Archives West Finding Aid

Wales F. Hine (who went by his middle name, Fred) was born in 1861 in New York to Wales W. and Mariah Hine. The 1881 census shows that Fred was one of 7 children living at home, the middle child of: William (26), Mattie (24), Lewis (21), Fred (19), Delbert (17), Satie (11) and Frank (6). Wales and his three oldest boys (William, Lewis and Fred) all worked on the family's farm.

In 1890, Fred married Lizzie, a Nebraska native, and by 1900 the two were living in Clarks Fork, Montana with their two children, Oleeta (6) and Blanch (9, listed as "adopted daughter"). By 1910, the family, minus Blanch, was living in Red Lodge, and Fred was working as a surveyor. Oleeta left home by 1916 and was working as a music teacher in Billings. Fred continued to work off and on as a farmer and county surveyor until his death, sometime between 1930 and 1940.

Lizzie moved to Bridger, Montana by 1935, and by 1940 had taken a job as the Assistant Postmistress there. She owned her own home, which was valued at one thousand dollars, a respectable sum for the time. She passed away July 16, 1969 at the age of 97.