BIOGRAPHIES

G. B. LONG

G. B. LONG has been a leading rancher in Sweetgrass County for over ten years, and is now filling the office of sheriff, to which he was elected as a republican in 1918.  Sheriff Long has been on his own responsibilities so far as making a living was concerned since early boyhood, and has been a farm hand, farmer, cowboy, independent rancher, and, while his activities have been satisfactory from a financial standpoint, he has also won the confidence and trust of the best people of every community where he has lived.

He was born on a farm in Macon County, Missouri, April 13, 1878.  His father, George Long, was born in Germany in 1821, and in order to escape military conscript he left Germany in 1841 and became a settler in Pennsylvania.  He lived at Punxsutawney, that state, for sixteen years, married there, and was a farmer during the summer seasons and in winter helped raft logs down the Susquehanna River.  In 1870 he moved to Macon County, Missouri.  He was a farmer in that locality until his death in 1885.  He was a very ardent democrat in politics, a member of the Lutheran Church and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  By his first wife he had six children: Margaret, living at Bellingham, Washington, widow of Henry Cress, a former rancher; John, who lives on the old home farm in Macon County; Joseph and Henry both farmers in Macon County, Missouri; Dave, also identified with the agricultural activities of Macon County; and Mary, wife of William Gwinner, a farmer in Macon County.  For his second wife George Long married Jane (Baithell) Sheroughs, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1835.  She died in Macon County, Missouri, in 1890.  By this marriage there were two children: Emma, wife of Austin McGee, a farmer in Macon County, Missouri; and G. B. Long.  Mrs. Long by her first husband had four daughters: Mary, living at Novinger, Missouri, widow of John Nesbith, who was a brick moulder; Carolina, wife of George Lowmaster, a farmer in Macon County; Sarah, wife of Frank Harrison, a Macon County farmer; and Florence, deceased wife of John Long, mentioned above, her step brother.

G. B. Long lived at home with his mother to the age of twelve years, and then became a farm hand during all the summer months, and his work paid for his schooling during the winter season.  In 1896, when he was eighteen years old, He went to Springfield, Illinois, and worked on a farm there for twenty-two months.  His arrival in Montana was in March, 1898.  In Meagher County he spent two years on a ranch, acquiring all the arts of the cowboy, and for another six months he was employed in roundup work, which requires the greatest skill on the part of a cowboy.  His employer during that period was Dr. G. H. Wilson.  Mr. Long then bought a livery stable at Two Dot, Montana, and conducted it five years and nine months.

On October 1, 1907, he came to Sweetgrass County, buying a ranch on Deer Creek.  He finally sold the ranch and in the spring of 1914 disposed of his cattle.  He was active in that locality from 1907 to 1914, and since then has continued his operations as a cattle man and banker on an irrigated farm of 320 acres located 5 1/2 miles north of Big Timber.

Mr. Long also owns a modern home in Big Timber.  Since his election to the office of sheriff he has given his time to the duties of his official position.  He is a member of Doric Lodge No. 53, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Big Timber.  Mr. Long married at old Big Elk in Meagher County, January 19, 1901, Mary Viola Nelson, daughter of Eli and Lovina (Shields) Nelson, residents of Butler, Missouri, where her father is a farmer.

Source: Excerpts from the book, Montana: Its Story and Biography, volume II, edited by Tom Stout, published in 1921, page 406, located on the website, Hathitrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org), accessed 29 August 2022.

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