Charles A. Stewart reminiscence, 1909-1975

Charles A. Stewart, a native of Ismay, Montana, was the son of homesteaders who arrived in 1910 from Sioux City, South Dakota. The Stewarts were involved in the formation of many community enterprises, including the North Cottonwood Threshing Company, organized in 1916. Charles Stewart was born on April 22, 1911 in Ismay. He graduated from Ismay High School in 1928. He farmed near Ismay, until drought and other natural disasters forced him from the occupation. He intermittently worked as a carpenter and on construction projects including highway bridges and the Fort Peck Dam. In 1935, Stewart moved to the Bitterroot Valley, where he did ranch work. Stewart moved to California in 1941 and worked at Lockheed Aircraft Company for a short time before moving to Missoula, Montana. During World War II, Stewart was employed as a welder at a shipyard in Vancouver, Washington. After the war, he moved to Victor, Montana, and farmed with some success. In 1949, he sold his farm and pursued various carpentry and bridge building projects in Montana and Washington. In 1970, he settled in Columbus, Montana, where he was self-employed. He died on May 23, 1993 in Billings, Montana.