This sketch about James Martin (Jim) Pendroy (who was the son of Jacob Andrew Pendroy), was written by his son Mr. Charles Pendroy of Sauk Centre, Minn. for publication in The March 1950 edition of "Bits and Spurs" Magazine .)

James Martin Pendroy (Born 1862)

James Martin (Jim) Pendroy (who was the son of Jacob Andrew Pendroy),

HE STILL RODE AT 86 YEARS OF AGE

By: Charley Pendroy, Sauk Centre, Minn. - 1950

This picture was taken in July 1948. In November the rider passed away. Because we are indebted to men like him for the settlement and development of our great West, I am writing this sketch in his memory.

Jim Pendroy and Susie Messinger were married near Des Moines, Iowa, in 1883 , at the respective age of 20 years. Soon afterward, accompanied by his father and mother, Jim mounted his saddle horse, and Susie, seated in the covered wagon, grasped the reins of the Pintos and they headed for the west, driving a herd of 125 cattle before them. The Mouse River valley in North Dakota was their destination.

For 73 days, the little caravan journeyed westward. The cattle grew footsore. It was hot and water was hard to find. They passed through Indian Territory but were not molested. At times the trip was very discouraging.

It was particularly disheartening when from their night's camp they could plainly see where they had spent the previous night .

The days wore on and finally they reached the Mouse River valley where they found plenty of hay for their hungry animals. They settled there, 125 miles west of Devils, Lake, ND, the end of the Great Northern Railroad. Bismarck, ND, located on the Northern Pacific Railroad, was also 125 miles away.

The first job, even before that of building a house, was to put up enough hay for the coming winter. There was plenty of timber and after the haying was done, all hands fell to cutting logs for the houses. Jim cut as fast as they could haul away. The log houses were topped with sod roofs while old Mother Earth provided the floor.

The one window and enough boards to make the door cost about $4. A piece of muslin was tacked to the slabs supporting the sod to keep the dirt from sliding down. The chief drawback was the fact that the muslin was not waterproof, so when it rained they were showered here and there by dirty water.

All these things Jim recalled time and again. His blue eyes would twinkle with humor as he told how his brother in law would take his umbrella and sit outside during a rainstorm so he could enjoy a shower of water instead of the muddy one inside. When he thought of Susie's discouraging experiences in trying to keep the little house neat and clean, he shook his head and a note of sadness crept into his voice. It was hard going, but they got through the winter in pretty good shape. They had plenty to eat except they had to save enough potatoes for seed so they got pretty hungry for potatoes.

In those days the government gave three kinds of claims; A homestead, a tree claim, and a pre-emption. Some of those deeds were signed by President Grover Cleveland. There was an unlimited amount of grazing land available so you can readily see the importance of good saddle horses.

The Pendroys brought the first purebred Hereford bulls into McHenry County. They started Pendroy Post Office, which was there for years . Later the Great Northern Railroad erected a monument on that spot in honor of Verendrye, the early explorer of that country, and later renamed the little town Verendrye. In later years Levi and Jim Andrew Pendroy, cousins of Jim, started the town of Pendroy in Montana, which is still in existence. Jim Andrew Pendroy, now 86 years old, lives in Long Beach, CA.

Uncle Andrew, Jim's father, being a kind of horse doctor, looked after the health of all the people, horses and cattle of the community. He also pulled their aching teeth.

In one of the 125 mile trips to Bismark for supplies, the group of travelers camped at Strawberry Lake. At dusk they were joined by some cowboys who had with them three prisoners. The three were charged with stealing cattle. Uncle Andrew gave them permission to camp with his party overnight. In the morning they were all gone when the Pendroy party awoke. The next spring when the lake broke up the three prisoners were found floated to shore all tied together with lasso rope. The law of the "Old West" had acted again.

After the rigors of this pioneer life, such as making his bed under the wagon, in the snow, chaining his horses to the wagon with a log chain and padlock to keep the Indians from stealing them, raising six children, the oldest, Lizzie, being the first white child born in McHenry county, and other hardships that can never be put into writing, Jim lived a full life of 86 years.

However, it was not all hardship, for he often spoke of the house parties at which they would "trip the light fantastic" until daylight, or he would proudly tell how Susie and he won the prize waltz.

He was very proud of this picture in which at the age of 86 he still sits his horse like a veteran ready to take out after a troublesome steer. He raised and rode many good horses, was a great lover and a good judge of horses. He was proud especially of this own ponies which were always "the best."

Being a "chip off the old block," I, his son, Charley Pendroy, have the same strong love for horses as did my father. My wife and I have two good pleasure horses and enjoy belonging to the Lake Region Saddle Club in Minnesota. We look forward to each month's issue of the Bit and Spur, your fine magazine.

Whether I'll still be riding at the age of 86 is truly the $64 question.

-end-

This sketch about James Martin (Jim) Pendroy (who was the son of Jacob Andrew Pendroy), was written by his son Mr. Charles Pendroy of Sauk Centre, Minn. for publication in The March 1950 edition of "Bits and Spurs" Magazine.