The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-04-24
TOWN OF
COTTONWOOD
Continued from Feature Page.)

Continued from Feature Page.)
building was struck by lightning anC
Alexander Lehman, a son of the pro
p%rietor, who was sleeping in the
store, was stunned by the bolt but
finally managed to make his way
form the burning structure and gave
the alarm. The building was entire
ly destroyed with a loss of $4,000 on
the structure and $4,000 on the
contents.
The Cottonwood post office had
been located in the store with Bach
as postmaster. He managed to save
the post office books and, according
to the Fergus County Argus, of Oct.
IA, 1892, he delivered them to the
Lewistown postmaster on October 8,
after having been unable to find any
one who was willing to assume the
duties of the office.
Apparently that ended the Cotton
wood postoffice and the Lehman store
was never rebuilt, but the business
was transferred to Lewistown where
in the same month the firm estab-
lished business in the Landt building
and in time became n of the lead
ing institutions of that place.
Charles f. w. Lehman, the head
of the various Lehman stores, who
died March 10, 1911, and who had
been identified with the development
of the territory and state of Montana
for nearly a half century, had led a
fairly adventuresome and interesting
career.
Born in Germany, August Is, 1928,
he came to America when he was II
IS and for a time worked upon
a farm in the east, later going into
the southern states where he worked
upon railroad construction work, fin
ally taking a contract for which stone
was furnished by contract labor.
This aroused the hostility of work
ingmen's unions who objected to the
prison labor feature of the under
taking and they delegated a man to
put an end to Lehman by the pistol
When found by the hired assassin
Lehman was seated in a hotel but
fortunately for him his assailant was
not a dead shot and the first bullet
went wide of it's mark. Lehman
arose from his seat and adj
vanced toward the 'would-be assassin,
who, unnerved by the unexpected de-
of his intended victim, sent
he remaining shots at random. Leh-
nan laid hold upon the thug, wrested
he gun from his hand and threw
lin out of the hotel.
This determined the union upon
,ther tactics and they proceeded to
'eason with him along other lines,
Lfter which, for a consideration, Leh-
nan agreed to leave the place.
During the Civil War Mr.. Lehman !
Engaged in contract work in St. Louis
Until he and a partner Joined a wagon
rain for the west, intending to go to
Denver to open a store. Attacked
~ Indians most of the party desert
ID the enterprise and Lehman and his
PARTNER were compelled to return.
However they organized another
wagon train and proceeded to DEN
rer where they engaged in business
md where MI. Lehman at one time
,wned the land upon which the Col
'rado capitol now stands. He then
vent to Leadville and later to Cal
fornia where he worked for a time
n the placer mines. From California
lie moved on to Portland, Oregon,
hen to Boise, Idaho, and then to
Walla Walla, and for two years OPT
a pack train in the Blue noun
aims.
Coming to Montana he first enter
ID the placer diggings in Alder gulch
tut soon moved to Helena where he
Engaged in the mercantile business.
While still located there he estab-
ished stores at Cottonwood and Uti-
in the Judith Basin, and in 1895,
the opening of his store in
4ewistown, he removed to that city
where he remained until his death.
lis widow, who was a Miss Bach and
o whom he vas married in 1869, is
till living in Lewistown, although
everaI of his seven sons have since
coated in California.