I am researching my relative, William Frederick Schmalsle, who was an Buffalo Hunter, Indian Guide, Scout, and
Courier for Lieutenant Baldwin and General Miles. All were involved in the Red River Wars and the rescue of the
German sisters. Note that German is sometimes misspelled as Germaine. Does anyone have any information on
the above? Please let me know. Also, my husband Clifford Ivan Compton had an Aunt Mary Pablo who lived on
the Flathead Indian Reservation. If anyone has information on her, please contact me and I'll tell him. Thank
you in advance for your help. Ellen Kay Hillemann/Compton, [email protected]

Not sure if you know it, but there is a Schmalsle Street in Miles City.

- Dave

If you haven't already contacted the Southeastern MT Research Library, they have a link from here or you can go to their website: www.geocities.com/Heartland/Field/6175. Their email is [email protected]

If Schmalse was at Fort Keogh, you might try to track down a master's thesis by someone whose first name escapes me. It's called "Fort Keogh: Cutting Edge of Culture" by ? Warhank.

Other than that, I haven't come up with anything on a quick survey of local historians. Nobody recalls the story off-hand. Sorry.

--Amorette Allison, Miles City Historic Preservation Officer

It's by Josef James Warhank. I looked for an HTML version online, all I could find was this PDF (you need Adobe Acrobat Reader (it's free))

http://larrl.ag.gov/ftkeogh.pdf

If you have problems downloading it, I just got the whole thing and can e-mail it.


[This message has been edited by Dave Roberts (edited 2/21/2001).]

Hah! Dunno if it's up to date or not, but Josef Warhank is/was with the MT Historical Society.

The site lists his e-mail addy as [email protected]

Thanks for pointing that out Dave! It is interesting reading! I posted a link to it in the History area. I looked for a reference to "Schmalsle" in the document and found the following:

>> Construction was also an area of involvement for Fort Keogh officers. Captain Edmund Butler was the force behind the construction of the Schmalsle's building located on Main Street, Miles City.[762] L. A. Huffman, the post photographer, and Lieutenant Gilman built other major buildings in the town.

[762] S. Gordon, Recollections of Old Milestown (Miles, City, Montana, 1918), p. 7. <<

So I looked in Recollections of Old Milestown -- found a reference to the Schmalsle building in Part 1 and a reference to W. F. Schmalsle in the Roster of Old Timers:

>> 1876, June -- J. M. Sipes, W. J. Kirley, H. C. Thompson, Jas. Coleman, Mrs. Frank Casey, Chas. Austin, Paul Borchardt, Sam O'Connell. July -- Chas. F. Kelly. August -- W. F. Schmalsle, G. M. Miles, Henry Hogan. <<

So that indicates W. F. Schmalsle took up residence in Miles City August 1876 -- basically the first year.

[This message has been edited by Larry Antram (edited 2/22/2001).]

Although this doesn't necissarily have to do with Schmalsle... just wanted to mention that of the 2 other people listed as arriving in Miles City during Aug 1876... "G. M. Miles" refers to George M. Miles (a nephew of General Nelson A. Miles). A biographical sketch can be found here:

http://www.milescity.com/history/people/biographies/view.asp?id=83

According to a story in "Montana History", George M. Miles went into business with his cousin, Charley Strevell, and started up Miles & Strevell Company. (George also evidently married a Helen Strevell, but I suppose that is another story.

Charley Strevell moved to Salt Lake, George's son (Jason D. Miles) took up the business, they partnered with George Henry Ulmer -- and eventually changed the name to the "Miles and Ulmer Company".

[This message has been edited by Larry Antram (edited 2/22/2001).]

Also one last thing...

If you look at largest 1883 map (in the history area)... I beleive you can see the Schmalsle building... if I understand old man Gordon's description correctly... it should be the large 2 story building on the corner of 6th and Main... kiddy corner to the building marked with a 15.

http://www.milescity.com/history/maps/bev1883/map1883-3000.jpg

[This message has been edited by Larry Antram (edited 2/22/2001).]

So I guess the 600 Cafe would be setting on the site of the old Schmalsle building. Here are a couple modern photos...

http://www.milescity.com/gallery/view.asp?gid=2&id=210

http://www.milescity.com/gallery/view.asp?gid=2&id=214

[This message has been edited by Larry Antram (edited 2/22/2001).]

yes, the 600 Cafe is in the old Schmalse building. George Miles worked as a quartermaster under his uncle, Nelson A., and what we know of the founding of MC comes from his diaries, which are in the historical society in Helena. (Of course. Any good eastern MT stuff ends up buried in Helena and forgotten. Sigh)
The original design of the Schmalse building had an elaborate corner entry with Richardsonian arches and towers on the top. Those, along with most of the fancy towers and crestings along Main St., went away around 1915 when everybody was modernizing like mad.
None of which has anything to do with the German sisters. Still drawing blanks on that.
--Amorette

Is the 600 Cafe the original Schalsle building? I assumed most buildings built back then were made out of wood. Thanks for any insight.

Nope, an architect named Byron Vreeland, who built most of the 500 block of main, the Episcopal church, my own house and the Harmon/McLean (Rivenes) house started replacing the wood buildings in 1883. He was one of the earliest actual architects working in Miles City. I can go on about him for some time because I'm the city Historic Preservation Officer and am working on a National historic register listing for my own home, partly based on it being the work of Vreeland. He also did some of the great buildings in Bozeman. If you want details and pictures, my office is 907 B main street, the old Bob Perkins jewelry, and I can show off my stuff.

Plug for me! Interested in old buildings and Miles City history? Have old photos you'd like copies for free! Drop by at the Miles City Preservation Office open 1:30 to 4:00 Tuesdays through Saturday.

--Amorette

Thanks for the info Amorette! I, for one, would like to thank you for your work in helping to preserve Miles City's history. It is a noble task. I have some more questions, but I think I'll start a new thread since this one is getting pretty long. Regards, Larry

HI DAVE--I AM INTERESTED IN THE MASTERS'THESIS RE.
FT. KEOGH'S DISTINCTION AS A CULTURAL CENTER.

I TRIED THE "LARRL.AG.GOV/FTKEOGH.PDF" SITE AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.

YOU OFFERED HELP?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MANETTE <[email protected]>

Hi Manette, I tried the http://larrl.ag.gov/ftkeogh.pdf link and it seems to work okay for me. I'll e-mail you a copy of the .pdf file since you can't download it. Regards, Larry

Thank you very much for all that valuable information on my relative, William Frederick Schmalsle. I didn't expect so
much information on Schmalsle and I really appreciate everyones efforts. Hopefully, next year I will be able to visit
Miles City, Montana and other areas where my relatives lived and are living. I plan to campout, fish, gold pan, do my
genealogy, and enjoy your Western hospitality.
Sincerely,
Ellen Kay Compton
[email protected]

If you do decide to visit, let me know and I'll whip up a historical and architectural tour for you.

--Amorette

Dear Amorette:
Yes, I would love to have a historical and architectural tour whipped up for me on Miles City and/or the
surrounding areas. I have so much Schmalsle information that I am starting a second notebook. So if anyone is
interested, I'll be bringing it to Miles City next year, along with General Miles books and other Western books.
Does anyone know good fishing areas, Montana agates, camping, metal detecting, and gold panning? If anyone
needs artifacts located, I'll help, as long as it is legal.
Ellen Compton
[email protected]

Dear Amorette:
I have been thinking of creating models of my relatives (Schmalsle) buildings in Miles City, MT. Also, what do you
think of the idea of making a model of Miles City, MT. as it was in the early day for display in the museum?
Sincerely,
Ellen K. Compton
[email protected]

I think the museum would be delighted! Bob Barthelmess, the current curator, has done scale models of the old fort, an Indian encampment and a ranch.

I know the Montana room at the Library and the genealogical society would also be delighted with your information.

I have some tourist type stuff at the office and the Chamber of Commerce has info and a web site. You could contact me at my office (907 B Main St. Miles City, MT) or at my email ([email protected]) and give me an address to send the stuff.

We will be happy to give you info and show you around.
Next summer, I presume. It's eight degrees today and not really agate hunting weather. . .

--Amorette