William Gelsthrope
MONTANA ARCHIVES 
May be copied for non-profit purposes. 
History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 

Dr. William Gelsthorpe, the present active and progressive 
Mayor of Great Falls Montana, was born in Wellsburg, West 
Virginia in 1859. 

His father John Gelsthorpe was born in Nottinghamshire 
England in 1824 and emigrated to West Virginia in 1850 
and in 1852 married Margaret Rogers, a native of West 
Virginia. He was a merchant in the early part of his 
business career and later was the owner of a hotel in 
Wellsburg. His death occurred in 1883. His wife still 
survives him and is now, in 1894 in the fifty-ninth year 
of her age. They had a family of six children, all of 
whom are living. 

Dr. Gelsthorpe was the second born in his father's 
family. His boyhood days were spent in his native 
town where he received a common school education. 
Later he spent two terms at Bethany College, but at 
the age of sixteen years, on the death of his father, 
he was compelled to leave college and give his 
attention to the serious matters of life, 
consequent upon his being the mainstay of 
the family. He did not, however, give up the 
idea of securing a better education and 
preparing himself for a professional career. 
To this end, he first took a course in bookkeeping 
and graduated in a commercial college. By the aid 
of office work he was enabled to perform and by the 
earnings of newspapers and other work during 
vacations, he succeeded in completing a medical 
course at Cleveland Ohio. Returning to Wellsburg 
when scarcely more than twenty one years he was 
elected City Clerk and served a term in that capacity. 

Ambitious to advance in his profession and otherwise, 
he concluded to "go West and grow up with the country," 
and in 1883 found him in Glendive, Montana where he was 
soon in the employment of a lucrative practice. At the 
end of one year he returned to Cleveland and took a post 
graduate course in medicine and being offered by the 
Northern Pacific 
Railroad Company, the position of surgeon for some four 
hundred miles of its line with headquarters at Miles 
City, he accepted the same and remained there until 
1886. During 1886 he accepted the position of surgeon 
for a mining company at Rimini Montana and in 1888 
received the appointment of surgeon of the Sandcoulee 
Coal Company at Sandcoulee
near Great Falls. Here he remained three years, 
practicing his profession with great success. 

While at Sandcoulee Dr. Gelsthorpe manifested his 
confidence in the future of Great Falls, by making 
investments inreal estate, all of which proved 
profitable; and in 1890 he took up permanent 
residence in the "Cataract City" where he has 
since been a prominent and successful physician. 

Dr. Gelsthorpe was married March 3, 1887 to Ella Naston, 
a native of Minnesota and they have a delightful home at 
Great Falls. 

The doctor is a member of the State Medical Society and 
of the Northern Montana Medical Association. He is also 
a member of the A.O.U.W. at Great Falls, -- of which 
order he is examining physician--and the B.P.O.E. and 
is president of the Chamber of Commerce at this place. 
Every movement and enterprise intended to benefit the 
city has always found in him a hearty supporter. He is 
a Democrat and has been active and keenly interested in 
political affairs. 

In the spring of 1893 he accepted the nomination from his 
party for Mayor of the city and in the face of great 
opposition was elected by several majority. It was a 
signal victory, and Dr. Gelsthorpe enjoys the distinction 
of being the first Democrat elected to that office in 
Great Falls. His administration has thus far been 
eminently successful, and the people of the city, 
generally, are supporting him in his efforts to 
promote its interests. 

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