Major Marcus D. Baldwin History of Montana, Sanders, 1913 Among the men of Montana, Major Baldwin holds a most firmly established place, and in a history of and biographical work of this nature it is particularly consistent with the purpose of this publication, that mention be set forth of his career thus far. As lawyer, Indian agent and statesmen his life has been from the beginning of his business career one of the most strenuous activity. Marcus D. Baldwin was born in Fremont Ohio on September 25, 1851, and is the son of Eleazer and Harriet (Dana) Baldwin. The father was a farmer from the old Green Mountain State and was also identified there with the manufacturing interest of his locality. He was born in 1813 and died at Woodville, Ohio in 1900 at the age of seventy-seven years. He came of a long lived family, his mother reaching the age of ninety- four and his grandmother one hundred and one years. His father was a soldier in the War of 1812 and his grandfather was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. The mother of Major Baldwin, Harriet (Dana) Baldwin, born in New York, was a daughter of Joseph Dana of Vermont and Alcy (Lockwood) Dana also of that state. Israel Putam of Revolutionary fame, was a relative of Harriet (Dana) Baldwin. She died in 1883 at Greenspring, Ohio at the age of seventy-one years. Marcus D. Baldwin as a boy attended the schools of Toledo Ohio and after his graduation from the high school of that city, attended Oberlin College at Oberlin Ohio after which he was a student in the Normal School at Republic Ohio finishing there in 1871. While he was attending school he passed his vacations at work in the stave mills of his father in Toledo Ohio and during the winter months of the succeeding year he taught school and read law. So well ordered were his studies and so well he applied his energies that when he was twenty-one he was admitted to the bar of the state of Ohio. He began his practice in Fremont and was very soon elected to the office of city attorney, an office which he held for six years and for six years was examiner of school teachers for Sandusky County Ohio. At the end of that time he left Fremont and went to Paulding Ohio, there continuing in the practice of law until 1885 when President Cleveland appointed him Indian agent for the Blackfoot, Blood and Piegan Indians and he came to Montana in that year to assume charge of the agency. The work of the young man in that exacting position was of a character that gave eloquent testimony of his many excellent qualities and the promise of continued successes in the years to come. He succeeded in interesting the Blackfoot Indians in the science of agriculture and cattle raising. His treatment was such as to secure their friendship, good will and confidence and he still continues to be their friend and legal advisor. Northern Montana has been free from Indian depredations ever since he took charge of these Indians and the early settlers felt secure as to life and property during his administration of Indian affairs. In the winter of 1886-87 he was instrumental in effecting a treaty with the Blackfoot, Piegan and Blood Indians, whereby eighteen million acres of the most fertile land in Montana was restored to the public domain. This land embraces the territory lying east of the crest of the Rocky Mountains and north of the Marias and Missouri Rivers and is today the home of thousands of settlers while cities and villages are well distributed over the area. In 1889 Mr. Baldwin resigned his post and came to the Flathead Valley where he fitted out a party to explore the country lying between this valley and the Marias Pass as well as to obtain information as to its agricultural and timber resources. After spending several weeks in this undertaking he visited James J. Hill and gave him a report of his observations. Mr. Hill, sent an engineer over the route described by Mr. Baldwin and his report corroborated that of Mr. Baldwin. Within two years from that time the Great Northern Railroad was operating its main line through this territory to the Pacific seaboard. The first brick block in Kalispell was built by Mr. Baldwin and his partner, and it was through his efforts that Kalispell township was created and organized and the city of Kalispell incorporated. He took an active part at Helena in having the Flathead County created, the same making a division of Missoula County, and Kalispell became the county seat of the new county. He drafted the articles of incorporation for the Flathead Fair Association and was one of the incorporators serving also as a member of its executive committee for several years. Since locating in Kalispell, Mr. Baldwin has continued in law practice. He is a member of the bar of the supreme court of the U.s. and is president of the Flathead County Bar Association. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Flathead County High School which has a high standing among the schools of Montana. Major Baldwin is an ardent sportsman and this trait had much to do with his making his home in the Flathead Valley, as it is so well stocked with game as to be known as the Sportsman's Paradise. His activity in stocking the lakes and streams of this valley with game fish led to his appointment as a member of the fish commission for Montana and the fine state fish hatchery on Flathead Lake is mainly due to his work in this behalf. On October 31, 1874 Mr. Baldwin was united in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Rogers, of Shelby Ohio. She is a daughter of Jacob and Harriet (Spangler) Rogers, an old Revolutionary family of Pennsylvania, her ancestors on both sides of the house having been prominent in colonial days and having given service in the Continental Army. Her great-grandfather, George M. Spangler was an ensign in the Revolutionary War and served in the battle of Bunker Hill. He moulded bullets for General George Washington and the major has in his possession some of the bullets cast by Ensign Spangler. Mrs. Baldwin is a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and through the service of Ensign Spangler, who was an officer of the New Jersey Flying Camp, male descendants of that patriot are entitled to membership in the Order of Cincinnatus. Six children were born to Major and Mrs. Baldwin, of which two are deceased--Harriet, born at Shelby Ohio died while the family were residents of the Blackfoot Reservation in 1886, at the age of ten years and Elsie died in 1884. Four living children are: Mark R., born at Shelby Ohio in 1878. He was the first soldier to enlist in Company H of the First Montana Regiment for service in the Spanish American War and served in the Philippines with credit. He married Miss Nettie M. Stufft of Kalispell, their marriage taking place on February 26, 1903. Two children have been born to them--Dan and Stanley. Phillip Baldwin was born at Paulding Ohio in 1881. When he was eighteen years of age he went to Manila, Philippine Islands and served for six months in the quartermaster's department. For the past eleven years he has been in the government service in the custom house at Manila where he is employed as an expert in textiles and fabrics. Kokoa Baldwin is the wife of Charles D. Conrad, the vice-president of the Conrad National Bank of Kalispell. Mrs. Conrad was born on the Blackfoot Reservation in 1888 she being the first white child born there. They have two children: Kokoa and Charles E. The youngest child of Major and Mrs. Baldwin is Charles Spangler Baldwin born August 12, 1893 and he is presently attending school. USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format forprofit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express writtenpermission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.