Minerd.com Photo of the Month: Montana Pioneer George L. Overfield

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Photo of the Month
February 2013
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Helena, Montana, circa 1870

Montana pioneer George L. Overfield (1857-1921) struck out on his own at the age of 20, in 1877, leaving his mother and father in Preston County, West Virginia for the life of adventure in the Great West. Among his destinations over more than four decades were Kansas, Canada and Montana.

The image shown here, courtesy of GoogleBooks, is from a page in the 1903 volume, Brand Book of the Montana Stock Growers' Association. It shows the symbols that George used to mark his horses and beef cattle. The term "Range, Shonkin and Marias Range" refers to the region south of Benton where his livestock were allowed to roam.

George originally came to Montana, reported the Associated Press, "to manage the firm of Raleigh & Clark in Helena," a dry goods emporium. He "later engaged in the dry goods business in Townsend, Bozeman and Great Falls until he entered the cattle business and located at Benton being for many years one of the leading stockmen of Northern Montana." George was active in the business community and served as a director of the Benton State Bank and secretary-manager of the Benton Electric Light Company. He also was a master mason with the Benson lodge of the Masons, and is mentioned in connection with the Masons in the book History of Montana, 1739-1885 (Chicago: Warner, Beers & Company, 1885). More >>>

February 2013: "Frank Ferling Gary Month" on Minerd.com

Thanks to his loving daughter and family, for the second straight year, Minerd.com dedicates the month of February to the memory of the late Frank Ferling Gary (1918-2004). Born in February 1918, he was the son of Jacob and Minnie (Miner) Gary of Somerset County, PA, and met Minerd.com's founder at several Gary reunions in the 1990s in Rockwood, PA. More >>>

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