D. B. FILSON, Leeson's Hist. of MT 1739-1885, Jefferson Co., MT USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. "List transcribed and organized by Ellen Rae Thiel, thieljl@aol.com All rights reserved." Copyright, 1998 by Ellen Rae Thiel. This file may be freely copied for non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. D. B. FILSON - pg 1181 From Leeson's History of Montana 1739-1885 published 1885 SURNAMES FOUND IN THIS BIOGRAPHY: CARPENTER; HAMMONDS D. B. Filson, P. O. Beaver Head, son of George M. Filson, was born in Buchanan Co., Mo., in 1843, and in 1856 went to Doniphan co., Kans., where he lived about six years. He was in Price's and Beauregard's army for one year and then went to Denver, Col., thence to Virginia city in 1864, and afterward to Last chance Gulch and Blackfoot, in all of which places he worked at mining. He finally took up land in the Missouri valley, and now resides upon it. He married in 1877 Miss Catharine Hammonds, a native of Colorado, and has three children: Mary Seville, Daniel Boone, and Fannie Fern. Since coming to the Missouri valley Mr. FILSON had an adventure with a bear by which he nearly lost his life. One day while Mr. Filson was cutting hay on his ranch he heard his dogs barking fiercely near by , and finally giving chase to some animal which he supposed to be an elk. Seizing their guns, himself and brother-in-law, Carpenter, hastened to the spot where they found the dogs baying at a large bear in a clump of bushes on high ground near the bank of the river. Mr. FILSON went up close in order to get a shot at the bear, but before he could do so the bear rushed upon him and threw him down the bank burying him in a sand bar and falling upon him. He was badly bitten in the thigh and his leg lacerated to the bone. As the bear came toward him Mr. Filson had discharged his gun and Mr. Carpenter had also fired at him with heavy shot, but in such haste that most of them struck Mr. Filson, producing severe wounds on different parts of his person. Mr. Filson relates that when he recovered he was lying on his back with his body completely buried in the sand except a small portion of his face around his eyes, and that the bear was standing over him. In a moment more Mr. carpenter shot the bear again, and in his efforts to make a charge, the brute fell dead. Mr. Filson was taken home and well cared for, but it was several months before he was able to be around and has never fully recovered.