The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-05-04
FORMER LEADING
MONTANAN DEAD
G. o. GRUWELL, A PIONEER
FREIGHTER, WHO SERVED In
LEGISLATURE, PASSES
Made His First Montana Stake in
Placer Mining; Went on Many
Z Stampedes; Served Yellowstone
County as Senator.

i Former Senator C. o. Gruwell, wh'
served Yellowstone county in the up
per house a few years ago, died re
Gently at Twin Falls, Idaho.
Senator Gruwell was a native O.
Lee county, Ia. He was born Dec. Is
1897. His father was a stockmar
and farmer, who sold his Iowa prop
erty in 1849 and went to California
with his family, making the trip over
the old Fremont pack trail, known as
the southern route. His train of SO
wagons was the first to make the trip
over this trail 1t started from Iowa
in April, 1849, arriving at Los Ange-
les on Dec. % of the same year.
Pioneer of Helena
While his father was engaged in
mining, farming and stockraising, c.
o. Gruwell completed his academic
education at Santa Clara college. In
1868 he went to Virginia City, New,
working for a stage company. Two
years later he came to Helena, locat-
ing a mine which he sold at a good
price, and engaged in merchandising
and freighting between Helena and
Fort Benton. In 1857 he went to
Salmon, Idaho, during the gold STAN
pede and was married at Leesburg to
Miss Sarah Bohanon. They returned
to Montana in October of the same
year and located in Deer Lodge coun-
ty, where Mr. Gruwell was engaged
in mining in Lincoln and Henderson
gulches, running a hotel also at the
former He also resumed his mer-
camille contracts between Helena and
Fort Benton. In the fall of 1870 he
bought ranch of $40 acres on Flint
creek, near Philipsburg, and in 1879
be brought the first sheep into Mon
tana across the Occur d'Alene noun
tains. In 1883 he sold his ranch to
Patrick Brogan, driving his sheep
and cattle to the Big Horn basin in
where he remained a year,
after which he transferred his stock
to a ranch he had bought in Custer
county. He continued his interests
in the stock business in Custer and
Yellowstone counties for many years,
and was also heavily interested in
real estate after he moved to Bill
lings, which was his home for many
years, and where he constructed one
Of the finest business blocks in the
city.
Active in Politics
He was an active and Jealous dem
ocrat, served as commissioner of yell
owstone county for four years, and
in 1898 was elected state senator
from that county. In the senate he
was a prominent supporter of Hon.
W. A. Clark and rendered good serv
ce to his United States senatorial
cause in both sessions of the legis-
ature in which he served In the
session of 1901 he was the first mem
,er of his delegation to cast vote
or Hon. Paris Gibson and thus
opened the way to his election.
During at least 1 years of Senator
sruwell's life in Nevada, Idaho and
Montana much of his time was passed
n fighting Indians, and he had nu-
1erous exciting adventures. In Para
Use valley in 1854 he was alone on
trip when he was told that band s
f Piutes had surrounded corral in
yhich were the women and children
f several families, and that an at I
dCh WOulu De mduo DIT ulSuIldll. ne
ecured the cooperation of five other
rhite men who armed themselves, !,
nd as darkness came they rushed 6
ito the corral with whoops and t
bots, deceiving the besiegeing Indi- G
MS into the belief that large force
rescuers had come, so the red G
len speedily took to flight. v
About ten years ago Senator Cru a
ell left Billings for Idaho Falls, v
here he resided until his death. +
Besides his son, Warren, of c
win Falls and his son-in-law, Mr.. G
lair, the surviving members of the I
lmily are Mrs. Francis Spear of Bill t
ngs, a daughter, who was the first :
hite child born at Fort Benton, and i
1other son, Robert E. Gruwell, of II
maha Ill