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O’Fallon Flashbacks

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

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Sometime in July, Ray was lucky enough to get a job with the M.D.U. for 40c an hour building a pipeline from Baker to Belle Fourche. We moved to Baker and rented a house on the south side for $8 a month. Pete Shishkowsky lived on one side of us and Bob Graham on the other. When the cold weather set in, Ray was laid off from work. He and Walter Schorsch opened a radio repair shop for the winter. That winter our second child, Norma, was born.

In the winter of 1934-1935 we had moved into a modern house which we rented for $12.50 a month. Needless to say the indoor plumbing was something of a luxury and a welcome convenience, especially with two small children. Ray was laid off again and things didn't look very promising for the winter. It looked like we would have to do as so many others were doing - go on relief in order to live. Just when things looked the darkest, I was offered a chance to finish out the term at the Crow School eight miles northwest of town. We moved out to the home of Quincy Sinclair where we lived upstairs. Ray did the baby sitting until he had to go back to work in the spring, then Mrs. Sinclair took over. The children in this sci.ool were the Koenigs, the Sielers, the Gevings and children of the two Sinclair families.

I took the school for another term and drove back and forth from town. My sister came out from Minnesota to do baby-sitting and help cook for three high school students who were boarding and rooming with us. They were Pat Murphy, Charles Moody and Joan Williams.

That winter turned out to be a severe one with deep snow, blizzards and low temperatures. I had to stay out in the country for several weeks with only a trip home to visit a couple of weekends. I had made up my mind that I would teach no more after the close of that term until my family was raised.

 

The Corey’s first home in Baker-1937

We had been living in rented houses until the summer of 1936. At that time we had a chance to buy a house on the east side of town that had to be moved. We moved it to a lot a block north of the court house and it was our home until 1963 when we moved to our new home on Water Tank Hill. We enlarged our small house in 1943 to accommodate our growing family.

Our first son James, was born January 1937 and in November 1938, Howard, increased our family to four. Both boys were delivered at home by Dr. Hogeboom. In August of 1944 Patrick was born and completed our family.

During these years Ray continued to work for the M.D.U. as a common laborer, truck driver or whatever he was needed for. We spent eleven months away from Baker while he was drilling gas wells for the M.D.U. around Shelby and Saco. This was in 1941-1942. Then came the war years and we returned to Baker to stay.

 

The Carey’s home after it was remodeled in 1943

 

In the spring of 1949 the teacher at the Fertile Prairie School became ill and could not finish the term. Pat was going on five years old and I didn't want to leave him with a baby-sitter, so I was given permission to take him with me while I completed the 12 week term. Because of World War II teachers were getting scarce, so I was prevailed upon to sign a contract for the next year. With the children all in school and Marlene getting into her last year of high school, we decided we could use the money for her college education. That winter turned out to be another bad one. The school was two miles off the highway, and for several weeks the road was impassable. The next year the school was moved to it's present location on the oiled highway. I taught there for four years. In 1953 the Baker School System added several teachers and I was asked to take the fifth grade at the Washington School. I taught there about ten years until the fifth and sixth grades were moved to the old high school building.

During these years our family was growing up and leaving home for college. Like all other parents we worked hard at trying to give our children the best education possible. Marlene decided on teaching as a career and graduated from the Eastern Montana College in Billings. Norma worked in the office at Penney's and later as a telephone operator for several years. James received a BA from Bozeman in English and taught at Northern Montana College. He earned his MA from Missoula and Doctorate from Pullman, Washington. Howard received his degree from Bozeman and then enlisted in the Navy Flight Program. After his military tour of duty, he became a co-pilot for TWA. Patrick attended Carroll College and Montana State College before enlisting in the Army in 1966. He served in Vietnam until April of 1967 when he was called home due to the death of his father who had died of a heart attack. Pat later graduated from Montana State College after his discharge from the army.

It is interesting to note that the Red Hill School was moved to town and is now Fred Schopp's garage. It is just a block east of my home. The Crow School was incorporated into the Odes Lovec house in Baker. The Fertile Prairie School is the only one that is still in operation. With the coming of modern transportation and better roads most of the rural children are being brought to town schools by bus. The one-room rural school which was so much a part of the history of this area will soon become a thing of the past.

In the early 1960's we began to see our way clear to build the new home that we had been planning on. We moved in during the late summer of 1963. We had hoped to live here many years and enjoy ourselves now that we had our family raised. Our plans were interrupted by Ray's sudden death at

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Anastasia and Ray Corey

the age of 60. He was Assistant Field Supervisor for the M.D.U. at the time of his death.

Our children are all married:

Marlene married Denzil Young, Jr. who is County Attorney of Fallon County. They have five daughters.

Norma married Robert Tatarka. They live in Bozeman and have eight children.

James married Lona O'Conner. They have four children. He teaches English in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Howard married Iris Gilbert. They have two children and live in California where he is a co-pilot for TWA.

Patrick married Sherrell Cox and is taking a graduate course at Bozeman. (1972)

The Corey’s new home on Tank Hill –1963

This is my twentieth year of teaching in Baker. I hope to retire at the end of next year and do a little traveling and visiting relatives. These have been busy years and also enjoyable. Besides teaching and being a wife and mother, I managed to complete my work for a degree in elementary education which was awarded to me in 1959.

JAMES L. COUSER

James L. Couser came west from Tennessee in 1900. He worked for ranchers in the area between Belle Fourche, South Dakota and Camp Crook, South Dakota for five years. In 1905 he returned east and married Matilda A. Daniels in January and brought his bride to the area around Camp Crook but over in Montana.

 

James L. Couser-1900

 

 

The James Couser Family-194aLeft to right-Anna Mae [Sliper], Esther [Coldwell], Margaret [Cate], Mary Lee [Sinclair], Mrs. Couser, Mr. Couser.

In 1909 they moved to the area south-east of Baker where they took a homestead on Little Beaver Creek. There they ranched and did some farming. They raised cattle and horses for several years.

They were the parents of four daughters; Mary Lee (Sinclair), Margaret E. (Cate), Esther C. (Coldwell) and Anna Mae (Sliper).

 

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In later years they raised sheep, at one time in partnership with his brother, Albert. Then the brothers dissolved the partnership and James and Matilda continued to raise sheep until ill health forced them to retire.

They spent their last years in Baker, the last part of it in the care of their daughter Margaret. After Jim passed away, September 1941, Matilda lived with Anna Mae and family until her passing, August of 1943.

GEORGE AND RUTH BAKER COX

George Cox spent his early boyhood in the Knobs community about 30 miles southeast of Baker. School was in a sod building. Walter Kyle brother of Harvey Kyle was one of his school buddies and they posed on the roof for a school picture.

Ruth was a daughter of the Claud Bakers of Ollie, Montana. He was county commissioner from 1924 to'30, and was on the school board for many years.

Following her formal education she taught school for seven years at the Myhre, Tonquin, Bechtold, and Prairie Rose schools. She feels that all her pupils turned out to be good citizens, and knows where most all of them live.

Teaching the Myhre School has the best memories since it was very cold and snow was very deep. Arthur DeGrand and sister, Margaret, rode a horse seven miles to attend and hardly missed a day. Many were snow bound. Other pupils were Orville, Sanford and Reuben Myhre, children of the Art Myhres, Alice and Myrtle Myhre, daughters of the Oden Myhres and James and Cecil Green, whose parents were the Jim Greens.

The George Coxs lived at Ollie for a number of years. He served on the school board. They moved to Billings where George passed away several years ago. Ruth has her own home and flies to visit her children and grandchildren some of whom are married.

MR. AND MRS. MART CRETSINGER

Mart Cretsinger was born in Guthrie County, Iowa in 1905. He grew up and went to elementary school there. He came to Montana with his parents in August of 1926, to join a brother who was living in the Medicine Rocks vicinity and has lived in that area ever since.

Violet Stultz was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and came with her parents and one sister to Montana when she was about four years old. Her father filed on a homestead southwest of the Medicine Rocks. He passed away soon after and

 

Log School House where Violet Stultz attended school—built about 1915 or 1916 it is no longer standing—Melvin Schneider was the first teacher.

her mother proved up on the homestead. She later married August Preuss, whose land adjoined her homestead on the east. This is all now part of what is known as the Medicine Rocks Ranch.

Violet Stultz went to a country school which was made of logs. The school was started in about 1915-16 but is no longer standing. There were between 20 and 30 pupils, all grades, attending. Melvin Schneider, a young man, whose parents lived just south of the Medicine Rocks , was the first teacher. Some of the families whose children attended the log school at that time were the Jolly, (three families of them) the North, the Blake, the Greer, the Thompson and the Abernathy. By 1923 many had left the country and there were only 10 or 12 pupils attending that year. The teacher was a local girl, Marib Kaveney (Mrs. Bert Emerson).

There seemed to be more time, in those days, to neighbor and visit, for box socials at the schoolhouse and for surprise parties in the evenings at different homes. People might be surprised after they had gone to bed and have to get up and dress and be hospitable, but no one minded. They enjoyed the potluck lunch that was always a part of it. There were lots of picnics, most often in the Medicine Rocks which is still a favorite spot for campers and picnickers, and yes, the school programs to which everyone went. The children enjoyed them more after their parts were over.

Mart Cretsinger and Violet Stultz were married in November, 1929. They started to farm just north and east of the Medicine Rocks. One child, a daughter, was born there, the same place where they have lived since 1938. The years between 1930 and '38 are too well remembered by farmers and ranchers alike.

 

The Crestsinger’s first harvesting equipement.

 

Construction machinery working on the new highway between Baker and Ekalaka—1941

 

 

In the spring of 1938 they moved to their present home five miles south of Willard and have farmed and raised cattle since. They saw many changes come between the years

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of 1938 and 1973. The Highway Department was building a new highway between Baker and Ekalaka in the fall of 1941. Four families working on the road construction had trailer homes parked in the Cretsinger's yard for several months. They enjoyed getting acquainted with them.

A number of men in the community took steps to help get R.E.A. in their part of the country. It came in November of 1950, and brought to the homes the conveniences and comforts of town life.

The most recent change and improvement which the community enjoys is the telephone.

The Cretsinger's daughter married Merlin Chester in September of 1954. The wedding was in the Medicine Rocks Wesleyan Church. They lived near San Diego, California until Merlin finished his enlistment in the Navy, then they came back to Montana. They have three children and now live in Baker.

 

Picture loaned by the Baker Museum—Pat Crow

 

MR.

AND MRS. THOMAS S. CROW [PAT]

In the year of 1869 life began for Thomas S. Crow, at Berryville, Va. It was not until 39 years later that he arrived in the vicinity of Baker. He came on the newly built Milwaukee Railroad in 1908, its first year of operation.

His land was located 6 miles northwest of Baker and his near neighbors were Dean and George Sinclair and Alec Beckman.

Baker was just taking root at the time, and was not much more than a camp, but a few salesmen had already arrived. Since there was no place in which to lodge, they along with Mr. Crow, decided to make use of the newly constructed Section House along on the north side of the track a distance west from where the depot now stands. It was new and clean, but empty, and the floor freshly oiled. Well, they rustled up a supply of papers and spreading more paper over the floor, attempted to get some rest. It was cold and Pat told afterwards "we blamed near froze to death"!

He went to work for Wm. Lang who had a general store in the building now occupied (1973) by Russell's Clothing.

That store really carried a variety of goods! It was amazing what one could come up with in there!

One day a group of customers was in the store. Among them was a traveling salesman. The fellow clerk of Mr. Crow was a man of much more generous bodily proportions than Pat's and, of course, correspondingly slower in his movements. He came ambling back from the rear area where he'd gone to look for some desired article, and announced that he couldn't find it. Pat went scurrying to the back and soon came trotting back with the needed merchandise. The salesman, observing the action remarked, "Well, I had heard that a j ack-rabbit could out run a horse and now I believe it!" Naturally, this brought a merry response!

Pat was a quick worker so it did not take him long to find a life partner! This was in the person of Miss Ada Raske, who had also arrived recently in Baker, and they were married at Miles City in 1908.

She had been born at Stillwater, Minn. in 1889. At the time of marriage, she was employed as a waitress at the Lloyd Cafe. They made their home in Baker for several years, where 3 little daughters joined the family.

They then left town and moved out to the farm where 2 more daughters arrived in due course. They had a half section of land to farm. Pat possessed a real green thumb and he put it to good use. They raised many garden vegetables which they delivered to the people of Baker. Pat early possessed himself of a car which was a great help ... one of those "little old Fords that rambled right along!". He used to deliver groceries to ranch families as far afield as the vicinity of Ekalaka.

Mrs. Crow had taught school at Ashley N. Dak. before coming to Montana and during the early 1920's she again took up the profession.

In 1926 Pat was elected to the office of Assessor of Fallon County which office he held for 2 terms. Following this, he took on the work of janitor at the Court House, and caretaker of the premises.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Crow were great lovers of all nature and they made many trips around the area. They were interested in geology, and he landscaped and arranged beautiful flower beds and petrified wood settings on the Courthouse grounds and at their home a block further west. Results of his loving labor and care are still much in evidence.

After retirement, they lived at this home in South Baker, taking part in social and community affairs. They especially enjoyed card parties, and carrying on their hobbies of reading, collecting buttons of many types and sizes. She also did some tutoring during these days. She had spent many successful years of teaching.

Once when Mrs. Crow was with the young sons of Mr. and Mrs. Bud Price at their home while their parents were away from home, there came a soaking rain. It followed a very dry spell of weather and was most welcome. Mrs. Crow told the boys "Now, when the rain ends and the sun shines again and dries the grass off, all the little dry seeds that are everywhere will I grow and after awhile you will find flowers". Later the Price family went on an outing to the Medicine Rocks and there was the proof before their eyes, for the place was be-spangled with a variety of wild flowers.

When the Crows were married, Mr. Wm. Lang, Pat's employer, made them a present of 6 chairs. Daughter Gail Morris, of Upton, Wyo. still has two of the set. The button collection was taken to Denver where some were sold and the remainder divided among the five sisters.

Mr. Crow was an Episcopalian and Mrs. Crow was of the Catholic faith.

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Mr. Crow became ill in 1952 and passed away the year of 1953. Mrs. Crow preceded him in death, also in 1953.

Their daughters are: Leila Limm, Eloise Hosman, Patricia Horton, Elizabeth Gail Morris, and Barbara Faus.

PEARL GRIFFITH DeGRAND

My dad, Jones Griffith, came out to Montana in 1901 from Texas. He drove cattle up from Texas to Wyoming and came on north where he worked for my grandparents the A. G. Vincelettes who lived north of Baker. While working there he met my mother, Amanda Vincelette and they were married on December 24, 1906 at the Catholic Church in Glendive, Montana.

They lived on a homestead which he had acquired in 1904. It was about three miles east of Baker, out where the oil fields are now. They raised stock and farmed. As a child I played and spent a lot of time with my grandparents at the Vincelette Ranch. I attended grade school in Baker and got my high school education at Baker and at Fargo, North Dakota.

Arthur De Grand and I were married at Miles City in 1928. We lived on "Art's" folks place, the Henry De Grands, for seven years. We then moved to Mrs. W. G. Wagner's (Art's sister Anna's) place where we lived for thirteen years. In March of 1948 we bought the "Andy" Freising ranch. We lived there until 1967 when "Art" passed away. I then sold the ranch to our son, Arthur, Jr. and his wife, Margaret. In 1970 1 moved to Baker where I now make my home.

"Art" and I had two children; Evelyn De Grand Hulbert and Arthur Jones De Grand.

 

ARTHUR H. DISTERHEFT

My parents, Gottfried and Augusta Disterheft, lived at Dickinson, N.D. in 1908 when I was born. In 1909 they bought a farm about three miles from Plevna. It was a pretty place with a creek running through the yard. A Mr. Fuchs bought the place and we moved to a place about three miles north west of Westmore in 1911. The new place was recommended as being a good farmland but it was very poor soil. We children attended elementary school at Westmore which was five miles through snow, ice and wind. It was quite a hardship to get to school in the wintertime but in the summer we could take shortcuts between home and school and the trip was relatively pleasant.

 

Gottfried Disterheft home near Westmore, Montana—1911 or1912- The controlled speed windmill was very new at the time.

My father was a farmer, builder and contractor in the Westmore area. He built the home of Andrew Shaeffer in 1916 (Jake Shaeffer lives there now), the Fritz Klos house was built in 1917 (Fred Klos lives there now), the home of Joe Riley north east of Westmore in 1918, and the Baptist Church of Plevna. The location of the church has since been changed. I have dim recollections of his working on others but can't remember the locations. He also did some building in Mildred.

 

Picture taken in 1963—Andrew Shaffer home built in 1916 by

Gottfried Dsiterheft

Looking for greener pastures my father decided to go back east in the company of the Shafric family. When we got to Milbank, South Dakota father found the building prospects good so we settled there for about five years.

From there we came to California where I attended the Los Angeles Trade, Tech., El Camino College and Allied Welding School to become a certified welder.

 

The Dsiterheft and Shafric families on the trip from Westmore, Montana to Milbank, South Dakota 1919.

 

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I married Marrietta Louise McConnell who lived at Westmore in 1938 and that same year we came to California. I worked as a carpenter and was initiated in the Carpenter's Union (U.B.C.J.) then I cleared into the Pile-Drivers local and afterwards into the Mill-Wrights, from which I retired in 1971. Am now enjoying a quiet life of relaxation and vacations.

I had five sisters and one brother; Caroline Gilson passed away in 1963, Bertha Trulsen lives in Cudahy, California, Olga Orr lives in Lynwood, Calif., Victoria Sturgis lives in La Mesa, Calif. and Louise Thompson lives in Mt. Shasta, Calif. My brother John passed away in 1929.

 

Mr. And Mrs. Glen Doering—1921

 

MR. AND MRS. GLEN DOERING

I was born in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Sept. 2, 1891. In 1910 my stepmother, Mrs. Herman Doering and her sisters, Mrs. Hildreth, Miss Scott and two of my brothers, John and Frank and myself came to Montana. Miss Scott and a Miss Sanders started the Elizabeth Hospital in Baker. Mrs. Hildreth had a rooming house. My stepmother, John, Frank and I homesteaded north of Baker.

Well, an under mounted steam engine pulling a grain separator came through. It was burning lignite coal and set the prairie afire. The sheepherder and one of my brothers fought that fire until after dark. The fire even charred some lumber that we had ready to make another house. That is one reason I never liked steam threshing.

The sheepherder was "Hed" McGinnis, a Mexican. On a week's drunken vacation he came to the restaurant after mealtime asking, "Could ya feed me and my son?" The proprietor said "Yes," calling old "Hed" McGinnis in-the table was set for two. "Where's your son?" Old "Hed" opened the door, called his dog, "Come in Son." "Oh, I didn't know-that's okay", said the proprietor getting dishes to feed the dog. Anyway after both had their meal he paid for two meals, thanking the owner for the meal. Son's name was Kaiser, some dog. Dog knew more than most men and old " Hed" was sure hard on the good dog when on a drinking spree. A true fact.

Later after we built the house there was no water-only Sandstone Creek water. One Sunday my youngest brother took a spade and dug a posthole in the lower part of the land and hit water. It was good tasting water but didn't have any iodine in it and caused my brothers and me to have large necks. A doctor took over 1 inch out of my neck so we got by with the water. I think it was surface water. Finally we dug a 32 or 33 ft. well and got the same water. After finding the first water we took a long auger 20-ft. from that spot and went down, way deep and didn't find any water. That was the first homesteading year 1910.

I used to work on threshing rigs a lot. Along about 1910 we all used binders and had shock threshing. That is the thresher set up in or near the middle of a field and then about 8 or 10 bundle teams hauled those shocks to the machine. Generally 4 pitchers fed the machine and the owner of the grain hauled it away to grain bins and others hauled grain directly to the elevators as trucks came into fashion. After later years the new emigrants used what we called the header which cut only about 6 or 8 inches of the heads and the header wagons were high on one side and low on the other for the header to lean on when cutting. When a load was full they took it to the central part of field and stacked it generally two stacks to one setting, sometimes 4 stacks and the threshing machine pulled between the stacks. The pitchers put the unthreshed heads into separator, generally 2 men - 1 engine and 1 separator man-who took care of cleaning grain and keeping the machine in working order. I, myself, used to operate both the engine and separator. I threshed for years, then the combines came into popularity and the old separators were mostly put aside like the binder and other horse machinery. The combine cut the grain into lengths same as the old header and the grain all threshed was then loaded as in other threshing. I haven't threshed for over 40 years now although I used to like the work and long hours. The separator man had to take care of his belts after other men were asleep and sometimes worked way into the night. Well we had good and bad meals served and we all lived through the meals and some kinds of difficulty account of number of hours the thresher wanted to work. Anyway I had a good will of most of the farmers in and around Baker while operating the threshing machine.

Oh, our stepmother did the cooking, etc. and of course we brothers didn't have any $'s so stepmother said, "When I get the deed to this, you boys can borrow the money and pay me back." Well ahead of my story, we got the deed and got $'s, paid her up -not even a pen script to say we had to pay her back, but we felt better that way. After while we divided our holdings -I section, 1/2 section, in three different parts and we drew straws for each and we were all satisfied as far as I can remember.

Early in 1918 John and I went to the army. They put me in H. Co. 23rd Engineers. I asked that John be with me. Army doesn't want two brothers in same Company unless the older calls for the younger. We left U.S.A. on Easter Sunday 1918. I did only 3 days of soldiering as I was in H Engineers-all roadwork stopped when St. Mihiel threatened. But otherwise I was in coveralls most of the t tractor grease and what not.

At Hospital camp about 4 kilos from Toul my brother ,and self were in camp. We were getting mess from Hospital Kitchen. A fellow on K.P. says, "Where are from?" I replied, "Baker, Montana." He said, "We have couple brothers from Baker, Montana, also, in our Co. ( Med Corp.) They're in the kitchen." I made myself known they were Lewis Ames and brother, Oliver. I had never them at Baker but knew their father. It was unusual for

 

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brothers to be in one Company but they were and my brother, John, and self were in another.

Near the Argonne I drew from Commissary some English underwear. I could button the drawers just under my armpits. I never got cold because I was always shaking or moving or scratching account of the wool and goat hair. They just tickled me almost to death.

Also I got 2 pair unionalls so big I buttoned them over my head. Well I took them to my washerwoman and her German girl who was a tailor. She cut the overalls to fit me and had enough left to make suits for her boy.

Oh, I had a good time after and before they sent us to the Argonne. Well after Armistice I took a furlough to Nice and from there we went to Monte Carlo, Italy, etc. They, the Government, paid our transportation, meals and room in a nice Hotel in Nice. Sure was nice-we could pick oranges and lemons, etc. I was 19 days on this 7-day furlough, got back to Toul and there was about 4 inches of snow. Wow, it was cold and after all the high living it was really HARD! Well, I made it OK. Our contingent was discharged at Cheyenne, Wyoming I think 19th of either May or June 1919. Well, I'm getting a small monthly pension of $78.75. Anyway it keeps the wolf away from my door.

After I got back to Montana I began rushing Pauline Hall. I rented a farm, the Gillette place in Fertile Prairie. We were married May 21, 1921 and lived there 3 years. Oh, Pauline Hall was teaching the Finch school and her sister, Isabel, was keeping house for her and stayed until May 21. Pauline went to the hotel and Isabel took the train for Plevna. Well we were married by the Baker School Principle, Mr. A. E. Landis -he had a minister's license. About 7 or 7:30 that eve we were married. My stepmother's sister, Miss Scott, and Miss Sanders stood up for us. We came back to the hospital and had OH some wedding supper and we then took our wedding trip-to the Gillette farm.

In about 3 weeks I was in Baker and there was Isabel. I asked, "What are you doing?" And she said, "I'm at the hotel." So I said, "You are going home with me." And so Isabel partly stayed with us and taught school.

Well, March 1st, 1924 we moved to a house on the road through Baker. I worked on the section-I don't just know how long. Then I went with Pauline when she taught the

 

Jean Doering --1929

Clark School. I went back as first man on the section for about two years. Then I started work on the City of Baker steady. Finally I quit and pumped city water for some time.

Our daughter, Jean, was born on Jan. 4, 1929.

Along about 1931 1 made arrangements to move to Loyal, Wisconsin, Pauline's hometown. We lived there quite a few years. Jean got the marriage bug and married Eugene Gloudeman in the Little Brown Church in Iowa. They went to San Diego to live. Their children are: Susan and Sandra (twins) and Tracy. After Pauline died in 1963, 1 finally sold everything in Wisconsin and moved to San Diego, too.

 

Sandra age 10

Susan age 10

Tracy age 6

Children of Eugene and Jean Doering Gloudeman

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BEATRICE DOUGHERTY [GARNETT]

I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 18, 1897. My parents were George and Mildred C. Dougherty. Having been stirred by the spirit of adventure, and with the urge of city folks for a sampling of country life, they decided, along with many others, at the time of the opening of the Railroad and Public Lands in this area, to join the Westward Migration tide. After studying maps for a time they found a place called "Mildred", and since that was my mother's name, they thought that might be as suitable a destination as any, so we made preparations to "Go West Young Man"!

On the way we fell in with a group of migrants from around Owatonna, Minn. -a group of several related families - which persuaded us to join them. So it was, that in May of 1908, when I was 11 years old, we landed in this vicinity by way of the Chicago Milwaukee R.R. and found ourselves on homesteads in the locality now known as Fertile Prairie but at that time was facetiously referred to as "Starvation Flats". Here we formed a settlement of close neighbors, built homes and proceeded to set up in the farming of the virgin sod.

Some of our neighbors were - the Frank and Charles Stewarts; the Frank and George Chapins; William Brackens; Johannas Krohn and bachelors Samuel (Happy) Correll and Quincy Rawley, at whose log ranch house the neighborhood dances were held often until the Fertile Prairie Hall was built.

My father dug a well which proved most unsuitable, so we moved to the opposite end of the place where a well already existed. This was our permanent location. We purchased a milk cow-that is, we were informed that she shortly would become a milk cow-so we waited for the blessed event while I carried milk from the neighbors in a tin pail. My Grandmother came out for a visit and one day she said "George, take me out to see your milk cow". When she had looked her over, she said "George, I advise you to go buy a milk cow". Which he did. The calf did arrive in due course. City farmers! Ha!

Then there was the big gray team that we brought with us-Queen and King or was it Prince. Dad hooked them to the walking plow and when all was in order, joyfully ordered "Giddap"! They did! On the leap and run. Dad went winding one way and the plow flew off at an angle. When they were finally halted, poor old King stood shivering while Queen trotted solicitously around him. Live and learn. You see, this team had been trained as fire horses who were used to starting fast, (making the quick get-away). We had chickens, a small pet dog known only as "Dawg", and my own beloved Dutchess, a blue roan mare. Being an only child, these creatures were my boon companions. I rode Dutchess to the Dean Young School about 3 or 3 1/2 miles from home. At first I picketed her on a long rope secured to a fairly good sized cedar post, which she dragged about as she grazed in the lush grass of the prairie. It was never any trick to catch her when school was out. Later a shed was built to house the pupil's horses.

So we became a part of the local scene. Right at first we could not see why our neighbors all rose early and got into their fields in the morning, but we soon learned why. Ha! We lived and learned!

I had received my primary education in Minneapolis and completed elementary grades at the Dean Young School on Fertile Prairie.

There were many social activities taking place in those early years. There was a Farm Association; a Woman's Social and Literary Club; a Birthday Club; a Bachelor's Club and a Teen Age Club. There were card parties, dances, 4th of July Celebrations and picnics. There were school programs and an occasional Home Talent Play, rodeos and branding-

 

 

bees, as well as Box Socials. Some of these activities were fund raising activities for the school or to help build the hall.

Once I carried a pair of pigeons in a gunnysack on my pony to a neighbor boy as a birthday present. We had a flock of doves at our place. Our family was involved in all these activities.

When I completed the 8th grade, we decided on High School for me. While we had enjoyed the few years on the land, it had by then lost something of it's enchantment, so we leased the farm and moved into Baker. A full four-year High School course was now available in Baker, so I enrolled there. Shortly there after, my father received an appointment as Postmaster, a position he held for a number of years.

I graduated from the Baker High School in the spring of 1916, one of three graduates. The other two were Harold Patton and Bessie Millard (later Mrs. Paul Collette). We were Baker's first graduation class. I then enrolled in the University of Montana, but after one year there, I developed an illness which put an end to further education.

After leaving the post office, my father engaged briefly in some business enterprises, while Mother and I took part in community affairs, including the Community Church Ladies Aid and the Womans' Club. I was always interested in piano and singing and I played at many funerals.

After a few years we left Baker and during the ensuing years my father passed away. My mother resided in Minneapolis, where there were relatives, returning to Baker now and then for a visit. As for me, I found myself settled in Salt Lake City and employed in the office of Edward Muscoe Garnett who was Court Reporter in the Federal Court of Salt Lake City. I worked as his transcriber and as a Secretary to G. D. Johnson the Federal Judge.

I was married to Mr. Garnett, a Virginian, on June 1st, 1929 at Salt Lake City, where I have made my home up to the present time (1973). In later years my mother came from Minneapolis to live with us. In the last few years death has claimed both my mother and my husband. I have now retired from active employment.

I enjoy good musical entertainment and television. I belong to a Contract Bridge Club. Have traveled to several cities in the United States and to Canada to play in Bridge Tournaments. I enjoy visiting with and entertaining relatives of my late husband as I have no near relatives of my own. I enjoy traveling and have made the Caribbean Cruise and very recently a Cruise to Far Eastern regions. I hope to get back to Baker one of these days.

 

EDNA [THOMAS] COONS DuCHANE

I, Edna, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Thomas was born at Iantha, Missouri on May 5, 1892. 1 grew up in the small railroad town of Lamar, Missouri where I went to grade school and high school. After graduating from high school I attended college at Springfield, Missouri.

I arrived in Baker, Montana in May 1917 to stay with my sister and her husband on their homestead south of Ekalaka, Montana. My brother-in-law took me around the countryside looking for land on which to file for homestead rights. Even at that early date, good land was very difficult to find, so this search on horses and over rough trails occupied quite some time. During this time I helped my brother-in-law in the field loading grain, making hay and farming.

In the meantime my parents and brother had arrived from Missouri and helped me in proving up on my homestead, which was at Sykes, south of Ekalaka. They stayed with me while they looked for a likely place to homestead for themselves. My father and I made several trips to Belle Fourche, South Dakota in covered wagons to

 

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bring back supplies for a General Store in the Belltower area. These trips required several days, during which time we camped out and did our cooking over campfires. I took a job cooking for the Allen's Sawmill in the Tie Creek area to earn the lumber for building my homestead house. and during the fall and winter of the severe flu epidemic I worked at the Camp Crook Hospital. I also substituted for the mail carrier from Sykes to the new post office of Belltower. Riding horseback after dark, when the mail was late, was pretty frightening for this girl from Missouri, especially when the coyotes howled.

With my parents help, I planted fifty acres of grain and put in a garden, but there was such a severe drought that we pulled our entire crop by hand. It amounted to one wagon box full.

My parents, my brother and I went to the Belle Fourche area to look for work because of the crop failure. I found work in the Belle Fourche Hotel where I worked for two years as pastry cook, office girl and manager of the dining room. In the meantime, my parents, having given up as hopeless their own search for a good homestead, returned to my homestead to work my homestead for me until they bought a farm of their own. I returned to the farm and worked, with the help of my brother, on it that summer. Edward Coons who was visiting his brother, my brother-in-law, helped my brother and me through much of that year and on May 10, 1923 he and I were married at Ekalaka.

During the ensuing years we bought more livestock. Many of our horses and cattle were run on open range. We added to the original homestead house and built more farm buildings. We raised and put up oats, wheat, rye, alfalfa and wild hay. We canned all kinds of garden produce, picked and canned wild fruit, made jams and jellies and our three children were born. They are Edward W. Coons, Jr., M. Joyce (Coons) Woodward, and Norma Jean (Coons) Buerkle. When Norma Jean, our youngest, was born Dr. Sandy arrived from Ekalaka and was snowed in so long that the neighbors wondered if we were boarding the doctor.

When my husband became ill and was hospitalized for treatment of cancer in Helena, Montana and Chicago, Illinois, I sold everything but our land and followed him to Chicago where we remained until his death in October of 1934. Due to the countrywide depression and the drought in our area, the farm equipment, household goods and livestock brought a very low price.

After my husband's death, I brought my children to live in Baker, Montana, rented for a short period then bought land and established our home here in the spring of 1935.

My homestead property was sold to Ernest Taylor, who moved the buildings away. Although the land is still farmed by his family, there are no buildings on it now.

During the hard times of the 30's, I worked whenever work could be found to support my family. I bought a rug loom in 1939 and have used it almost continuously, weaving rugs on order or for sale, until the last few years.

My son went into the Service in 1943 and my two daughters and I moved to Berkeley, California to work during the remainder of World War 11. 1 found work at the Cutter Laboratories making that new Miracle Drug, Penicillin.

Frank DuChane, another war times Berkeley resident from Baker, and I, were married in November of 1944.

At the end of the war in 1945, we returned to our home in Baker. My husband passed away on June 3, 1965.

Editor's Note- Edna [Thomas] Coons DuChane passed away on February 4, 1973.

MR. AND MRS. CHARLES DUFFIELD By Mrs. Allen [Mildred Duffield] Griffith

My parents were both born in Minnesota. My father, Charles Duffield, was born in Windom, Minnesota, in 1891. He came with his parents to Montana in the spring of 1910. They brought with them in an emigrant car machinery, horses, a cow, chickens and household goods, and settled in the Fertile Prairie area east of Baker.

Dad lived with his parents for a couple of years until he was old enough to file on a homestead for himself. He then filed a claim just over the line in Slope County, North Dakota. That is where I was born in 1918, also my sister Margaret and my brother, Arthur. A younger brother, Bob, was born in Marmarth, N. D.

Charles Duffield Homestead just east of the Montana line in Slope County, North Dakota. Mildred Duffield was born here.

My father had horses at first, but soon acquired four oxen from Henry Christionson. He broke a lot of land with oxen and a big walking plow.

Mother was born Laura Lynn, in Owatonna, Minnesota in 1894. She came to the Fertile Prairie Community in 1916 to teach at the Fairview School. She made her home that year with Mr. and Mrs. Sam Duffield. Her mother was a friend of the George Chapin family who had lived in the Fertile Prairie Community, and that is how she happened to come to this part of the country.

My folks, Charles Duffield and Laura Lynn, were married in Owatonna, Minn., on July 8, 1917. While they were in Minnesota being married, Dad's crops were completely hailed out. Sometimes it seems as if they never recovered, financially, from this.

In the early years of their marriage, Dad spent a winter in Marmarth, running a drayline with Jim Van Aken. Another period, about that time, was spent milking cows and delivering milk around Marmarth.

When we children were old enough to go to school, the folks moved to Marmarth for the school year and moved back to the farm during the summer. The folks owned a house on the north side of Marmarth, which was a nice neighborhood, with a dozen or fifteen families living there.

My father also worked at the railroad round house for several years, besides caring for the livestock on the farm and planting and harvesting the crops. All the work was done with horses. Dad liked his horses and they were always fat and well cared for.

My early childhood years were much the same as other children of that time, but before we knew it, the depression years were upon us, and they were tough.

I went the first six years of school to Marmarth. Then having sold the farm, my folks moved to Grandfather

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Duffield's place, and I went two years to the Yellowstone School at Fertile Prairie. We drove seven miles to school with a two wheeled cart and a horse. Some winter mornings when we started out it was 25 below zero. We would be pretty cold by the time we got to school.

One of the things we particularly liked to do as children, was to sleep outside at night. Sometimes it was kind of scary, but we enjoyed it anyway.

When we lived in Marmarth and after we moved back to the country, neighbors would come with whatever musical instruments they had, and we would play up a storm. Mother played the piano and the violin. I took piano lessons, for about 18 months from Mrs. Ted Lowery in Marmarth. In the early 30's there was a man in Marmarth, with just one arm, who could really play the fiddle. I don't remember his name. During the depression years our recreation consisted mostly of visiting the neighbors. How we "kids" would look forward to company for Sunday Dinner.

 

Mr. And Mrs. Charles Duffield

 

Our family used to go to the Fertile Prairie Hall to dances, and one time we went to a barn dance, southwest of Marmarth, at the Sonsellas. It was getting daylight when we were going home tired and happy. Our neighbors at that time were; Forrest Duffield, the Sam Duffields, the Will Fergusons, the Jim Murphys, the Mike Kirschtens and in the late 20's, the Edwin Heibs, the Richard Marells and the John Duffields. The Duffields were all relatives.

After finishing the eighth grade, I came to Baker to go to high school.

 

In 1936 Mother and Dad moved to the Jocko Valley in Western Montana and then a few years later to the state of Washington. Dad passed away in 1955 in Redmond, Washington. Mother later moved to California and passed away in 1968.

My husband, Allen Griffith, was born and grew up about two miles east of Baker. He and his brothers and sisters used to go to the Baker schools in a horse and cart.

 

Mrs. Lorene Kirschten was his third grade teacher. She also taught our two oldest children in the seventh grade. Miss Edwina Eichenberger was his teacher in the seventh grade, and again our four older children had her as a teacher in their Junior High Grades.

 

Allen Griffith and I (Mildred Duffield) were married in Ekalaka, Montana April 24, 1935. We lived near Baker for a year or two, then moved to the Jocko Valley, for three years. We came back to Baker and lived in and around it for a few years, and then in 1946 moved to our present place east of Baker, and have lived here ever since.

Allen has worked for the Montana Dakota Utilities Company for thirty years and on the side he has run some cattle, both white face and milk cows. During the years we also raised pigs for a while and have nearly always had chickens.

It has been a wonderful place to bring up children. Our children are; Joan (Mrs. Clarence Hafer), Ruth (Mrs. Stanley Wolf), Roy and wife, Ruth, Francis and wife Phyllis, Kenneth and wife, Karen, Duane and wife, Deanna, Barbara -attending Business College in Miles City, and Linda, Richard and Nancy living at home and attending Baker High School.

I now teach Sunday School and work with the children in 4-H Club and I find that I thoroughly enjoy these activities.

 

Forrest Duffield and his mother, Jessie--1942

 

FORREST J. DUFFIELD

Garden City, Minnesota was the scene on which I arrived on October 1st, 1901. 1 took up residence at the home of my parents, Sam and Jessie (Howard) Duffield, joining a small brother, Howard. My parents farmed in the vicinity and in 1910, they decided that they wished to move to the West to obtain a piece of land of their own to farm and to provide a home for their family, to which, by then a small daughter, Grace had been added. I was 8 years old at that time.

So, in Sept. of 1910, my father, Sam, loaded all our goods on an Emigrant Car and headed West, followed shortly by my mother, Jessie, my brother and sister and me. We traveled by passenger train.

We all landed on a homestead about 10 miles east of Baker, in the Fertile Prairie district. It was, also, about 10 miles from Marmarth, N.D. We made that town our shopping center for several years as we had relatives living there, and the road was better.

We did not get much involved in the stockraising industry, but were small farmers, raising milk cows, pigs and chickens and, now and then a sheep, raised from a "bum" lamb which was given to us by Scotty Gill, a friendly herder who ran his flock in that area. We always had a garden and flowers, too.

Some of our neighbors were George Chapen, Tom Ridgway, Will Ferguson, James Gill and Grandfather John L. Howard families. There were others, a little farther away.

During boyhood years, I played with my brother Howard and sister, Grace, helped with the chores, chased milk cows, bottle-fed "Bum" lambs, did a lot of riding, fed

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pigs and chickens, fixed fences, lugged water and went to school.

The Fairview School was only 1 1/2 miles from home. I also did an occasional shift of baby-sitting for a near neighbor. When I was old enough, I worked for a neighbor and also worked on a section crew repairing Milwaukee Railroad tracks in the vicinity. Later, during a cycle of dry years, I went to the West Coast where some of our neighboring families had already settled. There I worked in a sawmill and lost part of one of my fingers on the job. I saved my money and in 1920, 1 returned to Baker and purchased the place owned by my Grandfather, John L. Howard and farmed it.

I spent 1942-43 in the Armed Service, stationed at Camp Robinson, Arkansas.

In 1955 1 bought a home in Baker and in 1957, 1 sold my purchased place east of Baker, but I still have the original homestead site of my parents and I have a small museum there, containing many mementos and antique articles from early days. I also have a small garden spot and potato patch there where I enjoy many pleasant hours in the spring and summers.

I recall many, many good times during all the past years before cars, radios, T.V. etc. we found other types of amusement. There were many horseback forays into the badlands and other places, dances at an old log ranchhouse, and later, at Fertile Prairie Hall, including Box Socials, Masquerades, Hard Time Parties and benefit dances for various causes. There were also neighborhood and school programs and picnics and branding bees. Later on there were the County Fair Days.

There were good years and bad with a big depression thrown in, but we took it all in stride, and profited by our mistakes.

I am now retired and reside in Baker. My parents have both passed away and some other relatives have moved to the West Coast. I am a member of the Baker Community Church and have served as Deacon for a number of years; also have acted as a member of the Hospital Board, and as an Election Judge for many elections.

I belong to American Legion Post 35 and am a charter member of the O'Fallon Historical Society and enjoy these group meetings. For pastime, I get pleasure from reading and writing letters, taping favorite poems and musical selections, visiting with friends and calling at the Hospital and Nursing Home. I love to go out to the homestead and "piddle" around in my potato patch! So I keep busy which is good medicine.

Editor's Note - Forrest Joshua Duffield, 71, of Baker passed away on August 27, 1973, at the Fallon Memorial Hospital in Baker. Funeral services were held in Baker and burial was in the Fertile Prairie Cemetery. The plot of land for this cemetery was donated by Sam and Jessie Duffield from their homestead land.

MR. AND MRS. SAM DUFFIELD

Sam Duffield was a native of North Ireland where he lived as a young boy and acquired what education was available. He was born into a family of older brothers and sisters on January 12, 1866. Other children followed him. Some older relatives came to the United States, and when he was a boy of 10 or thereabouts, he came, with his grandmother and 3 or 4 younger ones of his family to settle near Garden City, Minn. They took up the business of farming there.

In 1896, Sam was married to Miss Jessie Howard at Amboy, Minn. She had come from Red Oak, Iowa, where she was born on Dec. 14, 1875. Her parents, John Lafette Howard and Zetta Butterfield Howard moved to Minnesota where they farmed also.

 

Sam and Jessie Duffield-1919 On front step of homestead shack.

 

Sam and Jessie farmed and she also operated a small store and sold Watkins Products. They enjoyed the County Fair and used to exhibit much work. They had 3 children: Howard, Forrest and Grace.

In 1910 they decided they wanted a piece of land of their own and to do some farming, so Sam loaded their belongings on an emigrant car and hit for the West. Mrs. Duffield and the three children soon followed by passenger train.

They filed on a piece of land about 10 miles east of Baker in the Fertile Prairie area next to Mrs. Duffield's parents and near other Duffield and Howard families.

They did not go into the stockraising business, but were small farmers. They raised milk cows, pigs, chickens and a few sheep. The sheep came from "Bum" lambs that James Gill, better known as "Scotty," brought them from the flock he was herding in that area. They always raised a garden and again Mrs. Duffield set up a "store" in her home where neighbors could get some necessities. She also sold Watkins products for several years.

She had a hand operated rug weaving loom on which she made, literally, miles of rugs! She made hit-or-miss, as well as striped styles. These well-made rugs graced the floors of many friends and neighbors far and near and were a source of welcome income for the family. When she wasn't weaving rugs, she was painting a picture, or writing a poem or short story. She did fancy work of several varieties. She has been known to rig out some young blades near by with masquerade costumes, too!

Along with others, they experienced the usual run of good and bad on the weather scene as well as the Depression.

They did their trading in Marmarth during the first years, as their travel outlet to that place was easier than to Baker until after road building operations got underway, and it was the same distance as it was into Baker. School was no problem as the Fairview School was nearby. Mrs. Duffield often boarded the schoolteacher.

Lignite and wood were to be had by driving 6 or 7 miles into the Bad Lands.

The family enjoyed dances and attended many of them in the old log house of Quincey Rauley's, and, after 1912 or '13, at the Fertile Prairie Hall where they sometimes served the lunch at the dances. There were benefit dances as well as

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