The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-04-25
OLD TOWN OF
COTTONWOOD
Continued from Feature page.)

tCOnIlnueu from Feature Page.)
building was struck by lightning an,
Alexander Lehman, son of the pro
i prietor, who was sleeping in tn
store, was stunned by the bolt blu
/ finally managed to make his wa,
form the burning structure and CAV,
the alarm. The building was entire
ly destroyed with a loss of $4,000 OF
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 one of the lead
ing institutions of that place.
Charles r. 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 half century, had led a
fairly adventuresome and interesting
career.
Born in Germany, August Is, 1928,
he came to America when he was II
Or IS and for time worked upon
4 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 |
ngmen's unions who objected to the
prison labor feature of the under
aking and they delegated man to
,ut an end to Lehman by the pistol |
quite.
When found by the hired assassin
lehman was seated in a hotel but |
for him his assailant was
-ot dead shot and the first bullet
vent wide of it's mark Lehman
almly arose from his seat and adj
anced toward the would-be assassin,
Tho, unnerved by the unexpected de-
leanor of his intended victim, sent
ne remaining shots at random. Leh-
ian laid hold upon the thug, wrested
ne gun from his hand and threw
i'm out of the hotel.
This determined the union upon
Their tactics and they proceeded to
sason with him along other lines,
fter which, for consideration, Leh-
ian agreed to leave the place.
During the Civil War Mr.. Lehman
1gaged in contract work in st. Louis
ntil he and partner joined a wagon
ain for the west, intending to go to
enver to open store. Attacked
Y Indians most of the party desert
the enterprise and Lehman and his
artner were compelled to return.
However they organized another
agon train and proceeded to Den
sr where they engaged in business
Id where Mr.. Lehman at one time
xned the land upon which the Col
ado capitol now stands. He then
ent to Leadville and later to Cal
ornia where he worked for time
the placer mines. From California
> moved on to Portland, Oregon,
len to Boise, Idaho, and then to
ralla Walla, and for two years OPT
'ated pack train in the Blue noun
ms. y
Coming to Montana he first enter
the placer diggings in Alder gulch
1T soon moved to Helena where he
gagged in the mercantile business.
lille still located there he estab-
she'd stores at Cottonwood and Uti-
in the Judith Basin, and in 1895, y
ter the opening of his store in
swistown, he removed to that city
here he remained until his death.
is widow, who was Miss Bach and
whom he was married in 1869, is
i'll living in Lewistown, although
vpraI Of hiq cpynp sons haua ciuop Il