Dr. Henry M. Wheeler, one of the best known physicians and surgeons of the Northwest, enjoys an extensive general practice in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was born in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, June 23, 1853.
The parents of our subject, Mason and Huldah (Wheeler) Wheeler, were natives of Vermont and New Hampshire, respectively, and the father was a drover and stock raiser, and went to Northfield, Minnesota, in 1856, and spent his remaining years there. Two sons composed the family of children born to this worthy couple, the brother of our subject now residing in New York.
Mr. Wheeler was reared and educated in Minnesota, and attended Carlton College of Northfield, and then began the study of medicine under Dr. C. M. Thompson. He entered the University of Michigan in 1875, and graduated in 1877, and during the same year began the practice of his profession at Northfield, Minnesota, and in 1879 entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York City, and graduated from there in 1881. He then located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and has continued his-practice there since that date. He is secretary of the state examining board, serving since 1894, and is local surgeon for the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads, which position he has held for many years. He has also served on the United States pension examining board, and is a member of the State Medical Society of Minnesota, and was president of the North Dakota State Medical Society.
Our subject was married in October, 1878, to Miss Adaline Murry, a native of Minnesota. Mrs. Wheeler died in 1881. Mr. Wheeler was married to Miss Josephine E. Connell, a native of Minnesota in 1883. Our subject is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias and was grand master of the Masonic order in North Dakota in 1888. He is a Republican politically and is firm in his convictions, but takes little part in political affairs, and has never sought public preferment. Mr. Wheeler has a handsome gold watch which was presented to him by the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota in remembrance of his services in assisting in repelling the attack on that bank in 1876 by the James and Younger brothers. A history of that famous raid was written by Professor Huntington, and he tells of the bravery and quick action of Dr. Wheeler at the time. He was visiting his home during a vacation at college in Michigan, and was one of the first to suspect an attempt was being made to rob the bank. Mr. Allen was the first to give the alarm, and at the same moment Mr. Wheeler stepped into the street from in front of his father's store where he had been sitting, and he shouted "robbery," and then turned to get his gun, but remembered he had left it at home, and then went to the Dompier hotel, where an old army carbine with three cartridges were secured, and he was soon at a second-story window. His first shot was at Jim Younger, but the gun carried high, and Younger looked for the gunner and rode on, and Mr. Wheeler then shot at M. Miller, the bullet passing through the body, severing the great artery and death ensued instantly. The third and last cartridge had fallen to the floor and bad burst the paper and a fresh supply was then brought him by a friend and immediately followed several shots at Bob Younger by Mr. Manning, and the former dodged behind a stairway and returned the fire, and this was repeated several times, when Mr. Wheeler shot at Younger and the ball struck the robber's elbow, shattering the bone. Younger coolly changed his pistol to his left hand and continued to shoot at Manning, and while Manning was endeavoring to get to the back of the store and Wheeler was re-loading his gun, Younger made his escape, and mounted a horse behind his brother, Cole. The outlaws were pursued and captured, and sentenced to life imprisonment at Stillwater, Minnesota, and the watch presented to Mr. Wheeler in appreciation of his services is shown with due pride, but the affair is seldom mentioned by Mr. Wheeler unless he is urged to do so by his many friends.
Source: Compendium and History of North Dakota 1900 Page 196