CARBON COUNTY

I am Rebecca Maloney the County Coordinator.  If you have genealogy items of interest you would like to share- PLEASE Contact me !   Thank you to the previous CC's and volunteers that have helped with this MTGenWeb Project!

Tolman Family

John Tolman

Clues to a legacy of Carbon County land formations shouldering the surname, Tolman, may very well be based upon on character. Not a man to quarrel or blame, “plain, honest, John Tolman,” boasted the Red Lodge Picket “is broad-minded and charitable.”
John N. Tolman born in East India, immigrated to Chicago for business school. He faced his westward destiny in 1879, and by age 17 was punching and trailing cattle from Oregon to Dilworth Springs, east of Red Lodge. This drive led to the establishment of the Dilworth Cattle Company in 1882/83.
Owned by James R. Dilworth of Leavenworth, Kan, the company was a large cattle and horse venture. Tolman became foreman, remaining until 1896 when the company ceased operations. He purchased a major share of the ranch, along with filed holdings on Bennett Creek belonging to himself and bride Eva, the couple controlled a substantial spread. Tolman ran a diversified outfit, ample hay ground coupled with cattle, sheep and horses. The later Heart Horse Company was well regarded. One covetous rustler in 1902, was fined by the court $175 (about $3,200 in today’s world).
An incident involving, Tolman, two bears and one frightened mount unseating the rider is often credited for the namesake rivulet of Bearcreek, thus the moniker for the townsite, Bear Creek, MT. The oil rich basin now known as Elk Basin, once elk habitat was coined after Tolman killed two elk in the vicinity.
South of Red Lodge this former Carbon County state senator has two mountain peaks, Tolman Point and Tolman Mt, both facing Rock Creek, and an easterly, Tolman Flat that share the honor of his namesake. Beneath the peaks and valleys, he knew so well, Tolman Cemetery holds his infant son, and wife Eva who died at age 50 from a perforated ulcer. John Tolman died in 1936.



John Newell Tolman Infant Son

D.C.Co Ranch

from left to right: Eva Tolman, Mrs. Tolman (seated), Maggie Holland, Fannie Patterson, Mary Tolman, John Tolman 1895 Dilworth Collection

The Dillworth Cattle Co cowboys, 1895. Timmy Reynolds, Pat O Brien, Tom Johnson, Ben Greenough, Ben Hold, Stewart Palk, Bobby Clark (cook), Sam Foster, John Dunn, Manford Engles, Ben Woodcock.

Karen De Groote, State Coordinator

Suzanne Andrews, Assistant State Coordinator

Rebecca Maloney, County Coordinator

Contact Information for USGenWeb:

National Coordinator: Linda K. Lewis 

Copyright  2020- Carbon County MTGenWeb Project