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O’Fallon Flashbacks

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

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

the Civil War, from South Wales where he was born and where he was employed as a coal miner. Although David had limited education, through persevering study, he became a Lay Minister of the Methodist faith of the Wesleyan Body in Wisconsin.

Lewellyn Price, 1869-1941

The training of Lewellyn Price was of rural character and the farm knew him until he was 18 years old, his schooling being that securable in the county.

At Escanaba, Michigan he went into railroading on the Northwestern Railway, and for three years was thusly occupied. He was ready for promotion from fireman to engineer when the panic of 1893 hit, and he lost his position. He attended the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago after that.

Mr. Price came to Baker in 1910 to establish himself in the hardware and furniture business. Having prospected several towns for a location, he decided to settle in Baker (the future metropolis of Fallon County). His beginning consisted of a $3,000 stock of merchandise and the lot and store building which he owned. The business was incorporated in 1917 with Mr. Price, President, Thomas Lloyd Owen, Vice-President, and Edward Hansen, Secretary.

Lewellyn or "Lew" served Baker in several public affairs; member of the School Board, Member of Town Council, President of Commercial Club and Vice-President of the same for several years. He was chairman of the American Red Cross for Fallon County during World War 1, Chairman of the United War Drive, and was a Charter Member of the Fair Board. He was affiliated with the Republican Party, was a Master Mason and passed the chairs in Blue Lodge No. 84 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Baker. He was a stockholder and president of the Baker National Bank and was one of the first directors and later President of the Production Credit Association with offices at Glendive for this area.

Lewellyn and Miss Eva A. Owen, a schoolteacher, were married in June 1898 at Foster City, Michigan. Miss Owen, a daughter of Thomas N. Owen and Jennie Lloyd Owen of Ironwood, Michigan, was born March 25, 1877. She had a sister Katherine Owen, and a brother, Thomas Lloyd Owen, who is still affiliated with the L. Price Co. of Baker.

Eua A. Owen Price, 1877-1925

Mr. and Mrs. Ward Grant and sons, Gene and Jack.

Eva attended school in Ironwood and then went to teachers college, and taught in various schools. After she and Lewellyn were married she taught in the local grade school at Foster City, Michigan, which was a town wholly owned by the Morgan Lumber Company, a logging and sawmill operation. Mr. Price operated the company owned store and was timekeeper and paymaster. She and daughter, Jeanette, came to Montana after Mr. Price was established in his business in Baker. She was very active in the early forming of Baker social, church and service groups. She was an early member of the Baker Congregational Church, helping to form Sunday Schools and Ladies' Aid, and served in most of the offices. She was a charter member of the Baker Woman's Club and was also a member of the Charity Chapter #60,

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Order of the Eastern Star of Baker and served in all the stations and held several State Eastern Star Association offices and was slated to be Worthy Grand Matron when her health failed and she died in May of 1925.

Jeanette Price was born to Lewellyn and Eva Price on September 14, 1903, on her uncle Lloyd Owen's birthday. She attended school in Baker through high school from which she graduated June 1920. After attending the State University at Missoula for two years she transferred to the North Western University at Evanston, Ill. where she received her degree in music in 1924.

After graduating from college, Jeanette returned home to Baker where she taught music in the Baker High School and kept house for her father and brother, "Bud" (her mother had died the year before) until her marriage to Ward Grant in 1928. After their marriage Ward and Jeanette went to Los Angeles, California where Ward was connected with a newspaper. To this union were born two sons: Jack Price Grant and Gene Hilliar Grant, both of California. Jeanette died in Indio, California in 1957.

Jeanette Price Grant, 1956

Lewellyn Price died March 7, 1941, at his home in Baker. He had just returned from a month's trip to Indio, Clifornia, where he had visited his daughter, Jeanette and family. He made the trip annually in February to renew his ties with his two grandsons. Mr. Price was buried beside his wife, Eva, in the Bonnievale Cemetery at Baker. He used to stand by his wife's grave watching one of our Eastern Montana sunsets, looking out over the town and say, "This is my state, my town and my spot."

LEWELLYN [BUD] PRICE JR.

I was born at Baker, Custer County, Montana on August 21, 1913. Fallon County had not been formed yet. My parents were Lewellyn and Eva A. Price. The house I was born in was a small house which was near the alley downtown across from what is now the Randash Motors and stood on the Midland Lumber Company lot. Doctor Young officiated at my birth. My parents were building a new house at the time of my birth and we moved into our new home when I was about two months old. This is the house where my family and I now live. I have lived in the house most of my fife excepting for a time after marriage and before my father died, a period of twenty months.

L. Price, Jr. "Bud", 1936

The house was heated by a coal furnace and had a coal and wood cook stove. Later, when natural gas was found locally and piped around town, these were converted to gas. We had a combination two car garage and barn with haymow. We kept a cow for fresh milk, as there were no milk deliveries then. When I became old enough it was my duty to milk and take care of the cow. I had to carry water to that old cow and I swear she drank more water than she gave milk. My father sold Model T Fords and Overland cars and that is the reason for the two-car garage. I sold milk to customers around the neighborhood for my spending money.

The L. Price Family Home, Built in 1913. Dad Seeley was the Contractor, Members of the Price Family have Lived in the House Since it was Built, Carriage House-Garage Combination, stall for cow in the Back, Addition on North Side was Built to House the

Ambulance and Hearse. Picture Taken in 1942.

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I also helped around the store at an early age. One of my first jobs was selling gasoline from the little red gas pump out in front of the store. It dispensed five gallons at a time and was pumped by hand. There were no filling stations, only garages and stores with gas pumps out front.

My parents were very active in the Congregational Church and our social life centered around the various church events, however I do remember going to barn dances with my parents and then being put to sleep, in the hay behind the benches, with other children. We also went on picnics to Medicine Rocks, the Bad Lands and to the Long Pines near Ekalaka. I also remember going to rodeos where the cars gathered in a circle to form the arena. Picnics were often timed for baseball games as every town had a baseball team.

When I was old enough I joined the Boy Scouts under James Mann, the scout leader and schoolteacher. I'll never forget the hikes and campouts we held. Every spring when school was out, we would camp near Ekalaka and Medicine Rocks for two weeks, sometimes walking 20 or more miles to our campsite. We would ride part way to Ekalaka on the freight or mail truck and then hike the rest of the way to our camp. We had to hike back into Ekalaka when we were ready to come home.

One of the funniest things I can remember happened to a large New Foundland dog which belonged to the Doe Young Family. He was very large and had the bad habit of chasing cars. Try as they would they could not break that "big hound" of chasing cars. He still continued to chase and bark at every car that went by. One day he charged out at a car too fast, slid on the gravel and into the rear wheel. His nose went between the wooden spokes of the wheel. It flipped him a complete turn in the air and back on his feet. Such a surprised dog! He staggered bewildered back to the house and as far as I know his car chasing days were over. The American Legion sponsored a Winter Carnival on the Baker Lake with skating races, cross country ski races and dog sled races. This same New Foundland dog and my Airedale dog were leading the race, running neck and neck, when they started fighting and by the time we got them separated the race was over and we both lost.

Picture Given to the Museum by Ashley Potterton Woods, Circus Day in Baker, Montana

As I remember, one of the biggest days in Baker was Circus Day. Baker is situated about half way between the larger towns of Aberdeen, South Dakota and Butte, Montana. The larger circuses would stop here for feeding the animals so since they had to make a stop anyway, they would run their show. They traveled by train and would come into town during the night and start unloading at daylight. Most of the young boys in town would go down to watch and try to get a job to earn a ticket to the show. These were always three- ring circuses -large ones with a whole train load of animals and equipment. There were horses, elephants, giraffes and animals in cages on wagons and always there was a calliope. At about noon there was a parade through town with the calliope leading all the rest of the performers and the animals in the cages. The larger animals walked. The people would come from many miles around, some times as far as 100 miles, to see the circus.

I went to the old brick school, that burned down, for all my schooling 1st grade through high school. After high school I went to the Montana State College (now Montana State University) at Bozeman, Montana and graduated from there with my degree in Electrical Engineering in 1936. Since this was during the depression and no jobs were available, I came home and worked in my father's store until Mr. Eph Keirle offered me a job in the Baker National Bank. I became cashier when the cashier resigned. After my father's death in 1941, 1 went back to the store and have been active there since with my uncle T.L. Owen and now with my son, Dick.

We built a new store building in 1963 to expand our floor space and provide better shopping conditions for our customers.

Jessie V. Hodges, 1938

I met Jessie Hodges, who had come to Baker to teach school, and we were married on June 6, 1939. We were blessed with three sons; Richard Lewellyn, born April 15, 1940. James Lloyd, born February 18, 1942 and Lew, born June 1, 1958. We have six grandchildren, three boys and three girls.

I have been active in community affairs, serving as City Treasurer for years, Treasurer of Baker Chamber of Commerce for 25 years, Treasurer of the March of Dimes for 30 years, served on the school board for 12 years. I am a charter member of the Baker Lion's Club, a member of the American Legion since 1946 and am a stockholder and director in the Baker National Bank. I have also been active in the Baker Community Church and was a trustee for 12 years. I am also a Charter Life member of the O'Fallon Historical Society.

Jessie Hodges was born to Roy and Claudia Sherrodd Hodges on January 5, 1914 in Taney County, Missouri. Her

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mother, a widow by that time, and three girls - Ethel age 8, Jessie age 5 and Marea age 3, came to Rosebud, Montana in November of 1919. They came by way of the Burlington Railway to Huntley, Montana where they changed to the Northern Pacific train and thus on east to Rosebud. After a time at Rosebud and Pompeys Pillar Claudia and girls moved to Billings when Ethel contacted the Typhoid Fever and had to be hospitalized. All three girls attended grade school, high school and Normal School in Billings, and all three became schoolteachers.

Jessie came to Baker in the fall of 1934 to teach the second grade at the East Side School (now the Washington School). She taught that grade for five years under A.0. Gullidge, who was Superintendent of the Baker Schools at that time.

Lewellyn (Bud) Price, Jr. and Jessie Hodges were married in the living room of the L. Price home, the house where they now live, by the Reverend George E. Meyer of the Baker Community Church (Congregational) in 1939. They went to the World's Fair (Century of Progress) in San Francisco, California on their honeymoon.

L. Price residence, 1915, Eva Owen Price and son, Lewellyn, Jr. [Bud].

Jessie is Past President of the Community Ladies Aid, Past President of the Baker Woman's Club, Charter Member and Past President of the Baker Homemaker's Club, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, a member of the Republican Women's Club and Charter Life Member of the O'Fallon Historical Society.

Richard Lewellyn Price, was born on April 15, 1940 at Miles City, Montana. He attended grade school and high school at Baker after which he attended Eastern Montana College of Education in Billings. Dick is associated with his father, L. Price, Jr. "Bud", in the L. Price Company, which was founded by his grandfather, L. Price, in 1910.

In 1967 Dick Price and Linda Giesick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Giesick of Billings, were married in the First Congregational Church of Billings, Montana.

Linda Giesick Price was born April 5, 1945 at Billings. She attended a rural school and was a member of the first graduating class of Billings West High School, (1962). She attended Montana State University in Bozeman from 1962 to 1966. She earned her B A. Degree in Home Economics. After graduation from college, she served Fallon and Carter Counties as County Extension Agent for Cooperative Service from 1966 through 1968, during which time she married Richard (Dick) Price.

Linda has some pioneer blood in her background, too. Her great, great grandfather, Dave Boykin, drove a "bull-team" freight wagon from Belle Fourche, South Dakota to Virginia City, Montana and on to Helena, Montana. This was soon after the Civil War. He worked in Helena for a Colonel Babcock in the construction of the Broadwater Natatorium Resort Complex in Helena. He went to Billings, Montana where he bought a boarding house on First Avenue South and 30th. Street. He called it the Boykin House. Margaret Menley, his granddaughter, came up from Texas to work in her grandfather's boarding house.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lewellyn Price [Dick] Nov. 25, 1967

Linda's great grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Summers came up the Missouri River by River Boat as far as Bismarck, North Dakota. They left Ohio in 1880 with their family, one of which was a son, Elmer Summers, a grandfather of Linda's. The Summers family made its way overland to Billings, Montana. Mr. and Mrs. John Summers homesteaded on Canyon Creek between Laurel and Billings and their son, Elmer, and his brother homesteaded just west of them. Elmer Summers used to go to the Boykin Boarding House when he went to Billings and there he met Margaret Menley whom he married. They lived in Billings for a while then they moved west of Billings to Elmer's homestead. Elmer Summers was County Assessor for Yellowstone County in Billings in 1897.

Linda's grandparents, John and Elizabeth Haush Giesick started for the United States from Russia with three daughters. When they arrived at a German Seaport on the North Sea all three girls came down with a communicable disease, one at a time, so they were quarantined for several weeks. By the time they were free to leave they had run out of money and had to borrow some to pay their passage to America. At first, after reaching the United States, they settled in Nebraska and had three more girls added to the family there. In 1914 they went to Billings, Montana where John worked until they had enough money saved to buy some land just west of Billings. Three more girls were added to the family and then a son, Elmer Giesick, father of Linda was born on the place which his father owned. Linda was born and reared on this same place where her father was born and where he vows he is going to live until he dies.

Dick and Linda Price have twin sons, Thomas Lewellyn and William Richard and one daughter Michelle Lee.

Dick was the President of the Baker Lion's Club in 1973, is a member of the Sandstone Masonic Lodge, Chairman of

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Community Church Diaconate, Past Moderator and member of the Baker Community Church and is a member of the O'Fallon Historical Society.

Christmas Day, 1973, at Grandpa and Grandma Price's Home in Baker. Left to Right, Bill, Michelle and Tom Price

Linda is a member of the Billings Friendship Chapter No. 124 of the Order of the Eastern Star, and is the Mother Advisor of the Baker Assembly No. 14 of the Order of Rainbow for Girls. She is Chairman of the Religious Education Committee for the Baker Community Church, and is a member of the O'Fallon Historical Society.

James Lloyd (Jim) Price attended grade school and high school at Baker after which he furthered his education by attending the Eastern Montana College at Billings, Montana. He played football for Eastern for 4 years. He transferred to the Denver University (D.U.) at Denver, Colorado where he received his B.A. Degree in Business Administration. He went on and got his Masters Degree from the D.U. after which he secured a position with the Mountain Bell Telephone Company at Denver as Communications Manager.

Jim and Regina Margaret Snyder, daughter of Lt. Col. (Ret) and Mrs. Frank L. Snyder of Camp Springs, Maryland, were married at Camp Springs in 1966. The wedding reception was held in the Officer's Club at the Andrew's Air Force Base, Washington D.C. This is the base where the President's Plane lands and takes off.

The James Lloyd Price Family, 1973, Left to Right, Regina, Jim and Children, Jenette, Marcy and Jamie

Regina's brother, Lieutenant Steve Snyder, was killed in Vietnam while heading his company of Marines in Battle. He is buried in the cemetery at Arlington, Virginia.

Since her father was a Career Officer and was moved often, Regina acquired her education in various countries. She received her Degree in Microbe-Biology from the University of Maryland after which she went to Denver, Colorado to work in a laboratory at the Denver General Hospital under a Doctor who had a Grant from the Colorado State University. Some of their duties in the laboratory were to test tissues for kidney and other transplants for the hospital. She continued working at the hospital until their son, Jamie was born. Besides their son, Jim and Regina have two daughters, Jenette and Marcy.

Lew Price, 1973

Lew Price was born to Bud and Jessie Price when his brother Dick was eighteen and his brother Jim was sixteen. He is a sophomore at the Baker High School and, at the time of this writing, is the Treasurer of the Youth Fellowship of the Baker Community Church, of which he is a member.

WILLIAM PROCTOR AND

MARGARET WIGGINS PROCTOR

In Dec. 1914 Margaret Wiggins, daughter of Thomas and Margaret Wiggins who were farmers in Toronto, Canada became the bride of Wm. Proctor. They spent the first few years in Canada. In 1921 they came by train to Baker and then out to his parents by the Mackenzie Post office west of Willard. They lived with his parents until they established their own home.

She found the winters long and lonely, and the neighbors not very close. Their neighbors were David Collies, Fultons, Rilleys, Morrisons. A call on the neighbors was made by horse back. There were some picnics of O'Fallon Creek with the neighbors or box socials or dances at Calumet.

The home was blessed by an adopted son, William. He attended grade school in Baker when the family moved there. In 1941 the family moved to Polson where Wm. Proctor passed away in 1969.

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Mr. and Mrs. William Proctor and Son, William, on the Farm at Mackenzie

Margaret Proctor in Corn Field on Farm at Mackenzie, Montana

STANTON RAKES

I came from Christianberg, Virginia to Sentinel Butte, North Dakota in 1903 by train. From there I went by stage to Yule, North Dakota. From Yule I rode horseback, with my suitcase tied on behind, to the Stewart Ranch which was located about 20 miles north and east of Baker, Montana. I worked on this ranch for several years. When I first arrived I thought if I could gather enough money together I would return to Virginia, but I learned to like Montana and took up a homestead in the Big Hill country in 1907.

In 1908 1 started to carry mail from the Preston post office, which was located on the old Vincellette ranch. My route was about forty miles long with horses and a "hack" as transportation. I transported many early day homesteaders from Wibaux. There was not a road to follow, just a trail with no bridges across the creeks. I had many hair -raising experiences in those days.

 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Stanton Rakes at Baker, Montana

I was a bachelor for five years, then I met Anna Tetreault, from St. Onge, South Dakota who was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, Leona and Wesley Thompson. Leona had homesteaded on what later became the Lum Rakes place.

Anna and I were married at Spearfish, South Dakota in October, 1913. We lived on the homestead until we retired in 1947 and moved into Baker. Our family consisted of three sons and one daughter.

We are now living at Terry, Montana as it is more centrally located for all our children.

Editor's Note: Bud Price remembers his dad telling about Stanton Rakes riding to town on a bicycle to pay a note he thought was due on September 1st. He rode the "bike" because he wanted to give his horses a rest and there was no other means of transportation. When he arrived in town and offered Mr. Price payment on the note he found it wasn't due for a whole month - October 1st.

EDWARD AND ESTHER RANDASH

Edward Randash was born in North Dakota in 1912. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Randash were homesteaders at Golva, North Dakota, having come to that vicinity in 1908. He grew up on the farm and attended grade school in a country school east of Golva. His high school education was acquired at the Golva High School.

Esther Ohnstad and Edward Randash were married in Omaha, Nebraska in 1941. In 1946 they came to Baker, where Ed became a partner in the Randash Motors.

While in Baker Ed belonged to the American Legion. The family belonged to the American Lutheran Church and were faithful workers for the activities of the church. Esther was a member of the Baker Homemakers Club.

This couple really put Baker, Montana "on the map" when they had quadruplets. The Randash Quads, Dorothy, Dolores, Donna and Dean were born June 14, 1947 at Miles

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City, Montana. Donna passed away three days after birth. Their brother Edward, Jr. was nearly five years old when they were born. All the children attended school in Baker until 1961. Edward, Jr. graduated from the Baker High School. Dean and Ed, Jr. were both in Cub Scouts and Dolores and Dorothy were members of a 4 H club.

Quadruplets were born to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Randash of Baker, Montana on June 14, 1947 at the Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City, Montana. There were three girls and one boy. One girl, Donna, passed away three days after birth. The other three are shown here with their older brother, Edward, Jr., 1948. Left to right; Dolores, Eddie, Jr., Dorothy and Dean. Aren't they darling?

After his graduation from high school in 1960, Ed, Jr. attended the Dickinson State College at Dickinson, North Dakota and the College of Great Falls at Great Falls.

In 1961 the family moved to Great Falls where Edward, Sr. went into the Auto Parts Business. After his marriage to Kathleen Indendi of Anaconda, Montana, Ed, Jr. was associated with his father in the Auto Parts Business. He is now associated with Abduls of Great Falls. He and his wife have one child, Brian.

The three remaining ' 'Quads" graduated from the Great Falls High School.

Dolores went on to school and graduated from the Great Falls Commercial College and is a bookkeeper for Gusto Distributers. She is married to Kenneth Seay, who is manager of the Branch Store of Great Falls Auto Parts.

Dorothy attended Eastern Montana College at Billings and graduated as a dentist's assistant. She is married to Wayne Forder and they live on a ranch east of Great Falls.

Dean graduated from the College of Great Falls and was Field Sales Representative for Genuine Parts in Spokane. He now lives in Livingston, Montana where he purchased the NADA Parts Store. He is married to the former Arlette Garber of Ismay, Montana.

OSCAR RANUM

My folks, Mr. and Mrs. Ole T. Ranum came to Montana when I was nine years old. They came by train and settled twenty-three miles south and west of Ismay. I was born in Glenwood, Minnesota in 1906. On the homestead I went to school, rode horses and helped with the chores. We did visit some of the neighbors, went fishing and to picnics at the old McClain Ranch. Sometimes there were box socials at the school houses at Knowlton and at Tee Dee.

In 1927 Elma Martyn and I were married at Baker. We farmed and milked cows for a living from 1927 until 1952 when we moved into Baker. I worked for the county for ten years and as a custodian for the Baker High School for ten years. I hope to retire before too many years and work part time.

We belong to the American Lutheran Church at Baker. Our children are Ellen (Mrs. Milton Dockter) of Baker and Joe of Glendive. There are seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

SHELDON AND MARTHA HUETHER REDISKE

We, Martha and Sheldon Rediske, moved to Baker, Montana in the fall of 1941 from Yakima, Washington. Sheldon had completed his education in Diesel Engineering and radio in 1937 at Seattle, Washington. I , Martha, had received my degree in nursing at Miles City the same year and had moved to Yakima, Washington where Sheldon went into partnership with Auston-Radio and Electric and I was employed by the Yakima Valley Hospital as a nurse. Upon returning to Baker we purchased the old Howard place and Sheldon set up his business in Radio and Electrics. I continued with my nursing. In 1943 Eph Keirle sold us the old Farmer's Exchange building. We remodeled it into the present store and Locker Plant. The Locker Plant was built where the cold storage room used to be and an apartment for our living quarters was built upstairs. After a few years Barry Clare took over the Locker Plant business, but in 1948 Barry and son, age 5, were drowned in the Baker Lake while out boating. It was a very, very windy day.

Rural electrification was increasing rapidly. First the rural areas had 6-volt windchargers, then moved on to 32-volt windchargers and Delco Light Plants and finally changed over to 110-volt Kohler Light Plants allowing the usage of 110-Volt appliances in the homes. In 1948 Labor Day Weekend was a great day for the rural communities. The R.E.A. was a reality and the complete modernization of homes could be had.

In the fall of 1957, after much experimenting, by Sheldon, in trying to bring television to this fringe area of Baker, without success, our son Tom, at the age of five, pressed the button on the television one afternoon and behold - the picture and sound came in clearly. Weather conditions caused a "skip" and this made it possible to pick up the program. From then on Sheldon was determined that T.V. be brought to Baker even if it meant an 80 foot tower - which it did.

In 1946 John Giesler, who had been discharged from the Army and who had just graduated from Coin Electrical School in Chicago, came to work for us as Service Technician and last fall we celebrated his 25th year in our employment.

Walter Coldwell of Baker, an electrician in the Navy, came home after his discharge with his bride-to-be, Merriel Faulkner from Boston, got married and moved on the ranch south of Baker. He has been our electrician since 1954.

Many years of hard work by local Masons saw the completion of Sandstone Lodge 84 of Baker. In 1956 during Sheldon's year as Worshipful Master, the new Masonic Temple was dedicated. In 1952 Sheldon was initiated into the Scottish Rites at Billings, Montana. In 1954 1 was Worthy Matron and Sheldon was Worthy Patron of Charity Chapter #60, O.E.S. Our meetings were held in the upstairs of the Grainger's Building. The order of the Rainbow Girls was active and we saw numerous local girls receive state offices including Kay, our daughter, as Grand Marshal while I was on the Rainbow Board and Mother Advisor. It would not be fair not to mention some of the dedicated Past Mother Advisors who gave many years of service, such as: Nellie Lou Busch, Della Moline, Violet Loveless and many more. Meetings were also in the Grainger's Hall until the new temple was built. The Baker Community Church, through

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many activities and work, played an important part of our family life.

Scouting was on the upward move again and Sheldon worked in the Scouting Program from the time Butch started as a Cub Scout in 1953 until 1968, during which time both sons, Butch and Tom, received their Eagle Awards. Through the leadership of Scout Master Coleman Krokker, and Assistant scoutmaster, Bill Bohle, and a strong working committee, the troop grew to be one of the largest troops in Montana, having 66 Scouts in Troop 229. The troup was also known for its many Blue Ribbon Honors in "Scout-ARamas" and camping. Many vacations were spent at Flaming Arrow Camp with the troop.

Last fall we celebrated 31 years of being in business in Baker by serving Anniversary Cake and snacks from a demonstration of the new Amana Microwave Oven that cooks cool.

We have three children. Kay Linda was born in 1942 and is a Certified Public Accountant. Her husband, Eugene Walker, is a rancher and Deputy Sheriff at Alzada and of south Carter County. They have three children; Amy, age 6, Emery, age 4, and Shelly, age 1.

Sheldon Lee (Butch) was born in 1945 and has his degree in Business Administration. He is employed by the Anaconda Copper Company of Great Falls and is married to the former Susan Parrish who teaches English at the C. M. Russell High School in Great Falls. They have one daughter, Jacqueline, age 4.

Thomas George is a student at Rocky Mountain College at Billings.

Winfield Scott Redman on horse

REDMAN FAMILY HISTORY

Written by Helen Redman Rieger

In the fall of 1910, Winfield Scott Redman and his wife Adelia and five of their seven children, Winfield, Jr., Fenner, Myrtle, Ted and Gladys, came to Montana, from Minnesota, by train with all their possessions. This included cattle and horses, machinery and household goods. On the way out the milk cows had to be milked and of course riding on a train there really wasn't much that the milk could be used for. Seems that the most convenient place to dump the milk was on the heads of the railroad crews that were working beside the tracks. By the threatening fists and the strong words that were used apparently these men didn't appreciate this fine milk.

When the Redmans arrived in Ismay they had a steam powered threshing machine loaded on flat cars. Before they had it unloaded the news had gotten around that there was a threshing machine in the country, and all the farmers who had grain wanted it threshed. (This was the first threshing machine to hit this area). They threshed for all the farmers they could that fall and finished up in the spring. They went from Pennel Creek to the north and to the Knowlton and TeeDee communities to the south and west. This was the schedule for about three years until some more threshing outfits were brought into the country. The threshing season lasted from Sept. 1 until January.

Adelia Redman [Mrs. Scott Redman]

Arriving in Ismay the family pitched a tent and set up housekeeping. They lived in the tent until a house could be built on their homestead which was located about 11 miles south of Ismay.

The Redman's steam powered steam engine which they brought with them to Montana in 1911.

Winfield Scott Redman was always called Scott or W.C. The grandchildren always called him Granddad and Adelia was called Granny. Granddad's house was on what everyone called the main road from Ismay to the south country. Their home was quite a stopping place for the people from the south country. If anyone in the area went into Ismay, they would always bring the mail for everyone in the area and leave it at the Redman place. The local mail route was started in 1920, Doliver Riley was the first mail carrier. He hauled the mail

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with a team and buggy or sled. Everyone was happy to get their mail once a month. Getting the mail was a big event.

When the Redmans first came to Montana, Ted and Gladys had to ride horseback to the Hay Creek School which was about 5 1/2 miles. The school district was divided in 1917 and the Spring Creek School was built. This was known as District #39 and Martha Zehm was the first teacher.

The water at the Redman place wasn't fit to drink so had to be hauled from a spring. Granddad had an old horse he called Old Billy. He used him to haul water by strapping two cream cans across the saddle. He would walk and lead the horse. One spring when the snow melted and the creek was high, Granddad and Uncle Fenner would ferry the kids across the creek with Old Billy so they could go to school. They put a rope on the horse and put on a couple of kids and he would swim and wade across, then with the rope they could bring Old Billy back and load on a couple more kids.

Winfield Redman, Jr. and family, 1915. Left to right, Amy Redman holding Alice, Winfield with son, Robert.

Winfield Redman, Jr. and wife, Jetta, Charles Redman, Fenner and Robert Redman.

Winfield, Jr., was the oldest son and married when the Redmans came to Montana. Winfield also homesteaded on a piece of land not far from his family's homestead. Winfield and his wife, Amy had two children, a son, Robert was born in 1911 and a daughter, Alice, born in 1913. Amy died in 1918, this was the year that the flu took its toll. Winfield married Jetta Dickson, June 7, 1921. They had one son, Charles, born in 1922. Winfield kept accumulating land and never moved from the original homestead. Winfield raised sheep, as did some of his neighbors. During the winter around 1946-47 the coyote packs moved in. The sheep would be herded during the day and brought to the bed ground at night, flares lit sacks and old coats hung on the fence and still the coyotes would come in and kill sheep every night. Winfield spent many a freezing night sitting in the cold icehouse, which was close to the bed ground, with his shot gun guarding the sheep.

Charles married Kate Hamby and they have two girls, Peggy Redman and Marilyn (Mrs. Rod Kelly). Charles was born and raised on the ranch and now is the operator. Winfield is living with his daughter, Alice, in Minnesota and Robert lives in Billings. Jetta died in 1958.

 

Fenner and Margaret Redman and children, Isabella, Lillian and Marie Ann, 1,927.

Fenner, the next oldest son, bought some land close to the family homestead and started his own farm. He married Margaret Olivetti in 1920. They had three daughters, Isabella, Lillian (Bug), and Marie Ann. In 1935, Marie Ann was accidentally shot by a neighbor girl, she died at the age of seven. Fenner loved the land and loved to hunt and fish; he tanned his own hides and made jackets. boots, shoes, gloves and moccasins. He would send his moccasin tongues to the Indians and the squaws would do the beadwork for him. Fenner was very interested in the Indians and he did a great deal for them. A few summers he brought some of the little children from the reservation and kept them, cleaned them up and bought them clothes, which they didn't always want to wear. He also made a lot of bows and arrows. He realized that many of the Indian customs, beadwork, artifacts, etc., were becoming lost with each generation and did the best he could to obtain articles for a collection to try and preserve some of the Indian heritage.

A good catch. Left to right, Winfield Redman, Jr., R. W. Rose of Baker, Ted Redman, Fenner Redman.

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Fenner was one of the first farmers in his area to own a tractor and practice strip farming. He seemed to always raise a little better crop than his neighbors. After several years most of the farmers went to strip farming.

There was a blacksmith shop, also, and he did a lot of blacksmith work for neighbors--during spring and summer a lot of plowshares and sickles were sharpened. If a part was needed for machinery that wasn't too difficult, it, too, was made in the shop. In those days you didn't run into town for repairs. You built them.

One summer when a not unusual devastating hail storm hit, the hail stones were gathered up and were used to freeze up some good home made ice cream... What a treat--ice cream today should taste so good!

Fenner spent his last years in Billings with his daughter (Bug) Mrs. James McLuskie. He died July 15, 1954. Isabella lives with her family in Houston, Texas, Bug still lives in Billings, Mont.

Going back to the year 1919, Winfield, Jr., Fenner, Ted and a neighbor, Nate Hamilton, went to Canada to look over the land situation. Ted being the youngest at that time and not having any land of his own stayed and worked in Canada for a year and a half. The others came back home after a short while. Ted worked on a logging crew, railroad and with the threshing crew. Coming back to Montana in 1921 Ted stayed at the family homestead to help with the work.

Ted married Stella Hall in 1925, they rented a section of land and went to farming on their own. After two years the place was too small so they leased a larger place where they spent the next 4 years. They had two children by now, Ethel Mae and Theodore (Bill). Ted had a chance to buy some land which was known as the Allen and Franklin places which he did. They moved onto this place in 1931 and their daughter, Helen, was born that same year.

Glen and Genoa Hall with daughters. Left to right, Stella, Hazel and baby Dorothy, 1909.

Stella Hall was the daughter of Glen and Genoa Hall who came to Montana in May of 1912 from Indiana. Glen worked for Ray Lyman until 1915 when he filed on a homestead about 23 miles south of Plevna. Glen worked for

the Fulton Ranch. When the Halls came to Montana they had three daughters, Stella, Hazel and Dorothy. Two more children, Mildred and John were born on the Lyman place. Then a son, Earl, was born on the homestead. The family left the homestead in 1919 and moved into Ismay. During the winter of 1919 Glen drove a freight wagon, hauling hay from Ismay to the Fulton Ranch. During the years 1920 and 1921 Glen worked on the railroad. They moved back to the area of the old homestead in the summer of 1921. A daughter, Mary, was born that August.

Glen worked for the different ranchers and homesteaders in the area trying to make a living for the family at any job he could find. In 1924 the family moved to the Anderson place and here their youngest daughter, Betty, was born. The family lived in a tent at the time, doing their cooking outdoors. Later they moved into the old Anderson house. Finally when there was no work to be found and no food for the table the family moved to Baker in 1928. In August of 1928 Genoa packed a trunk and boarded the train for Miles City where she planned to spend a few days. The day she left Baker was the last time that anyone of the family ever saw her. She wrote one letter to her daughter, Stella, who was married at that time to Ted Redman and living on a ranch south of Ismay. Mail was slow then and by the time Stella wrote back to her mother at Miles City, her letter came back undelivered. That's the last time anyone heard from her. Not having the money to hire someone to look for her and not knowing where to look, has left her disappearance a mystery. The older girls were all married now and Glen took the younger children and moved back to Ismay where they lived until January of 1930. Never having heard from his wife again, Glen left with his three youngest children back to his old home town in Indiana.

Stella Hall Redman

Several years later, about 1939, he and the three children, and his daughter Hazel, her husband and year old daughter came to Montana. They planned on staying at the Redman ranch for an indefinite time. Shortly after arriving Hazel came down with a sore throat. Hazel was reluctant to go see a doctor because of the financial pressure it would cause the family. After a week she was persuaded to go into Baker to the doctor. The doctor diagnosed her case as strep throat. Within the week Hazel passed away.

Son, John, was killed in a car accident in 1953. Glen moved into Baker and worked for the County. In the spring of 1941 he was bitten by a tick and had spotted fever. He turned black and was in critical condition for several weeks. After a long and painful time in the hospital he did recover from the tick bite. He never did fully recover from the bed sores on his heels, they were so bad that he was crippled for the rest of his life. Glen passed away in Miles City in 1971. Stella lives at a cabin on the Boulder River, near McLeod, Dorothy lives in Ekalaka, Mildred in Billings, Earl is in Indiana and Mary and Betty live in Ekalaka.

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In 1929 Granddad Scott Redman, at the age of 75, died of a probable heart attack. Ten years later, in 1939, Granny Adelia died at the age of 75.

Ted farmed the family farm along with his own place. Ted was able to buy up some more land over the years and this was where he and Stella lived until 1963 when they sold their ranch to George Avalos and moved to a cabin on the Boulder River. Ted loved to hunt and fish and he loved the mountains. In the fall of 1927, Ted purchased a new truck and hauled grain into Ismay. Winfield, Jr. and Fenner ran the threshing machine. Ted managed to haul enough grain, (80 bushel at a time) that year to completely pay for the truck which cost $800. The three brothers always worked together.

Ted Redman, 1920

Threshing, putting in the winter supply of coal and before spring putting up the ice to last most of the summer. This was all hauled by team and wagon or sled. The coal was dug out of a hillside on Winfield, Jr.'s place.

The next most modern piece of farm machinery Ted bought was a tractor, in 1940, this was a General Purpose John Deere. This helped out the work horse situation, but didn't replace them entirely. About two years later a new and bigger tractor was bought and the workhorses were retired, all except for one team that was used for fence building and winter feeding.

Ted loved to hunt and during the winter he trapped coyotes. The hides properly taken care of would bring from ten to fifteen dollars. My dad always gave me (Helen) 10 cents apiece for helping him stretch the hides. Sometimes this was quite a job, especially if he didn't get in until way after dark and maybe have four or five coyotes to stretch. We had grey hounds and we all loved to hunt with them. Bill, Ethel and myself all learned to hunt and shoot at an early age. Stella was a good shot too, if the men were too busy to hunt and we were out of meat, she could shoot and clean a deer as well as any man.

As a small girl I can remember the year the grasshoppers flew in. They were so thick that the sky was cloudy, the fence posts were covered and they were so thick on the heads of grain that in seconds the head would be gone.

We always raised oats for feed for the cattle in the wintertime. The oats were usually cut with a binder and had to be placed in shocks and then hauled with a team and wagon to the stack. The rattlesnakes liked to get under the shocks and sometimes we would kill five to ten in one day.

Corn picking was one of the less desirable fall jobs. This was a time when a good team of horses was priceless. Dad would get the team started down the right row of corn and tied the reins up on the wagon and from then on they would keep down the same row and go when you would yell "Giddy up" and stop when saying "Whoa." That way we could all pick corn and no one would have to drive the team. One side of the wagon box was always built up higher so you could throw the ears of corn against it and they would-fall back into the wagon box.

Haying time was always an experience. The hay was mowed with a team and mower. The raking and bunching was also done with a team, this was "kinda" fun. To do a nice job of raking the horses had to be kept on a trot. The hay had to be hauled with a team and wagon, all the hay was pitched onto the wagon with a fork by hand. A sling was laid in the bottom of the wagon, (this was as hard to figure out as a woman's garter belt) the ropes all had to be just so. The wagon was loaded very evenly or else it would tip over. Everytime we had to go on a slope, everyone would have to shift to the high side to balance the wagon so it wouldn't tip. The wagon could tip if turned short enough right on level ground. When back to the stack more ropes were hooked onto the ropes that were across the stack. The horse would pull the sling out of the wagon and this would roll the hay up onto the stack. My job was to drive the team from one hay bunch to the other, Bill would stack it on the wagon and Ethel and Dad would pitch the hay onto the wagon. I wasn't suppose to get too close or too far away from the hay bunches, but just right, which I didn't always do. Every so often a snake would be thrown up on the rack with a fork full of hay.

I think the most exciting time of the year was when the big fall order from Sears and Roebuck catalog came in the mail. We had to ride horseback to school, six miles a day, rain or shine, hot or cold and we very seldom missed a day. If a bad blizzard came up during the day, Dad would sometimes ride to meet us so we wouldn't get lost. But we always had to have some good warm clothes, so when the big package arrived we knew there were new coats, mittens, longhandle underwear and overshoes if nothing else. After going to country school for 8 years, that makes right at nine thousand miles on horseback, not counting all the other riding, wrangling the work horses and milk cows, daily.

The Ted Redman children. Left to right, Ethel, Bill and Helen.

In 1937 everyone in our family except my dad came down with the scarlet fever. The doctor came out from Ismay and put up a quarantine sign on the door. My Uncle Winfield

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