Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Montgomery, James 1847 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 23, 2006, 12:43 am Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) JAMES MONTGOMERY, capitalist, banker and real estate dealer of Worthington, although a resident of the county for only a few years, has taken a very active part in the business life of the several communities in which he has lived. Mr. Montgomery was born in the county of Fermanagh, Ireland, Feb. 19, 1847, and came to the United States in 1860. He located in New York state, where he lived four years. In 1864, when only seventeen years of age, he enlisted in company G, of the Fourth U. S. infantry, and served three years, being mustered out of the service at Prescott, Arizona, in 1867. During the last two years of his service he was on the frontier, taking part in campaigns against the Indians. At the close of his army service Mr. Montgomery took a position as government mail carrier, and for two years carried the mail between the towns of Prescott and Tucson, Arizona. In 1869 the subject of this biography returned to the east, settled in Butler county, Iowa, bought a farm there, and engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1881. He then spent two years farming in North Dakota, but returned to his Iowa farm, where he remained until 1891. In the last named year he sold out his interests in Butler county and purchased a farm in Emmett county, Iowa, where he remained one year. In 1892 Mr. Montgomery engaged in the lumber business at Ellsworth, which was his business five years. The next two years were passed in Estherville, Iowa, where he built a residence. Disposing of his property there, he moved to Dickinson county, Iowa, and invested in land on the Rock Island road, upon which he platted the town of Montgomery. When the Burlington road (now the Rock Island) was extended from Worthington to Hardwick, and the new towns of Wilmont and Lismore came into existence, Mr. Montgomery went to Wilmont and embarked in the elevator, lumber, coal and farm implement business, with a branch at Lismore. Two years later he sold out these business interests and went into the real estate and banking business at Wilmont. He is first vice president of the First National Bank of Wilmont, an office he has held seven years, and is also president of the Wilmont Townsite company. During his residence in Wilmont he took an active interest in local matters and was several times elected president of the village council. In the fall of 1907 Mr. Montgomery moved to Worthington, where he has since resided, devoting his time to looking after his real estate and banking interests. He owns about 1,000 acres of Nobles county land, in the townships of Bigelow, Worthington, Dewald, Willmont and Bloom; 640 acres in Traverse county, Minn.; 300 acres in Red Lake county, Minn.; and residence property in Worthington. Mr. Montgomery was married at Green, Iowa, in 1877 to Mary E. Lucas, as a result of which union six children were born. All are dead with the exception of the youngest, Ada, born at Green, Iowa, May T5, 1888. Mrs. Montgomery died in 1894. Our subject's second marriage occurred at Ellsworth, Minn., March 29, 1896, when he was married to Mary E. Toomey, daughter of Jerry and Ann Toomey. One daughter has blessed this union, Ruth, born at Estherville, Iowa, July 2, 1898. Mrs. Montgomery was born in Newport, N. Y., Oct. 17, 1869, and in that state she was raised and educated. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/montgome122gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb