At the end of the 19th century, Montana was in its infancy. The earliest settlers arrived in the mid-1800’s and worked hard to make a life, establish homesteads, and develop businesses. One of the active pioneers of that time was Ira Myers. His final resting place is in Highland Cemetery, Great Falls, MT.
Ira was born in Ohio in 1839. He was of German descent. He seemed to be a strong entrepreneur in many areas of business. Before arriving in Great Falls, Mr. Myers developed ideas and businesses in other parts of the western United States. In 1859, he traveled to Colorado with the “Pike’s Peak gold rush”. He joined others to start the “Colorado City Town Site Co.” He acquired 160 acres of land in that area, which later became known as part of the “Garden of the Gods”.
In 1860, Ira was involved in gold mining in Leadville, Colorado, and Baker’s Park, Colorado. In Leadville, he served as the sheriff, and in Baker’s Park, he was elected Recorder of Claims. From there, he went to Denver and became a hotel keeper.
By May of 1863, Mr. Myers had traveled to Bannock, near the Montana Territory, and was active in the mining business. In the 1870’s he went from mining to the cattle industry in Teton County, Montana Territory.
Ira married Catherine McGurk in 1887. She was also from Ohio. They settled in the newly-formed city of Great Falls, which Paris Gibson had founded.
According to his obituary in the Great Falls Tribune (June 12, 1924), Ira Myers was influential in “sponsoring many industries, and helped Paris Gibson build the city of Great Falls.” He established Myers Sawmill, which supplied lumber for the building of the first houses in Great Falls. He, and a partner, E. G. Maclay, built the city’s first water works, organized and operated the first electric light plant the city had, and gave the growing town its first street railway system. Ira also helped organize a canal company that brought water to the area above the town of Choteau, MT.
Mr. Myers left a legacy of being “an honored pioneer” in Montana.
(Information courtesy of “Early Settlers of Great Falls”, Great Falls Genealogy Society.)
(There is more information about Mr. Myers on the Great Falls History Museum site.)
By Renee Phillips: January 5, 2026 – Great Falls, Mt
Author: Staff
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