Montezuma B. "Montie" Gwinn was a merchant and banker in Idaho and Oregon. He is profiled in James Henry Hawley's The History of Idaho, Gem of the Mountains, Vol II, 1920.
He married Della or Delia Lake (born in Ohio) on May 4, 1881. It does not appear that they had children.
Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 2 by James H. Hawley 1920)
Intense and well directed energy have brought Montie B. Gwinn to the position of secretary of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company, to official connection with various banks and, more than that, to a point of leadership in connection with vital problems of war service. He has been a resident of Boise since 1871. He was born in Boone, Boone county, Iowa, September 16, 1857, a son of the Rev. Robert M. Gwinn, a Methodist minister, who was born in Pennsylvania and at the time of the Civil war rendered active service at the front in defense of the Union cause. The .mother died during the infancy of her son Montie B., and the father afterward married again, removing to Boise with his family in 1871 to accept the pastorate of the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city, which he thus served for two years. Later he removed to California, where his death occurred.
Montie B. Gwinn, however, remained in Boise and practically his entire life has been spent in Idaho and Oregon, in which states he is widely known as a representative of banking and financial interests, of real estate dealing and the sheep industry. His education has been largely acquired in the school of experience. Removing with the family to Boise when he was a lad of fourteen years, he entered a store, in which he remained as clerk until he attained his majority. He was ambitious, however, to engage in business on his own account and the years 1879 and 1880 found him actively connected with the lumber trade in Boise as proprietor of a yard. In the latter year he took up merchandising at Caldwell, Idaho, having in the meantime opened a store at Middleton, while later he also became connected with mercantile interests at De Lamar, Idaho, and was thus engaged until 1893. From 1894 until 1898 he was managing director of the New York Life Insurance Company for Idaho and eastern Oregon, with headquarters at Boise, and for the past third of a century he has been prominently identified with the sheep industry and with the banking business in Idaho and Oregon. In 1906 he became the owner of a bank at Pendleton, Oregon, which he nationalized under the name of the American National Bank. He continued its conduct until 1908, when he sold the bank and returned to Boise. While at Pendleton he served for one year as president of the Oregon State Bankers Association, a position which indicated his high standing in the banking fraternity there. He was likewise chosen president of the Idaho State Bankers Association in 1918, to fill a vacancy
caused by the resignation of Governor Davis from that position. This was another recognition of his business standing and gives him the added distinction of having been at the head of the state banking association of two states. He is now a director of the First National Bank of Boise but at the present time is giving the greater part of his attention and energy to the management of the business of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company of Boise, of which he is the secretary. This company operates extensively in Malheur county, Oregon, where it has large landed interests. Mr. Gwinn was one of the organizers of the company in 1903 and for many years has made the conduct of the business his chief concern, with offices in the Overland building in Boise. The company owns and controls fifty thousand acres of land in Malheur, Grant and Harney counties of Oregon and its operations are leading to the up building and development of that section of the country.
The live stock feature of the business has made Mr. Gwinn an authority upon the subject of sheep raising and he was called before the Idaho Bankers Association at its convention held in Pocatello in June, 1918, to speak upon the subject of the future of the sheep industry in the state. His figures, gleaned from statistics, Indicate
a decline in the sheep industry, with an increased consumption of mutton in the United States, while the annual imports of the country were over one-half of the wool consumed. In this connection Mr. Gwinn said: "Recognizing the need for a substantial increase in the sheep industry in Idaho in the future, it occurs to me that one of the most needed things to bring this about is to have a thorough revision of public sentiment. The people of our communities must look upon it with friendly interest and discard absolutely any attitude of suspicion or doubt or antagonism. It must be recognized for what it is, an upbuilder of our state and nation, an industry to be fostered and encouraged, and not as an intruder in our communities or a menace to our farmers and other residents, for that it is not. And here, perhaps as much as anywhere, the banker can serve an important part, not only to the sheep industry but to his community as well. Bankers are really the hub around which everything revolves in the small communities. From time immemorial it has fallen to the lot of the Danker to pass upon all matters of importance, not only financially but in most every civic way, in his community. The sheep industry is one of the staple industries of the
state of Idaho and should receive the bankers' attention and support, not only because of the opportunities of loaning money on the sheep and the wool, etc., but because he should be interested in the things that will improve and develop any industry that is a material source of revenue, one of the best, to his community. He should, therefore, encourage it, and he can do much, perhaps more than any other, to mould public sentiment and direct it along the right channel and bring about an attitude of interest, encouragement and appreciation of one of Idaho's greatest industries.
"The great ranges, being practically occupied at the present time, could and should be made to yield their maximum, and this could be accomplished by 'range classification.' There was a time in Idaho when the cattle industry occupied the greater part of the range; now the sheep do, for a flock of sheep can go into the nooks and the by-ways, eating weeds and covering a range that has no value for cattle. A thorough classification of ranges, so that they might be utilized scientifically and to their utmost capacity, would increase the sheep industry and be of lasting benefit. The banker can aid in the work of bringing about such classification.
"A plan whereby the banker may help his community in the promotion and advancement of the sheep industry, which has been tried out in other western states is known as 'The Bank Sheep Club.' Our bankers can be of tremendous assistance in encouraging the farm flock idea. A bank may purchase a band of sheep and distribute them in lots of twenty-five, fifty or one hundred to the farmers residing nearby, and these will consume weeds, feed around fence corners, etc., that could not otherwise be utilized. There is no opportunity in this paper to deal extensively with the subject, but every Idaho banker should investigate the matter of a Bank Sheep Club and see if he cannot put it into practical operation in his community.
"I have dealt briefly with but a few of the things that can help the sheep industry of the future, more especially where the banker can be of assistance. The matter of educating the public to understand the sheep grower and know him as a friend, the matters of range classification, of a 'county agent or adviser, of thoroughbred sheep and of the Sheep Bank Club these are all things in which you. Mr. Banker, can help the sheep growers of Idaho and increase their production and thereby better serve our 'country. And in closing I urge upon you that you not only give these things your thought, but that you likewise take home with you a determination to help carry them out. Our meetings, our conferences such as these, may develop ideas, they may give us new thoughts, but unless we put them into operation they are nothing, and we have gained nothing. So I give you the Idaho Slogan 'IDAHOANS, DON'T DEBATE IT! DO IT!'"
Mr. Gwinn's address awakened deep interest, for his position as a business man of keen sagacity and sound judgment is well known and, moreover, he is the vice president of the Idaho State Bankers Association, which he was addressing.
Many problems of public moment Mr. Gwinn has studied thoroughly, delving to the root of the matter and taking many an initial progressive step leading to desired results. He early turned his attention to questions of irrigation and was chairman of the executive committee of the Fourteenth National Irrigation Congress, which was held in Boise from the 3d to the 8th of September, 1906. When matters of national concern demanded the attention and cooperation of leading business men of the country he gave of his time and energy as well as his means to support the interests of the government. He was made vice chairman for Idaho during the first, second and third Libetry Loans and chairman of the fourth Liberty Loan, held in October, 1918, and the fifth or Victory Loan in May, 1919. For a third of a century he has been a most earnest and generous supporter of all measures which have had to do with the upbuilding and progress of the state, and his broad vision and sound judgment have enabled him to readily recognize the possibilities of every situation and the value of every opportunity. People like men who do things. They also admire those who are always on the firing line who make opportunities, not wait for opportunities. In Idaho, as in other states, there are those who have been pathfinders so to speak who have blazed the way for others who came later. Such pioneering has not been confined to any one line of activity, and it has sometimes fallen to the lot of one person to have been useful and prominent in several lines of constructive work. Such a man is Montie B. Gwinn. Coming to the then territory of Idaho when a mere lad, he did real pioneering from the first, and has never faltered when called upon to help in the development of the state's material resources or to assist in the things pertaining to its civic betterment.
On the 4th of May, 1881, Mr. Gwinn was married to Miss Delia Lake, of Portland, Oregon. Matters of personal interest to him cover his connection with several fraternal organizations. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and in the first named he is a prominent figure, having served as the fourth grand master in Idaho and as one of the organizers of the order in the state in 1883. His work has been continued, he having served in the position of representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of that order for many years and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Odd Fellows Home, which is soon to be built at Caldwell, the site for which was donated by Mr. Gwinn. He is also one of the board of trustees of the College of Idaho, having given liberally to that institution, and is active in the effort to see it well endowed
He married Della or Delia Lake (born in Ohio) on May 4, 1881. It does not appear that they had children.
Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 2 by James H. Hawley 1920)
Intense and well directed energy have brought Montie B. Gwinn to the position of secretary of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company, to official connection with various banks and, more than that, to a point of leadership in connection with vital problems of war service. He has been a resident of Boise since 1871. He was born in Boone, Boone county, Iowa, September 16, 1857, a son of the Rev. Robert M. Gwinn, a Methodist minister, who was born in Pennsylvania and at the time of the Civil war rendered active service at the front in defense of the Union cause. The .mother died during the infancy of her son Montie B., and the father afterward married again, removing to Boise with his family in 1871 to accept the pastorate of the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city, which he thus served for two years. Later he removed to California, where his death occurred.
Montie B. Gwinn, however, remained in Boise and practically his entire life has been spent in Idaho and Oregon, in which states he is widely known as a representative of banking and financial interests, of real estate dealing and the sheep industry. His education has been largely acquired in the school of experience. Removing with the family to Boise when he was a lad of fourteen years, he entered a store, in which he remained as clerk until he attained his majority. He was ambitious, however, to engage in business on his own account and the years 1879 and 1880 found him actively connected with the lumber trade in Boise as proprietor of a yard. In the latter year he took up merchandising at Caldwell, Idaho, having in the meantime opened a store at Middleton, while later he also became connected with mercantile interests at De Lamar, Idaho, and was thus engaged until 1893. From 1894 until 1898 he was managing director of the New York Life Insurance Company for Idaho and eastern Oregon, with headquarters at Boise, and for the past third of a century he has been prominently identified with the sheep industry and with the banking business in Idaho and Oregon. In 1906 he became the owner of a bank at Pendleton, Oregon, which he nationalized under the name of the American National Bank. He continued its conduct until 1908, when he sold the bank and returned to Boise. While at Pendleton he served for one year as president of the Oregon State Bankers Association, a position which indicated his high standing in the banking fraternity there. He was likewise chosen president of the Idaho State Bankers Association in 1918, to fill a vacancy
caused by the resignation of Governor Davis from that position. This was another recognition of his business standing and gives him the added distinction of having been at the head of the state banking association of two states. He is now a director of the First National Bank of Boise but at the present time is giving the greater part of his attention and energy to the management of the business of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company of Boise, of which he is the secretary. This company operates extensively in Malheur county, Oregon, where it has large landed interests. Mr. Gwinn was one of the organizers of the company in 1903 and for many years has made the conduct of the business his chief concern, with offices in the Overland building in Boise. The company owns and controls fifty thousand acres of land in Malheur, Grant and Harney counties of Oregon and its operations are leading to the up building and development of that section of the country.
The live stock feature of the business has made Mr. Gwinn an authority upon the subject of sheep raising and he was called before the Idaho Bankers Association at its convention held in Pocatello in June, 1918, to speak upon the subject of the future of the sheep industry in the state. His figures, gleaned from statistics, Indicate
a decline in the sheep industry, with an increased consumption of mutton in the United States, while the annual imports of the country were over one-half of the wool consumed. In this connection Mr. Gwinn said: "Recognizing the need for a substantial increase in the sheep industry in Idaho in the future, it occurs to me that one of the most needed things to bring this about is to have a thorough revision of public sentiment. The people of our communities must look upon it with friendly interest and discard absolutely any attitude of suspicion or doubt or antagonism. It must be recognized for what it is, an upbuilder of our state and nation, an industry to be fostered and encouraged, and not as an intruder in our communities or a menace to our farmers and other residents, for that it is not. And here, perhaps as much as anywhere, the banker can serve an important part, not only to the sheep industry but to his community as well. Bankers are really the hub around which everything revolves in the small communities. From time immemorial it has fallen to the lot of the Danker to pass upon all matters of importance, not only financially but in most every civic way, in his community. The sheep industry is one of the staple industries of the
state of Idaho and should receive the bankers' attention and support, not only because of the opportunities of loaning money on the sheep and the wool, etc., but because he should be interested in the things that will improve and develop any industry that is a material source of revenue, one of the best, to his community. He should, therefore, encourage it, and he can do much, perhaps more than any other, to mould public sentiment and direct it along the right channel and bring about an attitude of interest, encouragement and appreciation of one of Idaho's greatest industries.
"The great ranges, being practically occupied at the present time, could and should be made to yield their maximum, and this could be accomplished by 'range classification.' There was a time in Idaho when the cattle industry occupied the greater part of the range; now the sheep do, for a flock of sheep can go into the nooks and the by-ways, eating weeds and covering a range that has no value for cattle. A thorough classification of ranges, so that they might be utilized scientifically and to their utmost capacity, would increase the sheep industry and be of lasting benefit. The banker can aid in the work of bringing about such classification.
"A plan whereby the banker may help his community in the promotion and advancement of the sheep industry, which has been tried out in other western states is known as 'The Bank Sheep Club.' Our bankers can be of tremendous assistance in encouraging the farm flock idea. A bank may purchase a band of sheep and distribute them in lots of twenty-five, fifty or one hundred to the farmers residing nearby, and these will consume weeds, feed around fence corners, etc., that could not otherwise be utilized. There is no opportunity in this paper to deal extensively with the subject, but every Idaho banker should investigate the matter of a Bank Sheep Club and see if he cannot put it into practical operation in his community.
"I have dealt briefly with but a few of the things that can help the sheep industry of the future, more especially where the banker can be of assistance. The matter of educating the public to understand the sheep grower and know him as a friend, the matters of range classification, of a 'county agent or adviser, of thoroughbred sheep and of the Sheep Bank Club these are all things in which you. Mr. Banker, can help the sheep growers of Idaho and increase their production and thereby better serve our 'country. And in closing I urge upon you that you not only give these things your thought, but that you likewise take home with you a determination to help carry them out. Our meetings, our conferences such as these, may develop ideas, they may give us new thoughts, but unless we put them into operation they are nothing, and we have gained nothing. So I give you the Idaho Slogan 'IDAHOANS, DON'T DEBATE IT! DO IT!'"
Mr. Gwinn's address awakened deep interest, for his position as a business man of keen sagacity and sound judgment is well known and, moreover, he is the vice president of the Idaho State Bankers Association, which he was addressing.
Many problems of public moment Mr. Gwinn has studied thoroughly, delving to the root of the matter and taking many an initial progressive step leading to desired results. He early turned his attention to questions of irrigation and was chairman of the executive committee of the Fourteenth National Irrigation Congress, which was held in Boise from the 3d to the 8th of September, 1906. When matters of national concern demanded the attention and cooperation of leading business men of the country he gave of his time and energy as well as his means to support the interests of the government. He was made vice chairman for Idaho during the first, second and third Libetry Loans and chairman of the fourth Liberty Loan, held in October, 1918, and the fifth or Victory Loan in May, 1919. For a third of a century he has been a most earnest and generous supporter of all measures which have had to do with the upbuilding and progress of the state, and his broad vision and sound judgment have enabled him to readily recognize the possibilities of every situation and the value of every opportunity. People like men who do things. They also admire those who are always on the firing line who make opportunities, not wait for opportunities. In Idaho, as in other states, there are those who have been pathfinders so to speak who have blazed the way for others who came later. Such pioneering has not been confined to any one line of activity, and it has sometimes fallen to the lot of one person to have been useful and prominent in several lines of constructive work. Such a man is Montie B. Gwinn. Coming to the then territory of Idaho when a mere lad, he did real pioneering from the first, and has never faltered when called upon to help in the development of the state's material resources or to assist in the things pertaining to its civic betterment.
On the 4th of May, 1881, Mr. Gwinn was married to Miss Delia Lake, of Portland, Oregon. Matters of personal interest to him cover his connection with several fraternal organizations. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and in the first named he is a prominent figure, having served as the fourth grand master in Idaho and as one of the organizers of the order in the state in 1883. His work has been continued, he having served in the position of representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of that order for many years and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Odd Fellows Home, which is soon to be built at Caldwell, the site for which was donated by Mr. Gwinn. He is also one of the board of trustees of the College of Idaho, having given liberally to that institution, and is active in the effort to see it well endowed
Montezuma B. "Montie" Gwinn was a merchant and banker in Idaho and Oregon. He is profiled in James Henry Hawley's The History of Idaho, Gem of the Mountains, Vol II, 1920.
He married Della or Delia Lake (born in Ohio) on May 4, 1881. It does not appear that they had children.
Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 2 by James H. Hawley 1920)
Intense and well directed energy have brought Montie B. Gwinn to the position of secretary of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company, to official connection with various banks and, more than that, to a point of leadership in connection with vital problems of war service. He has been a resident of Boise since 1871. He was born in Boone, Boone county, Iowa, September 16, 1857, a son of the Rev. Robert M. Gwinn, a Methodist minister, who was born in Pennsylvania and at the time of the Civil war rendered active service at the front in defense of the Union cause. The .mother died during the infancy of her son Montie B., and the father afterward married again, removing to Boise with his family in 1871 to accept the pastorate of the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city, which he thus served for two years. Later he removed to California, where his death occurred.
Montie B. Gwinn, however, remained in Boise and practically his entire life has been spent in Idaho and Oregon, in which states he is widely known as a representative of banking and financial interests, of real estate dealing and the sheep industry. His education has been largely acquired in the school of experience. Removing with the family to Boise when he was a lad of fourteen years, he entered a store, in which he remained as clerk until he attained his majority. He was ambitious, however, to engage in business on his own account and the years 1879 and 1880 found him actively connected with the lumber trade in Boise as proprietor of a yard. In the latter year he took up merchandising at Caldwell, Idaho, having in the meantime opened a store at Middleton, while later he also became connected with mercantile interests at De Lamar, Idaho, and was thus engaged until 1893. From 1894 until 1898 he was managing director of the New York Life Insurance Company for Idaho and eastern Oregon, with headquarters at Boise, and for the past third of a century he has been prominently identified with the sheep industry and with the banking business in Idaho and Oregon. In 1906 he became the owner of a bank at Pendleton, Oregon, which he nationalized under the name of the American National Bank. He continued its conduct until 1908, when he sold the bank and returned to Boise. While at Pendleton he served for one year as president of the Oregon State Bankers Association, a position which indicated his high standing in the banking fraternity there. He was likewise chosen president of the Idaho State Bankers Association in 1918, to fill a vacancy
caused by the resignation of Governor Davis from that position. This was another recognition of his business standing and gives him the added distinction of having been at the head of the state banking association of two states. He is now a director of the First National Bank of Boise but at the present time is giving the greater part of his attention and energy to the management of the business of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company of Boise, of which he is the secretary. This company operates extensively in Malheur county, Oregon, where it has large landed interests. Mr. Gwinn was one of the organizers of the company in 1903 and for many years has made the conduct of the business his chief concern, with offices in the Overland building in Boise. The company owns and controls fifty thousand acres of land in Malheur, Grant and Harney counties of Oregon and its operations are leading to the up building and development of that section of the country.
The live stock feature of the business has made Mr. Gwinn an authority upon the subject of sheep raising and he was called before the Idaho Bankers Association at its convention held in Pocatello in June, 1918, to speak upon the subject of the future of the sheep industry in the state. His figures, gleaned from statistics, Indicate
a decline in the sheep industry, with an increased consumption of mutton in the United States, while the annual imports of the country were over one-half of the wool consumed. In this connection Mr. Gwinn said: "Recognizing the need for a substantial increase in the sheep industry in Idaho in the future, it occurs to me that one of the most needed things to bring this about is to have a thorough revision of public sentiment. The people of our communities must look upon it with friendly interest and discard absolutely any attitude of suspicion or doubt or antagonism. It must be recognized for what it is, an upbuilder of our state and nation, an industry to be fostered and encouraged, and not as an intruder in our communities or a menace to our farmers and other residents, for that it is not. And here, perhaps as much as anywhere, the banker can serve an important part, not only to the sheep industry but to his community as well. Bankers are really the hub around which everything revolves in the small communities. From time immemorial it has fallen to the lot of the Danker to pass upon all matters of importance, not only financially but in most every civic way, in his community. The sheep industry is one of the staple industries of the
state of Idaho and should receive the bankers' attention and support, not only because of the opportunities of loaning money on the sheep and the wool, etc., but because he should be interested in the things that will improve and develop any industry that is a material source of revenue, one of the best, to his community. He should, therefore, encourage it, and he can do much, perhaps more than any other, to mould public sentiment and direct it along the right channel and bring about an attitude of interest, encouragement and appreciation of one of Idaho's greatest industries.
"The great ranges, being practically occupied at the present time, could and should be made to yield their maximum, and this could be accomplished by 'range classification.' There was a time in Idaho when the cattle industry occupied the greater part of the range; now the sheep do, for a flock of sheep can go into the nooks and the by-ways, eating weeds and covering a range that has no value for cattle. A thorough classification of ranges, so that they might be utilized scientifically and to their utmost capacity, would increase the sheep industry and be of lasting benefit. The banker can aid in the work of bringing about such classification.
"A plan whereby the banker may help his community in the promotion and advancement of the sheep industry, which has been tried out in other western states is known as 'The Bank Sheep Club.' Our bankers can be of tremendous assistance in encouraging the farm flock idea. A bank may purchase a band of sheep and distribute them in lots of twenty-five, fifty or one hundred to the farmers residing nearby, and these will consume weeds, feed around fence corners, etc., that could not otherwise be utilized. There is no opportunity in this paper to deal extensively with the subject, but every Idaho banker should investigate the matter of a Bank Sheep Club and see if he cannot put it into practical operation in his community.
"I have dealt briefly with but a few of the things that can help the sheep industry of the future, more especially where the banker can be of assistance. The matter of educating the public to understand the sheep grower and know him as a friend, the matters of range classification, of a 'county agent or adviser, of thoroughbred sheep and of the Sheep Bank Club these are all things in which you. Mr. Banker, can help the sheep growers of Idaho and increase their production and thereby better serve our 'country. And in closing I urge upon you that you not only give these things your thought, but that you likewise take home with you a determination to help carry them out. Our meetings, our conferences such as these, may develop ideas, they may give us new thoughts, but unless we put them into operation they are nothing, and we have gained nothing. So I give you the Idaho Slogan 'IDAHOANS, DON'T DEBATE IT! DO IT!'"
Mr. Gwinn's address awakened deep interest, for his position as a business man of keen sagacity and sound judgment is well known and, moreover, he is the vice president of the Idaho State Bankers Association, which he was addressing.
Many problems of public moment Mr. Gwinn has studied thoroughly, delving to the root of the matter and taking many an initial progressive step leading to desired results. He early turned his attention to questions of irrigation and was chairman of the executive committee of the Fourteenth National Irrigation Congress, which was held in Boise from the 3d to the 8th of September, 1906. When matters of national concern demanded the attention and cooperation of leading business men of the country he gave of his time and energy as well as his means to support the interests of the government. He was made vice chairman for Idaho during the first, second and third Libetry Loans and chairman of the fourth Liberty Loan, held in October, 1918, and the fifth or Victory Loan in May, 1919. For a third of a century he has been a most earnest and generous supporter of all measures which have had to do with the upbuilding and progress of the state, and his broad vision and sound judgment have enabled him to readily recognize the possibilities of every situation and the value of every opportunity. People like men who do things. They also admire those who are always on the firing line who make opportunities, not wait for opportunities. In Idaho, as in other states, there are those who have been pathfinders so to speak who have blazed the way for others who came later. Such pioneering has not been confined to any one line of activity, and it has sometimes fallen to the lot of one person to have been useful and prominent in several lines of constructive work. Such a man is Montie B. Gwinn. Coming to the then territory of Idaho when a mere lad, he did real pioneering from the first, and has never faltered when called upon to help in the development of the state's material resources or to assist in the things pertaining to its civic betterment.
On the 4th of May, 1881, Mr. Gwinn was married to Miss Delia Lake, of Portland, Oregon. Matters of personal interest to him cover his connection with several fraternal organizations. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and in the first named he is a prominent figure, having served as the fourth grand master in Idaho and as one of the organizers of the order in the state in 1883. His work has been continued, he having served in the position of representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of that order for many years and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Odd Fellows Home, which is soon to be built at Caldwell, the site for which was donated by Mr. Gwinn. He is also one of the board of trustees of the College of Idaho, having given liberally to that institution, and is active in the effort to see it well endowed
He married Della or Delia Lake (born in Ohio) on May 4, 1881. It does not appear that they had children.
Published in History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains Vol. 2 by James H. Hawley 1920)
Intense and well directed energy have brought Montie B. Gwinn to the position of secretary of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company, to official connection with various banks and, more than that, to a point of leadership in connection with vital problems of war service. He has been a resident of Boise since 1871. He was born in Boone, Boone county, Iowa, September 16, 1857, a son of the Rev. Robert M. Gwinn, a Methodist minister, who was born in Pennsylvania and at the time of the Civil war rendered active service at the front in defense of the Union cause. The .mother died during the infancy of her son Montie B., and the father afterward married again, removing to Boise with his family in 1871 to accept the pastorate of the First Methodist Episcopal church of this city, which he thus served for two years. Later he removed to California, where his death occurred.
Montie B. Gwinn, however, remained in Boise and practically his entire life has been spent in Idaho and Oregon, in which states he is widely known as a representative of banking and financial interests, of real estate dealing and the sheep industry. His education has been largely acquired in the school of experience. Removing with the family to Boise when he was a lad of fourteen years, he entered a store, in which he remained as clerk until he attained his majority. He was ambitious, however, to engage in business on his own account and the years 1879 and 1880 found him actively connected with the lumber trade in Boise as proprietor of a yard. In the latter year he took up merchandising at Caldwell, Idaho, having in the meantime opened a store at Middleton, while later he also became connected with mercantile interests at De Lamar, Idaho, and was thus engaged until 1893. From 1894 until 1898 he was managing director of the New York Life Insurance Company for Idaho and eastern Oregon, with headquarters at Boise, and for the past third of a century he has been prominently identified with the sheep industry and with the banking business in Idaho and Oregon. In 1906 he became the owner of a bank at Pendleton, Oregon, which he nationalized under the name of the American National Bank. He continued its conduct until 1908, when he sold the bank and returned to Boise. While at Pendleton he served for one year as president of the Oregon State Bankers Association, a position which indicated his high standing in the banking fraternity there. He was likewise chosen president of the Idaho State Bankers Association in 1918, to fill a vacancy
caused by the resignation of Governor Davis from that position. This was another recognition of his business standing and gives him the added distinction of having been at the head of the state banking association of two states. He is now a director of the First National Bank of Boise but at the present time is giving the greater part of his attention and energy to the management of the business of the Malheur Live Stock & Land Company of Boise, of which he is the secretary. This company operates extensively in Malheur county, Oregon, where it has large landed interests. Mr. Gwinn was one of the organizers of the company in 1903 and for many years has made the conduct of the business his chief concern, with offices in the Overland building in Boise. The company owns and controls fifty thousand acres of land in Malheur, Grant and Harney counties of Oregon and its operations are leading to the up building and development of that section of the country.
The live stock feature of the business has made Mr. Gwinn an authority upon the subject of sheep raising and he was called before the Idaho Bankers Association at its convention held in Pocatello in June, 1918, to speak upon the subject of the future of the sheep industry in the state. His figures, gleaned from statistics, Indicate
a decline in the sheep industry, with an increased consumption of mutton in the United States, while the annual imports of the country were over one-half of the wool consumed. In this connection Mr. Gwinn said: "Recognizing the need for a substantial increase in the sheep industry in Idaho in the future, it occurs to me that one of the most needed things to bring this about is to have a thorough revision of public sentiment. The people of our communities must look upon it with friendly interest and discard absolutely any attitude of suspicion or doubt or antagonism. It must be recognized for what it is, an upbuilder of our state and nation, an industry to be fostered and encouraged, and not as an intruder in our communities or a menace to our farmers and other residents, for that it is not. And here, perhaps as much as anywhere, the banker can serve an important part, not only to the sheep industry but to his community as well. Bankers are really the hub around which everything revolves in the small communities. From time immemorial it has fallen to the lot of the Danker to pass upon all matters of importance, not only financially but in most every civic way, in his community. The sheep industry is one of the staple industries of the
state of Idaho and should receive the bankers' attention and support, not only because of the opportunities of loaning money on the sheep and the wool, etc., but because he should be interested in the things that will improve and develop any industry that is a material source of revenue, one of the best, to his community. He should, therefore, encourage it, and he can do much, perhaps more than any other, to mould public sentiment and direct it along the right channel and bring about an attitude of interest, encouragement and appreciation of one of Idaho's greatest industries.
"The great ranges, being practically occupied at the present time, could and should be made to yield their maximum, and this could be accomplished by 'range classification.' There was a time in Idaho when the cattle industry occupied the greater part of the range; now the sheep do, for a flock of sheep can go into the nooks and the by-ways, eating weeds and covering a range that has no value for cattle. A thorough classification of ranges, so that they might be utilized scientifically and to their utmost capacity, would increase the sheep industry and be of lasting benefit. The banker can aid in the work of bringing about such classification.
"A plan whereby the banker may help his community in the promotion and advancement of the sheep industry, which has been tried out in other western states is known as 'The Bank Sheep Club.' Our bankers can be of tremendous assistance in encouraging the farm flock idea. A bank may purchase a band of sheep and distribute them in lots of twenty-five, fifty or one hundred to the farmers residing nearby, and these will consume weeds, feed around fence corners, etc., that could not otherwise be utilized. There is no opportunity in this paper to deal extensively with the subject, but every Idaho banker should investigate the matter of a Bank Sheep Club and see if he cannot put it into practical operation in his community.
"I have dealt briefly with but a few of the things that can help the sheep industry of the future, more especially where the banker can be of assistance. The matter of educating the public to understand the sheep grower and know him as a friend, the matters of range classification, of a 'county agent or adviser, of thoroughbred sheep and of the Sheep Bank Club these are all things in which you. Mr. Banker, can help the sheep growers of Idaho and increase their production and thereby better serve our 'country. And in closing I urge upon you that you not only give these things your thought, but that you likewise take home with you a determination to help carry them out. Our meetings, our conferences such as these, may develop ideas, they may give us new thoughts, but unless we put them into operation they are nothing, and we have gained nothing. So I give you the Idaho Slogan 'IDAHOANS, DON'T DEBATE IT! DO IT!'"
Mr. Gwinn's address awakened deep interest, for his position as a business man of keen sagacity and sound judgment is well known and, moreover, he is the vice president of the Idaho State Bankers Association, which he was addressing.
Many problems of public moment Mr. Gwinn has studied thoroughly, delving to the root of the matter and taking many an initial progressive step leading to desired results. He early turned his attention to questions of irrigation and was chairman of the executive committee of the Fourteenth National Irrigation Congress, which was held in Boise from the 3d to the 8th of September, 1906. When matters of national concern demanded the attention and cooperation of leading business men of the country he gave of his time and energy as well as his means to support the interests of the government. He was made vice chairman for Idaho during the first, second and third Libetry Loans and chairman of the fourth Liberty Loan, held in October, 1918, and the fifth or Victory Loan in May, 1919. For a third of a century he has been a most earnest and generous supporter of all measures which have had to do with the upbuilding and progress of the state, and his broad vision and sound judgment have enabled him to readily recognize the possibilities of every situation and the value of every opportunity. People like men who do things. They also admire those who are always on the firing line who make opportunities, not wait for opportunities. In Idaho, as in other states, there are those who have been pathfinders so to speak who have blazed the way for others who came later. Such pioneering has not been confined to any one line of activity, and it has sometimes fallen to the lot of one person to have been useful and prominent in several lines of constructive work. Such a man is Montie B. Gwinn. Coming to the then territory of Idaho when a mere lad, he did real pioneering from the first, and has never faltered when called upon to help in the development of the state's material resources or to assist in the things pertaining to its civic betterment.
On the 4th of May, 1881, Mr. Gwinn was married to Miss Delia Lake, of Portland, Oregon. Matters of personal interest to him cover his connection with several fraternal organizations. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and in the first named he is a prominent figure, having served as the fourth grand master in Idaho and as one of the organizers of the order in the state in 1883. His work has been continued, he having served in the position of representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge of that order for many years and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Odd Fellows Home, which is soon to be built at Caldwell, the site for which was donated by Mr. Gwinn. He is also one of the board of trustees of the College of Idaho, having given liberally to that institution, and is active in the effort to see it well endowed
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