Harry J. Skinner
Cascade County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

Foremost among the leading business men of Cascade County 
Montana is Harry J. Skinner, President of the State Bank 
of Belt, president of the State Bank of Stockett and 
vice-president of the Commercial trust and Savings Bank 
of Great Falls, Montana.  He is accounted, and with every 
good reason, to be one of the most progressive and public 
spirited citizens of this section of the state.  Mr. 
Skinner was born April 4, 1866 in the city of Grand Rapids, 
Michigan, the son of Adolphus L. Skinner, one of the most 
eminent and influential men of that city.  Adolph's Skinner 
was a native of New York, but in 1840, while still a child, 
he became a resident of Michigan, then an infant state. 
There he later entered actively into business, public, and 
political life, as a citizen of Grand Rapids, where he 
engaged in real estate and insurance business and as a 
member of the Democratic party filled various offices, 
among them that of county clerk, county recorder, 
alderman, supervisor and other official stations of 
not less importance.  In fact he held office in divers 
capacities twenty four times with a record of but four 
defeats against twenty four victories.  He was a 
successful man in a business way and one of the 
suburbs of Grand Rapids is known as the A.L. 
Skinner addition, of which he was the original 
owner, and which he platted.  In 1895 when he was 
sixty five years old he passed away in the city 
with which he had been so long identified.  His 
wife was Lucinda Provin, a native of Michigan, who 
passed away in 182.  Of the three sons born to them, 
Harry J. was the second and Frank, the eldest died at 
the age of six years.  The other surviving son is Mark 
Skinner, now cashier of the Commercial Trust and 
Savings Bank of Great Falls.

Mr. Skinner was reared in grand Rapids and received a 
common and high school education in that city.  At the 
age of twenty one or in 1887 he came to Great Falls 
Montana where he took a position in the First National 
Bank, beginning in the work at the extreme lower rung 
of the ladder, but with a thorough determination to 
become a master of the banking business.  After a year 
in the first position he assumed he became manager of 
interests of the bank in Tribune, remaining in charge 
for two years.  At the close of that period he severed 
his connection with the bank and became one of the 
organizers and the cashier of the Bank of Sand Coulee 
with which he continued to be identified in an 
important capacity until 1891.  Following that he 
was for a time associated with the State Bank of 
Neihart, first as cashier and then as president and 
also was cashier of the First National bank in that 
place for a short time.  Returning to grat Falls, Mr. 
Skinner entered into the real estate insurance and loan 
business in association with Webster and McNair, the 
firm style being Webster, McNair and Skinner and for 
thirteen years continued to be thus occupied.  In the 
meantime Mr. Skinner had in 1895 assisted in organizing 
the State Bank of Belt, which had previously existed as 
a private institution called the Bank of Belt.  He 
became president of the reorganized bank and has since 
continued to fill that responsible position.  In July 
1911 he organized the State Bank of Stockett of which 
also he officiates as president.

Mr. Skinner was married at Great Falls on November 9, 1891 
to Miss Estelle E.T. Welch, a daughter of Alonzo Welch, 
who was a native of Canada.  Four children have been born 
to them: Mark G., born December 12, 1892 at Great Falls, 
Gertrude, Born May 10, 1894 at Neihart; Olive, born 
April 29, 1899 and Ruth born on February 17, 1904.