Milton Wallace BUTTS

BUTTS, DUNHAM, HELM, DAVIS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/6/2011 at 21:20:15

Milton Wallace Butts

One of the prominent and successful business men of Belle Fourche is Milton Wallace BUTTS, who is a dealer in ice, coal and fuel and also conducts a livery and transfer business. He was born in Linn county, Kansas, October 2, 1861, a son of Milton Wallace and Cynthia A. (DUNHAM) BUTTS, natives of New York and Ohio respectively. The father emigrated from New York to Illinois and thence to Indiana, where his marriage occurred. He later removed to Kansas and in 1862 went to Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, where he followed agricultural pursuits during the remainder of his life, passing away in 1902, eight years after the death of his wife, who died in 1894.
Milton Wallace BUTTS was the fourth in order of birth in a family of five children and his educational opportunities were those afforded by the schools of Cerro Gordo county, Iowa. When but seventeen years of age he began farming rented land in Iowa, being so occupied until twenty-one, when he removed to St. Onge, South Dakota. He worked for others for a few years upon farms and was then employed in Belle Fourche for a year. Following that he was on the range for two years and then engaged in the transfer business in Belle Fourche until 1896. In that year he was elected sheriff, but after serving for a year joined the rush to the Alaskan gold fields, spending two years at Dawson City and three years at Cape Nome. Although his mining ventures did not prove a financial success, he has never regretted going and can never forget his many experiences in the far north. He went from Dawson City to Cape Nome, a distance by trail of over eighteen hundred miles, with a dog team, leaving the former place on the 16th of February and arriving at Cape Nome on the 2d of April.

Upon leaving Alaska Mr. BUTTS returned to Belle Fourche and engaged in the transfer and livery business. For some time he had from fifteen to twenty-five driving teams but of later years has kept but six driving teams, while he uses from six to eight teams in the transfer business. He also deals in ice, coal and fuel, which is proving a profitable venture. Mr. BUTTS and his partner own a whole block of valuable city property, including their livery and transfer barns, but the ice houses, storehouses, coal sheds, etc., are located elsewhere.

Mr. BUTTS was married in June, 1904, to Miss Pearl HELM, a native of Mitchell county, Iowa. Her parents, William and Keziah (DAVIS) HELM, were both born in Wisconsin, whence they removed to Iowa, spending the remainder of their lives in that state. The mother died in 1903 and the father in 1914.

Mr. and Mrs. BUTTS have a son, Wallace, whose natal day was June 20, 1908.

Mr. BUTTS is a democrat and, as before stated, was elected sheriff of Butte county in 1896 but resigned in 1897 to go to Alaska. For three terms he has been n member of the city council of Belle Fourche and casts his vote for many measures that have proved of value to his municipality. He belongs to the Masonic order, holding membership in all of the Scottish Rite bodies from the blue lodge to the consistory and having also crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is likewise identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and not only in the organizations named but also in business and social circles is highly respected and esteemed.

SOURCE:
KINGSBURY, George Washington, Ed. History of Dakota Territory Vol. IV. Pp. 1152-53. S.J. Clarke Co. Chicago. 1915.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2011