Dennis Hamel
History of Montana,by Joaquin Miller, 1894
May be copied for non-profit purposes.
USGENWEB Montana Archives

Dennis Hamel, a prominent farmer residing on the Mullan 
Road, a short distance west of Frenchtown, was born in 
Quebec 
Canada in 1837 and is of French descent. He was raised 
in his native city and is a self-educated man. In 1856 
he came 
to St. Paul, Minneosta where he remained two years, 
spent six months in Tennessee; was afterward employed 
by the 
American Fur Company in St. Louis; came up the Missouri 
River to Montana; during the first winter in this state 
worked at Fort Benton; worked on a farm one year in Walla 
Walla; following mining at the Oro Fino mines in Idaho; 
six months afterward returned to Walla Walla; in the 
following spring went to Boise Basin and while at the latter 
place, with three others, often took out from $300 to 
$400 a day. Mr. Hamel was afterward engaged in freighting 
from Walla Walla to Boise Basin and other places, for which 
he received twenty-five cents per pound. When gold was 
discovered at Cedar Creek he went to that place, but met 
with poor success. He next mined at Boise Basin for wages 
and in 1876 located on 120 acres of his present farm, three 
miles west of Frenchtown. Mr. Hamel has since added to 
his original purchase until he now owns 260 acres of fine 
farming land, where , in addition to general farming, he 
is engaged in stock-raising, for which he has a large free range.

In 1874 our subject was united in marriage with Miss Emily 
Courtwell, who was born in this state, a daughter of one 
of Montana's earliest pioneers. By this union have been 
born three children--Clara, who resides with her father; and 
Florence and Napoleon, deceased, the former dying at the 
age of nine years, and the latter at seven years. The wife 
and mother departed this life January 24, 1881 and her 
loss proved a severe one to her husband and daughter.

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