Levi Boots Pendroy's parents were James Martin and Sarah Jane (Baldwin) Pendroy
After the civil war in 1882/1883, many Pendroys including the James M. Pendroy (Levi Boots Pendroy's parents) and other Pendroy families pioneered westward in covered wagons to Dakota Territory.
These Pendroy families founded what was referred to as the Pendroy Colony in the North Dakota Territory which became Pendroy, North Dakota near the current towns of Velva and Towner N. D. in the Mouse/Souris River area in north central North Dakota. (McHenry County)
In addition, Levi Boots Pendroy later became the namesake for Pendroy, Montana, once a town of over 400 but with about 100 people now in 1998. According their family branch, both brothers James Andrew Pendroy and Levi Boots Pendroy started the town of Pendroy, Montana. I base this on the written comments by Mr. Charles Pendroy of Sauk Centre, Minnesota published in the article about his father James Martin Pendroy (born 1862) titled "He Rode at 86" in the March 1950 edition of "Bits and Spurs" magazine.
Levi B. Pendroy was born 1861 at Otley Iowa and died in 1955 in Long Beach Cal. at age 93. "Pendroy was born in Otley, (Marion Co,) Ia., and as a young man in company with his father and three brothers, traveled in a covered wagon to the Mouse River of North Dakota and settled in that area. Later a post office was established and named Pendroy, North Dakota".
The following information was published in the publication "Pendroy, a Wide Spot In The Road", 1991, Pendroy Book Committee, Griggs printing and Publishing: Page 3, Author Diane Bingham:
"In 1916 the Great Northern Railroad announced the extension of their north - south railroad line from Bynum to Porter bench. It was at this point that Pendroy (Montana) was born. In these early years Louis W. Hill, son of James Hill, was president of the Great Northern Railroad. James Hill met L.B. Pendroy west of Devil's lake, Dakota Territory in 1885 while he was scouting this country for a possible route for his railroad."
Pendroy was one of the early pioneer homesteaders and businessmen of Teton County, Montana. LB had been a surveyor and associate of James Hill the builder of The Great Northern railroad. When this line pushed their branch north of Choteau in 1916, they named the terminus Pendroy to honor LB.
Go to page about the current town of Pendroy Montana.
The Choteau Montana county paper ran an article in 1955 on the death of James M. Pendroy's son Levi Boots Pendroy at age 93 also stating this.
The full text of the 1955 Choteau county Montana paper article from 1955 contains a picture of the elderly Levi B. Pendroy.
(Here is the full unaltered text of the newspaper article about Levi B. Pendroy.)
Late L.B. Pendroy Worked for Jim Hill.
Article from 1955 "The Acantha" newspaper - Teton County Montana (Choteau)
Levi Boots Pendroy, 93 - Teton County pioneer and one-time associate of Jim Hill, died Jan. 25 at long Beach, Calif., and was entombed in the Los Angeles Abbey Mausoleum Feb. 2.
Pendroy was born in Otley, Ia., and as a young man in company with his fathers and three brothers, traveled in a covered wagon to the Mouse River of North Dakota and settled in that area. Later a post office was established and named Pendroy, North Dakota.
Subsequently L.B. Pendroy joined in building the Great Northern Railroad through North Dakota and his daughter, Mrs. Patricia M. of Long Beach, Calif., writes The Acantha that, "Dad was Jim Hill's right hand man. He helped him survey, and many nights slept under a tree or any other shelter he could find with Jim Hill." Hill was the world famous builder of the Great Northern Railway.
When this line pushed north of Choteau at a later date, they named the terminus Pendroy, in honor of L.B. Pendroy, as he was one of the early homesteaders and businessmen of that area of Teton County.
In 1911, Pendroy brought a huge Rumley engine out on the bench and broke sod, planting flax and wheat on the virgin land. He and his family moved from Pendroy to California a number of years ago. Survivors are three daughters. ...
One daughter was listed from Canada and two other daughters were listed from California. It is believed by the author that there were 4 children. They had children Luella, Martha and Charles identified in the picture. Another daughters first name mentioned in the obituary was Patricia.
Their only son Charles (pictured above about age three) died in a farm equipment accident as a young man in rural Pendroy, Montana.
Postcard: 700 Mile trip Through B. C. - L.B. Pendroy
Levi Boots Pendroy (L.B. Pendroy) July 25, 1911 date.
L.B. Pendroy is standing on the right side. It is unknown who the travelling companions were, or the purpose of their trip so far from home. (The postcard signed by LB Pendroy was addressed to a person in Flora, North Dakota).
(If you know the identities of the two other people or the reason for the trip please contact me).
Postcard provided from a stamp/postcard collector from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in August 2010, who also provided some information (and comments below in "quotes") about possible business reason(s) for the trip.... However, it is possible it was a personal visit of some type to visit some friend or family in the area.
"....The attached images are.... apparently produced by LB Pendroy attesting to a "700 mile trip through BC", and postmarked "South Fort George BC" in June 1911, en route to the Peace River Country and Fort St John, in northern Alberta, Canada.
South Fort George (now called Prince George) was really "in the middle of nowhere" at this time (the railroad hadn’t even yet arrived), and the way up to Fort St John from there involved some significant wilderness travel, mostly by water using freight boats, through country most only populated by Aboriginal peoples. ... the Peace River country had been opened to homesteaders just a few years earlier...."
( View a larger image: Postcard: 700 Mile trip Through B. C. - L.B. Pendroy )
A covered wagon, like in the picture, would not make it very far through this country. I suspect he used it only on the Great Plains to get to a railhead from his ND home, perhaps even using it to get to Canada and the CPR main line (somewhere between Winnipeg MB and Regina SK), so he could then go by transcontinental rail to BC. Once in BC, he could easily have got off in Cache Creek, taken a stage on the Caribou Road (old 1865 gold rush road) to Quesnel, and then by sternwheeler to Fort George, which was being developed as a new city and railway terminus at that time, as the railway would be soon in coming. After that, his trip further north and east would have been much more arduous.
I would also be curious to discover whether the famous JJ Hill, or his son, had put him up to this in some way. JJ Hill was an advocate of "scientific farming", and the Peace River country, being so far north (at the northernmost limits of land possible for grain farming) was touted as prime country for scientific farming...."
Levi Boots Pendroy was U.S. Land Commissioner and also McHenry County, North Dakota Treasurer in 1907. The below picture is the new Courthouse dedicated June 17, 1908 in Towner North Dakota, when L.B. Pendroy was treasurer.
Also in 1907 L.B. Pendroy purchased the Towner Hotel, which he remodeled into and renamed the Pendroy Hotel - there was a "Grand Opening" gala on December 31, 1907.
Author note: About 15 years ago some of my relatives contacted some people in Pendroy, Montana asking about L.B. Pendroy. Of course we were all curious about how the town got its name and who the founder was. An older woman of the town of Pendroy Montana knew of them and this information was provided in the letter.
"L.B. also had a brother named Jim (James A. Pendroy) who lived and farmed in this area. ....LB and Jim were called the Wheat Kings of Montana". They were some of the first farmers in this area to own tractors or combines. Jim had children by the names of Claude and Floyd. The Ritenour family bought the Pendroy land in 1924 and 1926. The original Pendroy home burnt down sometime in the late 20's or early 30's. It is believed that all the Pendroys moved to California."
-End-