Your Community Builder
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I was born Jan. 16, 1930 in Camp Crook, South Dakota to George R. and Jessie (Brewer) Townsend, with a 5-year-old brother, Robert. Camp Crook was an upcoming little community at the time. It had two grocery stores, 2 cafes, 2 garages, and of course, 2 bars. My dad moved the family to Ekalaka in 1935-36. In 1936 I was in the first grade. We lived in and rented a large apartment in an old, two-story, white building on the southeast side of town (north of the ASCS office now). Across the hall was a male musician who played for...
Because of my eyesight and health problems my articles have been slow coming. I would like to write about some businesses, owners and employees of past years. Let’s begin with those on the west end of Main Street and on the south side. First, C.M. Summers and Co. which was owned and operated by Summers, V.E. Figg and Henry Stenseth. Henry had an auto repair shop across the street and south of the station. Also employed was Ernest ‘Sharkey’ Stenseth, a mechanic; and Bud Penn, who was a parts manager for many years. Now going...
My last article was on the J.G. (June) Olson and Harry Roberts families and stated how Harry loved baseball as did his son Gary. Gary has contacted me and triggered memories of another homestead family. That family was Charles F. “Chuck” and Maude O. Welch. Lucile (Welch) Venhaus is the author of the article on the family in “Shifting Scenes, Vol II,” page 919. The article shares a very interesting history of them and their children. “Both my parents, Charles (Chuck) and Maude O. Wilson Welch were born in Iowa, grew up i...
This time I am going to share some history on a business, its early time owner and some of his family. Some recent phone calls with Gary Roberts triggered my thoughts for this article. The individual was J.G. (June) Olson, his wife Henrietta and the business, Olsen Drug. Their daughter, Beverly (Olsen) Roberts, wrote their story in “Shifting Scenes, Vol. II,” page 648. “J.G. (June) Olsen came to Montana from Iowa in 1895 with his brother Clarence. He was thirteen and his brother fifteen. They started working at the TD Ranch...
I am going to continue on the old Ekalaka business places, people and locations. My next business on main street was the Pickard Market owned by Charles and Victoria Pickard. I am going to spend some time on this family which is given in Shifting Scenes Vol. II pages 689-690. If you have this book, read it. Charles was born in England and at age 16 came to the United States. In 1910 he decided to go West and reached Belle Fourche, South Dakota where he found no employment. He...
In my last article, I wrote about the Rowleys teaching and now I am going to step back a little with more interesting information. In 1956, both grade school and high school boards voted to place one person as administrator and Mr. Rowley was employed. He states he remained in that capacity until 1966. The following excerpt comes from "Shifting Scenes, Vol. II." "In November 1966, Ruby and I moved to the Turbiville Brothers Ranch to live in the house that had been vacated by...
I would like to share more information on the Rowley family. To follow up, I said Mr. Rowley's first times of teaching was the day after Labor Day in 1920. Now a little bit about Ruby! Ruby Johnson was born on June 16, 1903 at Ridgway, Missouri. Her background was of German immigrants and Ruby lived on a farm, I think. Mr. Rowley and Ruby were married August 10, 1929. She was hired to teach in Ekalaka August of 1926. Two additions to the family came forth: On September 27,...
My last article about "Mister Rowley" started at his birth, followed by his education and teaching positions. In 1925 he learned of an opening of the principalship of the schools in Ekalaka, Montana - he applied and was accepted. From "Shifting Scenes Vol. II:" "The Ekalaka Grade School was located just south of the Carter County High School which in 1925 was in the building now occupied by the Farmers' Union. The grade school was a two story frame building with two...
It’s been a long time since I have written an article for the Eagle, but a short time ago I was going through the “Shifting Scenes” books and came upon a very interesting family. It starts in Volume II on page 746. The names were William and Ruby Rowley. There are three or four pages about them. One of my first thoughts was that every student used the name “Mister Rowley” — he may have been called Bill at Lions Club meetings but never by any student. In my opinion, he was the greatest teacher Carter County High School has...
While going through some old files recently, I came upon the following information. As you read it, remember the date and the amount. How many years ago? It doesn’t seem possible that the high school is that old; and what a bargain! I believe Jim Anderson was superintendent at the time and I was chairman of the board. The debt was to be paid in twenty years and each payment was for sixty-five thousand dollars. The following minutes are from the January 11, 1979 Carter County High School board meeting. “(THIRD MEETING) MINUTES...
This week I would like to share more on the Ed and Mabel McCord family which I wrote about in the September 30th Eagle. Their daughter, Ruth, shared a full life history of her parents and children. I would like to follow with some memories of personal time spent with two or three of them. The year was 1942, World War II was in progress. I was in the seventh grade and Dale McCord was an eighth grader. At his graduation in the old high school, a couple from Alzada came for the occasion. Things had been worked out and we loaded...
For some unknown reason while thinking about a memory article, the McCord family kept coming to mind. Their family lived close to our family on the south side of Ekalaka during my grade and high school years. I would like to go back many years and share some memories of some of that family. To do this, I am going to take the article written by their daughter, Ruth, in “Shifting Scenes Vol. III,” pages 136-137. I have some memories of my connection with two or three family members and will share later as the “Shifting Scene...
Loyd and Phyllis Townsend reached their 74th wedding anniversary on August 30th! They were married in Miles City on August 30th, 1948. Loyd, age 92, was born in Camp Crook, South Dakota and “Phyl,” 91, was born in Ekalaka. Both graduated from Carter COunty High School, Loyd in 1948 and Phyl in 1949. They have two children. Jerome Townsend is an electrical engineer and lives in Penrose, Colorado. Arlene Sabala is a registered nurse, still working part-time and living in Twin Falls, Idaho. Loyd’s parents were George and Jessi...
Sorry it has been some time since my last article, but I will continue with old businesses and individuals who owned and operated them. The last article was about Pickards Market, later Main Street Market. The building is still there but vacant. Next door and to the east was a business I only kind of remember because it was many, many years ago. The name was Schnapps Cafe. I was in the building but don’t remember eating there. Well let’s go to “Shifting Scenes” for more information which can be found in Vol. II, page 780. The...
I am going to continue on the old Ekalaka business places, people and locations. My next business on main street was the Pickard Market owned by Charles and Victoria Pickard. I am going to spend some time on this family which is given in Shifting Scenes Vol. II pages 689-690. If you have this book, read it. Charles was born in England and at age 16 came to the United States. In 1910 he decided to go West and reached Belle Fourche, South Dakota where he found no employment. He...
Some days are long and for some reason I have been thinking of past businesses, their location and owners. Let’s begin with the old post office building where I started to work on April 1, 1950 under Postmaster E.E. Sykes. The north side of the building was occupied as a Western store and operated by Albert and Roberta Phelps, later by Claire Whitney. The post office was transferred to the north side later and a grocery store owned by Clarence and Ina Crystal was located in the old post office side. Today, the senior c...
Snow is deep — the days long, maybe do an article for you readers. In going through the Shifting Scenes Vol. III, I found two families I had been thinking about for some time. Those two were Chris and Gerda Bentz and Damian (Curly) Culver. “Christian and Gerda Bentz By William Kevin Armstrong Christian C. Bentz, was born December 20, 1891, at Artas, Campbell County, South Dakota, the son of Jacob and Margaret Bentz, of German extraction, one of four sons and three daughters. He attended Northern State College in Abe...
My last article tells of Mrs. Quam, and of the letters she and Ruth received while the four boys were in the service. Now I would like to give you readers more history and information on this family and as stated, seven children were born-- six boys and one girl. Ruth the daughter, wrote the Shifting Scenes article and has an article in the April 8, 1960 Ekalaka Eagle. I am going to use information from both. "Arthur, oldest son, was born in Deadwood and came to Montana as a...
Their daughter Ruth has some memories and descriptions of her mother I would like to share. “Mrs. Quam spoke of the times on the ranch when they didn’t know where their next sack of flour was coming from, but they managed to get by. She often told how she would mend clothes and then re-mend them, as there was no money for new things at the time.” Ruth also comments that Mrs. Quam was essentially a home loving person, a fine character with strong devotion to her family. Another memory of the area: Mr. Quam and some of his n...
After learning that ‘Tony’ Quam and his wife Maria both came from Norway, I learned that they got married in Yankton, South Dakota and moved to Deadwood, South Dakota where Tony worked for the Homestake Mining Co., in the shops. A strike by the union shut down the work and after information from Peter Sjoblor to Anton and two friends, they decided to check out the homestead land near Ekalaka. Oh yes — June Olsen and his wife Henrietta, his daughter Beverly and son-in-law Harty T. Roberts ran the Drug Store until 1955 when...
I am going to return my article this time to another homestead family, which after reading about in the "Shifting Scenes," I found very interesting and informative and feel you readers will also. This article is about Anton "Tony" Quam, his wife Maria and their family. Most of the information was written by Ruth (Quam) Berg, their only daughter. I may have to write two or three articles to cover this early homestead family. Let's look at lots of quotes by Ruth. "Anton Quam...
I will continue to share information about the Tie Creek community with an article by Wesley Brewer who told about the company that came to the area to cut trees, made railroad ties, built dams, and in the spring of 1884 with high water and blown dams started the ties down Tie Creek to the Little Missouri River with a destination of Medora. What was the result? Wesley gives us the answer. “The trees were to be stopped at Medora and about half of them reached their destination. Some of the others were gathered up and hauled t...
This article will be a little different as it will be about a community and some of its history that was unknown to me. The information is taken from “Shifting Scenes Vol. II,” was written by Wesley Brewer and is entitled “Tie Creek Community.” Wesley has an article about his life and family and other articles, and in some instances gives very detailed reports of life and history. He does a great job. I am going to quote most of his articles which I feel you as readers will enjoy. “One cloudy afternoon in 1882, a buffalo hunt...
Edna tells of her early years of teaching school in North Dakota, later in Montana in the Ridgeway area and then to the O'Fallon Creek school. She listed most of the students. The winter of 1935-36 was really cold, more than six weeks below zero and deep snow. Not one student was late or absent in all that time (referring to the O'Fallon Creek school). There were no "yellow school busses" running at that time! Now I will quote Edna on her marriage to Bud and her description...
I have written about “Bud” Asbury, including some information on his parents (Elmo & Bessie), his education, graduation from Carter County High School in 1928 and a small amount on his love for ranching, riding bucking horses and bulldogging. The short article in “Shifting Scenes” about Bud mentions nothing about his marriage to Edna, but there is a lot of information on her family, where they lived, her education, teaching time, and yes, her marriage to Bud and some of their life on the Asbury Ranch. Let’s share her artic...
