1863 Settlers to Madison County, Montana

The following data is extracted from Bancroft Works, Volume 31, History Of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, 1845-1889, Hubert H. Bancroft, 1890. The History Company, Publishers, San Francisco..

John Willhard, born in Germany Sept. 28, 1838, came to the U. S. in 1854, and crossed the plains with a mule-team in 1860, to Colorado, where he mined and farmed until May 1863, when he followed the immigration to Montana. After mining one season at Virginia City he took a farm of 640 acres in the Beaverhead Valley, a mile below Twin Bridges. In company with Lester Harding he discovered Carpenter's Bar.

Carl Rahmig, born in Germany Oct. 3, 1837, came to the U. S. in 1858, locating in Iowa, where he remained until 1862, when he went to Nevada with a horse-team. After a short stay there and in Cal. he went to Idaho, and thence to Montana. His first residence was in the Prickly Pear Valley, after prospecting and mining until 1870 he settled on a farm in the valley of Willow Creek, between the Madison and Beaverhead Rivers, and raised stock.

O. W. Jay, born in New York May 2, 1844, removed with his parents to Wisconsin and Illinois, being raised a farmer. At the age of 17 years went to Colorado, returning the same season to Illinois. In. 1863 went again to Colorado, and the same year to Virginia City, where he mined until 1870, when he secured a farm of 1,100 acres. He married Ella J. Wilcox in 1874.

Wilson Butt, Fish Creek, born in Indiana March 7, 1827, removed to Cal. overland in 1849, where he mined for five years, returning to Missouri in 1854. In 1862 went to Colorado, where he remained until the following year, when he went to Alder gulch, and in 1865 to Helena. In 1870 he settled in Jefferson Valley, farming 280 acres, and raising grain and stock.

Sanders E. Word, Ennis, born in Ky Dec. 16, 1846, removed in 1854 to Missouri. At the age of 17 years began driving freight teams across the plains, which business he followed several years. He settled on the upper Madison River, devoting himself to farming and stock raising.

Joseph Eveans Ennis, born in Indiana Jan. 30, 1836, went to Colorado at the age of 25 years, driving a mule-team; mined for three years in that country, and then went to Virginia City, but soon settled on a farm on the Madison River.

William Fletcher Ennis, born in New York March 24, 1829, was raised a farmer, and resided in his native state until 1856, when he emigrated to Nebraska, and to Montana in 1863, driving a horse-team. Remained a year at Bannack, when he went to Virginia City and engaged in the business of supplying the market with beef. He married Zilphia Wakefield in 1866.

Christopher Richter, born in Germany June 8, 1834, came to the U. S. in 1856, and engaged as a coal-miner in Pa, although a cooper and brewer by trade, but soon went to St Louis, and then to St Charles, Missouri, working at his trade of coopering until 1860, when he went to Colorado for a year, and from thence to New Mexico, returning and going to Montana in 1863. He went into brewing beer in 1864, with Henry Gilbert, at Virginia City, in which business he continued for 8 years, then went to farming on the upper Madison, where he raised stock. He also owned a quartz mine called the Germantown, half a mile from Spaulding, which assayed 62 ounces of silver and 58 ounces of gold per ton. He married Anna Ackler in 1862.

Source: Bancroft Works, Volume 31, History Of Washington, Idaho, and Montana, 1845-1889, Hubert H. Bancroft, 1890. The History Company, Publishers, San Francisco.

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