Milton Bean - Life & Times
When Milton was a young man, the whole Bean family left Texas, they packed up everything onto pack animals and left Texas, on May 20, 1872. Moving North across open country to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) and living there until they left there in May of 1875.
Milton's father, Rupel Owen Beene (R.O.) changed his name to “Russell” Owen (still R.O.) Bean, his great, great grandmother’s madden name, when he left Texas.
On May 20, 1875 the Bean family left Indian Territory in Oklahoma and ended up in Del Norte, Colorado arriving there on Aug. 10, 1875.
The journey took approx. 70 days…
Del Norte served as a supply point and gateway to the San Juan’s and was never a mining town. A post office was established on January 28, 1873. Del Norte became a major transportation center after the arrival of the railroad. Pueblo was the nearest town and supplies were hauled 250 miles by pack string and freight wagon teams.
In the spring of 1876, the family moved to Los Pinos River, by way of Pagosa Springs, and began ranching near the Southern Ute Reservation Jasper Milton Bean became just “Milton” when the family left Colorado.
In 1891 Milt and his dad R.O. left Colorado, traveling light and moving fast through Utah and Idaho territory, finally stopping on the Rosebud in southeastern corner of Montana, where R.O. took up squatter’s rights.
In 1882, R.O. had his other son, Maynard Solomon “Dobbs” Bean (11 Sept. 1865, TX – 28 Feb. 1941, MT), bring the family up from Colorado to Montana.
On May 31, 1883, Milton Bean and Henrietta Sprague were married in Forsyth, Montana when the town was only a tent city. There being neither church nor minister, they were married in the store by the Justice of Peace. Henrietta Sprague-Bean was born in Tama county, Iowa, on April 2, 1863. She moved to Kansas with her parents at the age of seven and to the Rosebud in 1881 when she was 18. According to family legend, a band of Crow Indians camped near the home on the Rosebud River when they were displaced by the Army. Elizabeth Ann took care of them and fed them. One of the tribal leaders offered her husband R.O. a swap; her for horses, because she was so kind and generous.
Eleven children were born to this marriage
The family members were homesteaders, hunters, trappers, cowboys, bronc-busters, miners and loggers… they could also build sod (soddies) and log structures to live in, house livestock or root cellars to store garden goods (canned and bare root). They all learned to play stringed musical instruments like the violin and guitar, playing music for local barn dances and such. The women raised gardens, canned vegetables, cooked for the ranch hands, looked after the children and anyone sick whether they were family or neighbor, they washed cloths on a wash board in a tub and hung them out to dry.
Times and life for the troubled Bean family improved as they settled into building homes and ranching on the Rosebud.
Sometime in 1884, Milton & his father R.O. headed directly west and came through the Centennial Valley in Southwestern Montana. They continued moving on, stopping for a while in Spokane Falls, Wash., and then headed for Seattle. There on the docks they watched “dudes” trying to load cattle on a freighter. They became involved in helping load the cattle, and were hired to take the cattle to Juneau, in the District of Alaska. They stayed in Alaska for a short time, and then returned to the Centennial Valley in Montana and built a cabin. They remained in the valley for a while and returned to the Rosebud in 1885.
Milton Bean could not forget the Centennial Valley so he returned and took up a homestead. Milt sent for his family and they arrived in December of 1886. Brother Dobbs Bean brought Henrietta and the three children from the Rosebud and she took up a desert entry homestead near Milt near where Bean Creek and Bean Hill are today.
Milt sold the homestead in the Centennial Valley, then purchased a Mercantile Store in Cottonwood, Utah, and moved the family there. They had this business for about two years. Great grandpa Milt liked the city life and all it had to offer… His recreation was the same as most gentlemen of this era – playing poker and drinking booze.
The family went back to the Centennial Valley in Montana the family came and Milton knew he was in big trouble so he stopped drinking and would never allow his sons or anyone to have liquor on the ranch.
Henrietta would not allow a deck of cards in her home…
This time Milt homesteaded on Clover Creek, building cabins, barn and corrals, and went back into the horse and cattle business.
In 1933 Milt and Henrietta celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on the Clover Creek Ranch. Open house was held all day, followed by a barn dance in the evening.
After the children were married and left home, Milt and Henrietta spent winters in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho and Ziegler Hot Springs in Dillon, MT.
Henrietta died at the ranch of a heart attack at the age of 72, October, 17, 1935.
Milt stayed on the ranch and bought himself a new saddle at the age of 75. On April 5, 1941, at the age of 80, he sold the ranch J.E. Hughes of the Horse Prairie Country.
Milt resided with his daughter (my great Aunt) Roberta, in her home at Dillon until his death on May 25, 1943, at the age of 82. Both Milton & Henrietta are buried in the Jones Cemetery in the Centennial Valley.
Milton's father, Rupel Owen Beene (R.O.) changed his name to “Russell” Owen (still R.O.) Bean, his great, great grandmother’s madden name, when he left Texas.
On May 20, 1875 the Bean family left Indian Territory in Oklahoma and ended up in Del Norte, Colorado arriving there on Aug. 10, 1875.
The journey took approx. 70 days…
Del Norte served as a supply point and gateway to the San Juan’s and was never a mining town. A post office was established on January 28, 1873. Del Norte became a major transportation center after the arrival of the railroad. Pueblo was the nearest town and supplies were hauled 250 miles by pack string and freight wagon teams.
In the spring of 1876, the family moved to Los Pinos River, by way of Pagosa Springs, and began ranching near the Southern Ute Reservation Jasper Milton Bean became just “Milton” when the family left Colorado.
In 1891 Milt and his dad R.O. left Colorado, traveling light and moving fast through Utah and Idaho territory, finally stopping on the Rosebud in southeastern corner of Montana, where R.O. took up squatter’s rights.
In 1882, R.O. had his other son, Maynard Solomon “Dobbs” Bean (11 Sept. 1865, TX – 28 Feb. 1941, MT), bring the family up from Colorado to Montana.
On May 31, 1883, Milton Bean and Henrietta Sprague were married in Forsyth, Montana when the town was only a tent city. There being neither church nor minister, they were married in the store by the Justice of Peace. Henrietta Sprague-Bean was born in Tama county, Iowa, on April 2, 1863. She moved to Kansas with her parents at the age of seven and to the Rosebud in 1881 when she was 18. According to family legend, a band of Crow Indians camped near the home on the Rosebud River when they were displaced by the Army. Elizabeth Ann took care of them and fed them. One of the tribal leaders offered her husband R.O. a swap; her for horses, because she was so kind and generous.
Eleven children were born to this marriage
The family members were homesteaders, hunters, trappers, cowboys, bronc-busters, miners and loggers… they could also build sod (soddies) and log structures to live in, house livestock or root cellars to store garden goods (canned and bare root). They all learned to play stringed musical instruments like the violin and guitar, playing music for local barn dances and such. The women raised gardens, canned vegetables, cooked for the ranch hands, looked after the children and anyone sick whether they were family or neighbor, they washed cloths on a wash board in a tub and hung them out to dry.
Times and life for the troubled Bean family improved as they settled into building homes and ranching on the Rosebud.
Sometime in 1884, Milton & his father R.O. headed directly west and came through the Centennial Valley in Southwestern Montana. They continued moving on, stopping for a while in Spokane Falls, Wash., and then headed for Seattle. There on the docks they watched “dudes” trying to load cattle on a freighter. They became involved in helping load the cattle, and were hired to take the cattle to Juneau, in the District of Alaska. They stayed in Alaska for a short time, and then returned to the Centennial Valley in Montana and built a cabin. They remained in the valley for a while and returned to the Rosebud in 1885.
Milton Bean could not forget the Centennial Valley so he returned and took up a homestead. Milt sent for his family and they arrived in December of 1886. Brother Dobbs Bean brought Henrietta and the three children from the Rosebud and she took up a desert entry homestead near Milt near where Bean Creek and Bean Hill are today.
Milt sold the homestead in the Centennial Valley, then purchased a Mercantile Store in Cottonwood, Utah, and moved the family there. They had this business for about two years. Great grandpa Milt liked the city life and all it had to offer… His recreation was the same as most gentlemen of this era – playing poker and drinking booze.
The family went back to the Centennial Valley in Montana the family came and Milton knew he was in big trouble so he stopped drinking and would never allow his sons or anyone to have liquor on the ranch.
Henrietta would not allow a deck of cards in her home…
This time Milt homesteaded on Clover Creek, building cabins, barn and corrals, and went back into the horse and cattle business.
In 1933 Milt and Henrietta celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on the Clover Creek Ranch. Open house was held all day, followed by a barn dance in the evening.
After the children were married and left home, Milt and Henrietta spent winters in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho and Ziegler Hot Springs in Dillon, MT.
Henrietta died at the ranch of a heart attack at the age of 72, October, 17, 1935.
Milt stayed on the ranch and bought himself a new saddle at the age of 75. On April 5, 1941, at the age of 80, he sold the ranch J.E. Hughes of the Horse Prairie Country.
Milt resided with his daughter (my great Aunt) Roberta, in her home at Dillon until his death on May 25, 1943, at the age of 82. Both Milton & Henrietta are buried in the Jones Cemetery in the Centennial Valley.
