Historical Notes - Week of December 14th

The Helena Independent, December 18, 1891

Hon. Charles H. Eaton who was declared the handsomest man in the last legislature has been in town for the past few days. He and his brother, General Eaton, own several of the most valuable claims in Cooke City, and may be looked

upon as accessions to the ranks of Montana millionaires when a railroad reaches that camp. Mr. Eaton thinks it may come next year and is quite certain that the difficulty is not getting a bill through congress but in deciding between two routes to the Northern Pacific.

George Eaton built the large “white house” still standing today in Cooke City.

Biographical Information

From The Montana Blue Book: a biographical, historical and statistical book of reference, Journal Publishing Co, 1891 (text and portrait images):

Charles H. Eaton, of Park County is a native of the State of Maine, where he was born, in Warren, in 1858. He graduated from the Chandler Scientific Department in 1879. In 1880 he went to Leadville, Col., and was engaged in mining there for two years, when he came to Montana and has since engaged in mining enterprises, operating now at Cooke City. Mr. Eaton is unmarried, and his first public office was his election on the Republican ticket to the first House of Representatives. He is a brother of General George O. Eaton, present Surveyor General of Montana; he is a Republican of decided convictions upon public issues.

George O. Eaton, was born in Warren, Knox County, Maine, May 14, 1848; was educated at the public schools of Maine, the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and the Columbia College School of Mines, New York City. Served as private in Company “I,” Fifteenth Maine Volunteers, in 1864-65, and as Second and First Lieutenant in Fifth United States Calvary, 1873-81. During his service in the Regular Army his name was, upon two different occasions, sent by President U.S. Grant to the United States Senate, calling attention to “conspicuous gallantry” in Indian fights. During the last four years of his service in the Regular Army he was also engaged in the cattle business in Wyoming. Resigning from the army in 1881, he came to Montana, where he has since followed the business of mining. He was a member of the Montana Conventions of 1884 and 1889, and a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Chicago, 1888. He was appointed United States Surveyor-General for Montana by President Benjamin Harrison, in September, 1889.