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

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Copyright 1975 O'Fallon Historical Society, Baker, Montana. Printed by Western printing & Lithography

 

History of Baker, Montana

 

Baker, Montana, 1917, taken from the top of Water Tank Hill looking northeast. By 1913Baker had 1,000people, picture loaned by Mrs. Allen Griffith.

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BACKGROUND OF BAKER, MONTANA

Taken from the Intermountain Planners, Inc., Billings, Montana

The white man began using the area of what is today Baker, Montana, as a camping spot on the Custer Trail from Wibaux to Camp Crook in South Dakota. The site provided an abundant grass and water to travelers and their livestock. The wagon ruts of these early pioneers can still be seen in the area. The Indians had generally disappeared from the area by 1885, but traces of their earlier cultures can still be found on the surrounding prairies.

Cattle and sheep followed the demise of the Indians in the area, and a railhead was established at Wibaux 45 miles to the north. With the coming of the railroad in 1908, the homesteaders also came. What is today Baker Lake was constructed by the railroad to provide water for its steam locomotives.

In 1904 Fred Hasty constructed the first building on the future site of Baker. A store was built four years later by R. R. Pearce. With the population rush a townsite was acquired from four early settlers. Originally the town growing on Sandstone Flats was called Lorraine, but the name was later changed to Baker for A. G. Baker, an engineer on the Milwaukee Railroad. We have heard speculations that the towns of Mildred and Ismay were named for two of his daughters.

In 1911 a petition was filed with the Custer County Commissioners requesting incorporation for Baker. In the subsequent election, 51 citizens voted for incorporation and one voted against. As with most early railroad towns, Baker grew rapidly and by 1913 the community's population had reached 1,000.

Petitions were once again circulated in 1913. The issue was secession from Custer County. After a successful election, and joined by Ekalaka and Plevna, a new County, Fallon, was formed. Ekalaka later seceded from Fallon County to form Carter County after it failed to keep its designation as county seat for Fallon County, an honor Baker still retains. Parts of Fallon County were taken when Wibaux County was formed in 1914 and more was taken for Prairie County when it was formed in 1915.

R. R. Pearce was elected Mayor of the young community, which soon contained a carbon black plant and a flourmill. Dryland farming became the predominant industry of the area. Natural gas, discovered in 1912, both heated and illuminated the early community. The petroleum industry remained sleepy and localized until 1923 and the discovery of the Williston Basin. The subsequent boom permeated all facets of the community's life and still is a most important influence on the local economy.

Presently the city offers a wide range of services and general facilities to its residents. These range from the normal utilities such as water, sewer, natural gas, electricity, telephone and paved streets to the unique element of a large lake immediately adjacent to the downtown area. A wide range of businesses are located in the community in addition to four public schools, a hospital, theater and a weekly newspaper. Perhaps most important of all is the general wholesome environment of the best of the Big Sky Country with its clean air and plenty of "elbow room."

Baker is located 80 miles east of Miles City, Montana, in the extreme eastern part of the State of Montana, only 13 miles from the North Dakota-Montana line. U.S. Highway 12 runs east and west through the community and State High 7 extends north and south, intersection U.S. 12 in the middle of the town. The Chicago, Milwaukee and Pacific Railroad, extending from Seattle to Chicago passes through Baker and a small airport is located within the city area adjacent to the west side of the lake.

 

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Time table of first passenger train into Baker, February 16, 1908

 

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YESTERYEARS'MAIN STREET-BAKER, MONTANA

by Thomas Lloyd Owen

Taped at O'Fallon Historical Society Meeting

April 26, 1970

I don't know where to start. I haven't thought much about this since we had the Golden Anniversary of ours. Mrs. Jensen told me to talk on the buildings of Baker. I don't know. Buildings are sort of inanimate objects and I think I'll have to divert from that and give more of the humorous and other things that happened in those days in connection with the buildings.

When I got to thinking about this lately and what to talk about, it seems to me that the period, from the time Baker started in 1908 up to the present time, was a time of terrific change. From the horse and buggy, rather the horse and wagon days, as there weren't many buggies around in those times, and the freighters that used to come up from the Ekalaka Country with their "jerk lines". These freighters would have six to eight horses with a "jerk line," especially when wool was being hauled. Some of the freighters of that time were Johnny Leach, one of the Fosters, the Big Kid and his brother, Dague, from Ekalaka.

Horse and buggy or horse and wagon days of Baker, looking north up Main Street on State Highway 7. Picture given to the Museum by Ashley Potterton Woods.

Today we talk about scarcity of parking space. We had parking problems in those days, too. We didn't have nearly enough room in the barns for the horses, so they were haltered and tied to a wagon wheel, and a nose feed bag was put on them. Horses were tied up all over town, in vacant lots, especially in the fall when there was more hauling. There was hardly room, but they stayed off of Main Street. The saddle horses were tied up to rings in the sidewalks along the curbs.

I had a homestead south of Ollie and northwest of Grassy Butte. When I first came here, Frank Beasley, a Baker Merchant, Dick Johnson and I could take off cross-country from here to anywhere. One Sunday we rode down to Marmarth, North Dakota, without having to open a gate or cross a fence. At this time going out to the homestead, we'd go out about to the Jensen's turnoff and head north to "Shorty" Shear's horsecamp, then across the breaks and on to the homestead. I can't remember any fences that way either.

When I first came here, we at the L. Price Company were turning out two carloads of barbed wire a month. Everyone was starting to fence his spot. This shows that fencing started about 1912.

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Barbed wire piled by the old L. Price Co. Store, 1912, picture loaned by L. [Bud] Price.

Now to go back to the subject that I was supposed to mention. When I think of buildings, I think of the livery barns and the bars as being the most prominent buildings we had. Pepper's Barn was right south of the old Price store on the lakeshore. In the spring if we had a heavy rain the water would come right up in the stalls. Some of his building protruded into what is now the street south of the new Price store.

Livery and Feed Stable, near where the M. D. U. Office is now, looking south, the X is over the old Baker High School which was just new. Picture loaned by Lyle Washburn.

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Early day Main Street, Baker, west side of the street, loaned by the Baker Museum.

Jim Pepper had a cook named Bill Story. Bill claimed to be a roundup cook from the Great Falls area and to have cooked for the outfit that Charles Russell, the Montana Artist, was on, and that some of the pictures Russell painted he could remember the instances that happened. He claimed that he was the cook when the horse bucked right into the fire upsetting the breakfast. That night when the men came in from the roundup, Russell made a charcoal sketch of the incident (this painting is called "A Bronc for Breakfast") I think, on the side of the wagon.

The building on the end of the street and the Price building were the only ones in that area. Machinery, barbed wire, posts and such were piled all over where the old Bank of Baker is and where the new Price store is. We had all that area.

In 1913 when L.A. Conser, an attorney, had the paper (he got it from Himsl) moved over on our side of the street and built the Sentinal building (old Fallon County Times building) it stood south of the old Price building, where the new building now stands.

The Bank of Baker built a brick building. It is the old Bank of Baker building now. They moved the cement block building they had next to the Pearce building, to the back of the lot. It was used by Lissie Theodorsen, an office girl, and then it was used as a cream station. Later L. C. Bums became the Land Commissioner, after Dave Barber left, and he used it for his office.

North across Highway 12, where the Proctor building stood,, was an empty lot. This was still around 1912. The Proctor building was then put up on that lot. It was made of cement blocks which were made on the spot. They had a form which would be filled full of cement, then with a foot presser, they pressed the cement good and solid, then they took the blocks out and laid them in the sun to dry. These blocks were then used for the building. Henry Smith was the saddle man who took over the building and operated the business for the Dickinson Saddlery Company.

Next a little cement block building was the Bank of Baker. This was moved and the Hansen building was put up there. Larry Bush worked there. Later this building was taken over as the First National Bank. L. E. Baker was the cashier of that Bank.

North of this building was Bob Pearce's building. Bob had built it in 1909. It was in two parts. Pearce operated a grocery store on the south side and Mr. Prichard operated a clothing store on the north side. On the counter of the grocery store was an apple crate, which served as the post office.

Shortly after I arrived in this town I went over to the post office to buy a two-cent stamp so I could write to my folks back in Wisconsin. I laid a nickel down on the counter and Mr. Pearce raked it into the drawer and gave me a two-cent stamp. Later I said to Lew Price, "Golly, does a two cent stamp cost a nickel out here?" "No," he said, "just no pennies with that fellow. If you had asked for two two's and a one-cent stamp you would have gotten your money's worth. No pennies allowed."

Bob Pearce sold out to the Lentz brothers. Ed and Emil Lentz took over the side the grocery was in. The upstairs was used by the Pearce family as living quarters. When they left it was taken over as a bachelor quarters by Doc Potterton, Rushton and Charlie Russell. That was quite a party spot.

I remember once they came in from duck hunting. Charlie was unloading his shotgun when it went off, down through the floor below where there were customers. The shot pretty well spent itself but there were splinters and pieces of shot flying around among the canned goods.

The Prichard side of the building was taken over by Mary Baker, as a restaurant. Later she married a Nertous. Mr. and Mrs. Nertous operated it for a while before George Grainger got hold of it.

Going farther north was Alfred LeMay's Meat Market. This was the first real meat market in town. LeMays built the building but died soon after from a heart attack which he suffered at a Grand Mason Lodge Meeting in Great Falls. The building was sold to a Miles City man who had it for years and rented it out to other meat market owners.

Next, going on north, most of the buildings were built on half of the 25 foot lots, or as 12 1/2 foot buildings. The first was

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Main Street in Baker in 1909, looking north the Pearce Building on the right, picture loaned by the Museum.

a shoe shop, then a Mexican had a chili con-carne and tamale stand and then came Blanchard's Barber Shop. Blanchard and Niccum were neighbors northeast of town. Niccum came into town and worked for Blanchard but later moved across the street to a shop of his own.

Dave Barber, land commissioner (the one you proved your homestead up under) had an office in there. Jimmy Creel, who represented a loan company and did some "locating" had an office.

Sam Cohn, the Jew tailor, left after he "proved up" on his land. He had a homestead just west of Henry Beckman's. He sold the shop to Tom Bums who had it until he went to World War 1. Tom was one of the officers in Company 1. Hazelton then took over the shop.

Then there was the Glass Saloon -there were no bars, just saloons. The Glass Saloon was a rough place. Glass killed one fellow in a fight by hitting him across the head with a pool cue. Killed him dead, right there.

Jimmy, the younger Glass boy, started a drilling corporation. He and another fellow built a derrick and a post auger to which he added a pipe. He dug wells all over town. I have one of his wells in my back yard. He dug one in the schoolyard, which was about 60 feet deep. Most of his wells were dug on the south side of town because wells with water fit for drinking were not obtainable other places. The Lloyd house was where the Baker Hotel is now. That was moved in 1915 and Jack Pratt built a hotel there. That hotel was moved and became the West Side Hotel.

Early day picture, looking south on Main Street Lloyd house on left, later moved, Baker Hotel built on the vacated lot, picture loaned by Eunice Finch.

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Across the tracks, Bill O'Laughlin had the first elevator, then McCall-Webster on the east side. Carpenter Webster lumberyard was where the Fullerton is now. Over to the west the Midland Coal and Lumber was on the lot where the Price Quonset building is now. Then where Mrs. Steiber is now was Sam's Barn, don't know the last name. The wool house for the railroad was next. I have seen the wool house so full that the railroad had to pull in extra cars to store the surplus in until it was shipped out.

Elevators and box cars, Baker, Montana,1913, picture loaned by the Museum.

I don't know how to handle this next situation. If Beer made Milwaukee famous, we had something that made Baker famous. We had a Green House. They really had some flowers down there - " Puddles " and her two sisters - the Jew and Grace Hamilton. They had quite a spread down there. It was known up and down the line as far as Minneapolis. The traveling men spread the news. Once in a while the place would get shot up-all the lights and the furniture included. We handled some furniture at the store so did a pretty good business down there.

Across from the depot was the Loverige house, built in 1908. As far as I know that was the first rooming house built in Baker. It was a long low building, around forty feet wide and went clear back to the alley. Later Jim Brewer built the house that recently burned down, the Fallon House.

 

The Baker House built by Jim Brewer, later known as the Fallon House. It burned down in later years, picture loaned by the Museum.

The Corner Saloon was one of the first ones. John Heffering of Camp Crook ran the bar. Bert Hitch had a lunch counter in the back. That was a lively spot, but then they all were. Shell Gillian had a favorite sport of "snipe hunting. " He would take a

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"greenhorn" out on the creek after dark, set him out with a candle at the end of an open sack. He was told to hold the sack open while the others herded the snipe toward the open sack. One cold, fall night a fellow was out there and never showed up in town. The fellows began to wonder if he froze out there. Eventually he showed up none the worse for the experience.

Another character up the street, was Carrie Grallinger who ran a candy shop. She was a Marmarth girl who married Frank Grallinger. Frank and Jim Creel sold Moline machinery. She was quite a character. You couldn't fool with her. The last I heard she was in the Black Hills. Heard they shot Denver and she was out to gun the killer down.

Lew Jim's Chinese restaurant was next going south. Lew Jim was a good white Chinaman. He would back you up and be very helpful. He always served sandwiches and coffee to the firemen.

Mihlberger's Saloon was next. Big Foot and Little Foot, they were called. These two operated the saloon. One day after Emil Ravey took over the saloon, he moved the back bar. Behind it was a pile of pennies. No copper was allowed at the bar and if a penny showed up it was just heaved over the back bar. Quite a load of pennies was found. Emil Ravey built a bowling alley there (World War I) which was a very popular place.

Doc Young had a drug store next. Ed Lawler was in partnership with him as a druggist. Ed took care of the store while Doc took care of his medical practice. That building became the Niccum Barbershop, and Ed Lawler established his own drugstore on the present site of the Lawler Drug. The Niccum. shop was featured in the Ripley's "Believe it or not" column with their slogan "Soper and Niccum". The two barbers were Horace Soper and Henry Niccum.

Then came Beck's Saloon, for the town's elite drinkers. A lot of campaigning and politicking went on here, especially discussions regarding the county division. One time Ed Berry and J. D. Thompson, both from the North Country, got to arguing about who was the fastest runner. To prove the point a race of a hundred yards was established. They were to run from the Proctor building on one corner to the Hotel one block north. A lot of money was bet-hundreds of dollars. Berry was a heavyset man and Thompson was thin and looked like a runner, but Berry beat him and collected the money.

Once George Hough and J. D. Thompson got into a real fight at the bar. George Hough bit Thompson's ear off and Thompson got a hold on Hough's nose and held on. The nose swelled up and stayed with him the rest of his life.

J. Lang Store at Baker, 1912, looking west on U.S. 12, picture loaned by the Museum.

The little Lawler drugstore was next on the present site of today's store. Then came the Lang store run by Jenny Lang and her son. The Camp Crook people came in about then. Some names were: Ed Lake, Joe Doull, L. C. Burns, Dick Johnson, Horace Sparks, John Heffrin, Doc Sherril, the Chorming Boys, Dumont and Betty Dolan. Bill McDonald had a grocery store where LeMay's was. Brit Catron had the first Gambles Store and then the Corner Bar. At the Lang store, L. C. Burns was the bookkeeper. Soper, Sr., and Rushton were the machine men for John Deere agency, which they held until 1915 when the L. Price Company got it and still has it.

Every Bobby Burn's Birthday, Billy Lang locked up the store for LWO or three days. Jim and Huey Hunter, Walter Anderson, Joe Doull, Billy Lang and some traveling salesmen would put on a real Scotch Party. The Billy Lang house stood where the Standard Service Station now stands. The house was bought by Don Morrow and moved to the south side of town.

Across the street from the Price store was just the Baker Mercantile and a little house where "Bud Price" was born. The little house sat back on the lot. Ed Lake left Lang and built the "Sugar Bowl" on the back of the lot where the old Baker National Bank is. Later he built the Bank Building.

Later Hubbard had the Baker Hardware about where the Super Value is now. About 1914 a Fire Hall was built by the lake where the present Bank of Baker now is. The equipment was a one cylinder high wheeled cart for the pump and engine, a hose cart with a tongue and ropes. The first fire I can remember was at Indian Mary's. She had a shack on the lake about in line with the old Congregational Church. This shack took fire and we had to push the cart through mud to get there. By the time we got there it was too late and we didn't save anything. The engine had to be pulled toward the water, the end of the intake hose put into the water and then the hose had to be stretched out. You can see that it wasn't very efficient.

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Old Yellowstone Trail through Baker, 1912, now U.S. 12. Looking west, Lang house [later Ed Lake home] on left and spire of Baker Lake Congregational Church [first church in Baker] on the right, picture loaned by Viola Braun Stith.

Well, that's about all the buildings on Main Street when I came here in 1912.

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Early Day Industries

First dairy in Baker, Montana, 1914, owned and operated by Martha Hasty Houston Murphy, picture loaned by Margaret Murphy Anderson.

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EARLY DAY INDUSTRIES IN AND AROUND BAKER by Gulnare Lutts

Activities advertised in the Baker Sentinel of March 25, 1909, were: Bob Dalton had a sheep shearing outfit for public use-there were others but no names were found. Kingston and Monroe were active horse buyers, again there were others but no names found.

Sheep shearing, 1908, picture loaned by the Museum.

Advertised in the Baker Sentinel of November 26, 1909, were: Carpenter at the Webster Lumber Company with J. M. Comstock as manager, Baker Saddlery and Harness Company with J. H. Schmidt as manager, and Theo Olson, Contractor-Building with plans and specifications cheerfully furnished.

Lew Jim owned and operated a restaurant in Baker for many years, picture loaned by the Museum.

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One very popular restaurant was operated by Lew Jim, a Chinese, who served both Chinese and American food. You could get a full course dinner with pie and coffee for 35 cents. By reports of his former customers, his steaks were wonderful. His partner, Bo Sing, ran a laundry in the back of the cafe.

It has also been noted that Frank Evens of Box Elder was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Baker Township, Custer County, Montana. Bill Harris with horses and wagon was town drayman.

A very interesting item was the advertisement of setting eggs for sale: Barred Plymouth Rocks and Rhode Island Reds (red comb) and Buff Orfington purebred for $1.00 per setting of thirteen eggs, by Mrs. Martha Houston. Mrs. Houston later married Jim Murphy. Thirteen was considered the lucky number of setting eggs but it would be interesting to know how she kept the breeds apart, and a person wonders why one would be buying setting eggs in November. Mrs. Houston also did home baking and laundry.

At one time Baker had a Cigar Manufacturing place, making what was known as "Don Corells. " The building was later used for a "Kandy Kitchen."

The Bonnevale Cemetery was started on July 7, 1910.

 

First jail in Baker, still standing, on U.S. Highway 12

across the alley from the M. D. U. Picture loaned by Jessie

Price.

There is a little old brick building approximately 12xl2xl5 feet, with a rounding root covered with a six to eight inch layer of gravel and gumbo, the square false front has a large door built of 2x6 inch planks, reinforced with metal bands, there is a metal, barred, small window on the west. This was the first jail in Baker Township, Custer County. Inside it was partitioned with metal bars into two rooms, one for the prisoner and one for the guard. It still stands (1973) on the original site on West Montana Avenue, (US 12), near the M.D.U. office, and is used by them for storage but is owned by Lewis LaCross.

The first telephone system of Baker seems to have been owned and managed by George Hough. He sold out to J. P. Smith of Beach, North Dakota. He owned and managed offices at Sentinel Butte, Beach and Gulva, North Dakota and at Wibaux and Baker in Montana. He called the system "The Connecting Company". Mr. Smith was electrocuted when he tried to save one of his linemen who had come in contact with a live wire. A third man died trying to save Mr. Smith. Miss Hazel Stark has the longest service in the Baker office. She served nine years as chief operator. During this time the system was purchased by the Bell Telephone Company, a branch of Mountain States Telephone Company now known as Mountain Bell. The dial system was instituted in 1964.

A brick yard in the early days was not satisfactory as the material found here would disintegrate.

A cement plant, making cement blocks by hand, was in operation for a while. One building made of these blocks stood at the corner of Main Street and Montana Avenue. It was used at one time by Hi Proctor for a Jewelry Store and Optical Center. It was recently torn down to make place for the new National Bank Building. Two of these blocks are in the O'Fallon Museum at Baker.

Frank Becker should be included in the story of Baker. He traveled back and forth on the Milwaukee Railroad as a newspaper and lunch dispenser to the passenger. He liked this area so about 1909 he settled here. He was a land promoter, and located claims. He took active part in the gas and oil development in the area.

An early entertainment building was the Opera House, located on first street west, which is now owned and operated by the American Legion Fallon Post as their club house. Traveling stage shows, home talent plays, dancing, roller skating and amateur programs were featured there. I remember coming to Baker in 1911 with Aunt Loretta and my father, riding on a triple box load of wheat, pulled by four horses. Coming down the "Big Hill" on the old freight road, known as "the cut-off " my father chained the back wheels of the wagon together, in what was called a "rough lock," to keep the wagon from running down on the horses. The play we came to see was a Swiss Mountain Scene with the back drop of Swiss Mountains. The entertainer in Swiss Costume came yodeling and strolling onto the stage. He played an accordion, the harmonica, sang and yodeled during the whole evening. We stayed that night at "The Hildreth House Hotel" where Mrs. Blakemore now (1973) lives.

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Opera House, later became the American Legion Hall, Fourth of July Celebration, picture from the L. Price Collection.

Baker is unique in this Great Plains area because of the lake which was built by the Milwaukee Railroad as a water supply for their steam locomotives. The water was piped from the lake to the round water tank which stood near the depot.

Baker Lake, picture loaned by the Museum.

In 1915 a flax mill was in operation, making a fiber from flax straw grown around here. There have been livery and feed barns, home laundries, bakeries, ice houses, a chicken hatchery and a raw poultry processing plant. In the laundry a boiler of warm water was put on the wood cookstove to heat. When the water was hot it was poured into a wash tub and the clothes were rubbed on a washboard. Quite different from the laundries of today.

Water was first hauled in barrels from a spring northwest of Baker at 50 cents per barrel. The present water system was started in 1914 or 1915. The first well was in the area of the present Lincoln School. It was piped to the top of Watertank Hill. Baker is lucky to have this natural elevation giving the right amount of force to the water in the pipes.

 

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The first newspaper was printed in Plevna and called "The Plevna Herald." Then in Baker a paper called "The Fallonite" was printed. Later the "Baker Sentinel" was edited by George Bergi. At one time Mrs. McLemore was editor of the Sentinel. About 1916 Karl Pleissner came to Baker and in 1917 or 1918 he purchased and merged these papers and called the new paper "The Fallon County Times," with the slogan "The paper the people take home." Mr. Lloyd Lathrop purchased the "Fallon County Times" in 1952. After his death in 1957 his wife, Mrs. Margaret Latrhop, continued as editor. In 1963 she sold the old newspaper building and lot to the L. Price Company and moved her business across the street to the former B. D. Grant building, which had been the Post Office for many years. In 1969 the paper was purchased by Jim Anderson and is now edited by Jim Anderson, co-publisher with Earl Anderson and as of 1973 the paper was sent to Miles City to be printed for a short while.

Old Fallon County Times Building being moved. Now is a ware house for Baker Cement, picture loaned by L. Price.

Electricity was established in Baker in 1914 or 1915 by Ernest Heinrich who generated the electricity with a steam engine burning coal at first, then natural gas. This operation was north of the tracks where the M. D. U. work house now stands.

Natural gas was discovered on the "Dad" Monroe place one mile north of Baker in 1915, when Mr. Monroe was drilling for water at the depth of 700 feet. The well caught fire and burned for several years before being capped. Other wells were tapped and a Carbon Black Factory was started east of Baker. Carbon Black, a product of burning natural gas, was used in rubber, paint, small blocks to burn in foot warmers, in artists crayons, to name a few. A tragedy occurred when Frank Seeley was killed while working at the plant. A cable ripped loose or broke and some falling machinery struck him. The office of the Carbon Black Plant was in downtown Baker. With the closing of the plant this office building was converted into a General Store operated by Dick Johnson and then later it was used for a National Guard Armory-Company 1.

Natural gas was piped to Glendive in 1926, to Miles City in 1927, to the Black Hills in 1928 and in 1930 a pipeline was laid and gas was piped from the Cabin Creek Field to Bismarck, North Dakota. In 1964 a line was laid from Bismarck to Minot, North Dakota and in 1970 the line was continued from Bismarck on to Jamestown, North Dakota. Now (1973) there is talk of plans to extend it farther.

One winter the pipeline had a break in it just where it crossed Beaver Creek in Wibaux County. The gas was set on fire as the safest way to dispose of it. It was an eerie sight on a dark night to see that flame there on the ice unless you knew the cause.

A flour mill was operated north of the tracks by William O'Laughlin. It burned down in 1916, and was not rebuilt.

There has been oil exploration since 1912 but no great activity until more recent years. In 1951 shipment was generally started when oil located on Northern Pacific land was trucked to Ollie, Montana, and put in N.P. cars to be hauled out. Oil is now piped out of Eastern Montana to areas east of here by the Butte Pipeline.

The Midland Lumber Company opened in Baker in 1913. At one time there were seven yards in the Eastern Montana area. Now they have been sold to private owners but still retain the name "Midland Lumber Company"

This was not the first yard in Baker but has the longest continued record of service. The other yard was the McCaul-Webster, operated by Harry Schaller.

B. D. Grant was another early businessman. He owned a tin and plumbing shop. He had owned a similar business in Princeton, Minnesota, before homesteading west of Carlyle, Montana, or about 35 miles northwest of Baker.

Ora L. Blanchard arrived in Baker from Moline, Illinois, in July of 1909. Homesteading didn't seem to have much future for him so he bought a lot on the east side of Main Street and put up a building. Soon he was ready for barbering business. The big problem was water. He bought water at 35 cents per barrel as everyone else did.

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Baker's first Barber Shop, July 1909, owned by Ora Blanchard. Left to right: Ora Blanchard, Clifford Sparks, Slim Niccum, picture loaned by Anna Blanchard Hibbard.

There are a number of businesses of present Baker which are of a father to son operation. Among these are: County Attorney Denzil Young, who took over from his father, Denzil Young, Sr., who came to Baker to practice law with his uncle, Pearle Cornish. He went into the Mexican Conflict, returned to Baker, served in the National Guard, then in World War I. When he came home he took over the law practice of his uncle.

Inside the first L. Price Company Store, about 1913, on the left is Lew Price, Sr. Don't know who is beside him, Lloyd Owen on the right, picture from the L. Price Collection.

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The L. Price Company (Our Own Hardware and John Deere Implements) was begun in 1910 by Lewellyn (Lew) Price, Sr. In 1913 he was joined in partnership by his brother-in-law Lloyd Owen. At Mr. Price's death in 1941 his son, Lewellyn (Bud) Price, Jr., took his father's place in the business. Now Bud's son, Dick, is also part of the management. The Price Hardware had the first car dealership (Ford) and first gas pump of this Baker area. The company also had the first Undertaking

Model T Ford, Mr. and Mrs. L. Price, Sr. and Jeanette. L. Price Company was the first Ford Dealer in Baker, from the L. Price Collection.

Establishment. It was under the direction of Lloyd Owen from 1912 to 1952. Lloyd is still (1973) very active in the works and interests of the store. A fine new store was built in 1963 but the original store is still owned and used as a warehouse by the Price Hardware and Implement Company. Snowmobiles and snowmobile clothing is a new added line along with the slogan "Nothing Runs Like a Deere" (John Deere).

Ground Breaking for the new L. Price Company Building, 1963. T L. Owen and L. [Bud] Price, picture from the L. Price Collection.

Another father to son activity was that of the Polus Family and the Railroad Section Crew. Much of the railroad's efficiency depends on the maintenance crews, whose constant vigil and effort keep the tracks in working order. George Polus came from Greece to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1907, as a young man, to work with his uncle in the Railroad shops. When an extra work gang was needed out west, he volunteered and thus came to this vicinity in 1914. He liked the country so well he decided to stay and work on the "section crew," so called because each crew had a definite area or number of miles to work, traveling back and forth on an open, four wheel, platform powered by a hand lever which four men worked, pumping it up and down.

In 1915 George became Section Foreman, from which he retired in 1954. In 1925 he went back to Greece to be married. They lived at Terry, at Tonquin, at Westmore and came to Baker in 1947. 1 believe the section house where they lived at Westmore is now the parsonage for the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Baker. George's son, Deme, started working with his father while in high school, then after graduation he served two years in World War II in the Medical Corps and returned to work with his father. When George retired as foreman, Deme was promoted, and in May, 1973, will have served 30 years.

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Although the men now ride in an enclosed Motor Car they are always subject to call and must be out and work in all kinds of weather. Where George supervised 6 miles of section, Deme has 30 miles to keep in order with a much smaller crew. With heavier, longer trains of freight going over the tracks, even greater efficiency and responsibility is exacted and given.

Blacksmith Shop owned by Charles Silvernale, about 1914, picture from the Museum.

Another very interesting father to son story is that of the blacksmith shop now owned and operated by Quency Sinclair. Mr. Charles P. Silvernale had a blacksmith shop where the Mobile Gas Station is now located. Dean Sinclair, father of Quency, bought the shop in 1918 and operated it at that location until 1946. The winter of 1919-1920 was so severe and required the need of horseshoeing that Mr. Sinclair made enough money to pay for the shop. When the property was sold, Dean and his son, Quency, built the present shop in 1945 and 1946, finishing it in time to be ready for the "spring rush". They started the shop by building on to their garage and gradually expanded. Building material was scarce so part of the building is of hand molded cement blocks made on borrowed forms. Dean Sinclair retired in 1952, then his son, Quency, took over full management. Some of the early equipment is still used such as the hand-operated forge with blower, press drill, anvil and trip-hammer.

In the Medical History of Baker there is a father to son story. Doctor Sam Weeks came to Baker in 1941, reared his family; among them, Dr. Robert Weeks, who joined his father's practice in 1956. In 1967 Dr. Sam retired and Dr. Bob took full charge. At the Senior Citizen Center can be seen the small, hardwood chair which was part of the furnishings of Dr. Sam's first office. A neat building across the street west of the Hospital is the Weeks Clinic, built in 1946. Dr. Robert Weeks now has served 15 1/2 years (1973).

Another father to son operation began in 1924 when Mr. E. G. Samsel opened the Golden Rule Clothing Store which he sold to the J. C. Penney Co. in 1927. He then became the first manager of that store in Baker. He left Baker that same year, returning in 1952 when he opened the Samsel Clothing and Dry Goods Store. His son, Jack, joined him in the fall of 1969. They remodeled and enlarged the store in 1970 and when Mr. Samsel retired in 1972 Jack became the manager. The ownership of the business is a family corporation.

Jack Lawler operates the drug store his father established. Ed Lawler came to Baker in 1909 and worked as druggist with Dr. Young in a building at the site of the present Jackson Bar. In 1915 the Lawlers built and moved into the present building. Mrs. Dove Lawler still comes down to the store occasionally. She is 84 years old (1973) but quite active.

Gene Russell now owns and operates the clothing store established by his father, Martin Russell. Jenny Lang and son, William, built the building now occupied by Russell Store in 1909. They operated it as a General Store. In 1915 Joe Douell bought the store and Mr. Russell had a furniture store in the rear rooms. In 1916 Russell bought the clothing business and set up the present business. William O'Laughlin bought the building in 1923 and still owns it.

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Louie LaCross celebrates 80th In business here 56 years

Taken from the Fallon County Times, May 1973.

Lewis LaCross came to Baker with his father Frank LaCross and brother, Charles, in 1917. He went into the grocery business with his family later that year, and has remained there ever since. Charles went back to Minneapolis after World War 1, with his interests in the store going to a younger brother, Leon, who stayed until the early forties when he moved to Seattle.

In 1943, Lewie became the sole owner of the Economy Grocery remaining so until 1969, when the family business was incorporated with his son, Francis. This is one of the oldest businesses in Baker and can best be remembered by his always extending credit during the hard times in Baker's early years.

On March 12, 1973 Lewie celebrated his 80th birthday and stated that he had no intentions of retiring until he got old enough.

Many people have owned Lot 4, Block 4, Townsite of Baker, Montana, which is Heiser's Bar of today. According to abstracts the first owners were James Deering and his wife Mabel. Other owners of the lots were the Milwaukee Land Company, the County of Custer, E. C. Mihlberger and wife Jessie, Emil Ravey, Charles Voss, Clarence and Ruth Heiser and its present owner, C. Bernard Heiser. In 1965 when Clarence retired, he turned the management of the business over to his son, Bernard, who in turn acquired the whole spread in 1968. Bernard is carrying on the business in the tradition set by his father.

There have been many businesses housed in the Heiser Building since it was built. It was a Theater, a Saloon, a Bowling Alley (owned and run by Emil Ravey, one time Mayor of Baker), a Pool Room, a Cafe and a Tavern.

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Baker Air Service run by Elmer Schneider, date unknown, picture from museum.

Typical cowboys, date unknown.

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Hotel Damon, now the Lake Side Hotel, picture taken in 1920, Mrs. Damon was a sister to Martha Murphy. Picture loaned by Margaret Murphy Anderson.

 

Seeding flax on H. W. Sparks Ranch 1 mile west of Baker, 1915-1916, picture from the L. Price Collection.

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The Birth of Fallon County

Picture taken by Jim Anderson of a campaign button given to the Museum by Ella Pleissner Hitchcock, button was put out by Ekalaka in the fight for County Seat between Baker and Ekalaka when Fallon County was formed [enlarged 2 times].

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THE BIRTH OF FALLON COUNTY

Written by T. L. Owen

Upon completion of the Milwaukee Railroad through Baker in 1908, the Milwaukee Land Company put on an intensive campaign to encourage homesteaders to settle in territory adjacent to the land serviced by them. It was very successful. By 1910 the rush really started. Some of the prospective homesteaders came in by passenger coach, looked over the area, filed their rights, later bringing in their possessions by box car, usually including a team of horses, cows, chickens household furniture, and a plow. Baker had several "locators" to take the new settlers through the country. Among them, Frank and Fay Becker, R. S. Hamilton, Owen J. Owen, and Sid Clark using a buckboard and horses.

Baker became a lively town in attempting to furnish everything the new "Honyocks" wanted. Soon our business houses could furnish any line of farm machinery desired -Herman Duppler, the International line, the Baker Mercantile under Dick Johnson, and Frank Beasley; the Emerson line; J. Lang & Son, L. E. Rushton's Department, the John Deere, Frank Gralinger and Jimmy Creel, handled the Moline line, L. Price Company, the Case, Superior and Ideal drills. Two lumber yards, Midland and McCall-Webster; Bill O'Laughlin, the elevator.

One of the first needs was a claim shack. Charlie Ferris and his boys would load up the lumber, haul it out to the proper site, build a tar papered shack, 12' x 16' with a box car roof all in a day for $200.00.

Water was the next essential. If water was hit rather shallow, the homesteader could dig a well by hand, stoning and cementing it up, often using a bucket and windlass method of drawing water. However, if a depth of around 100 feet was necessary, we had a well driller, A. W. Knapp, who rigged up a machine, dug the well, eased it up, and got you water for $1.00 per foot, using 5 1/2 inch heavy stove pipe made in Baker.

Dave Barber was the first United States Land Commissioner, who handled claim filings, but there was a demand by these new settlers, and business to attend to in the County Seat in Miles City, as all of southeastern Montana was Custer County. It was a two to three day trip even by train-one day up, one day to attend to business, and one day back. As a few autos became available, a full day of driving, if one was lucky, just getting up there-no roads, just trails. Leading out of Baker, north of the railroad tracks to Tonquin, six miles west, ford Sandstone Creek, on to Plevna over a poor narrow bridge, north of Plevna through We5trnore to Ismay. At Ismay one had a choice of going north to Mildred on to Fallon on the Yellowstone River, then to Terry and on to Miles City through rough hills. This route in 1915 became the first Yellowstone Trail, marked at every turn by three yellow painted stones. It generally followed the Milwaukee Railroad right-of-way.

The south route out of Ismay headed toward Knowlton following Horse Creek to Powder River or following Sheep Creek to Powder. Both routes wound up at the T.N. Ranch, Charlie Wylie, foreman, where it was a case of attempting to use a sandbar to ford Powder River or get the boys at the ranch to pull you across by a team which usually was near at hand. Later a bridge was built at mouth of Mizpah Creek over the Powder River. Mrs. Murphy's Mizpah post office on the west bank made an inviting stop-over before proceeding the next 20 miles down Government Hill to Miles City.

We give you this detailed story of what it was like to get around at that time, as this was similar to conditions in so many other parts of Montana being settled so rapidly.

At the regular session of the 12th Montana Legislature in 1911 measures were passed whereby areas could petition the State Government to divide into smaller counties for more convenience to its citizens. At that session, Senator H. N. Sykes, uncle of Eddie Sykes, represented Custer County from Ekalaka. Governor Norris was our governor at that time, but Governor Stewart was serving when Fallon County was established in the fall of 1913.

This act created considerable excitement and put life especially in Baker. The Baker Commercial Club really came to life in the meeting place, Lew Jim's Chinese Restaurant. These meetings were long and often, blinds were drawn, doors locked, and strategy planned. Eddie Booth showed up from Helena and can be looked at as the "Father of Fallon County". It has often been thought that he had been sent down to guide us properly by the Power interest of Montana-the Anaconda, Montana Power and the railroads who then and still are able to get their authority heard in matters of state.

Before going into the campaign, it might be very interesting to give out a picture of just what life was like at that time in our area. We had no roads, just trails, very few cars, team and wagon or saddle horses for transportation; no radios. It was up to each neighbor to furnish its own entertainment, composed mostly of young people. In the summer months, baseball and rodeos were frequent affairs. During the winter, it was surprising how far the homesteaders went to a dance by team and wagon or saddle horse. Often deep in the wagon box was a jug of hot water wrapped up with the blankets to help keep the feet warm, and let us assume a jug of something stronger occasionally. Following the American Heritage, schools were one of the first necessities. The "Little Red School House" was a very prominent place in the life of the time, only out here they were always painted white. The dances referred to, were in the school houses, private homes and larger ranch homes, then the idea developed for erecting halls. There were some of the settlers who objected to the behavior which often was carried out in a school house.

Some of the early halls were, Fertile Prairie Hall, Willard Hall, Calumet Hall on Milk Creek, Twin Buttes Hall in the Redman area, Jackson's Hall on Box Elder near the mouth of Spring Creek, Art Bolten's on the bank of Little Beaver Creek near the Frank Emerson Ranch, and the Dwight Dennis Hall on the Baker-Wibaux Trail to the north. These were all used intensively in the county division campaign.

Great rivalry existed between baseball teams of the several communities, and we might mention some of the players who come to mind. In the Webster team, sometimes called the Chimney Creek team were: Roy Johnson, Martin Tommerdahl, Glen and Ray Bush, Mel and Cap Zink, Sid and Richard Clark and Bobby Yokley.

Ollie had a top team and could account themselves well with anything north or south. They were a little later than some of the others, as Ollie didn't get started until Fallon County affairs were pretty well settled. Some of the Ollie players were Campbell and Osgood, semi-professionals, Fred Morris, Army Trout, Charlie and Fay Shepard, Roy Holder, Earl Cook, Art Moline, and George West.

Those on the Calumet team best remembered are Ossie Wickham, Warren White, Art Kuehn, Charles Nestler, George Morton, Al Brown, and Art McClain.

Bakers main rival was Marmarth and with difficulty, we could beat them. They were a hardy crew of young railroad men. At Baker, Jim McRae was the boy who kept things stirred up. Johnny Dabb was catcher, Bill Murphy and Tom Kramer were pitchers, L.E. Baker and Slim Niccum in the field, and best at bat, the Russell boys, Charlie and Bob, Lorin Bruggeman, and Glen Miller. Lloyd Owen was handyman, and often we had paid drifters who showed talent.

 

 

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By 1915, Plevna produced teams that were tough to beat. Some members of the team were: Ben Kuhl, Nick Wellenstein, Pat and Checkers Kaiser and very often a shipped-in, salaried pitcher.

As to the cowboys who furnished top class rodeos there were: Bert McAlbe of Fertile Prairie, Tom Conners, Alec Lesota, Elmer Clark in Ollie area, and Christ Jesperson of the Medicine Rocks area, was the equal to any of them. Then we had the Holman boys breaking horses for sale to the French and English horse buyers for World War I at the 7-UP McKay Ranch on Lame Jones Creek. A little later, two boys came into their own, could be called Ismay products, they were Paddy Ryan and Bob Askins, becoming nationally known riders and bull doggers.

In the early days, we were well supplied with post offices. Beginning in the north, upon the Northern Pacific survey south from Beach, it looked like Greiner's Homestead would be the south terminal, as he had a little store there named Ollie, after his daughter. Dwight Dennis, promoting an extension of the survey along Beaver Creek, built an elevator, shop, and hall, and called it Dennis and was appointed Post Master. Preston Post Office was an earlier one on the Charlie Robinson Ranch on the original Wibaux Trail, but upon a change in the road, it was moved to the Ford Robinson place, where Mrs. Hugh Stark now farms. Jack Haggen had the Cabin Creek Post Office, north of Westmore at first, but Mrs. Coleman Krocker took it over later. The McKinsey Post Office was on the Ekalaka-Ismay cattle trail on Fallon Creek near the Fulton Ranch, operated by two Scotchmen, the McKinsey Brothers, later taken over by Chris Flynn, an Irishman, until his death at age 90, and then abandoned. The Calumet Post Office was handled at first by Mrs. Earl Collins and later by the Loutzenhisers. Old man Webster had the Webster Post Office and for a while, a Mrs. Anderson had an office a few miles west called Centerville. The 101 Ranch of Elija Mulkey was a post office named Violet, after his daughter. The Willard Post Office was originally on the Ekalaka road just west of its present site held by Fred Anderson. Later moved southeast to Charles Anderson's and then to its present site. The Bisher Post Office was located about a mile east of the Varner Ranch on Mr. Bisher's homestead and upon him leaving there, it was transferred to Barney Heyen's Store and dance hall and renamed Knobs. An old spot worth mentioning, although rather out of our territory, but still in use, is the Mill Iron Post Office a landmark in the area.

Details of the county division and county seat fight would not be complete without giving a story about the influence of the Model T Ford and its ability to get over the ground necessary to make the affair interesting. It was a period when the horse and buggy days were overcome by the automobile. This makes a story all in itself.

In 1912 the L. Price Company took on a Ford agency and about the same time, Bill Nims of Ekalaka as well as Doc Lathum of Camp Crook did the same. No roads, no service stations, everyone was his own mechanic. Instructions that came with the car stated, "This car has more speed at its command, so drive carefully" - "use a felt hat or similar strainer when pouring gas into the tank, as often barrels of gas have dirt or water in them". The first ceremony was cranking it up, broken wrists often resulted by a back fire, skinned ears and noses when the crank slipped. No permanent anti-freeze was available, wood alcohol evaporated easily and kerosene which was often used, smoked and smelled in cold weather. Some solved the starting job by parking the "thing" on a knoll near the house, releasing the brake and letting the clutch in when it got to rolling fast enough. A bale of hay made a good bumper in the shed to stop it from going through the wall. The acetylene lights were operated by a tank on the running board, allowing water in the upper section to drip on the carbide to produce the gas for lights. However, i wasn't long before heavy presto tanks were available. They were full of gas and turned on by a key. The curtains for the top held out very little cold, so a carbon brick foot warmer was the answer. No gas pumps. Gas was shipped by the barrel, drained out into 5 gallon measuring cans supplied the service. Kerosene could be used in emergency, up to a 50 - 50 with gas, but the exhaust was stifling. Tires were a big problem. No demountable rims or wheels, so it was, in case of a flat, pry off the tire with tire irons, often pinching the tube, putting on another likewise and using a hand pump for inflation, with the pump often not very efficient. The first guaranteed tire, the writer remembers, was a Pennsylvania "Knobby tread" size 30 x 3 1/2 at $28.00, guaranteed for 2,000 miles. Anyway, it got folks around and many a homestead was swapped off for a "Tin Lizzy".

Now to give a picture of the different towns and localities involved in this county and county seat campaign. Starting with Baker, we were well equipped with legal talent. Eddie Booth has been mentioned. The following were also lawyers; P. C. Cornish, Charlie Douseman, L.A. Conser, editor of the weekly Baker Sentinel, W.R. Gable, who spent most of his time on the north homestead, and Judge Williams who also took a homestead when he arrived from Iowa. Besides the above men, the business men who took an active part in the town and the political activities were Jess Barstow, real estate; George Hough, the telephone exchange; Frank Becker, Dick Smith, cashiers of the Baker State Bank; Billy Lang, general merchandise; L. Price, hardware; Horace Sparks, feed barn operator, and many others as helpers or candidates for office who were spending much time in the country.

Plevna was a lively growing town. Principal citizens at that time were: Vic Himsl of the Plevna State Bank; George Buergi, newspaper and store; John Weinschrott, hardware and John Deere Implements; Doc. Vinsel, veterinarian; Karl Hepperle, grain elevator; "Dad" Steffes Hotel and Stoddard Drug store.

In Westmore, some citizens to remember were: J. J. Long, general merchandise with hall upstairs; Carl Busch, brother of Larry, livery barn; Frank and Joe Zook; Bob Lowry, and "Dad" Salmon, a post master, Justice of Peace and cemetery sexton. A real character!

Ismay was every bit in size to Baker, being at the north railroad terminal of the Ekalaka - O'Fallon Cattle trail. It had a large stockyard and developed rapidly. It proved to be a thorn in Baker's side, when it came to the county division, because it remained true to Custer County, and opposed us in the county seat fight, with ambitions that soon in the future it might get a county of its own. Its influential citizens were; C. C. Ayers, cashier of the Ismay State Bank; his brother Elias, drug store; Mr. Brackett and his daughter ran the Brackett Hotel and Degraphinried Saloon; Sam Wilson had a garage; Frank Goodrich was a mechanic; Mr. Case was a grocer and Judge Schwartz had a lumberyard, and an outstanding wit; Charlie Shaw was deputy sheriff and Mr. Wilson put out the newspaper, the "Ismay Journal". The Erlingbert Store was owned by a corporation of ranches and was the largest, finest building in this whole area, with a very large dance hall on the second floor and general merchandise below.

We should mention Camp Crook, as we were tied very closely to it, due to our Baker business men who came from there. A few to name are Dick Johnson, Horace Sparks, Ed Lake, Joe Doul and Bill McDonald. A little later came Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Dumont, Mr. and Mrs. Lyn Chuning, Eva and Betty Dolan, and Merva Ridgeway, who became Mrs. Nick Wellenstein, of Plevna. Crook's influential citizens at that time were Sol Catron, father of Mrs. Sparks, and Brit Catron, who was at that

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time, county commissioner of Harding County, South Dakota. Doc. Sherrill was a very efficient surgeon, who operated in Baker later. The Chunings and Debelons had a large general store. Doc. Lathrurn was a rancher and Ford agent. Jake Ridgeway was known through the area for his saloon which was the social center of a large area. A typical western bar.

Ekalaka and the area citizens who put up such a good fight in the county seat fight, we would put at the top 6f the list. There would be John Oliver, preacher, and leader, our first senator, from Fallon County and "father" of what was later Carter County. Then Oscar Dahl, editor of the "Ekalaka Eagle", would be next, and his capable helper, John McCumsey. Others would be June Olson, Charlie Picard, George Boggs, R.B. Sheldon, an attorney, W.W. Peck, Billy Friese, in hardware, Billy Rounds, a rancher, Ole and Martin Flastead, Jack Kinsey, Walter Anderson, Jim Hunter, Delos Hall, Jim Armstrong and his father, Doc Sandy, Lou Ramey and his aged father, Edgar Wear, the Mellons of the Capitol area, C.L. Wood of Alzada, and Herb Albers in the bank are just a few who should be mentioned.

Ollie didn't get actually on the map until the homestead days, but the area pulled hard for Baker. There were Walter Kees in the bank and his assistant, Fred Morris, John Tattley was with the John Deere Line, Charlie Rogers was a grocer, Archie Slater had a hotel, Dave Wilson was in hardware, succeeded by Al Haverson, Black's Drug Store, Campbell & Osgood Garage, three elevators, two lumber yards. Clifford Sweet orgainzed a Co-op telephone line with some standard line wire and barb wire fence. We at Baker were connected to Ollie through George Hough's facilities. Giving the Ollie area, credit for its help

Ekalaka, 1914, picture given to the Museum by Mabel Kochel.

during the county seat fight, we mention a few who stood by us. They were Frank Nichols, Stanton Rakes, Charlie and Ford Robinson, Carl Strumm, and brothers, Fred Steen, Art and Gust Moline, the Vincellette Brothers, Will, George, and Elmer Orton, Christ Rost and Ed Wang, Fred and Will McFarland, Hans Marker, F. M. Hopper, Bill Abrams, Ray Sutton and others. It was Dennis who pulled a vote of 167 for county seat from the Edgehill area that defeated Baker for the honor in 1913. By all reason, it should have gone to Baker. What they used for one reason, was that if it rained it would be impossible to reach Baker over the gumbo north of town, which actually at that time wasn't too far from the truth.

As stated previously in this article, the 1911 Legislature set up the procedure necessary in establishing new counties. Petitions were drawn up and signed by at least fifty percent of the settlers in the area which was to compose the new county. Our eastern part of the Custer County was no problem as we had the North and South Dakota lines and to the south the Wyoming line. The Ekalaka part was rather easy, and west of them was only the territory to be worked over, but to our northern area, we had Wibaux attempting to get a county of its own by taking part of Dawson County, as well as a large area of Custer County to the south of them. The Edgehill area was hard fought over, Fallon County got it on the first election, but Wibaux took it over later when they put over their county. They also got a township or two from us, north of Cabin Creek. Ismay, as stated, failed to go our way, but we took land all around them except the west side, which tied them to Custer County. Later Prairie County took some of the sections from us in the Mildred Area and south. Wibaux tried to get the jump on us by presenting a bill to the Legislature in the spring of 1913, for its new county, which passed both houses, but was vetoed by the Governor, as not being within the law as drawn up. Baker finally took its case to the Montana Supreme Court, who ordered it to go ahead with an election, which was to be held on November 26, 1913, at which time a county seat was to be decided, and officers to direct its operation were also to be elected. One stipulation in the law was that no area could be taken closer than 18 miles from an established county seat, which in our case, was no problem. The petition with sufficient signers was presented to the county commissioners of both Custer County and Dawson County and approved. Then was when the big "county division" battle opened up.

Ekalaka was more at the center of the Fallon County to be, so they had the advantage there, but Baker, being on the railroad with better transportation facilities, gave a hope for victory in the county seat battle. All through the summer and fall of 1913, both sides continually held meetings, dances, and celebrations to carry their message to the people. Every hall and schoolhouse was acting as the center of activities. To name some of them, Fertile Prairie Hall to the east, north to Dennis, apparently enemy ground, as far as Edgehill, which had already signed up for Wibaux, and to Plevna, Westmore, Twin Buttes, Calumet, Webster, Chimney Creek School near Varner's Ranch, Bolton Hall was one outstanding spot. Both Ekalaka and Baker were

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often both there for the festivities. This area had some very promising brides for our bachelor "honyocks," Filch as Clara Trandum, Irene Kaverney, the Breckenridge girls, the Severson sisters (Birdie, later Mrs. Martin Russell, and Elsie, later became Mrs. Percy Sawyer), Miss McGilvery, a school teacher, lively and cute, one who the local boys could not capture but left and married an old school sweetheart in South Dakota. Bolton also had a dugout in the creek bank for the card players, raffle promoters, and a spot to help drain a gallon or two of good spirits always carried by the Baker revivalists.

We necessarily had to invade enemy territory, the Mill Iron Ranch, Midland Post Office on the Ekalaka-Camp Crook mail line near the South Dakota line, Clark's Hall in the B. B. Gross and his tribe territory, who seemed to be very friendly toward Baker. This spot was later called the Bell Tower area.

Orchestras were a necessity at all these affairs. The dancing often lasted until daybreak. At the Mill Iron Ranch, on one occasion we stayed for breakfast. Baker used the Clark Orchestra; Millie on the fiddle, Richard on the drums, Hattie (Sid's wife), or Nellie (Richard's wife), at the piano.

Charlie Putman managed the music for the Ekalaka campaign. Charlie played the traps, Rod Akers of the Willard community played the trombone or piano and sometimes Fern Bruster or Eddie Sykes on the fiddle.

Toward the last of both the 1913 and 1914 campaigns, the musical members got little sleep while the speakers and social members changed off from night to night. Every night there was a meeting somewhere.

As stated, the result was not a triumph for Baker, as Ekalaka won the county seat by 17 votes, due to the Dennis vote to the far north area. They threw their votes of 167 for Dennis for county seat, which should have gone to Baker, but mostly Wibaux's strategy proved our outdoing.

The officers that were elected were: B. C. Baldwin of the north country, commissioner; C. L. Wood of Alzada and Tom Fitzsimmons of Baker; Frank Bunn, Clerk and Recorder; Emil Lentz, treasurer; Ralph Keener, Clerk of Court; Matt Jones, Sheriff; Fred Kelling, deputy sheriff; Martin Flastead, county attorney; Hobart L. Corey, county surveyor; Dr. W. H. Young, coroner.

Following the election, the commissioners of all three counties involved got together and straightened out the lines. Settling up the financial, assessed values and so forth, took about a year. Shortly we lost some of our territory to Wibaux and Prairie Counties, which was another intricate job to be settled.

 

Fallon County Court House, date unknown, Baker, Montana, from the Museum.

This 1913 affair was only the beginning of Baker's determination to get the county seat. In 1914, the proper papers were filed calling for another county seat election to be held on the November General Election. Baker won this by a majority of 62 votes, at which time we elected our first senator, John Oliver, of Ekalaka, and Berry Morris of Baker was our representative. The trip to Ekalaka to get the values and county records was a momentous occasion. Bill Harris's big dray wagon was used to carry the load, accompanied by several cars with around 20 men. Some expected trouble but nothing happened. The Ekalaka people were good sports for they were already plotting and planning for their own county later. Both sides realized the area from Baker to the Wyoming line was too far for the proper functions expected of a county administration. So with very little opposition, Ekalaka held the election on the general election of 1917, and Carter County was put on the map.

There were so many interesting happenings through those years, so many friends, and wonderful acquaintances, unable to be mentioned here. I hope this has not been too long a story and too much detail to be tiresome. I apologize for errors which may be detected, but sixty years is a long time. I wish to thank those who have helped stimulate my mental strain. It may, I hope, give our present citizens an idea of how it was!

Editor's Note- a copy of this had been sent to the Montana Historical Society at Helena.

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BANK OF BAKER

New Bank of Baker, built on the shores of Baker Lake in 1965.

In 1924, six local men met in Baker to discuss the possibility of starting a bank. As a result of this meeting The Bank of Baker opened September 4, 1924, with David Bickle, an Ismay rancher, President; W. A. Beck, a farmer from Baker, Vice-president and L. K. Hills as Cashier.

Directors in addition to these men were A. G. Vincelette, a rancher from north of Baker; E. A. Mulkey, who owned a ranch south of Baker; a rancher from MacKenzie, William Fulton, and S. E. Felt, who was a lawyer in Baker.

In 1927 L. E. Rushton was added as Assistant Cashier and in 1932 Mr. Felt was elected Vice-president. Mr. Bickle remained in office as President for twenty-two years, until Mr. Hills was elected in 1946 and M. L. Russell and Rex Flint became Vice-president and Cashier.

Rex Flint became President and Karl Pleissner, Vice-president in 1953, after Mr. Russell's death. Mr. Flint remained in this office until Mr. John Vueurevich of Rapid City purchased the bank and became President January, 1961.

E. V. Wellenstein began working for The Bank of Baker in 1946; he became Assistant Cashier in 1951, the same year M. L. Russell was elected President. Mr. Wellenstein continued as Cashier until he became Executive Vice-president and Manager on January 9, 1961.

1973-The present officers and directors are John T. Vucurevich, President; E. V. Wellenstein, Executive Vice-president; Walter Ehman, Vice-president and Cashier; Gary Huff, Vice-president; and Calvin Lund, Jr., Assistant Cashier. Eugene Russell has been a director since 1952.

BAKER NATIONAL BANK

Architect's drawing of the new Baker National Bank.

The First National Bank opened in 1916 with L. E. Baker as cashier. He was succeeded by J. W. Brant.

All the banks in Baker were closed by the stringent banking regulations of the National Comptroller of Currency in 1924. The stockholders reorganized and purchased interest in the First National Bank of Plevna. They moved the bank to Baker under the name of the First National Bank of Baker. Ed O'Brien was the cashier.

Eph Keirle purchased the controlling interest in the bank after the death of Ed O'Brien in the early thirties with L. Price, Sr., as a stockholder and Bank President.

Ed Towe purchased controlling interest in the bank in 1964 and sold out in 1973 to an Ohio Banking Group.

L. (Bud) Price has been a stockholder in the bank since the death of his father in 1941.

A new bank was built in 1972 on the lots where the Proctor and Al Hanson buildings stood on the corner of Main Street and U.S. Highway 12.

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