Sumner St. Claire FRANKS

FRANKS, BOOTE, BURTON, CASWELL, WAITE, NETT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/15/2009 at 08:41:54

Sumner St. Claire Franks, agent of the Continental Oil Company at Oilman, is one of the substantial men of the Sun River Valley. He was born at Goldfield, Wright County, Iowa, on April 7, 1866, a son of James L. Franks and grandson of John Franks. James L. Franks was born at Nottinghamshire, England, in 1818, where he was reared and learned the butchering trade. In 1853 he came to the United States and located in Henry County, Illinois, and there became owner of a coal mine. Later he went to Tama, Iowa, where he engaged in a land business, but when he went to Goldfield, Iowa, he engaged in farming. In 1875 he made another change, going then to Wadena, Minnesota, where he continued to farm until his death in 1898. After coming to America he became a republican, and in 1880 was census taker in Wright County, Iowa, and always was prominent in the public affairs of the several communities in which he lived. The Episcopal church held his membership, and he was consistent in living up to its requirements.

The marriage of James L. Franks took place in England, when he was united with a Miss Boote, who bore him the following children: James, who lives near London, England; and John, who was a captain in the English army during the Real Rebellion in Canada, but of recent years his brother has lost track of his movements. The first Mrs. Franks died in England, and after coming to the United States James L. Franks was married to Mary Ann Burton, born on Staten Island, New York, in 1838, and died at Wadena, Minnesota, in 1904. By this marriage James L. Franks had the following children: Ben Lewis, who is a blacksmith of Cohasset, Minnesota; Florence, who married Alfred J. Caswell, a railroad man of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Martha Wright, who married Byron Waite, a farmer of Erie, Illinois; Sumner St. Claire, who was fourth in order of birth, and George, who is a ranch owner, banker and prominent citizen of Minnesota.

Sumner S. Franks was educated in the public schools of Goldfield, Iowa, remaining on his father's farm until he was twenty-two years old, at which time he took a trip through Montana, Idaho, Washington and British Columbia, the date of his first trip to Montana being 1889. In order to support himself on this trip he worked in various lines, and then in 1895 returned to Wadena, Minnesota, and assisted his father for eight years. In June, 1904 he returned to Montana, landing at Augusta on July 4 of that year, and until September 17 worked on neighboring ranches. Once more he returned to Wadena, on account of the illness of his wife, and remained there, working on the farm he owned until her death, which occurred on April 4, 1905. By the end of April of that same year he returned to Augusta and was employed in ranch work, and prospected, mined and acted as a guide in the mountains for three years. Then, until the founding of Oilman, Mr. Franks worked in the vicinity of Augusta as a rancher, but when the former place was established in 1912, he became one of its pioneers and opened up its first restaurant, which he conducted until 1916, when he engaged with the Continental Oil Company and is now its agent for this section of Lewis and Clark County. Until 1919 he was also engaged in freighting, but no longer carried on that business. Although one of the new towns of Montana, Oilman is in a flourishing condition, and Mr. Franks is proud of the fact that he did pioneer work here and can lay claim to assisting in getting things well started.

In politics Mr. Franks is a republican. He belongs to the Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is a member of Augusta Lodge No. 54, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Augusta Camp, Modern Woodmen of America. He owns a restaurant located on Central Avenue, and his residence, which is on the same thoroughfare, has mining interests and is a stockholder in the Wymont Oil and Gas Company. As one of the trustees of the Oilman Park Association he is doing much to afford the people of this community a recreation ground.

Mr. Franks was married in 1898, at Wadena, Minnesota, his wife being a native of Woodside, Oak Valley township, that state. Their only child is Richard L., who was born on May 30, 1902. He attended the Minnesota High School, and is now assisting his father. Mr. Franks was married in 1911 to Mrs. Harriet Nett, a native of Montana, born at Helena.

Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, under the editorial supervision of Tom Stout, 1921, pages 673-674.