Charles William Berry
History of Montana, 1898
US Genweb Montana Archives

Charles William Berry, County Assessor of Missoula County and 
one of Montana's noted pioneers, was born in New Hampshire, 
February 25, 1827.  His grandfather, Isaiah Berry was also 
born in that State, of English and Irish ancestry.  Both he 
and his son William were soldiers in the War of 1812.  The 
former was a Whig in political matters and served in the 
Legislature of his State a number of years.  Religiously, 
he was a member of the Congregational Church.  He had seven 
sons and lived to be eighty-eight years.  William Berry, 
the youngest child in order of birth and the father of our 
subject was born in New Hampshire in 1797.  He married Miss 
Olive S. Lock, also a native of that State and they had 
five children.  Mr. Berry lived and died on the farm on 
which he was born, his death occurring in 1878.  His wife, 
who was born in 1794 lived to the age of eighty years.  
Three of their children are still living.

Charles W. Berry was the fourth child in order of birth 
in the above family and early inured to farm labor on his 
father's place, having attended school only a short 
time during the winters.  In 1849 at the age of twenty-two 
years he went to California, via the isthmus and arrived 
in San Francisco December 20 of that year.  The gold 
excitement was then at its height and Mr. Berry mined 
on the south fork of the American River, three miles 
above Coloma, from spring until the following fall and 
during that time took out about $2000 in gold; he then 
returned to San Francisco.

From April 1851 until July 1861 he mined at Scott's Bar on 
Scott River, Siskiyou County; also carried freight from 
Red Bluff and Crescent City into Siskiyou county; afterward 
went with his train and sixteen passengers east of the 
Cascade Mountains to Oro Fino; next freighted from Walla 
Walla to Lewiston and Elk City and while engaged in that 
occupation nearly lost his life.  While guarding his mules 
at night he was standing near his fire, and an Indian shot 
at him, the arrow passing through his beard, just under 
his chin.  He dropped down in the deep grass and crawled 
away from the fire.  He saw nothing more of the Indians 
but many were the dangers seen and unseen, thorough, 
which the early pioneers passed.  While in Idaho, 
October 24, 1862, Mr. Berry was attacked and robbed of 
$1119.00.  After securing help he followed the robber 
to Walla Walla, where they were captured and the sheriff 
started with them for Florence to be tried, but the 
people of Lewiston, fearing they would be rescued by 
others of the party, took them from the sheriff and 
hung them.  Mr. Berry secured all his money, but 
fearing the associates of the robbers would kill him, 
he left that part of the country.

In April 1864 he came to Alder Gulch, Montana afterward took 
a pack train to Cow Island, below Ft. Benton and returned; 
in the following spring he went with the stampede to Coeur 
d'Alene where he found as many as 2000 people; then began 
mining for $6 a day at Bannack, and six weeks later engaged 
in hunting and trapping in the Big Hole Valley.  With two 
companions he continued that occupation until December and 
during that time caught seventy-six beaver and killed many 
moose, elk, deer, mountain sheep and bears.  Mr. Berry 
packed the meat to French Gulch where he sold it to the 
miners.  He spent one winter at Deer Lodge in a tent and 
camped at Anaconda when only one ranch had been located 
in this part of the country.  In the spring of 1866 he 
went to Bear Gulch and was engaged in Whipsawing lumber, 
with which they made underground drains to bring water 
to the gulch in winters.  Mr. Berry was offered $2000 
for a half interest in the works but refused the offer.  
He afterward left it to bring his wife and child from 
Walla Walla and after returning found the entire camp 
had gone to the headquarters of the Salmon River 
excitement.  At about that time he was given a 
one-sixth interest in what was called the Fighting 
Mining claim, in order to help hold the claim.  
They built a fort of hewed logs around the mine and 
in that way succeeded in working it for a year; and 
the $16,000 taken from the mine was divided among 
the six owners.

In 1868 Mr. Berry went to Lewiston where he received from 
his brother, J.G. Berry the appointment of Deputy Sheriff.  
In the following year he took a trip to the States, returned 
by rail to San Francisco, thence went to Portland and 
Walla Walla, next to Cedar Creek, Missoula County and 
while at the latter place again engaged in making 
lumber with a whipsaw.  He sold the lumber for building 
and mining purposes, receiving from $150 to $200 per 
100 feet.  After following that occupation three months 
he took a ranch at the mouth of Cedar Creek, in 
Missoula County where he raised eleven crops of 
vegetables and grain, selling the product to the 
miners on the creek.  In 1882 Mr. Berry was elected 
to the office of Sheriff of Missoula County which 
position he held two years; then took 160 acres of 
land on Flathead Valley and engaged in raising hay 
and stock.  In 1887 he came to Missoula where he was 
elected to the position of County Assessor.

In 1862 he married Miss Annie Davis and they had two 
children-C.W. and Annie.  The wife and mother died in 
1867 when the youngest child was only four months old.  
The son now owns two ranches near his father in 
Flathead Valley.

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