Miles, A. W. (Arthur Wellington), 1859-1933

Arthur Wellington Miles came to Montana in 1880 while serving as army paymaster at Fort Keogh near present-day Miles City. Following his resignation from the army, Miles started a hardware business at Coulson and, by 1882, opened a similar business in Billings. Later in that year he joined Col. A.L. Babcock in creating the Bozeman firm, Babcock & Miles. During the winter of 1882-1883, Miles opened his first business in Livingston. By 1893 the partnership with Babcock was severed and Miles concentrated his business ventures in Livingston and its surrounding communities. His operations in Livingston grew to include the A.W. Miles Lumber and Coal Company, the A.W. Miles Land and Investment Company, and the A.W. Miles Company. The Miles name would also hold a majority interest in the Thompson Company and the Park Ice and Storage Company. In addition to these businesses Miles owned an extensive sheep ranch and held a controlling interest in numerous companies across Montana. Through the Miles Land and Investment Company, the Livingston Theatre, the Park Hotel, and the Miles Building were constructed.

Beyond business interests, A.W. Miles played an important role in state and local politics. He was elected and served two terms as mayor of Livingston beginning in 1887. Between 1906 and 1909 Miles served as a state senator representing Park County. A.W. Miles married Idella M. Draper in 1885. Together the couple had four children: Louise Gertrude, Adena Josephine, Perry, and Daniel Nelson. By the late 1920s Daniel Miles took control of the companies as his father retired to Los Angeles, Calif. A.W. Miles died in 1933. Dan Miles continued operating the primary companies and other business interests including mining and ranching. Like his father, Dan Miles also played a significant role in local politics and civic organizations. In 1982, the A.W. Miles Company was dissolved.

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