Alfred M. Esler
May be copied for non-profit purposes. 
History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894

 
Alfred M. Esler, one of Montana's most respected pioneers, 
came to the Territory in 1864 and has since been identified 
with her mining interests. 

Mr. Esler was born in Jefferson County New York in 1840, 
descending from French ancestors. His parents, Moses and 
Sophia Wemott Esler, were both natives of New York. They 
had seven children, four sons and three daughters. The 
father was a carriage manufacturer, led a useful and 
worthy life and died in his sixty-second year. The 
mother, still resident of New York has attained her 
seventy-ninth year. 

Alfred M. Esler is the oldest in his father's family. 
He was educated in the public schools of his native 
state and there learned the trade of house painter 
and decorator. In connection with this business he 
also conducted a store in which he handled wallpaper, 
books, stationary, glass, paints, and oils. Rumors of 
the rich gold mines in Montana induced him to leave a 
prosperous business in New York and come out west to 
seek his fortune. He accordingly sold out in 1864 and 
made the journey across the plains and mountains with 
ox teams, it being accomplished after long and tedious 
months of travel. He and his brother-in-law made the 
trip together, both being accompanied by their 
wives. At the end of five months they reached their 
destination which was Idaho, and there they divided 
their effects, Mr. Esler getting two yoke of oxen 
for his share. He traded his oxen for a placer claim 
and engaged inmining but soon afterward discovered 
that his claim was of no value. Later in the season 
Governor Edgerton gave him the appointment of 
Justice of the Peace.With this office and by 
keeping boarders they managed to live. After 
the death of his wife, he engaged in prospecting 
and was fortunate enough to discover a good silver 
mine, which he named the Legal Tender. That fall he 
started with a six horse wagon load of the ore and 
took it back across the plains to the east. His 
showing it to the people there resulted in the 
formation of the company, to which he sold a three-
fourth interest in the mine. In the spring of 1866, 
he returned to engage in operating it. Governor 
Hauser was then interested in a St. Louis company 
and Mr. Esler gave him $20,000 in gold to put up a 
smelter andsmelt 200 tons of the ore. It proved a 
success. Mr. Esler afterward put up two smelters 
and a refiner. After they had taken out a ton and 
a half of silver the mine gave out. The freights 
were so high it was impossible to make it pay, so 
they discontinued work there. 

Mr. Esler has since located several mines. Indeed, 
he has made this his life business, meeting with 
varied success. At this writing he is interested 
in several rich mining prospects in North Idaho 
and British Columbia. He is one of the owners of 
the Badger Mine of the Coeur d'Alene country this 
mine being valued at a million dollars. A number
of the most prominent citizens in both Helena and 
San Francisco are interested in it. This Badger 
mill was blown up by the miners in 1892. The miners 
struck for higher wages, a demand which the owners 
of the mine deemed unreasonable and with which they 
could not comply, so they shut down the works and 
later upon opening again, they employed new men. 
While sixty men were at work in the mill it was 
exploded with giant powder. The miners attacked 
the workman, five being killed and fifteen wounded. 
Two of Mr. Esler's brothers were in the mill. One 
was taken prisoner and the other escaped and hid 
in an excavation. 

Mr. Esler and another gentlemen chartered a special 
train and left the scene of the action. He had been 
firm and resolute during all the trouble. At the 
time of the attack 100 men went to the hotel to 
search for "old Esler" as they called him. Some 
of the men engaged in the outrage have been tried 
and sent to the penitentiary. The mill has since 
been rebuilt and the company is now operating the mine. 

Mr. Esler, in 1874 married Ophelia Johnston, a 
daughter of Colonel J.A. Johnston of Helena. They 
have two children, Frances M. and Alfred M. Jr whom 
Mr. had the great sorrow of losing May 25, 1894. 
Mr. Esler was made a Mason in Boonville, New York, 
when he was twenty-one and has ever since remained 
a member of the fraternity. He has been a Republican 
all his life, has always taken an active interest in 
political matters and has served his party well. He 
was elected a member of the Territorial Legislature 
of Montana in 1866.
 
That year there were only two Republicans in the 
House and the laws passed by the Legislature were 
so noxious that through the efforts of Senator 
Sanders, the whole action was annulled by the U.S. 
Congress. In those exciting times a man ran a great 
deal of risk in being a Republican and it required 
no little courage for Mr. Esler tomaintain his 
position and act and vote according to the occasion.
 Since that time many changes have taken place, 
both in the times and in the opinions of men. Mr.
 Esler now has a nice home in Helena, is surrounded 
with all the comforts of life and he and his family 
are held in high esteem by their fellow citizens of 
Helena. 

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