| Notes |
- Listed in Progressive Men of Montana, page 430.
"Isaac S. Stafford, MD ................who was born in Chenango Co., NY on June 1, 1829, son of Isaac and Lucy Seymour Stafford, of Pony, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Otsego Co., NY. His grandfather, Isaac Stafford, and his great-grandfather John Stafford were natives of Rhode Island. The grandfather espoused the cause of the colonies in the Revolution, and was conspicuous in the glorious field of Bennington under General Stark. The father lived in times of peace, and followed the quiet pursuit of an agriculturalist in New york, where he married and made his home until 1856, when he removed to Illinois, where he died in 1883 at the age of 86 leaving 6 children.
Dr. Stafford began his education in the public schools of his native county, then attended the excellent academy at Oxford NY. There he began the study of medicine, continuing it in St. Louis and was graduated from the St. Louis Medical College in 1855. He entered upon medical practice in Grafton IL, but one year later removed to Courtland in the same state where the next two years passed. In 1859 he joined the stampede to Pike's Peak, where he remained until 1863, practicing his profession, mining and performing the thousand other services required of a professional man in a new country. In 1863 he made a visit to Illinois, and in the spring of 1864 he came to Montana, making the trip from Courtland, IL, by horse and mule teams. The train was small, but by good management kept ahead of the Indian troubles all the way, and arrived at Virginia City on Jun 11. The Doctor located at Alder Gulch and passed his first year in Montana in prospecting with no great success. The next year he did better at McClellan's Gulch, and so he continued prospecting in connection with his practice, at various places, including Snake River, until 1868, when he located on Norwegian Creek, and for three years followed mining for himself, but with only moderate success. The next two years he practice medicine at Sterling, and in 1873 took up a ranch on Upper Willow Creek on which he conducted profitable stockraising for a number of years then sold it and removed to Pony.
Dr Stafford was married in Nov 1875, to Mrs. Annie M. Young, as native of Ohio, at the time of the marriage a widow with several children. The Stafford children are Lucy, now Mrs. W. O. Peck, of Pony, and Isaac S. Jr., a resident of British Columbia. By his unvarying interest in public affairs, and by his valuable public services in official stations, the Doctor has carried ut the traditions of his family and found scope for some of the better phases of his own intellectual make-up. He has been a member of the legislature, a school trustee and clerk, and has served in other public capacities, alsways with credit to himself and benefit to the people. In fraternal relations he is dentified with the Masonic Order. The life of a Montana country physician when Dr. Stafford begain pratice here was full of toil and called for stern endurance. The day's work, and often that of the night, covered many miles of hard riding on horseback, in storm of wind, or rain, or snow, over bad roads or where there was none, through a wild country, to visit families remote from towns and from one another. Their hardships and adventures, thought thrilling to us in the recital, seemed to the physicians in the experience only the regular and natural features of their daily vocation. They were sturdy men, inured to toil and exposure, and knew no other life. Moreover, nature, distributing her favors with a system of constant balances and compensations, gave them through their very hardships a flexibility and a toughness of fibre which kept them in condition for their work, and enabled them to continue it long and do it well. Doctor Stafford may properly attribute much of the vigor of body and mind and elasticity of spirit which he now enjoys to this continued exercise on horseback during the long period of his practice.
Isaac Samuel Stafford son of Isaac and Lucy Seymour Stafford born at Norwich New York June 1st 1829 Went across the plains to Colorado in 1859 and returned to Illinois in 1863 Place of departure for Montana Illinois route traveled across the plains via South Pass Kinney Cut Off Ham's Fork of Green River Bear River Soda Springs Blackfoot to Rickard's Ferry on Snake River and William's Junction via Sage Creek arrived at Virginia City June nth 1864 Profession physician Residence Pony Member House of Representatives Eighth extra Session 1873 and regular Session 1874 Territorial Legislative Assembly .
Census:
1880. Listed As I. S. Stafford, a physician, with wife Anne M., children Lucy & I. S. and stepchildren Geo. O., Wm. J., Anne S., Charles G. and Jessie Young.
30 Jun 1900. Listed as Isaac S. Stafford, a widowed physician, with son Isaac S. Stafford, a bartender.
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1829 - 1914 (85 years)
