MITCHELL GULCH
page 661 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: DOYLE; MITCHELL;
The first pay dirt was discovered at Mitchell's gulch, near Helena, on June
12, 1865, by J. J. Doyle, who was associated with J. F. Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell
was at Helena the day it was discovered, but being the older man, Doyle named
the place in his honor. Doyle was working on quartz at the time, but the
gravel looking fair, he thought he would try it, and, doing so , picked out
nine dollars that afternoon. There were as many as seventy men working in
the gulch during the spring of 1866. The first death took place in the spring
of 1876, when a man was shot in a miner's quarrel. Mr. Mitchell now resides
in Java. The gold was discovered by Mr. Doyle directly opposite his present
house in the gulch.
MONTANA TOWN
page 652 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published in 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: GURLEY; HILL; MOULTIN; HALLBACK; MERRILL;
ACKEMAN
Reference to which is made in other pages, was incorporated by the first
legislature. The name was changed to Prickly Pear, under authority of the
act approved February 6, 1865, which chartered the Prickly Pear Town Co.,
with James Gurley, H. M. Hill, A. H. Moulton, C. G. Hallback, T. G. Merrill
and A. Ackeman, incorporators. The boundaries of the new town were: -- Commencing
at the northwest corner of mining claim number five, in the lower Prickly
Pear district; thence up the Prickly Pear creek, one mile; thence west from
said creek, one-half mile; thence north one mile; thence east one half mile
to the place of beginning, containing three hundred and twenty acres. James
Gurly was appointed president; H. M. Hill, secretary; A. H. Moulton, treasurer;
and C. G. Hallback, T. G. Merrill and A. Ackeman, trustees of this town company.
PARNELL
page 661 - From Leeson'S History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: BEEMES; BRADY; CLARK; DAWSON; DUNN; HAGEN;
MCCAULEY; MULVY; QUAINTANCE; RYAN; SCHMIT; SHAY; SWARBRICK; LARSON; QUAINTANCE;
WEBER; WICKHAM; SHAY
Parnell, now known as Weber, forty-eight miles southeast of Helena, on the
boulder, is one of the modern settlements of the County, claiming a population
of about seventy. The business circle is made up as follows: George Beemes,
miner; J. Brady, stock and grain; C. Clark, grain and stock; T. Dawson, grain
and stock; R. Dunn, grain and stock; J. Hagen, grain and stock; Olof Larson,
grain and stock; Henry McCauley, grain and stock; William Mulvey, grain and
stock; A. C. Quaintance, grain and stock; H. Ryan, grain and stock; Wm. Ryan,
grain and stock; Con. Schmit, grain and stock; J. Schmit, blacksmith; J.
Shay, farmer and stock; R. Swarbrick, mason; M. W. Weber, miner and postmaster;
Patrick Wickham, farmer an stock. At this point a church society and school
are supported. Manufacturing industry is represented by a steam saw mill.
PIPESTONE
page 651 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: STANARD; BAXTER; TUTTLES; BARNES; BELCHER;
BOOTH; PAUL; STANARD
Acturally is called Big Pipestone in Leeson's History, six miles west of
Whitehall, was the seat of the placer mines of Worthington, Booth, Paul and
others. The Belcher ditch, carrying water from Fish creek to the mines at
this point, a distance of seven miles, was the first step toward the true
development of the district.
Pipestone Hot Springs, owned by W. B. Barnes, promises to be one of the leading
health resorts of the future. Little Pipestone, four miles west of Big Pipestone,
was the name given to the placers of Dan Stanard, Baxter, the Tuttles and
others. The whole country along the Whitehall, Deer and Pipestone creeks
offers advantages to the miner, stock grower and even agriculturist, which
haven to been, so far, half developed. The population of Pipestone and Fish
creek in 1880 was sixty; of Pipestone and vicinity thirty-six, and of Pipestone
Mts., ten.
PRICKLEY PEAR
See MONTANA TOWN
RADERSBURG
page 650 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: BACHELDER; BALLARD; BEHRENGER; BLACKER; BRIGHT;
BRODOCK; BULLARD; CLARK; DOUGHERTY; EASTERLY; HALLBECK; HALLECK; HAMPER;
HASSEL; HOSFEILD; HORSFEILD; HUNTLEY; JEWELL; JOHNSON; LOWREY; MACUMBER;
MYERS; NOREM; PARKS; POWERS; PREWITT; QUINN; RIPLEY; SEDERBERG; SMITH; SUDERBURG;
SKINNER; SHULL; TAYLOR; TOWNSLEY; WARNER; WELLS; WESTON; WINTER; WORDEN;
WARNER;
Radersburg, forty-eight miles southeast of Helena, where the old Bozeman
stage road crossed Crow creek, may be classed among the early settlements
of the county in 1866. The population in 1879 was 250, reduced to 169 in
1880 in the village and vicinity.
The valley of Crow Creek at this point possesses all the qualities to render
it at once a rich agricultural and stock country. This was for years the
county seat, and here a court house and jail were erected at a total cost
of about $26,000. The quartz lodes, known as the Congress, Ohio, Keating,
Leviathan, and Iron Clad, were yielding freely in 1879. The Blacker Mill
of 15 stamps, and the Ten-stamp Keating Mill, were most important contributors
to the welfare of the district; while the system of ditches, operated and
owned by William Quinn, afforded the necessary water supply to carry on the
mining industries, as well as for the purposes of irrigation.
The business circle of the town in 1879-80 comprised: Frank Wells, general
merchandise; J. E. Dougherty, General Merchandise; J. R. Weston, drugs, tobaccos,
and notions; Charles Hosfeild, meat market and stock dealer; D. G. Warner,
livery stable; Mrs. M. A. Parks, Central Hotel; Archie Macumber, hotel; S.
S. Huntley, sheep grower; P. B. Clark, sheep grower; Charles Halleck, saloon;
Mrs. J. W. Hamper, saloon and brewery; G. E. Norem, blacksmith, since deceased;
F. M. Smith, blacksmith. In 1884-5 the following named firms and individuals
formed the list of business men: E. M. Batchelder, notions and tobacco, and
postmaster; J. E. Dougherty and Frank Wells, general merchants; J. D. Ripley,
hotel; Warner & Horsfield, livery; E. J. Ripley and A. H. Dougherty,
liquor dealers; Chas. Horsfield and Huntley & Clark, horses and Cattle;
S. Shull, -- Skinner, blacksmiths; R. Norem, shoemaker; Johnson & Suderburg,
carpenters; D. G. Warner, Judge of Probate; A. H. Dougherty, deputy sheriff.
SOCIETIES: The first society organization at Radersburg was Mount Hope Lodge,
No. 4, I. O. G. T., organized April 12, 1868, reorganized in September, 1868,
with twelve members, H. C. Powers, Lodge Deputy. Jefferson Lodge, No. 15,
A. F. & A. M. , was chartered November 1, 1870. The Past Masters and
Master Masons of this lodge in 1883 were: Charles Horsfeild, P. M.; Frank
Wells, P. M. ; H. E. G. Winters, p. M.; Benj. Townsley, P. M. ; A. F. Bright,
George Behrenger, Charles G. Hallbeck; J. C. Blacker, James S. Bullard, A.
M. Easterly, John R. Gilbert, Charles G. Hallbeck, O. Brodock, G. B. Ballard,
J. M. D. Taylor, Joseph E. Hassel, William Jewell, B.
F. Lowrey, Alfred Myers, Isom Prewitt, Philip Robertrs, C. E. Worden, A.
W. Sederberg, John Johnson, Robert Horsfield.
The latest strikes of gold quartz in this county are the Deer Lode, worked
by Boyd and Rader, in 1878, and the Bonanza Chief, discovered in April, 1879,
by Boyd and Rader, showing native gold in a a large vein of soft sulphuretted
quartz, running up into the thousands per ton. The discovery is in the mountain
of the Prickly Pear, about eight or nine miles south of Helena and
Radersburg.
ST. LOUIS
page 651 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: CLARK; MOORE
St. Louis, at the head of Crow creek, eight miles northwest of Radersburg,
was a prosperous placer mining camp up to 1879, and offers today resources
which will reward development. Here the Little Giant and the Jaw Bone quartz
lodes were worked, and the Lewis & Reese twenty stamp mill erected. There
is a church and a school maintained in this settlement. St. Louis Lodge,
No. 49, I. O. G. T., was organized by R. S. Clark, March 8, 1875. The original
members numbered eighteen. W. L. Moore was elected first deputy. Ceased work
in 1879.
WEBER
See PARNELL
WHITEHALL *
page 651 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: BROOKE; BELCHER; PAUL; THURSTON
Whitehall, on White Tail Deer creek, sixty miles south of Helena on the overland
road, is one of the old settlements of 1864. In 1879 it had a population
of one hundred, which, owing to discoveries at Pipestone and other places
in 1879, was reduced to forty-one in 1880. Since the date of the census the
little village has shared in the general progress of the Territory, so that
in 1882 the population had reached its normal state, giving a vote of thirty-two.
E. G. Brooke, cattle grower and hotel keeper; John Paul, A. Belcher, C. Thurston
and others, stock growers, may be named among the first who have aided in
the development of this village and neighborhood. A schoolhouse was erected
in 1879, and the first regular religious services of the Methodist church
were held here. This society erected a house of worship some time ago. E.
G. Brooke is Postmaster.
WICKES
page 649 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: ANDREWS; GILLETTE; CLARK; DALLAS; BAYLIE;
LAMPTON; MORGAN; WOODBRIDGE; DOUGLASS; TODD; BAILEY; REYNOLDS; TAYLOR; HARDIN;
TOLE; STREET; PARKER; DEAN; STOUT; WICKES
Wickes, named in honor of T. A. Wickes, the leading merchant of the town,
was settled in 1877, and is one of the most prosperous mining camps on the
county. The Alta, Alta South, Gregory, Rumley, Custer, and Comet mines have
made a record for the district. These mines have been operated on a large
scale, and are so located in the hills that they can be easily worked. The
ores, which are rich galenas and high grade in silver, are found in true
fissure veins, in a favorable formation, and the Wickes district contains
all the elements and ingredients needed in smelting, and in just the proportion
required for that purpose. The elevation of the district is not high, and
the mines are reached by wagon-roads of easy grade. Best qualities of rich
ore, opened and developed in these mines, will supply the reduction works
for years to come.
The destruction of the costly and extensive reduction works of the Alta-Montana
company at Wickes was a prostrating blow to the camp. Those works had been
erected at a cost of over 250,000,
and were in operation at the time the property was purchased by the Helena
M. & R. Co. The business of the village in 1883 comprised a half dozen
of saloons, a notion store, the Wickes general store, and the post-office
store by Messrs. Dean and Stout. IN 1884-5 the business circle comprised
E. R. Dean, postmaster and notion store; T. A. Wickes, general store; Dean
& Street and c. F. Parker, hotels; Tole & Hardin, Saloon; H.
D. Taylor & Co., meat market; J. T. Reynolds, shoemaker; J. A. Bailey,
Blacksmith, and the officers and employees of the H. M. & R. Co's
works.
CHURCHES: The Presbyterian society of Wickes completed a very neat and
comfortable church edifice, 27x45 feet, at a cost of $2,750, in December
1882. Newberry & Graham, of Helena, were the contractors. The seating
of the church cost $250, paid by the Sabbath school. The final payment was
made and a deed received from the Alta-Montana Co. For the land upon which
the building stands. Much of the success of this church is due to the efforts
of Rev. T. A. Wickes and his wife. Rev. T. M. Todd is pastor in charge.
SOCIETIES: Eureka Lodge, No. 13, I. O. G. T, was organized April 22, 1880,
by Geo. A. Douglass, G. W. C. I. The number of members belonging to this
lodge, in January, 1883, was 104, including the following named officers:
John Andrews, Carrie Gillette, J. T. Reynolds, Geo. Clark, T. A. Wickes,
Anna Dallas, John Baylie, T. N. Todd, Bettie Lampton, am. M. Morgan, and
W. D. Woodbridge.
WOODVILLE
page 661 - From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885
SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS ARTICLE: WRIGHT; WARD; NOONAN; LAWRENCE; GREGORY;
MCGEE: PARSONS; GIVENS; HARRIS; THAN; SMITH
Woodville, or Elk Park, nine miles north of Butte City, is a modern settlement
(1883). Here Thomas Wright is postmaster and general merchant; W. J. Ward,
Hotel and general storekeeper; Wm. Noonan, justice of the peace; Louis Lawrence,
Noonan & Gregory blacksmiths; James McGee, hotel; W. Parsons, lumber
and wood; Wm. Givens, wheelwright; c. L. Harris, A. Than, meats; D. E. Smith,
saloon; Mrs. A. Than, barber. The population is estimated at about 170.
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