Krug Family, Glendive, Montana

 

Contributed by Katherine Lee, March 2008

 

 

Krug Family, Glendive, Montana Charles Krug Annie Hackney Krug Charles Krug Home Additional Resources

 

Charles Krug

Montana pioneer whose story should be better known. He was born in 1846 in Ohio of German immigrant parents. He came west in 1878 (as he later described it, "on the hurricane deck of a pinto mustang") seeking opportunity and a climate which might ease his sister Emma’s asthma. He came to Glendive as a conductor with the railroad in 1881. He bought livestock every payday, for his ranch on Krug Creek east of Glendive. He and his partner Eisenbart built up a herd of 500 by the bad winter of 1886-87. Wiped out, he started over in sheep on the Yellowstone River and Cabin Creek. This provided three paychecks a year: lamb, wool, and mutton. He bought land for the sheep operation at $1.50 an acre from the railroad and .50 from the government.

 

The peak of his operation was in 1920, when he had 25,000 sheep, 1000 head of cattle, and 250 horses on 34,560 acres. He and his wife Annie lived in a dugout home on the Yellowstone River, built a stone house there which still stands, then built their 26-room mansion in Glendive in 1906. According to his friends, the Krug Mansion was built not just to house the family, but to show that "there is money in sheep." Annie had two daughters from her first marriage, and she and Charles had five more children together.

 

Charles was active in civic affairs, as chairman of the first Dawson County Commission and on other posts through the years. He was involved in two Glendive banks: Merchants' Bank and the Scandinavian-German Bank. When banks in the rural plains states were failing, Charles and another Glendive banker promised to support each other's banks, and Charles gave the depositors reassurance in the form of a pledge of his personal assets, even if it meant he would "leave town the same way I came in", without a cent.

 

Charles was not pretentious. When the mansion was being built he was sitting beside the road in Glendive wearing his work clothes. A woman asked him if he needed work, because she needed help on her ranch (and possibly because she felt sorry for him in his derelict condition). He responded, "I'd like to help you out, ma'am, but I promised the wife I would put up a cottage for her this summer." That "cottage" is 8,000 square feet, designed by Herbert Chivers, a nationally-recognized architect from St. Louis, built by artisans who hand-crafted the finest lumber into the classic home. Jim and Katherine Lee bought the mansion from the Krug heirs in 1996, so are the second owners of the house. The house is in wonderfully authentic condition and has many Krug family furnishings and artifacts. Compiled by Jim and Katherine Lee, owners of the Krug Mansion since 1996.

 

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CHARLES KRUG OBITUARY

The Dawson County Review, December 12, 1929

PIONEER STOCKMAN AND BANKER DAWSON COUNTY PASSES AWAY

Death Comes After Four and Half Years of Illness From Paralysis

 

Charles Krug, pioneer of Dawson County, passed to his final rest last Friday at noon. Four and a half years ago he was stricken with paralysis and since that time had been practically blind and helpless. His death was unexpected as he had been apparently about as usual.

 

His demise removes not only one of the early pioneers but one of the most forceful characters and eminent citizens of our community. Coming here in the very early days of Dawson County, he built up a substantial fortune in the cattle and sheep business and in real estate. For twelve years he was president of the Merchants National Bank, of which he was the heaviest stockholder, and retired only when his health compelled him to. He owned other large interests in Glendive, and was always interested in the welfare and upbuilding of this city.

 

Funeral services were held last Monday afternoon at the Congregational church. In spite of the severe weather the church was crowded with friends. The beautiful steel casket was embowered in flowers. William Overy at the organ played Traumerei by Schumann. Chopin's Funeral March, Lead, Kindly Light, Abide With Me and the Dead March from Saul by Handel.

 

The pall bearers were Ray G. Lowe, Desmond J. O’Neil, David Rivenes, John Sorenson, F. C. McBride and Dr. A. A. Baker.

 

Charles Krug was born Nov. 1, 1846, at Petersburg, Jahoning County, Ohio. His parents were Conrad and Sophia Krug. While he was yet a boy his parents removed to Michigan. In the course of time he went to work on the railroad there and served as a conductor both of freight and passenger trains.

 

About the year 1880 Mr. Krug came to Montana setting in the vicinity of Bozeman. In 1881 he came to the Glendive district and went to work for the N. P. Railroad and became interested in stock and informed a friend of his that each payday he would purchase a cow or a steer, and by and by this led to his giving up the railroad work to engage in the raising of cattle and stock.

 

To an intimate friend of his he made this statement concerning his coming to this state. "I came to Montana on the hurricane deck of a pinto." And when in a period when many banks were going to the wall and closing their doors, he thought that perhaps his bank might be in difficulty, he said that if it is necessary he would put every penny he had saved to help keep the bank solvent, and go out of Glendive the way he had come.

 

In due course of time Mr. Krug became president of the Merchants National Bank in which capacity he served for many years. Then when ill-health compelled him to withdraw from that position, he was elected as a mark of honor to serve as vice-president of the institution. That he was worthy of this honor is manifest from a statement of an intimate friend of his to me: "His word was as good as his bond. He was the very soul of integrity."

 

On November 16, 1900 Mr. Krug was married to Mrs. F. B. Ketcham. To this union there were given five children: Charles C. Krug who lives on the family ranch near Marsh; Mrs. Emma Cummins, Mandan N. D.; Mrs. Irene Hanrahan, Miles City, Mont., George Krug, of Wichita, Kansas, and Paul, who is a student at the State University at Missoula, Mont. All of these were present at the funeral. Interment was in the Glendive cemetery.

 

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A HISTORY OF MONTANA by Helen Fitzgerald Sanders, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, 1913, p. 1139

 

CHARLES KRUG. It has been the privilege of some to assist in the development of their country, to travel to the waste places and blaze the trail for the great migrations which take place from one section to another less civilized. From earliest days in this country the tendency has ever been to press westward, and when a certain section of the land has become too congested there have always been intrepid souls who have journeyed forth to dangerous and forbidden territory, history in this respect constantly repeating itself. In the record of Montana's settlement and civilization the name of Charles Krug holds a conspicuous place. Coming to the west in 1878, in an endeavor to find a locality where an invalid sister might regain her lost health, he experienced all the hardships and privations incidental to the early frontier, and not only accomplished his original purpose, but so ably conducted his affairs that today he is considered one of the leading sheepmen of eastern Montana. A record of his career is interesting not only as an example of what youthful energy, ambition and perseverance may accomplish, but also as depicting something of Montana’s early life.

 

Charles Krug was born November 1, 1846, at Petersburg, Mahoning county, Ohio, and is a son of Conrad and Sophia Krug, natives of Germany. Conrad Krug came to the United States in young manhood, working steadily at his trade of weaver for five years in order to earn the means with which to return to his native country and be married. This accomplished, he again came to America and located in Ohio, remaining there for about seven years and then moving to Michigan. Up to this time he hd followed almost continuously the trade of weaver, and his son still preserves jealously a number of pieces of his handiwork showing his skill in weaving. On locating in Michigan, Conrad Krug took up a claim of government land in the heavily wooded district of the state, there building a primitive cottage of logs, and little by little developing a farm from the dense wilderness about him. This sturdy and sterling old citizen passed away at the age of eighty-four years, after a long and honorable career, while his faithful wife and helpmate died when eighty-three years old. They had a family of three sons and two daughters.

 

Charles was the oldest son of his parents' children, and, his services being needed on the old home farm, he was able to secure but little schooling. However, he continued to remain under the parental roof until he was twenty-two years of age, assisting his father to cultivate the homestead, of which he is still the owner, and on which he had lived since his sixth year. In 1868 Mr. Krug went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and for a time was engaged in railroading, subsequently turning his attention to lumbering in connection with railroad construction work. He so continued for eight years, at the end of which time circumstances made it advisable for Charles to come to the west. His sister Emma was afflicted with a severe case of asthma, and her suffering at length became so acute that she decided to seek relief in a climate further west. Accordingly, in 1878, Charles Krug left home and made a trip through Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, in the meantime doing some work for the Santa Fe railroad. He was also seeking a country where he could establish himself in business, and hearing of Montana as a place fitted for his needs, took the old Narrow-Gauge Railroad from Salt Lake City north as far as it ran, and at Red Rock, Idaho, with a companion, secured horses and started east. At tat time there were no such towns as Livingston or Billings, and no railroad had been built through that country, and they were compelled to ride 1,000 miles on horseback, through the wild and dangerous section, constantly menaced by wild animals and hostile Indians. As they reached Fort Keogh, where General Nelson A. Miles was stationed, the famous and bloodthirsty Indian chief Rain-in-the-Face had just surrendered after a long and murderous campaign against the travelers. These two hardy pioneers, however, pushed on to Mandan, Dakota, to which the Northern Pacific had recently been built, and there Mr. Krug, being short of funds, secured employment in the railroad service. He remained in the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad for eleven years and during this time brought his sister here. She was one of the pioneer white women of this section, and was successful in regaining her health for some time, but her death was eventually caused by the same disease. In 1881 Mr. Krug built one of the first cottages in Glendive, and it still stands today, being across the street from the present home of Mr. Krug, a beautiful residence of brick, modern in construction and appointments, which he erected in 1907.

 

As soon as he settled down to work Mr. Krug started in the cattle business, and by the year 1885 was the owner of 500 head of cattle. Like many other cattlemen of that time and locatilty, however, he lost nearly all of his animals in the fierce storms of the winter of 1886-7, but he immediately began to replenish his stock, and in 1887 embarked in the sheep business. From that time on his rise was rapid, and at one time he owned fifty-four sections of land and was the largest sheepman in this part of Montana. He still owns 12,000 acres of land, his ranch being sixteen miles southwest of Glendive, and has 800 acres under irrigation and 100 acres in alfalfa.

 

On November 16, 1900, Mr. Krug was married to Mrs. F. B. Ketchem (sic), daughter of G. D. and Barbara (Chalmers) Hackney, natives of Scotland. Mrs. Krug’s parents immigrated to Canada at an early day, and there fourteen children, including two pair of twins, were born to them, and in 1881 they came to Dakota. They now make their home in Idaho, Mr. Hackney being seventy-six years of age and his wife sixty-seven. Mrs. Krug was born in Canada, and while the family resided in Dakota, met and married F. B. Ketchem (sic), who left her with two children, Lavina (sic) and Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Krug have had five children: Charles C., Emma A., Irene, George D., and Paul. Mrs. Krug and her daughters are members of the Congregational church. Mr. Krug is a Democrat in his political views, but aside from serving for eight years as commissioner of Dawson county has had no public record. He has at all times, however, been before the people as a man whose extensive operations have added to his community’s industrial importance and who has at heart the welfare of his adopted state. A representative of the old band of pioneers whose ranks are thinning day by day, he is well deserving of the respect and esteem in which he is universally held and commands a high place in regard of those who are admirers of self-made manhood.

 

 

Annie Hackney Krug

Obituary from funeral service, November 24, 1950

 

Annie Hackney was born in London, Ont., March 15, 1868. At the age of 12 she moved to North Dakota and lived in the vicinity of Jamestown and Devils Lake until she came to Glendive over fifty years ago. She was the mother of four daughters and three sons, preceded in death by one daughter, Mrs. Florence Smith, one son, Charles C. Krug, and then by her husband, Charles Krug, who passed away in1929. She is survived by Lavina Ketchem, Mrs. Emma Cummins, Mrs. Irene Hanrahan, George Krug and Paul Krug, also by eleven grandchildren and by four great grandchildren. Annie Krug supported many charitable organizations. She was one of the earliest members of the First Congregational Church and she maintained a continuous interest in her Church. She has always been a regular contributor to its causes, and until ill health prevented she was a regular attender at Church Services. Just a year ago she was made an Honorary Member of the Board of Trustees of our Church. She had been a faithful member of that Board for many, many years.

 

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Dawson County Review, November 23, 1950

MRS. KRUG, 82, DIES MONDAY IN HER HOME

 

Funeral services for Mrs. Annie Krug, 82, pioneer resident of Glendive, who died suddenly in her home at 9 p.m. Monday evening, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Congregational church with the Rev. L. E. Anderson officiating.

 

Born March 15, 1868 in London, Ontario, Mrs. Krug had lived over 50 years in Glendive. Prior to her residence in this area she lived in North Dakota, near Jamestown. She came to Glendive around 1893.

 

Active in many civic organizations in Glendive, Mrs. Krug was a member of the Glendive Woman's club and a life member of the board of the Congregational church at the time of her death. She was also interested in many charities.

 

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. R. B. Cummins of Missoula and Mrs. T. M. Hanrahan and Dr. Lavina Ketchem, both of Glendive; two sons, George and Paul Krug of Glendive; a sister, Mrs. A. F. Lanphear of Bremerton, Wash., two brothers, Arthur Hackney and Thomas E. Hackney, both of Puyallup, Wash, and 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

 

Burial will be in the local cemetery beside her husband, Charles Krug, who preceded her in death Dec. 6, 1929; her daughter, Mrs. Florence Smith; and son, Charles Krug, who both died in 1937.

 

 

Charles Krug Home

Montana Post, The Official Newsletter of the Montana Historical Society, August-September 1976, Marie MacDonald, Historian

 

Located a short distance from Yellowstone River, the Charles Krug house in Glendive stands today as a testament to the early history of eastern Montana. Although classical in its inspiration, the brick residence constructed in 1907 is both a product and a reminder of significant developments in western settlement.

 

Charles Krug and his sister came to the West from Michigan about 1878, seeking a climate to help her asthma and an area in which to establish a business. By 1880 the pair had settled in the bustling, new railroad town of Glendive, where Chas., as he always signed himself, worked for the Northern Pacific.

 

The unfenced rangeland in the area seemed to offer excellent opportunities for amassing wealth, and every payday, Krug invested in a few cattle. By 1885 he had 500 head grazing on the area now known as Krug Creek. Like many other cattlemen, Krug lost nearly his entire herd during the terrible winter of 1886-1887. Discouraged but by no means defeated, he started again, this time investing in sheep, and from this time on Krug’s rise was rapid. By the turn of the century his herd was one of the largest in eastern Montana. His technique for building up his herd was to go into business on a shares basis with young Scandinavian immigrants; most of the boys did very well for themselves – and Krug.

 

At the same time, Krug expanded his land holdings until he owned over 54 sections (one and a half townships) of land, 800 acres of which were under irrigation. Krug purchased much of the land from the Northern Pacific at prices ranging from 75 cents to $1.50 an acre; ultimately he resold much of it to land-hungry settlers at ten times that price.

 

In 1900, at age 54, Krug married Mrs. F. B. Ketcham, the divorced mother of two small daughters, and in subsequent years the Krugs became the parents of five more children. Befitting a man of his success and stature within the community, in 1908 Krug moved his growing family from his ranch near Hoyt into a new, twenty-five room mansion at the corner of Bell and Douglas Streets in Glendive.

 

Like many other men of means, Krug attempted to diversify his holdings; not all of these ventures were to be as successful as his ranching however. In 1912 he became an investor in eastern Montana’s first oil exploration. Unfortunately the well yielded no oil. An even larger venture was the Glendive Milling Company, incorporated in 1914 with $44,000.00 in capital stock. With Krug as chairman of the board, a large mill was completed in 1917. After producing Strongheart Flour for four years, the firm dissolved during a price war in 1924, and Krug emerged as the sole owner. At various times Krug also helped finance a sawmill, a creamery, a machine company, an apiary, none of which did well, and a hotel in Seattle, Washington.

 

When the Merchant’s Bank was reorganized in 1915, Krug became president and a leading stockholder. Following World War I, drought and low prices forced many of the state’s banks to fail, but Charles Krug was personally responsible for the unusual situation in Glendive. With Harry Dion, president of the Exchange State Bank, Krug made a pact to come to each other’s assistance in the event of a "run". Krug backed up his pledge with a public announcement that, if necessary, he would put up every cent he had to keep his banks solvent (in addition to the Merchant’s Bank, Krug was also a stockholder in the Scandinavian-German Bank) and go out of Glendive as poor as he had been when he arrived 45 years earlier. Since the 79-year-old Krug was known as a man of his word, the confidence engendered prevented a panic, and all of the Glendive banks survived. Unfortunately during the midst of the crisis Krug suffered a stroke and he lingered, partially paralyzed, until his death in 1929.

 

This past winter (1975) Charles Krug’s beautiful residence was named a state historic site and it recently received a similar designation on the National Register of Historic Places. Thus, loom exciting possibilities for restoration for the people of Glendive.

 

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CHARLES KRUG HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE; Montana Post, Official Newsletter of the Montana Historical Society, August/September 1976, by Wayne Gustafson

 

When Charles Krug determined to build his Glendive mansion he evidently desired to move his family to a home befitting his success. Since there were no architects within several hundred miles, he engaged a St. Louis firm, headed by Herbert G. Chivers, to prepare the architectural drawings and structural specifications. Chivers responded to the challenge by designing a grand façade in the neo-classical style so popular at the turn of the century. To withstand the rigors of the hard winters and hot summers of eastern Montana, Chivers determined that the house should be solidly built of Hebron brick, and to do the work, he imported highly skilled masons from Michigan. Today (1976) their stonework, limestone door an window sills are as handsome as when the house was completed almost sixty years ago.

 

Chivers' plan called for the first floor to be raised four feet above the ground on a stone foundation, with windows in the foundation providing daylight to the full basement. The entrance to the two-story, 25-room structure is classical in design, and features a wide porch ascended by stone steps and square wooden columns supporting a triangular pediment which forms the roof over the entry. This pediment, the most prominent single design element of the front elevation, is decorated with attractive medallions, column capitols, and denticulation in the pattern work. The cornice which encircles the entire building features detailed alabaster designs of classical derivation. The classical appearance is further enhanced by symmetrically spaced windows and their keystone treatment and by the exterior front corners of the house. Here projecting brick quoins create the impression that they support the hipped roof. The slate roof is capped with galvanized iron finials, three tall chimneys and dormer windows on each side. Overall, the house measures 53 by 42 feet.

 

Inside, a generous central hall provides access to the rooms. On the first story the rooms are large and airy and feature eleven foot ceilings. The main floor includes a parlor, sitting room, and dining room on the southeast side, with an office, chamber and kitchen across the hall. Two corner fireplaces, in the parlor and dining room, feature glazed porcelain tile fronts and oak pillars. The interior throughout features quarter-sawed oak decoration, hardwood floors, and leaded glass windows.

 

An elaborately decorated stairway leads to the second story bedrooms and also extends to the partially finished attic where the maid and valet and visiting ranch hands were housed. The basement included not only a furnace room, laundry room, tool room, and vegetable room, but a wine cellar with a steel door once used in the First National Bank of Bismarck and a playroom with a merry-go-round for the children.

 

The home, which is still owned by Krug’s four living children, is generally in excellent condition. In the Krug house is a grand expression of life at the turn of the century, reminding the current generation of the timeless values of fine construction.

 

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CHARLES KRUG HOUSE

Dawson County, Montana

National Register of Historic Places,

 

Glendive, KRUG, CHARLES, HOUSE, 103 N. Douglas St., 1906-07, Herbert C. Chivers, architect. Brick, stone trim, 2 ½ stories, rectangular, hipped roof with dormers, interior chimneys with corbelled caps, front center entrance with transom and sidelights, 1-story portico with massive paired supports, quoins, denticulated modillion cornice with rinceau, original interior oak detailing. Neo-Classical Revival. Built for Charles Krug, early settler, cattle baron, and area’s first self-made millionaire. Private.

 

 

Additional Resources

• Marsh, Mont. : remembering the yesteryears, 1910-1997
• High Society on the Frontier : Charles Krug, Sr. Sheep Baron in Dawson County

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