(Big Timber & Thompson Falls, Montana) F. E. BLACKSLEE 5c Error Token

This is an error token that should read Blakeslee rather than Blackslee". At this writing, you can see the prior listing in this store for a correctly spelled copy of this token.

F. E. Blakeslee was a long time Montana Saloon Proprietor. He started out in Thompson Falls, Montana Territory back in the late 1880's and 1890's and has Business Directory listings there from 1889 to 1898. See, for example, the 1889 Montana Dun and the 1893 Bradstreet. This token could be Territorial. A copy of Blakeslee's 1889 Dun Territorial listing is provided below(third scan).

After his stay in Thompson Falls, F. E. Blakeslee and his wife Elizabeth moved on to Big Timber where they ran the Blakeslee Hotel, Restaurant & Saloon. They have listings in Big Timber Business Directories from about 1900 to 1914. And, there are two F. E. Blakeslee tokens .... a self identified token and a maverick token ....listed in the Montana Token Book in Big Timber. Given the data noted above, the maverick could have also have come from Thompson Falls. A copy of the Blakeslee's 1908 Polk listings (fourth scan)are also provided below.