Captain McGarry
For the eleven years, Kassie has been diligently uncovering the life of Upper Missouri steamboat Captain James McGarry. His family fled to Canada to escape the famine in Ireland before McGarry found his way to the American West. Here this unassuming man, an oddity, among captains became one of the most successful captains of the Upper Missouri before dying suddenly in 1879. His story is intertwined with that of the history and development of steamboating along the river, and in particular the history of the Fort Benton Transportation Company. Kassie has received two awards for this project and it is the basis for several presentations.
Scandal on
the Plains
This side project was born of the Captain James McGarry project. It came about as a result of investigating his connections to the cattle industry and, in particular, to the Nebraska cattle baron William A. Paxton. It is a re-examination of alleged frauds committed by Agent Saville and others, including Paxton, at the Red Cloud Agency during the years 1874 to 1875. The allegations and subsequent investigation played out on the public stage with much drama and newspaper coverage. The official investigation did not find merit to the allegations of fraud, but all is not what it seemed. Research for this project is nearly complete.
Virginia Struble Burlingame
Virginia Struble Burlingame, 1900-1993, did not receive the recognition she deserved for the groundbreaking and in-depth research that she conducted into the life of Captain John Christie Barr, the best friend of Captain James McGarry. Despite her lack of successful publication attempts, her research has proven invaluable to Kassie Nelson’s work. During her lifetime, Virginia was best known for children’s historical fiction stories. She endeavored to bring stories of the American West, particularly those belonging to her adopted state of Montana, to life for the public’s enjoyment and consumption. Kassie is endeavoring to carry on her legacy and bring her the recognition that is so long overdue.
