Archives West Finding Aid

John Moore Waters was born in Keokuk County, IA, on October 11, 1842, the son of John M. and Margaret S. Waters. His parents removed to Illinois in 1844 and settled in Menard county where Waters attended school. During the Civil War, Waters enlisted in the 133rd Illinois Infantry, a 100 day regiment that served its entire term guarding prisoners of war at the Rock Island Arsenal. Afterwards, Waters began studying medicine and graduated from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1868. He practiced medicine at Gibson, Ford Co , Illinois., but on account of his health came west to the mountains. In April, 1882, he settled in Bozeman and practiced his profession there until his death. He married on May 7, 1878, to Miss Emma J. Bierce, of Nevada, Missouri and the couple had three children: Herman B., Foley L. and Mary. Waters died on November 26, 1907. In 1898, Herman B. was a student at Montana Agricultural College in Bozeman, where he also did practical work with generators, machinery, and switchboards. He completed an M.E. at Cornell University in 1903. After graduation, he worked for the Missouri River Power Company at their Canyon Ferry station, generating power for the city of Helena, MT. In 1905, he became an instructor in electricity and physics at the California Polytechnic School and was later vice-director of the Department of Mechanics.