This is one of those "flukes". the seller listed it at $24.99 and the Waltham case is worth three times that, but nobody else bid it. When I unpacked it, it gave out this "feeling", so I cleaned it up and under all the grime and oxide this beauty came out of the past!

Looking at it more carefully to try and figure how someone would case a big Elgin in a Waltham Coin case like this, . . .

Some more details surfaced on the outside of the case after cleaning which added to the puzzle and possible explanation.

In 1888 Missoula Montanta Territories still had yet to be on a "through" Railroad. That would soon change due to the efforts of Mr. Hill and the (soon to be named) "Great Northern" RR.

But in 1888 a Jeweler named N.B.Donley (evidently) sold his signature named Elgin Model 5, Grade 44 s/n 3506994 movement to a Mr. "Chas. Holter" who also had his name beautifully engraved on the back of the Gold Locomotive Filled Waltham Coin Silver swing case.

Now clearly Mr. Holter knew more than the rest of the folks about the impending RR coming to town (to ship back ore from the new copper mines, and such), and clearly Mr Donley had this nice case and movement and sold them to Mr. Holter. So that is how the Elgin got into a Waltham case.

But, the question remains; Who is Mr. Chas Holter, c.a. 1880 - 1895 living in the Montana Territories?

N.B. Donley ran a jeweler & music store in Missoula, he was also a Alderman & Justice of the Peace.

I could not locate Chas Holter in Montana, there were several in surrounding states. In Helena, Mt., there was a prominent family of Anton M. Holter that ran a hardware store & apparently several places in Helena are named after him but I couldn't find a Chas. associated with him.

Tom

A.M. Holter was involved with the West Granite Mining Company that had claims near Phillipsburg Montana Territory . Charles might have been related , a son maybe . So I think your on the right track David. I cant get the link to work buts in the Montana Historical Society webpage . Mike

I checked A.M.'s kids & he didn't have a Chas. listed but there were several families in the northern states by the same last name, it appears the majority if not all came from Norway.

I will keep looking for Charles, there is one in Washington State & another in the Dakotas at the right time period.

Tom

David

The only Chrales Holter I could find that would have been of age in that area was born Oct 1848 Norway 1900 living in Miner, Adama, South Dakota Farmer, by 1930 he was farming in Barron, Wisconsin.

There are several other but they were all born in the 1870's or later & would have been young to get that watch in 1888.