Old Missoula

Tots Take A Long Walk.

Seven and Five Year Old Go From Missoula to Deep Creek

The two motherless little children of Mike Kruntzberger [Krenzberger], a placer miner of the Top O’ Deep, aged seven and five years, are to be congratulated upon their nerve, says the Philipsburg Call. The performance which gives cause for this expression was their walk from Missoula where they had been placed in the care of the sisters, to Drummond en route to Deep gulch. They were three days on the road without food or shelter at night.

Tuesday last, foot-sore and hungry, but determined, the little fellows appeared at the Windsor hotel, where after making themselves known and answering a lot of questions, they were fed. That night they were tucked in a nice warm bed by Mrs. Morse, and the following morning the tot travelers were up bright and early and after eating breakfast continued on their journey.

Considerable interest was taken in them by the good people of Drummond, and that they will reach their destination safe and sound there is little question, for the word was advanced over the route to help them along.

The above article appeared in the Helena Independent newspaper on January 28, 1899.

 

Two brief mentions of the people who were likely the parents of the above children appeared in the local Missoula newspaper – see below:

 

A brief line in the Daily Missoulian June 30, 1896, stated the following:

“Mike Krenzberger, a mining man from Top O’ Deep is looking over Missoula.”

 

Another brief mention appeared in The Weekly Missoulian on September 5, 1894:

“At the Rankin [Hotel] Mrs. M. Krenzberger”

 

One of the above children was likely George Jesse Krenzberger. His name can be found in Family Search archives. He was born in Garnet in 1892 and died in Ronan, Mt in 1963. His parents are listed as Micle Jesse “Michael” Krenzberger and Umatilla “Tillie” Erick. He married Maude Ethel (Davis) Krenzberger, of Potomac, Mt. in Missoula in 1917. They were the parents of two children, Joseph Krenzberger and Mrs. Rose Alkire.

No record of a second child who walked to Drummond in 1899 seems to exist. Despite the description given in the newspaper, the second child may have really been a female and a sister to George. Julia Krenzberger is listed in Family Search as a daughter of Michael Krenzberger who was born in 1885 and lived in the Bear Mouth/Garnet area in 1900. She was married in Butte, Mt in 1901. Her age on her marriage certificate is given as 17, her residence as Garnet, and her birthplace is listed as county of Granite. Rather than 5, her age might have been 15 in 1899.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/524908628/?terms=%22top%2Bo%2Bdeep%22