Joseph Collins west
Yellowstone County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

Mr. West was born in the city of Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, February 19, 1877 and is the only 
child of Samuel and Sarah (Hackett) West.  Both 
parents of Mr. West were born in Philadelphia 
where the father died in 1881 at the early age 
of twenty nine.  The mother survives and is a 
resident of Butte Montana.  Samuel West was a 
wholesale and retail merchant at Philadelphia 
dealing in Paints and Oils.

Joseph Collins West was four years old when he 
was left fatherless.  He completed his education 
in the university at Notre Dame Indiana where he 
graduated with the class of 1896.  Afterward  he 
was employed for some years as a bookkeeper in 
various business houses, being so engaged after 
accompanying his mother to Butte where late he 
became connected with the Centennial Brewing 
Company of that city and learned the brewing 
business in every detail.

On August 30, 1900 Mr. West was married to Miss 
Florence F. Mueller, who was born at Sherwood 
Wyoming and is a daughter of Henry and Margaret 
(Frilling) Mueller.  The father of Mrs. West was 
born at Cologne, Germany, came to America in 
early manhood and became one of the leading men 
of this section of Montana.  He was engaged 
first in the lumber and planing mill business 
Wisconsin and Chicago Illinois and came to Butte 
in 1886.  He was one of the owners of the 
Centennial brewing Company of Butte and its 
president, owned also the Olympia Brewery and 
later built the Billings brewery and at the 
time of his death was president of the Billings 
Brewery Company.  He married Margaret Frilling, 
who was born at Menasha Wisconsin and is 
presently a resident of Butte.  Six children 
were born to them, three sons and three daughters, 
Mrs. West being the eldest and five members of the 
family survive.

In 1900 Mr. West came to Billings, taking charge of 
business properties of his own and investing here in 
property.  Formerly he was secretary and treasurer of 
the Billing Brewery Company, later vice-president and 
manager and at present is president and manager as 
well as owner of the Eureka Bottling Works and 
interested also in the Billings Warehouse Company 
and is a director of the Farmers and Traders State Bank.