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FALLON COUNTY

O’Fallon Flashbacks

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

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Jessie Duffield at her loom weaving a rug.

Masquerades and Hard Time dances. There were meetings of neighborhood card and birthday clubs and of the Fertile Prairie Farm Association to attend along with horse racing and school affairs, in which activities the Duffields took part.

While in Minnesota, they attended the Presbyterian Church and later, in Baker, the Community Church.

Their first Montana home was a 1 1/2 story shack covered with rubberoid roofing. It served for many years and still stands. In later years Mrs Duffield had a small house in South Baker near the CourtHouse.

Mr. Duffield served on the School Bqard of District No. 50. They donated a plot of land on their homestead to be used as a Community Cemetery. There are 14 relatives and neighbors interred there as of 1973.

Their son, Forrest, now cares for the cemetery. Both parents are resting there. Mr. Duffield passed away in 1937. Mrs. Duffield made her home with her son Forrest at his Baker home until 1964, when she followed her husband in death.

C.H. DUPPLERS

C.H. Duppler and Pearl 1. Duppler and her father, Horace E. Henry came to Fallon County in June 1909. C.H. Duppler and Pearl Henry filed on land about 5 miles southeast of Baker. They returned to their homes in Britton, South Dakota. In the fall C.H. Duppler came back and built a two-room house on his claim. He went back to South Dakota and married Pearl Henry on October 19, 1909. They came to their Fallon County homestead and lived there until 1916. At that time they traded their land to Paul Hubbard for a hardware and implement business.

They had three children; Miriam Edith, Milton Robert and Eugene Henry.

Mr. Duppler was a member of Baker Community Church, a Mason, Eastern Star, Shriners, Odd Fellows and a member of the Baker Commercial Club. He was a State Representative for two terms from 1947-51. He died on February 16, 1952.

Mrs. Duppler was a member of the Baker Community Church, Charity Chapter Eastern Star and for many years was treasurer of Bonnievale Cemetery Assocaiton. She died Oct. 29, 1965

Edwina Eichenberger-1956

EDWINA EICHENBERGER

I was born in Redfield, South Dakota, February 28, 1891. My parents had both been married before and had families by their first marriages. My father, Christian Eichenberger, was born in Switzerland, brought his family to the United States and settled in South Dakota. My mother Rosette (Blaser) Eichenberger, was also born in Switzerland, came to the United States with her husband, Joseph Blaser, and her infant daughter, Bertha Blaser (Pfeifer) and settled in West Virginia. When the grand parents in Switzerland learned of the bereavement of my father's wife, they acquainted my mother's parents of the fact. My father, hearing that my mother, whom he had known in Switzerland, was a widow, began a correspondence with her, which resulted in their marriage in Chicago in 1889. My father's first family consisted of four daughters, who were adopted by various people, and John Eichenberger who remained with his father. They along with Mother's three Blaser children; Bertha, Edward and Louis became the family to reside in Redfield. I was born a bit later, adding another to the family g~roup. I was brought up with the various brothers and sisters.

My father died when I was five years old. I remember his kindly ways with me; telling me stories, bringing me pets, yodeling while I sat on his knee. He had been a member of a men's singing group while in Switzerland. I remember his funeral procession and the horse and buggy ride to the cemetery.

I went through school at Redfield, first grade through the twelfth. I remember that the teachers were fine teachers, some we liked better than others. Miss Gertrude Chappell, in high school, was a prime favorite. She was a friend as well as a teacher.

After 1911, when I had graduated from high school, came the time for finding a way to make a living. I had always thought of teaching as my Grandfather and Grandmother Eichenberger had been School Master and School Mistress in a village school not far from Bern, Switzerland. While very young I used my cats as pupils, then the neighborhood kids, and finally the children in three rural school near to home. Away from Mother's love and sympathy for the first time, and among strangers, I learned more than the children did.

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My sister, Bertha, and husband had homesteaded in Fergus County, Montana. By 1914 1 had saved enough money to finance a trip to see them. Speaking of money. I still remember the beautiful clothes I bought during the first year of teaching-new coat, new hat, new furs and new button, patent-leather shoes. I stayed in Fergus County and taught there several years. While there I filed on a homestead, but that not being in my line, I later relinquished the land. By that time my brothers, John Eichenberger and Ed and Louis Blaser were all in Fallon County on their plots of land. Mother became ill, so I went back to Redfield and brought her to Baker. We lived with "Lou" Blaser, where for a time I served as postmistress at Bisher, Montana.

I taught three rural schools in Fallon County; the Chimney Creek School, the Webster School and the Wills School. While I was at the Webster School I was pleased to have the school standardized by the State Department. An honor all around. Ray Corey was one of my students there.

During the winter months of teaching I managed to save money enough to go to Summer School and earn a "Life Certificate" by examination. While at the summer session in Glendive in 1920, some trustees from Lambert, Montana came teacher picking. I was hired for upper-grade work and had three fine, happy, years there.

Because my brothers were near Baker, and my mother liked to be near them, I applied for work in Baker. I was offered and took the sixth grade in 1923. Such fine youngsters. How I enjoyed my work. A.0. Gullidge came to Baker in 1924 as Superintendent of Schools, and he advanced me to the Junior High Department with the class. I have always said that they promoted me with the kids. At Christmas Vacation Time in the year of 1926, 1 was granted a leave of absence to go to the Normal School at Dillon, Mont. I spent three quarters and graduated. I then returned to Baker to resume my work.

James Mann was principal, when he left I became principal and served until 1944, at which time I became the County Superintendent of Schools.

This was another new experience for me and another lesson to learn, but very interesting. I made many trips to Helena and got to know other Superintendents and some state officials.

In 1949, the trustees of District 12 in Baker came to ask me to resume teaching. I considered this as fine a tribute as one could receive. Mr. Heftie had divided the Jr. High into two grades. I accepted the seventh grade and spent some delightful years with fine groups of boys and girls.. I estimate that when I retired in 1956, that about a thousand boys and girls and I shared many hours together. Many have kept in touch with me and many look me up when they come back to Baker. Who could be lonely with such a fine "family"? Thank you Baker for sharing the lives of your children with me.

In 1959 to celebrate my retirement my nephew, Herb Blaser, and I took a trip to Hawaii (really a wonderful land). In 1961 1 traveled in Florida, Washington D.C., frozen Niagara Falls, then up into Canada. A very fine trip but it was good to come back to my home and friends. In 1962 1 achieved a life long dream. My mother had told me so much about her beloved homeland I wanted to see it, so Myrtice Rasmussen and I took a guided tour through Europe. James Carey, one of my boys, met me in London and took me on a special Carey Tour, and showed me places he thought his ex-teacher should see-had a ride on the Rhine and saw the Mouse Tower Castle, toured Venice in a gondola, received the Pope's Blessing, along with many others, in Rome and, yes, I was in my Mother's beautiful Switzerland.

Mother is gone and so are the rest of the family; Bertha, John, Ed and Lou. Thus it goes, but the years have not been lonely - Not with my "big family" that I am fortunate to have. My youngsters have taken over the business places in Baker, and it is a pleasure to call on them. Baker is a fine place to spend the last years of life. Thank you, Baker.

HILMA K. PETERSON EILEK [KUEHN)

My homestead days practically started when I was working as a Milliner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Every spring and fall all the Milliners went to a wholesale house to work on hats. By making copies of hats shipped in from New York we got an idea of what the styles would be for that year.

In 1909 all the talk among the Milliners was homesteading, so of course I got the "bug." That year I was working in Valley City North Dakota, as we "City Girls" wanted to get out into the smaller towns. The aim was to get to Butte, Montana as they paid the highest wages, but Valley City was as far west as I got.

The Milwaukee Railroad had finished its line west by 1909, and the land was open for filing. I took time off from my position and came to Baker which wasn't much of a town at that time. As near as I remember there was a depot, a hotel, a lunch room and a land office. There were men known as locaters, who took people out to see the place they wanted to see. Some folks I boarded with in Valley City had already filed on the north-half of a section, so one of the locaters took me out to see the south-half of that section. It was fourteen miles south-west of Baker. We rode in a little buggy with one horse pulling it. It was compulsory that you see all four corners of the land you wanted to file on. The corners were marked with stones.

You were supposed to move on to your land within six months, but the winter was real bad and there was lots of snow, so we were notified that the time was extended until April or May.

In the meantime I had married William J. Eilek at Miles City, Montana on May 12, 1910. My husband went out to Baker and hired Mr. Julius Zerbst to build our one room house. It was a nice little 12 by 14 house with a gabled roof. Many of the early shacks had only a slightly rounded roof. Because the house looked so small my husband named it "Dolly."

The Julius Zebst family- Julius built the Eilek’s homestead shack.

William went back to Minneapolis and hired a box car from the Milwaukee and loaded it with a cow, twelve chickens, a wagon, a bed and table, besides a few other essentials. He had to ride in the box car so that he could take care of the stock.

I came out by Passenger Train and we hired a man with a wagon and team to haul us out to the homestead after we had bought a stove and some groceries.

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My husband was a Recruiting Officer in the Army and when he resigned, the officer in charge said, "I always thought my men all had good sense, but I don't know what to think of anyone that will leave a good job and go out on a homestead in a new country. "We didn't know how long we would stay as an Army man could file on land and only have to live on it for one year and still prove up after five years. However we both liked it so we stayed and never regretted that we did.

The Eilek’s first cow and calf- "lunch time on the homestead".

There were times when we didn't know for sure what to do, but we were young and had hopes that things would change, and they did. When you got up in the morning, and all was quiet and peaceful, you didn't have the heart to leave.

Bill Eilek and dog in front of homestead shack.

Our closest neighbors were Julius and Gust Zerbst, Jim Harrington, the Irvines, John Allerdings, Sid Clark and Oscar Rogers.

A school was built after a few years, and Martha Haftle, Della (now Mrs. Lee Moline), Miss Helgeson and others were our teachers. The school was our main meeting place.

Mr. Zerbst had a Lutheran Minister from Plevna come out to their place to hold services in the summer months.

Dick Chesmore and family lived a little farther away, but they used to have nice parties which we enjoyed.

Some years we had good crops and once in a while not so good. Harvest time was exciting. Getting ready for the threshers was quite a chore, but we enjoyed having them come. We were almost as glad to see them leave as by that time we were tired. It took lots of baking and cooking.

We raised three children and found that it was the ideal place for children. They enjoyed their horses and roamed far and wide. Speaking of horses, our first team was two partly broken "broncs." Bill, my husband, would harness them in the barn then bring them up near the house and tie them to a pole. I would climb into the wagon and he'd get the lines in one hand and untie them with the other, make one leap into wagon and off we would go over humps and bumps.

The Eilek children- Helen-Bob and Tom.

The Miles City Land Company broke up thirty acres of land for us and planted flax, but a heavy frost in August killed the crop, so they got nothing for their work. We had the thirty acres for our own use after that, which gave us a good start.

We had a creek running through our place. It was full of Ash, Chokecherry and Plum trees, so we had plenty of wood for fences and to burn. Coal was also available not too far away. This creek was dry except when it rained hard then it had water in it for sometime.

Hilma Eilek and her mother picking chokecherries.

We were pretty "green" as far as farming went, but we learned it the hard way, and enjoyed it. My husband did know something about chickens as his mother had a few in St. Paul. He had me guessing for sometime. He would say," I think we have another egg in the hen house," and sure

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enough there would be. I couldn't figure out how he knew and finally he told me a hen cackles after she lays an egg.

In nineteen fifteen we were saddened by the death of our four year old Jimmie.

Mr. and Mrs. William Eilek

In the thirties we had severe drought for several years which was very discouraging. In 1933 Bill had a severe heart attack, so we decided to move to Baker as he needed a doctor's care. The attacks were quite frequent and he passed away in 1939.

In 1943 1 went into the clothing business. Some years later my son, Tom, joined me in this business, Eilek's Ready-To-Wear. Tom passed away of a heart attack in 1969.

In 1952 I married Art Kuehn and we live in Baker. We both feel Montana is the best state of all.

Art and Hilma Kuehn-1972. Hilma’s 87^th birthday party.

My daughter, Helen Eilek Gibbs, lives in Wyoming and my son, Bob Eilek is retired from the Air Corps and lives in Paradise, California.

Editor's Note - Mrs. Kuehn at the age of 88 [1973] still goes to her place of business [Eilek's Ready to Wear] each morning and works all day.

SARAH BERNHARDT EILEK

Joe and Emily Bernhardt thought they would like to become stock raisers so they filed on a homestead in Wibaux County in 1918. Later they moved into the town of Wibaux where Joe went into the Tailor and Dry Cleaning business.

Their daughter, Sara, was born in Wibaux in 1917. She attended the Wibaux grade school and graduated from the Wibaux County High School in 1935. After graduating from high school she went on to school and took Nurses Training becoming an R.N. in 1939.

Soon after becoming a Registered Nurse, Sara, at the age of twenty-one, came to Baker to work as a nurse at the Baker Elizabeth Hospital.

In 1940 she married Thomas Eilek at Baker. From this union were born four children: Camilla, Deborah, Bill and Larkin. There is one grandchild, Damon.

Sara continued her profession as a nurse until after her husband's death. Tom, who had been in business with his mother, Mrs. Art Kuehn, at the Eilek's Ready to Wear in Baker, died suddenly in 1969.

Since his death Sara has taken his place and is helping run the business.

The Little Green Store.

EMMA ENGBERG

Mrs. Engberg was born in Chicago on November 30, 1872. She was married to Johnny Engberg in 1900 in -Minneapolis, her home, and in 1909 they came to Plevna to try sheep ranching south of there. Their sheep were wiped out in the winter of 1911-1912, but they continued general farming and ranching until Mr. Engberg passed away in the spring of 1917. His brother Arvid leased the property. In L926 Mrs. Engberg moved to Baker where she opened "The Little Green Store" in her home on South First Street West, supplying groceries, school needs, candy and general items.

Affectionately remembered by the many, who as children came to her store for candy and school supplies, Mrs. Engberg was characterized as one who would be "beholden" to no one. She was always liberal with her own giving, especially to orphanages and children in need. Her fancywork took many prizes at the county fair in earlier years.

Illness in the spring of 1956 caused her to close her shop. After a short period in the hospital, however, she returned home until January 6 of 1957 when she re-entered the hospital.

Mrs. Emma Engberg, pioneer of Fallon County homesteading days passed away Sunday evening January 20,

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1957 at the Fallon Memorial Hospital at the age of 84. No near relatives were found, but final arrangements were made for her by friends and the Reverend Father Hanrahan.

The services were conducted at the St. John's Catholic church on Thursday morning, January 24, 1957 with Walter Anderson, L. Fredric Bruggeman, Jack Lawler, Calvin Lund, Sr., L. Price and Denzil Young, Jr. as pallbearers. She was buried beside her Johnny (as she always referred to him) in the family plot in Plevna.

The David Enos family

ENOS

By Janet Enos

Barton Ladd Enos was born to Uriel and Mary Enos on May 9, 1877 at Edwardsburg, Michigan. He was the second and only son in a family of three children. His sister, Ethel, also homesteaded in the Webster area.

Barton moved with his parents to Athol, South Dakota in November 1891. He spent from March 1903 until July 1908 in California. In 1910 he filed on a homestead in the Calumet community. He came in an emigrant car, bringing his belongings from Athol. He built a sod shack near the Arnold Heldt place.

Clifton Springs Benedict was one of five girls born to Barnett and Sarah Dunbar Benedict. She was born July 15, 1877 at Rochester, Minn. She attended Washburn College, Topeka, Kansas and embarked on a teaching career which took her to New Jersey, Florida, South Dakota and Montana. She homesteaded on land which later became a part of Carter County.

In Montana she met Barton Enos and married him on December 23, 1913 at the home of her sister, Mrs. I.N. McCullum near Webster. They had three children: David, Mary and Barton, Jr., who died in infancy.

In 1961 they retired and turned their farm and ranch operation over to their son, David. They moved to Spearfish, South Dakota where they lived until Mr. Enos passed away in August 1959. Mrs. Enos returned to Baker to make her home until her death July 18, 1962.

They are both laid to rest in the Medicine Rocks Cemetery.

David John Enos was born in the family home three miles North of the Medicine Rocks on February 15, 1918. He attended the Medicine Rocks School which was located on the George Fried place. He graduated from the Baker High School in 1936. Jobs were very hard to get; after two years of doing various jobs he went into farming and ranching with his father. He remembers driving six horses on a gangplow, so it was a great day when he was able to purchase a steel wheeled 15-30 McCormick Deering tractor in 1938, a 1926 model!

Janet Muriel Clocksene was born April 12, 1923 in Houghton, New York to Gilbert and Winifred Fero Clocksene. At the age of three she came with her parents to the Willard community. She attended the Medicine Rocks School for two years until the Little Beaver School was built and opened. After Baker High School, Janet graduated from Miltonvale Jr. College, Miltonvale, Kansas and Marion College, Marion, Indiana. She taught art at Devils Lake, North Dakota in the public schools and later taught second grade in Hood, Oregon.

David and Janet were married June 22, 1951 at the Medicine Rocks Church by the Reverend Don Cline, assisted by the Reverend Clyde McCone. They moved into the Enos family home. They have six children: Muriel, Mark, Peter, Rodney, Paul and Robynn.

The oldest three children attended the Medicine Rocks School which by then had been moved to the former Dan O'Conner place. The schoolhouse had burned down and the Little Beaver School had been moved in to take its place. Later they attended the Wills School which had been moved beside Highway No. 7 and reopened. In 1970 they began attending the Baker School-the younger children riding with the high schoolers.

These children know nothing about milking cows, taking the cream to the mailbox to be shipped to some creamery. Feeding calves with a bucket, especially teaching them to drink, is all foreign to them. Walking to school, riding in a bobsled covered with a horse robe to keep off the wind while sitting on the hay - pleasant memories, but in real life left frosted fingers and toes. Rattlesnakes were common: in the cellar, walking to the mailbox, thrown up on top of a load of hay! The folks killed them without much thought. Today they rarely see anything but a water snake. David remembers going to church in the buggy. He also remembers taking the cream to Calumet in a two wheeled cart and getting the mail.

In high school David and Janet could not afford the fads that the kids were wearing so they have seen that their children could have them. Probably they were the good old days but David and Janet are happy for the conveniences of the present.

WALTER AND BERTHA EVERS

Walter Evers was born on January 5, 1891 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Andrew and Mathilda Evers.

In 1909 Walt and his brother, Harry, came west to work. They traveled by train to Marmarth, North Dakota, and Walt found work on the Tom Ridgeway Ranch which was near Marmarth. Walt was 18 years at the time he came to this vicinity.

In 1910, Andrew and Mathilda Evers came to the Fertile Prairie area and took up a homestead because they wanted to be near their sons. Some of the neighbors in that community were, J.J. Howard, Sid Golden, William Ferguson and Sam Duffield.

Walter had attended grade school at Bertum, Minnesota and after that he had become a mechanic, but after coming to Montana he worked as a ranch hand and as a cowboy. His father's profession was painting in addition to being a rancher.

Walt served in the army during World War I.

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Along with his other activities Walt used to play for dances. In fact he played for dances until he left Montana in 1934.

On April 19, 1927, Walter Evers and Bertha Good were married in the Congregational Parsonage at Baker, Montana. To this Union were born a son and a daughter; John DeForrest and Maravell Evers Gonsioroski.

Bertha, the daughter of David and Ella Good was born in Mitchell, South Dakota on April 28, 1910.

After leaving Montana in 1934, Walt worked as a Hop Machine Mechanic until his retirement. They now live at Moxee, Washington.

FERGUSON FAMILY HISTORY

By Verna O'Donnell

William Ferguson was born in 1886 at Albia, Iowa. He was only five when his father died. He helped on the farm and grew up under the guidance of his mother and sister and brothers. He attended the local high school, and as he put it, wanted to play football more than study. He went to St. Paul and worked for the railroad. In 1908 he came to Montana and homesteaded. He worked for the Hasty Dray Line and at some other jobs in the now very new town of Baker. It was not so many years before he got very interested in trotting his horse over the hill from the homestead to the Sid Golden place and probably the very attractive red headed daughter, Mary, who was known around the country as "Dolly," was a much greater attraction than the excellent cooking of Grandma Golden. He and Mary were married September 2, 1913 at Bowman, North Dakota. Bill, as he was known by his friends, was known as a very hard worker, and "honest as the day was long." He was always interested in seeing that his children got an education, although it was quite difficult most of the time. He also liked politics, and kept very well read on current matters. He had no patience with anyone who did not vote and try to help run the affairs of their country. He survived the "1930" depression by dodging the dust storms and with hard work and plain stubborn perseverance. In the 1940's he and his wife moved into Baker where he worked in one of the local stores. He sold the home place a short time afterwards and continued to live in Baker until his death in 1965. He was an avid traveler and always managed to take a trip somewhere almost every year until his health prohibited this pastime. He had a great deal of faith in Eastern Montana and was one of the first to be interested in the oil discovery in this part of the country. An oil well was drilled on his land but capped ... he always believed it to be a good well. He was a firm believer in the fact that early morning air was the healthiest, and in his younger days 5: 00 A.M. hardly ever saw him in bed ... especially if some of his kids had been up too late the night before.

William Ferguson died at the age of 79 at Baker after a long illness. He was truly a pioneer of eastern Montana and really helped to build his state.

Mary and Will had six children:

Raymond was born in 1914. He led a typical life of a boy on a farm at this time, liking horses, trapping, hunting, skipping school, and such activities. He was a great reader (of anything but school books). He is best remembered by his oldest sister for building a still in her clothes closet during their high school days and running off a bit of home-brew. This thriving business was unfortunately nipped in the bud, so he went back to the farm and tried various other difficult ways of making a living. Upon the start of World War 11 he was inducted into the infantry and spent his army service landing in Africa and then walking through Italy. He has always declared he'll take his bicycle- next time he tours Europe. He received the Legion of Merit medal for service above and beyond the call of duty while stringing telephone lines behind enemy lines. He was also awarded a Purple Heart but claimed this was for getting hit in the head with a baseball ... either that or an irate Italian father.

He married Mazie Harlan and has lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan ever since. He and Mazie have one daughter, Linda. He is one of the greatest delights of his Montana nieces and nephews.

Roberta was born in 1916. She grew up trying valiantly to do everything that Ray could do, but gave up when she was about 10 when he learned to do a few tricky wrestling holds. Roberta was a good student and graduated from Baker High School with honors. She attended college for one year and went through the earthquake in Helena, Montana during that time. She worked in Baker in an office for several years. She married Clinton Baker of Ollie, Montana and they had three children, Patty, Francis, and Claud. They moved to Billings, Montana and after the death of her husband she later married Arnold Brothers.

William, Jr. was born in 1918. He was mechanically inclined from the very first and preferred machines and science to farming. He graduated from Baker High and joined the Air Force. He was a fighter plane pilot during World War 11. During this time he married Jeanne Breedlove. They have six children: Roberta, Joyce, Sherry, William, III, Brian and Benjamin. He now operates an auto body repair shop in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Verna was born in 1922, attended the local rural school and graduated from Baker High. She and Lois were constant companions, and spent a great deal of their childhood walking the local pastures and riding stick horses. They spent the next few years riding in pickup trucks and chasing boys. She worked in a local office for several years and married Raymond O'Donnell. They have 10 children:

Michaiel, Katherine, Daniel, Maureen, Nora, Elizebeth, Rebecca, Patrick, Laureen, and Matthew and lost one girl, Molly as an infant.

Verna's main interests have always been - Ray, babies, reading and trying to write such things as family histories. She lives on a farm northeast of Baker.

Lois was born in 1924. She was our little baby for several years and as was noted, a constant companion of her bossy big sister. She graduated from Baker High and worked for the local MDU company for several years. She married Pat Murphy and they have one daughter, Kerry. Lois and Pat are known throughout their neighborhood for their great interest in young people and the great amount of work that they do for their church and 4-H and etc.

Now along about eleven years later there came a wonderful surprise to the Ferguson family in the form of a baby girl. She was named Eleva (after a well-loved schoolteacher) and proceeded to grow up to be a remarkably normal girl considering all the help and advice she had from her older brothers and sisters. There was some worry as to whether she would survive the first year as it had been so long since there was a baby in the house that everyone kept forgetting her and trying to sit on her on the daveno and etc. As soon as she could get around she corrected this matter and from then on it was clear sailing. She graduated from Baker High and married Rodney Siring. They have followed the REA around and are presently living in Livingston, Montana. They have five children: Rhonda, Rae Lynn, Margie, Cynthia, and Rodney, Jr.

Mary Golden was born in Ashton, South Dakota on October 22, 1896 the daughter of Sidney and Lizzie Golden.

Sid, Lizzie, Mary (or Dolly as she was known) and her brother Alfred (better known as Bud) came to Montana and homesteaded in the spring of 1909. Sid had come up before and had the claim shack built but the stove was out in the

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yard. Mary tells of having a late spring snow after they came and how one of the neighbor ladies came over with the wagon and team and took them all to her shack and they stayed with her until the weather warmed up a bit. Sid was a great hunter and enjoyed his shotgun and rifle. Many a meal was made in those days of the luscious prairie grouse and sagehen that fell to him. Lizzie was famous throughout the country as a good and bountiful cook. She was not one of the fancy cooks but the oldtimers still talk about her chicken and dumplings. In the winter Sid always ran a long trap line. He was the undisputed king of the eastern Montana trappers, catching large quantities of coyotes, bobcats, badgers, and the old favorites, skunks. In fact my early memories of Grandpa in the winter usually had a faint touch of skunk around him in spite of Grandma's diligent boiling of his clothes. Trapping was a profitable pastime as coyote skins were a very good price, and a good badger would bring forty dollars.

Mary and Bud used to walk about two miles to attend school. This was known as the Dean Young school, after two of the older families in the community, and at one time had about 30 pupils. It was here that Mary became acquainted with Lorene Hibbard. The friendship lasted throughout the years, and ended only upon Mary's death.

Given to the Museum by Mr. And Mrs. Pat Murphy-Sid Golden and coyote pelts- 1920

Mary and Bud had all the fun and ambition of the usual young'uns" at this time. They had their own 22 rifle and Mom assured us that she was plenty good with it at one time Bud of course, was bound to become one of the young cowboys of this country.

Mary finished the eighth grade at the Dean Young School and was starting to become a young lady. The eligible bachelors of the country had started to beat a path to the Golden door. Bill Ferguson soon got the upper hand and they were married in September 2, 1913. Mary was sixteen years old. Bud was the delight of each new batch of school teachers in the country, and finally married one of the lovely ladies.. Miss Clara Harner. They did not live in this country very much, but spent most of their lives in Oregon. They have one son, William Alfred, whom we all knew as Buddy. Bud died Dec. 21, 1960.

Mary and Will (as he liked to be called) moved on to his own homestead when they were married and it was there he built his new frame house. In these days people did a lot more visiting and hardly a week went by but some one came to their place for Sunday dinner or they went some where for Sunday dinner. Mary being such a young mother was always a close friend of her children, and being of an energetic and outgoing nature it was to her they took their problems in everything from skiing and riding the horses to school studies. Many times the older kids could coax her to ride the saddle horse and pull them on their skis. It was also she who taught the oldest son, Ray, to shoot his own 22 rifle. Mary was always game to hitch the horse on the buggy and take the kids to a close Badlands for a picnic and to climb the gumbo buttes. She had a great ability to organize her work and get it out of the road quickly. She also developed a great ability to make the most attractive outfits for herself and her daughters out of what ever hand-me-downs and other things that were around.

Mary and Will were both great readers and they always had one of the biggest libraries in the country. Any kind of reading was enjoyed. They also enjoyed playing cards with their neighbors. They had about two miles to take their kids to school and Mary usually had this job in the spring and fall, but when the snow got bad Will usually had the team on the sled and made the trip. Both Mary and Will enjoyed politics, he being a very faithful Republican, and Mary (whose dad was a very staunch Democrat) usually trying to keep a bit of peace between the two men. In later years both served on their local political committees, and always tried to help in elections and etc. Will loved to travel and when the children were little they usually went some place in the winter after the crops were taken care of. Winters were spent in Nebraska, Kansas and etc. Mom always said that she sat in train waiting rooms so many times with three or four children that this cured her of ever wanting to travel. After the fourth child arrived, Mary gave notice that from then on, they stayed home.

They moved to Baker after selling the home place, and lived there until their deaths. Mary lived alone after Will's death and got a great deal of enjoyment and comfort out of her grandchildren and especially her four great grandchildren who lived close by, Thadd and Casey O'Donnell, and Mandi and Kristi Schopp. She had several severe sick spells but always bounced back. She died in October of 1971 just before her 75th birthday. Her mind was clear and sharp to the last and while her death left us startled and shocked we were all thankful that it was quick and peaceful.

Mary was a Grandmother who felt free to tell her children and grandchildren what she thought of their behavior, but Heaven help any outsider who thought they had the privilege of doing the same!

L. H. FERRIE

In 1905, I with my sister and her husband went to Ipswitch, South Dakota and worked around there until the fall, then worked for my uncle in his general store in Morningside and Sioux City, Iowa until July.

I filed on a homestead in Colorado in March 1906, and established a residence in September. I worked in dairies in Denver, but I had to spend some time on my homestead. I proved out in March 1908 and was married to Kathrine Steffes on February 3, 1909 and we moved onto a farm in Minnesota. In October of 1910 we moved to Montana. I went in an emigrant car and took 100 bushels of spuds as they were scarce in Montana that year. My wife took the passenger train. We moved in with my wife's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Steffes and her brother, Joe, for the winter. We worked most of the winter cutting and hauling pine and ash posts. We traded my 160 acres in Colorado to a Mr. Peters for his relinquishment to his land which was 2 1/2 miles southwest of Plevna. My wife and I each filed on one quarter as a desert claim in 1914. We sold our other rights and improvements to a Miss Murphy and bought a half section of Railroad Land, the south 1/2 of section 9-8-58, and moved on to it in the fall of 1914. 1 drilled a well, built a house and barn, and fenced the land. I improved the land year by year, then I bought the other 1/2 section. This section had the grave of

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L.H. Ferris-1971 at Fishermans’s Wharf, San Francisco, California

"Fritz", a stage driver on it. He drove the stage from Bismarck, North Dakota to Fort Keogh at Miles City, Montana. "Fritz" was killed by a band of four Indians with Johnny Long Dog as the leader. Attendant at a stage station two miles east buried the body in 1880.

The Ferrie’s First Home- 1911

In the early 1920's one Senator Conser met Senator McCone from Dawson County. In visiting he found that McCone was one of the men who had buried "Fritz" and who was also a neighbor of Johnny Long Dog, and the children went to the same school. Johnny told McCone the details of the killing. It seemed that one of his braves was testing his marksmanship and accidentally killed "Fritz". "Fritz's" last name was not on record. This was to have been his last ride before he went back east to get married. The Pleasant Valley Community put up a monument of Native Sandstone on his grave. The Community, under the direction of Senators Conser and McCone put on a pageant on the spot where it happened. Anthony, my son, was one of the braves but I can't remember who played the part of "Fritz" in the buckboard. There was a large crowd at the Pageant. People came from long distances- quite a tribute to "Fritz".

In 1948, our son Anthony got married. They wanted to farm so we sold him the place and moved to Cresco, Iowa where I was born and have a lot of relatives. The William Steffeses have lived here for quite a while and have relatives here also. Katherine died September 13, 1967. 1 sold our house and moved into a boarding house where I now live. I am active in Senior Citizens which meets twice a week.

Ferrie’s New Home built in 1930- Picture taken before it was finished.

The Charles Ferris Home at Baker- 1920

CHARLES H. FERRIS by Marjorie Ferris Young

Charles Ferris born October 11, 1863, Stanford, Connecticut, arrived in Baker in 1913 on a Halloween Night from Belle Fourche, S. D. Riding in three canvas covered wagons with their few belongings, were his wife, Belle, 3 sons, Corb, Russell, Kelly, and 3 daughters, Irma, Flossie and Marjorie. They left Belle Fourche late one afternoon, and stayed at a Halfway House near Ridge during a blizzard that lasted for 4 days. Corb and Russell herded the 30 head of horses behind the wagons.

Arriving in Baker they stayed at the Bill Hedrick home (where the airport is now) and later moved to the Marken farm 2 miles south of Baker until Charles built their home one-mile west of Baker (where the junkyard is now).

Charles was a carpenter and some of the buildings are still standing in Baker and Plevna. He built the Bechtold and Wells Schools, Baker High School, Billie Bruce and Bert Cate homes, barns for O'Donald's and McNanny's; Bruce Bert and Dave Good farms; the "High" sidewalk in Baker. In Plevna he built the Plevna Town Hall and a church.

Charles left Baker in 1921 to live in Oakland, California where he still was a carpenter. He passed away on July 26, 1958.

Three of his children, Irma, Kelly and Russell still live in California. Marjorie lives in Miles City, Montana.

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Mr. And Mrs. Tom Fitzsimmons- Married March 16, 1900

TOM FITZSIMMONS by Max Fitzsimmons

My father, Tom Fitzsimmons, moved from Urbana, Iowa in the spring of 1910. He took an emigrant car to Ismay, Montana. I, Max, was seven years old at the time. He had come out earlier under the Homestead Act and "squatted" on a half section of land and built a one room 12 x 20 shack. He then returned to Iowa and loaded the boxcar with the family possessions; three head of horses, two milk cows, some chickens and some furniture. He rode in the caboose of the train. A few days later Mother, Carol, Helen, Mildred and I came on the passenger train. When we got off at Ismay we found our possessions beside the railroad track. Dad had erected a tent for us. He had already taken a load of furniture out to the shack. We stayed overnight in our tent and since I was so young I thought it great fun. None of us could get over the size of the mosquitoes that shared the tent with us. The next morning we all started for our new home in our wagon. Since the shack was thirty miles away we didn't make it the first day. We had to trail the two cows and our old horse "Charlie". We soon found out that we were really in the "Wild West", as we saw several herds of antelope, some jackrabbits and sage hens. We didn't see any fences until we reached our claim the next morning. I can remember hearing the coyotes howl at night and this scared us some but we felt safe with Pa in the tent with us.

Aunt Mildred Lamb and brother, Marle, came later as she had filed on the other half of section 12 that my father had. My brothers Orren and Cecil were born on the homestead.

Mother and Dad lived on the homestead until 1929. He was one of the County Commissioners at the time that Fallon County was created from Custer County.

My father had a rather hard time raising a family our size on the land as rainfall was scarce and a farmer had to work hard to feed family and livestock in those days. After a road was built to Plevna it was much easier, as Plevna was much closer than Baker.

My folks moved back to Ohio in 1935 and that same year I came to Wolf Point where I have lived since.

Mildred Fitzsimmons married Virgil Moline in 1936. They have lived on his folk's place in the Carlyle Community where they raise Hereford Cattle and do some farming.

MR.

AND MRS. OTTO FOLLMER

Otto Follmer was born in Siberia on November 21, 1909, to George and Emelia Follmer. In 1910, when he was eight months old, the family left Siberia and made the long ocean voyage to the United States and on to this area. Here they settled on land 14 miles southwest of Plevna. Neighbors were the Christ Krauz and the David Bickle families.

As a lad Otto attended the rural school of that neighborhood. High schools were few and far between at that time, so he helped with the work on the home place where his folks were farmers. There was plenty of work to do with the farming and the care of the horses and cattle.

To get to Plevna the family had to travel the 14 miles over rough prairie roads by team and wagon.

The Follmers faced the usual conditions through the years, experiencing some poor summers because of moisture shortage and some rough winters because of an over abundance of snow. They also recall the Depression Years of the 30's.

On October 29, 1931, at the age of 22, Otto was married to Miss Ottilia Klukas. Her parents, Gotlieb and Barbara Klukas, had come to this vicinity in 1910. They had homesteaded 10 miles south of Plevna, and Ottilia was born there on January 11, 1911.

As a child she did all the things a little girl on a farm can find to do. She attended the grades at the Ehret School, and assisted her parents with as many chores as possible.

Neighbors of the Klukas family were the Matt Ehrets and the Henry Schells. Ottilia continued to live at the family home until she bacame the wife of Otto Follmer at Plevna.

The couple did farming and ranching, doing their traveling by team and wagon and later by small cars.

They are the parents of five children; Alice J. Follmer, Viola Darlene Hepperle, Luanna Joan Graf, Glen and Burnette and Betty Schweigert.

Over the years they have enjoyed the neighborhood picnics as well as the Fourth of July celebrations in the Plevna area. They are affiliated with the Plevna Baptist Church.

ALBERT AND ELLA ROGET FOST On Their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary—1964

ALBERT AND ELLA ROGET FOST

By Marion Fost Hanson

In 1909 the Milwaukee Railroad had pushed it's rails through parts of Montana. At each station in Minnesota and Wisconsin young men with pictures were hired to meet with people and organize groups to go west.

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