Big Timbers - Help wanted from Yorkshire, England. (Bozeman, Helena: lease, home)

[rustyruth]

Hello I am seeking help from Halifax, Yorkshire, England, I am trying to track down information about a relative who emigrated to Big Timbers, Sweet Grass County, Montana, around 1908.

My name is Ruth Craine, my maiden name is Mitchell, my father who died in 1981 was called Joe Mitchell and his father who died in 1970 was John Richard Mitchell. My Grandfather John Richard was one of 10 children. It is one of his brothers Joseph Edward Mitchell who I am trying to find out some more about for my family tree.

Joseph Edward is the son of Joseph Mitchell, who died on 20th October 1915 ages 75 years in Halifax and is buried along with his first wife Mary Anne Mitchell, his second wife Sarah Anne Mitchell, and my Grandfather John Richard Mitchell in a grave in the village of Warley, Halifax.

The information I have is quite vague, but this is what I do have - Joseph Edward Mitchell was the first of 4 of my Grandfathers siblings to emigrate to the US, he was unmarried when he left the UK around 1908, we know he took a ranch (either owned or leased) in the Big Timbers area. He used the ranch to breed horses for the US cavalry. I have no information relating to a marriage in the US, but my Mother seems to think that he adopted a daughter called Mabel, she later married a man who we believe had the surname Smith. Joseph Edward Mitchell died in the US in May 1961 and is buried in the Big Timbers area.

I know this is a long shot, if the names Mitchell and Smith are as common in the US as here, but any help would be much appreciated, I am the only child of two only children so relatives are a bit thin on the ground, any family history is always welcome.

Thank you for listening to me,

Ruth

[MTSilvertip]

Hello RustyRuth,

Big Timber (no plural) is a great little town. Most of my family now lives there.

I can do some checking for you as my mother works with the senior population, and in a small town, everybody knows everybody and everybodies business.

An Englishman shouldn't be too hard to find as most of the original settlers in that area are Scandinavian. You are far more likely to fine an Anderson or Peterson than a Mitchell.

I only know of a couple of graveyards close to Big Timber, but there are some small graveyards at Reed Point and McLeod that have pioneers.
I would advise you check with the Montana Historical Society in Helena as they have extensive records of pioneers including local newspapers listing births, deaths, marriages, and some of those small papers still list things like "so and so traveled to Bozeman last weekend to meet with so and so. They had a lovely picnic lunch and came home tired but happy".

The Historical Society has most archived papers on Microfilm.

Sheep were the primary industry in the area, so horse breeders were more rare. There is a place outside of Livingston to the east locally called Horsethief Flat because horse theives would hide the horses they took there until they had a herd they could move and sell somewhere else.

There was a Calvery outpost near Bozeman, Fort Ellis, that may have bought remounts from your Uncle. There was another Calvery post at Mammoth Hot Springs as Yellowstone Park was operated by the Military in its early years.
You may wish to check with the Military Archives in the Library of Congress as they would have receipts of purchases made by those forts for horses or other supplies bought locally.

I will post when I have more information.

[rustyruth]

Hello MTSilvertip,

Many thanks for your information and offer of help Apologies for sticking and 's' on the end of Big Timber, I should have know really as I had a quick look on Google Earth before I posted here, my Mum always calls the town Big Timbers, so I guess the plural stuck in my mind.

Look forward to hearing back from you, and with some of the pointers you've given me I can do a bit more looking myself. I'm sure my Mum mentioned that she had some grave papers somewhere, but she's reached 80 this year and I think sometimes her memory is starting to play a few tricks.

Another Great Uncle who emigrated to the US in 1912 was supposed to be sailing out on the Titanic, but because his business took him a little longer to wind up than he thought, he ended up catching a later crossing, he lived out his years in California dying at the age of 98, a very lucky man. Fortunately he was easier to keep track of than Joseph as he remained in close contact with the family he left behind.

Thanks again.

[grizzfan]

rustyruth says:

my Mum always calls the town Big Timbers

Yes, at one time there were two very large trees there!

Good luck in your ancestral search.

[rustyruth]

Thank You Grizzfan

[Reziac]

Joseph Edward MITCHELL

Appears to be the right person -- Halifax to Sweetgrass County in the right timeframe.

[rustyruth]

Reziac, Yes this is most certainly him. Many Many thanks. I have downloaded the details to investigate further. I notice on the 1891 Census the family are living at the Sportsman Inn, in the village of Midgley, one fact I do know is that my Grandfather was born at the Inn.
Also there is a link to a Mabel Mitchell, who I understand to be his daughter. What a shame my Mother had a clear out of most of my Fathers photographs and family papers when he died in 1981, she regrets it now, but that is no help to me trying to piece my family together.

Again many thanks for your time and help.

[Reziac]

I also found this from Google, but it goes to an irrelevant link (RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: Elwin A. Farnsworth Family) Anyway here's the descriptive text, as far as Google shows it:

She married Joseph Sidney Mitchell, son of Joseph Edward Mitchell and ..... New York, and died BET JUN 1900 AND 1907 in probably Sweet Grass County, ...

More from the previously mentioned site: Legacy Report

4-Laura EARNSHAW b. 20 Feb 1869, Ovenden, Yorkshire, c. 17 Mar 1875, Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, d. 8 Mar 1946, MO, USA
+Joseph Edward MITCHELL b. Cir Jan 1879, Luddenden, Nr Halifax, Yorkshire, m. 1909, USA, par. Joseph MITCHELL and Mary Ann PARSONS

Another listing that may or may not be the right family:
The Virginia Halsteads
(beware of huge page; long family description at top)

1518. Joseph Edward Mitchell (Virginia Margaret "Jennie" Halstead1105, Samuel Gaston673, Samuel Jennings393, Lattimore215, Andrew "Drew"121, John38, Drew10, Simon2, Henry1)

Joseph married Jean Daniels.
Children from this marriage were:
1856 M i. Louis Eugene Mitchell
1857 M ii. Joseph Edward Mitchell Jr.
1858 F iii. Caroline Mitchell

It's possible that this is the previous generation... I can't find anything one way or the other on that.

See also
RootsWeb: WEST-RIDING-L Re: [WRY] LYDIA MITCHELL of MIDGLEY and other MITCHELLs

Note that these refer to Halifax Parish, near Lancashire, England, NOT to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

[rustyruth]

Reziac, Many thanks again for all the information you are providing, I have loads of investigating to do now. Unfortunately I am leaving the UK today, going to Spain for a couple of weeks, no internet sadly. So if you post me any more info in the next few weeks, please don't think I'm being rude not answering, its just that I'm not online

Regards

Ruth

[Reziac]

No problem, but be sure to come back and tell us about your trip

And good luck with the genealogy... sure makes a person sorry we don't keep accurate pedigrees on people the way we do on livestock!!