Old Missoula

C. H. McLeod Begins Work Second Day

C. H. McLeod arrived in Missoula on March 29, 1880, at 6 p.m., coming from his birthplace in New Brunswick at the invitation of A. B. Hammond, one of the founders of the Missoula Mercantile Co.

From that day until his death 66 year later, C. H. McLeod was to be identified with the progress of Missoula.

Begins as Clerk

On his second day in Missoula, McLeod began working as a clerk for R. A. Eddy, A. B. Hammond and E. L. Bonner in their store. McLeod was the only clerk. In 1885 when the company reorganized McLeod was made manager. Later he became vice president and manager and then president and manager, a dual position he held until his retirement in 1941 after 61 years with the organization.

McLeod’s first duties consisted of making the fires, sweeping the floor, cleaning the lamps and waiting on customers. The store in 1880 was a stone structure, 30 by 100 feet, at the corner of Higgins avenue and Front street.

Population of 441

McLeod found Missoula to be a city of 441 inhabitants which was larger than Spokane which had 350 residents. Butte, 120 miles away, had a population of 6,000.

He was born Feb. 14, 1859, on a farm, and had little formal education. He began working at the age of 15 as a clerk for $6.50 a month. Five years later his salary of $400 per year caused him to accept Hammond’s invitation to work in Missoula for $1,000 a year.

On Nov. 3, 1886, McLeod married Clara L. Beckwith, also a native of New Brunswick, and a niece of Hammond. She had arrived in Missoula in 1884, a year before her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Beckwith.

In 1928 McLeod was a delegate to the Republican national convention that nominated Herbert Hoover for the presidency.

Macleod was praised as the friend of the man who was down and out. Although his formal schooling fell far short of the college level, he was considered a great friend to the cause of higher education. The late Dr. Charles H. Clapp, onetime president of Montana State University, said to McLeod at a testimonial dinner held for the McLeods in 1930: “I don’t believe there has been a difficult problem with the University that I haven’t asked your aid in solving.” McLeod is also credited with greatly assisting the Boy Scout movement in western Montana.

Of all his possessions, however, McLeod often said he cherished most the friendship of Missoulians.