Archives West Finding Aid

James Hamilton Mills was born in New Lisbon, Ohio, on December 21, 1837. In April 1861, at the age of 23, Mills enlisted in Company G of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserves (Fortieth Pennsylvania Infantry). Through the course of some 27 engagements, Mills was promoted from private to brevet lieutenant colonel before he was mustered out of service in June 1864. On May 24, 1866, Mills traveled from Omaha, Nebraska, to Helena, Montana, arriving on August 12. He initially joined in a company attempting to open a hydraulic claim at Emigrant Gulch, but the effort had to be abandoned because of a lack of provisions. Following this venture, Mills moved to Virginia City, where he was offered the position of editor of The Montana Post. He remained with the Post in Virginia City and Helena until the paper failed in July 1869. At that time, he moved to Deer Lodge and opened the offices of The New Northwest, a newspaper he published and edited until November 1891. James Mills was a lifelong Republican and many times filled important appointed positions. In 1884, he was appointed secretary of the territory by President Hayes. Five years later, after declining nomination to attend the state constitutional convention, Mills accepted the duties of collector of internal revenue for the Montana-Idaho-Utah district, a position he held until February 1893. During the following four years, he served as commissioner of the state Bureau of Agriculture, Labor and Industry. In addition, he was the appointed receiver to the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1895 and to the Helena Consolidated Water Company in 1897. James H. Mills died on September 5, 1904.