Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Anton M. Holter

Anton M. Holter lived in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, and was the first Norwegian settler in the state, having settled there in 1863. A biographical account previously published in Illustrerte Husbibliothek by the John Anderson Publishing Company of Chicago is the main source for this account. The writer of the account described Holter as one of Helena’s busiest businessmen and one of the state’s leading figures in industrial and public enterprises. Despite his prominence, he was said to be modest and reluctant to speak about himself. When asked to provide information for a biographical sketch, Holter initially objected, suggesting that, according to Norwegian custom, his biography could wait until after his death. He eventually referred the writer to a short account of his life in the Magazine of Western History.

Early Life in Norway

Anton M. Holter was born at Moss on June 29, 1831. He had two older brothers, a younger brother, and a younger sister. His father was a seaman and died when Anton was only eight years old. Because his mother had limited means, Anton was raised by her brother, who was a farmer. After receiving the ordinary instruction in reading, writing, and religion provided by the local circuit school, Holter left his uncle’s home and became an apprentice to a butcher. As a boy, he had wanted to become a seaman like his father. His mother and relatives, however, persuaded him to abandon that ambition because of the circumstances of his father’s death. Holter disliked the butcher’s trade and left after about a year. He then became apprenticed to a carpenter, who provided room and board and paid him ten spesiedaler a year during the first three years. His formal education remained limited. According to the account, the only arithmetic instruction he received beyond the basic schooling of the period consisted of four evening lessons given by his brother.

Emigration to America

At the age of twenty-three, Holter decided to emigrate to America. The country had long occupied a place in his family history, since his father had died in a shipwreck while on a voyage to America in 1839. Holter crossed the Atlantic by sailing ship and arrived at Quebec on May 25, 1854. Soon after his arrival, the immigrant train on which he was traveling was involved in an accident that killed five of his fellow passengers. Before the emigrants reached their intended destination in Iowa, cholera also broke out among them.

Near Rock Island, the travelers were placed in quarantine. Holter managed to leave with his chest on his shoulder and reach a nearby steamboat. Although he spoke no English, he eventually made his way to Winneshiek County, Iowa, where he found a substantial Norwegian community.

Work and Investment in Iowa

In Iowa, Holter demonstrated what he later regarded as one of the principal reasons for his success: foresight. Other carpenters preferred to remain unemployed rather than accept less than the customary wage of one dollar a day. Against the advice of his friends, Holter accepted steady employment at twenty dollars a month. He invested his surplus earnings in real estate. Land values increased rapidly, and within a year he had accumulated property worth approximately three thousand dollars. Like many immigrants who had prospered quickly but had not yet become firmly attached to America, Holter briefly considered returning to Norway, where such a sum would have made him a comparatively wealthy man. His desire to see more of the United States prevailed, however. During the next four years, he alternated between working as a carpenter and traveling through Missouri, western Iowa, and northern Minnesota.

Financial Loss and the Journey West

The financial depression of 1857 destroyed almost all of Holter’s accumulated fortune. His difficulties continued in 1859, when he spent much of the year seriously ill with swamp fever and brain fever. By the spring of 1860, he had recovered sufficiently to join his brother Martin M. Holter, who had by then emigrated to America. Together they joined a party heading for the region then loosely known as Pike’s Peak, in what later became Colorado. During the following two and a half years, the brothers earned some money through farming and mining. Around this time, major gold discoveries were made at what later became Virginia City, Montana. Holter had already learned that prospecting for gold was uncertain, but he also recognized that rapidly growing mining camps created profitable opportunities in more dependable businesses. He therefore decided to establish a sawmill to supply the expanding settlement with lumber.

On September 16, 1863, Holter left Denver with a man named Evanson. They carried the essential machinery for a sawmill on wagons drawn by oxen. After severe hardships and numerous dangers, they eventually reached Alder Gulch, about eighteen miles from Virginia City. Deep snow forced them to abandon nearly everything along the way except the machinery needed for the mill.

Building the Sawmill at Alder Gulch

At Alder Gulch, Holter had an opportunity to demonstrate the energy and determination that became characteristic of his later career. The deep snow would have discouraged most men from attempting construction before spring, but Holter began immediately. A road first had to be cut through the forest. Because the snow was too deep for the oxen, the men built a hand sled and hauled the timber out themselves. The logs then had to be sawn by hand into planks for the mill. There was no blacksmith shop in the area, so an axe served as an anvil and a raincoat was converted into a bellows. Part of the mechanism needed to feed timber into the saw had been lost during the journey. Holter improvised a replacement using ropes. Despite these difficulties, Holter and Evanson, with only brief assistance from one other man, completed the sawmill. They had already produced several thousand feet of boards and planks before the snow disappeared from the fields. The lumber sold at exceptionally high prices.

Evanson’s Supply Expedition

The following summer, Evanson returned to Colorado intending to purchase additional machinery. Instead, he bought oxen and wagons and loaded them with flour, nails, and an old planing mill. On the return journey, he became snowbound at the Snake River. The oxen eventually died from starvation, and almost all the goods were lost. A few sacks of flour and several hundred pounds of nails were salvaged. In the spring of 1865, Evanson brought these to Helena, then a new mining camp known as Last Chance Gulch. There he sold the flour for one hundred dollars and the nails for one dollar and fifty cents per pound. Despite these high prices, the losses from the expedition were so great that Holter and Evanson decided it was best to discontinue their partnership.

A. M. Holter & Bro.

Holter then entered into partnership with his brother Martin under the name A. M. Holter & Bro. By this time, Anton M. Holter had already established a sawmill in Helena. Soon afterward, he also built what the source described as the first planing mill in the Territory. In 1867, the brothers opened the first general store in Helena. Over time, different lines of merchandise were discontinued until the firm concentrated primarily on hardware. In 1887, Martin Holter withdrew from this branch of the business. Anton then organized the A. M. Holter Hardware Company, described by the source as the first business of its kind in the state.

Expansion into Industry and Mining

Holter’s lumber interests expanded greatly. By the time the biographical account was written, he owned extensive forest lands not only in Montana but also in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. He also acquired interests in gold, silver, copper, and coal mines and became one of the country’s major mine owners. His business activities extended far beyond lumber and mining. He owned or held interests in numerous industrial, commercial, utility, transportation, and banking enterprises. According to the source, Holter was a part owner and director of twenty-eight companies involved in mines, smelters, stamp mills, and related operations. He was also connected with two lumber companies in addition to A. M. Holter & Bro.; two hardware companies; three waterworks and water-power companies; a brickworks; a foundry; two land companies; two electric-light companies; two streetcar companies; a national bank; a sampling works company; and a gas company.

Altogether, the account stated that Holter was associated with forty-eight companies. He served as president of sixteen and had helped establish forty-six of them. The scale of this business empire was particularly remarkable because Holter had accumulated it within a comparatively short period.

Business Interests Beyond Montana

Holter’s activities extended well beyond Montana. The source summarized the geographical reach of his enterprises with the observation that while the waves of the Pacific touched the shores of his forests in Oregon, Atlantic waters reached the walls of his copper-smelting interests in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Public Office and Civic Leadership

Holter’s biographer described him as one of Helena’s leading pioneers and as a man whose judgment, energy, and ability to carry projects through to completion had contributed greatly to the development of Montana. He also became active in public life. As a Republican, Holter held several elected offices and was described as the first Republican elected to public office in Lewis and Clark County, at a time when Montana was strongly Democratic. He was elected Railroad Commissioner for Montana Territory in 1876. He was elected to the Territorial Legislature in 1878 and to the Helena City Council in 1880, where he also served as its president. In 1886, Holter was elected to the school board and served three terms. In 1889, he was elected to the Montana State Legislature. He also served two terms as president of the Chamber of Commerce and for many years as president of the Montana Pioneer Association. When he resigned from that position, he delivered an address at the association’s annual meeting in 1890 that attracted considerable attention.

A Pioneer in a Dangerous Country

The biographer emphasized that Holter’s career had developed during a period when Montana still offered both great opportunities and considerable danger. Lawlessness was common, and life and property were not always secure. Travelers in remote areas could encounter robbers, and Holter’s business frequently required him to travel alone through largely unsettled parts of the Rocky Mountains. His courage and resourcefulness reportedly saved him on several such occasions.

An Encounter with a Suspected Robber

Holter once described an incident that occurred after he had visited a mining camp and collected a substantial amount of money. While still in the camp, he noticed a man who appeared to follow him wherever he went. Holter suspected that the man intended to rob him. After riding some distance toward home and entering a wooded area, Holter dismounted at a point from which he could see the trail behind him. He tied his horse and lay beside the road with his revolver in his hand and a log beneath his head. Before long, a rider approached at full gallop. The man did not see Holter until he was confronted by the revolver. As he passed, Holter recognized him as the same man who had followed him in the mining camp. Holter then mounted his horse and followed the suspected robber, keeping his revolver trained on him until the man turned onto another trail. From the top of a hill, Holter could see that he had made a detour back toward the mining camp.

The Encounter with Ives

Another dangerous episode involving Holter was described in Vigilante Days and Ways. In this case, he encountered the notorious highwayman Ives and one of his companions. Although Holter normally carried a revolver, he had neglected to keep it in working condition. When he saw the two strangers approaching and attempted to prepare the weapon, he discovered that it was so badly rusted that the cylinder would not turn. He therefore had to face the robbers effectively unarmed. With his revolver pointed at Holter, Ives demanded his money. Holter handed over an empty wallet. Unsatisfied, the robber ordered him to empty his pockets. Only a few bills were found. Angered by the small amount, Ives threatened to kill him unless he produced more money. As Holter began to leave, the robber apparently changed his mind and fired at him. Holter happened to look back at the same moment and saw that Ives was about to shoot. He immediately dropped to the ground. The bullet passed through his hat and grazed his head. The robber fired again, but the weapon misfired. Holter then ran. Before the robbers could overtake him, another rider appeared in the distance, and they decided to flee.

Character and Reputation

The biographer regarded determination and perseverance as Holter’s most important qualities. His judgment and foresight were frequently valuable in public affairs, and he took an active interest in projects intended to benefit the wider community. He was described as modest and straightforward, a thoughtful and logical man whose opinions were respected both publicly and privately. The biographer concluded by describing Holter as a representative of the courage and determination of his Norwegian homeland.

Churches and Congregations

The first Norwegian congregation in Lewis and Clark County was Vor Frelsers Congregation, established in Helena in 1890 by Pastor N. N. Bø. The congregation belonged to the Norwegian Synod. Its church was built the same year. The Methodists also had a Norwegian congregation and church in Helena.

Norwegian-American Press

Montana Folkeblad was established in Helena in 1890.

Sources:

[Ulvestad, Martin. Nordmændene i Amerika. Utg. History Book Company's Forlag. Minneapolis, Minn. 1907.]