Jesse Allen Doughty
History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 
USGENWEB Montana Archives,maintained by burns@asu.edu
  
Jesse Allen Doughty, one of Helena's enterprising 
businessmen, dates his birth in Hartland, Maine, 
May 21, 1842.Brief record of his life is as follows: 

Mr. Doughty's ancestors on the paternal side were 
Irish, while on the maternal side they were English. 
Both were early settlers of America, and were 
participants in the wars and early history of this 
country, one of his ancestors serving as a Colonel 
in the Revolution, and grandfather, James Doughty 
being a participant in the War of 1812. 
Phillip Doughty, the father of our subject, was 
born in Main May 7, 1811, and married Mathetable 
Allen, also a native of the state. He had in early 
life been a Baptist, but later became a Methodist. 
A ship carpenter by occupation, and for a number of 
years a seafaring man, he later settled down to the 
quiet life of a farmer. 

In 1855 he removed to Iowa, where he owned and 
improved a farm, and whence, in 1879 he removed 
to Reedsville, Washington County, Oregon, settled 
on a farm and there spent the residue of his life. 
He died in the 77th year of his age, and his wife, 
after surviving him five years, also died in her 
77th year. They had a family of eleven children, of 
whom ten are still living. 

Jesse Allen was the fourth born in this family. He 
spent the first thirteen years of his life in his 
native state, removed with his parents to Iowa, and 
there worked on the farm in summer and attended 
school in the winter until he was eighteen. Then, 
in the spring of 1860, he started for California, 
being hired to drive an ox team across the plains 
to Salt Lake, hauling goods to the miners. From 
Salt Lake, he and his party continued 
on to Placerville, California, making this part of 
the journey with their own team. The trip from Iowa 
to Placerville consumed five months. He remained at 
Placerville during the winter, and the following 
spring purchased teams and engaged in freighting 
from Sacramento to Carson City. This business he 
continued successfully for five years. He then 
turned his attention to prospecting and was one 
of the discoverers of gold at Reese River, and 
for some time was more or less interested in mines. 
In the meantime, however, he continued his freighting, 
selling lumber at $250.00 per 1,000 feet and hay for 
$250.00 per ton. 

As showing the enterprise of the people of that time, 
Mr. Doughty says that he hauled fourteen wagon loads 
of lumber and hardware for a man, unloaded his train 
at the site for the building at nine o'clock in the 
morning and upon going around there at nine o'clock 
that night he found the large building up, the 
shelves and stock in, and seven clerks selling goods. 

Mr. Doughty next went to Bridger's Pass, on the 
overland stage line, where he spent a year dealing 
in cattle and horses. It was then about the close 
of the war and the Indians were very troublesome, 
stealing much of his stock. On this account he was 
obliged to leave. Then he returned to his friends 
in northwestern Iowa, married and settled on a farm 
of 120 acres, and resided in that vicinity for 
twenty-nine years. But still desiring to 
return to the mountain regions of the West, he 
sold out and selected Helena as the best and most 
promising city in which to locate. Accordingly, in 
1888 he established himself in the grocery business 
for two years and a half. 

Then he disposed of the store, and with others 
invested in the Big Ox silver mine near Marysville. 
After the company had expended $100,000 in its 
development the stringency for money caused them 
for the present to ceasework. About this time Mr. 
Doughty embarked in the furniture and hardware 
business on Helena Avenue near theNorthern Pacific 
depot, where he now has one store, 20 x 70 feet, 
full of hardware, and three large store-rooms, 
all on the ground floor, devoted to furniture. 

It was March 20, 1866 that he was married to Ester 
Rogers, a native of Connecticut and a daughter of 
Samuel Rogers of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Doughty 
have had seven children, four of whom died in childhood. 
The others are Helen, wife of Robert W. Neil, a 
businessman of Helena; Mabel, wife of Asbury Owens, a 
contractor and builder
at Spirit Lake, Iowa;and Mary, who resides with her 
parents. 

Mr. Doughty has been a Republican all his life and for a 
good portion of his time while residing at Spirit Lake, 
Iowa, he held various offices in his township, including 
one term as Mayor of the city. He is an active member of 
the Masonic fraternity and is at present Warden of King 
Solomen Lodge, No 9 of Helena. He is also Past Chancellor 
of the K. of P., and their representative to the Grant 
Lodge and for the past five terms he has been Master 
the the Exchequer. In the winter of 1866 he became a 
member of the Methodist Church and for the past 
twenty-seven years he has been a faithful and active 
worker. He was Superintendent of the Sabbath school 
for twelve consecutive years, and has been an official 
member of the church almost all the time. 

Immediately upon his arrival in Helena he presented his 
letter to the church and soon after was elected one of 
the Trustees and a member of the building committee, 
and rendered material and efficient aid in the building 
of the fine St. Paul's Church ediface, the best in 
the city. He is now Treasurer of the church, is heart 
and soul in the work and is considered one of the most 
useful pillars. As a business man his is obliging and 
enterprising and is highly respected in the community 
in which he lives. 

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