Foley pioneer history revisited

Story of the life of Tom and Edna (Jaybird) Foley and nine children near Martin City seemed as if it could have occurred in the 1800s rather than the 1940s and 1950s.

Of course Martin City was not started until 1947 and the Foleys moved there in 1948.

My 12 Feb. column was first of a three-part series. This is second as compiled by Marion Foley, one of their daughters:

Along with the start of companies in the heyday of Hungry Horse Dam project, Jay and Tom Foley, along with Nick Kartheiser and Carl Lindberg, also from Spirit Lake, began their lumber company known as F.K. & L. outside of Martin City. They cleared the majority of the Hungry

Horse Reservoir before the dam was completed. They used to have some 65 employees in the mill and in the woods. What remains today is a teepee burner and homes along Spotted Bear Road, which comprise part of the current Abbott Valley Homestead.

Jay and Tom had an interesting partnership/marriage. Tom was 13 years older and moved to Montana with Mom and four children at the age of 46, built a thriving business and they had five more children.

Tom was very knowledgeable in the woods trade as well as mining and farming. As a child, he was removed from school in the third grade to go to work. Jay managed to graduate from the

University of Washington with a degree in economics.

In their desire to start again, and move to Montana, they shared their talents with remarkable respect. Tom turned all the finances and money over to Mom and she wisely bought land and helped build the business. He in turn worked tirelessly in the woods and on the ranch. In the evenings when Tom was home, Jay read to him and helped him with the math he needed to work the mill. We all sat around and listened to the endless books she would read. On this note, she never had a television. Until a year ago she would spend all of her evenings reading whether it be the New Yorker, Smithsonian, Barons or the Economist.

This three-part series on the Foley family history will conclude next week.

Gladys Shay is a longtime resident and columnist for the Hungry Horse News