Ithel S. Eldred
Beaverhead County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

Ithel S. Eldred was born March 18, 1862 at Climax, Michigan.  
His education was received in the public and high schools of 
Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, after having his first schooling 
at Climax.  He left school at eighteen and then taught for 
two years at Augusta, Michigan.  At twenty he learned 
telegraphy and began to work for the Chicago and Grand 
Trunk Railway.  He was with that company for three or 
four years and then came west to Dillon Montana in 1886, 
as telegraph operator for the Utah Northern.  He was with 
that company one year and came to Deer Lodge in 187.  He 
began to work for the Rocky Mountain Telegraph Company, 
now the Postal Telegraph Company, and was with them for 
six years.  He then went to the Montana Union, now the 
Northern Pacific and remained with them until 1897, as 
operator and agent when the Montana union was leased to 
the Northern Pacific Railway.  The change caused him to 
be transferred to the general office in Butte and he 
assumed the position of assistant freight auditor and 
remained one year.  Then he was transferred to Deer 
Lodge as agent in 1900 and remained until August 1908 
when he was appointed by President Roosevelt to the 
position of postmaster at Deer Lodge. 

Mr. Eldred married Miss Sadie Harris, a native of Deer Lodge, 
a daughter of Henry S. Harris, a pioneer miner and ranch 
owner.  Two children have been born: Irene Rivers Eldred 
and Ithel Sheldon Eldred, Jr.

The father of the subject, Alonzo J. Eldred was born at 
Otsego New York.   Later he became a farmer near Climax 
Michigan.  He died in 1896.  The mother was Polly Peckham, 
who was born at Binghamton, New York. n  this family were 
nine children:B.A. Eldred is a professional man in New 
York City; W.H. a merchant in Pasadena California; Allie, 
now Mrs. Sam Carson of Ft. Lauderdale in the Everglades 
of Florida; Eunice, Mrs. N.E. Retallic of Battle CreeK 
Michigan; Emma, Mrs. George Steers, Kalamazoo Michigan; 
Amy, now Mrs. W.S. Wood, Kalamazoo Michigan; Inez, Mrs. 
Sydney David, Battle Creek Michigan, one died and Ithel 
S.

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