O. W. ANDERSON. Among all the industries that are carried on in any community, none succeed so well as the ones that are conducted by practical men. An instance in mind is the success attained by O. W. Anderson, who is a member of the firm of Anderson & Keightley, practical blacksmiths, of Billings, Missouri. He was born in Erie County, Penn., November 18, 1850, was reared and educated in Crawford County of that state, and there also learned his trade.
His parents were Robert and Harriet (Yates) Anderson, the former of whom was born in the State of New York, soon after his mother had landed in this country from Scotland, his father having died on the ocean en route, and was buried at sea. Robert Anderson died in Ohio, but his widow survives him. Their union resulted in the birth of eleven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth.
Just at the time when O. W. Anderson should have been in school, the great Civil War came up and he was compelled to leave school to earn his living. At the age of thirteen years he bought his time of his father for $300 and started in business as a saw miller, an occupation which he followed until 1869, when he began learning the blacksmith’s trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years. In 1875 he opened a shop of his own in his native State and worked with success at his trade up to 1883, when he came West to Missouri, and the following year located in Billings, and here, in company with a Mr. Bodey, was in the black-smithing business until 1891. Mr. Anderson then sold out and embarked in the hardware business with J. B. McHenry, the firm being known as McHenry & Anderson, and carried on that business until the fall of 1892, when he bought out Mr. McHenry and conducted the business alone until 1893, when he disposed of the entire stock to the Billings Merchandise Company. In June, 1893, he returned to his early occupation blacksmithing-and the firm has since been Anderson & Keightley. Mr. Anderson has ever been a stanch Republican in politics and is a public-spirited, law-abiding and useful citizen. He has held some minor offices and has been a delegate to various conventions. Socially he is a member of the A. 0. U. W., in which he has held offices, and he also belongs to the A. F. & A. M. Mr. Anderson has been successful in the accumulation of worldly means, owns considerable real estate in Billings, and has a handsome and comfortable home where he and his wife dispense a free and cordial hospitality. Mr. Anderson was married in 1873 to Miss M. J. Connick, daughter of David and Adaline Livernore Connick, and to their union four children have been given: Lynn, Leroy, Tresa and Ralph. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church and are highly-esteemed citizens of that county.