Montana, stated he was born in the County of Armagh, Ireland on August 19, 1825, the fourth of a family of six children. Immigrating to America, at the age of twenty three, he arrived in New York and his first job was as a clerk in a dry goods store in Philadelphia. In 1855, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he continued in sales of dry goods. Then in 1862, he married Miss Elizabeth McDonnell, in Philadelphia. 

His next venture was traveling to Idaho Territory in 1863, arriving at Fort Benton on a boat trip up the Missouri River. It is unknown if his wife traveled with him on this trip or followed at a later date. Shortly after his arrival, Montana Territory was formed, out of the eastern section of Idaho Territory. He settled in Deer Lodge County and in 1865 opened a general store at Gold Creek. He also served as Postmaster of Gold Creek during the administration of President Lincoln and Johnson. N. H. won the election for Deer Lodge County Commissioner. with 1,376 votes versus 988 for Conrad Kohrs, in 1867 and also served as County Assessor of Deer Lodge County. He lost the sheriff race to W.W. Jones in 1871. 

In 1877, he moved to Philipsburg and opened a general store. While conducting business in his general store N. H., became active in extending credit to the mining enterprises that were the basis of the commerce during that era. 

In 1881, Nicholas, served on a coroner’s jury in the homicide of Eugene Garland, with the following verdict: “An inquisition holden (sic) in the back room of George W. Morse’s butcher shop, in the town of Philipsburg, Deer Lodge County, Montana Territory on the 25 day of March A. D. 1881, before me, Davis E. Thomas, Justice of the Peace, acting coroner of said county, upon the body of Eugene Garland, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed: The said juror’s upon their oath do say that the said Eugene Garland came to his death by a pistol shot wound feloniously fired from the hands of Elisha Reed. The murder occurred after the two men had attended a dance and Mr. Reed (a married man with three children) thought that the woman Mr. Garland had taken to the dance had made some remarks about the Reed family.” 

At this time, the Algonquin Mine and the Emma and Salmon mines, near Philipsburg produced some $400,000 in bullion. All of this ore was being processed at the Algonquin Mill that was two years old, in 1882. The investors thought they were doing great, when a telegram arrived from the Philadelphia office, on March 16, 1882, directing a total suspension of milling and mining operations at Hasmark. The company did not have enough money to make its payroll of $15,000. 

When Pardee (President and Managing Superintendent), arrived from Philadelphia, he reported the bondholders in Philadelphia, had foreclosed their mortgage of $107,000 and were advertising the property at a Sheriff’s sale. Obviously the $400,000, had not been utilized to pay off the debt, but Mr. Pardee, was certain that the Algonquin Company, would be reorganized and achieve the success everyone believed it could when the mill was built. Meanwhile, the local creditors led by William Weinstein and Nick Connolly got a judgment in Deer Lodge County court for $8,000, but the bondholders sale took precedence. The property was bought by former Algonquin President E. C. Markley and Associates. 

Nicholas Connolly thought that he could recover what was owed to him by leasing the property. The endeavor was a bust and “Connolly lost everything but the esteem of his fellow townsmen.” The Connolly property was attached for $13,000.00. The ore was too low grade and the mill could not produce the money needed to pay the workers, thus, leaving $4,000.00 due in back wages, over the $13,000.00 of the property attachment. 

What happened to the property is not clear, but on May 5, 1887, The Philipsburg Mail, reported: “For many years Nicholas Connolly has lived in and occupied as a business house the two story frame on Broadway, well-known throughout this section as the Connolly Store. Recent surveys place the building partly on an adjoining lot, the property of George W. Morse, of New Chicago. This morning Mr. C. was notified to move his store building. It is hardly necessary to say that until matters between the parties are settled there will be h--l on deck.” This appears to be the known Ben Pizer building on upper Broadway. 

Dan Metschter, writing in the Philipsburg Mail “Flint Chips” in 1988, stated: “Philipsburg took him to its heart. It repeatedly elected him Justice of the Peace. He supported himself on the fees from that office for the next 23 years”. This statement comes into question though when you read The Citizen Call, during 1893 and 1894. A petition was circulated stating: “We the undersigned residents and taxpayers of Granite County respectfully request your honorable body to appoint to the office of Justice of the Peace of Philipsburg Township, N.H. Connolly, to the unexpired term of A.G. Berthoud, deceased. Mr. Connolly is competent and we heartily recommend his appointment.” Following this statement were eighty six signatures that included: J.D. Kennedy, Erastus Amerine, William Neu, L.C. Degenhart, John Rodda, John Kaiser, and Herman Kaiser, 

Also in 1893, very sarcastic comments were editorialized in the Philipsburg Mail, calling the Citizen Call newspaper “The Tool”, and implying that Nicholas Connolly was the exalted editor, etc. Then, a very acrid letter to the editor was published alluding that the petition was inappropriate because any swindler or unsavory character could sign the petition and that the intent of the petition made it look like the voters were having their rights of selection usurped. Whether Connolly fulfilled the reminder of the term or not is not discussed in further issues, but he was named an alternate for the Democratic election of 1894. 

The tax records of Granite County in 1893 show Connolly assets as follows: A log building, frame house and store stock valued at $11,055.00 in Philipsburg plus $300.00 in Firearms. The average price of a firearm at that time was $45.00. He also paid taxes on a frame house in Drummond valued at $450.00. There were a total of six lines on the tax roles dedicated to Connolly and two of those including a partner, John Cole, the first Granite County Sheriff. 

Nicholas ran for the position of Justice of the Peace, for Philipsburg Township, in 1894 as a democrat and the results of the election were: Connolly, Nicholas H., 130, Miller, John H. Democrat, 280, so there was at least one term Nicholas was not the Justice of the Peace, of Philipsburg Township. 

In 1896, Nicholas Connolly, made application for the position of Enrolling Clerk for the State Legislature. Nicholas was busy that year as he also served as Deputy Sheriff: “Deputy Sheriff N.H. Connolly came in on the Saturday train with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Guinanne of Bearmouth, who were placed under arrest for resisting an officer. Deputy Argall, sometime ago went down to Bearmouth regarding a man named Ryan living next door to Guinanne’s, and they had attempted to put the officer off their land.” I do not find any other reference to Connolly being a deputy, so assume he was deputized as a special deputy to perform this one function. 

Then in 1897, he was active as an involved community patron: “The public reading room, located in the Connolly building, has been running for three weeks and is proving to be quite a success. Nicholas, was appointed Deputy County assessor under Will Neu, and performed those duties whenever work in that office required his services. 

In March, 1898, the official bond for Nicholas Connolly, Justice of the Peace was ordered filed. Then May, 1898, N. H. Connolly was listed as one of the eighty three volunteers for the Spanish American War. He would have been seventy two. 

In the 1900 Census, Nicholas (74) and his son Nicholas J. (32) and daughter Anna (30) were living in North Philipsburg. September, 1901, on the regular session--fifth day of the County Commissioners proceedings, N. Connolly, was paid $36.00 for his services, as Justice of the Peace. 

His obituary in the August 24, 1906, Philipsburg Mail, stated Judge N. Connolly passed away Tuesday August 21, at Wallace, Idaho where he had been visiting his children. It goes on to cover the same history of his birth in Ireland in 1825 and travels to Montana in 1863. It also lists survivors as two daughters and one son in Wallace, Idaho and two sisters, Mrs. John Keenan and Mrs. Jettie Jordan of Gold Creek. Nothing in the obituary stated his body would be brought back to Philipsburg for burial. 

The next news article found is a publication of the Notice to Creditors, for the Nicholas Connolly estate, published by Walter W. Kroger, Administrator of the estate on September 20, 1912. What was the reason causing six years to pass before publishing the notice to creditors for the estate? 

As evidenced above the name Nicholas H. Connolly, is prominently embedded in the history of the county of Deer Lodge and later Granite, when it was carved from Deer Lodge in 1893.

Rock Creek Coyote Wizard: Fred Splitt

                                                              Fred Splitt in 1971

Among the many personalities of Rock Creek was Fred Splitt. He always attended the dances at Uncle Tom’s Cabin and never danced with a partner. His dance was a jig which consisted of moving one leg to the rhythm of the music for a period of time and then changed to the other leg. He would begin with the first dance and leave to go outside at each intermission to have a little refreshment. As the evening progressed his jig got slowly less jig and more sway until he would just sit down on a bench and go quietly to sleep. Fred said he “was the very best dancer….well maybe there is one better…Fred Astaire.” 

Fred was born in Duport, Wisconsin on March 6, 1887. It is unknown exactly when he came to Granite County. There is no record of him in the 1910 Federal Census and he was living in Wisconsin in the 1900 Census. He arrived before November 1, 1912 as he was is listed as a registered voter with his address as “Dearborn Ranch” in the Mail on that date. The Dearborn Ranch was located on the Middle Fork of Rock Creek at the mouth of Dearborn Gulch in Section 32. The buildings were destroyed by fire on March 30, 1927 when G.Z. Adams lived there according to the April 1, 1927 Mail. This may be incorrect because Adam’s had a homestead in that same area. 

The December 26, 1913 Mail stated “F. E. Splitt came in this week from Seba siding near Anaconda, where he has just completed a big contract for getting out mining timbers. He will return there after the holidays and take another contract to cut on railroad land.” He was a known far and wide for his sawyer skills such as when he cut all the logs to rebuild the Allen Webb Ranch house after the newly built home burned to the ground. 

Fred entered World War I in August 1918 after he sold his modern bungalow cottage on lower Broadway to Mrs. J.W. Sundberg for $2,800.00 detailed the Mail May 24, 1918. He was discharged August 1919 at Fort D.A. Russell in Wyoming. By 1921 he was a well established biological survey hunter with his picture shown standing beside a one month catch of coyotes in an article in the Missoulian in February. The article described predatory animals costing stockmen more than $100,000 per year and acknowledged the work of federal survey hunters taking 25,361 animals for the year ending June 30, 1920. 

On October 14, 1921 I found where Fred had a close call near the Six Mile House, when his Ford plunged off the grade and was wrecked with his body bruised. Fred continued to trap coyote’s according to the December 8, 1922 Mail, and was credited with twenty-three trapped and two others shot when they failed to get into his traps. The paper goes on to say he hung all the pelts on a line and took a picture of them then sold them to a local fur house. At the time of the news the past week had a heavy snow storm, so all of Fred’s traps were snowed under and he was going to have to dig them out and reset them. 

On February 26, 1926 the Mail identified Fred as the “Rock Creek Coyote-wizard” and stated he spent Tuesday in town. This was probably during the time Fred homesteaded in Antelope Gulch. After selling the homestead to Ed Sanders he bought the Foster Smith place at the west end of Eagle Canyon. Fred lived there until it was sold to the Lyon’s family about 1940. 

One of his major means of income was building the Beaver Slide hay stacker and almost every ranch on Rock Creek and the Forks had a Beaver Slide, built by Fred. As the years progressed he taught the craft to a couple of protégé’s. But most of the ranchers believe they have either “the last” or “one of the last one’s” he built. 

After living in cabins and trapping around Mount Amerine for many more years, Fred moved into Philipsburg. He was admitted to the “Old Soldiers” Veteran’s Home at Columbia Falls, Montana on an unknown date and died there at the age of eighty-eight on October 8, 1975 of Pulmonary Edema. His body was returned “Home” where he was given a full military graveside service with internment at the Philipsburg Cemetery.

A Mining Family Named Jarvi

                                                                Walter and Eunice Jarvi

The First mention I find of the Jarvi name is when John Jarvi has an unclaimed letter listed in the Philipsburg Mail in 1894 and then, in 1896 Mrs. John Jarvi gave birth to a girl. This girl was named Sima as her death certificate gives a birth date of November 19th. John was born in Finland on December 31, 1862 and immigrated to the United States in either 1883 (1900 census) or 1880 (1910 census). 

In 1889 he married Ina (Ida) whose maiden name was either Haidala or Sandeen. She was born in Finland about 1870 and immigrated to the United States before 1889. They originally lived in Michigan where the first son Mathew was born on July 4, 1889. A Federal Census was not conducted in 1890 and by 1900 they were living at Granite where John was a miner for the Bi-Metallic. Besides Mathew, they had son John Emil known as Emil in 1892; daughter Helma 1893 and Sima 1896; daughter Jennie 1898; son Arthur in May of 1899 who died at the age of 14 months on July 2, 1900 and was buried in the Philipsburg Cemetery. Then daughter Laura was born in 1903; son Edward (Edmond) in 1907 and Walter the youngest five years later according to the 1920 Federal Census. 

John died from a second pulmonary hemorrhage due to Miner’s Consumption on April 22, 1914 and son Emil provided the information on the death certificate. This left Ina widowed with Emil age 27 helping her raise Laura, Edward and Walter according to the 1920 Census. Emil was employed as a miner. Ida (Ina) at an unknown date married John (Jack) Salo and she died in 1947 with burial in the Philipsburg Cemetery.

Mathew married Jennie Berg in Missoula on December 23, 1919 and lived in Philipsburg, mining silver. By 1930 Mathew and Jennie had moved to Michigan where he was mining Iron. They had daughters (Arlove) Carol and Kathleen M. In 1940 Mathew was in Hot Springs, Alaska where the archive text stated he was a proprietor. Wow he had changed from a miner to a business owner!. But inspecting the actual census document shows he was a prospector at a placer site. Apparently Jennie had remained in Michigan, because he was listed as married. Mathew died in Ironwood, Michigan on October 4, 1946 and is buried at the Lakeside cemetery. Carol’s son John still lives on the Ironwood homestead. 

 Photo :Emil Jarvi, Lizzie Adams Edwards, Maggie Adams Jarvi, Ebbe Millis and Jean Gallagher

                                          Photo courtesy of Mary Kay Bennett from Facebook

Emil in the 1930 Federal Census was married to Maggie Adams who was born in Oregon and they lived at Moose Lake, next door to Maggie’s sister Elizabeth and husband Harry Edwards. They were busy mining gold and running trap lines. Emil as stated previously assisted in the search and recovery of Moose Lake Johnson in 1941 and on February 27, 1942 died at his cabin at Moose Lake “from over exertion on a trap line in heavy snow”. The story goes that friends believed he had a heart attack the winter before and suffered another one while trying to get through the snow. He made it back to his cabin where he collapsed. His wife Maggie moved to the Harvey Hotel in Helena and lived there 18 years before dying the 24th of May 1960 before her 72nd birthday. 

Sima born in Granite married Emil Elo and they lived in Milltown where they had a daughter Ellen. She died a widow in Hillside Nursing Home from Pneumonia on June 27, 1987 at the age of 90. 

Laura married Pavvo Posti in 1931 in Duncan, British Columbia, and died there in 1995. 

Helma (Davies) buried in Philipsburg died in 1967. Her children were Barbara and Bryan. 

Edward was married to Lyyte (age 39) and immigrant from Finland, in the 1940 Census and was, of course, employed as a silver miner in Granite County. Jean Jarvi Weissenfluh recalls visiting Ed in Portland, Oregon in 1952 and his wife was Simi. Research has failed further information. 

Walter, on December 25, 1935, married Eunice McLees, the adopted daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Katie) McLees, born in Helena in 1912. Following the family tradition, Walter spent his life working in the mines around Philipsburg. Born to this marriage were daughters: Joan (Roberts) who died on December 22, 2009; and Jean (Weissenfluh) who lives in Colorado and sons: Walter Wayne born November 9, 1943 who died April 17, 1945 and Bill who lives in Opportunity, Montana. 

Walter died in March 21, 1969, about 14 miles west of Philipsburg at his home on Rock Creek. Eunice died on June 5, 1975 in San Diego, California. They are survived by their children plus grandchildren: Debbie, Cindy, Misty Roberts Morgan, Julie Gammons , Mark Weisenfluh and Wayne Jarvi. They are both buried next to son Walter Wayne in the Philipsburg Cemetery.

Prominent Jeweler and politician: S.E. McLees

Samuel E. (known as S.E.) McLees, was a very active merchant jeweler at 38 West Park Street in Butte, according to The Anaconda Standard in September 1890 and then in Philipsburg where he was also a politician in early Philipsburg days. The Philipsburg Mail December 9, 1898 stated” To break the monotony of every-day life and have a little sport on Christmas afternoon, several of our enterprising business men have arranged a racing tournament to take place on Broadway….The races are confined to Granite County horses.” Then the article states all of the prizes and who donated them. Many were donated by S.E. McLees including a $60 split-second chronograph watch ; a $70, 14 carat gold-filled stop watch and a $30 silver stop watch. 

In The 1901, Philipsburg Mail’s, there are frequent references to his Jewelry store, such as October 4: “S.E. McLees, the jeweler, has added to his already extensive stock, a complete line of cutlery--razors, pocket knives etc”. 

Samuel Edward McLees, born in Taylorstown, Pennsylvania on August 1, 1867 to Alexander E. and Isabelle Hodgens McLees, was one of three children. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania and followed the mercantile trade business. Sam’s father died at age sixty, in 1877 and his mother lived until 1917. From the age of fourteen to eighteen, Sam served an apprenticeship in a jewelry store in Washington, Pennsylvania, and came west, when this ended, to Fargo N.D. After working as a jeweler for two years, he returned to the east and took a course in engraving, then became employed by the Elgin Watch Factory. Next he moved to Butte and opened a store that burned down within thirty days. He re-opened and stayed in business there for two years, then moved to Philipsburg. 

He married Catherine Rose McCullough, an immigrant from Canada, on April 20, 1898 in Philipsburg. S.E. served as City Alderman for four years, then was first elected as Mayor to Philipsburg in 1910. While campaigning for his re-election in 1914, McLees, was cited by a large article in the Philipsburg Mail, as doing an excellent job of cleaning up the City Sewer problems, also the contamination of Camp Creek, which was causing unhealthy issues in the lower part of the city and had increased the property owned by Philipsburg, while cutting taxes coming into the town, by $1,000.00. Property now owned by the city included City Water Works, valued at $40,000.00; $5,000.00 worth of building and furnishings for City Hall; $200.00 for the jail and pound; $1,525.00, worth of hose, hook and ladder wagon, four wheel and two wheel carts, Bell and Fire tower; City Sewer, worth $15,000.00 and thirty cement street crossings and eight cement alley crossings, for a total value of $64,835.00. 

S.E.’s mother died in Taylorsville, Pennsylvania, on June 8.1917. According to the Mail, (Mayor) “Mr. McLees, arrived at her bedside before she lost consciousness, so was able to speak with her.” In March, 1918, Mr. Haverty sold a Dodge Brothers touring car to Mayor S.E. McLees. In June of 1926, S.E. presented an interesting paper to the Rotary Club, describing precious stones and where they were found. At that time, he was still an active merchant of the city and the Mayor. He declined to run for Mayor, in 1928, after serving for seventeen consecutive years in that position. His favorite cause was the municipal water system. 

Sam was actively involved in the Masons, Odd Fellow’s, Selish Tribe Order of Red Men and the Philipsburg Rotary Club and served on the Grade and High School Boards over the years. 

Samuel E. McLees died of bladder and prostrate cancer, October 4, 1930, in a Butte Hospital, after having surgery. The funeral was held from his home on California Street, to the Episcopal Church with Rev. Lawrence Rose officiating. Internment was in the Philipsburg cemetery, with pallbearers: John Yenter, Freeman Tinklepaugh, Chauncey Kennedy, E. Irvine, Fred Geiger and Walter Kroger. Honorary pallbearers were: Hon. D.M. Durfee, Frank Winninghoff, A.S. Huffman, Thomas Botscheider, Hon. J.D. Kennedy, W. Albright, John J. Orr, R.E. McHugh and Roy Neitz. 

The McLees Jewelry Store was purchased by Charles B. Lawrenson, of Missoula in February of 1931. Mrs. McLees operated the store after Sam died until it was sold. Lawrenson had operated a jewelry store in Missoula and Hamilton, before working for Frank Borg Jewelry Store, in Philipsburg. 

Catherine (Katie) McCullough McLees was born to John and Isadore Lundy McCullough October 2, 1867 and died at the age of eighty-three, November 27, 1950. Her descendants were: daughter Eunice McLees Jarvi and her spouse Walter, plus grandchildren Joan, Jean and Bill Jarvi.

Twice Divorced and Three Times A Bride

                                                              Bessie Dunn Musselman

Bessie, youngest daughter of John P. and Catherine (Kate) Dunn was born April 7, 1887 in Anaconda, Montana. As she grew into a beautiful red headed lady her marriages made frequent news. Her first marriage was an elopement on March 17, 1906 at the Justice of The Peace in Deer Lodge to Frank Gillmurray.  

By the 1910 Federal Census, Bessie was back living at home with her parents. By WWI, she had married for the second time to a young clerk at the Anaconda Reduction Works named William T. Masten. Known as “Tom” and in the National Guard he was soon transferred into the regular Army. He was cited twice for bravery while overseas and advanced from Private to Captain. Shortly after his return from the war, the marriage dissolved and he remarried. Bessie…now known as Betty also remarried in a short time to a High School Coach named E. Raymond Musselman. Known as “Tip” he was younger than Bessie and doted on her every whim. Descriptors about him are: “a skinny school teacher”; “ liked to live well without working”; “worshipped the ground Betty walked on and never doubted her.”

A story in “Gold on a Shoe String” stated that although “known as the Mine Manager he was never an aggressive partner. Once while in the extensive tunnels he dropped and broke his carbide lamp. Lost for hours, he was ever after terrified of the dark, demanding the electric plant at the cabin be kept going all night so he could have a light on. The noise of the motor carried across the lake annoying others.” 

As stated in the John Dunn article, Bessie became secretary of the John P. Dunn Mining Company when it was incorporated in 1919. By 1922, John had deeded all the Homestead acreage and cabins to Bessie. When John died in 1925, all of the rest of the Dunn properties at the Lake were inherited by Bessie and ended the family relationships. Thus it was up to Bessie to make the business profitable. The Frog Pond Basin Mines were creating a lot of excitement with eastern investors and it became Betty’s task to interest these investors in her enterprise. Some say this included face –lifting saloons and adding switches to her “full” head of hair plus “In the spring as soon as the buttercups bloomed Bessie returned home to salt her mines.” 

The story goes that fascinating people came to visit Bessie at the Lake but no one ever met them “because she wanted to keep them insulated from any adverse information about the mines.” One guest was a Dutch mining engineer who was infatuated with his Hostess and sent her lavish gifts; another was a European woman who wore flowers in her hair. These guests were seen out on the Lake or on the streets of Philipsburg and Anaconda. 

In the early 1930’s William Isom and Arthur Taggart bought up a section of the patented claims running east up the canyon behind Whale Mountain and with J.L. Darnell Jr. began building a new mill. Bessie brought suit against them and before the mill was finished Bessie won, with Isom and Taggart gone from the lake. During this period, Betty met a Knight in shining armor named Bill Leamon and a new romance blossomed. Bill was a college graduate and executive and major stockholder in the Houdaille Company, manufacturing hydraulic equipment. Bill invested more than $9,000 in Bessie’s operations and they formed the Toro Mining Company in 1933. They began construction on a new mill with a dozen or more men working during the winter and more than 25 during the summer months. 

Bill and Betty spent most of their time in the east and “Tip” continued as Mine Manager. Bill even christened a drink for Bessie known as the “Golden Betty.” By 1935, the main vein was being followed up the hill rich in gold. Leamon had located nine different outcroppings of ore and many green outcroppings of copper. 

Bill loved to fly and in July of 1936, Bill, Betty and Bill’s two son’s took off in a four passenger plane for the east. They dropped the boys off in Chicago and went on to New York. On their return flight near Fair Oaks, Indiana the plane developed engine problems. Bill sent out one flare before the plane crashed. He was 40 and she was 49. Earlier Betty had deeded “Tip” six of her claims and now her Will gave him all the Lake property and claims. 

He had neither the will or motivation to keep things going and his final report in 1939 showed income $6,328.12 and expenses $8,375.51. Betty Musselman is buried at Lower Hill Cemetery in Anaconda.

The Dunn Mines At Moose Lake

                                                                    John P. Dunn

Legend has it that one of the most profitable gold ventures near Moose Lake was the Dunn Mines. More than twenty five men at a time worked these mines and continued for four decades. John P. Dunn born in Little Falls, New York in September 1845 traveled from Bellevue, Iowa to Montana in 1864 with numerous other family members. First arriving in Butte it was not long before they moved on to Virginia City. John’s brother staked a claim and soon sold it for $2,000 then left “never to be seen again.” 

John returned to Iowa and married Catherine (Kate) Sophia Dyas and they started a family. But in the late 1870’s he felt the “lure of the mountains” and returned to Butte. In 1880, Kate and three small children Robert, Lulu and Harry joined him. They bought a six room house and lived there four years. John worked various jobs including running a ranch at Warm Springs and hauling bullion from the Elkhorn mine to Butte. When Marcus Daly began construction of his smelter in Anaconda in 1883, Dunn realized that was where the money was going to be and opened up a grocery store on Commercial Avenue. He then bought a lot from Marcus and Maggie Daly and built a home on West Park Street. Three years after moving to Anaconda, their youngest child Bessie (later known as Betty) was born. 

Although the grocery store was successful, John loved mining and grub staked many prospector’s and because of this his name appears on many claims in both Deer Lodge and Granite County Courthouses. In 1895, John and companions made a strike at Moose Lake and began staking many claims east of the lake. Often he used the name “Gold” such as Gold Hill, Gold Eagle, Gold Comet, Gold Enuf. But the richer claims were Daisy, Dandy, Abe Lincoln, Chief, Old Dominion, Toro and many others. By 1896 Dunn sold the grocery store and gave all of his energy to developing claims and building a mill. He eventually owned more than thirty claims running up both sides of the narrow canyon and extending almost to the lakes southern end. These claims produced for forty years and in 1902 the Mail stated that Dunn was shipping ore worth $80 a ton from the Lincoln group of claims. 

In 1903, John created “The Moose Lake Mining Company, Inc.” and continued building on his mill. The ore was hauled from the mines up a steep hillside where it was crushed and crudely processed then fell through chutes to wagons parked below. Mill workers said “it was wood fired and a bit of a disaster but it worked.” 

When living at the lake the Dunn family resided in a small prospectors cabin built by George Watsoon the east shore looking out at the Pintlers. In due time a cook cabin and sleeping cabin were added to the scene. In the beginning the family came by horse drawn wagons and stopped over night at Strom’s Wayside Station on George Town Lake. In later years they used a Model T truck to haul everyone the 50 miles from Anaconda around the south side of George Town Lake and then followed section lines to the Middle Fork Canyon. 

The whole family pitched in to help and one year when the smelter was on strike, even the in-laws including newly weds Harry and Jane, spent months working at the Abe Lincoln. In 1919 the John P. Dunn Mining Company was incorporated with John as President, Bessie as Secretary, Robert as treasurer and Harry and Tom Masten (Bessie’s then husband ) on the Board. Lulu’s Husband William Hayes, usually was employed elsewhere. 

In 1922 just two years before the Forest service platted cottage sites around the lake, John obtained a homestead title for 160 acres that included 177 feet of lakeside frontage; the meadow where the cabins were located and then a narrow corridor that extended beyond the north end of the lake then west to the Middle Fork and north for one mile along the Middle Fork. 

 Just two years later Kate died from Chronic Nephritis. The Hayes family who had provided care for her moved into the West Park Avenue home to care for John. John deeded all of the homestead to Bessie and on December 12, 1925 died of acute Bronchopneumonia at the West Park Avenue home in Anaconda. 

Daughter Bessie, now known as Betty (twice divorced and three times a bride) somehow influenced her father to give her sole ownership of the seven patented claims, many unpatented claims, all of the mines, the mill and all of the outbuildings.