Gen. James Wiley Bradford Montgomery, General

Birth: Jun. 29, 1835 Roane County Tennessee, USA Death: Dec. 2, 1915 Butte County California, USA

GEN. JAMES WILEY BRADFORD MONTGOMERY — With the death of General Montgomery, one of the earliest pioneers of Butte County passed to his reward. The knowledge of his many good qualities was not confined to Butte County, but included all of Northern California. He had an enviable record as an officer in the National Guard of California; an enviable record as a citizen; and a record of personal friendship to which few men can point. The qualities of manhood which distinguished both his public and private life were an inheritance from a long line of Scotch ancestors. The great-grandfather Montgomery emigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland, and located in Richmond, Va., where a son, John Montgomery, was born. The latter grew to manhood in Virginia, served in the War of 1812, and in 1818 moved to Tennessee, where he died. He had a son William Montgomery, born in Richmond in 1811, and who accompanied his parents to Tennessee. In 1841 he located in Cedar County, Mo., where he farmed and raised stock. He became a prominent man in his county, served as sheriff and held other offices of trust. He was a slave-owner and large planter, but the Civil War had a disastrous effect on his fortune. He died in Cedar County, in 1866. His widow, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Mitchell, was born in Tennessee and also died in Missouri, at the age of seventy-eight years, in 1888.

Gen. J.W.B. Montgomery was the second child in a family of fourteen, three of whom were girls, and all but one of the large family lived to reach their majority. He was born in Roane County, Tenn., June 29, 1835, and died in Butte County, Cal., December 2, 1915, when in his eighty-first year. Between these dates were crowded many useful years given to the upbuilding of a commonwealth, and when he went to his grave he was honored by all. Mr. Montgomery from the age of six years lived in Missouri and was educated in the common schools of Cedar County. On April 13, 1857, in company with a cousin, Val. Mitchell, and sixteen others, he started across the plains in an emigrant train that was bound for California, and of which he was made captain. They had an encounter with some Indians, who had stolen their cattle and in a battle at Gravelly Ford, where while men were engaged with the Indians in robbing the emigrant trains, Captain Montgomery's men showed particular valor, killing eighteen Indians and five white men. Upon his arrival in California, Captain Montgomery located in Butte County, where he took up eight hundred acres of land under the California Possessory Act, but in final settlement he secured only one hundred sixty acres. The ranch is located three quarters of a mile east from Cana. Here he began farming and raising stock, adding to his holdings from time to time until he owned six hundred acres in the home place and eight hundred acres near Gridley; part of this he operated and the balance he leased. During the Indian troubles, while he was raising stock, he helped to exterminate the Red Men and made Butte County a safer place in which to live. He met with good success in his ranching operations and enjoyed life to its full.

In Butte County, General Montgomery was united in marriage with Eunice Dorland, a native of Clay County, Mo. She crossed the plains with her parents in 1851, in an ox team train. Her grandfather, James Dorland, was born in Pennsylvania and crossed the plains in 1851, with ox teams and wagons, and made settlement in Solano County, near Benicia, which was then the state capital, and here he built an adobe house. He moved to Sacramento when that was a city of tents and erected the first frame dwelling. During his residence in Pennsylvania he had become the owner of about seventy five thousand dollars worth of property, and this he traded to a party for several leagues of land in what is now Tehama County, but he later discovered his title was not good. He had put all his means into the deal and had nothing with which to fight the case and lost all; this same land is included in the Stanford grant at Vina. Mr. Dorland died in Butte County where he had settled after his loss. Mrs. Montgomery died in Chico, September 1, 1908, and is buried in Chico Cemetery, where the General was laid beside her when he died. They had seven children, of whom the oldest, Josephine, who married Alex McKay of San Francisco, and the youngest, Jimmie, who married Dr C.W. Currie of Chico, survive and inherited the large property interests left by their father. George, Callie, Bennie, Mamie and Sadie are deceased. Mrs. Currie retains the three hundred twenty acres of the land she inherited from her father, which has been named the J.W.B. Montgomery Ranch, and both Doctor and Mrs. Currie are much interested in its development. A good well has been sunk and a modern pumping plant installed, which furnishes nine hundred gallons per minute and gives ample water for irrigating their alfalfa and orchards consisting of twenty acres of almonds and twenty acres in prunes. Grain and live stock are also being raised.

In addition to the agricultural development of Butte County, General Montgomery was an important factor in public life in Northern California. He took a keen interest in the progress and development of the state, and gave his best efforts to promote the welfare of the community. He was a stanch Democrat, and though often importuned to accept public office, steadfastly refused, even when he was tendered the nomination for governor. He attended every Democratic state convention but two, after he settled in California, and he served on both the county and state central committees. In 1887 he was appointed major on General Cadwalader's staff and served until 1891, when he was appointed Brigadier General of the Fifth Brigade by Governor Bartlett; he was reappointed by Governor Markham, being the only Democrat appointed by a Republican governor up to that period. General Montgomery was active in securing the Chico State Normal School for Butte County and was a member of the first board of trustees. Although not a member of any church, he gave liberally to all denominations, particularly to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist College at Vacaville. Fraternally, General Montgomery was a Mason, being a member of Chico Lodge, No. 111, F.and A.M.; Chico Chapter, No. 42, R.A.M.; Chico Commandery, No. 12, K.T., and to Islam Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S. at San Francisco. He was also a member of Josephine Chapter, O.E.S., the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and Chico Lodge, No. 423, B.P.O. Elks, of which he was a charter member. In personal appearance he was of fine physique, six feet four inches in height and weighed two hundred forty pounds, which he carried well. Rugged and fine looking, with his erect carriage, he looked the soldier and gentleman.

We quote from the Chico Record of December 4, 1915: "The death of General J.W.B. Montgomery brings a pang to all of Chico, for he has, since pioneer days, been identified with this community. All over Butte County and in many parts of California, will his demise be learned of with sincere regret. In many respects General Montgomery was Butte County's most widely known citizen. No man knew more people, or was known more abroad. General Montgomery's friends were legion. (sic)

"He was a rugged unique character; personally gifted with a charm of manner that was irresistible, he combined with it a high sense of honor and right. He was the friend of all; his tongue knew no venom; his heart harbored no animosities. His was the word of cheer, the handclasp of friendship. Identified with Butte County since he was a young man, he participated in the changes that the years wrought; followed to the grave hundreds of his fellow pioneers, until he stood almost alone amidst a younger generation. And his love for the younger generation was seemingly as steadfast as for those who endured with him the hardships incident to the dawn of California history. Full of years, General Montgomery has laid himself down to rest with the scores of comrades whose call came first." Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 579-581, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

Family links:

Parents:

 William G. Montgomery (1811 - 1886)

 Elizabeth Mitchell Montgomery (1812 - 1888)

Spouse:

 Eunice Dorland Montgomery (1841 - 1908)

Children:

 George Montgomery (1863 - 1867)*

 Mary E. Montgomery (1869 - 1879)*

 Callia A. Montgomery (1870 - 1872)*

 Bennie M. Montgomery (1874 - 1879)*

 Benjamin M. Montgomery (1874 - 1874)*

 Sadie Montgomery (1876 - 1879)*

 Jimmie Montgomery Currie (1884 - 1962)*

Siblings:

 John Newton Montgomery (1834 - 1876)*

 James Wiley Bradford Montgomery (1835 - 1915)

 William C.F. Montgomery (1838 - 1910)*

 Thomas William Mitchell Montgomery (1840 - 1914)*

 George N. Montgomery (1846 - 1869)*

 Sarah Josephine Montgomery Sheppard (1849 - 1942)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Chico Cemetery Chico Butte County California, USA

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Maintained by: Adriana Originally Created by: J Record added: Nov 18, 2010 Find A Grave Memorial# 61837654