James B. McMaster
History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
USGENWEB Montana Archives
May be copied for non-profit purposes.

James B. McMaster, a Montana pioneer of 1864 and now a 
successful businessman of Deer Lodge, is a native of 
Massachusetts, born in Watertown, July 7, 1839. His 
father, William McMaster, was a native of Scotland. He
married Miss Sarah Boyd, the daughter of Scotch-Irish 
parents and after their marriage they emigrated to America 
and settled in Massachusetts, first at Boston and afterward 
in Watertown, where they reared theirfamily of twelve 
children, eight sons and four daughters, James B. being 
the ninth born and one of the five who are still living. 
In 1853 the McMaster family removed to Kalamazoo County, 
Michigan, where the fatherspent the residue of his life 
and died, the date of his death being 1868 and his age 
seventy years. The mother departed this life in 1890 at 
the age of eighty-seven.James B.McMaster received his 
education in the public schools of Massachusetts and 
Michigan. March 19, 1864 he set out from his Michigan 
home en route for Montana, going to St. Joseph Missouri, 
crossing the river on the 10th of May and from that point 
making the rest of the journey with ox teams. The party of 
which he was a member consisted of thirteen men and they 
had thirteen yoke of oxen, their outfit being held in 
partnership.Mr. William Jenkins was their leader. After 
100 days of travel they landed safe at Virginia City, 
August 20. Mr. McMaster remained there two years, 
engaged in placer mining, a part of the time meeting 
with fair success.In March 1866 he came to Deer Lodge 
and on the 21st of that same month went to the placer 
diggings at Elk Creekand Beaver Gulch. There he 
obtained good claims and mined for two years employing 
about ten men and a part of the time taking out from 
seventy to 125 ounces per week. In 1868 with a partner, 
he opened a store at ReynoldsCity and sold miners' 
supplies there a year or until the camp went down. 
In 1869 the Boone Creek excitement in Idaho drew him 
to that place. This expedition, however, proved a 
fruitless one and he returned to Deer Lodge.Then for 
a number of years he mined at Yam Hill, and his 
operations were attended with fair success. In 1874
 he worked a river claim in Jefferson County, but as 
he did not meet with satisfactory returns he came 
back to Deer Lodge and until 1879 mined at Beaver Gulch. 
In 1879 he was elected Assessor of Deer Lodge County on the
Democratic ticket and in 1881 at the expiration of his 
term was elected Sheriff. He served two terms as sheriff,
being re-elected in the fall of 1883. Since his 
retirement from office he has been engaged in farming, mining
and other business at Deer Lodge. He owns 173 acres of 
land adjoining the city, on which property he has an 
elegant residence which he and his family occupy. A 
portion of this ranch he has platted, forming what is known
as the McMaster Addition to Deer Lodge.Mr. McMaster was 
happily married in October 1882 to Miss Carrie Fisher, 
a native of Switzerland, and they havetwo interesting 
children, a son and daughter, James F. and Florence, 
the daughter being an adopted child.

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