Hauser, Samuel Thomas, 1833-1914

Samuel Thomas Hauser (1833-1914), born in Kentucky, moved to Missouri in 1853 and became an engineer. He was a member of the Yellowstone Expedition of 1863 and the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition to the Upper Missouri. Settling in Montana, he played an important part in its development, becoming governor in 1885.

From the description of Samuel Thomas Hauser papers, 1862-1923. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702127550

Samuel T. Hauser was born in Falmouth, Kentucky on January 10, 1833. In 1854, at the age of 21 he moved to Missouri to work as a civil engineer for various railroad companies. He became the assistant engineer in the construction of the Missouri Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads. By 1862, he was the chief engineer of the Lexington Branch. That same year he traveled west, arriving at Fort Benton in June, crossing the country to the headwaters of the Columbia River prospecting for gold. By the end of 1862, he had settled in Bannack. Along with M. P. Langford, he organized a bank, S. T. Hauser and Company, in Virginia City in 1865, a business endeavor that did not last long. He proved much more successful when he organized the First National Bank of Helena the following year. Banks opened in Butte, Fort Benton, and Missoula as well. In 1893, however, the silver panic and nation-wide depression caused the bank to fail, forcing Hauser to close the doors of the First National Bank for good in 1896. Hauser also became involved in various mining companies. He built the first furnace in the territory of Montana at Argenta as well as the first silver mill with the Hope Mining Company. One of his largest mining businesses was the Helena and Livingston Smelting and Reduction Company. He joined with A. J. Davis and Granville Stuart to form the gigantic DHS Cattle Company, which became the Pioneer Cattle Company in 1883. In 1907, the Hauser Dam was completed on the Missouri River. The steel-plated dam collapsed only a year later. Politically, Hauser was one of the most influential leaders of early Montana history. In 1884, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In July 1885, President Grover Cleveland appointed him as the governor of the Territory of Montana, but he resigned from the post after 18 months. Samuel T. Hauser died on November 10, 1914.

From the guide to the Samuel T. Hauser Papers, 1862-1910, (Montana State University-Bozeman Library, Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections)

Samuel T. Hauser was born at Falmouth, Kentucky, January 10, 1833, son of Samuel T. Hauser, a prominent lawyer and legislator and his wife Mary Anne Kennett. Young Hauser spent his early life and was educated in the Falmouth area. His academic and practical education completed, he migrated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1854, where several of his mother's relatives were successful businessmen. Hauser began his career as a civil engineer, participating in the construction of several branch railroads in the Missouri area. The outbreak of the Civil War, with its attendant local strife and family controversy, persuaded him to try his luck in the recently discovered gold fields of the Salmon River area. In the spring of 1862, Hauser embarked on one of the first steamboats up the Missouri River. After his arrival at Ft. Benton, he and a party of miners began the cross-country trip to the placer mines. Hard traveling and discouraging reports about the Salmon River claims prevented Hauser's party from completing their journey. They instead followed the rush to the new strike at Bannack. The following year, James Stuart, Hauser and others set out on the now famous Yellowstone Expedition of 1863. While largely unsuccessful, particularly for Hauser (he was wounded by hostile Indians) it did result in the discovery of the fabulous Alder Gulch placers by some members who had failed to join the main party. Sam Hauser later returned to the Yellowstone River area, as a member of the Washburn-Doane Expedition of 1870, which was so influential in the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Hauser quickly established himself as one of the more dynamic and farseeing of Montana's pioneer citizens. In addition to his early interest in placer mining, he, Hezekiah Hosmer and N.P. Langford established one of the first banks at Virginia City, in 1864. This interest in banking later led him to participate in the founding and operation of banks in Helena, Butte, Missoula and Fort Benton. While mining and smelting, and banking were major interests of Hauser's throughout his career, he was also active in many other facets of Montana's economic life. As an officer, founder or major stockholder, Hauser was involved in townsite development, real estate, irrigation, cattle ranching, coal mining and coke roasting, branch railroads, and hydro-electric power. Hauser's mining interests alone caused him to form or participate in more than thirty mining and smelting companies which operated throughout western and central Montana and Northern Idaho. These wide and varied business interests were instrumental in the development of the Territory and the young state. His activities drew great sums of eastern capital to Montana and set the pattern for the state's economic future. W.A. Clark, Marcus Daly, C.A. Broadwater and Hauser were the "Big Four" in Montana Territory's Democratic Party. Hauser served as Territorial Governor, 1885-1886, as an appointee of President Cleveland, and was a delegate several times to the Democratic National Convention. He played a large role in the "War of the Copper Kings," largely because of his interest in retaining the capitol for Helena, and because of W.A. Clark's support of Helena in its confrontation with Daly's Anaconda. The decline of silver and national economic panics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought Hauser close to ruin. He sought relief in a relatively new industry, the generation and marketing of hydro-electric power. In the latter years of his life, the greatest portion of his energies were spent in this enterprise. Just before his death, natural disaster and competition ended this attempt to recover his financial losses. Samuel T. Hauser's business affairs were closely allied with his family affairs. In 1871 he married Ellen Farrar Kennett who was divorced from James White Kennett, Hauser's second cousin. Ellen had three children Harry Percy Kennett, Samuel Hauser Kennett, and Anne Kennett from her first marriage. Both the Farrar's and the Kennett's were close business associates. Hauser's three sisters married Edward W. Knight, Henry H. Hill, and James Hervey Barbour respectively. Hauser's brothers-in-law and their children were closely involved in his business affairs. His step-daughter Anna married Otis R. Allen, manager of the Helena and Livingston Smelting and Reduction Company. Ellen Farrar Hauser died in 1906. Samuel Hauser died in Helena, Montana, November 10, 1914.

From the guide to the Samuel Thomas Hauser Papers, 1864-1914, (Montana Historical Society Archives)

Samuel T. Hauser (1833-1914), governor of Montana from 1885 to 1887 and a prominent developer and investor.

From the description of Letters, 1873-1891. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702130546

Samuel T. Hauser was born at Falmouth, Kentucky, January 10, 1833, son of Samuel T. and Mary Anne (Kennett) Hauser. He was one of the discoverers of the Alder Gulch mines which established Virginia City, Montana. He became a leading banker, businessman, and territorial governor of Montana. Along with Granville Stuart he invested heavily in mines, including copper mines in the Seven Devils Mining District of Idaho, silver and manganese mines in Philipsburg, Montana, and gold mines in Jefferson County, Montana. Eventually the two men, and several others, became involved in a major law suit concerning the ownership of these mines. Samuel T. Hauser died November 10, 1914.

Granville Stuart was born August 27, 1834, near what is now Clarksburg, West Virginia. In 1837 he moved west with his family to Iowa. After their father went to California in 1849, Granville and his brother James Stuart went west to join him in 1852. The Stuart brothers remained there prospecting until 1857, when they traveled to what later became Montana. Beginning in 1876, Granville became bookkeeper in Samuel T. Hauser's First National Bank, and later became a partner in Hauser's ranching and mining enterprises. Granville Stuart married Aubonny, a Shoshone Indian woman, and after her death Allis Brown. Stuart died October 2, 1918.

From the description of Samuel T. Hauser and Granville Stuart papers, 1877-1970. (Montana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 436278159

Samuel T. Hauser was born in Falmouth, Ky., on 10 Jan. 1833. In 1854, he moved to Missouri to work as a civil engineer for various railroad companies. He became the assistant engineer in the construction of the Missouri Pacific and Northern Pacific railroads. By 1862, he was the chief engineer of the Lexington Branch. That same year he traveled west, arriving at Fort Benton in June, crossing the country to the headwaters of the Columbia River prospecting for gold. By the end of 1862, he had settled in Bannack. Along with M.P. Langford, he organized a bank, S.T. Hauser and Company, in Virginia City in 1865, a business endeavor that did not last long. He proved much more successful when he organized the First National Bank of Helena the following year. Banks followed in Butte, Fort Benton, and Missoula as well. In 1893, however, the silver panic and nation-wide depression caused the bank to fail, forcing Hauser to close the doors of the First National Bank for good in 1896.

Hauser also became involved in various mining companies. He built the first furnace in the territory of Montana at Argenta as well as the first silver mill with the Hope Mining Company. One of his largest mining businesses was the Helena and Livingston Smelting and Reduction Company. He joined with A.J. Davis and Granville Stuart to form the gigantic DHS Cattle Company which became the Pioneer Cattle Company in 1883. In 1907, the Hauser Dam was completed on the Missouri River. The steel-plated dam collapsed only a year later. Politically, Hauser was one of the most influential leaders of early Montana history. In 1884, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In July 1885 Pres. Grover Cleveland appointed him as the governor of the Territory of Montana, but he resigned from the post after eighteen months. Samuel T. Hauser died on 10 Nov. 1914.

From the description of Samuel T. Hauser papers, 1862-1910. (Montana State University Bozeman Library). WorldCat record id: 70963732