The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-08-30
jim TALBOT HAD
MANY ADVENTURES
STATE PIONEER WHO FOUGHT
WITH WALKER IN NICARAGUA
is NO MORE
Was in California Before 40; Pros
pected for Gold in South America
and Australia; in Alder Gulch in
1868.

James A. Talbot, founder of Col
umbia Falls, is dead. He lived a
most adventurous career. He was
one of General Walkers men in
that swashbuckIer's Inflated at
tempt to take owe the ~Nicaraguan
government, and escaped when the
expedition failed, by walking over
the Isthmus and taking ship for
South America He mined for gold
in California and in Australia, and
was with the first rush of the ar
gonauts to Alder gulch in 1868.
He served as a member of the adj
visory board of the Vigilantes, and
was among the first to appreciate
the quartz possibilities of Butte
district, a circumstance that made
of him a very wealthy man.
Mr.. Talbot was born in Meigs
county, Ohio, October 80, 1898. At
the age of IL he went to Missouri to
live and at the age of II he began
overland freighting to California.
This was some time before the fam
Gus rush of the "49-ers." Soon after
ward he took a contract to haul mail
from Yuma to San Diego. He ac-
complished this by importing camels
for use in crossing Death valley.
1t is said that there are still des-
cendants of these camels, running
wild in the Arizona deserts.
Mr.. Talbot made several trips in
to old Mexico.
With General Walker he went into
Nicaragua on an expedition for the
purpose of taking over the Nicara-
~a4~ - 49, H. or@--@l
the Isthmus of Panama, making the
journey on foot and later went
around the horn of South America to
Australia in search of gold. He ira
veled extensively through South
America but finally drifted back to
California, then to Nevada, where he
stayed at Carson City and Bannack.
At Alder Gulch in '63
In 1863 he went north to Montana
and landed in Alder gulch and Vir-
ginia City in the boom days of 1863
and was present when five ~despera-
does were strung up by the Vigi-
lantes. While he never took an act
i've part in the work of the Vigil
antes, an organization formed to
quell the acts of bad men of that
time, he was a member of their adj
visory board.
He lived in Alder gulch for several
years and later moved to Columbia
Falls, where he opened ]. A. Tai
bolts bank, which is still in exist
ence. He was a charter member of
the Montana Pioneer society. He
retired some years ago., but contin-
ued his residence in Columbia Falls
until last October.
In 1876 he was married to Miss
Josie L. Ransdell, daughter of Joseph
R%ansdell. The R%ansdell family was
also known throughout Montana, and
particularly in Butte, having been
among the earliest pioneers. Mr..
and Mrs. Talbot had seven children,
only two of whom are living at this
time. During the years in Butte, Mr..
Talbot accumulated a large amount
of property.
Founded Columbia Falls
Mr.. Talbot and his family lived at
Columbia Falls for "a years. He can
truthfully be called the father of this
little western city. He gave to it the
red brick school house and gave the
state the site for the Soldiers home.
He built the Gaylord hotel, and his
family made possible the Episcopal
church there. Nj. Talbot was over
six feet tall, wiry, erect, alert and
powerful. He was absolutely with
out fear and was respected and fear
ed throughout the territory of Mon
tana. AS one of his friends puts it.
che was a man who would always
go through with his friend" He was
a nrh1ic Sniritad and paparOus piti-
zen and quite a large part of the for
tune he made was dissipated il help
ing the friends of his early life and