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Lehigh coal nee fired
the railroad's
steam enJ!ines
by ROBERTA DONOVAN
A gun fight between two
women?
It may be' sounds a little
far-fetched, but it really happened
at Lehigh, the once
booming coal mining town that
is now a ghost town four miles
southwest of Windham,
And Mrs. Kate Rosenquist, 88,
who was there and rernembers
the gunfight well,\now lives in
the same house from which,
some of the gunfire erupted
more than half a century ago.
However, the house is no longer
located at Lehigh, but has been
moved to Stanford.
According to Mrs. Rosen~
quist, the dispute between the
two women involved the sale of
liquor. Both Inade a little money
"on the side" during those
prohibition years by selling
"moonshine".. '
The women lived across the'
street from one another, and
when the ,dispute started, they
fired at :eachother from across
the street. "But 'they were both
poor shots, so neither one got
hurt," Mrs. Rosenquist recalled.
A gun also figures in an'
incident recalled by Mrs. Rosenmquist's
son, Byron, who
grew up in Lehigh but now also
lives in Stanford.
His story conCerns seven men
who batched together - undoubtedly
miners employed in
the coal mines. "They had their
home all fixed up, with even a
pool table," Byron recalled.
One night the seven men went
to a celebration and, as will
sometimes happen, had a little
too much to drink. They were
walking home single file in the
dark when the second to last
man in line, who thought he was
the last one, heard a noise
behind him. Drawing his gun he
quickly fired in the general
direction from which the noise
came and hit the man behind
him in the ankle. Taking a
",pe'onn shot. lust for good
,measure, he hit the man in the
other ankle. "Don't you worry,"
he told his friend when he
discovered what he had done,
"I'll pay for it."
To the traveler driving along
Highway 87 near Windham, it
would be hard to imagine that a
community of about 2,000 people
existed just four miles away
during the early part of this
century. The town had a short
existence. It started in the
spring of 1914 when the Cottonwood
·, Coal Company, a subsidiaryof
the Great Northern Railroad,
opened its coal mines
there to supply coal for the railroad's
steam engines.
The town flourished for a time
and a number of smaller,
private mines were opened in
•the ~rea, including one that
belonged to Mrs. Rosenquist's
husband. '
Although many of the resi-'
dents didn't realize it at the
time, the town started dying in
, 1920 or 1921, when the big mine
was closed because of union
trouble. Many folks thought the
closure was temporary and
hung on as long as they could.
Others moved away, only to
return in hope that the mine
would reopen. It never did. '
The company, which was
,headquartered in St. Pal.\l,
Minn., discovered that it could
import coal from British Columbia
more cheaply than it could
mine it.
Lehigh had one distinction
that sets it apart from the many
other little ghost towns that dot
Montana's mountains and,
prairies, It never had a saloon.
There was a reason. The
company owned all the land
where Lehigh was located and it
refused to let a saloon open
there, on the premise that
alcohol caused absenteeism.
The men got their liquor
though. There was plenty of it at
Windham, and that was only
four miles away.
The two communities were
closely linked in a number of
ways. Windham was on the railroad's
main line, but a spur line
went to the mining community.
At least six trains daily traveled
the side line in order to meet the
sixpassenger trains (three each
way) that went through Windham.
In addition, at least one
freight train a day made the run
between the two communities,
usually carrying coal from the
mines.
The Cottonwood Coal Company
sold all of the coal it mined
to the railroad, but the smaller
mines, like the Rosenquist
mine, sold coal to the homesteaders
and other people living
in the area.
Although the Cottonwood
mine had electric po~er to run
the trolleys inside the mines~
which extended half way to
Windham, and to run the hoists
that lifted the coal to the
sUrface, mules were used to
gather the coal to the central
hauling stations. The mules
were kept underg~ound and
often did not see the light of day
for as much as six months at a
time. The company was required
by law to bring them up to
the surface every six months.
Mrs. Rosenquist remembers
going down into the mine once
with her sister and riding the
electric trolley inside the mine.
"There were stacks of hay and a
big watering tank for the mules
at the foot of the shaft," she
recalled.
The main shaft was 110 feet
deep. '
The Rosenquists moved to
Lehigh in 1918. They left in 1925,
but Byron and his brother
remained there to operate the
mine originally opened by their
father. He lived there until 1940.
The smaller mines dwindled
out over the years, mainly
because other forms of fuel
became available and the need
for coal decreased,
During its heyday the town of
Lehigh itself was actually made
up of several small settlements,
grouped close to one anpther.
Object Description
| Rating | |
| Title | Lehigh Coal once fired the railroad 's steam engines |
| Creator | Roberta Donovan |
| Date Original | 1975-12-21 |
| Physical format | |
| Genre | newspapers |
| Publisher (Original) | Lewistown News-Argus Newspaper |
| Subject (keyword) | Lewistown, Montana; Fergus County, Montana; |
| Type | Text |
| Contributing Institution | Lewistown Public Library, Lewistown, MT |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Geographic Coverage | Fergus County, Montana |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Rights Management | No copyright restrictions |
| Full text of this item | LEHIGH COAL ONCE FIRED THE RAILROAD’S STEAM ENGINES By Roberta Donovan December 21, 1975 newspaper A gun fight between two women? It maybe sounds a little far-fetched, but it really happened at Lehigh, the once booming coal mining town that is now a ghost town four miles southwest of Windham. And Mrs. Kate Rosenquist, 88, who was there and remembers the gunfight well, now lives in the same house from which some of the gunfire erupted more than half a century ago. However, the house is no longer located at Lehigh, but has been moved to Stanford. According to Mrs. Rosenquist, the dispute between the two women involved the sale of liquor. Both made a little money “on the side” during those prohibition years by selling “moonshine”. The women lived across the street from one another, and when the dispute started, they fired at each other from across the street. “But they were both poor shots, so neither one got hurt,” Mrs. Rosenquist recalled. A gun also figures in an incident recalled by Mr. Rosenquist’s son, Byron, who grew up in Lehigh but now also lives in Stanford. His story concerns seven men who batched together – undoubtedly miners employed in the coal mines. “They had their home all fixed up, with even a pool table,” Byron recalled. One night the seven men went to a celebration and, as will sometimes happen, had a little too much to drink. They were walking home single file in the dark when the second to last man in line, who thought he was the last one, heard a noise behind him. Drawing his gun he quickly fired in the general direction from which the noise came and hit the man behind him in the ankle. Taking a second sot jut for good measure, he hit the man in the other ankle. “Don’t you worry,” he told his friend when he discovered what he had done, “I’ll pay for it.” To the traveler driving along Highway 87 near Windham, it would be hard to imagine that a community of about 2,000 people existed just four miles away during the early part of this century. The town had a short existence. It started in the spring of 1914 when the Cottonwood Coal Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railroad, opened its coal mines there to supply coal for at the railroad’s steam engines. The town flourished for a time and a number of smaller private mines were opened in the area, including one that belonged to Mrs. Rosenquist’s husband. Although many of the residents didn’t realize it at the time, the town started dying in 1920 or 1921, when the big mine was closed because of union trouble. Many folks thought the closure was temporary and hung on as long as they could. Others moved away, only to return in hope that the mine would reopen. It never did. The company, which was headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., discovered that it could import coal from British Columbia more cheaply than it could mine it. Lehigh had one distinction that sets it apart from the many other little ghost towns that dot Montana’s mountains and prairies. It never had a saloon. There was a reason. The company owned all the land where Lehigh was located and it refused to let a saloon open there, in the premise that alcohol caused absenteeism. The men got their liquor though. There was plenty of it at Windham, and that was only four miles away. The two communities were closely linked in a number of ways. Windham was on the railroad’s main line, but a spur line went to the mining community. At least six trains daily traveled the side line in order to meet the six passenger trains (three each way_ that went through Windham. In addition, at least one freight train a day made the run between the two communities, usually carrying coal from the mines. The Cottonwood Coal Company sold all of the coal it mined to the railroad, but the smaller mines like the Rosenquist mine, sold coal to the homesteaders and other people living in the area. Although the Cottonwood mine had electric power to run the trolleys inside the mines, which extended half way to Windham, and to run the hoists that lifted the coal to the surface, mules were used to gather the coal to the central hauling stations. The mules were kept underground and often did not see the light of day for as much as six months at a time. The company was required by laws to bring them up to the surface every six months. Mr. Rosenquist remembers going down into the mine once with her sister and riding the electric trolley inside the mine. “There were stacks of hay and a big watering tank for the mules at the foot of the shaft,” she recalled. The main shaft was 110 feet down. The Rosenquists moved to Lehigh in 1918. They left in 1925, but Byron and his brother remained there to operate the mine originally opened by their father. He lived there until 1940. The smaller mines dwindled out over the years, mainly because other forms of fuel became available and the need for coal decreased. During its heyday the town of Lehigh itself was actually made up of several small settlements, grouped close to one another. The area with the most colorful name was “Silk Stocking Row” and it was here that al the mine officials and other “big shots” lived. One of the homes still standing on Silk Stocking Row is now inhabited by Mr. And Mrs. Mikkelson. All of the land that was once Lehigh is now part of the Soulsby Brothers ranch. Another small settlement and the one where the Rosenquists lived, was called Schultztown after a man named Schultz who had a mine nearby. Above Schultztown, on the rimrocks, was “Tent Town”. It was within a “stone’s throw of “Shack Town”. Shack Town got its start when the company decided to move some old buildings off of its property. Although they took the shacks up on the rims to get rid of them, they soon filed with residents. The center of social and cultural activity in the community of Lehigh was the theater operated by Harry Higgins, who claimed to be the first white child born in Great Falls. The two-story theater building served many purposes, with a variety of community gatherings held there. Nearby Windham offered frequent rodeos for entertainment and the big even of the year was the school picnic each spring. The school included the first eight grades. Two of the teachers still live in the area – Mrs. Georgia Timmer of Stanford and Mrs. Bess Hill of Utica. The town also included a Methodist Church. There was a large and active Odd Fellows Lodge, with its affiliate, the Rebekah Lodge. Mrs. Rosenquist belonged to the latter. There was a company doctor to take care of the miners, but he also treated other patients. And there was a small hospital. The town had several hotels and boarding houses, but no restaurants. However the rooms were rented by the week or month for a sum that included meals also, and if someone needed a meal. He could get one there. The general store was owned by the company and carried just about everything the residents of the community could need. It even had a butcher shop. There was also a bank, but like many others in small Montana communities; it “went under” in 1921. A newspaper was published at nearby Windham. It was called the “Windham Leader” and a Mr. Smith owned it. At the time Judith Basin County was formed, Hobson and Stanford were competing for the honor of being the county seat and both towns “courted” the voters at Lehigh. Now all that remains of the once busy mining community is the concrete housing for the mine tipple and loading chutes and the old mule barn. |
| Local Identifier | SC 1.15 Lehigh Coal |
Description
| Title | Lehigh Coal Fired Railroad 1 |
| Type | Text |
| Digitization Specifications | Canon MX310 300dpi |
| Digital Format | application/pdf |
| Full text of this item | Lehigh coal nee fired the railroad's steam enJ!ines by ROBERTA DONOVAN A gun fight between two women? It may be' sounds a little far-fetched, but it really happened at Lehigh, the once booming coal mining town that is now a ghost town four miles southwest of Windham, And Mrs. Kate Rosenquist, 88, who was there and rernembers the gunfight well,\now lives in the same house from which, some of the gunfire erupted more than half a century ago. However, the house is no longer located at Lehigh, but has been moved to Stanford. According to Mrs. Rosen~ quist, the dispute between the two women involved the sale of liquor. Both Inade a little money "on the side" during those prohibition years by selling "moonshine".. ' The women lived across the' street from one another, and when the ,dispute started, they fired at :eachother from across the street. "But 'they were both poor shots, so neither one got hurt" Mrs. Rosenquist recalled. A gun also figures in an' incident recalled by Mrs. Rosenmquist's son, Byron, who grew up in Lehigh but now also lives in Stanford. His story conCerns seven men who batched together - undoubtedly miners employed in the coal mines. "They had their home all fixed up, with even a pool table" Byron recalled. One night the seven men went to a celebration and, as will sometimes happen, had a little too much to drink. They were walking home single file in the dark when the second to last man in line, who thought he was the last one, heard a noise behind him. Drawing his gun he quickly fired in the general direction from which the noise came and hit the man behind him in the ankle. Taking a ",pe'onn shot. lust for good ,measure, he hit the man in the other ankle. "Don't you worry" he told his friend when he discovered what he had done, "I'll pay for it." To the traveler driving along Highway 87 near Windham, it would be hard to imagine that a community of about 2,000 people existed just four miles away during the early part of this century. The town had a short existence. It started in the spring of 1914 when the Cottonwood ·, Coal Company, a subsidiaryof the Great Northern Railroad, opened its coal mines there to supply coal for the railroad's steam engines. The town flourished for a time and a number of smaller, private mines were opened in •the ~rea, including one that belonged to Mrs. Rosenquist's husband. ' Although many of the resi-' dents didn't realize it at the time, the town started dying in , 1920 or 1921, when the big mine was closed because of union trouble. Many folks thought the closure was temporary and hung on as long as they could. Others moved away, only to return in hope that the mine would reopen. It never did. ' The company, which was ,headquartered in St. Pal.\l, Minn., discovered that it could import coal from British Columbia more cheaply than it could mine it. Lehigh had one distinction that sets it apart from the many other little ghost towns that dot Montana's mountains and, prairies, It never had a saloon. There was a reason. The company owned all the land where Lehigh was located and it refused to let a saloon open there, on the premise that alcohol caused absenteeism. The men got their liquor though. There was plenty of it at Windham, and that was only four miles away. The two communities were closely linked in a number of ways. Windham was on the railroad's main line, but a spur line went to the mining community. At least six trains daily traveled the side line in order to meet the sixpassenger trains (three each way) that went through Windham. In addition, at least one freight train a day made the run between the two communities, usually carrying coal from the mines. The Cottonwood Coal Company sold all of the coal it mined to the railroad, but the smaller mines, like the Rosenquist mine, sold coal to the homesteaders and other people living in the area. Although the Cottonwood mine had electric po~er to run the trolleys inside the mines~ which extended half way to Windham, and to run the hoists that lifted the coal to the sUrface, mules were used to gather the coal to the central hauling stations. The mules were kept underg~ound and often did not see the light of day for as much as six months at a time. The company was required by law to bring them up to the surface every six months. Mrs. Rosenquist remembers going down into the mine once with her sister and riding the electric trolley inside the mine. "There were stacks of hay and a big watering tank for the mules at the foot of the shaft" she recalled. The main shaft was 110 feet deep. ' The Rosenquists moved to Lehigh in 1918. They left in 1925, but Byron and his brother remained there to operate the mine originally opened by their father. He lived there until 1940. The smaller mines dwindled out over the years, mainly because other forms of fuel became available and the need for coal decreased, During its heyday the town of Lehigh itself was actually made up of several small settlements, grouped close to one anpther. |
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