Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-07-17
FIRST
PLANNING MILL
|NT0 MONTANA
From Penniless Boy He
Rose to Be Decorated
by King of Norway.
Business Operations OF
Helena Man Touched
Whole of Northwest.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
Helena, July 16-A. VI. Hotter,
father of Norman b. Hotter. member
of the board of directors of the federal
reserve board for the ninth district.
died at his home here late Saturday
OF ailments consequent upon old age.
Mr.. Hotter was 80. He was one of tbe
most prominent merchants iu the
northwest and was pioneer OF Mon
tana, having been citizen of the state
since 1868.
Anton NJ. Hotter was born in Moss.
a village on the eastern shore of Chris
tiana ford, Norway, June %. 1881.
He was third in a family of five hav-
ing two older brothers, a younger
brother and sister. His father was
lost at sea and his mother was left
with scanty means of support. Young
Hotter went to live with a maternal
uncle with whom he remained on the
farm until he was II years of age. He
learned the carpenters trade and when
20 years of age came to the United
States by way of Quebec. He remained
for brief time in Chicago and then
went to Decorah, Iowa, where he Sc
cured carpenter work at $50 a month.
Goes to Colorado.
When Mr.. Hotter had accumulated
$1,000 he went to st. Louis and in 1860
with his brother. Martin M. Hotter, he
went to Colorado, locating at what is
now Idaho Springs and South Clear
creek. In the fall of 1863 Mr. Hotter
and e. Evensen brought a sawmill to
Virginia City, setting it up in Rams
Horn gulch, IS miles away. In 1864
they started lumber yards at Virginia
City and at Nevada City. In that year
he and two partners built the water
works at Virginia City.
In 1865 Mr.. Hotter set up a saw
mill and planning mill on Ten Mile
creek, eight miles west of Helena, the
first planning mill in Montana In the
same year Mr.. Hotter bought Even
sens interest in the plant and took in
his brother, Martin, as partner, form
ing the firm of A. NJ. Hotter & Brother.
Married in 1867.
In 1867 Mr. Hotter went to Chicago
and was married to Miss Mary p. Lo-
berg. In the fall of 1867 the Hotter
brothers opened a general store in
Helena where the Pittsburgh block
low stands. In 1868 and 1860 they
completed a sash and door factory and
, distillery, all of them the first plants
If their kind in Montana.
In the early seventies Mr.. Hotter !
erected the first ore concentrator in |
he Rocky Mountains at the Rumley |
nine, of which he was part owner.
Thereafter for a number of years he |
vas largely interested in mining. In |
8S2 the brothers erected saw mill
N Stickney creek and started lum-
er yard at the mouth of the Sun river
t Great Falls. For the next few
,oorc NJ, IIo1for uaS anoouad in
arge and successful enterprises in min
f the organizers of the street railway
nd light plant in Helena in 1884 and
q 1887 he established the Hotter
lumber Co, and the A. NJ. Hotter
hardware Co.
Decorated by King.
Mr.. Holter's business activities
ouched almost every portion of the
states and extended into
british Columbia. A few years ago
e was decorated by the king Of Nor
,ay for philanthropic work carried on
1 bis native land at his expense. The
ecoration was at Helena by the Nor
'egian consul for the district of Mon
ina, the order of st. Olaf being con-
erred.
Mr.. Hotter was a Republican and
,ryed in the territorial legislature and
ter in the Montana house. Surviv-
p children are Norman b., now man.
ger of the Hotter interests; Aubrey
:, of Helena; ]. Edward of New York,
ad Mrs. James Grey Of Los Angeles.
For a number Of years past failing
,alth due to the infirmities of old {
70 had prevented his active partici-
tion in business