THE CORNELIUS CLARK-HENRY MCCAULEY FAMILY, Our Yesterdays, Jefferson Co., MT

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               - HENRY MCCAULEY FAMILY

"Backward, turn backward, O Time in thy flight, make me a child
again just for tonight" - those lines from that famous old poem
seem most appropriate in beginning a story such as this. And - if
I were a child again "just for tonight", where would I go for the
journey back into Time? I think to the rope swing hung from one
of the branches of that grand old tree that stood (and still
stands) by a stream that ran through our yard.

As I swing gently back and forth, so many memories come crowding
over me. Directly in front to the cabin that was the original
home of my great-grandparents, Cornelius and Bridget Clark. It
was a comfortable homey cabin with several rooms and two lovely
fireplaces. In addition there was a carriage shed, a large barn,
corrals and sheds for the cattle and a creek running nearby.

It was quite a place for a big family of great grandchildren to
the grow up. My father, John McCauley, had purchased the ranch
after his grandfather Clark had died and his grandmother was no
longer able to the run it. There he built a new house and he and
my mother, Ada Ryan, began their married life.

My gaze lingers on that old cabin, one room of which had by then
been made into a carpenter and blacksmith shop. Sitting near to
the door is the kindly old carpenter, James Spraggin, who had
made his home with us for so many years that he became as one of
the family. In his spare time he made to the most fascinating
toys for us, especially corn cob pipes in which we used to smoke
corn silk when our parents were not around. Inside was the forge
with the huge bellows that he would occasionally allow us to pump
to coax the coals into leaping flames.

We never knew much about Mr. Spraggin's life before he came to
us - he never talked about himself, but we missed him very
much when he passed away April 29, 1910. He was buried from St.
John the Evangelist Church and rests in the cemetery there.

Then I see a jolly Irishman coming up to the hill from the
barn to sit beside the cabin door and enjoy the evening. He was
Hugh Kennedy and like Mr. Spraggin, he also was part of the
family although he worked for other ranchers in the Valley, too.
He died in June, 1917, and is buried in the Valley Cemetery.

Turning the swing to the East, the cabin where Barney Cooney
lived comes into view. It is about half way between the Clark
ranch and the Peter Flood home. My parents delighted in telling
how Barney had a pet jackrabbit who lived in the cabin with him
and who had been trained to "fetch" Barney's hat. Barney died
January 14, 1908. His grave too is in the Valley Cemetery.

To the north of Barney's cabin and close to the brush that lines
the river bank is another bachelor cabin. I believe he was a
Scotsman, but he had apparently gone to his eternal reward early
since we never heard much talk about him.

My gaze travels beyond the Peter Flood home to the large house
that was the home of our grandparents, Henry and Bridget
McCauley. Their four sons and two daughters were born and grew to
manhood and womanhood. Their mother lived with some of her
children on the ranch for awhile after their father died, but
later she moved to Boulder and rented the ranch to her son, Neil,
and his wife, Mary Farrell. That was an interesting house - it
had been built on the original cabin. There was much Indian
beadwork around and the most delicious cookies came out of the
old cookstove oven.

About a mile further down the Valley from Grandfather McCauley's
ranch can be seen the bell tower of St. John's Church. The tower
wasn't on the original structure, but that and the vestibule were
added during the pastorate of Father J. C. Thompson, the first
parish priest. I pause to wonder if the young Jesuit missionary
under whose direction the church was built could ever have
envisioned what a treasure that church was to become. Through its
doors would pass babies for baptism, little children and big for
First Communion, Confirmation, weddings, yes, a few, and so many
on the way to their final resting place nearby. He was Father J.
D. Veneman and he attended the church from Helena.

Reluctantly, I turn to the North where I can see the tall trees
surrounding the home of William and Mary Flood Ryan, almost
directly across the river from the Peter Flood home. Mary was
Peter's sister and Will was a brother of Edward Ryan, the oldest
of the Ryan brothers. He was born in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada,
in 1834. His wife, Mary, was born May 12, 1840, in Carlo County,
Ireland. Both are buried in the Cemetery in the Valley. William
Flood died in 1902; Mary died January 24, 1899.

Then up the road apiece to the Finn Schoolhouse, so named because
of its proximity to the Finn Railroad station about a mile west. 
That old log building is filled to the ceiling with delightful
memories. One of its earliest teachers was Mary Doherty, daughter
of Eliza Jane Clark Doherty. I can see my brothers, my sister,
Catherine, and myself fearfully crossing a field filled with
Texas Longhorn steers rather than go through the land by Mrs.
Will Hoopes' house and face her companion and protector, a large
black dog, in order to get to school. I can see my father
crossing that field in a terrible blizzard to guide us safely
home. How that little building held so many children, the
Swarbricks, Dulaneys, Parkers, Quinns, McCauleys, Smiths and so
many other will always be a mystery.

Continuing in a circle there is the Dulaney ranch where lived the
Adam Dulaney family whose stepdaughter, Lillie, would one day
become the bride of Thomas McCauley, eldest son of Henry and
Bridget. One could never pass the Dulaney ranch without fond
memories of their threshing machine, which would make the rounds
of the valley to thresh the grain at harvest time. What a gala
time that was. Neighbors would come from miles around with their
teams and wagons to help - the men with the threshing and the
ladies with the cooking for the "hands".

Brown and Elizabeth Farrell lived a mile or so to the west of the
Dulaney ranch. Their home was a beautiful setting among the
trees. There were eight children in that family. Mary, one of the
daughters, would later marry Neil McCauley and become our beloved
Aunt Mary.

In the distance, I can hear the whistle of the Northern Pacific
Railway train on its way through the canyon to Elkhorn. It had
stopped as usual at the Finn station to take some passengers to
Elkhorn and perhaps leave some from Boulder. The Depot looked
like most small town depots do. The Section House was also the
scene of parties and dances. I can see my mother getting all
prettied up to go there to a dance with my father. Ed Smith would
provide the music with his fiddle.

And then a short distance away is the Edward and Ellen Ryan home. 
I can see the cabin that was built to be used until a fine new
house was constructed. It later became the "summer kitchen" and
was joined to the new house by a hallway. There is Grandma Ryan
making her way slowly to the raspberry patch where she will sit
in her chair to pick berries for pies that only she knew how to
make. One wonders what her thoughts were as she sat there -
perhaps of the first meal she had on her way from Virginia City
to the Valley on her wedding day - a jackrabbit stew, cooked by
her new husband. He was to tell me, with his eyes full of tears,
long after she was gone, "The Old Lady said that was the finest
meal she had ever eaten." Or, perhaps she was thinking of a
frightening experience when her younger brother, Pat, came from
Iowa to visit after she was settled in her new home. On hearing
the most horrible clatter, she looked out the window to behold
two rattlesnakes, tied by their tails and thrown across the
clothesline where they were engaged in a deadly battle. How Pat
managed that feat without being bitten they never found out. 
Then she could have been seeing her small daughters peering in
awe around the corner of the bunkhouse to watch a group of Indian
mothers teaching their little children to swim in the creek.

My thoughts drift to the road above the Ryan home where I see
Peter Tunstill (Little Pete) out for evening stroll with his
faithful black shaggy dog. He lived in a little cabin down under
the hill. Beyond him I see the tall gaunt figure of Henry Killian
with his two hounds. No doubt he is on his way to the Ryan home
from his ranch not far from the Boulder Hot Springs.  He was a
great friend of the Ryans and Mr. Ryan would later purchase his
ranch.

It is time to cross the river and bring my thoughts closer to
home. I have gone full circle and there looms the mountains in
all their splendor. The milk cows are grazing by the Spring,
probably waiting for someone to bring them home. To the left is
the Italian Road, so named because a group of Italian people had
built cabins and lived in Hadley Park for a while. Their venture
did not prove to be very successful - the seasons were too short
to grow vegetables of any kind and it was too isolated. The
Italian Road led into the Park.

Peter and Jennie Smith lived in the Hadley Park for a time but
they too found it could and isolated. They moved to a ranch about
a mile from our house and were our dear neighbors for a number of
years.

I hear my mother calling one of the boys to meet the mailman,
Matt Smith, Sr., who was on his route back to Boulder from the
Cold Springs Post Office. Mail day was an exciting time because
there might be magazines to read or letters from the cousins.

It is time now to take leave of the swing and the old tree that
holds so many memories. The grandest mud pies in the world were
baked under its branches and what a place to climb!

Before I go on with the story of the Clark-McCauley families, I
must give credit to those who contributed so much to it: My
daughter, Bernadette Curran, for the research she did on both
families; to my sister, Catherine Olsen, for the information on
the Doherty family; to Mike Murphy for his research on the life
of Henry McCauley; to my uncle, Neil McCauley, for the diary he
left; and to the others of the family who contributed bits and
pieces to fill in.

            BRIDGET CLARK (1815-1907), WIFE OF CORNELIUS CLARK

She was born in County Mathad, Ireland, January 12, 1815. She had
at least one younger sister, Catherine. Later Catherine married
William Mulvey. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mulvey are buried in the
Boulder Valley Cemetery. There is some question about her age. 
The census of 1870 gives her birth date as 1828. Her obituary
gives it as 1815. Other information about her suggests that the
1815 date is correct. She spent all her growing-up years Ireland. 
At the age of twenty-nine, she came to New York. She there
married Cornelius Clark four years later. The last names Clark
may have been a coincidence or they may have been related. 
Bridget's mother is listed as Rose Burns; her father, Patrick
Clark.

Cornelius and Bridget Clark stayed in New York for seven years. 
During that time their daughter Bridget was born (July 19, 1850). 
In March of 1855, they moved to Chicago. Four years later they
moved on to Madison, Wisconsin, where their second daughter,
Eliza Jane, was born. In 1860, they moved from Madison to Denver. 
In 1863, Cornelius left Denver headed for the gold fields at
Alder Gulch. Bridget remained in Denver with young Bridget (13)
and Eliza, age 6.

In the Spring of 1864, Bridget and the girls joined a company of
thirteen wagons headed for Virginia City, Montana. Among the
travelers was the Patrick Wickham family, Ellen Lacy, traveling
with the Thomas Norton family, and Edward Ryan.

Some accounts say they settled their homestead in the Fall of
1864 (it may not have been until 1865 though). In the beginning
their house was a one room cabin with an earth floor, fireplace
and a sod roof. The homestead grew into a fine ranch and the
Clarks prospered in Montana.

In 1893, Cornelius died of heart disease at the age of 69. 
Bridget remained on the ranch until 1895. She then moved in with
her son-in-law and daughter, Henry and Bridget McCauley. Her
grandsons, John and Neil McCauley, rented the ranch and worked
it.

Bridget died November 8, 1907, a few months short of her 93rd
birthday.

                        CORNELIUS CLARK (1824-1893)

Not too much information is available on Cornelius Clark. He was
born in Ireland in 1824. It is not known what year he came to the
United States but he lived there for seven years after his
marriage to Bridget Clark, then moved to Chicago, later to
Madison, Wisconsin, and in 1860 to Denver. When news of the gold
strike in Virginia City and Alder Gulch reached Denver, he left
his family there and came to Montana Territory to seek his
fortune.

He was one of the first settlers in the Boulder Valley and his
homestead became a fine ranch.

He died in 1893 at the age of 69 years and is buried beside his
wife in the Valley Cemetery.

His sister also lived in the Boulder Valley. She was Mrs. Phil
Smith.

                            THE CLARK HOMESTEAD

The Clarks lived continuously on their fine ranch until Mr.
Clark's death in 1893. In 1895, Mrs. Clark suffered a severe
accident; that and her advancing age made it impossible for her
to stay along. Two of her grandsons rented the ranch for a year
and then one of them, John McCauley, purchased it and built a new
home for his bride-to-be, Ada Ryan.

They made many improvements and most of their children grew up
there. The ranch was later acquired by Ada's father, Edward Ryan. 
Some years later the house burned, but now a beautiful new home
stands almost on the site of the old one. It is the residence of
Lloyd and June Richardson. June's children, Donna, Danny, Debbie
and Doug McCauley are the great, great, great grandchildren of
the original homesteaders, Cornelius and Bridget McCauley.

                            THE CLARK CHILDREN

Although Mr. and Mrs. Clark were the parents of six children only
two girls, Bridget and Eliza Jane, lived to come to Montana with
their parents.

                            ELIZA JANE'S FAMILY

Eliza Jane Clark was married to John E. Dougherty, a native of
Canada, on February 8, 1875, at St. Patrick's Church in Butte
with the Rev. Father Minctre officiating. Witnesses to the
marriage were Con Smith and Rose Ann Smith. The Doughertys then
settled in Radersburg where they purchased the "Old Town" store
from the original builder - MaComber - and operated it for many
years.

They had three children, John, Mary, and Emma Cornelia. John, Sr.
died November 2, 1905, at the age of 64 years. Eliza Jane died
July 2, 1920.

John Dougherty, Jr. grew up in Radersburg but spent most of his
adult life in Canada, the birthplace of his father. He married
her and also served in the Canadian Army for a time. He did
return to Montana in his later years and died June 26, 1947, in
Bozeman. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Townsend, with the
others of his family.

Mary Dougherty (February 3, 1879 - September 6, 1960) became a
teacher and taught for many years. One of her earlier positions
was as teacher of the Finn School in Boulder Valley. She also
taught at Cold Springs. She later married Will Sherlock of
Radersburg and they ranched there for many years. When they
retired from ranching they moved to Townsend. Mary died in 1960
and Will followed her in death January 17, 1966.

Emma Cornelia Dougherty (June 26, 1886-January 29, 1937) married
A. A. Wren June 34, 1908, and moved to Reading, California, where
she lived until her death at age 50.
                                     
                             BRIDGET'S FAMILY

Bridget was the older of the Clark girls. She married Henry
McCauley at the age of fourteen on May 4, 1865. They lived on a
homestead about a mile west of St. John's Church. Their first
home was a log cabin. Later they built a lovely new home where
they resided all of their married life and raised their family of
two girls and four boys. She died July 4, 1939, and is buried
beside her husband in the Valley.

Mary, the oldest of the McCauley girls, married Robert Twiggs. 
They made their home in Choteau for a number of years. They had
four children, Emma, Joseph, Charles and Albert.

Emma Twiggs married John Smith, son of Matthew Smith of Boulder,
and three children, Edward, Margaret and Ethel, were born to
them. They lived in Boulder for a number of years. Emma and the
children later moved to Washington state where the children still
reside.

The Twiggs boys resided most of their lives in Choteau where they
married, raised their families and died. The youngest boy,
Albert, served in the European theater of World War I.

Mary Twiggs, the mother, later re-married a Mr. Baart, and moved
to Seattle where she died in the early 1900's.

Anna McCauley married George Fournier. They made their home in
Boulder for a few years and then moved to Raymond, Washington. 
The Fourniers had three children, Frank, George, and Lillian. 
After Mr. Fournier's death the family moved to  Seattle. Lillian
became a nurse, later was married and had a family. The Fournier
boys engaged in business on the Coast.

Thomas, the eldest of the McCauley boys, received his early
education in Boulder and the Valley and completed it in Illinois. 
He spent most of his life in the Valley. He was married to
Lillian Dulaney, daughter of William Dulaney, and they
homesteaded about a mile from his parent's ranch. Later they
moved to Boulder where they spent the remainder of their lives. 
They had one son, David, who now lives with his wife. Eleanor, at
Clark Canyon Dam, south of Dillon. Thomas was born January 30,
1865, and died October 5, 1959. Lillie was born in Boulder, March
28, 1888, and died December 19, 1952.

John (April 20, 1871-August 28, 1919) received his education in
Boulder and the Valley. He spent his life in the Valley. He
bought the Clark ranch about the year 1896 and was married to 

Ada Elizabeth Ryan in 1896 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Hearts
in Helena by Monsignor Victor Day. Ada was the youngest daughter
of Edward and Ellen Ryan. She attended St. Vincent's Academy in
Helena and completed her education at St. Mary's Academy in Salt
Lake City.

Following their marriage they moved into the new home which had
been built on the Clark ranch. They became the parents of eleven
children, most of who were born there.

Their children were: Edward (October 25, 1897-November 16, 1966)
who married Elizabeth Vollmer. Edward and Elizabeth were the
parents of four boys and one girl; James, who died in 1933 at the
age of seven years; Thomas, his wife Eve, and two boys; Emmett
(Mick), his wife Margy, one son and a daughter; Donald (1930-
1967), his wife June and two boys and two girls; Ann Marie widow
of Don Miller, now married to Les Groeneveld, her children - one
boy and two girls.

Frank (September 3, 1899-November 15, 1964, married to Gertrude
Miller who preceded him in death July 3, 1949.

John (July 2, 1901-November, 1958) married Lydia Hicks. John and
Lydia were the parents of three girls and one boy - Mary Ellen,
wife of James Anderson, had three daughters; Catherine Margaret,
wife of Thomas McGraw, one boy and one girl; Beverly, wife of
James Burton, two girls and one boy; John, Jr. has one daughter.

Nell, widow of Martin Powers, has one boy and two daughters;
Martin married Donna Wachsmuth, two sons and three daughters;
Sharon, wife of Gerald Burrows, two sons and three daughters;
Mary Bernadette, wife of John F. Curran, one son.

Catherine, married to F. L. Olsen, has two sons and three
daughters; Ronald , his wife Rosie, two sons and three daughters;
Gerald, his wife Bonnie, three girls and three boys; Karen Ann,
wife of Mark Harrington, one son and one daughter; Ada Lee, wife
of Terry Plummer, two daughters and two sons, and Anita.

Charles (March 12, 1907-February 27, 1971) married Mary Maude
Stocking. Three sons and two daughters were born to them -
Robert, his wife Elizabeth, two girls and two boys; Maureen, wife
of S. Earl Haynes, two daughters and one son; Patricia Ann, wife
of David Cunningham, four sons; Kenneth, his wife Janice, two
daughters and one son; Timothy, his wife Linda, two sons.

Clare married Harold Tilzey. They have eight children: Harold,
his wife Linda and two daughters; Theresa (Sally), wife of Robert
Jungers, one girl and four boys; Edward, his wife Janet, two boys
and two girls; James, his wife Candy, two boys; Faye, wife of
Robert Logan, two girls and three boys; Mary Catherine; Patricia,
wife of Lee Hicks; Joyce.

Eugene (September 6, 1911-June 11, 1971) married Evelyn Huller. 
Their children are: Larry, his wife Joyce, one son and one
daughter; James, his wife Carol, two sons and two daughters;
Monica Lynn, Leo and Paul.

Bernard was born August 17, 1916, and died June 28, 1937; Anna
Patricia was born March 6, 1914 and drowned August 15, 1915;
Marie was born January 5, 1909, and died February 8, 1909.

                             WILLIAM MCCAULEY

William was the only son of Henry and Bridget McCauley who
remained a bachelor. He was born in 1873 in the Boulder Valley. 
Many of his childhood years were spent with his Clark
grandparents. Following their deaths he made his home with his
mother, first at the McCauley ranch and later at the home in
Boulder. He was a much loved  Uncle Billy  to all his nieces and
nephews. He is buried in the Valley Cemetery, having died March
7, 1932.

Cornelius (Neil) McCauley was the youngest son of Henry and
Bridget. He was born Mary 16, 1874. He received his education in
Boulder and the Valley, remaining on the ranch with his parents
until 1894 when he went to Radersburg to work at the famous
Huntley and Clark ranch. He returned home and in 1897 he went to
Hamilton where on May 20, 1900, he married Mary Alice Farrell. 
He was elected Constable of Hamilton Township in 1898. After his
marriage he worked at the ACM store. He resigned his position to
return to the Boulder Valley in 1904 and took charge of his
mother s ranch. He and his wife, Mary, lived there for a number
of years until the ranch was sold. They then homesteaded near the
hills about a mile from the home place. They later moved to a
ranch near Harrison where he died in 1940. They were the parents
of one son who died in infancy.

Mary Alice Farrell McCauley was born June 2, 1871, in one of the
first log cabin ever built in Helena. Her parents were Brown
(Bruno) and Elizabeth Farrell, who were attracted to Helena in
the Gold Rush Days of the early sixties. She was their fourth
child. She moved with her family to Boulder Valley, probably in
the early Eighties, and again moved to Hamilton where she married
Neil McCauley in 1900. She remained in Harrison for a time after
her husband s death, later moving to Whitehall until ill health
forced her to move to Alhambra. She died there a few days after
her 95th birthday and is buried beside her husband in the Pony
Cemetery. Although she had no children of her own she was dearly
loved and cherished by her many nieces and nephews.

                  THE BROWN AND ELIZABETH FARRELL FAMILY

Mr. Farrell was born Bruno Ferrelli in Italy. After coming to
America he changed his name to Brown Farrell. Elizabeth was a
native of England. It is not known when they came to America or
where they were married. They dame to Helena in the "Gold Rush"
days of the early sixties. Mr. Farrell engaged in panning for
gold and also had a farm near the present St. Mary's Church in
Helena. He and his wife donated the ground for St. Mary's
Cemetery, now known as St. Mary's Park where many of the early
day Helena residents are buried.

The family moved to Boulder Valley, probably in the early 1880's. 
Their ranch was located on Elkhorn Creek about a mile to the
northeast of the Finn railroad station. Mr. and Mrs. Farrell were
the parents of eight children. One of the delights of the
children was to be able to ride the Northern Pacific to Elkhorn
to visit friends.

The family lived a number of years in the Valley, later moving to
Hamilton and finally to a ranch near Pony where they both died.

The Farrell children were: Frank, Joseph, Clarence, Rose
(Brennan), Victoria (Flanagan), Margaret (Smith), Agnes
(Flaherty), and Mary (McCauley).

Mary was the last surviving member of the Farrell family. 
However, there are many grandchildren and great grandchildren who
still reside in Montana.

                        HENRY AND BRIDGET MCCAULEY

Henry McCauley, one of the early pioneers in the Boulder Valley,
was born in McHenry County, Illinois, in March, 1835. He was the
eldest of the ten living children born to Thomas and Mary
(Knowlan) McCauley. His parents were born and married in County
Fermangh, Ireland, and in 1834, they emigrated to America, living
for a time in Canada and then moving to McHenry County, Illinois.

Henry was raised on the farm where he was born and received his
education there. In 1852, he traveled by the Nicaragua route to
California and became a successful miner in Trinity and Navada
counties. He remained there for sometime and then returned to
McHenry County, Illinois. For the next two years, Henry followed
freighting out of Lawrence, Kansas. In 1859, he crossed the
plains to Colorado and spent the next three or four years mining
in various places. He left Denver in 1863 and arrived in Montana
in March of 1864. He spent some time mining at Virginia City and
Last Chance Gulch and later that same year, settled in the
Boulder Valley, one of the first settlers there. He added to his
holdings until his ranch totaled 600 acres. It was located about
ten miles from the city of Boulder near the valley church he
helped to build. He built a log house to which he later added a
two story addition. On his ranch, he raised Durham cattle and
Norm Percheon horses.

On May 4, 1865, Henry McCauley was married to Bridget Clark, the
daughter of Cornelius and Bridget Clark. She was a native of New
York and came west with her parents, spending time in Wisconsin
and Colorado. In 1864, Bridget, her mother and the remainder of
the family arrived in Montana to join Mr. Clark, who had settled
in the Boulder Valley not far from the McCauley ranch.

There were six children born to Henry and Bridget - Thomas H.,
Mary Jane (McCauley) Twiggs, Annie (McCauley) Fournier, John,
William, Cornelius.

Henry was a life-long Democrat, served as County Assessor and for
eight years held the office of School Trustee. He also assisted
in the building of St. Helena's Cathedral in Helena.

He left for California in November of 1902 because he had been
ill and thought the warm climate would be beneficial. About three
weeks later, word was received that he had died in Los Angeles. 
He was 67 years of age.

After Henry s death, Bridget remained at the family ranch until
1914. She then moved to Boulder and remained there until her
death in 1939 at the age of 89.

Henry and Bridget McCauley are buried in the Boulder Valley
Cemetery. Their original log house with the two story addition
still stands in the valley.

SUBMITTED BY MONICA MCCAULEY AND MRS. NELL POWERS