Charles Wesley Cannon


History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 
  
Charles Wesley Cannon, who stands well to the front among 
Montana's most successful pioneer businessmen, 
was born in Cleveland, Ohio, July 1, 1836. 

Mr. Cannon is of French descent. Jan Cannon, the projenitor of 
the family in America, was a French Huguenot 
who settled in New York as early as 1692, where he was for many 
years a prominent merchant and honorable 
citizen. Among his descendants have been men of mark, both in 
the Colonial days and in the later history of the 
country. Our subject's grandfather, James Le Grand Cannon, was 
born in Stratford, Connecticut and was a direct 
descendant of Jan Cannon. His son, George Cannon, born at 
Stratford in 1799, was married in 1830 to Margurette 
White, daughter of Dr. White, of Albany New York, her birth 
having occurred in 1813. They removed to Cincinnati, 
Ohio, where he was for a number of years engaged in busienss, 
and whence he removed to Dubuque, Iowa, there 
being successfully engaged in merchandising the rest of his 
life. His wife died when in the prime of life, 
leaving him with a family of little children, five sons and a 
daughter, of whom Charles W. was the third born. 

The father's death occurred September 15, 1862, in the 63rd 
year of his age. Both were consistent members of 
the Episcopal Church. In 1852 on account of the failing health 
of the elder Mr. Cannon, the care of his business 
largely devolved upon his son, Charles W., who was at that time 
only sixteen years of age. The experience gained 
at that time proved of great value to him in after life. In 1859 
a partnership was formed with George B. Smith, 
and under the firm name of Cannon & Smith, their house became of 
the most successful ones in Iowa. 

In 1863, soon after a double bereavement by the death of their 
father and only sister, Mr. Cannon and his younger 
brother, Henry, decided to leave the scene of their sorrow and 
try their fortune in the far West. They accordingly 
sold out their business and made necessary preparations for the 
hazardous journey. Their outfit consisted of four 
mules and a wagon loaded with necessary supplies, and they had 
also the luxury of a French cook. They started 
in April 1863 from Dubuque, crossed the state of Iowa to Omaha 
and their route from Omaha was on the north side 
of the Platte river. The pleasure of the first part of the 
journey was unmarred, but when they arrived at a 
point eleven miles west of Ft. Laramie, they were attacked by 
a band of twenty three Sioux Indians. The Indians 
suceeded in getting one of their mules, and the whites, thinking 
that the red men were satisfied with what they 
got, tied the third mule to the rear of their wagon; but before 
they had proceeded far the Indians made another 
raid upon them and captured another mule. By their undaunted 
courage the young emigrants escaped with their 
lives, although the Indians fired showers of ammunition at them. 
Continuing on their journey, they found their 
load was too heavy for the two mules and they were obliged to 
dispense with everything they could possibly do 
without. The Indians followed them at a distance, but finally 
gave up the chase. That same day the Cannons 
overtook some other emigrants, with whom they camped that night. 
Next morning both parties started out together, 
and continued together until they reached Deer Creek Station, 
which was on the opposite side of the river. 
There were a few soldiers stationed there. As they were soon to 
enter the mountains and as the other emigrants 
could not render them any assistance as they had all their own 
teams could do, Mr. Cannon decided to cross 
the river and see if he could buy a team. He accordingly took a 
roll of greenbacks in his mouth and swam the 
Platte river more than 100 feet side at this point. He secured a 
yoke of oxen for $160.00. Although they 
experienced some little difficulty in getting the oxen and the 
mules to work together, they proceeded on 
their way, but before they had traveled far found that they were 
being followed by Indians. At this 
critical time they were fortunate in falling in with some other 
emigrants whose assistance then perhaps 
saved their lives. 

Notwithstanding all their hardships and dangers, they never once 
thought of turning back. Meeting with a 
company of soldiers who were preparing for a campaign against the 
Indians on Powder River, the soldiers 
tried to get them to enlist, but they declined. Here the French 
cook deserted them. Subsequently Mr. Cannon 
enchanged his oxen for a horse by given $40.00 to book and for a 
time they drove a spike team as it was called. 
At the Sweet Water, in Wyoming, they rested a brief time and 
prospected some, but found nothing sufficient to 
induce them to remain and accordingly they moved on. Before they 
reached their destination, however, the horse 
and one of the mules died of starvation, and it was with the aid 
of borrowed cattle that they were enabled to 
get their wagon to Virginia City. More than four months had been 
spent in making the journey. Upon his arrival 
in Virginia City, Mr. Cannon entered a barber shop to have his 
hair cut, the price for which was $1.00 and it 
was there that he found greenbacks were worth only $.50 to the 
dollar. Prices in gold were as follows: 100# 
of flour, $40.00; Coffee, $1.00 per pound; Sugar and Salt, 
$1.00 each per pound; a shovel, $13.00; gum boots,
$11.00 a pair, the freight on all goods being $.35 per pound 
from the States. 

In Virginia City they began merchandising under the name of 
Cannon Brothers. A year later they removed to Helena 
and after they had conducted business in Helena a year, the 
subject of our sketch returned to St. Louis. There 
he formed a partnership with Captain F.B. Kershiville and Mr. 
M.S. Mullon, the style of the firm being Kerchiville, 
Cannon & Company. They chartered three steamboats, loaded with 
goods and miners' supplies and sent them to the 
house at Helena, the boats being unloaded at Ft. Benton and 
brought from there by wagon to Helena. This venture 
proved a great success. The business was continued by the firm 
in Helena until 1869 when Mr. Cannon purchased 
the interest of his partners and continued it successfully 
himself until 1880. That year he sold out, retired 
from merchandising, and has since given his attention to real 
estate, mining and other business interests, 
which by his capable and sagacious management grew to enormous 
proportions. Prosperity continued to attend him 
and he became a millionaire--the largest tax payer in Helena, 
a city noted for its large proportion of wealthy 
citizens. 

Mr. Cannon was largely instrumental in procuring for Helena her 
gas, electric-light and street-railway systems, 
and is president and a large stockholder in each of the 
companies which furnish these facilities. He is
vice-president of the Montana Central Railway and a director 
of the Montana National Bank and also of several 
important mining companies. For several years he has been one 
of the largest wool growers in the State. His
ranch comprises 3,000 acres, requires twenty-eight miles of 
fence to enclose it, and is stocked with nearly 
20,000 sheep, besides cattle and horses. It is thoroughly 
equipped with all the best farming implements, and 
is a model of its kind. 
March 17, 1868, Mr. Cannon was happily married to Catherine 
B. Martine, only daughter of the late Captain W.W. Martin, of 
Ithaca, New York. He was of Spanish ancestry. His wife was 
before her marriage Miss Argenith Newell. Both the Martines 
and the Newells were early settlers in the Colonies and were 
participants in the Revolution, their residence for many 
years being Boston. 
Mrs. Cannon was born in Ithaca, New York, November 16, 1851 
and in early life had the misfortune to lose both her parents. 
Her educationaly advantages were of the best and she early 
developed rare mental and social qualities. Soon after their 
marriage, Mr. Cannon built a beautiful little cottage on 
Broadway, at that time by far the best residence in the 
city, and in this home they have since lived and dispensed 
hospitality. They becmae the parents of two children, one 
of whom, Bernice Martinque, a lovely daughter, died in 
1889 at the age of eighteeen. She was proficient in music 
and was a favorite among her circle of friends, of whom 
she had many. Their son, William Le Grand, was born in 
Helena, September 24, 1872, was educated in France and 
Germany and is now managing the large farm above referred 
to. The family have traveled extensively in Europe, and 
usually spend a part of each winter in New York City. Mr. 
and Mrs. Cannon are members of the Episcopal Church and in 
politics he is a stanch Republican. 

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