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George M. Pinney
First U.S. Marshal of Montana Territory

George Miller Pinney, Sr., Marshal George M. Pinney, having decided to retire,
was born 15 January 1832, at traveled to Washington to lobby in favor of his lead deputy,
Rockdale Township, Crawford Neil Howie. Pinney resigned as U.S. Marshal on 17 March
County, Pennsylvania. In 1846 1867. Neil Howie was appointed United States Marshal on
Pinney’s family moved to 18 March 1867.
Ripon, Wisconsin. At the age
of 17, Pinney struck out for On 3 July 1867, George M. Pinney was commissioned
the goldfi elds of California to and served as Aide-de-Camp & Captain in the 1st Montana
seek his fortune. Being a miner Cavalry, Montana Volunteers, during the Indian scare of
apparently did not work out that year.
for him, and he returned to
Wisconsin before he was 19. In 1868, he bought Th e Montana Post newspaper and
became Associate Editor and Manager in its new location
In 1853, Pinney moved to New at Helena. Th e newspaper had previously been located in
York to obtain an education. He Virginia City.
studied for the ministry at the
University of Rochester. George Pinney briefl y served as a On 26 September 1868, Pinney was arrested and tried
Baptist minister. However, he changed vocations, becoming for the shooting and killing of the ex-Lieutenant Governor
an Attorney, practicing at Windsor, Wisconsin. Later, of Wisconsin, Lt. Colonel Samuel W. Beall. Lt. Governor
Pinney also practiced law in both the Dakota and Montana Beall, who had moved to Helena, had come to the Montana
Territories. On 1 February 1853, he married Harriet Maria Post offi ce demanding a retraction of attacks upon him by
Whitney. Pinney in the paper. Both men traded insults. Beall pulled
a derringer on Pinney. George Pinney was no stranger
In 1856, Pinney also ventured into private business as the to having a gun pulled on him, and in return he drew
Pinney, Barnard & Co., and the Platte Valley Claim Club. his weapon and fi red twice, hitting Beall in the arm and
Whereby he and others claimed and platted out the town of underneath the right eye, Beall died in a pool of blood. Th e
Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska. Marshal’s offi ce was located in the same building as the
Montana Post. Marshal Howie and his Deputy, F. George
In 1861, Pinney and his family moved to Bon Homme Heldt, were immediately on the scene, arresting Pinney for
County, Dakota Territory, and served on the local election the death. Within the week, Pinney was tried and cleared
board. He became the Seventh District Representative to of the charges before U.S. Commissioner Cornelius Hedges
the legislature, eventually was elected the fi rst speaker of with the fi nding of self-defense.
the Dakota Territorial House of Representatives. During
his legislative tenure, Pinney became caught up in some George Pinney later ventured into politics and served
negative aspects of politics, which resulted in him resigning as a Montana Territorial delegate to the 1869 Republican
on 9 April 1862. Convention.
On 2 March 1864, President Lincoln appointed George M. In 1870, Pinney and his family moved to Oakland,
Pinney Provost Marshal & Captain of the Calvary of Dakota Alameda County, California. Th ere he bought a seat on
Territory. On 15 July 1862, the U.S. Senate confi rmed, and the San Francisco Stock Board and was a purchasing agent
Pinney was appointed him U.S. Marshal for the District for the U.S. Naval Paymaster. In 1873, Pinney was accused
of Dakota Territory, and he served in that offi ce until 23 and indicted for embezzlement charges, fraud, forgery, and
February 1865. issuing false certifi cates in connection with his employment
with the Navy. Aft er a three-year court battle, Pinney was
On 20 February 1865, George Pinney was appointed acquitted of all charges.
United States Marshal for Montana. Marshal Pinney was
actively engaged in the aff airs of setting up a government In 1873, George Pinney became involved in a very bitter,
for the territory. In conjunction with his duties, Pinney public divorce with his wife Flora.
secured buildings and furnishings for courtrooms and jails
at Silverbow (Butte), Virginia City, and Helena. In 1874, he was part of H. L. Hosmer & George M. Pinney
Attorneys At Law, San Francisco, California.
George M. Pinney is also credited with delivering the fi rst
Fourth of July address in Helena in 1865, actually held in In the 1880s, Pinney moved to London, England, for
Unionville (about 4 miles from Helena). When Gro. Pinney six years. Th ere he traded mining interests on the London
moved to Montana; he relocated his family to Rockford, Exchange. Around 1886, Pinney returned to the United
Floyd County, Iowa. In Iowa, his wife Harriet Maria Whitney States, living in New York City. He worked as a mining
died of childbirth complications on 25 September 1865. trader/broker and frequently traveled in the U.S. and
Europe. George M. Pinney, Sr., died on 13 May 1906, at the
On 7 February 1867, George Pinney married Flora Matilda home of his son, George M. Pinney, Jr., on Staten Island
Crawford, an Australian, at Council Bluff s, Iowa, and moved and was buried at Riverside Cemetery, Charles City, Iowa,
his family to Helena. next to his fi rst wife.
Compiled by: Reid Gardiner, Editor
Montana Freemason Page 28 Jan/Feb 2021 Volume 97 No. 1