The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-02-09
PASSING OF LANG,
FALLON PIONEER
FACTOR IN CREATION OF FALLON
COUNTY; WAS FRIEND OF
ROOSEVELT
First Individual to Purchase Lot in
the Baker Townsite; Was Stock
man, Merchant and Banker, and
Man of Parts.
BY J. f. LEWIS.

BY j. F. LEWIS.
William Gregory Lang, of Baker
who died last week in a Miles City
hospital, has been called THE Father
of Baker and Fallon County" He
was the first person to buy lot for
business site in Baker when the
Milwaukee railroad came, and on De-
cember 15, 1908, he opened the first
store in the new town, which he con-
Quoted for nine years, selling out to
Joe Doull in 1917.
When Mr.. Lang opened his store,
Baker was in Custer county, and he
Immediately planned the creation of
new county with Baker as the
county seat. A natural organizer, he
soon interested others in the move
ment to secure the organization of
Fallon county and there to make
Baker the center of government,
for the new county. This precipitated
two fights. Some who wanted the
new county were not willing that
Baker should be given the county
seat. Ekalaka was selected as the
temporary capital but Baker won out
in the end after hard fight.
With the establishment of Fallon
county and the final selection of
Baker as its capital, the little village
took on period of expansion that
resulted in a remarkable growth, and
in all of it Mr.. Lang bore con-
structive part.
Founded Bank
He was one of the founders of the
Baker State Bank, the first one in
the city, and of the First National
bank at Ismay, remaining vice presi-
dent and director of the first named
bank ever since its organization.
William G. Lang was born near
Dublin, Ireland, October 80, 1878.
His father was Scotch and his mother
Irish. He came to this country when
he was about five and one-half years
old, with his mother, to join his ia
Their on the ranch on the Little Mis-
souri, river, IL miles east of the Mon
tana line and SO miles south of Me-
dora, North Dakota, made famous by
Theodore Roosevelt, whose ranch was
In that vicinity, at the time when the
buffalo and Indians held the range.
Roosevelt's Neighbor
Young Roosevelt and Mr.. Lang's
father we're near neighbors and close
friends and the future president was
4 frequent visitor at the Lang ranch, |
and there formed the acquaintance of |
he two Lang boys, William, and his
older brother, Lincoln Lang. Thus
was formed lifelong friendship be-
ween the two families and linked the
n Of in
DRY and biography.
When Hermann Hagedorn, Jr., was
material for his Roosevelt
,ook in 1920, authorized by the
Roosevelt Memorial Association, Bill
1ang travelled with him over the !
Genes once traversed and loved by /,
he Rough-Rider president, and as
listed in collecting incidents, anec- ]
Totes and various interesting facts
nd details connected with Teddy's
experience in cowboy land.
Winner of the West
Roosevelt said in his later years
hat he would never have been presi-
ent had it not been for the valuable
ducation, training and experience
e received from ranching, hunting
nd roughing it in the west.
William Lang's smile was striking
Y like that of the famous Rough
lider, and it is told of the two men
hat when they met on the stage of
he public hall in Helena in 1912
yhen Col. Roosevelt was making his
asst big campaign as leader of the
BULL Moose party, that the famous
mile of the former president found
Is counterpart in the expression worn
y Billy Lang, so that when both dis
layed their prominent front teeth in
ordial greeting to each other, the
ntire assemblage responded to the
ointment manifested, and all wore
miles which were not effaced
throughout the entire evening.
Mr.. Lang's ranch, which he man
ged after the death of his parents
nd continued to operate until his
cath, comprises 5000 acres on the
little Missouri in North Dakota. He
7as famous as a breeder and grower
f fine registered cattle of the Here
ord strain, and also of Percheron
orses. His connection with any en-
erprise gave it stability from the
tart, for it was known that he would
ot take up anything unless he was
ertain that the cause was just and
onorable one, and that there was
reasonable certainty of ultimate
uccess.
His friends were legion and he was
known as "A Good Scout"
"a good enough epitaph for any son
the west.
T0ATT Ala N0TTTTU