Henry M. Parchen
History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
USGENWEB Montana Archives,maintained by burns@asu.edu

Hon. Henry M. Parchen, who is noted as one of Helena's most 
liberal and enterprising businessmen is a native of Prussia, 
born June 13, 1839. His parents were George and Mary Parchen. 
They were members of the Luthern Church and both Mr. Parchen's 
father and grandfather followed the occupation of miller and 
were mill owners.In 1848, Mr. Parchen's father and mother 
and their four children emigrated to America and upon their 
arrival here they settled at Town Line New York, fifteen 
miles east of the city of Buffalo. They continued to reside 
there until 1861, when they removed to Nebraska and 
purchased a farm and upon this farm the elder Mr. 
Parchen still resides, now in his eighty-eighth year. 
All his children are still living.The subject of our 
sketch was the youngest child in his father's family. 
He remained at home until he was fourteen,and up to 
that time his education was limited to the common 
schools. After he started out to do for himself he 
took a thorough course in a Bryant & Stratton 
business college and after completing his course 
was employed as clerk in a general merchandise store 
in Buffalo. In 1857 he went to Marshall County, 
Indiana and accepted a position as bookeeperfor a 
mercantile and manufacturing company. In 1862 we 
find him in Colorado, serving as bookeeper at the 
Planter's House in Denver. The following spring he 
became the lessee of the Massasoit House at Central 
City, Colorado, and forsome time was engaged in the 
hotel business. On account of failing health, he 
sought a change of climate and occupationand we next 
find him with the mercantile firm of Erfurt, Busch 
and Company of Virginia City, Montana, where he 
filled the position of bookeeper until the spring 
of 1865. At that time, in company with Dr. Wernigk 
and Louis Keysser, he opened a drug and grocery 
store in Helena and in the fall of that same year 
he bought out the interests of his partners and 
took W.S. Paynter into business with him. The 
firm of Parchen and Paynter did an extensive and 
successful business. In 1868 they disposed of 
the grocery department and for nine years longer 
did a wholesale and retail drug business and 
while their business operations were growing 
profitable they met with heavy losses by fire 
both in 1869 and in 1874. In the meantime, they 
had established a branch store at Deer Lodge 
City, and this branch of business was also 
destroyed by fire. These losses were most 
discouraging to them, but Mr. Parchen 
undauntedly decided to continue business and 
in 1874 purchased his partner's interst and 
continued the establishment alone under the 
name of H.M. Parchen and Compnay. Under his 
able management the business prospered until 
it became the leading wholesale and retail 
drug house in the state of Montana.Mr. Parchen 
took a prominent part in the contruction of 
three of the Northern Pacific branch roads 
from Helena. He is a director and a large 
stockholder in the Helena Gas Company, the 
Helena Electric Company and the Helena 
ElectricRailway Company. He is also largely 
interseted in mines and smelting works and 
has by persistent business industry acquired 
a large fortune, to which he is most richly 
entitled.From the time of his settlement in 
Helena, Mr. Parchen became interested in and 
identified with all the interests of the city 
and state and has founded with his money and 
influence many enterprises intended to promote
 the growth and development of this section of the 
country. Thus he has acquired the name of being one 
of Montana's most liberal and enterprising citizens. 
Mr. Parchen was one of the organizers of the Helena 
Board of Trade, of which he had the honor of being 
the first president and of which he has since served 
as president. He began life as a Democrat and in 
1860 voted for Hon. Stephen A. Douglas for President 
of the United States; but after Mr. Lincoln was 
elected and the great Rebellion was inaugurated he 
joined the ranks of the Republican party, the 
principles of which he has since endorsed. Notwithstanding 
the great demands of his business on his time, he has 
served in several important positions. For three 
years he was one of the County Commissioners of 
Lewis and Clarke County. He was also elected to 
and served as a member of the Twelfth Session of 
the Territorial Legislature. Mr. Parchen has also 
given a portion of his time to siciality and has 
long been prominently connected with the Masonic 
fraternity, both York and Scottish rites. He has 
been Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of the 
State, for twenty-three years, has held the 
highest offices in all the branches of the order 
except the chapter.

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