JOHN A. LANDRAM

      John A. Landram, Treasurer of Ravalli County Montana was born in Pike County Missouri February 11, 1842 and is a descendant of Highland Scotch ancestors. The Landrams settled in Kentucky previous to the Revolutionary War and were prominently identified with the early history of that state, some of the family having fought for independence. A.D.Landram, the father of John A., was born in Kentucky, as was also our subject's mother, whose maiden name was Ann Lindsey. The Lindseys settled in Kentucky about the time the Landrams did. Their family was represented in the Revolution, the War of 1812 and the great Civil War. During the last named struggle there as nearly a regiment of the relatives engaged in the conflict, some on one side and some on another. A.D. Landram was a merchant and a minister in the Missionary Baptist Church.

      He removed to Missouri about the year 1839 where he resided up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1861, in the fifty-eighth year of his age. His good wife passed away in 1865, in her sixty-fifth year. Four of their five children are now living, John A. being the youngest of the family. John A. Landram was reared to manhood in Missouri. In the spring of 1861 he enlisted in the Windsor Guards of the Confederate army and for a time was on duty as one of General Price's body guards. Later he as in an independent battalion and served in the Second Missouri Cavalry. During the last two years of the war he was in Wood's Battalion. His first battle was that of Cold Camp, after which followed the numerous other engagements in which he participated, among them being those at Wilson's Creek, Fort Scott and Dry Wood Creek.

      About this time, receiving news of his father's death, he was permitted to go home and settle up affairs there. In December 1861 he returned to the army, his next engagement was during the retreat from Springfield to Elkhorn and the fight that occurred at the latter place. He was then sent to join Beauregard's forces at Corinth, Mississippi, was in numerous engagements in Mississippi, spent most of the winter of 1862-63 in Jackson and in the spring of 1863 joined the forces that operated on the west side of the Mississippi. He was in the raid with General Price in the fall of 1864, and participated in every battle that General Price was in during the war, except at Lexington and Booneville. At Otterville, Missouri he was captured but made his escape in a few hours and returned to his command.

      After the war he became engaged in contract work on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He helped to build the first dwelling house in Dedalia, Missouri and worked in the car shops at that place for two years. In 1875 he came to Montana and for two years ran a saw mill. Then he took claim to 160 acres of Government land, located seven and a half miles north o of Stevensville, to which he soon afterward added until he became the owner of 320 acres. On this property he lived and prospered until 1888, at which time he removed to Stevensville in order to give his children the advantage of better educational facilities.

      Mr. Landram was married to Hollie Emmett, in 1869, a native of Virginia and a descendant of an old Virginia family. They have two children, Eva and Etta.

History of Montana, by Joaquin Miller, 1894