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O’Fallon Flashbacks

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

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there was the cow. The joke was that Dad couldn't milk, and the cow was fresh.

We had another friend in Minneapolis named Paul Peterson and he was just dying to get out west and away from the city. He was a single man and had been around quite a lot. He proposed to Dad that he smuggle us three boys and himself on the train. The only places we were likely to be caught was at a division point where the train was usually sidetracked to allow through freight and passenger trains to pass. We were about five days making the trip. The railroads were doing a land office business those days. Two passenger trains daily. The "Olympian" traveling from Chicago to Puget Sound and the "Columbian" traveling east. We had a couch set up in the car, also a bed for sleeping. At a division point we three boys managed to hide under the couch and never got caught, but Paul fouled up once. I think it was at Aberdeen or Mobridge where he had to come through with $2.00. Sometimes we were held up a long time on the sidetracks, and it would get stuffy under that couch, also, we had the cow to take care of and it fell my lot to milk her as I was the only one that knew how.

My mother and the three girls went to Streeter, North Dakota, and stayed with some friends there until we could get a house up and a well dug. They did not come to the homestead until August 1910. Irene was born October , 1911, the youngest of us all. We were three boys and four girls. The girls are now all great grandmothers.

Upon arriving in Baker, we were side tracked, a number of cars that is. The Midland Company had a bunch of sheds built near the tracks near where the old freight house stands now. They let the settlers use the sheds to store their property which was a big convenience for every one. It was a good publicity stunt for them as they sold lumber to all of them to build their homes.

We spent several days unloading the car and fixed up the best we could. Then came the day to leave for the claim. There was no other mode of transportation save "hoofing it" and that is what we did, leading the cow. I was thirteen, Oliver, eleven and Jim, nine. About half way out we stopped at a settler's named, Mell Eggrick. They had lived there for several years. We no more than got in the yard to the water trough where the cow took a big drink, then laid down, and refused to get up and go on, so we had to leave her there. It was pretty hard on three small boys to walk over the prairie. Jim was only nine but stood it as well as any of us. I will never forget the Eggricks hospitality. Mrs. Eggrick was so kind and gave us a bite to eat. That is exactly how Montana people were in those days, even now, its heart warming to think of it.

When we came in sight of the 101 Ranch (Mulkey) we a got a thrill. Tired as we were, here at last was our famous 101

Ranch! We had heard so much about it. It was awe inspiring seeing the big log house, big sheds and barns, and innumerable corrals. We got to the claim, four miles south of

the Mulkey Ranch, before sundown and I will never forget the beautiful scene that met our eyes. The prairie was a lovely rolling sea of green grass, green as any carpet. There had been plenty of moisture that spring, after the winter of 1909. The men were not long in digging a cellar, by hand shovel, too. On his first trip Dad had bought a team of horses, a set of harness and a wagon, but the horses were still "broncs", unbroken. There was a small Russian colony just west of us, Korneychucks and Shishkowskys and Dad hired them to bring out lumber and part of our household goods at $5.00 a trip. These people were glad to get it as they had very little money, but had plenty of thrift and were hard workers. We were real lucky with the well digging not having to dig more than 12 feet to strike good water. Other settlers were not so lucky. When the folks left Montana in 1936 they had five wells on the place. We were about the only ones that had water in the house, had one of those old fashion hand pumps, but it sure was a convenience for the women folks.

We were not long in getting things settled and livable. We got quite a lot of hay in 1910. When the team got broke in, we were able to plow some, and build a sod barn and chicken coop. In 1911 we got a good crop of potatoes and vegetables. I went to work for Traweek in the fall of 1910 and got $10.00 a month, later he raised me to $15.00 a month. This was a big help for the family to keep groceries on hand.

It was also in the spring of 1910, when the Clarks, the Hansens, the Chapmans, the Bisher, the Bush family, George Emilson, the Marms and many others took homesteads in the "Chimney Creek" country. I remember the Clarks being such a musical family. When anyone finished their new house it would call for a dance with Millie at the violin, Richard at the drums and Hattie, Sid's wife, at the piano or organ.

By late 1911 the country was quite well settled. All the good land was taken up. The Webster post office was 4 miles west of us. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Webster started a little store in their homestead house, and it was not long before old man Webster became postmaster. It ran in the little house until 1916 when the new building was built by "Russian John" , then he became postmaster, but the name Webster stuck. I will never forget the Websters. The old man was a sort of a crusty old guy, but he had a heart of gold. Mrs. Webster was a sweet little silvery haired old lady and very religious. Those were happy times.

I am uncertain just what year Willard started. There was also Calumet, but it did not last long before being discontinued, the same with Violet at Mulkey's. It was named for Violet Mulkey, the only daughter. The post offices came into being almost together. There was Violet, Bisher, Knobs, Ashcroft, just over into South Dakota. Many were forced to discontinue for lack of patronage. Willard is about the only one left, that I know of. Webster had been discontinued for a long time, but the big building still stands, though a sorry looking sight, windows and doors boarded up and unpainted. No doubt it will simply collapse in due time. The only vacated place in the country is my folks place. The house and barn are still in good preserve.

The 7N [Rafter 7 N] Ranch, Norman's in 1923.

About the later part of 1911 and 1912 quite a number of settlers had children that were becoming of school age, so a few influential settlers began the battle to get schools built. Dave Martin who had 4 school age children, Russell, Wesley, Bernard and Dale, I've forgotten the name of the youngest one. Odin and Arthur Myhre were also good "pushers," but if I remember correctly, Odin was not yet married and naturally

had no children - but Art had quite a few, the one I remember best was Clarence. One of the first and I believe one of the oldest was the Myhre School. It stood a fourth of a mile north of Odin's buildings at the foot of what was known as the Myhre Hill, and it could be nasty when it rained. The Green family had three children, Lizzy, James and Cecil and the Noftskers had school children.

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The Norman School was built in about 1913 on one corner of Dad's homestead and thus got its name, but it was ill fated. In the late summer of 1924 a freak cyclone, about one fourth of a mile wide, came from the south. Mel Zink, who lived up Trail Creek about a half a mile away, had everything they had ruined. The schoolhouse was right in the path of the twister and it was reduced to kindling wood. It was an act of God that school was not in session. The Zinks were not at home. The Glen Robbins lived about half a mile away across the creek. Mrs. Robbins stood on her back porch and witnessed the havoc. An amusing thing happened at the Zinks place. The twister picked up the barn and smashed it as though it were a cracker box, but in one corner of where the barn had stood was a setting hen hatching her chickens. No doubt she couldn't imagine why her cover was so suddenly removed, anyway she didn't worry about it, but laid and hatched out her eggs. The Zinks found her on their return home. It really was sort of cute as far as the hen was concerned, but an awful blow to the Zinks' property and the Norman School. It was the only freak cyclone anyone ever saw in that area, but many of us saw hail storms that almost equaled a cyclone.

When the Norman School was rebuilt, it was west on Trail Creek and rechristened the Trail Creek School. Many children attended these schools. All six of the Norman kids, I never attended school after leaving Minneapolis, as I was usually away somewhere working. I did not quite finish 7th grade. I never saw the inside of a high school. The four girls all received good educations, graduating from high school. Ollie, the oldest, took a business course in Miles City. Helen took a teaching course and taught the Botner School west of Webster. Among families with children attending this school were the Coreys and the Wolenetz. There was also a school over near the Calumet post office but I was not much acquainted there. East of us was the Varner School and a wild one it was at times. There were about five husky Varner boys, besides the two or three girls. The boys sure could be "rowdies" when they wanted to be. Besides the Varners there were the Albert Hansen children, Audrey, Fred, Milford and Mildred (twins) and the Roy Johnson children. There were other children that attended there also. Mrs. Amelia Newell had three or four of school age. She was a widow. Farther east was the Rusley School and south of Knobs was the Prairie Rose School, that had quite an enrollment with all of Urvin Cox's children, the Harry and Inga Tronstad children. lnga later became Mrs. Anderson, after Harry's death. They had one son, Mads Anderson, and a fine boy he was and smart, graduated from Bozeman College or it might have been Billings. He married Carl Lentz's daughter and they moved to Denver. All the kids I have mentioned got a good education, most of them went through the Baker High school, many attended college and most of them now scattered to the four winds. Actually the schoolhouse set on Clark's land, but was only a stones throw to Varner's house. Incidentally, the Varner place was one of the best half sections in that whole area. It was Mrs. Varner's "desert claim." Most of the Varner's are dead now excepting Edward, the youngest, and there is Herbie Varner, son of Bill and Annette. If I ever get to Baker again I sure want to see Herbie and his Mom, Annette. He has a family now. He and my boy were the greatest pals when they were small. He sure was a nice boy. Art Tronstad owns the Varner place now and he raises mostly hay, a far cry from what it used to be. All the Tronstads that are left are doing fine and have prosperous ranches, equipped with electricity and modern homes, another far cry from when we lived there.

I knew Frances Tronstad (Art's wife) when she was just a pre-school child. She had a sister, Alice, nicknamed, "Bug." Her mom and dad were fine people and lived in the Willard community near the Lunder family.

I must tell about how some of the younger people, especially the girls, made it through high school - for several winters my mother moved into town with her own girls. She rented a house and ran sort of a boarding house. It didn't cost any one much as each girl's parents paid their share of the rent, and groceries were brought in from home for the most part. My mom had as many as eight girls there, but every one got along fine and every one was happy.

 

Ready to go back to work at the Norman place, 1923. Oliver holding the lines, Jim on one

of the horses and Basil Wright who was helping at the farm at the time. Basil Wright was an army buddy of Ing Norman's in France. According to Ing, he was a real good worker. But was also a real good "drinker" of a certain "bootlegger's moonshine." The "bootlegger" lived about seven or eight miles east of the Norman ranch and I I moonshine" was his only source of income. The revenue boys never did catch up with the "stills" as the owner had them hidden back in the Bad Lands.

Along about 1912 and '13 and '14 we were getting good crops and the settlers were beginning to get somewhat prosperous. Then came the year of 1915 and it was a "banner year!" It was common for wheat to make up to 40 bushels per acre. Oats and barley fifty or better. World War I was well under way in Europe and prices for farm products skyrocketed. When you took a four-horse load of wheat to town, you had to wait your turn to unload and it was a chore to find a livery barn to keep your horses in. I was in North Dakota then working on a big wheat farm, but a bumper crop 'was harvested here too. Everything simmered along quite 'well for several years, until 1919 when there was a total failure. It was so dry that spring the seed could not germinate. I came home from France about May 25, 1919, but what a sorry looking country I saw. Russian thistles covered all of the fields, and many farmers were forced to cut them for winter-feed. There never has been or ever will be a year like .1915. Even so, the year 1919 was not as much as a patch, compared to 1934 and in the midst of the Depression. There were quite a lot of cattle left in the country but nothing at all for them to eat. The major companies in the east were glutted with western cattle, and the railroad got so they would not

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carry anymore cattle without a substantial down payment for freight. That was when Roosevelt and the New Deal had to step in and take the cattle off the farmer's hands. A calf brought $8.00, a two year old $12.00 and a full-grown cow or steer $20.00 which was the limit. We had to trail them to Baker. About eight of us threw in together for the drive. I had close to 100 head, counting the calves. I had been 10 years building up the herd. We sure were a sad and heavyhearted group of men, knowing that the end of our cattle business was at hand. As we rode along slowly behind them, hardly anyone spoke. The same ache was in our hearts, and some of us felt like crying. I know I did.

The cattle were sorted over, after a fashion, in the Baker stockyards and the "culls" were driven up west on Sandstone Creek and shot. It sure made my heart bleed when I remembered all the hungry people I saw in France and also as a child in Minneapolis. We must give Roosevelt credit, though, for bringing the country through the Depression. Had it not been for the W.P.A. and farm and seed loans it's hard to tell what would have happened. As it was, it was "chaos next to ruination." It sure showed up in Baker, as we were then living in town as I was awarded the Webster-Baker mail contract for four years. By then I had been married for several years. Olive Nelson, a schoolteacher, and I were married in Baker in December of 1926.

In 1935 we had gotten sick and tired of those dust and sandstorms in the country, we even had to shake the dust and sand out of our bed clothes before we could go to bed. So, I told the family, "enough of this, we are moving to town." By then my wife was teaching school and getting $60.00 per month and with the mail route income, I was ineligible for any W.P.A. work, but I did not mind in the least, as other folks were in much worse shape than we.

I forgot to mention that I had to register for the draft in early 1917, and in the spring of 1918 when I was working on a ranch near Dillon, Montana I received my "invitation" card to go to war. I came back to Baker and left from there. There were about 20 of us from Baker, Ekalaka, Ollie, and the Box Elder country that took off. What a send off they gave us! The Baker ladies had a regular banquet for us. What a meal it was! I remember well that Grace and Ed Burke gave Art Carlson and myself a whole carton of Camel cigarettes to show their good will. All of us did not get to France, but Art, myself, Carl Lentz and Harry Schenck did. Also Billy Newell, who was a great pal of mine, we were always together at dances, but he was killed in France. I must not forget Sandy Replinger, who was also in the bunch. He sure was a good scout. He was city marshall (Baker) for a year or so later on. We boarded the "Olympian" and were given a Pullman car, meals were served in a dining car, I think it was our first meal in a railroad dining car, for me it was.

We were about three days getting to Camp Lewis, having to make stops to pick up more men at Harlowtown, from there to Lewistown and other towns, all for the same reason.

To get back to the early homesteading days, I might add that there were many humorous experiences. I will try to repeat a few of them to the best of my memory. When we first came to Eastern Montana, the whole southeastern corner of the state was Custer County, with Miles City as the county seat. The area was much larger than many eastern states. It was not long before there was talk and plans of dividing the big county. Fallon and Carter were to be one, Custer and Powder to be another. The east side was to have the name of Fallon, and Baker as the county seat. There was not much bickering about the west side as it already had the name of Custer and Miles City was already the county seat. There was much bickering and rivalry between Ekalaka and Baker as to which should be the county seat. Many speeches and mud slinging took place. There were quite a number of old-time ranchers in and around Ekalaka who referred to the Baker bunch as a gang of "honyoks" who knew little or nothing about the country anyway, that Ekalaka was the oldest town in that part of the state and should be entitled to be the county seat. One night there was an Ekalaka Rally in the Botner School. John Oliver, the Ekalaka banker and several other dignitaries were there. Oliver was the speech master, and he was a good talker, he went on and on about all the reasons favoring Ekalaka. They had fine timber, water, and other natural resources, when some one piped up in the rear of the audience (the place was full) and said," We've got a lake full of water in Baker, beside ten or twelve cottonwood trees by the ice house, which is all the forest we need!" The whole house sure roared. Baker got the county seat and there was much bragging in the old Baker Sentinel, the local newspaper. Well, the outcome was that Custer County was divided up into four counties within a year or so, and Ekalaka became county seat of Carter County. Custer and Powder also divided with Broadus as county seat of Powder River. Everyone was willing to let bygones be bygones.

Also, any old timer will remember the "Beaver Valley Railroad" and what a farce and swindle it turned out to be. A man and his wife, daughter, and her boy friend came to Baker and set up housekeeping on the south side of town near the water tank hill. The daughter's boy friend was a crook and a swindler with plenty of experience. The older folks were no better, and nothing much could be said of the daughter. It was the year of 1916, 1 was about 19 years old and working for Frank Webster, close to the store and the post office. There was quite a lot of excitement stirred up about a railroad being built from Marmarth, up Beaver Creek to Ekalaka. People were still flushed with proceeds of the big crop year of 1915.

These crooks conceived the idea of surveying a town site at Webster and hired surveyors to go out and plan out a town

site. Of course the Webster's and real close neighbors were highly flattered, and went out among the farmers, selling "railroad stock" at $1.00 per acre, which meant $320.00 per half section. There was not much cash that changed hands, but-, many "notes" were signed for $320.00 or more as everyone wanted as many "shares" as possible in the coming new railroad. The survey crew boarded at Frank Webster's where I worked, and the four shysters came out periodically to see how "things" were going. As I said, I was only 19 but here was something about those people that smelled like dead fish to me. Deep inside of me I knew they were phonies, but. I said nothing as I was just a "green farm kid." The town site was finally finished at Webster and a big 4th of July celebration was planned , and the lots were put up for sale. The 4th came but the celebration failed to materialize and the "promoters" had left for parts unknown, after cashing the gilt edge notes the farmers had given them for the shares. Its very likely they sold the notes at local banks at a discount. They hooked my dad for $320.00 as well as many others. The notes had to be paid, but the "shares" were not worth the paper they were written on.

Poor old Websters lost their home over the swindle and had to go back to Wisconsin where they came from, and some years later, died there. It was about that time that "Russian John" put up the new store and post office and became the new postmaster.

More amusing news was that there was an old bachelor by the name of Chris Niter, living about a mile west on Little Beaver Creek. He was going to have a spur put in from the main line to his place and name it Niter's Junction. He would put up an elevator and stockyards. More dreams that were never realized. Old Chris Niter was a real good soul and good for many laughs. One night I was going to a dance over in

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that country and stopped to ask the right way. He said to sit down and he would make a cup of coffee, and I did. He got a salt sack, put whole coffee beans in it and pulverized them with a hammer, the result was good coffee. As has been said, Chris Niter was a kindly, good hearted fellow and very civic minded. In reality he was a widower and had a grown son named, Elzie, that lived with him. They lived not far from the Breckenridge Ranch and close to the Sherwin family. Along about 1913, Chris prevailed up on Jim Pepper, who was county commissioner at that time, to have a road built through that part of the country. He also did a lot of work and team travel getting petitions signed around the country and the net result was the Niter Road of which Chris was very proud. Bob Yokley succeeded Jim Pepper as county commissioner, and he was instrumental in getting the 101 road in the late 1913-14 which surely was a big convenience for all the people in the south country. The Niter Road was about half way between the 101 road and the Ekalaka Highway.

Ing Norman's first pigs owned in Montana. He buaght them from George Colbo for $3.00 each and sold them for 5 and 6 cents a pound.

Quite a few families were living on and close to the Niter road, among these the Lee family, the Footes who lived further north, the Bert Cates, the Freman Cates and others. I was back in Fallon County for a short visit in October, 1972 and I visited Harold Tronstad and family. It's about the place the Niter road started from, but is now almost out of existence. The grade is all grassed over, one must look close to tell a road was ever there.

There were many incidents that took place, some humorous and others not. One thing for certain, one had to possess a good sense of humor to get along best. I am reminded of the family that built and operated the Knobs store and post office. They were from South Dakota, named, Barney Haying. Their store was quite a lot larger than the new store at Webster, two story, the upper part was used as a dance hall, social functions, and church services. It was a long way from Baker from where they bought their stock. Actually the store was only one mile from the Dakota line and closer to Marmarth, but no roads of any kind and over very rough country. The Hayings had two sons and one daughter. The older son and daughter were not at home much being away to school in South Dakota, but Jess, the younger boy stayed home and was a big help to his folks. One spring, I think it was about 1913, Jess and his father went to Baker to bring back a stock of groceries. They had a four-horse team and wagon and had spent several days getting loaded. As yet there had not been a bridge built across Little Beaver Creek, and it sure could get treacherous in the early spring. It would let loose just over night and become the size of a river just over a twenty-four hour period, with a real swift current and large chunks of ice. While the Hayings were in town that trip, Little Beaver let loose, and when they got to it, it was like a river. Jess, who was doing the driving thought he could make it over the old crossing, and into it they went. About half way across, the current was so swift, also deeper than thought, the wagon was half submerged and the current so strong that it turned the wagon down stream. The wagon box, groceries and everything else was floated off the wagon running gear. Down the creek went the wagon box and its contents likely ending in the Little Missouri at Marmarth if it didn't get smashed up by the ice chunks. Of course, when the wagon box floated off leaving the running gear, the four horses panicked, but Jess managed to hang on to the lines and got on to the running gear and got to the opposite bank, but his father was not as lucky. He was forced to jump off the load and into the icy water that was neck deep. Luckily the Mulkey's lived on the opposite side and the Hayings were made comfortable. To many people it was a funny episode when they heard about it, but no doubt there was nothing funny about it to the Hayings, as the entire load of groceries, including the wagon box, was a total loss. No doubt some of the Knobs store patrons went hungry for awhile, as the country around there was getting quite well settled by then and the Hayings were doing a good business. They had to wait for old Beaver Creek to recede before a new stock of groceries could be hauled out. The Knobs store kept on until the Depression, by then many people had left the country and they were forced to close their operations. The Hayings moved to Washington. Jess married there. Old Barney lies buried in the same cemetery as my brother, Oliver.

Mr. Mulkey died a sad death during the Depression, in Baker. He had a cancer in an ear and suffered terribly for several years. Violet, the daughter, preceded him in death a few years. The Mulkey's still lived at the ranch when I became the Webster mail carrier. The Violet post office had long since been discontinued. I always took the mail sack into the house when I got to their place. After the old ranch house burned, they had moved another house there and rebuilt it to some sort. But they were broke flat after those disastrous fires and depression. The old man always wanted me to sit down and talk to him a short while. He would cry like a babe as he told how hale and hearty and strong he once was, about the long rides and the long hours he put in as a cowpuncher. It was really pitiful, and I almost came to tears in sympathy for him. He was a kindly man and gave many a "honyock" free hay, meat, potatoes, and other staples. His machinery was never home much as neighbors had it "borrowed". He had some close neighbors. One in particular, who lived across the creek, named Nick Fedora. He was really a card. Nick got so he would not even ask to borrow, he would just go and help himself, but Mulkey soon put a stop to that.

Bert Smith also lived across the creek, the John Greem family lived down creek a ways, also Art Goodman, another bachelor. Bert Smith was quite a "comedian". He had been married once, but divorced. Eventually he married Katie Kingsley and Katie knew how to keep him in line. They moved into Baker where Bert found work. Katie was a good woman, an excellent manager and she sure made a good man out of Bert.

To the southeast of Mulkeys were the Loran and the Sebastian Rambur families. Mrs. Rambur was a Loran before she married. Clarence Northrop, another bachelor who finally got a wife through a "lonely hearts club". The marriage didn't last very long. Another bachelor was George Colbo that married Julia Bush, of the Bush family further south. Julia died in the bad winter of 1919. My mother nursed her

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for about a week. I worked for the Colbos all of 1914 and they surely were a nice family.

North of the 101 lived many families and bachelors. About the first one north was the Odin Myhre family. After Odin brought his bride out from the east, many a weary wheat hauler and traveler never knew of a more hospitable family than the Myhres. There was constantly a steaming pot of hot coffee on the stove and a bite of lunch to go with it. Art Myhre's lived west of the Myhre School about a mile. There were the Noftskers, the Kreagers, the Stanhopes, the Homer Youngs, the Cates, and many others. This was called Minnesota Valley. Through this valley was Hidden Water Creek, where we always stopped to feed and water our horses enroute to Baker. After the "banner year" of 1915 many came out with a new Model T Ford, making for much faster transportation. It sure was something to get to Baker in a little over an hour, providing a rain didn't come along ... the gumbo was really something to contend with.

During the Depression and the "New Deal" most of our roads were scorioed or graveled, but the scorio soon pulverized and blew away. Hi-ways and Freeways like we have today were undreamed of. One time while carrying mail, it was the last day of school at the Myhre School. The families were all there and a picnic was in progress. Nothing to do but to have the mailman stop and have some ice cream, cake and coffee, and it was a treat. I've forgotten the teachers name, but she married Aldie Stanhope shortly after the school term was over. Aldie and Sam Barkley married sisters. This can give the average person an idea how hospitable and open hearted the early settlers in southeastern Montana were.

The Depression and hard times is what dampened everything, as is the usual way of life. I could go on and on about things both humorous and otherwise that took place in Fallon County, Montana.

My parents and brother, Jim, moved to Washir1gton in 1936. Montana was getting to be a tough place to live by then. My brother, Oliver, and his family, also moved west. Jim died in 1954, and Oliver in 1962.

Almost every community boasted a baseball team in the season. "Willard Giants" had theirs with Ped Akers as manager and promoter. Webster had theirs, but no other team name. They had some crack players. Roy Johnson -was a top notch pitcher, Martin Tommerdahl, the two Clarks, Richard and Sidney were good ball players. Mill Iron from the Box Elder country had a team. Ray Bush from the south country was a forerunner of Babe Ruth ... how that boy could run. There was a ball diamond at Bisher post office, Mr. Bisher was known as "old Bish". Then after the Webster store was built, the games were held there. There was a ball game somewhere almost every Sunday.

There are some other people I would like to mention who were prominent in the early days. There was Hans Hansen. I remember his son, Harry, when he was no more than a toddler. Hans homesteaded about a mile south of Webster. Hans brought one of the first threshing rigs into the country and a good one it was. Harry married the Fost girl. Albert Fost was the foremost horticulturist in Fallon County, always having a beautiful display of fruit at the Fallon County Fairs. I remember the Ed Molstad family. They lived on a slight hill 2-3 miles north of Webster. They, too, had quite a large family, the oldest being Mike, who was married and lived in the Calumet country. He married Nellie Lambert.

The Lamberts lived in the Calumet area. Molstads also had two older girls but they both married and left the area. Then there were three younger children, Tom, Roy, and Alice. Alice later married Bill Lambert, a cousin of Nellie's. The Botner School set at the west Side of the Dick Botner place. My sister, Helen, taught at that school also Clarence Yokley,

 

a brother of Bob's. Dick Botner was a bachelor and had been lawyer, but how he liked to drink. He never was known to come from Baker sober, but was always the scholarly gentleman.

There were the Swanson brothers, Gus and Emil, also Matt Olinger, all bachelors. At that time, before we got trucks, two days were required to get a load of wheat to town for people who lived so far from Baker and many a party was indulged in during the night in town. Emil Swanson was particular gay with a few drams of "joy water" under his belt. He would sing in Swedish and would prevail upon Matt to sing a song in German. I was just a kid and stood in the background but not missing a bit of the entertainment.

Fires took their toll in those early days. The very first one I can remember was of the Flasted ranch house about nine miles south of us. It was a log structure that burned to the ground in the fall of 1910. The next of any consequence that I can remember was our own homestead house that my dad had worked so hard to build. I was not home at the time, being in North and South Dakota harvesting. It seemed that my mother and dad and two of the girls were at home. It was in November, in 1921, and it was getting plenty cold. Dad built a fire in the cook stove and as was customary filled the teakettle so as to have hot water for washing and coffee making. They both went to the barn to milk and do other chores, my dad declared he never could learn the art of milking, so my mother would do that, he was helpful in carrying the heavy pails of milk and doing the separating, however. The two girls were still asleep in the bedroom. Ollie was soon due to be married to Al Selle of Miles City, and Ruth was about twelve. All that could be figured out was that a gust of wind blew the front stove door open allowing hot embers of coal to fall out on the kitchen floor and setting it afire. When the folks came out of the barn they saw the whole house one mass of flames and burning like a cracker box. Ollie had presence of mind to break out the bedroom window and the two girls got out, barefooted and in their nightgowns. Ruth was well nigh hysterical. Poor Ollie lost every stitch of her wedding trousseau, including her diamond ring. Their plans were to be married at the home place. Neighbors who saw the smoke were not long in coming. Before night scads of clothing and food had been delivered and good neighbors turned out to help the folks build the present house.

Ma Norman standing in doorway. She was cooking for son, Ing Norman, while he was busy heading wheat. The shack was built mostly from scraps salvaged from the Barber homestead house. Looks rather "Bleak. "

 

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The Hans Tronstad family were fire victims and had small children. Their house burned to the ground and as usual the neighbors turned out from everywhere to help Hans build a new house which still stands.

I've mentioned that we moved into town in 1935, renting a cheap house to begin with. In early 1936, Fallon County decided to hold an auction on Baker city lots for the lack of taxes being paid. I bought two choice lots just back of the Catholic Church at $25.00 each. I had bought the Sleeth homestead house, close to my folks, and a sheet metal granary for $60.00. I had rented the Sleeth land for a number of years but crops and prices were poor that 1 gave it up. I hired Tom Lunder, who had a good dual wheel truck, to pull the house in town and set it on my lot. I also hired Percy Sawyer to engineer things for me and he was good. The house was just a two-room shell but well built and was easy to move. I built on a nice addition and made it modern.

Well, to make a long story short, I spread out beyond my means and the result was that I got myself in debt up to my eyebrows. Then the winter of 1937-38 proved to be a corker with deep snow and bitter cold. By then I had accumulated the north mail route, due to the passing of Francis Erickson, the original contractor. There was a record that winter of forty-seven straight days of below zero weather, 30 and 40 below not uncommon. I will leave it to the imagination what a mail carrier had to contend with. The north route was a "bear cat". Going out on the south route twice a week was something of a "joy road". It was plenty cold but no where near the amount of snow as the north road had. One car after another was torn up, in getting the mail through, and I had repair bills by the wholesale. Elmer Newell and wife had moved into town the fall before and he offered to help me on those mail trips. I told him I would be more than glad to have his help, but I would not be able to pay him much of anything as I was so deeply in debt. Elmer told me not to worry about that as he had nothing to do anyway. He sure was a good scout and as resourceful as the day is long. He had worked for me awhile on the farm before he and Alice Myhre were married. Eventually he went to work for C. H. Duppler, the farm machinery dealer. I've heard old "Dup" say that Elmer was the best mechanic he ever had and that was something for "Dup" to say as he was sort of a crusty fellow and had to be suited.

Well, the month of June 1938 came at last and the mail routes were so drastically cut that I wanted no more. I'd had my fill of carrying mail. Andy Andolsheck got the south route and Leonard Howell got the Baker-Ekalaka route. I saw where it was the end for me to live in town and I began looking for a farm to rent. There were plenty of deserted farms up north, mostly owned by the Federal Land Bank. I rented a quarter section, the Wolverton place, which had good buildings, water, and a windmill. I sold my house in town at a terrible sacrifice in order to get at least partly out of debt. 1 also rented a section and a half of railroad land that had an excellent pasture and much farmland. What was left of my farm machinery was still out south plus six cows and a few calves. This all took place in the fall of 1938. 1 still had my old farm truck and it served the purpose well for moving my machinery. I also rented a Federal Land Bank section across the road and gave permission to a family to live in the buildings so they could send their children to school, where our two attended at the O'Donnell School. Mrs. Shepherd taught that school for many years. The family later moved to Spokane. This family I spoke of was the Ross Cameron family. They had four children, Colin, Terry, one girl, I can't recall her name, and the youngest one was Allan. They were real neighbors. Terry has been sheriff of Fallon County a long time. Ross was a good scout. He helped me all winter long in moving machinery. ln the fall of 1938 we took in Hans Haydahl and the three of us got up our winter coal. I had the truck and each party furnished his gas, which at times was a problem with money so short, but we got along fine and had fun too. It was a cold winter and we really enjoyed that full coal bin. The Cameron's still live in Baker, I talked to them by phone last fall, 1972.

In early 1941 1 applied for and received a farm security loan through an agency of the "New Deal," purpose of which was to pay off old debts, and get more equipment and livestock. It sure was a lifesaver for many of us "busted" farmers. We were able to start anew.

My lease on the Wolverton place would be up in 1945. The Federal Land Bank land was bought by the Koenig family and the younger Koenig bought the railroad land, but I was completely out of debt now so the fall of 1944 1 decided to have an auction sale and leave the country, before things got bad again, besides, my marital status was poor and my domestic life-nil. My wife, Olive, had taken a school in Entiat, Washington, that I knew nothing about and she and OLLr daughter left Fallon County in the summer of '44. Olive's folks lived in Spokane, 150 miles east of Entiat and Wenatchee. The boy and I engineered the sale. It was a good sale and everything clear, I felt like a brand new person, just to be out of debt and plenty of money in the bank. We had a pick-up truck by then and we loaded it with our household goods and headed west. Our only headache was the gasoline rationing, on account of the war, tires were also hard to get, but we had good rubber on the truck. We got to Entiat in due time and in good shape. The very next day after arrival 1 went to work in an apple packing shed, as the fruit harvest was in full swing, and anyone able bodied, male or female was expected to hit the ball in the fruit harvest. Even the schools were closed down for two weeks so the older children could help. Apples were the main crop, but peaches, pears, apricots, cherries and grapes were also grown. It sure was a busy area. I 'worked in the packing shed until the end of the year when the fruit was all packed and in cold storage.

About January l st, 1945 I went to Seattle and went right to work in Civil Service for the Navy near Bremerton and stayed with it for 2 years. The wife refused to live on the coast and took the kids back to Entiat where she had signed up to teach. The War ended in late 1945 and many Civil Service employees were laid off, myself among them, and as I said my domestic life was nothing so I signed up to go to Alaska. The wife sued for a divorce in Wenatchee, and I did not a thing to contest it. Late in the same year I received a telegram from my brother, Jim stating that our mother had passed away. I boarded the first plane, leaving Anchorage and landing in Seattle in a matter of hours. The folks then lived in Everett, Washington. Mother had suffered a stroke two years before her death, she was seventy-seven years old then. I was at a loss what to do after the funeral, as I was in reality a man without a home. but I went back down to Seattle and stayed with Glen and Bea Robbins, old neighbors of ours. I stayed several days and one day while walking up the street, I saw a sign in a window, "Carpenters Wanted" at Ross Dam, which was up in north western Washington on the Skagit River. I thought to myself, why not, I've done carpenter work, but the dam was far different than what I was used to. It was heavy construction work, but I hired to them and stayed a year. In the spring of 1950, 1 signed up for a year's contract as a carpenter at Adak, on the Aleutian chain. I met Kittle Lee, who use to live on the Niter Road, and Leon LaCross, who used to be in Baker and a brother of Louie. I stayed up there fourteen months and came home with a good stake. When I got back to Seattle my son was about to graduate from the college in Pullman, Washington, so I went there. On the lst of June my son had his birthday, graduated from college, and as a member of the ROTC, received his commission, all on the same day.

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Four generations; Robert C. Norman, left foreground; Oliver Norman, left back; James Norman, back right; and Ricky Norman, Jim's son, right front.

My dad lived to be well past ninety-five years. His later years were spent in a Veteran's Dorniciliar at Prescott, Arizona. As earlier stated, he was an Indian War veteran. He was buried beside my mother in Everett, Washington.

My daughter, Bessie Jeanette, graduated from the Deaconess Hospital at Spokane, Washington and at present is a public health nurse on the Choctaw Indian Reservation at Talihina, Oklahoma.

Well, this about concludes my story of early days in Montana when Fallon was a part of Custer County. Fallon got its name from O'Fallon Creek where the Bill Fulton Ranch was located. To me, no other ranch had the glory and romance of the "old 101." 1 now live in a veterans' home in Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Sincerely, Ing Norman.

MRS. J. J. O'CONNER

I was born in Wisconsin in 1892. My parents homesteaded there in 1896. 1 grew up and received my elementary and summer Normal School education there preparing myself for teaching school. My parents were farmers.

In 1927 at the age of 35, 1 came to Plevna, Montana to teach near there. I subsequently married J. J. O'Conner and we took up farming and stockraising.

We saw, along with others of this area, good years and dry ones; good winters and long hard ones. We had to travel long distances over poor roads to do business or enjoy social affairs.

We enjoyed local rodeos, 4th of July celebrations along with our neighbors.

We have one son, Martin. He and his wife and their four children live on the place 15 miles southeast of Baker. We are now retired and live in Baker.

Mr. J. J. O'Conner says, "I would like to contribute my experience as a homesteader in Fallon County.

I got a chance to buy a fellow's relinquishment, which I did. Then I filed on the land, so I became a bonified Montana Homesteader, which of course felt pretty good. I started to make plans for the future, but World War I started about that time and disrupted my plans. I was lucky enough to get back to Montana after the war was over and started farming and ranching in 1921.

My wife and I were married in Baker in 1928, and we have lived in Fallon County ever since. Our son and his wife and children are living on land adjoining my old homestead. I have "hung" on to my old homestead for over sixty years now - from 1914 to 1974. Quite a record! I still own the land and I always kept my taxes paid up too.

In closing I'll use an old phrase often heard back home when I was a boy. It is to all you folks in Fallon County. "May God bless all of you and I wish you well."

CAROLINE ESTHER HANRATTY

MIKE O'DONNELL

Caroline Esther Hanratty came to Montana in 1911 to be with her sister, Jule, and Elmer Hibbard. She filed on the place where Mattie Hanratty now lives. When Tom Hanratty came, a little later, she relinquished the claim to him.

Esther didn't last long in this land of bachelors and she soon fell for the wiles of a long, lean, Irishman, Michael Richard O'Donnell. They were married in Miles City in June of 1912, with Katherine Hanratty and William Murphy as witnesses.

Mike and Jim O'Donnell spent their early boyhood at Hawley doing the many things that boys can always find to do. Jim being 7 years older than Mike was naturally the right hand of the family and the true teamster. Mike being younger was detailed to the herding of the town of Hawley's milk cow herd on the grass outside of the town. He tells of how he "bull-dozed" the neighboring kids into bringing him candy every time they came from town or he caused them trouble. As he had to have a horse to ride to herd the cows, this gave him a bit of an advantage that the quick and

devilish mind took advantage of. He was taken by an Indian Squaw who had lost her baby and gone a bit out of her mind, when he was a little one. Some "parlying" on the part of his father got him returned unharmed and therefore his descendants carried the name of O'Donnell instead of possibly "Running Bear" or "Standing Elk" or maybe "Sleeping Duck." The O'Donnell brothers were true Minnesota teamsters and had a lot of the big Minnesota draft animals.

In 1908 Jim and Mike went to Montana and worked around Beach, N. Dak. on threshing rigs. Then in 1909 they brought an emigrant car, which was a railroad car, with all the necessities to start a new life in a new country. With them they brought some of their big Minnesota horses. They homesteaded north and east of the town of Baker. In 1912 Mike married Caroline Esther Hanratty. Both Jim and Mike were known around the neighborhood for their love of family and neighbor. They had a great zest for living and loved to visit people and talk. Jim never married. His soul object in life was to help Mike raise "That hellish batch of young ones." and to have an occasional rip-roaring party in one of the local bars. In later years Jim's capacity for drink was very small and it increased his ability to whoop and holler amazingly. Never was there anything but "Good-natured" alcohol went down his throat and he swore to never touch another drop after each party. He was a very hard worker and kept a very neat place. His only need for money was if it would get the kids something, or could help out a friend. His

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first love was children and he helped all his nieces and nephews on their way and then got a good start on the grandnieces and nephews before his death. Just 3 days before his death he rode his horse down to Ray's (a nephew) who lived on Jim's homestead, to see how they were doing.

Mike and Esther were married in Miles City in 1912, and promptly on schedule in 1913 the first little Irishman made her appearance. Mary was born on March 18, and how much better than that could a follower of St. Patrick do? Mary attended the O'Donnell School which was about a quarter of a mile from Mike's home. She went to high school in Baker and later went to California. She was married to A. R. Harrison in California and they had one daughter, Kathleen. Harry died before Kathleen was born. Mary then returned to Montana with her infant daughter and lived at home and worked at different jobs in Baker. In 1945 Mary married Tom Patton and they had two sons, John and Robert. Mary is presently living in Billings, Montana. Mary is all Irish, loving to meet and talk with everyone. She would loan you the "shirt off her back" if you had any need for it. She also dotes on driving all the little boy nephews crazy, by kissing them and telling them how pretty they look.

Robert joined the family in November of 1914. The O'Donnell babies were noted for their black hair (very often curly) and beautiful eyes. Bob started following in Mary's track down to the school, but a diligent eye was kept on im to be sure he didn't get sidetracked, as he never believed in walking if there was a horse around. He was his Dad's right hand man, Uncle Jim's devoted follower, and he tried most things that are necessary to be tried at that age. He had a firm hand in raising the younger brothers and sisters using the motto "Do as I say, not as I do."

He served in World War II, and married Erma Koenig. They have four children, James, Raymond, Karen, and Susan.

Howard joined the family circle for a short time. He died in the 1918 flu times.

Ruth was born in 1917. She was truly one of the "beautiful people." The curly black hair and sweet face was a sure winner. She was stricken with spinal meningitis as a young girl and her mother always said it was only through God's kindness, the diligent nursing of Lorene Kirschten and Aunt Julia and the untiring efforts of the good local doctor and his wife that Ruth lived. At that time this disease was almost always fatal. Ruth started to high school but then went home and took care of the little ones when Mother O'Donnell was in Minneapolis undergoing serious surgery for some time. Ruth has always mothered the whole clan and this is still the favorite gathering place of all. She married Mervin Rustad of Ollie, and they have three children

Wayne, Marilyn, and Rosalie.

Rose was born in 1919, blue eyed, black haired and loved to be a tomboy. One of the greatest things about this family was the very closeness between the children and the fact that there was always room for one more, and never a time when there wasn't at least one more and probably more. Rose attended Baker High and worked in one of the local banks for some time. She was her mother’s right arm in her later days, a wonderful housekeeper and cook and according to her younger brothers and sisters a good top sergeant when it came to disciplining. She married Everett Myhre and they have three children, Odin, Mary Alice, and Paul.

Raymond joined the ranks in 1922. Another "Black Irishman." He unwillingly attended the rural school and under great protest went on to higher "larning" at Baker High. He tried to not get too involved with his school work in preference to other outside activities such as hunting, trapping and trying to ride crazy horses. He served a hitch in the C.C.C. (which was the first Conservation foothold). He worked for V. G. Hooker and then stayed at home and helped his dad as he was the oldest boy at home. He married Verna Ferguson in 1946, and immediately started to follow in his fathers footsteps. They have ten children, Mike, Kathy, Dan, Maureen, Nora, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Patrick, Laureen, and Matthew. One little girl, Mollie died at the age of one year. Ray and Verna moved on to Jim's home place and have made their home there.

John James, known as Jackie was the next baby and he died while very small.

Frances Eugene was the next arrival, and did his best to upset all rules for the upbringing of children, such as claiming he got lost in the fog and couldn't find his way to school and etc. He worked for the U. C. Cattle Co. in Utah and Nevada and made one flying trip to Arizona. off one train and on the next. He worked for the M.D.U. Co. and married Ruth Mary Stark. On his wedding day he received his summons into the United States Army. According to him this qualifies him as the only living man to get into two full-scale wars on one day. They have seven children, Terry, Sheila, Tom, Tim, Sean, Shevawn, and Shannon. Sounds like the Litany of the Saints being read on St. Patrick's Day.

Margaret was the next in line and a beauty she was from the day she was born. She had the beautiful black curly hair and never did manage to reach an awkward stage like everyone is supposed to. Her main object in life as a little one was to protect her brother Herb from the neighbor kids at school. If anyone was going to kill him it was going to be her. After graduation from high school she worked in Baker and married Art Koenig. They live north and east of Baker. They have 7 children; Linda, Margie, Dick, Jackie, Howard, Barbara, and Steve.

Herbert was a small peaceful fellow (after all with all those bigger ones, what else can you do?) and the pride of his dad's eye. He started driving tractors and trucks when he could hardly see over the wheel. After his graduation he stayed on the home place with his dad, and after Mother O'Donnell's death he made a home for his dad. He married Carole Olsen in 1957 and they have five children, Scott, Todd, Irene, Tracy and Vance.

Elizabeth blessed the O'Donnels in 1936. She raced the stork on a minus 30 degree February day. Mike won (but not too comfortably) and Betty as she was called came through with flying colors. She was a doll to see and according to her big, brothers and sisters a bit spoiled (now who in the world could have done that?) and according to her dad she was perfect...I'm afraid we'd have to agree. She married Robert Schuck of Rhame, N. Dak. and they have four children, Cindy, Lisa, Doug, and Sidney. Betty runs a happy home that is always open to another kid or two.

Esther, or Mother O'Donnell as she was known died in December of 1950, and left such a vacancy in the neighborhood and family that it seemed it would never heal.

Uncle Jim died the next summer.

Mike continued to live with his son, Herb, until the old home place where Mike had brought Esther as a young mother, was badly damaged by fire. He then went and stayed with his daughter Marge. Mike was one of the very fortunate ones that never grew cynical of his fellow man. Always he was on the side of the young people. He never knew a bad kid, but they might be going through a bad age. His advice of "Don't worry Mrs., he's at a bad age" was a never ceasing, comfort to daughters and daughters-in-law alike...of course sometimes we never did find a "good age!" Mike quietly slipped away to join Esther in July of 1971 at the age of 91. In addition to his nine children and their husbands and wives, forty-six grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, Mike

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left a host of friends and neighbors who will always remember him as a strong and wonderful head to the "Montana Clan of O'Donnell's. "

WILLIAM OHLRICH

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ohlrich, the parents of William Ohlrich, were living in Miffin, Wisconsin when he was born in 1890. As a boy William helped on the farm and with harvesting in the summer. In the winter his duties included taking care of the livestock and other farm chores.

In 1910, the Ohlrich family moved to Montana by emigrant car and settled on a homestead at Cabin Creek north of Baker. They found that they had problems with the snow and cold winters. There were no roads on which to go the great distances to the towns.

In spite of the difficulties in getting settled and making a living they had good times at dances, church, rodeos, picnics, box socials, Fourth of July Celebrations and baseball games with many good neighbors. Some of the neighbors were; Marshel Rife, Sam Rife, Ed Fortney, Rube Haven, Joe Ziebarth, Jim Pratt, Wallace Pratt, Pete Pratt, Harry Benson, James Perry, Yates, and Frank Bellis.

Jennie Probert and William Ohlrich were married at Miles City, Montana on June 12, 1929.

Jennie was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Probert, who were homesteaders and stockgrowers at Sheldon, North Dakota. Jennie was born into this family in 1896. As she was growing up, she attended a rural school during the winter months and helped with the work at home during the summer. After finishing high school at Owego, she attended college at Moorhead, Minnesota and State Teachers College at Valley City, North Dakota, after which she became a schoolteacher.

In 1924, when she was twenty-eight years old, Jenny came to Baker by railroad train and settled south of Baker. Five years later she married William. They had two daughters; Carol Elizabeth and Ruth Alice.

The Ohlrichs were both active in community affairs. William belonged to the Odd Fellows Lodge, the Veterans of World War I of Miles City, Montana, the American Legion Post 35 and the Last Man's Club of Baker and the National Guard.

Jennie belongs to the Woman's Club, the American Legion Auxiliary and to the 4-H Club.

MR.

AND MRS. SVEN OLSEN

By Rae Potterton La Rue

My maternal grandparents, Barbara and Sven Olsen, were born in Norway. They came to the United States about 1875 and were married in Chicago in 1877. They homesteaded near Helena, Montana in 1884 and moved to the Ekalaka, Montana country in 1906. My grandfather died in 1937 and my grandmother died in 1938. They had eleven children, four of whom are still living in 1972. Four died in infancy. My three aunts still living are: Idel (Mrs. Oscar Dahl, Barbara (Mrs. John Brant), and Anna (Mrs. John Divine). I have one uncle, Al Olsen, still living. My mother, Stella Olsen (Potterton) taught school in Fallon County and was County Superintendent of Schools there when she married my father Doctor E. J. Potterton in June of 1917. 1 was born in Baker on June 5, 1918, and my sister, Ashley, was born in Baker in 1921.

Our neighbors within a two or three block area were the L.E. Bakers, Mrs. Shepherd (Mrs. Robert Corbitt's mother), the Dick Johnsons, the Lewis La Crosses, the Ed Lawlers, the Watts, the L. Prices, the Blanchards and the J.R. Dickeys.

Barbara and Sven Olsen, 1933

Atarjorie Potterton, Sven and Barbara Olsen, Rae and Ashley P'otterton in front, 1923.

As little girls we had a wonderful fun-filled childhood sledding on watertank hill, ice skating on the lake in the winter time and swimming in the lake in the summer, picnics at Medicine Rocks, trips to the ranch at Ekalaka to visit our grandparents and going to Chatauquas. Then in 1929, when I was eleven years old and Ashley was nine, our mother died and it seemed childhood changed into womanhood too fast. We had a housekeeper, Mrs. Wayne, live with us until we were in high school, then with Dad's help we girls took over. I graduated from the Baker High School in. 1936.

In 1937, Dad and Ashley moved to Wisconsin and I lived with Mr. and Mrs. James Kochel and their family until Marjorie married Eddie Nelson in July 1940. 1 worked for the Montana Dakota Utilities Company until I was married in 1940 to Dwight LaRue of Sidney, Montana.

During the sugar campaign Dwight was Assistant Chemist at the Holly Sugar Company at Sidney. From the time we were married until my husband went into the service

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we lived in nine Montana towns. This was when he was working as an engineer for the State Highway Department, and for the United States Engineers. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served until October 1945--most of the time in the South Pacific. While Dwight was overseas, Ashley and I lived for a year and a half in Wisconsin before we moved to Denver, Colorado in August 1944. Ashley and I both had Civil Service jobs and worked at the Fitzsimmons Army Hospital. When Dwight came home we decided to make Colorado our home, so we moved to Fort Collins in 1947. Our oldest daughter was born in Denver in August, 1946. She is now Mrs. Joseph Carral and the mother of our only grandchild. They live at Mt. View, California. Our daughter, Diane, was born in May 1949. She graduated from the Colorado State University in 1971 and is working in Denver. This past summer (1972) she and I spent a month in Europe touring eight countries. The highlight of our trip was meeting relatives in Oslo and Haugesund, Norway. What a delightful, warm people and Norway is such a beautiful country.

My husband had serious back surgery three years ago for a tumor on his spinal cord, which has left him disabled. He is able to walk, for which we are most thankful and is doing some bookkeeping at home.

I began work as a secretary for the Director of Department of Physical Education for Women at the Colorado State University in 1961, a position which I still hold and enjoy.

Fort Collins is located near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and we feel fortunate to live in such a beautiful state. Fishing has been one of my great joys and hobbies. Dad came from Wisconsin in 1952 and made his home in the Poudre Canyon on the Poudre River, about 22 miles from Fort Collins until about four years ago. He is making his home with Ashley and her family in Denver now. He celebrated his 89th birthday in December 1972.

GORDON AND HELEN OLSON

Martin S. and Clara (Skjonsky) Olson homesteaded west of Marmarth, North Dakota in 1908. Martin had a Men's Store in Marmarth called Martin Olson Men's Outfitters. The sign from this business is hanging in the O'Fallon Museum at Baker. Mr. Olson ran the store and drove back and forth to the homestead with horse and buggy. He owned the first horseless carriage in Marmarth. It was of the type that was steered with a stick. It must have been a "lemon" for it seemed to have something wrong with it much of the time so wasn't driven much. Most of the time it "just sat".

Gordon C. Olson was born at Marmarth on January 5, 1912. He grew up and attended both grade and high school there.

It seems as if there were many interesting things for a youth to do in Marmarth those days. Gordon went swimming, skating and sliding, and had a group of friends called "The North Side Town Herd".

As he grew older Gordon worked in a grocery store as a clerk, belonged to the Marmarth Fire Department, and served as Water Commissioner on the City Board.

In 1939 he married Helen P. Stark at Baker. This is what Helen says about her life.

"My folks, Glenn and Bessie Stark, came to this country from Minnesota in 1915 and lived north of Ollie, Montana on the Hans Marker place until 1924 when we moved to Baker. At that time there were seven of us children and later two more were added to the family circle. I was born at Ollie on July 13, 1918.

My dad worked for the Carbon Black Plant in Baker which was east of town about where the present light plant is located. He worked for them until the M.D.U. Company came to Baker and bought the business. He then worked for the M.D.U., drilling gas wells. He designed and built a mobile drilling rig mounted on a truck which was used for many years. Dad worked for the M.D.U. until his death in 1942.

We went through lots of hard times with such a large family. When we first came to town we hadn't had any of the childhood diseases, so we had whooping cough, measles, chicken pox and small pox. It seemed we were in quarantine most of that first year in town.

I think Mother did a real good job of feeding us on such a small amount of money. She got skim milk for ten cents a gallon and made chocolate pudding for us often. She boiled beans, boiled "spuds", and bought lots of liver for ten cents a pound. I ate lots of this type of food as I grew up but I still like them. My brothers and sisters are; Lorene Stark Wiseman, Fred Stark, Euphie Stark Baker, Grace Stark Domagala, Edwin Stark, Glen Stark, Cleo Stark Kirkpatrick and Donald Stark.

Growing up in Baker and attending the grade schools and the Baker High School kept Helen occupied some of the time. At other times she swam and fished in the Baker Lake and skied on tank hill where the Corey home now is.

After Gordon and Helen were married they ran a grocery and General Store in Marmarth until 1952 at which time they sold out to Don Hughes now of Ekalaka. They came to Baker where they now have a restaurant called Ole's Coffee Shop.

They are members of the American Lutheran Church and are faithful workers in that organization.

Their children consist of two sons and a daughter. Tom and Dick went to Missoula to College after graduating from the Baker High School. Both of them live in Missoula. Judy lilies and works with her parents."

ANNA OLSON

On March 16, 1973 Mrs. Anna Olson celebrated her 89th birthday with a weekend of parties. Here is her life's story in her own words.

I was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ole Nielson on March 16, 1884 at Sommers, Wisconsin. In May of 1890, when I was six years old, my folks decided to come to Montana for my mother's health and we went to Hathaway because mother's sister lived there. We came on a little Northern Pacific Passenger train like the little one in "Petticoat Junction," excepting that it burned coal.

We first went to stay with the uncle who owned a saw mill on the Custer Trail south of Fort Keogh, out in the Pine Hills. A one-room house was built and we stayed there for four months. This was a place where the Indian Soldiers and their white officers came every summer.

Then my father took a homestead two miles west of Hathaway, north of the N.P. tracks. The closest neighbor was five miles away.

When I started to school I stayed with a family during the week. School was held three months in the fall and four months in the spring. For me, the first year was the worst, as I couldn't speak English but could understand it; so I just sat there. There were eight or nine children in the school who made fun of me. They called me "Dirty Dane." Oh! That hurt! I wasn't dirty. I had three dresses and three aprons that were washed, starched and ironed. Some of them were dirty, though, with big holes in their stockings. The second year my brother was ready for school, so we walked 2 1/2 miles to school. We left home about 7:30 or 8: 00 and were always the first ones there. The school was always cold and we had to start the fire, if we could.

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We had to start helping with the work around the farm as soon as we were seven years old. There was no time for play. There was the garden to hoe, the potatoes to hoe and my brother and I had to cultivate the corn. He held the cultivator and I led the horse.

There was no running around, but those were happy days. The girls were always well covered and never wore coveralls or shorts as the young people do now.

There were no public dances and I wasn't allowed to dance until I was 15 and then only at dances held in the homes and my brother had to be with me. It was "good old Montana" in those days; not rough as some people think. If a fellow was drinking or even had a bottle in his pocket, we girls wouldn't think of dancing with him. The parents were always there and would dance with the young people.

I remember when the government moved the dead soldiers from Fort Keogh to Custer Battlefield and when General Miles took the soldiers from Fort Keogh. Miles City said they were "drunks" but the worst "drunks" I saw were the cowboys and the Miles City fellows. General Miles had them moved, then Miles City saw its mistake because no money came in. The town asked the General to bring back the soldiers but he said, "No."

I was working at the age of 12 or 13, so no play for me, but I was happy.

I married William J. Olson at Glendive, Montana in 1910. On January 19, 1919 my husband came to Dodge (a station east of Baker) as section foreman for the Milwaukee Railroad. In June, after school was out in Miles City, the four children and I came. On August 26, 1919 we were transferred to Baker and we lived in the section house here for 29 years. Two more children were born in Baker. It took me two years before I got acquainted with Mrs. Lawler, her mother, Mrs. Schench, and Mrs. Russell. I remember that one of the section worker's wives told the neighbors that I wore silk dresses. I happened to have an old one that was too good to throw away. While living at Dodge, Mrs. Duffield came to visit me as Forrest and Howard worked for Mr. Olson. Other visitors were Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bergerson.

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Olson, taken in the 1930's in front of the section house at Baker where they lived for 29 years.

One time I needed something from a hardware store, so one of the section hands told me to go to the Midland. I went and asked if I could get credit for a week until the "Rail Check" came. They said, "No." The next thing I did was to go to the Price Store and Mr. Price, Sr. said, "Sure you can." I can't remember what it was I needed unless it was window shades. Whatever it was I got it. Since then, August 28, 1919 1 have traded there; also at the La Cross Grocery and at Russell's Clothing Store.

I worked for Mr. and Mrs. George Grainger when they ran the Pepper Hotel and Cafe (the old Commercial Hotel--later the Westside Hotel), as they were short of help. I washed dishes and did some baking until they found someone.

I also worked for L. E. Baker at the Baker Hotel as pastry and short order cook in the mornings until the Chef got to work. This was just until the Bakers could find other help.

All of our children graduated from the Baker High School. After graduation Bill, Jr. went to Billings and got his teaching degree and has taught school for over 20 years; Myron is General Roadmaster for the Chicago-Milwaukee Railroad in Chicago; Vera worked as a Telephone Operator; Anna and Wanda went to nurses training at the Rosenswood Hospital in Chicago.

Four of our six children have their names on the Honor Plaque at the Baker High School. Alice, who passed away in January 1973, chose to have a recognition pin in preference to the name on the plaque. When Wanda, the last one, graduated from high school, Mr. A. 0. Gullidge, the Superintendent of Schools, gave Mrs. Tunby and me Honorary Diplomas for graduating all the children in our families from the Baker High School. This was May 1942.

When my husband retired from the railroad in 1948 we moved across the street where I still live. I have lived near the railroad all my life. Mr. Olson passed away April 6, 1951. 1 still take care of my own home and enjoy doing fancy work and baking. I still take long trips to visit the children, the six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Emma Opp, 1970

EMMA F. OPP

 

I was born in Eigenfeld, Russia on May 17, 1902 and at 8 years of age my parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Follmer decided to go to Montana in the United States. My mother's sister, Mrs. Matt Ehret, had come over here a few years earlier and they wrote back to my folks to come because things were much better here than in Russia. We came then and stayed with the Ehrets until we got a little house built at our homestead. Times were tough then but with patience and hard work by every member of the family we made the best of it. I only had four years of grade school as an education because I had to stay home and help with the farming and the cattle.

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