The Mattice ranch, located 8 miles west of Helena, Montana, in an area known both as '10 Mile Valley' and 'Baxendale,' as it appeared in 1915. The Bevan family [then known as the John F. Johnson family] lived here circa 1895 - 1900. Fred Bevan was a ranch hand and irrigator working here for the owner, Noah Abraham Mattice. Magnus Bevan is believed to have been born here January 09, 1898. Torvil Bevan was born here June 07, 1899. Noah's daughter, Martha Mattice, married Bonner Bevan, 1929. [Photo courtesy William H. Mattice]
The Bevan family, circa 1905, at Gilmore, Lemhi county, Idaho. The boys left to right are: Magnus, Bonner, Torvil, Fred Jr.
Mary Bevan and sister-in-law Ane (Bevensen) Kyllingstad. Taken at Brainerd, Minnesota after July, 1898
Fred and Mary Bevan at their homestead on Indian Creek, near Ulysses, Idaho in Lemhi county
Mary Bevan in 1928 at Indian Creek
Fred and Mary Bevan taken during the late 1930's at Indian Creek
Bonner and Fred Jr. Bevan circa 1913
Bonner Bevan, back row, far right, 1917. Member of the Montana Wagoner Sup. Co., 13th Infantry
Frank ('Spinky') Bevan, Martha (Mattice) Bevan and Bonner Bevan at Scotty's Castle in Death Valley, California. Taken by Walter O'Connor.
The first cow owned by the Bevan family, circa 1916. Pictured in the background is the first log home built at the Indian creek homestead. Magnus Bevan is standing in the doorway.
1 = Magnus Bevan; 2 = Bonner Bevan; 3 = Fred Bevan Jr.; 4 = Torv Bevan; A = Tom 'Hacksaw Tom' Christensen - others are yet to be identified
William Lewis and another man went to the Williard Rood Sr. ranch at the mouth of Beaver Creek, a tributary to Panther Creek, in mid June, 1912. They hired 'Skip' Rood to pack their supplies to the nearby hotsprings. Rood packed their gear and then returned home. They had hoped to enjoy the springs for health benefits. Several days later Rood returned to check on the men and found them both in bed. William Lewis had died, but the other man was still alive. Rood, along with Dick Hines, buried Lewis. It was said that the men had stayed in the hot water too long and became weak. This headstone was made by Torv Bevan. As a young man Bevan manned a fire lookout on the ridge above the springs, and crafted this for Lewis one summer.
Fred Jr. and Lucille [Goddard] Bevan
Left to Right: Fred Bevan, Jr., unknown, Tom 'Hacksaw Tom' Christensen, Lucille (Goddard) Bevan and unknown
Mary Bevan, 1947 at Boyle (now Tower) Creek
Taken in front of the second home that Fred Bevan, Sr. built on their Indian Creek homestead, shortly after the 03 March, 1932 marriage of Magnus Bevan and Hazel Swett. l - r: Forest Swett, Magnus Bevan, Hazel (Swett) Bevan, Shirley Swett, Mary Bevan, Roseltha (Green) Swett, Fred Bevan Sr. and James Lyman Swett. Both of Hazel's parents would both die within the following two years.
Hazel, Verda, Hilliard and Mag Bevan, circa 1938
Mag and Bonner Bevan at one of the many mines they owned on Owl Creek, Lemhi county, Idaho, 1930's. It could be the Western Tanager, the Gold Owl 1, the Gold Owl 2 or the Baby Owl. Some were located on the East Fork of Owl Creek, others were at Willow Meadows at the head of Owl Creek. Cabins were located at both areas.
Bonner and Martha (Mattice) Bevan, circa 1930
Frank Sheldon 'Spinky' Bevan, 1950
Bonner and Spinky Bevan, 1950
Mag Bevan cutting hay at his 111 farm three miles east of Shoup, Idaho
Verda and Mag Bevan at the 111 farm, 1935, with Jumbo and mate, whose name has been forgotten. Jumbo died in the corral and Mag had no way to move his body elsewhere so Jumbo was buried in the corral.
Hazel (Swett) Bevan, 1940's
The Mag Bevan family farm, 1940's, located on Panther Creek, very near the location where Beaver Creek joins it. At the center is the families original log home built by Magnus. The newer home in front was originally a CCC building from Ebenezer Bar that was moved to this location and re-assembled. The course being taken by Panther Creek is not it's original course. When the family moved here in 1941, the creek bed ran through the gravely area in the upper portion of the photo. Evidence indicates that even this course was not original and that waste from placer mining on the bluffs above this area pushed the creek beyond it's natural path. One spring there was bad highwater and the family was living in the original cabin. They awoke one morning and 6" of water was flowing through the house. Their newly sprouted garden was completely destroyed. Magnus had two goals when he set out to change the course of Panther Creek. One was flood control and the other was to be able to have an uninterrupted area for a hay field. He worked for a few seasons and finally, one spring, it "went" into the channel he created. This photo shows the result of that work. In the lower right corner was a small house known as the 'Green house.' It was a rental and had originally been located farther down Panther Creek and moved to this location. It earned it's name because the Bevan's had gotten some paint from the Forest Service and Verda and Hilliard painted it using rags tied on the ends of sticks. The property was contaminated for decades by toxic waste that originated upstream at the Blackbird Mine.
The Bevans at their mine located 1/4 of a mile up Sawlog Gulch, Salmon River, Lemhi county, Idaho. This property was purchased from James Patterson in 1940 for $500. The family leased their property on Panther Creek and began to develop this property in 1948. Here they had a cabin, a shop, a 5 ton Gibson ball mill, chicken house, gardens etc., and, for the first time, a lawn and running water. They lived here for several years and developed their mine. It was classed as a placer mine because the ore was 'soft.'
Magnus Bevan, 1950
Hazel (Swett) Bevan, 1953
Hazel (Swett) Bevan Rood with Pepper and a 210 pound mountain lion. Taken February 9, 1965 up Beaver Creek, (Panther Creek), Lemhi county, Idaho. Pepper tracked and treed this big cat.
