J. M. Montano

Submitted by Elizabeth Burns, Aug 2002

Arizona, the Youngest State, 1913

Varied business interests engage the attention of J.M. Montano, who is one of the prosperous and enterprising citizens of Cochise County. He is a native of England, born in 1853 and is a son of Publius and Mary Montano.

The father was born in England and the mother in Italy. They had six children who attained maturity and of these three sons are still living, two of whom make their home in England, as does also the mother, who has attained a venerable age of ninety years. The father is deceased.

The early life of J.M. Montano was passed in the parental home, his education being obtained in the national schools.

In 1875 he decided to try his fortune in America, so he took passage for the U.S. first locating in San Francisco California. He made his home in that city for three years and at the expiration of that period accepted a clerkship in a mercantile store in San Diego. In 1882 he became associated with an Italian company in the operation of a wholesale and retail liquor business in Portland Oregon, but two and a half years later returned to San Diego where he resumed clerking.

His next removal was to Phoenix Arizona at which point he successfully conducted a general mercantile establishment until 1893 and during that time made some judicious investments in property. Disposing of his store he went on the road as a traveling salesman for a time, following which he engaged in the general mercantile business at Fairbank, Cochise County. He was connected with the commercial activities there for eight years and at the end of that time closed out his interests and removed to Courtland where he opened a wholesale and retail feed store and also handled coal and ice.

He directed his business with foresight and sagacity, meeting with a good measure of success and as the years passed was able to extend the scope of his activities by establishing a livery stable and transfer line. In 1914 he removed to Tombstone where he is now engaged in a similar enterprise, doing the largest business of the kind in the place. He is both a wholesale and retail dealer in hay, grain and coal and conducts a transfer line. He owns a fine home in Los Angeles and other valuable property in California.

Mr. Montano was married in 1882 to Miss Mary Sherman whose uncle formerly owned much of the land on which the city of San Diego was founded. Her father passed away in Phoenix but is survived by her mother who now resides in Los Angeles and by three of their six children. In order of birth they are as follows: Mrs. H.B. St. Clair, of Phoenix; Mrs. Montanao; and Matt who resides in San Diego. Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Montano, only one is living, James T. who resides in Los Angeles.

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