Wyllys A. Hedges
Lewis and Clarke County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

The Hedges family is of New England origin and Cornelius 
Hedges, the father of Wyllys was born in Westfield 
Massachusetts on October 28, 1831.  He was married in 
Southington Connecticut in May of the year 1856 his 
bride being then but twenty years of age.  The young 
couple moved to Iowa to begin making their way in the 
world, and in Buchanan County of that state, on July 3, 1857 
was born Wyllys Hedges, the eldest of their eight children.  
Seven years later the family came to Montana.  The trip 
from Omaha to Fort Benton was made by boat and thence to 
Helena overland.  In the capital city Cornelius Hedges 
entered upon the practice of law and was one of the well 
known figures of the Montana bar.  He enjoyed the honor 
of being called the father of Free Masonry in this state 
and at the time of his death in 1909 was the oldest living 
grand secretary in the United States.  He was seventy-five 
at the time of his death and is survived by his wife, Edna 
L. Hedges and five children.  Mrs. Hedges makes her home 
in Helena where her husband is buried.  Two of her 
children also live in that city: Cornelius Hedges, Jr. 
who not only bears his father's name but holds the office 
of grand secretary of the grand lodge of the Ancient 
Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. H.B. Palmer, a broker of 
Helena married Edna C. Hedges also of Helena.  Henry 
Hedges was for a number of years a resident of Valley 
County Montana and he still retains his interests there 
though he and his wife now live in California.  Emma, 
the other living member of the Hedges family is now Mrs. 
John Woodbridge of Boston Massachusetts.

Wyllys Hedges began his training in the schools of Helena.  
He was of a scholarly turn of mind and he early put his 
fondness for books to practical use.  In 1869 the first 
city library was formed in Helena and Mr. Hedges at the 
age of thirteen, was appointed city librarian at a 
salary of $40.00 per month.  He was the second person 
to hold this office and undoubtedly the youngest.  Mr. 
Hedges continued at this post for a year and two months 
and then he took his earnings and returned to his father's 
native town to go to school.  When he finished the high 
school he entered Yale and upon leaving college he 
returned to Montana and filed on a tract of land which 
is now part of the town of Great Falls.  He was the 
first to receive a patent in that district and it was 
there that he began the business of stock raising which 
he has followed ever since.  In 1881 he came to the 
Mussellshell Valley and settled where the present town 
of Hedges stands.

In 1884 on September 3, Mr. Hedges was married in the same 
Connecticut town where his parents' union had been 
consummated twenty-eight years before.  His bride was 
Miss Ida S. Beach, a native of Southington, which place 
had been the girlhood home of Mr. Hedges' mother.  None 
of the four daughters born of this union lived past childhood.