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A biography of Wheeler O. Dexter, Fort Benton, MT, is included in "Montana, Its Story and Biography", Vol 3, pages 673 & 674.
Wheeler O. Dexter was born, 31 Jul 1843, youngest of three children of Belal and Annie (Snyder) Dexter, both natives of NY. The father, Belal, was born 1800, and died on 15 Feb 1851, and the mother, Annie, was born 1812, and died in 1872.
Wheeler O. Dexter was only seven years old when his father died. He attended public schools and entered Ithaca Academy, paying for his board by doing chores.
On 4 Jan 1864, Wheeler enlisted in Company F, Sixteenth Regiment New York Heavy Artillery and served until mustered out on 24 Jun 1865. After his return from military service, Wheeler worked in the oil fields of PA but on 6 Jun 1866 he went to St. Cloud, MN, and joined the Fisk who were getting ready for a western migration. Wheeler accompanied them and visited Fort Benton, MT, on 27 & 28 Aug 1866. He arrived in Helena, MT, on 2 Sep 1866, and immediately was employed as a night clerk in a hotel. Later he had a job as an engineer in a sawmill. In Feb 1867, he became an engineer in a quartz mill for about a year, then began prospecting for coal. He was successful in finding coal on the Missouri River below Cow Island, and also was in the wood business supplying fuel to the steamers plying the river. He later had an ice house and supplied the steamers with meat. When the river water was too low, Wheeler hauled passengers to Fort Benton and Helena. Later he worked at threshing, burned charcoal and cut wood and hauled it to Bozeman and sold it. In 1874 he was in the meat businss in Bozeman, but in the spring of 1875 moved to Fort Benton where he engaged in freighting. He also opened a lumber yard and sawmill at Highwood, MT. In 1885 & 1886, Wheeler inaugurated two ferries across the river at Great Falls, MT, and built the first steam launch there. He also built a ferry on Sun River. In 1877 he bought the first threshing outfit at Fort Benton and did a vast amount of work for the farmers in that area. In 1890, Mr. Dexter took up a homestead and engaged extensively in breeding and raising of horses.
Wheeler Dexter died, 23 Nov 1924, age 81, Choteau Co., MT
An obituary of Wheeler Dexter is published in the Billings Gazette, Billings, MT, 4 Dec 1924 & 9 Dec 1924.
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