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Biography

Louis Belmont Newell
aka Rolling Thunder

abt.1858 to 1-Dec-1933
Updated 6-Dec-2011

Known to his family simply as Belmont and known to the public as Chief Rolling Thunder, an Indian Doctor and entertainer. He was born about 1858, son of Thomas Newell & Marie Parsons of Indian Island, Old Town, ME.

Very little is known for certain about his early life, but he very likely traveled around with his family selling baskets, medicines, and providing various entertainments to the public. You can read about the Newell family in the  story of John Johnson, published on this web site. Belmont's father, Thomas, is probably the Dr. Newell that John Johnson traveled with and is mentioned in John's story.

We find Belmont in the 1870 Federal Census at age 11 in the household of his father, Thomas, at Indian Island. In the 1880 Federal Census he is found at age 21 with a 17 year old wife named Josephine. She is probably a member of the Francis family of Old Town, but we can not confirm that yet. She may have died young, for we find Belmont in Portland, ME on 28-Aug-1882 getting married to Victoria Thompson. In the marriage record they are both listed as being from Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Thompson is an alias surname used by the Tahamont family of Odanak.

Victoria Tahamont was born 10-Aug-1860 at St. Francois du Lac (Odanak), Quebec, daughter of Joachim & Marie Anne (Portneuf) Tahamont. The Abenaki Tahamont family is well documented at Odanak and various other places in the northeast. Victoria learned the art of basket making while growing up. Her family may have traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY (where other relatives are found) to sell their baskets each summer. However, her marriage in Portland, ME might indicate her branch of the family traveled to the Maine coast to sell their baskets. This is further supported by the fact that her older sister, Caroline Tahamont, was known to have lived in the Kennebunk, ME region later in life. Caroline married in 1875 to Henry Lorne Masta, a teacher, merchant, and book writer of Odanak.

Victoria and Belmont had a daughter, Blanche Newell, born about 1886. Blanche attended the Carlisle Indian School in PA from 29-Sep-1896 to 2-Jul-1903. Blanche died 9-May-1905 and Victoria died 13-Aug-1905.

About 1885, we find Belmont referred to as "Chief Rolling Thunder" and Victoria is called an actress in an "Indian Theatrical Show". This was most likely the Kiowa Medicine Company which we know Belmont was involved with. Just when he formed the company under that name or began using the stage name "Chief Rolling Thunder" is uncertain. In a letter dated 19-Nov-1915, it is stated that "Rolling Thunder" was an original name belonging to Belmont and that it was to be passed down to his son, William. The reason for his choice of Kiowa as the name of his show is also unclear. Publicly he claimed that his mother was a Kiowa Indian, then that his father was Kiowa, but at other times he claimed only to have been adopted by the Kiowa Tribe.

Exactly when Belmont and Victoria parted company is unclear. However, we find Victoria marrying George Paquette in Quebec in 1891. While an Iroquois woman, Louisa Stump, of Caughnawaga seems to have been married Belmont about 1892 and had a son, William B. Newell (aka Rolling Thunder II). The Carlisle records for Blanche indicate her mother's surname was Paquette and her father was deceased - but Belmont is still very much alive!

Louisa Stump was born 5-May-1868 of Iroquois parents from Caughnawaga. She was an expert shot and traveled with the Kiowa Medicine Company for a time. She also worked with several other shows of that period. She was known to her friends as Rosy Gordon. Buffalo Bill Cody called her "The Prairie Flower" while working with his show. She also awed the crowds with her trick shooting under the name "Texas Lillie". Her picture appeared in the National Police Gazette on 26-Jul-1890, where she challenged all "wing shots" in the world. Louisa died in the 1940s.

Louisa and Belmont gave birth to their son, William, in Boston, MA on 17-Dec-1892. His birth record is found in Boston records. Belmont's occupation is listed as Physician in this record and their place of residence was 23 Indiana Place, Boston, MA. It is also interesting to note that William is listed as a "white" male child, despite the fact that both his parents were Natives. William B. Newell became a very respected Professor of Anthropology.

About 1894, we find Belmont married to a young white woman named Jeanne Congleton, whose father disapproved of the situation very much at the time (he was 52 and she was 20). Jeanne served as business manager of the Kiowa Medicine and Vaudeville Company for many years. Her obituary mentions a son, Paul E. Newell, but we have not had any luck finding any information about this person.

In the 1910 Federal Census, we find Belmont on Creeks Run Road, Coldspring Town, Cattaraugus Co., NY. He is listed as Lewis B. Newell, white, age 40, born in Maine. The birth place of his father is unknown and the birth place of his mother is listed as New Hampshire. His occupation is salesman and his product is medicine. He has been married to his current wife for 16 years. His wife is Jennie L., age 37, born in New York. Also in the household are his in-laws, Wilber & Cornelia J. Congleton.

In the 1920 Federal Census, we find him again at Creeks Run, Coldspring, NY, listed as Lewis B. Newell. This time he is an Indian, age 76, working as a dairy farmer, and claiming that he and both his parents where born in North Dakota. Jennie, age 46 is listed as his wife, and his widowed mother-in-law, Jennie Congleton, age 70 is also in the household. An interesting household it is - he is older than his mother-in-law and I have a hard time envisioning Belmont getting up at the crack of dawn to milk his cows seven days a week!

A search of the 1930 Federal Census found him again at his home in Coldspring. This time he is listed as Lewis Rolling Thunder Newell, Indian, age 85, married the first time at the age of 30. He again claims he was born in North Dakota along with his father, who he claims was a full blood Kiowa, but this time he says his mother was born in Maine. He gives his mother tongue as Kiowa. His occupation is "Indian Medicine Man" in general practice. His wife is Jennie L., age 55, who was first married at the age of 19. His widowed mother-in-law, Cornelia J. Congleton, is still living in the household as is a 50 year old "cousin by marriage" named Winfield S. Badger.

As to him or his parents being born in North Dakota, this was probably just good PR to promote himself to the public as Kiowa. To friends in New York, he spoke of his father as a Penobscot guide on Moosehead Lake in Maine. There is no evidence to date to indicate that either parent was anything other than a Penobscot from Maine.

Belmont died 1-Dec-1933 and is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Randolph, NY. At the time of his death he owned a farm on Creeks Run Road in Coldspring Town, "a little hotel at Boomertown", and had money in the bank at Warren, NY. In his will, he left all his property to his current wife, Jeanne.

The will was contested by Louisa Stump, in an effort to get her son a share in the property. This relationship was not sufficiently proved in a court of law and Jeanne did inherit the entire estate. During the court proceedings, Henry Masta testified as follows;
Victoria Tahamont went by the name of Thompson because she had an uncle who used that name; that after Rolling Thunder and Victoria had their first child, they came to Odanak and lived with Masta and his wife two or three months and then went away together to carry on their business of selling Indian medicine. After they had been married about eight years, they came back to Odanak after the summer was over and stayed there about the same time; then they went away and traveled with their show. ... about twelve years after Victoria was married, she came back to live at Odanak and died there.
Records submitted to the court included the certified marriage record of Belmont & Victoria and death records for Victoria & Blanche. No mention is made of Mr. Paquette's apparent involvement with Victoria nor the fact she had other children. Apparently, William's birth certificate naming Belmont as his father was not entered as evidence.

The obituary of Jeanne, posted by Loraine Smith on the Chautauqua County Roots-Web message board reads:
P.J. Dec. 1943: Randolph: Mrs. Jennie Congleton Newell, 69, widow of Dr. Rolling Thunder Newell, died at her home in Creek Run, Town of Cold Spring, Tuesday morning. She is survived by a son, Paul E. Newell and several cousins. The remains will be at the Myers & Myers Funeral Home, Randolph, until Thursday noon, when they will be taken to the United Brethren Church at Steamburg for funeral services at 2 p.m.. Interment will be in Randolph Cemetery.

Belmont spent much of his life carrying on the traditions of his family, as traveling doctors and entertainers. From various sources we have learned that he and his "show" were well known at Jamestown, NY; visited Steamburg, NY about 1894 for a week where he met Jeanne Congleton, followed by a move to Onoville, NY where they were married by a JP; and that he traveled all over the eastern states with his Kiowa Medicine Show for forty years.

We also found the following news items:
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA, 31-Jan-1923
The Kiowa Indian Medicine Show has been very well attended. Fine entertainments and lectures were given each night. They go to Ambrose from this place Thursday, February 1st, and will be there for two weeks.

Indiana Progress, Indiana, PA, 14-Mar-1923
Rolling Thunder
Kiowa Indian medicine man, will be at Grange hall, Porter, Pa., March 15th, for two weeks.
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