The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-01
JAMES FERGUS
PASSES AWAY
PIONEER OF FOUR STATES DIES
At FERGUS COUNTY RANCH.
TO Be BURIED AT HELENA
County in Which He Passed Ills Last
Days Was Nared in His
Honor.

HSN""e #TH- "a
Honor. U
Helena. June 26.-James Fergus /
is dead. The aged pioneer who help t
to lay the foundation for nor !
than one commonwealth has entered :
the valley of the shadow of death In
his seth year after a brave struggle
with the inevitable.
The pioneer passed away at MS
ranch, SO miles from Lewistown, yes
terday afternoon after several months
of gradual decline due to extreme old
age. AS one Of his relatives said, ne
faded away. His death had been ex-
pected ever since he was taken III
early last spring and it was due to his
remarkable vitality that he made
such a long fight against the end.
Three of his four children were
present at his bedside at the time OF
his death-Andrew Fergus, of Arm
ellis, Fergus county; Mrs. s. 9. Gill
patrick, of Helena, and Mrs. IL. X.
Hamilton, Of Helena. Mrs. Frank
Maurey, OF Dilley, Oregon, a fourth
child, was not present, but will come
to the funeral, which will be held at
Helena, probably Sunday, when the
pioneer will be buried beside his wife,
who died in 1887.
The story of Mr.. Fergus life since
he came to this country a boy Is the
history of pioneer days in ILLINOIS,
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Montana,
for he was a pioneer Of all these states
and saw them pass through the formu-
lative period. The best years or MS
life. those that appear to have ac-
complished the best results, were
spent in Montana. He was one Of the
earliest of the territory's pioneers n
he saw the Treasure state become
n of the foremost of the west.
He was no stranger in Helena, nav
ing lived here at times and often Wis
tied with his relatives in&the Capital
city. He was mere about one year
ago. He was then quite feeble but
his mind was as clear as ever: II
seems too bad that he could not ave
lived to have witnessed the dedicatlol
of the new capitol, for none OF tne
pioneers who will be in Helena mex
week upon that memorable occasloi
will take greater pleasure in the even
that he woula have experienced nat
he lived and been able to attend.
It is possible that at som futur
date when a grateful state desires T
nav tribute to- the memory OF tn
sturdy pioneers who laid the found
ton for the state the familiar feature
If James Fergus may be selecte
along with others for a histories
%nainting or bust to be placed IN tn
state house.
Mr.. Fergus was born in Scotland Q
the farm Of Shawton, Glassford pa
ish. Lanarkshire, on October Is, lol
He attended school in his native cou
try until the age of 10, when he bat
adler, to the scenes of his chlldhot
and embarked for America. He spe:
several years in Canada, where !
learned and worked at the trade
millwright. From Canada he went
Green Bay, Wis, where he was e
ployed for a time on public Wordi
He was in Milwaukee when it was \
much more than a village ana "
offered a quarter section OF land
what is now the business portion
Chicago, for So an acre. After wo
ing at his trade in various places
finally located at Moline, ILL.,, VIII
he was counted one OF the plon'
manufacturers of that now fam
manufacturing center, becoming I'M
ested in a paper mill. It is said u
a monument erected to the pion
manufacturers of the county at nc
Island, bears the name Of James :
gus"
Fron, Moline he went to Little Fs
MINI, which place he unde
where he bridged the Mississippi
er. He afterwards located fel
Fails. the smart little city WI
still bears his name. He owned
half Of the townsite, but was NJ
resident of the place. His Little :
enterprise proved a financial 1al
and the. accumulation of-years
quickly swept away.
Undaunted, he cast his eyes to
westward. He would try his fort
with the ~gold-seekers OF the 4
mountains. In 1862 he purchas
.u,,u +oor0 and Joined CAPTAIN