Leslie Sulgrove
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

One of the prominent citizens of Helena is Leslie Sulgrove 
who has spent thirty-two years of a busy useful life in 
this state, having identified himself with its growing 
interests and in many ways has contributed to its 
development and prestige.  In public life he is known 
as a strong and aggressive worker in the uplift of the 
community.  He has always been an active practical 
reformer and all of the varied responsibilities which 
he has assumed since coming to Montana in the territorial 
days have been advanced by his accurate vigorous efforts.

His parents, Berry R. Sulgrove and Mary M. (Jameson) 
Sulgrove were both born in Indiana, and were married 
and lived in Indianapolis, where the subject of this 
sketch, the oldest of four sons was born on February 7, 
1854.  The mother came from a noted Virginia, colonial 
family which came west with the early emigrants, and 
settled on the banks of the Ohio, in Jefferson County 
where her father, Thomas Jameson had large holdings 
and who was the first to introduce the culture of 
silk in the then far west.  Her grandfather Thomas 
Jameson was born in 1732, the same year as George 
Washington, served under the latter in the Revolution 
and died some years after her birth.  The father was 
the son of James Sulgrove, a prominent leather 
merchant, whose family came  from colonial North 
Carolina and settled near the future capital.  
Their ancestry dates back to long before the building 
of the "Sulgrove Manor" house upon the old estate of 
that name, near the town of Banbury England, which 
was confiscated by Henry VIII and afterwards granted 
to a Washington family, supposed to be the ancestors 
of George Washington, and occupied by them for nearly 
a century.  Yet, notwithstanding this fact, the solid 
built ancient home has retained the original Sulgrove 
family name, during the four hundred years of its 
existence and is still used, unchanged, as the 
manor house.

Berry Sulgrove was a special protégé of Alexander 
Campbell, of the noted Bethany College from which he 
was graduated wit the highest honors, and early gained 
the distinction of one of the most intellectual men of 
the country.  Forsaking the law for which he had been 
trained, thereby following a family precedent, her 
entered upon a literary career, drifting into 
journalism, when it meant more than news gathering 
and became famous as one of the editors of that period.  
He was considered a wise political adviser and was the 
greatest political writer of the Hoosier state and as 
the editor of the Journal was a power in keeping it 
loyal during the Rebellion.  He was a historian of 
note and wrote the history of "Indian in the War," 
"Holloway's Indianapolis," and History of Marion 
County."  A keen observer and omnivorous reader, 
he wrote well on any subject and was the author 
of countless special articles for all sorts of 
periodicals.  A deep student of the original 
classics and familiar with the whole field of 
literature his acquirements were well digested 
and the result was an epigrammatic style with 
language clean, clear and compact and exact in 
statement, which has made his writings the 
subject of much study and selections from them 
are used as textbooks in the public schools of 
his native state.

It is the natural result of the inherited traits of 
such an illustrious sire that the son, Leslie should 
become so well known for his remarkable memory, wide 
reading and the great range of his accomplishments and 
that he should in his school days and always after have 
been devoted to literature.  His tastes include nearly 
everything that has value to existence but from childhood 
he has favored more the sciences, chiefly chemistry and 
biology.  As a schoolboy he gained fame as an entomologist 
and his collection of insects was awarded the state prize 
for excellence and completeness.  He strove to make our 
native silks of commercial value and exhaustively studied 
the subject.  He was a born naturalist and has always 
loved to freely roam in the forest depths.  As a schoolboy 
he had as an associate and mentor the afterwards 
celebrated botanist, John Muir and later was the 
intimate friend and assistant of Dr. Harvey W. Wiley 
and between them has existed the strongest mutual 
admiration.  As a writer on many subjects, more 
particularly the sciences, music and the drama, 
Mr. Sulgrove made quite a name while employed on 
the various papers of his native city and was 
quoted as an authority on almost everything connected 
with outdoor life.  An intense longing for the 
highlands and tiring of the journalistic life led 
him to abandon the flat valley land for the 
mountains and brought him to Montana before the 
advent of railroads.  Here he was deeply interest 
in all that was included in the country and this 
interest has never abated.  His pursuits were 
varied and he was assayer, laborer, prospector, 
blacksmith for which his mechanical bent made him 
well fitted, surveyor and printer.  Drifinting back 
into the news line he edited a paper in Butte call 
the Daily Labor Union, of which his chief reminder 
to sole remuneration is a stock certificate.  
Coming to Helena as a legislative reporter for 
Butte papers he became a syndicate correspondent 
and was employed on the Herold ,the Independent, 
and later on other publications.  After taking 
part in helping to survey some of the little known 
portions of the territory he served as clerk of 
the old first court at Miles City.  Upon the change 
in politics Mr. Sulgrove again entered the newspaper 
field and built up the Montana Stock Journal which 
later developed into four different organs of 
various interest and at all times since he has 
kept in touch with the fraternity and is still 
active in a literary way.

Mr. Sulgrove has filled official positions with credit 
and in whatsoever he has served his varied abilities 
and acquirements have aided in doing well whatever he 
has undertaken.

He was public librarian of Helena for many years and 
his literary tastes, knowledge of books and newspaper 
experience peculiarly adapted him for the position and 
taking charge of this institution when it was 
practically defunct, he re-organized and advanced 
it until the public library was the center of 
literary interest.  In the position of health 
officer Mr. Sulgrove had the advantage of early 
medical studies supplemented by handily acquired 
legal knowledge and hard study and brought all of 
these to bear upon reforming and renewing the 
efficiency of the health department in which he 
was successful and was highly complimented in 
many ways for his ability in handling contagious 
disease epidemics upon which he was considered an 
authority.  He was instrumental in putting the city 
in good shape and also in establishing the present 
garbage system.  His chief work of which he is most 
proud is the present county hospital for contagious 
diseases, the erection of which was due to his 
patient and persistent efforts in behalf of the 
afflicted.

Mr. Sulgrove was married in 1885 to Miss Sophia C. 
Dithmer at Indianapolis and returning to the Treasure 
state has since made Helena his home.  There are two 
children, Mary Agnes Sulgrove and Leslie Berry 
Sulgrove, a graduate of the Indiana Law school 
and now a practicing lawyer in Helena.

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