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Copyright 1975 O'Fallon Historical Society, Baker, Montana. ALL RIGHTS RESEVED

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Homesteaders

The Prouty Homestead just northwest of Ollie, Montana. Sod house was built in 1908. Mr. Prouty with daughters Dessa and Blanche on seeder, house was a frame house with sod piled around, picture loaned by Dessa Prouty Shepherd.

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-30 Arthur L. Proutly Homestead certificate loaned by Dessa Prouty Shepard

 

HOMESTEAD DAYS-PROUTY AND GREINER

By Dessa Prouty Shepherd

Mr. andMrs. ArthurL. Prouty and Daughters Dessa and Blanche, 1907.

My father, Arthur L. Prouty, was born April 20, 1876 and my mother, Lou Anna (Greiner) Prouty was born December 20, 1879 in Missouri. Father attended the Lutheran College at Decorah, Iowa and graduated from the Lutheran College at Jewell, Iowa about 1896.

My folks were married December 20, 1897 in Iowa and I was born October 23, 1899.

Father was a photographer for several years but liked working outside, so decided to farm. One day in October of 1907, while father and mother were picking corn by hand, my Uncle Bert Prouty came and asked my father if he wanted to go along to Montana and take up a homestead. Father unhitched the team right there and left the wagon standing in the field. They left that afternoon along with Jim Morris. Carl Rose had been out here in July, had filed on his homestead and had gone back to Iowa.

I don't know how they got out from Beach, North Dakota, where they had come by train, to where Ollie is now, but they went to the Abner Nashes first, then picked out their respective homesteads and then had to go to Miles City to file on them. My father's homestead was where Ernie Stark now lives at Ollie.

The following March of 1908 Arthur L. Prouty, Bert Prouty, Jim Morris and Carl Rose came out with emigrant cars on the Northern Pacific Railroad to Beach, North Dakota with all their belongings, which weren't much. There were horses and chickens along with machinery and household goods.

My father built his homestead shack first. It was 10 feet by 16 feet. Ernie Stark still has this building. These men stayed at the Abner Nash home until our house was ready to move into. In April of 1908 my mother, Lou Anne (Greiner) Prouty, my sister Blanche, who was five years old, and I, who was eight years old along with Mrs. Bert Prouty and son Melvin about 1-1/2 years old, Mrs. Jim Morris and baby Sylvia and Grandma Rose (the mother of Mrs. Nash, Mrs. Morris and Carl Rose) all came out on the train to Beach, North Dakota from Iowa. Carl Rose and my father met us at the depot in Beach with a team and sled in a snowstorm. We spent the first night at a hotel in Beach and the next day we went out to the Nash place. It was a long cold trip. They had hay in the sled and plenty of blankets so we could crawl under the blankets and keep warm.

That evening we had supper at the Nash home, which was an all sod house, we also spent the night there. The next day our family, Uncle Bert's family and Uncle Tom Agnew moved into the small house, which Dad had built and lived there until my uncle got his house built. It was twelve by eighteen feet. Then Uncle Tom built his shack.

The summer of 1908 was a busy one. My father broke up some sod and planted wheat - not too many acres as all he had to work with was a twelve inch walking plow.

Later in the summer when the wheat was nice and green and the crop was beautiful my father and uncle went to Beach, which was thirty miles, with a team and wagon after lumber and supplies. That night while they were gone a big herd of cattle came. There were no fences and they would have destroyed the crop in no time, but Mother heard them coming and saved the crop by shooting in the air with a double barrel shot gun. That really turned them on their way. They stampeded and you should have heard them. There was a creek down below which didn't stop them.

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Arthur Prouty's first harvest, 1908, Ernest Stark, Anna Prouty, Dessa and Blanche Prouty and a lady visitor.

When we first moved out here there were no roads, fences, telephones and not even a house we could see, but before winter, we could count several lights at night. Of course our lights were kerosene lamps and lanterns.

At first we had no well. My father dug a well down by the creek and made a wooden box with a lid to cover it. The water was dipped out with a pail. Later a well three feet across and twenty feet deep was dug and we had real good water closer to the house.

During the first summer our house was moved from the north-west corner of the quarter to the south-east corner, where Ernie Stark lives now. Father dug a cellar, put the house on a foundation and built on an eight by fourteen foot bedroom, then he sodded up the outside for the winter. Mother tacked up rag carpets on the bedroom walls to keep it clean and warm. Father hauled lignite coal from the south badlands, about five or six miles and cedar wood from the west badlands, about fifteen miles, for fuel to heat and cook with.

Mother also had a garden that summer. They managed to have plenty to eat even if we had no cow to supply milk or butter.

The E.C. Stark family, who lived a mile east of us, brought cows with them when they moved out that same summer. They would bring us milk once in a while which was a real treat.

Gulnare Stark [Lutts] and brother, Howard Stark, milking cows in 1909.

We made many trips to the badlands to get wood and coal and took many pictures. Sometimes we would go to the west badlands after wood and camp out over night. Father took the shotgun and on one occasion I remember he shot grouse and sage hens which were cooked over the camp fire. We also had Fourth of July Picnics at the spring just below Cap Rock.

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Fourth of July Picnic just below Cap Rock, 1909.

Our first Christmas in Montana (1908), my father brought home an evergreen tree from the badlands. Mother made trimmings and it was a beautiful tree. She cooked the best dinner she could with what she had and invited the Stark family for Christmas Dinner. She also invited them for our first Easter Dinner.

The second summer (1909) Grandma Greiner and Aunt Ollie Larson and Estel came out from Iowa to visit us. While they were here we took several trips to the badlands. One day we took two wagons and everyone went and stayed overnight just below Cap Rock where there was a nice spring and an old barn. On the way father shot some grouse and sage hens. There were plenty of them in those days. Again the birds were cooked over the campfire. It was raining so my father held an umbrella over the fire to keep it from going out. They had a large iron kettle, which they hung over the fire to boil potatoes in. They also had boiled coffee and Mother had brought along plenty of bread. After supper beds were made on some hay in the barn for everyone to sleep, but it kept raining and part of the roof leaked, which didn't help much.

Cap Rock in 1909 before the cap fell

off, it is west of Ollie, Montana.

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The next day was nice and the wagons were loaded with wood and we returned home. Whenever they got cedar wood the best would be used for fence posts.

Grandma and Aunt Ollie liked this country so well that when they got back to Iowa they talked Grandpa Greiner and Uncle Merenus Larson into coming out to see the west. Grandpa liked it here too, and bought Uncle Tom Agnew's place across the corner from us, where the Ollie town site was later. He then went back to Iowa to get ready to move out here. He later bought the Hans Haydahl quarter joining him on the south.

The winter of 1909-1910 was a hard and sad one for us. The snow was four to six feet deep and it was cold. We were thankful to have plenty of coal and wood in for the winter. We also had plenty to eat as far as I can remember.

The first part of February, on a Wednesday, my father and Uncle Bert went to Beach after Grandpa Greiner and Uncle Joe Greiner and some lumber to build their first house with.

While they were gone my sister Blanche took sick. The men got back on Friday night and my sister died Saturday morning. She had Diphtheria. The following Sunday about thirty people from the Carlyle Sunday School came down to our house. It was a nice day and the snow was melting. The children were sent outside to slide on the hillside. I wasn't out long until I came in sick. I pulled my sled up by the West Side of the house and laid there on it in the sun until someone happened to see me. I was burning up with fever. Uncle Tom left for Beach, thirty miles away, to get a doctor. They didn't get back till midnight on Monday.

I was sick the rest of the winter, Mrs. Charlie Smith from north of Baker came and took care of me. Mother and Father also had the diphtheria, but were not as sick as I. No one else got it. Of course everyone who had been there had antitoxin shots. We got the disease from a sick cat, which we had picked up the Sunday before. The cat died too.

Mrs. Stark helped lay out my sister. When the doctor got there he gave me a shot of antitoxin and Mr. Stark gave me the next two shots. I am thankful to still be here.

Many things happened the rest of that winter. Grandpa Greiner built his first house and moved in. When I was able to be up in the spring, my folks took me to Grandma's house so they could clean and fumigate our house. We had been in quarantine all this time.

The Leander Greiner Family, 1906, back row, left to right: Franklin Greiner, Lou Anna Greiner [Prouty], Joseph Greiner, Ollie Greiner [Larson] for whom the town of Ollie was named and Floyd Greiner, front row: Leander Greiner, Parker Greiner and Mary Isabelle Greiner.

The summer of 1910 Grandpa hired a carpenter to help build the big house where Pat Plummer lives now. He also built a general store building just north of the house where he had the postoffice that was established in 1911. Lee Greiner, my grandfather, was appointed the first postmaster and the postoffice of Ollie was named after Ollie Greiner Larson (my aunt). Grandma (Mary Isabelle Greiner) was the first postal clerk of Ollie. C. B. Rogers clerked a year after he bought the store from Greiner, then Arthur L. Prouty was appointed postmaster on December 17, 1915, with Lou Anna Prouty as clerk. Dessa Prouty was also clerk from the summer of 1916.

Charles F. Shepherd was clerk from October 17, 1916 to June 19, 1917, when he was appointed postmaster. After Charles and I were married I continued to be clerk until 1936 when I was appointed Assistant Postmaster and continued being Assistant Postmaster until Charles retired January 31, 1955. At this time the post office at Ollie was discontinued.

When the Railroad, a spur of the Northern Pacific, was being built Lee Greiner laid out a town site on the northwest forty

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where he lived. This later became the town of Ollie. There were also lots laid out on the Martin Addition and later they had a lot sale day and a big celebration.

Lee Greiner also helped get the telephone line built and was Vice President of the Ollie State Bank. He later built a power house and furnished the town with electricity. He did many things to develop the town.

In the spring of 1910 my mother (Lou Anna Prouty) drove from house to house over the prairie with horse and buggy to circulate a petition for a school. She took Gulnare Stark and myself along.

The County School Superintendent of Schools for Custer County came down from Miles City and they met at our house and organized the Beaver Valley School, which was two miles south of our place on the Fred Steen homestead. Our first school house was a small homestead shack. Planks were used for benches and desks. Ethel Emmerson was our first teacher. She was from Minneapolis and lived at our house during the week and went out to the C. W. Robinson ranch on weekends. The Robinson's were also from Minneapolis and were friends of hers.

Beaver Valley School, built in 1911, picture taken in 1912 or 1913, first real school at Ollie, Montana. Back row, left to right, Dessa Prouty [Shepherd], Lola Opperman /Rustad], Gertrude Stark [Lutts], Jay Stark, Gulnare Stark [Lutts], Mata Schrader /Enyard], Mrs. Dudley [teacher], Walter Schrader, front row, Howard Stark, Earl Tatley, Allen Opperman, Raymond Roppe, Carol Stark [Hudson], Mabel Roppe, Edna Schrader [Sleeth], and Melvin Tatley.

We only had school during the summer the first year until they got the new schoolhouse built. After the new school was built south of Ollie we had many good times there, such as box socials, Christmas Programs, meetings of all kinds and our first church and Sunday School, dances and other entertainment. My Grandpa Greiner played the violin for the dances. He also had dances in his home. They would roll up the carpet and carry out some of the furniture and really have a good time. George and Lola Rustad were married in April, 1915 and they had their wedding dance there.

Carl Rose and Marie Rustad were the first couple to be married in the new settlement. That night the neighbors chivareed them and danced in Carl's new homestead shack.

The first babies were Ernie Stark-born in November of 1908, Florence Prouty, born in June of 1909, and Glennie Prouty, born in April of 1911. The first baby born in the town of Ollie was Ollie Louise Wilson. She was born the summer of 1915, and was the daughter of Dave Wilson, the Hardware man. Her mother died of the flu in 1918.

When we first came to Montana we drove to Carlyle to Church and Sunday School and to collect our mail. My father, my mother and I first belonged to the U.B. Church at Carlyle and later were charter members of the Ollie U.B. Church.

My brother Glenn was born in April, 1911, and died of pneumonia in December of 1917. Both my sister and brother are buried at Beach, North Dakota.

The Fourth of July, 1913, we drove to Baker in a wagon in the rain on gumbo, prairie roads to celebrate. We stayed two nights at the Fallon House and were nearly eaten up by bed bugs. There were drunks on the streets all night. One old lady walked the streets all night following her husband, who was very drunk. She had a long dress which drug in the mud. By morning she was a mess.

In 1913 my father sold his homestead to Mr. Martin from Sentinel Butte, North Dakota and bought a half-section of land one mile south of Ollie. The folks built a new house and barn there. They lived there until 1920 when they sold this place to Lee Greiner and moved to Nashua, Iowa-Home of the Little Brown Church in the Dale.

I have two brothers, Francis Prouty, a farmer near Nashua, Iowa, and Dallas Prouty, a businessman at Iowa Falls, Iowa.

My father passed away May 30, 1952, and in 1956, Charles, our son Larry, and I went to Iowa and took care of my mother during the winters until she died September 1961. We usually spent the summers in Baker.

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Sod Houses

Sod house built by Frank Stanhope at Willard, Montana in 1909, picture taken by Elmer Anderson of Willard, loaned by Mrs. Westrope, in the picture are Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stanhope and Mr. and Mrs. Dick Chesmore.

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HALF DUGOUTS, HOMES OF PIONEERS

By Mrs. Audrey Shields Herigstad and Marion Hanson

A dugout is a rough shelter dug in the side of a hill or bank. The pioneers in America often lived in what they called half dugouts. That was a shelter that was partly underground and partly above. The portion above ground was usually sided up with logs, chinked with mud. Sometimes they were sided with chunks of sod shaped like large brick. Logs from native trees were used for the ridgepoles to support the roof, which was rough sawed lumber. The floors were dirt, which became very hard packed as they were sprinkled each day with water and kept meticulously clean in most instances.

The furniture was usually hand made from local available materials. Sometimes a stove for cooking and heating was used, and often a fireplace sufficed for both.

When possible the lady of the house secured newspapers and used them to paper the ceilings and walls of the half dugout. A few pictures of family members decorated the walls.

Most of these homes had only one or two windows, and one home made door that fastened with a latch and piece of leather. Locks were not needed in those times as the saying goes, "The latch string is out. Walk in. Make yourself at home."

Sod houses out from Plevna, taken in 1969, loaned by Jim Bruce.

Mrs. Herigstad, Superintendent of Custer County at Miles City, in writing to this reporter, Marion Hanson, who is collecting history of sod homes in this part of the county, tells of her grandparents living in a dugout or sod house partly in Cheyenne Country in Oklahoma Territory in the 1890's. Her parents, after their marriage, lived in another sod home near Admore, Oklahoma before moving 65 miles south of Miles City and another sod house that first was built for a chicken house but lived in for two years first. Their many neighbors also found it necessary to build such a house as lumber was very scarce. Mrs. Herigstad tells that after her marriage in 1935 she was teaching near Wheeler, Montana, a booming town while Fort Peck Dam was being built. They put up a half dugout and covered it with a tent. It was fine for the summer but by fall shacks were available for housing.

Mrs. G. W. Sparks, eight miles west of Willard, tells of her living in a half dugout and sod home in Oklahoma before coming to Montana in October, 1909. Again a half dugout sod home was put up near an everlasting spring. The next year a bigger one was made, also a sod house for chickens and one cow. Several of her children were born there.

Albert Fost built a shack for his home in 1909 and a sod house for his stock, but often a weary traveler also spent the night there with his animals as town was still 15 miles away. I remember this as in the early 20's I fell through my father's straw roof on that sod barn.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stanhope and family came in 1909 and homesteaded east of Willard. They put up the largest sod house. It had four rooms. Two sons, Howard and Donald, were born there. Several times the furniture was set out and a dance was held on the dirt floor.

Lawrence Fuller, an elderly gentleman from Austria, set up housekeeping using ideas he had brought from the old country. The house was of sod and he plastered it on the outside with mud. His story telling was popular with the young folks. He remarked that water was only for washing your feet. He had a green thumb for growing things.

Lawrence Fuller sod house, about 1912, plastered on the outside with mud, Frank Foote and Herbert Sherwin are the gangsters, Leila and Zella Foote are the ones being held up.

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Jones Griffith came from Texas in 1901 and homesteaded in 1904 two and a half miles east of Baker on Sandstone Creek. In 1908 he built a two-room sod house, each room about 14 by 16, with high ceilings. Fred Hasty helped him build. It boasted two nice clothes closets. It was cool in summer and warm in the Montana winter blizzards. He married Amanda Vincelette in 1906, and in 1908 a daughter, Pearl Griffith Degrand, was born, and in 1910, Raymond. Another son, Alan, was born later in the same sod house and when a daughter, Rose, came along, they were in a new home with natural gas.

Sod house put up by Jones Griffith in 1908, the picture was taken between 1950 and 1955. It was taken down sometime after 1958, some parts of it stood for over 50 years, picture loaned by Mrs. Allen Griffith.

The Cox family of the Knobs Community sent their children to a sod school about 1912. Mrs. Ruth E. Baker Cox of Billings writes that her husband was one of them. Mrs. Cox was the daughter of Claude Baker of the Ollie Community, once a booming town.

An adobe style home was on the Haddock land. The rock walls still stand. There are several sod houses in the Webster Community. Harold Tronstad tore one down on his place this past year.

 

Dutch John's sod house 112 mile north of Pennel Creek Bridge, picture loaned by Bruce Steelman.

Part of the house that the Dwight Rileys live in, twenty miles west and south of Willard, is sod. One has to stoop to walk in and the wall is about two feet thick.

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The Germans From Russia

Our Ancestors

The farm home of Louise and Christ Schuetzle, southwest of Pleuna, Montana, picture loaned by Elsie Schuetzle Huether.

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THE GERMANS FROM RUSSIA-OUR ANCESTORS

by Elsie Schuetzle Huether (Mrs. Rueben Huether)

History is about people-Among our pioneers were Americans from all over the United States and Canada and from every European country, however, some nationalities and special groups of society came in such large numbers that they have been especially recognized by historians. The cowboy, for instance, who brought cattle up from Texas and Oklahoma to the northern grasslands and stayed to make ranches, have been written about more than other pioneers. The Irish have had their share of notice also. Many Irish came into western Montana in the mining days and then drifted eastward. We have "Sons of Norway" and many other organized groups of people. The fourth ethnic group of immense significance to the Great Plains history is the Germans who came to America after a detour of 100 years on the great plains of south Russia. People, even historians, have curiously overlooked the positive contribution the Germans from Russia made to American development.

First, the German Russian migration is one of the most complex and fascinating migrations of the white race. The Germans of the Rhineland were tired of the endless European wars, tired of religious strife and persecution, tired of the rapacious German nobles who lived in luxury on taxes of the land workers. Beginning in 1765, the Germans pioneered four continents. They pioneered first the steppe of Eastern Europe. They pioneered in Siberia, they pioneered in South America, and they pioneered the United States, Canada, and Mexico. And I mean pioneered, being in each of these far corners of the world the first settled inhabitants.

One of the first migrations, in 1765, was of six villages from Hess, a province of Germany to the Volga River near Saratov, just north of what used to be called Stalingrad. The first group came by invitation of Catherine the Great, Empress of all the Russias. Catherine, in spite of her many sins, deserved to be called Great. Although she was a German princess by blood, birth and upbringing, once she became the ruler of Russia, she cared about her people and worked for them.

One of the important things she did was to send armies to push the Kirghiz tribesmen back into Asia. The Kirghiz were nomadic herdsmen, and like our Indians, were great horsemen. They wandered over the Eurasian steppe and every so often, for excitement, would raid Russian villages, burn them, steal the stock, kill the men and take away the women and children. Catherine chased the Kirghiz out of European-Russia and looked for a way to hold the territory she had won. This territory was the vast Russian Steppe (steppe is the Russian word for plain). The Russian Steppe was a treeless, semi-arid grassland, stretching for hundreds of miles, with a continental climate such as that of the Great Plains of the United States; cold winters, hot summers, lots of wind and rain and sometimes no rain at all.

You know from history that when the United States Cavalry had pushed the Indians onto reservations, there lay in the middle of our country a great empty grassland. In the same way, when Catherine's armies had pushed the Kirghiz back into Asia, there lay an immense grassland, empty and open for settlement. The high Russian officers, who had received large donations of land for their services, had little interest in the cultivation of land. They were afraid to settle on the steppe that had been raided for centuries. It was, they said, no good anyway-no trees, little water, nothing but dust and grasshoppers.

So Catherine, the German princess, with respect for German hard work, German orderliness and "German know-how, sent agents over Germany and into Switzerland with a generous offer to the Germans. She offered cheap land, some of it free, loans to get started with no taxes for thirty years, freedom "for eternity" from military service, freedom to keep their own language, religious and community leaders. The Germans moved to Russia in great waves, whole villages sometimes, Catholics and Lutherans from the Rhineland, and Mennonites from East Prussia. Of these first settlements on the Volga River near Saratov, two were destroyed by the Kerghiz and the pioneers killed or kidnapped to be used for slaves.

After Catherine's time, Alexander I invited still more Germans to come into Russia and they kept coming for fifty years.

Besides the danger from the Wild Asian Tribes, there were other hardships encountered by the new settlers. Imagine leaving a land as beautiful as western Germany-one of the pleasantest countrysides in the world where there is plenty of moisture, trees and flowers everywhere, and going to the endless bare prairies of south Russia and then repeating the story when coming to America.

First the pioneers built sod houses -as they were later to build sod houses in Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Then the Germans invented the agricultural techniques to turn the grassland into wheat fields. They evolved the hard dryland with winter wheat varieties; they cultivated trees, such as the Russian Olive, and made shelterbelts around their homes; they raised alfalfa and fed cattle and sheep; they bred marvelous horses. They built small factories to provide the furniture and equipment they needed.

And they prospered. In one hundred years their population multiplied seven fold. They established daughter colonies which spread from Poland, Hungary and through the Ukraine north of the Black Sea, across the Bug, the Pruth, the Dnieaster, the Dnieper, the Don, the Volga and even across the Ural River into Siberia. They built villages, churches and schools. In the schools the children learned reading, writing, arithmetic and religion, all in German. A few of the schools had to teach Russian, but in general the Germans minded their own business and kept to themselves. They even kept their "separateness" from each other, thus there was no mingling and almost no intermarriage in over a hundred years between Catholic, Evangelican and Mennonite villages although they often stood side by side. The German-Russians transformed the Ukraine into the "bread basket" of Europe and grew much richer than their Russian neighbors.

It is always dangerous to be rich if your neighbors are poor, and taking no part whatever in Russian life, they naturally stirred up a good deal of resentment. By 1871 even the Czar, far away in Moscow and St. Petersburg, was resenting the Germans. He looked on those prosperous villages as foreign bodies -as so many cancers in the body of Russia. He decreed that the German boys had to serve their time in the military like everyone else. He also decreed that the Germans would have to learn Russian in their schools. At that time the Russians themselves had no public schools. In 1897, twenty-five years after the Czar had decreed that the Germans must teach Russian in their schools, the Germans were probably the only people, except for the privately educated "well-to-do," who could read and write. The census of 1897 showed the Russians were eighty percent illiterates.

Every capable young man was drafted at the age of 21 and had to serve from three to five years in the army. In the Russo-Turkish wars, in the wars with France, Germany and Japan, they were recognized as good and often better soldiers than their Russian comrades, but being under the cloud of "Germans," none of them were promoted to the rank of general, no matter how capable they were. The German soldiers were enslaved and abused. The German's dread of military service in Russia was not from principle, but for the reason mentioned before, also he did not wish to fight for a country that was not his own.

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To the German-Russian the Czar's decrees were the "handwriting on the wall." They had a look around for a new homeland. A few of them had already moved into Siberia, searching for land for their daughter colonies, so Asia was the second continent that the Germans pioneered. Today, because of Stalin's brutal mass deportations, there are few Germans left in European Russia. In 1941, when Hitler attacked Russia, Stalin deported more than 300,000 German speaking south Russians and scattered them all over Siberia. He shipped them off in box cars without heat or food, and just dropped them off in the wilderness. There they either died or started from the bottom, making shelters, clearing land for farms, breaking sod, in a harsh climate in a raw land. Only lately have some of their relatives learned what became of them, in fact it is only since Kruschev issued a public apology to the German-Russian people in 1955, for what Stalin had done to them.

This explains how the German Russians came to pioneer in Europe and Asia. After 1871, long before they went or were sent to Siberia in any numbers, they began to migrate to the New World. There are vast colonies of them in Argentina and Brazil. Almost as many of them migrated to South America as to North America, and since there are temperate plains, open grasslands in South America as there are in North America, we know that the Germans turned those plains into fields as they did in the United States and Canada.

It was the Great Plains of the United States that they came to in the greatest numbers. They came in the 1880's, the 1890's and early in 1900. Just as south Russia had been treeless and empty in 1770, the same was so in 1870 in Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakota Territory, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado in the United States and Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. One hundred years after their beginnings on the Russian steppe they built their first houses of prairie sod on the American steppe and then replaced them with brick and wooden houses as they could afford to. They brought to America the whole technology of dryland farming. Almost every family carried winter wheat seeds, vegetable, hay and flower seeds with them, and to this day some of the older people save a few seeds of each thing planted for the next year's seeding. It is mentioned from time to time but it is not widely known that America's "wheat-and-meat" country was developed in much the same way as Russia's "wheat-and-meat" country and by many of the same kind of people.

We can well be proud of our German-Russian ancestry as they deserve to be appreciated.

This is why one must record all one knows and be informed and keep informed. We must have books. Books in which we can record accounts for all times. Books on ancestry are a natural outgrowth of an interest in one's forefathers, and as Americans we have become more conscious of our cultural heritage and we have written more genealogies.

Many of us acknowledge the love, adoration, praise and thanks we owe to our Creator for having created us, redeemed us and promised us a heavenly mansion in His Kingdom. We owe a definite regard, love and respect to all our ancestors who have cooperated with Him in bringing us into this world, labored and suffered for us, and above all gave us the priceless inheritance of ambition, brilliance and most of all a love for God. The meaning of this makes our lives richer, our ties stronger, our hopes brighter as we learn more of one another and of this heritage handed down to us by our strong disciplined ancestors.

(Taken from research made by Marie McDonald, Glendive, Montana, and from the book Huether's and the Germans of Russia by Elsie Huether.)

Given to the O'Fallon Historical Society for use in the book "O'Fallon Flashbacks," by Elsie Schuetzle Huether.

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Social Activities

Wildwood Park five miles west of Baker, belonged to the Bruce Bert Ranch when this early day picture was taken. Many good times were had here over the years, it was used for dances, high school proms and roller-skating. It floated down Timber Creek during a flash flood; it was located across the creek from the present Green Acres Club, loaned by the O'Fallon Museum.

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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES -DANCES

by Lorene Kirschten

Dances were, of course, the most frequent form of entertainment. Old and young attended in wagons, buggies, sleds and on horseback; sometimes in a hayrack.

They were held at homes, and a bit later, at schoolhouses. Our neighborhood was especially fortunate in having a bachelor man named Quincy Rawley who had a large log ranch house with a partition on big pulleys that could be hauled up and anchored against the ceiling leaving one large room for dancing. There was an organ in the kitchen and a big bed in the other for babies and young fry. And plenty of pole barn and corral room for horses.

The ladies would bring their special foods among which would be beef or ham sandwiches, home baked beans, potato salad, along with cakes of various kinds, and of course, "Java" and "Tin Cow." Later on, some would bring a jar of cream. Lanterns were hung on the beams for lighting.

The music usually consisted of organ chording, violin, harmonica and triangle. Many times someone would also "rattle the bones."

Everyone "chipped in" to pay the music. This was the only charge at first, but later, after the hall was built, tickets were sold as expenses for lighting, heating, floor wax had to be met as well as payments on the piano and the building. So dances became fund raising projects as well as good times, merely.

We danced a variety of styles, including Two-stop, in which a large circle was formed and when the caller cried "dance" we danced with whomever was nearest. Soon he'd call "circle" and then we'd break and circle again. It was fun and you changed partners often. We did the Waltz, Quadrille, Schottische, Barn Dance Three-stop, Virginia Reel and a variety of Square Dances. And then there was the Hop-polka (we dubbed it hot polker) and the German Klap-Dans. All such fun. A girl expected to dance the opening dance, the supper dance and the "Home Sweet Home" waltz with her partner, with perhaps a bonus number somewhere along the line, but the remainder of the evening was hers to dispense at her own pleasure among other partners, and the more different ones the merrier.

The boys carried small envelopes of " Sen-Sen, " a popular breath guard consisting of tiny, fragrant spicy bits that could be chewed. The girls also partook of these.

The M.C. or Floor Manager, called the dances, waxed the floor with tiny granules of was sprinkled from a canister prepared for that purpose, and kept an eye and ear peeled for any sign of disturbance.

Those seldom occurred, but now and then some fellow would be quietly ushered to the outside for a time; especially if he "showed liquor." Girls usually refused to dance if this were the case.

At one dance, a lad was out snooping for a bottle and located one. He took a swig and discovered that it was formaldehyde that someone had purchased to treat his grain for smut with. He was rushed into Baker where the Doc pumped his stomach and administered suitable treatment. He recovered.

Later on we danced the One Step, Lame Duck, Turkey Trot, Argentine Tango, and still later, The Charleston!

At times the music would take off on an especially lively tune, and when everyone was "swinging it," they would suddenly shift into the dreamy tempo of the "Home Sweet Home" waltz, and then would ensue a lively scramble to locate the partner for the evening to wind up with.

A masquerade was always a hilarious affair when all were converted into an assortment of characters. So much fun! (I recall Mrs. Jessie Duffield made up as a plantation mammy dressed in a gunny sacking gown. One girl dressed in lace curtains.)

"Hard Times" dances were also fun. Such a variety of rags, tatters, patches and colors. Such a conglomeration of disreputable looking characters!

The news of a dance was always the occasion of excitement. Food had to be prepared, and often some distance had to be covered to reach the scene of festivity. Sometimes we arrived home at just about the time for morning chores.

Older men who did not care about dancing would hole up in a corner or in the kitchen and play whist while the ladies would simply visit and prepare the food. But most of them did dance, at least part of the time.

Small fry would get out and run and play over the floor between dances. And then there was the Prize Waltz where the M.C. would eliminate the couples one by one until only one was left, and the pair was awarded some small token. Once it was a live chicken, but the couple were man and wife, so it worked out just dandy! Ha!

We would sometimes sing as we danced. Such tunes as "The Bear Went Over The Mountain," "Howdy Cy, Mornin' Cy ... .. Irish Washerwoman," etc. Then there was the "Tag Dance," where one fellow without a partner had the privilege to tap any boy he chose and take his partner; then that man was free to tap someone else, etc. And the guy tapped had to give up whether he wanted to or not. Only once did I see a man fuss over it, and he was escorted to the outside to cool off.

Tied in with a dance was sometimes Box or Basket Social, though they were often held separately, also at the schoolhouses. All the ladies cudgeled their imaginations to come up with some lovely and unusual production that would encourage the gents to bid on their baskets.

Collecting their scissors, needles, glue- lots of glue, tissue and crepe paper, water color paints, ribbons, etc; they set to work to transform a common shoe box or other similar receptacle into an object of art. Paper flowers were popular to create, and I recall one clever girl who produced a copy of a tar-paper covered homestead shack. After the attractive basket had been completed, the next thing was to fill it with a delicious lunch. Deviled eggs were one favorite filler.

Some fellow with a "gift of gab" would be chosen as auctioneer and the sale was on. The owners were supposed to be unknown, but, often some slip would let the cat out of the bag and some fellow would run the bid up to secure the one he wanted to get rather than for its appearance. And some others would run up a bid just to keep another from getting it or just for the "heck" of it. But that brought in the desired income so it was all to the good, and regardless of the outside appearance, they were always sure of a good feed.

There were no dinky plastic bags in which to encase the foods, so waxed paper or paper napkins had to be used.

Picnics? Oh yeah! At home, at schools, in the badlands, at the hall; to celebrate "school out," a birthday, but most often the Fourth of July.

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As usual, everyone brought their best, along with necessary tools. At first people brought tin cups and plates; also the old-time porcelain ware. After some years, paper plates and cups became available.

Now and then some rancher would donate a large piece of beef and there would be a barbecue.

Often some patriotic singing would take place and the younger ones would recite patriotic poems.

There would be impromptu baseball, pitching horseshoes, and of course, horse racing, as well as foot races. Kids sometimes played "mumble-de-peg."

Lemonade, made in a huge crockery jar ordinarily used for curing meat or brining of pickles, was available with slices of lemon floating around in it. Sometimes cream cans were used, or even porcelain milk or water pails.

After an ice house was put up in Baker out on the point of land near the south end of the dam, ice was available if one wanted to come to town after it, and then ice cream would be served, made in those old hand cranked ice cream freezers.

Branding Bees were another occasion of gathering, although they also entailed labor. Younger ones rounded up stock; older ones readied corrals, firewood, water, etc. Kids just tore around and had fun, and sometimes rode the calves, and the women and girls prepared for the feeding!

 

Beer was usually available. There were no flip-top cans, only bottles. One branding bee I won't forget. Branding was going on at the Tom Ridgway ranch over near the Dakota line. After the dinner work was over, the ladies took their chairs out in the shade of a storage building near the old log ranch house to rest and chat. Among the neighbors was a young visitor; the wife of the Deputy Sheriff of Custer County, who happened to be down in this end at the time. We were still in Custer County at that time.

Someone brought out some beer to see if any of the women cared for a glass. Most did not, but one who did was the finely dressed little visitor from Miles City. Among the neighbors, was a young married woman who, at the time, was a "lady in waiting." She had not accepted a drink and the visitor from Miles City questioned her as to why not. She continued to remark, and after a bit, our neighbor gave her a rather spirited and definite reply. So the elegant lady ups with her beer and tossed it over the front of our neighbor's dress! Well-gasps of surprise!

Our neighbor rose with great silent dignity and took her way over the grassy slope toward her homestead shack home not far away, her long, ankle length skirt sweeping across the grassy prairie. Shock! And how!

Home talent plays were another source of delight as well as income for projects in those days. There were no movies until some years later, when we also had the summer Chautauquas and an occasional circus.

One of the most memorable of these was staged at Quincey Rawley's ranch house. It was put on by the U.M.B. (Unmarried Brothers Club) of Fertile Prairie. Some took the parts of women, even to wearing corsets loaned by some of the neighborhood's huskie built women. They fashioned amazingly good looking wigs from raveled rope; and for a set of twin babies, they used rolled up jackets, suitably dressed up, and two apple boxes as cradles. More fun!

Among these bachelors were Denzil and Walton Young, Dexter and Arthur Garriott, Harry Evers, Samuel and Prentiss Carrell. Other members of the club were Henry and Walter Jensen, Walter Evers, William Ferguson, George Jenner, Theodore Braun, Archie Payne, Mike Kirschten. Entertainment was never lacking, but it was balanced by hard labor.

Rabbit drives were also carried out. All the men would meet choose two teams and with sleds and horses go rabbit hunting, often at night. When the drive was ended, all rabbits collected and counted at one rendezvous, they would be sold and a big oyster supper and party put on for the participants. Some years there were many rabbits until Tularemia killed many of them off.

 

They Created Their Own Entertainment

Webster, Montana ball team, 1920, sitting, Martin and Roy Tommerdahl, standing, left to right: Olmstead, Dan Williams, Chris Idecker, Tom Molstad, Roy Johnson, Mel Zink and Walter Anderson. Webster Post Office and Hall in background, picture loaned by Marion Hanson.

 

Camping trip to the Black Hills, 1921, Christopher, Wilson and L. Price families and Joe Hodgson.

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Picnic on Little Beaver Creek, April 4, 1921.

Can-can cuties-all men-Lion's Club Minstral show in 1940's, dance instructor and costume designer Jessie Price.

Social Literary Club of Fertile Prairie, 1915 or 1916, standing, left to right: Mrs. Rowly, Carrie 77ffeney, Mrs. Brecken, Mrs. Jacobson, Stella Jacobson, Grandma Evers' Millie Duffield, Will Duffield, bottom row: Grace Duffield, Margaret Dean, Grace Correll, Cynthia Dean and Jessie Duffield, loaned by Mrs. Allen Griffith.

Boating on Baker Lake, 1913 or 1914.

Branding Bee -the calf says M-a-a-a-a! I don't like this -about 1945.

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First prize winners at American Legion Valentine Costume Dance, 1938, Bud Price and Jessie Hodges [Price], costumes by Jessie.

Teachers, 1936 or 1937, Jessie Hodges [Price], Betty Baskett, Florence Reid [Bakken] and Rhoda Saterthwait.

-Fun on Baker Lake-It's a joke son, the toboggan isn't really that long-left to right: -?-, Roy Rakes, -?-, -?-, George Sanderson, Hazel Hanson, Rhoda Satherthwait, Florence Reid [Bakken], Jessie Hodges [Price]. L. K. Hills and Ed Lake houses in background, 1936 or 1937.

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July 4, 1915, Celebration at Plevna, Montana. Ladies foot race in progress, picture loaned by Wanda Geving.

Early day home talent play by some citizens of Baker, about 1920, standing, left to right: L. Price, Lew Jim, -?-, Judge Wilson, -?-, Dr. Potterton, Charlie Dousman, -?-, seated on bench: Till Stelman, -?-, -?-, picture loaned by Dr. Potterton.

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Dryland Era Tragedy

Mrs. Robert Dean and Mrs. Martha Murphy, sisters. Tragedy hit the day the Dean's celebrated their Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary, May 25, 1909, picture taken in 1934, loaned by Margaret Murphy Anderson.

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A TRAGEDY OF THE EARLY DRYLAND ERA

by Lorene Kirschten, from her book

"History of Fallon County

The day of May 25, 1909, was a lovely, sunny one, perhaps a bit too warm. The air is still, the sky deeply blue, with light gauzes of cloud floating here and there. But towards the end of the afternoon, a low-lying, dark cloud was seen resting along the western horizon. It did not attract much attention as it was not unusual for such a cloud to appear and lie stationary for hours and then disappear.

That day people for miles around were thinking of and preparing for a big party. They went right ahead with their preparations. Some who had long distances to travel were already on the road so as to arrive at their destination before dark; others were ready to leave and a few near neighbors were trailing through the long grass on foot toward the scene of festivity. At the Robert Dean ranch (Mrs. Dean was a sister to Martha Murphy), great preparations were going on, for the rancher and his wife had been married for thirty years and such an anniversary had to be celebrated. Invitations had been sent far and wide to ranch house and "honyock" shack alike, and friends were on their way to help observe the couple's Pearl Wedding Anniversary.

By sundown most of the guests had arrived. Men were grouped about the yard talking and smoking. The women visited inside the house and the children played about the yard.

Every now and then a rig would arrive. Occasionally someone would glance at the cloud. It was now perceptibly rising and as the sun sank behind the dense, dark bulk, it stood out more blackly on the otherwise clear sky. All around its irregular upper edge ran a rim of burnished gold which slowly changed to a dull glowing red as the sun sank lower and at last died out altogether.

Slowly the cloud rose but the air was very still. The stars came out and dark settled down. Presently, flashes of lightning came and low rumbles of thunder were heard. Now a breeze came whistling down over the high range of hills to the north and west of the house. The children were called inside. The wind increased, driving the cloud across the starlit space. The lightning became sharper and the thunder increased in volume.

The people became restless waiting for the rain which they now felt was sure to come. It was, by now, very dark and after a decidedly fierce bombardment from above, the rain came down. It came in sheets pounding the roof, the ground and the cattle huddled in the lee of a big cutbank.

Lightning flashed and the thunder pealed for what seemed an hour but was really about twenty or thirty minutes. Almost as suddenly as the downpour started, it stopped, but vivid flashes and thunderous roars continued.

As soon as the rain ceased, most of the men wandered out into the yard to smoke and get a breath of fresh air. All the doors were thrown open and the house once more was filled with the chatter of voices.

Then a light was seen shimmering in the darkness about a mile to the southeast. Little attention was paid to it as all the people thought it to be some neighbor on his way to the affair. At that time lanterns were often fastened to the fronts of buggies and wagons to serve as headlights. Gradually the cloud passed but flashes and rumbles continued. The gleam of the lantern had vanished and the arrival of the rig to which it was attached was expected momentarily.

Suddenly, out of the wet darkness came running a small girl of seven or so. She was Violet Martin, daughter of a young couple who had recently settled over near the Dakota line. Straight to the stream of light issuing from the kitchen door she hurried. Reaching the threshold, she panted, " Oh, the lightning struck Mama and killed her and the horses are all dead, too. "

No one in the kitchen recognized the child. She was wet, muddy, tired and frightened. The excitement speedily spread to the other rooms. Kind hands helped her to a chair and in the crowd of women was one who knew her. This may seem strange to you but remember that many of these people were very new to the locality and had made few social contacts.

On being questioned, the little girl told this story. "We left home before dark. Daddy was driving and Mama was holding May (three years old) on her lap and I was sitting on a little box in front of them. Mama likes to drive the team so Daddy held May and gave the reins to her. Then it rained and we got wet. Just as we came up out of the creek that loud thunder crack came. The horses fell down and Mama fell over against Daddy. The lightning came right up the lines. Mama's clothes were burning and Daddy dragged her out of the buggy. He couldn't move much but he managed to give me his hat and I got water from the creek to throw over Mama. When the fire was out, Daddy showed me this light and told me to go for it.

Immediately turmoil arose. It was now raining again and for a while no one seemed willing to move. Maybe all were momentarily deprived of power for locomotion by the shock. Then one of the women took command, "Come on! Some of you hitch up the first team you come to and get down there."

A team and buggy soon slopped out of the yard. The little girl had been made comfortable and the people were grouped about talking in low tones; waiting for the return of the rig. The women spoke sympathetically of the husband, sitting with his baby in the inhospitable night beside the body of his wife.

Soon a rig drew to a stop before the door. Why, they couldn't have returned so soon! Nor had they, for from this rig descended a man carrying in his arms a young baby. It George Chapin with his young baby daughter, Gertrude. Another man holding a child of three was helped from the buggy. This man, "Bud" Martin was the husband of the dead woman.

"Where is Mrs. Chapin?" was the question. And the simple answer was, "She is with Mrs. Martin." "We were behind them on the road." The babies were cared for and Mr. Martin was at once put to bed. He had suffered a severe shock. One shoe had been ripped off and his trouser leg shredded around the hem. Several red burns were scattered over his body. The wonder was that he was alive at all. The two children showed no sign of injury.

A bier was improvised in an unused grain room and before long the second rig arrived with its sad burden. The body was given such attention as could be rendered. Then the people proceeded to wait for the coming of morning.

Mrs. Martin had been killed instantly. The lightning seemed to have struck the team, then traveled up the reins to her arms. Her ribs, arms and back were broken and her body was blistered in spots, possibly from the fire which had consumed most of her clothing and much of her lovely brown hair.

It continued to rain softly at intervals, and at midnight the feast was spread and the many lovely gifts were opened and viewed. But the elements of joy and laughter were sadly lacking.

Now it might be thought that enough excitement had been had for one night but such was not the case. Mrs. Dean, who

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had worked hard for several days preparing for the event and who felt deeply grieved that such a tragedy must occur on her anniversary, had gone outside by herself for a few minutes to escape the confusion in the house. She walked around the east end of the house to a place where she might rest for a moment. This house was made of logs hauled from a long distance. Running short of logs the east end had been built up of rocks and sodded over. By a pale flash of lightning she now saw that the sod had been ripped away from the rocks and lay in a tumbled heap at the base while a hole the size of her arm ran under the rocks. She returned to the house more disturbed than ever. When informed of the incident, many of the guests recalled a severe jar they had felt earlier, but they had felt jars many times during the storm and had thought nothing of it. But what a lucky thing that the builders had run out of logs and had used rocks and sod. Several women had been sitting and visiting on a couch, which was along that wall.

Later, after a lady guest had fainted and been put to bed, Mrs. Dean went once more to get a breath of air. Why she went back to see the result of the storm, no one knows, but when someone hunted through the crowd to ask her something, she was missing. One neighbor guessed where she might be and went quickly outside. Nature had given out and there lay Mrs. Dean on the damp earth in a dead faint.

Well, a cot was set up in the living room and she was put to bed. It was still raining by spells and the nearest doctor was at Marmarth, North Dakota, fifteen miles away. Donning a slicker, her son mounted her horse and rode after the doctor. By daylight they were back with the doctor riding in his top buggy. How those men were able to make such a quick trip over the sodden, slippery old trail was a mystery but they did it and medical aid was given to Mrs. Dean and Mr. Martin. After a breakfast-lunch the guests departed. One neighbor remained to care for Mrs. Dean who was ill for some time.

This storm was one of the worst for a long time. Considerable livestock was killed that night. One day some children, strolling along an old trail, came upon a darkened spot upon which lay a portion of a fancy shell hair ornament and several white pearl buttons; a mute reminder of the tragedy of the early dryland era in Fallon County.

A few years later both of the Martin girls, May and Violet, died in an epidemic in Marmarth and were buried togethe

r in the same grave.

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Early Day Post Offices

 

Violet Mulkey, 1905, on her Arabian saddle horse, Violet Post Office at the 101 Ranch-owned by her father Elijah Mulkey-was named for her.

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POST OFFICES OF THIS AREA IN THE 1900's

from The Fallon County Times -July, 1968

Written by Larry Busch, Sr.

"When you go to town, will you please bring out my mail?" was an expression heard many times years ago back in th late 1890's or early years of 1900. Town was reached only by horseback, buggy or wagon.

I got my information from the National Archives in Washington, DC The National Archives apparently kept a hug ledger in which they entered the name of the first postmaster or postmistress, together with the date of his or he appointment.

 

BISHER:

The post office of Bisher was established April 10, 1914, with Florence Bisher as the first postmistress, followed by Jess Bush in January, 1916. In July, 1917, Roscoe Zink became postmaster. The post office was moved to Baker in April, 1918 Bisher post office was located about where Art Message lives today.

 

ISMAY:

Ismay was formerly Burt, and it appears that the first office was opened in February, of 1908, and that it was rescinded or discontinued in March, 1908. As near as I can tell from the information available, the reason it was abandoned or discontinued was on account of the change in name, because it shows right after Burt the Ismay office was opened in March 1908, with Zetta H. Grey as postmistress. This appointment was made by the president and confirmed by the senate Subsequent postmasters were Truman Crandell in 1911, Mary Bonham in 1913; Mary Bacon in 1916; Roy Broman, 1927 and also in February, 1931.

 

CABIN CREEK:

The first Cabin Creek post office was opened May 12, 1911, with Elma Krema as postmistress, but it was discontinued and moved to Wills Creek January 31, 1913. At that time or about that time, the office was again started, and we see where one Leona Coldwell was appointed in 1915; Arthur Coldwell was appointed in 1916; followed by Alice Krokker in June, 1919; Hattie V. Hagen in May, 1920, at which time it was moved to Wibaux. Following that a Mrs. King was postmistress, and later on, Mrs. Pearl Stanhope. This time when it was discontinued, it was moved to Ismay. Apparently the office of Cabin Creek was moved right along with the newly appointed postmaster or postmistress. The first one must have been somewhere near where Wills Creek was, and it moved right on down Cabin Creek, with the change of postmaster or postmistress.

 

CALUMET:

Calumet, I believe, should have the distinction of being the only post office in eastern Montana built entirely of stone. The first postmistress, Lydia Hugg, was appointed on April 18, 1911. Her home was a house made of all native rock. Part of the rock is still evident today. Mrs. Hugg kept the office until May, 1913, when Emma Stoner was appointed. In January, 1919, Herbert W. Lyman was appointed. Mr. Lyman was the father of Ray Lyman who was a well known civil engineer and at one time county commissioner of Fallon County. In December, 1919, Lula Collings was appointed postmistress, followed by Irena Lautzenheiser in November, 1921.

It is interesting to know that a granddaughter of the Mrs. Hugg who was the first postmistress resides at Rochester, Michigan. Her name is Patricia M. Allan, and she still is the owner of the land, which was homesteaded by her grandmother, Lydia Hugg. Calumet is about 18 miles straight south of Plevna.

 

CARLYLE:

There seems to be some loss of time as to the establishment of the Carlyle post office, but it is first mentioned in May, 1907, at which time Arthur C. Knudtson was appointed. In September, 1908. August Clocksin was appointed. Following that, Nels P. Noben in 1909; Roscoe Clark in 1911; Grace Baldwin in 1913 and James Anderson after that. The indexes show different appointments; Clay Wiley in 1918; Slater in 1919; Bert Slater in 1920; Netty Jensen in 1921; Rosa Kenyon was appointed acting postmistress in 1921; Rosa Stuart in 1922, after which the postoffice was transferred to Wibaux.

 

CEDAR:

Cedar was the name of an office according to the postal bulletin, and it began operations on August, 1901, with Samuel D. Bovee as postmaster. The office is not mentioned in the National Archives. It was discontinued and moved to Wibaux in 1911. The office is indicated on a map published in 1913, and the location is given as about 10 miles northeast of Edgehill.

 

DENNIS:

Dennis was named after it's first postmaster, Harver D. Dennis, who was appointed October, 1910. He was followed by Agnes F. Peterson in 1912, who was followed in 1913 by Agnes F. Moline. If one looks close one can see the foundations where it at one time had a country elevator.

 

EDGEHILL:

Edgehill was opened June 3, 1914 with Carrie Burhans as postmistress.

KNOBS:

Knobs was started December 13, 1913. Hannah B. Green was the first postmistress, followed by Albert G. Westpahl, who was appointed in April, 1915, and Barney Heyings was appointed in June, 1917. 1 believe that the final Knobs postoffice was right close to the Dakota line or my recollection is that Green and Westphal homesteaded a few miles west of there. Barney Heying conducted a grocery store and meeting place in connection with the post office.

 

MACKENZIE

MacKenzie was started on June 22, 1912 with John MacKenzie. Harry Mangordon appointed acting postmaster on August 12,1917, and was appointed postmaster on November 8,1927. Nell L. Deniger Morland in February 1928. The records conflict as to dates, and Doris E. Canton was appointed on March 27, 1928, followed by Harold L. LaBree on August 3, 1928. MacKenzie was named after the owner Johnnie MacKenzie. Johnnie built a log cabin right on the edge of Fallon Creek and one could always find good company there because it was a sort of gathering place for early settlers and cowboys. Johnnie had a small grocery store in connection with the operation and if you were acquainted you might be able to talk Johnnie into a little refreshments.

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MILL IRON:

Mill Iron was opened July 29,1916 with Willard H. Meyer as postmaster. Following him Clarence Bisher was appointed in January, 1917.

 

OLLIE:

This post office was opened October 4, 1911 with Leander Greiner as postmaster, and Arthur Prouty in 1915, then Charles F. Shepherd was appointed in June 4, 1917.

 

PLEVNA:

Edina was the name the Milwaukee Railroad intended to use for this site but later decided on "Plevna". The earliest record of Plevna postoffice was November 29, 1909. Herbert B. Callin was then the postmaster. On August 18, 1911, Letta Conser was appointed postmistress. She was re-appointed every four years and each time she was appointed by the president, and the appointment was confirmed by the senate. The last appointment was recorded April 16, 1930.

 

PRESTON:

Preston was established October 21, 1901, and took effect October 31, 1901. A note appears on the margin of this record that it was discontinued twice. Papers were sent to Wibaux. Charles G. Vincelette was appointed December 2, 1903. This office was mentioned in the postal bulletin but was not in the index of the National Archives. S. Ford Robinson was appointed August 15, 1910. Again on May 31, 1914, the office was discontinued and moved to Baker.

 

RED ROOT:

Red Root was opened May 6, 1913 with Charlie W. Schneider holding office. It was discontinued on April 15, 1916 and moved to Willard. It was just to the west of the Baker-Ekalaka road and a few miles south of the Medicine Rocks.

ST. PHILLIP:

St. Phillip was opened April 18, 1913 with Frank A. Losinski as postmaster.

SANDSTONE:

This office was apparently moved to the homes of the respective postmasters. Archives indicate William L. Hanley was appointed October 30, 1899. John H. Hasty was appointed December 18, 1901. The Hasty ranch was a few miles west of Westmore. John D. Foster was appointed April 20, 1905. Orrin W. Titus was appointed on February 23, 1906. Titus's sheep ranch was about 10 miles north of Westmore. The office was discontinued and changed to Terry effective January 31, 1907.

TEE DEE:

Tee Dee was established December, 1899 with Addiel F. Olsen as postmaster. Ellsworth Hall was appointed on July 15, 1901 but failed to qualify. Grace Hamilton was appointed December 1, 1902. Ida Cook was appointed in March 1912. It was named after an original brand, the letters of which were T D, but the post office department wouldn't stand for that kind of a name so it had to be changed to words and came out Tee Dee. It was in what today would be called about the center of the MacKay ranch holdings way over in the southwest portion of Fallon County.

VIOLET:

Violet was started May 26, 1908 with Elijah H. Mulkey as postmaster. It was discontinued and moved to Webster on May 31, 1915. Violet was named after the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Mulkey and the location of the postoffice, naturally, was at the 101 Ranch site on Little Beaver.

WEBSTER:

Webster was started September 30,1910 with Al Webster as postmaster. John D. Miller was appointed in 1917. Roscoe C. Zink was appointed August 1918; Emma Schmitz in August, 1920; and Fannie Zink was appointed acting postmaster on December 16, 1921; Robert Norman in February, 1922; Don Kearney Rice in 1924. It was originally about four miles west of the present Webster location.

WESTMORE

Westmore was opened May 2, 1910 with Clare P. Lowry as postmistress. Bob Lowry was a mail clerk on the Milwaukee between Aberdeen and Miles City. He had a store building erected and was putting in a stock of groceries when Mrs. Lowry received the appointment. I was grocery store clerk and assistant postmaster at Westmore in the summer of 1910. William Salmon was appointed in May, 1914; Inez E. Radway in 1915; Alden E. Landis was appointed in 1917, but declined the appointment. Jesse Salmon in 1917; Hal M. Grime in 1930, and William Salmon was appointed acting postmaster on November 21, 1929, and was appointed last postmaster October 13, 1930.

WILLARD:

The Willard post office was opened January 20, 1910 with Fred W. Anderson as postmaster. Charles J. Anderson became postmaster on June 24, 1924. In reply to my inquiry where Willard got its name, Fred Anderson wrote me that at the time the office was open he wanted it named Anderson, but learned there was already a post office by that name in Montana, so he chose his middle name, which was Willard.

WILLS CREEK:

This post office was opened December 13, 1910 with Reuben Yates as postmaster. William Skelton was appointed in January, 1915 and Frank Bellis in April 1916. This Wills Creek post office apparently was discontinued on October 15, 1917 and moved to Carlyle. This post office was in the immediate area about where the Tobin ranch is.

You have probably forgotten that Fallon County had six depots at one time. You could get off or on the Milwaukee passenger trains at Dodge, Kingmont, Baker, Tonquin, Plevna and Westmore.

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Editor's note: Mill Iron was a small settlement that grew up on a ranch connected with the [Hash Knife] spread, which ranged 65,000 head of cattle in Montana.

Knowlton Post Office - Custer County, Montana

This was before there was a Fallon County. By Lena Dragseth, Linden

This postoffice was established May 23, 1892 and discontinued September 29, 1944. Postmasters were: Rotus P. Knowlton, May 23, 1892; E. Frank Crosby, March 23, 1899; Dan H. Bowman, March 13, 1902; Elias H. Davis, November 24, 1902; E. Frank Crosby, November 11, 1903; Follis A. Wood, January 16, 1905; Mary Hamilton, September, 1905; John J. H. Daly, August 15, 1907; Weyland Wood, July 12, 1909; W. Reece George, October 20, 1909; Mary J. Lum, September 20, 1913; Pearl Stollard, August 10, 1921 and George G. Geen.

The Dragseth post office was established March 19, 1900 by Stinus Dragseth, father of Lena Linden. It was discontinued July 30, 1904 and moved to Knowlton because there was no reason for two offices.

(see map)

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