Harry C. Keith
Flathead County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

Mr. Keith was born in the province of New Brunswick, 
January 9, 1863 and is a son of Lewis and Rebecca 
(Blakney) Keith.  He was reared on his father's farm, 
gaining the benefit of a country school education, 
until he was sixteen when he took a three month business 
course at a commercial college at St. John, New Brunswick. 
He then commenced clerking in J.S. Trites and Company 
general store at Sussex, remained there eighteen months, 
then attended commercial school for three months and then 
took a clerkship in a store at upper Corners, Sussex, New 
Brunswick, the firm being W.J. Mills and Company, a branch 
store of George H. White and Company.  After a time this 
was discontinued and Mr. Keith returned to Lower Sussex 
to clerk in their store, where he continued until the  
spring of 1887 when he came to Missoula Montana arriving 
there in April.  From there he soon went to Stevensville 
to take charge of the mercantile interests of the Missoula 
Mercantile Company at that point.  He was later sent to 
open a branch store at Victor and was there for eighteen 
months, when, returning to Missoula, he became the 
treasurer of the company.  In 1890 the Missoula Mercantile 
Company purchased the large business establishment of T.J. 
Demers at Demersville on the Flathead River and Mr. Keith 
was placed in charge.  In 1898 was erected a grain elevator 
with a capacity of 40,000 bushels, run by a gasoline 
engine of twelve horse power.  Groceries were added in 
March of that year, and fifteen clerks were hired.  On 
February 20, 1911 the name of the firm was changed to 
Kalispell Mercantile Company and the business incorporated, 
Mr. Keith becoming vice president and general manager 
while C.H. McLeod is president.

In August 1894, Mr. Keith was married to Miss Mary Hunt, an 
adopted daughter of Daniel Hunt of Avoca, Iowa, she being a 
native of Des Moines, Iowa.  Of their children, nine 
survive: Harry, Robert, Helen, Francis, Louise, Irma, 
Hattie, John and a baby daughter.