William Henry Duke
Blaine County
History of Montana, Sanders 1913

Ranking high among the successful businessmen of Chinook, 
William Henry Duke's life has been a decided success.  
Leaving his southern home and friends while yet in his 
teens, he came to Montana a stranger and for some time 
he fought hard to conquer that terrible feeling of 
homesickness that sometimes came over him.  Standing 
steadfast to his resolutions and convictions, he 
remained in the state becoming intensely interested 
in his work and having succeeded well in his business 
career, married.  

A Kentuckian by birth, he was born March 18, 1869, at 
Hartford Ohio County and was there educated.  His 
father, Thomas Sallinger Duke, spent his entire life 
in Kentucky, passing away in 1897 at his home in 
Hartford.  He was a well known manufacturer and was 
quite prominent in public affairs during Cleveland's 
administration.  His wife who maiden name was Eliza 
Miller, was born in Kentucky and is now living at 
Livingston, Montana with a daughter.  Six children 
were born: Alva G. of St. Louis, Missouri, department 
manager for Butler Brothers' wholesale mail order 
house; Wilbur Thomas of Chinook; William Henry, the 
subject of this sketch; Wilbur T., twin brother of 
William Henry who died August 7, 1911; Josie, 
wife of J.E. Swindlehurst of Livingston, Montana; 
and Ida, deceased, who married Dr. A.B. Baird of 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Completing his early education, William Henry Duke at 
the age of seventeen came to Montana with an uncle, L.B. 
Statler, locating at Bozeman where he worked in a harness 
shop for a year, following the trade which he had 
previously learned in Kentucky while working with 
his father.  Going then to Livingston, Montana, Mr. 
Duke remained there for two years as manager for E.J. 
Ownehouse.  Then in company with John Work, he bought 
out his employer and continued in business for a time 
as head of the firm of Duke and Work.  In 1893 Mr. 
Duke sold his interest and shortly after became 
manager of the harness belonging to A.W. Miles of 
Livingston.  Giving up that position in 1898 he 
came in July of that year to Chinook and having 
purchased the harness business established by 
Henry Ettinger, managed it for a year.  In 1899 
Mr. Duke and his brother incorporated their present 
business under the name of A.B. Duke Company and 
have conducted it in a most systematic and 
efficient manner ever since.  The business has 
been developed along modern lines, increasing 
rapidly from season to season, until now is one 
of the best and most thoroughly equipped harness 
manufacturing concerns in the state.  The officers 
of the company are:  Wilbur T. Duke, President, 
William Henry Duke, Vice President and Anna Belle 
Duke, secretary.

Mr. Duke married September 9, 1889 to Anna Belle 
Martin, a native of Canada, and into their pleasant 
household  four children have been born, one of 
whom passed away: Hayden Olin, graduated from 
Chinook high school in 1909 and is now studying 
law at the University of Minnesota; Letha, also 
attending that institution, and William Henry Jr., 
eight months old.