Posted By:	Carole
	Email:
	Subject:	William M. Irvine, b. 1856, St. Ignatius, MT - 1886 Flathead Valley-Bio & Obits
	Post Date:	December 07, 2008 at 16:06:39
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/irvine/messages/1239.html
	Forum:	Irvine Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/irvine/

A biography and portrait of William M. Irvine, rancher/stockman of Flathead Valley, is included in "Montana, Its Story and Biography", Vol 3, page 859. William M., b. 15 Jun 1856, was son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Irvine. He grew up on a ranch and worked as a cowboy and traveled and worked with cattle outfits all over the West and Northwest. Later he settled in Flathead Valley country and owned 5,000 acres in that and Sanders County, where he raised cattle. He lived in the Flathead Valley for 29 years and then moved into the Town of Polson, MT. William M. married Mrs. Emily Larivee, a native of the State of Washington. --- William M. Irvine died, 17 Jun 1939, Lake County, MT Emily Irvine died, 21 Apr 1937, age 85, Lake County, MT. -- Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT, 24 Apr 1937 MRS WM. IRVINE Mrs. William Irvine, age 87, one of the best known of the early pioneers of reservation country passed away in Polson Wednesday. Mrs. Irvine was well-known throughout western Montana. In the early days, she operated a freight line between Walla Walla, Wash., and Missoula. After her marriage to Mr. Irvine she resided in Irvine Flats, west of Polson. She is survived by a son, Arthur Larrivee, and two granddaughters, Mrs. Tom Browne and Mrs. Hans Jorgenson of Polson. ---- Helena Independent, Helena, MT, 21 Jun 1939 WILLIAM IRVINE BORN IN WEST MONTANA 83 YEARS AGO, DIES Polson, Jun 20 - William (Billy) Irvine, one of this sections best known pioneer residents, died at a local hospital two days after his 83rd birthday. He had been in failing health for two months. Irvine, one of the most picturesque characters in this section, saw western Montana develop from virgin territory. He spent most of his life as a stockman. Irvine was born near Post Creek, June 15, 1856. His father, Peter Irvine, came to western Montana as an employee of the Hudson's Bay Trading Company. He settled at the Fort Conan Trading Post on Post creek and there married Angela Ashley, a Flathead Indian woman. Billy was the oldest of nine children. He amassed a great deal of livestock and property in the late nineties. While a young man he was employed at the old Captain Grant ranch near Garrison and also worked Conrad Kohrs, Deer Lodge County stockman. At the age of 25 he went into Alberta, where he was employed by the George Lane Cattle Company at the big Bar U ranch. He was also employed by the Pat Burns Cattle Company, one of the largest in Canada, and saw service in the Riel rebellion, having charge of cavalry horses. During his early day residence in Montana, Irvine was in Missoula in 1866, when a trading post operated by Captain Higgens was the only business in town; he rode through Billings in 1881 when a trading post and post office was all that constituted the town, and he forded across the Missouri River in the early 80's, camping where the present City of Great Falls now stands. Irvine returned to his native Flathead in 1886 and went into the cattle business for himself. Charles Allar, Sr., staked him to his first small herd and the Irvine ranch in its heyday totaled 3,000 cattle and 100 horses. He located west of Polson which now bears his name, Irvine Flats. In 1896, he married a part Indian woman, Emily Brown, who died in April, 1937. Funeral services were conducted at 9:30 o'clock Monday morning at Polson by Father Robert O'Dea and burial was at St. Ignatius. Irvine leaves a foster son, Joe Irvine, Coolidge, Aria., Mrs. Tom Browne and Mrs. H.C. Jorgenson were also reared in the Irvine family. A sister of Mr. Irvine, Mrs. Mary Blood of St. Ignatius, also survives him. -- I am not related.