The Sidney herald., 1955-08-18
Our Pioneer
Dentist
(By Lucy Fisher)

This was true of the towns IN
eastern Montana on the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific
railways and my readers can i'm
agine the stir it caused when word
was received that a well equipped
dentist and a talented artist and
photographer were touring the
country in a railroad coach and
that they would make every town
on these two lines. Your writer
was then a very small girl but I
we'll remember the trip to Gull
bertson from our Lone Butte
ranch to be there when that first
train arrived.
My mother, father, brother and
I went to Culbertson on horse
back. We rode to the river which
we crossed in a row boat while
the horses swan with us holding
the lead ropes. My father did the
rowing and when we got across
we resaddled and continued on to
town. Memories of this expert
ence were revived on a recent
trip to the west coast where I
visited with DR.. Fanny z. Miner
and we had a wonderful time re-
calling the events of those days
and a little of the history of the
Brockman family, of which she
was a member. Some of this his
tory I know will be of interest to
the old timers of this area and will
revive many happy memories.
John Brockman, a farmer in
Iowa, in 1881 with his family, in
Guiding his wife, two daughters,
Elma and Fanny, and a son David
got the urge to move west, so
they equipped a covered wagon
and joined a wagon train. Their
destination was Oregon, which
they reached in safety and settled
IN a farm. Mr.. Brockman had
been in poor health and the
change did not benefit him as
they had hoped it would so they
later moved to Spokane and from
there to Rockford, Wn.
Mrs. Brockman was a well edu-
Gated and very efficient woman.
She had taken up art and pho
Biography before her marriage and
continued to work at it through
out her life. She was also a bust
ness woman and established the
first millinery store at Rockland.
All three of the children inherited
their mothers love for art. The
three also chose dentistry for
their life's work and all were
graduates Of the Western Dental
College of the Kansas State Uni
versity.
This is a picture of the family
who in the early COS purchased a
pullman car to become itinerant
dentists and photographers.
The n remaining member of
the family who was brought to
light in our visit that day was
Nanny the goat. Nanny supplied
all of the milk for the Brockway
family. She made her living by
foraging along the railroad right
of way. A large box fastened Sc
curely under the center of the
car was her home. This was made
very comfortable for all kinds
of weather and she always ran
quickly to it when she heard a
train whistle or felt in any way in
danger.
The pullman "a was very well
arranged for both a home and
for business. The berths had been
removed from one end where a
well equipped dental office joined
another room equally well equip
ped for a Photographic studio.
Screens beautifully ornamented
with western scenes furnished the
background for pictures, and a
fancy wicker couch and rocker
added to the picture settings. A
small closet was used for the
dark room.
Oh the studio was a lovely
honey living room, and at the
rear of the car were the berths
which had been left in to take
care of the sleeping requirements
of the family. Beyond these a
small area, including the original
back vestipule of the car, pro-
vided dining space and a conven-
lent, compact kitchen.
This was the home on wheels
in which this gifted family lived
and Travelled for IA years of q
prosperous and useful life.
Many pioneer families and early
day cowboys were thankful to this
wonderful family, who came tc
them in time of need to take care
of their dental work. They were
also happy to have pictures taken
many of which are a record Of
events of that time and are today
highly priced and valued.
Two of the young people in this
family, DR.. R, D. Brockman anc
DR.. Elma Brocknan. were mar