Charles F. Huckins, b. 1857, Kankakee Co., IN > IA>SD>NE>1879 MT-Bio

Abiography/family history and portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Huckins, Montana cattleman, are included in "Montana, Its Story and Biography", Vol 3, pages 930-932.

Charles was born, 26 Mar 1857, son of Samuel and Louesa (Redford) Huckins, natives of Ontario, Canada, and Michigan. Children of Samuel and Louesa: Andrew and Lucius(Vancouver, WA), Charles F. (MT), Mrs. Clara Ryan (Vancouver).

While still a child, Charles was taken to Iowa and lived near Cresco, Howard County, for six years. He moved with his parents to Sioux Falls, SD, where he completed his education.At age 17, he became self-supporting as a bullwhacker at the Red Cloud Agency of Nebraska for two years.He moved to the Black Hills for gold mining and went back to bullwhacking and later took up trapping.In Sep 1879, Charles came to Montana and continued as a trapper, then became a cowpuncher for three years, and then worked as a buffalo hunter until 1882. Charles worked on construction of the Montana Central Railroad, furnished wood to the Boston & Montana Consolidated Copper Mining Company's smelter for two years.He gave that up due to rheumatism and located to a ranch on Pumpkin Creek. After a time he sold the ranch at a profit and moved to the Powder River where he bred Percheron horses, sheep and cattle. Charles' homestead on the Powder River grew to a ranch of 1,100 acres.

On 13 Jul 1893, Custer county, MT, Charles married Miss Leonora Henning, daughter of Frederick & Dorothy (Meinsing) Henning.Frederick was a native of Hamburg, Germany, who imm. to Minnesota and came to Montana in 1880.

Huckins children: Gladys (Mrs. Roy Geer, Powder River County, MT), Carrie (Mrs. James Geer, Powder River County), Charles A., Clifford I., Lloyd A., Forra F.

I am not related.