Homestead Shacks over Buffalo Tracks: History of Northeastern Fergus County [Montana] (2025)

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CI.ARKE AND LUELI..A BELDEN CHRIS AND SENA I.ARSEN
LeRoy and Charlotte Belden Coulter[...]Milton and Dorothy Fogle Kalina
CHARLES AND LOUISE BISHOP[...]JOE AND EVAT. MURPHY
MILO AND MILDRED BUCK Jim and Joyce Murphy
Albert and Betty Westburg & Boys
MIKE AND STELLA MYERS
EMMA CHRISTENSEN[...]Aexsta Fink Myem
Jim and Adelphia Naylor
Dave, Shannon and Stacey Gar
Mildred Koliha
FRANK AND STELLA CIMRHAKI" SR AND INGA OISEN[...]LOUIE RINDAL
Frank and Marie Cimrhakl Melvin and Ella Rindal
Don and Marlene Rindal
SAM AND MARY COULTER
.LeRoy and Chariotte Coulter Glen and Dollie Rindal
Larry and Lucille Rindal Eckhardt
OWEN (WHISKER) AND ALEXANA DAVIS Jim and Joyce Rindal Murphy
Bill and Sharon Davis
ALVAH AND ANNA FINK[...]CI.AUDE AND MARY SATTERFIELD
Agusta Fink Myers[...]Jess and Alma Rindal Satterield
STAN AND ALICE GAR
JERRY GAR[...]Olaf Rindal
Dave, Shannon and Stacey Gar
JOE, JULIA AND CHARLES SWOBODA
OUNE HEMSING Jim and Marcie Horyoa
ANDREW ..JACK'' HEMSING[...]VAUGHN AND ERNISTINE TINDAII
JOHN AND CATHERINE HORYNA George and Victoria Stumpf, Jr.
Ray Horyna
Jim and Marcie Horyna JAY AND SUSAN VESSEY
Annie Horyna Freddie and Patricia Vessey
ARCH JOHNSON STEVE AND ELMA WEBB
laurence Sidney Johnson[...]Albert and Betty Westburg & Boys
Lillian Johnson Damschen
JOE AND CATHERINE EMMA KALINA LOUIS'CURLEY'' AND MARTHA WILLMORE
RJ. "Dick" Kalina[...]DAWN MARIE WILLMORE
Don and Charlottc Kslina Waaen and IIla Willmore
Dave and Marilyn Kalina and girls Ken Willmore Family
Larry and Sue Kalina and girls JeffWillmo[...]lina WILLIAM AND ANNA ZAHN
I.A,URENCE AND MARGA.RET KAI,.NH
JOSEPH & ANTONIA KOMAREK[...]Wilbert Sr. and Ava Kauth Zahn
JACOB AND FRANTISKA FARNIK
Mary Johnson Pollard[...]ARNOLD AND HERB ZAHN
RICHARD AND EMILY KOMAREK Wilbert "Hap" and Regena Zahn
Mary Johnson Pollard[...]Damschen Melvin and Marg:ie Zahn Campbell
Laurence Sidney Johnson
Albert and Sally Komarek ERNEST ZAHN
"Speed" and Jessie Komarek Albert and Betty Zahn Westburg & Boys

Covpn Desrcu By JA[...]Y Honvxe
o 1990 RoY HrsroRv CotttturrrBe
Prur*rBp AND DEsIGNED By CoLoR Wonlo PruNrsRs, BozsMAN,[...]

We would iike to thank all the people it took to make this book a reality. people from
the age of 12 to 87 helped with this book. Some peopl[...]l mention.
A special thanks to our patient and fearless leader, Illa Willmore. The secretary-
treasurer, Jessie Komarek, spent hours keeping the records and finances straight. The
research team was Marie Zahn, Ella Rindal, and Donna Lund. They donated a lot of time
and effort. The members of the committee are Bill Davis, Monte Lund, Ray Horyna,
Lucille Umstead, Warren Willmore, Roy and Charlotte Coulter, Dick Kalina and Speed
Komarek. They helped in many ways.[...]ur pioneer residents for their memories of people and places: Winnie Rife,
Harold Bauman, Marcy and Jim Horyna, Frank and Murna Southworth. Frank and
Marie Cimrhakl, Steve Gilpatrick and Ernest Zahn.
Thanks to those who helped by proofreading, filing, indexing and in numerous other
ways: Sue Kalina, Charlotte K[...]rek, Pixie Zieski, Vicki Willmore, Sue
Willmore and Barb Kalal. Thanks to the Roy School and B. J. Niemi, A special thanks to
the students who helped: George Maruska for the computer work; Misty Will*or., Roxie
Willmore, and Kathy Kalina for proof reading, frling and indexing; Jamie Strunk
Kananen for art work. Th[...]e a great help.
Thanks to Mary Ann Quiring and Rachael Eide for their help and advice. Thanks for
photos and information above the call of duty: Carley Graham, Edyth Kauth Oquist,
Earline Tully McNeil, Helen Hanson Hartman, Don Hardy and Dodie Rife.
Thanks to all the people who helped by writing stories and writing letters. Thanks for
art work to Illa Willmore and Marie Zahn.Thanks to Monte Lund for donating a sc[...]like to thank our families for putting up with us and encouraging
us. Many time the housework didn't get done because the book needed work.
Thanks to all the countless others, who donated time, money and knowledge and sent
in material for usage in this book. This book is the result of many hours of volunteered
help.[...]one has to remember that everyone can see, hear, and teli the
same story in different ways, The readers will find various stories that differ slightly in
the telling for this reason. We cannot verify the exact accuracy and details of stories or
dates but they are as close to the facts as possible.
We will continue to gather information and it will be on file for anyone who wishes to
use it. If anyone has data or stories on any of the homesteaders in this area please send it
to us. M[...]e were able to include in this book. We had poems and
maps and information that had to be cut to fit the space in the book.
Don Hardy made us a set of eight maps showing the early homesteads. Anyone
interested in copies should contact the History Committee.
In spite of all the work it toolt to do this book, some people are al[...]Roy History Committee

[The Roy History Committee assumes no responsib[...]

The idea for doing a history of the Roy-Fergus-Valentine area had been tossed around
for several years; it took the deaths of a couple of "Old Timers" to get the ball rolling.
From the time we seriousll'began work, till the time we finish will be about three years.
We[...]to have Mary Pollard who had access to newspapers and data at the
library and copied mirads of material for us. Marie Zahn, who was born and raised in this
country, knew many people and had kept track of many and had clipped articles from
magazines and papers of anything about anyone from this area. S[...]full of
items, including old letters, post cards and clippings. This has been invaluable.
To begin with three families met and talked about doing a history. They started a list[...]ld think of that had lived here. Then everyone in the commun-
ity was invited to a meeting. About 20 showed up the first time. More names were added to
the list, also addresses were added where possible. B[...]books were great at giving us all kinds of
advice and ideas.
We organized a history group wiih officers and a set of by-Iaws. It does help to have
people support such a project. Most of the work has fallen on about four of the group. Some
people didn't feel able to do the actual research and writing but were invaluable in identi-
fying photos, remembering people, places and events, in contacting other people for
information and in helping to sponsor raffles, pre-book sales, donations, a dance, the saie
of special pens, paper and envelopes and in memorials. Ideally on a project such as this
there should be one group of people doing the research and writing and another group
dealing with finances. However we d[...]a few did both.
We sent form letters to all the people we had addresses for along with a geneology
form and a request for addresses of anyone else. Response was better from those who lived
away from the area than from the locals. Then began the hours of interviewing people,
verifying facts and correcting dates, names and events. Some people sent complete stories
while others sent facts and someone had to rewrite them in story form. Marie Zahn did
hours of research at the library and courthouse; Frank Cimrhakl also did much research
at the courthouse.
In order to create interest we t[...]ny people, of all ages, as possible in
working on the book. There was a book naming contest and a book cover designing
contest. We gave a talk at the high school. Ilia put little items of history in[...].
We talked to many printers around Montana, and in other states, in an effort to put
out a qualit[...]to
make before printing can begin, such as: type and color of cover, kind of paper, size and
style of type, overall design, number of copies to order and much more.
Many people have helped in many ways and they are mentioned elsewhere in this
book. There were hours of typing and reams of paper used, as well as file folders and lots of
postage.
There is a great deal of wo[...]his type to be able to do it in
three vears shows the dedication of the workers and members of the committee.

The area surrounding Black Butte, and the north- phere, distances can be deceiving and the Little Rocky
eastern corner of the Judith Mountains. across the Mountains and the Bear Paws to the north, at times,
rolling prairie lands north to the Missouri River breaks can look to be within 'hands' reach. The prairie and
and down to the river bottoms and east to Valentine, breaks lay in between.
comprise the area of our history. It is approximately 40 The prairie is an everchanging land. In the spring it
miles square.[...]is a mixture of light greens, gtays and silvers, yellows,
The Roy valley has an elevation of 3100 feet and the reddish-pinks and blues. In the fall it is gray and gold
breaks, where Armells Creek dumps into the Missouri and brown. The highly erodable soil, "gumbo", in
River, is 2900 feet at the top of the ridge and 2200 feet summer's heat becomes a powdery dust that whirl-
on the bottom.[...]w trailing to water, can send blow'
Black Butte and the Judiths frame the southwestern ing high into the atmosphere. A rain shower can
boundary. Under the vast skyline, and clear atmos- quickly turn it[...]

Hereford, Angus and crossbreds dot the range. airplanes of all sizes break the quietness with their
The area is still primitive; wildlife abounds, ranche[...]flight area for
are secluded, but where once only the eagles soared, jet our National defense syste[...]a Carpenter, Henry Otten, Dick Reed, Herman Otten and BilI Cook. Some of the other
men who rode for Deoton were: Chunky Conoll[...]-river from St. Louis. This was not
Joseph Kipp and James W. Schultz leave Fort Benton stored in the post because of being in trouble with the
for Carroll to erect a trading post for the I.G. Baker U.S. Marshall as this post was for the purpose of
Company in the "last of the buffalo country", where Indian trade. Hewie was in charge and when Indians
some years previous, Matt Carroll and Colonel C.A. ordered the liquor he received an order from the post.
Broadwater attempted the overland freight route to Another small building was built for smoking buffalo
Helena-the Carroll Trail. tongues. This completed the trading post.
Three four-horse teams loaded with trade goods were North and south, the plains were black with herds of
sent overland while Kipp, Guardipee and Schultz buffalo. Daily they came to water at the river and
boarded the Steamboat "Red Cloud" (an I.G. Baker returned to the plains to graze. In mating season, the
Company boat). They tied up on the upper end of the bulls made a deep moaning sound that rumbled like
bottom, a sagebrush flat and a twenty foot cutbank thunder, so different from domestic bulls. Sometimes
skirting the water. Long John Forgy and his bull- they would come in at a run and charge out into the
wackers were already getting out building logs from a river-often crossing and goingrto graze on the plains
large grove of cottonwoods on the lower end of the bot- on the north side. When stampeded, a herd would wipe
tom. None of the Broadwater-Carroll buildings remain. out ev[...]ing to
Augustus Tyler had a small log building on the extreme guard against when out hunting.
upper end where he carried on trade with the wood- Indians began to arrive to hunt and trade, Blackfeet,
hawks located here who furnished wood for the steam- then the Bloods and next Red Rivers and Crees with
boats. By September the first, the trading post was Ircuis Riel's French Crees.
built. The main building was 100'x 40', partitioned 25' Five dollars was the price given for a head and tail
x 40' trade room with two counters and shelves in back cow buffalo robe. A family would bring from five to
for groceries and dry goods. Behind this building ten robes. The man would count the $1.00 brass checks
another three room building was built for kitchen and and keep a few for himself, $ving the rest to the women
dining room, cooks quarters as well as seve[...]sugar, tea, flour, baking powder,
employees. Kipp and Schultz had their bed in the trade cloth for gowns, beads, thread and needles. The men
building. The warehouse, the greater part of the post bought tobacco, cartridges plus whiskey. Many men
held $6,000 worth of stock and trade goods. A small did not drink.

Goon[...]-
Joe LaFountain told of the buffalo bunting days of Eli most of it went to feed the buffalo horees. Thie was done
Gardipee and others. This was in the 18?0'e and '80's, by wetting the hay and epdnkling it with flour. Flour took
when the white men wiehed to subdue the Indiane by the place of oats ae there wa8 not any oats raised bere in
elaughtering the buffalo, thereby forcing the Indians to those days. The buffalo hunters located the herde and
stay on their respective reseryations and accept the whitc start€d ehooting. The herd would run with the huntere in
men's terms.[...]ll as
Eli worked oostly irr Roy, Grass Range and Judith Eany a8 they could.
Basi[...]llent rifle Men would follow up to start the skinning neceesar5r for
shot, was employed for the purpose of killing the animals. the next procedure. Others would follow with teams and
A good buffalo horse wae worth a lot of money for he wag:ons. Teams were ueed to pull the hide from the buffalo
was an exceptional horse. The horee must be fleet of foot, carcass. The buffalo hides were then hauled to the river
must be able to run Bany miles at top speed and muet be points for drying and shipment east.
well broken ao a rnan could eho[...]Flour was selling for $100 a sack at Rocky Point and apiece. Later, ae they became acarce, the price went up. ,[...]

Records show that gold and silver and other minerals Bamboo Dick Gies will commence work in earnest on the
were d.iscovered and mined in 1888 and the early 1900's Cave lode in the spring.
in the Cone Butte district. The town of Roy lies about 10 Pretty Dick Hanson is drifting 6n hi5 slpim, "The Bull of
miles north of Cone Butte, a mountain which arises the Woods." He has four feet of line ore.
from the flat land and is part of the Judith Mountains. Lime Horse Jack[...]ntain. He has a fine prospect.
News, stated what the local miners were doing. Contact Billy Maurer is etill running for the contact on[...]Silver Reef. He ie in about 250 feet and expects to etrike it
Straight Tunnel Chris Fassold is laying off and recruit-[...]

It is stated in the Time Life book, "The Rivermen", est to dock at Fort Benton. In[...]ried 300 head
that 700 different steamboats plied the Missouri be, of cattle belonging to Asa Samples to market at Omaha,
tween 1819 and after the disappearance of the paddle- Nebraska. Captains Joseph LaBarge,[...]ic after 1900; of these, some 300 were and Daniel Maratta of the Fontanelle, one of the fastest
destroyed in service and left their bones in the river, boats on the river, were only three of the famous
due to weather related accidents, snags that pierced rivermen.
their hulls, reefs, sandbars and some were the result of The treacherous nature of the upper Missouri was
human error, such as the "Chippewa". She was set on shown when the "Marion", commanded by Captain
fire by her rowdy crew in a drinking session; and when Abe Wolf, went hopelessly aground at Pablo Rapids in
the fire ignited barrels of powder stored in her hold, the 1864. Captain Marsh brought the Luella down from
ship was blown to smithereens. Fort Benton, rescued the passengers and freight, sal-
With the gold strikes in 1863, Captain Joseph vaged the machinery and returned to Fort Benton
LaBarge went into opposition to the American Fur where the unfortunate vessel's equipment was sold.
Company and his firm of LaBarge, Harkness and The beautiful Grand Union Hotel, Fort Benton, one
Company advertised passage to "the mountains", of Montana's oldest hote[...]2
which drew heavy loads of passengers, bound for the November 1882 by Stephen Sptizley and company. It
gold fields. The "Emilie" and "Shreveport", LaBarge was built on the west end of the levee, a three stgry
boats, with 400 tons of cargo and 300 passengers, the brick structure, made from 500,000 red and yellow
first wave of emigrants which came to settle Montana, bricks from the local kiln. It's construction cost was
raced up the flood-swollen river that spring, against the $50,000 plus $150,000 for furnishings. This was the
American Fur Company steamers, "Key West" and most luxurious hotel in the West and catered to river
"Spread Eagle", beating them by three days. and overland travelers, supplying the fineries of East-
The T. C. Power and I. G. Baker businesses in Fort ern civilization.
Benton, together, bought the steamboat, "Benton" in "All trails lea[...]nton" was a familiar state
1875, which was called the Benton Packet Company, ment. The community was the anchor of the Mullan
the Block "P" Line, (a box with the letter P in the cen- Road to Walla Walla;the road to Helena and other gold
ter, their symbol, was made clearly visable mounted mining towns that branched offfrom the Mullan Road.
between the upper smokestacks of their boats). The The Whoop-Up Trail led to Canada and Fort Mcleod,
Coulson & Peck Line, called the Missouri Transporta- with much commerce carried over this route to the
tion Company and the Kountz Line were stiff competi- north. The Fisk Wagon Road brought settlers from St.
tors. Power expanded his business to carry overland Paul and North Dakota through northern Montana
freight and passengers and was known as Benton and was another imporiant overland trail.
Transportat[...]n conjunction with Fort Benton became the commercial center of Mon-
the steamboats. Captain Grant Marsh, a fabled Mis- tana at this period, with the Missouri River, the nain
souri River boatman, was hired by them to pilot their avenue oftravel and transportation from the East and
pride steamer, "The Helena". Power had become the
owner of several more steamboats and thus was able to
underbid the Coulson Line with their diversified system.
The usual up-river trip from St. Louis to Fort Benton
was made in 60 to 65 days. The average fare was 9150
in 1867 and some 1,500 persons reached Montana in
these vessels. Much of the mining machinery was
transported by boat to Fort Benton for the 35 quartz
mills in this area.
Intriguing names[...]D EAGLE, LUELLA, BATCHELOR, The steamboat Helena going up the Missouri Riuer
JOSEPHiNE, SILVER BOW, PENINAH, ROSEBUD about 1875. The boots brought in troppers, ntiners,
and the WYOMING which was 265 feet long, the larg- soldiers and supplies.

boomed in the early 1860's. Some emig:ants came in then overland only the last hundred or so miles to the
via the Bozeman trail and north from Casper. Some placer mines. Shipments of gold, furs and hides, wool
came from the Pacifrc Coast, but to be sure, most of the and livestock, passengers, the military people as well
miners and their supplies came up this river route and as mail went down the river to the Eastern ports"[...]RAcED
Missouri pilots were a hot-blooded breed and engaged narrow chute to port-side, in hopes the high water level
in races, partly because fast boats won lucrative freight would make the short cut passable.
contracts and while mostly on a friendly basis, some Spread Eagle's pilot suddenly saw the short route
became a no-holds-barred, imperiling[...]head of Emilie was navagable. Rather than let her
and passengers lives. take the lead, he threw the wheel over and ro-med
Twenty-nine-year-old Samuel Hauser, pros[...]w into Enilie, deliberately trying to
heading for the Montana gold fields experienced such a disable her. The impact *ss dnngerously near Emilis's
duel. (Hause[...]the two boats were locked together. Emilie's pilot was
June 6, 1862, ihis race began as the "Emilie" and the so enraged that he let go the wheel and snatched his
"Spread Eagle" left Ft. Berthold heading for Ft. Ben- gun and would have shot Spread Eagle's pilot had not
ton. Hauser was aboard the Emilie. Gathering steam to his son stopped him. The boats drifted, while pas-.
the last notch, the quaking boat passed the Spread sengers and crews exchanged threats and curses. For-
Eagle. (There was poor regulation of steam power and tunately, the two boats separated on their own accord,
some of the pilots did not regard the danger.) With as related by Hauser, and f,milig's engineer turned on
much applause from the deck, the Spread Eagle built a the last pound of steam, causing her to glide by and
new head of steam and charged to the lead. Emilie's Emilie reached Fort Bent[...]ilot encouraged his engineer to put on more power and ahead of her rival. This race proved the fleetness of
soon she drew abreast and they held this pace for more Emilie and earned her owner a big share of the river
than an hour. On reaching a point where the river split trade which more than compensated for the damage
by a towhead (an island submerged by high spring done in the race.
water), Spread Eagle veered to starboard, following the
wideJooping main channel. Emilie's pilot chose the

SreAMeoar AND WooD Hawrs
by Con Anderson

In the year 1914 the U.S. Government was still the root portion and let them float down river. Now,
spending money to keep the Missouri River open for the there are many of these trees lodged in the river as
large stern wheel boats that went up to Ft. Benton, snags.
before the railroads were built. Why the river was kept Crews still sawed the trees along the banks of the
open for river tra{c this late is a mystery to me[...]although steam boat haffrc had stopped a long
The Gros Ventre was the name of the stern wheel time before this. These bo[...]ood for fuel
paddle boat I saw in 1914. It raised the cottonwood power and many of the old timers I knew cut pitch pine
trees that were in the river. Men sawed the trees from for the riverboats. They were called "wood hawks".

THo Nalans AND LncnNos Or Laxorraams. Thans AND STREAMS[...]edly received its name from a
French trapper in the early 1860's. Armells also has[...]n-
been known by a couple of other names. Lewis and tana with a trail herd from Texas, was working for
Clark on their journey up the Missouri River called it Spud Stephens and was also a wolfer and a trapper.
South Mountain Creek. The Indians named it "It He would set traps for wolves in their dens in the fall
Crush Them Creek", for some women who were dig- and in the spring would hunt the dens when the pups
ging for red paint in the soil along the creek and were being born.
were killed when a[...]ed in on them. He was camped near the Red Barn Ranch, a few

description Lewis and Clark gave of Sacajawea Drag Creek The original name was Draggin' Ass
River in no way[...]at if one drank too
normally only flows during the wet season. much of it they drug[...]by Marie Zahn

The Carroll Tlail was 225 miles overland from Carroll[...]stmaster. post
to Helena. Beginning at Carroll on the south side of the offi.ce established: Jvne 22, 18?4, Dawson County,
Missouri River, the Carroll Trail struck out south- Montana Teritory, discontinued October 90, 188?.
westerly around the north and west of the Judith p{urphy, Neel & Company - bra[...]'these
Mountains, to Camp Lewis, left the Judith Basin at stores offered luxuries as well as necessities
Judith Gap, skirting the southern edge of the Little Belt which could be found at Helena. T.L. Marshall"-
Mountains and crossing the Missouri River at Canyon hotel. G.R. Norris - saloon. Captain C.C. Rawn and
Ferry, ending in Helena.[...]. These buildings
1870: E.G. Maclay masterminded the operation of were situated on an alluvial plain, 20 feet above the
the Carroll Landing and the Carroll Trail named for watermark. Kountz[...]was not done.
Helena financier, a partner in the undertaking. Ttre L8752 The Coulson Steamboat Line replaced the
Treaty of 1855 gave the land south of the Missouri Kountz Line in order to provide better river service.
River to the Blackfeet Tribe, through which the It was impossible to transport entire[...]nt land, no matter where they were unloaded and the
revoked this treaty in 1873 and the Crow Tribe nego- layover was hauled at a reduced rate as the freigh-
tiated to trade their Yellowstone lands for one-half ters endeavored to get the goods through before
million acres of the Judith Basin in January of 1874. winter. During 1875 season mail delivery between
General Alfred H. Terry dispatched infantr5r com- Canoll and Helena was made in three days by
panies to guard the new route. One company at stagecoac[...]ttacks were occurring at
small number guarding the road station at Box these locations[...], 3 recruits killed aud 60
Elder, two infantry and one cavalry company at the horses stolen; Armells Station, BB of the 46 mules
forks of the Musselshell and two companies garri- were run off and at Deep Creek Station, the stock
soned at Camp Baker. (Later named Fort Logan) herder was murdered. The Sioux invaded Carrol!
. The Fontenelle, May Lowry, Ida Stockdale, Katie and took many picketed horses. A complete herd of
P. Kountz and the Peninah were the Kountz steam- mules were stolen from Din-ond City. A warning
boats. The first vessel, Peninah arrived at Canoll on f[...]ouis soldier stated, ,,rebove your
May 8, 1874-the cargo was promptly transfered to Diamond R outfi.t from this road before the Sioux do
the Dia-ond R Mule Train. Although the freight did it for you." A call for more military protection was
arrive at Helena ahead of the Fort Benton river issued, but none cam[...]182b, an
route, rejoicing was short-Iived for the Kountz line anonJrmous writer from Carroll stated, ,,The freight-
soon proved inept.[...]ur heights one can gaze on foreuer
The Sentinel of the Prairie to the north, south, eost ond west
Guor[...]We all regard os the Best.
Guiding us Great and SmaII. By Charlotte Coulter

The Indian held you in reuerence Black Butte is probably the most famous of the
The pioneers kept you in sight landmarks in the area. It can be seen from the Winnett
Standing aport from the mountains turn off on Highway 87 to the Hays Hill. Eariy settlers
You guided them home ot night. gave it the tribute of being an ancient volcano because

the snow never iay on the summit. A Roy science eral deg:ees warmer than on top; another reason why
teacher and some of his students measured the temper' the snow never stays long.
ature of the Butte at one time and discovered that not There are several stories about how it got its name.
too far beneath the surface the temperature was gev- One is that Lewis and Clark, on their expedition,[...]named this promontory when they named the Judiih[...]burned off before Lewis and Clark came. Never-the.less
the Butte usually looks black from all directions, no[...]matter how bright or how cloudy the day.
On the topmost part of Black Butte is a place that[...]was used by the Indians for tbeir signal point. Using[...]It is said that whenever you see a halo on the Butte,
look out for the weather. Many times when the clouds
are hanging low and blowing around the Judiths; they
dissipate when they reach the pass between them and
Block Butte, os seen from the south. the Butte and leave Black Butte standing all alone.[...]by Marie Webb Zahn

Ross Pass is the gateway in the Judith Mountains when asked to pay up, he pulled a gun and tried to kill
between Rocky Point and Fort Maginnis. In the 1880's the winner. Jim stepped in and ordered the man to lay
Rocky Point and Wilder were associated with Fort down his gun and leave the premises, but instead he
Maginnis and the telegraph line between these two fired at Jim. Atkinson was a no-gun man but was cool-
points. Freight brought up the Missouri River on the headed and a good shot he fired once and killed the[...]ransferred to freight wagon trains
pulled by oxen and horses, bound for the Fort, Maiden The shanger canried no identification and no one
and Gilt Edge.[...]from where he came. He was buried in an un-
At the top of the river hill the road followed the old marked grave about 200 feet to the left of the saloon. No
Carroll Trail to Cone Butte, turning south and heading charges were made against Atk[...]y after
through Ross Pass instead of going around the Judith he closed and abandoned the Mountain House. He went
Mountains. The country through Ross Pass is rugged to the lower Yellowstone valley where he worked as a
and scenic. packer and helper at the Burns Trading Post. In 1883
A road house called the "Mountain House" was Jim Atkinson and Millie Burns were married and they
located near the summit on the Gilt Edge side. This moved by covered wagon to homestead at the present
crude saloon was owned and run by Jim Atkinson, site of Roy, Montana. Their buildings were acrose the
known as "Buckskin Jimmie". This ie where tired Box Elder Creek and juet below where the present Roy
wagon masters and their crews, miiitary scouts, pros- Stockyards are located. There was a good spring of
pectors and trail-weary cowboys stopped to wet their water at this point.
whistles. The Mountain House was built in 1881 or 1882 Jimmie was employed hauling government freight
and operated only a short time due to a tragedy. from Fort Benton to Fort Maginnis and supplies to the
A killing took place over a poker game - the victim McNamara store at Fort Maginnis and the mining
being a stranger who rode up and sat in on the game. town of Maiden for four years[...]At first he was winning, but began losing heavily and

Out an the lonely Mountain prairie A s[...]ly, wild frontier.
It's oll weather-beaten and gray
It was once someone's only home, For as cowboys and, the lonely riders
Always could find peace and quiet there.
But now it's all alone and empty Indians, coyotes and bull snokes
As the wind blows in fresh air.[...].
Its roof is all dry as proirie dirt
And the walls are all bore.[...]Someone who really knows.
On the wolls once were a few family pictures Just how far bach in the past
To brighten up the lonely place The story of the lonely cobin goes.
But don't get me all wro[...]disgrace. Yes, I remetnber the lonely cabin
All shaggy, weather-beaten and gray.
In fact it's a great synbol[...]ho ride by there. On the Montona prairies so far away.[...]by Margaret Hedman

When and why the homesteaders came to this hour[...]ation among within one-half hour, by the sun.
the present generation. Visiting and restful socializing usually began the
When they came was more or less determined by the minute someone rode or drove into the yard. If the
Homestead Acts in various parts of the country. Why homesteader was out working the field, into the house
they came can possibly be answered in one o[...]time was never
terms, called desire for adventure and a natural instinct considered wasted as the enjoyment of company was
to gamble with the elements of nature. How they genuine. This was proven by a fire being built in the cook
managed to survive and eke out a bare living is an stove and the presence ofa coffee pot on the hottest lid.It
unanswered question. was understood that the company stay for a meal or
The homesteader did a few improvements and with two. In later years, after the Model T and faster trans-
each passing year the place took on a personality that portation became used, if anyone would get in a hurry
paralleled and conveyed the hopes and dreams of the and not stay for a meal they would quickly make an
ow[...]enemy, because refusing a meal, maybe only spuds and
This raw country had nothing in the line of conven- eggs, was the surest way to make a homesteader angry.
iences; n[...]In those days there wasn't a lock on anything. The
the healthful qualities that nature brings fresh air,[...]I am referring to could only be locked
wild birds and game animals and freedom.- The home, by putting a knife in the door from the insiqe.
stead was truly the embryo of free enterprise; within it's Nob[...]easons; first, they
boundaries lay a challenge to the homesteader, and could trust all their neighbors and secondly, if a hungry
years have proven only the toughest, most stubborn person should ride by while the owner was out in the
and those with the best health stayed on. One had to be field, he was certainly welcome to stop in and fix a
healthy in mind and body to withstand the hardships meal. When done and ready to ieave, it was very uneth-
encountered in[...]ical to not wash the dishes, fill the water pail and the
" To this generation who have enjoyed a pampered[...]'Thank You'.
compared to homestead days, probably the question Homesteaders were keen observers. They could tell
arises as to the sanity of these old timers in sticking to who visited them by the size and shape of the fresh
such a rough life. The life in question was a very satisf- horse tracks in the yard and by how things were left in
ying experience to those who had the spirit to enjoy the the house. In later years this same talent of observa[...]n; was used on Model T tire tracks left in the yard. Model
such as-no schedule for work or play,[...]ng tires like people
to get up, eat or go to bed. The amount of daylight in a have on their cars nowdays, so the different treads were
day was usually the controliing factor in how many[...]

failed. Montana was the only state in the 48 that had a steaders with only a milk cow or two, and back to large
popuiation decline in the 1920's. iandowners. A small operation today is the fellow who
In the late 30's things began to get better again, and farms a couple thousand acres and runs at least a cou-
with the outbreak of WWII another boom was exper-[...]ing behind a team pulling a plow turning
In the 50's Roy stiil had a grocery-mercantiie store,[...]an, turning over a hundred acres a day.
Union Oil and Hardware Company, two grain eleva- A homesteader, in the early days, might sell out for a
tors, a cafe and hotel, a garage, two bars, postoffice, few hundred dollars, if lucky. Today?
liquor store, school and train service. Fergus had an limit.[...]- the sky's the
elevator, store, postoffice and school. Many of the area's farmers and ranchers of today are
Today Roy has three businesses, a post office and the the children, grandchildren and even great grandchild-
school. Fergus has nothing but a seldom used commun- ren of the men and women who made it through the
ity hall and at Valentine there is only the skeleton of difficult, sometimes imposs[...]are here
that once popular community hall. Alt of the small out- today, despite the drouths, grasshoppers, hail, bliz-
lying rural sc[...]es now zards, weeds, depressions and sometimes cruelly low
transport children to schoo[...]prices they get for their wheat and beef. They are made
The population continues to decline and the ranch of the "tough" stuff that they have to be made of
units get larger. The area has gone from the era of a few order to survive, as they ha[...]a I was to become well acquainted And here we were in Montana, a place where what
with-the remote range land of Central Montana.[...]"Jack" Hemsing, of Seattle, settled The ground was bare, and cold prevailed. Remember,
in Fergus County around 1915. His mother, Olene too, this was the era of the Midwest Dust Bowl, one of
Hemsing, homesteaded adjoining property a few years the most devastating drought periods in our nation's[...]history. It was also the height of the the Great
I recall my mother, Gertrude Hemsing Cornwall, des- Economic Depression.
cribing the dif{iculties Uncle Jack had making it to The frrst lesson, of my off-campus education, had to
Lewistown, the county seat, to register for the draft do with cutting firewood. Uncle Jack had been cutting
when the U.S. entered World War I" burned pine over in the breaks when he contracted the
My Montana experience began Thanksgiving Day, pneumonia that took his life. I drove the Dodge through
1935. We were gathered around the dinner table at the the sage brush to where Uncle Jack had been cutting
C[...]n LaConner, Washington when trees and there I found the tools of my new trade; a
the phone rang unexpectedly. It was bad news. Uncle bucksaw and an axe.
Jack had died. When the job was done, I began heading back. Then
That nighi it was decided that my mother and I, then boom! I hit something! It was a large "hidden rock"
all of 15, would drive to the Montana community of Roy that had been behind some sage brush. The collision
to settle Uncle Jack's estate. The next morning we tore off the bottom of the oil pan.
loaded up the '34 Dodge for our great adventure. There I was with no telephone, no transportation and
I didn't have a license, but I was going to be behind no car tools. So I went to the cabin of John Umstead, a
the wheel. No driving exam could've matched what we[...]steader. Cabins in central Montana
encountered on the trip. It was foggy, snowy, and icy seemed to be paired together for a mutual support, since
all the way to Montana.[...]in any
What an adventure for a grandma, mother and son! direction.
Greenhorns ali. We[...]gh it; thought John, his wife Roxy, and two year old son, Billy, pro-
we could come and go as we pleased. Little did we know v[...]Cope, whose cabin was a 10 mile horseback ride
The cabin, (12 x 24 feet, but to a 15 year old from the away might have a tool to take off the pan bolts. Sure
city, it felt like 8 x 16), was h[...]bedding, no clothing, One of themfit the bolts.
no utensils. No anything. I only had the street clothes My next problem was how to get to Roy, or Lewis-
and shoes that a kid would wear in the Northwest. town, some 75 m[...]

coming from the river to town, one day, and that I could take a nap, which puzzled rrie[...]someone did show. I spotted a car headed our way, and lying down, as we had been. L)thers were g;razing. So rve
flagged it down. The driver said his name was Joe Bell. got our deer, and drove right to them. How convenient
His ranch was on the north side of the river, but he kept it was! No dragging. I was certainly impressed. We
his car on the south side so that he could drive into we[...]We spent the Christmas Floliday Season at the
"C'mon kid," Joe said. "We'll get you fixed up. I'm McNulty Ranch, on the river. On New Years we visited
comin' back right[...]Joe Beil. It was so coid we were able to drive the car on
Those were the best words I could've heard. This was the iced-over river. That was great excitement for th[...], Joe said he'd find me before we Jensen and Woodcock advised us our next need was a
headed back. So we parted, and I headed to Wass Mer- load of ice for drinking water. It was to last well past
cantiie to use the telephone. The car dealer I called in Easter that winter, supplying both the Llmstead and
Lewistown quickly brought me back to earth. He said it Hemsing families. I worked on the pond, cutting and
would take a month or two to get a new oil pan.[...]find a welding shop. But there In January the weather was ctild but clear: and calm.
was none in Roy. What I did find was a livery stable. During the second cold week a bachelor homesteader,
Luckily, the blacksmith there said he could solder a[...]man asked me to drive him to Hilger,
cans of oil, and was sitting alongside the road with the saying he had a family there to see. Turned[...]ll. a battery radio in his shack, and the weather report he
An hour passed. No Joe Bell.[...]said to wait. That was advice I later The blizzard, needless to say, was nervs to me. I got[...]made it to a lost in a prairie dog town, the snow drifts making it
cabin, having evaded range cows and other wildlife. impossible to know exactly where I was. Somehow,
I knocked on the cabin door, and a man answered. around 3 a.m. I made it back to the homestead.
"What do ya want?" he asked. Grandma told me to bring the car battery inside, and
"Will you lend me a horse?" to jack up the car in the morning since the cold weather
"Nope, but I'li take you home." could compress and flatten the tires. But by morning
We arrived at the homestead about 2 a.m. A week the tires were already well down. So I had to put the car
Iater none other than Joe Bell stopped by. "I told ya I up on blocks, and it didn't move again for three months.
was coming[...]e said. That was when I real- Day by day the weather got colder. The wind got
ized that time on the prairie has a different dimension. stronger and the snow flew faster. There was no shadow
I remember making many trips to Roy and Lewis- in the daylight, just a gray blue. It was brighter many
town regarding Uncle Jack's estate and to stock up on nights than it was during the day. So we dressed fully
winter provisions. Among those provisions were sacks for the outdoors 24 hours a day. We were stuck and
of coal, which I was to learn were real luxury items. didn't realize the situation.
We were fortunate to have had good friends helping The snow made the whole country flat. The coulees
us settle in. Ralph and Bertha Jensen, her son Jess disappeared. The corral, barn and cabin became just
Woodcock and his wife Mable and their son, Billy, took odd shapes in snowdrifts, changing with the relentless
us under their wings. They were sheep ranchers on wind and driving snow.
Sand Creek, about 10 miles east on the traii toward Grandma had experience i[...]said, after the snow piled up, "we have wash water."
Jess tol[...]eat, meaning venison. She told us to melt the snow on our stove. AII day we
He voiunteered to take me hunting. The winter weather packed snow into the wash tub on the stove.
was getting cold, but the sky stayed bright and The problem was the snow was so dry it was hard to
pleasant for our hunting foray. I was wild to go on my get water into the tub. It evaporated as fast as it melted.
first e[...]hunt. It made the job nearly ridiculous. To melt our ice for
It[...]inking required that we keep a metal container on the
That was yet one more lesson in time. What followed stove.
the next day was a lesson in prairie hunting. After several weeks there was still no break in the
Jess walked a few' minutes, surveying what he[...]weather. It just got colder. I spoke with Umstead and
"the signs". Then he decided to lie down in the sun and decided to make the more than L0 mile horseback ride

to the Jensen Ranch to see if there was any news of the weli's saloon, across from Wass Mercantile[...]The next morning we packed our supplies from
I dis[...]Wass's Store. I was hungry for fresh fruit and stuffed
from Roy out the Little Crooked route, another five my waist with apples and oranges, keeping theur in
miles beyond. So I mad[...]hat made for bulky riding, but it
communicate to the family back home on a weekly was the only way to keep them from freezing[...]made shorter rides with more
Often picking up the mail, for the Jensens, IJmsteads,
Hemsings, Cornwalls, and McNultys, brought no news frequent ra[...]night when it was time to
but I was happy to have the activity and contact with rest ourselves and our horses, we stopped at Curiey Wil-
the nonworld outside. lmore's place, and it was there I discovered to my great
Along the mail route I would stay at Jensens or the dismay that my precious fruit had frozen solid like a
Woodcock cabin, as the weather dictated. The trip to belt around my waist. There would be no treat of appies
the river was great. The McNulty Ranch had feed for and oranges. I was very disappointed, but everyone got
cattle and a rare stock of supplies. I made pack trips to a chuckle out ofit.
McNultys when the river hill was not driveable. The third day on the trail AI Snook headed for our
One difficult part of feeding cattle on bare, unshel- place on the King Ttail and I took off to the Jensen
tered ground was that a poor cow could freeze and Ranch, on Sand Creek, by way of the Jakes place. I
topple over while eating. A gun wa[...]o rested a night at Jensens, dropped off the mail. I then
that the cow could be shot and dragged out if it were to stayed an extra da[...]t, a storm popped up so I didn't
was happening to the stock out in the breaks, as ours get in til dark. I had been five days on the trail. Mom
and Umsteads were, along with many others. and grandma were upset because they'd had no word of
The thermometers we had bottomed out at 52 below. my whereabouts.
So when the mercury plunged to the limit we had no As I walked into the corral shed to put away my gear,
idea just how co[...]that minus -60 degrees was frequently recorded in the beneath the roof. As one magpie swept by I reached for
area. The warmest it got for ten to twelve weeks, at it, but it broke my grasp and its tail feathers broke off.
least, was minus -20[...]onth of these conditions our supply situa- and down like a roller coaster.
tion looked pretty grim. We needed food, firewood and I was to make my long trail ride twice more that
kerosene for lighting. And there was no sign of a let-up. winter, the last time late in March. At the Jensen stop
In February I rode into Roy with A[...]that day Ralph Jensen, Jess Woodcock
flour, bacon and canned milk. and I set about to work. Suddenly a warm wind cropped
When the temperature "rose" to minus -20, it seemed up. The three of us looked at each other and howled in
like springtime. The morning Al and I left the ranch it unison. The eagerly awaited Chinook breeze
was a balmy minus[...]ing a break in the bleak winter weather had arrived.[...]f.
miles away.
About mid-day, halfway to town, the weather deterio- However I was not to use the precious automobile
rated. Our horses' breath fro[...]nt stops, After a brief spring break, the reservoirs filled, and
holding their noses inside our jackets to thaw the huge the cattle, horses and wildlife finally had plenty of
ice balls on their nostrils. The ice would get so heavy on water to drink. The[...]an event
their noses that they couldn't breathe. The poor things. making it possible for us to stay the summer.
Of course none of us had anything to eat or drink. John Umstead, Al Snook and I cut eight inch thick
Somehow we made it to Roy, arrivng between 7 and 8 ice blocks from the reservoir, filling the ice house on
p.m. We faced a howling blizzardthe[...]able to begin settling the cattle and estate business,
In town we rousted out the fellows who ran the livery hopetully by fall.
stable so that we[...]6 seemed to go on
forget how great it was to feel the warmth in the barn forever. It is difficult to describe the power of 40 MPH
and the smell of the animals. winds at -40 temperature, day after day. Many things
The livery owners, truly life-savers, flagged down[...]d in one's memory. For
some folks to cook for us, and gave each ofus a cot and example, the McNultys filled their ice house w'ith river
blanket for the night, ice between 30 and 36 inches thick. That was ouite
The livery was.a small building next to Chet B[...]

Another example: the crystai-like nights of the to the stockyards in Roy. Both cattle and horses were
Northern Lights. They were so brilliant and powerful frequently bunched together at the river because there
that winter. They had an[...]Summertime in eastern Montana meant being in the
but an arms length away.[...]dragging down a weak bog lines to ride, and fences to tend. I once spent a long
deer outside our cabin door, then awakening in the 10 days on Armells'Bottom, near McNultys, putting up
morning to find bits of hide and a scattering of bones a drift fence to keep the stock in line. Then there was
outside when I got up. the bog chore pulling out stock stuck in the mud of
There were the trips into the breaks with A-l Snook,[...]dried up water holes.
and checking coyote trap sets, using dead or dying deer The heat that summer was almost unbearable. I often
or cattle to set the traps. (The formidable fact of trap- had to gather stock t[...]eed
ping in this environment is you must skin the animal and water.
cleanly and stretch the hide to be suitable for market One day w[...]It was a thrill to hear a low, powerful howl amid the miles away, and had calved. We were asked to come
yapping, giggling coyote sounds. That, of course, was and pick up our stock since water there was growing
the howl of a wolf. I made one positive sighting, com[...]ds of a wolf in company with three pair to the river to join our other stock.
coyotes at the base of Gumbo Ridge at Armells Creek.[...]pon him as he sat beneath a
Then there was the time I heard my grandmother cry tree in a[...]elling" was a dugout in
out from her bedroom. The stove lid-lifter had frozen to the bank. I didn't know people lived that way.
he[...]Since my horse and I were very thirsty I asked for a
Spring o[...]to summer in Fergus County, Montana. And this day one of those words was "nope". He
The first of May saw a faint g:een coat on the prairie. pointed to the alkali buildup and went into his dugout.
Less than a week later the ground had turned brown, He returned with a can of tomatoes and my drink of a
and would remain so the rest of the year. lifetime. I was impressed.
Frank Jakes was engaged to help us check the condi- By late August and early September nearly all the
tion and number of our 4H brand cattle that survived cattle from the ranches were trailed into Roy to the
the winter. Jakes, a husky, good-looking man in his[...]a herd of
20's, came to live with us. He knew the country. And he nearly 500 head from the north shore of the river, which
knew cattle. had to swim or ford across. The trail boss was Larry
Jakes had much patience and put up with me, this Jordan, whom I met 53 years later at the Roy Centen-
dude kid from the coast. From him I was to learn much nial.[...]very drive for
about cattle, horses, people, and patience. Jakes also Warren Willmore and me, so you know it wasn't some-
taught me to[...]cast, which he called a Hoolihan. I sort of got the knack The Hemsing cattle (4H) were gathered by myself,
) of it and amuse myself to this day with the loop. Frank Jakes, Johnny and Elna Wright and Tommy
We rode the country from the river, south, a number and Jenny Link. Tommy tore off a finger roping one
of miles to Armells Creek and along the various ornery critter. But Tommy wa[...]f a coulee. Frank gave Tommy was driven all the way to L,ewistown to get
me the sign to sit tight and watch. Soon after an sewn up. The next morning he was back in the saddle. Wow!
unknown rider came albng with a[...]his rope It was a hot three day drive to the Roy stockyards.
and a running iron on his saddle. Frank corrected the The first night was a dry camp. The second night the
rider's manners. He ordered the man to turn loose the stock was given water. (I'm not sure but I[...]er watered at Cimrhakl's Ranch, it being the only liquid
rope.[...]r miles around.) There weren't many fat cattle at the
I don't remember the count but I know that winter stockyards that year; the best cow and calf pair drew
and others took quite a toll on the cattle. $20-$25. The top two'year-old heifers brought $15'$20-
B[...], was necessary. Around late "Sharky", the herd bull, went for just three cents per
Augu[...]began a general round- pound.
up of all the area's cattle. Branding separated them by[...]load of cows by train home to
owner, clearing the way for cattle drives from the river La C on n er, in w estern W ashi[...]

days to Seattle and one day more on to Skagii County. I When I returned to LaConner I was but a year older,
rode in the caboose the entire way. though hav[...]Federal regulations at that time were to water and outdistanced the calendar. My school records show that
feed stock on the train every 24 hours' Our first stop I we[...]acquainted with "commetcial travelers", The world was hot and dry that year. I didn't see a
hobos on the freight cars"[...]ington State! Eleven
My sister came east to Roy and drove our mother and months.
gtandma Hemsing to Washington. And here our story I have the fondest and most vivid memories of my
ends for half a century[...]homestead experiences and of ali the wonderful peopie
November of i935, I was just 15 years old. Had just in the Roy area, especially my good friends, Warren
star[...]gh School. Willmore, Margaret Umstead and Jenny Link, whom I
Then all of a sudden I was off to Roy, Montana. I told was to meet again at the 1988 Roy celebration.
my school superintendent th[...]by Marie Webb Zahn
The Northern Pony Express venture was put up Ruffee went over this route in fourteen days and
for bid January 1, 1867 by Postmaster Alex W[...]l on Route #13611 from Ft. Poplar and Gros Ventre along the Milk River, which
Abercrombie (on the Red River at the Minnesota- he took to be friendly.
Dakota border near the present Fargo, N.D.) across a On July 15, 1867, Ruffee met Capt. Chas. C., and
thousand miles of plains to Helena, Montana. The Silas S. Huntley, who were the owners of the largest
public notice promised a three year contract to begin transportation firm and made arrangements for
July 1, 1867 with tri-weekly service, each run to be them to take over the Montana division of the Pony
completed within twelve days.[...]Express line. This company had a stage line between
Cariisle Doble and Chas. A Ruffee of Crow Wing, Ft. Benton and Helena, which would carry the last
Minnesota submitted the lowest bid of $84,000, which leg of the mail, via Ft. Shaw at the crossing of the
was half of the next lowest bid! April 11, 1867 they Sun River. The approved contract at Washington
were awarded the bid. notified the Helena Postmaster to deliver mails on
In r[...]s St. Paul headquarters on June 8, 1867 The northern route existed from July until October.[...]new army posts enroute of this proposed The carriers were under constant harassment from[...]hed Fort Ransom at Bears Indian raids and were given solemn warning by the
Den Hillock on the Cheyenne River, Ft. Totten on Sioux and Assiniboine, who infested the northern
the shore of Devil Lake, and Fort Stevenson on the Mis- trail, not to carry mail again. The Indians regarded
souri River twenty miles below the old trading post the mail with mystery and distrust and were bent to
of Ft. Berthold, where he boarded the "Ida Stock- destroy it. Posts were robbed, burned and horses run
dale", going up river to Ft. Union, at the mouth of off or stolen. Riders were unhorsed, made to walk for
the Yellowstone and the adjacent military post of Ft. miles, some disrobed and harmed. At times the
Buford to authorize expansion. No settlements were riders were fearful to leave the stations, where they
found on this 450 miles[...]Montana there were ing their departure. The riders soon became discour-
more Sioux, Assiniboine, and Gros Ventre. The first aged and only the bravest and most competent
route through Montana, 500 miles of even more deso- would attempt the trips, and as a result mail piled up
late country, was to start at Fort Buford on the at the posts.
Montana-Dakota line and follow the Missouri River Captain Huntley seized[...]mme-
to Fort Peck, where it would then go up the Milk diately survey an overland route to the mouth of the
River, with four posts at intervals of 40 to[...]wished to establish a freight
with four men and six horse each, leaving the Milk and stage road to this point to gain the heavy trade
River west of the Bear Paw Mountains and heading anticipated for his transportation firm and also this
south to Fort Benton on the Missouri River which wouid be the most direct route to Helena for the Pony
boasted a stage line to the gold camp of Helena. Mr. Express, u[...]

The south Pony Express route would leave Fort tives huddled, awaiting their fate. Fortunately the
Peck and go up the Missouri River to Ft. Hawley, a decision was to terrify them with threats and set
North West Fur post with a stockade. Hawley w[...]th one gun, their horses, but no food.
located on the north side of the river. about fifteen Gathering the remainder of the scattered mail, the
miles above the mouth of the Musselshell. Hawley relieved carriers traveled three starving days to
was built by Billv Cochrane and noted pioneer men reach Ft. Howie. Rusc[...]ts Boyd reaching Helena on November 2.
and Bradburry, Henry McDonald, and Wm. Bent. . March 12, 1868, Huntley announced that the mail
The pony Express riders would cross the river and service between Abercrombie and Helena had been
travel toward Black Butte, skirting the Judith discontinued; the men had all departed from Hawley
Mountains on the north and west, going through the and agent Bradbury was g:iven orders to close-up
Judi[...]y of Judith Gap to Ft. Howie, affairs and return to Helena. Bradbury, with Harry
Diamond City, and in to Helena, this being much the McDonald, F.M. (Pomp) Dennis, Harvey Martin,
shortest and most pleasant route with an abundance and "Seven-Up" left April 5, 1868. At a point eight
o[...]Butte they were attacked by
On October 1, 1867 the mail took the new route. By Sioux Indians. They fought u[...]an at Ft. Buford reported of arrows and bullets for several hours, having three
much trouble to the east of his post. Then came the horses wounded. The savages withdrew, but only a
severe winter of 1867-68, with violent blizzards and short distance, and at nightfall, returned with in-
deep snow across the Dakota plains. creased force. At dark they started two fi.res some
Henry McDonald and Wm. Bent had been wolfing distance apart and crept in the shadows between the
on the Milk River and answered a call for men to get fires with terrifying yells and volleys of arrows and
the mail moving at Hawley, which had also been bullets. Pomp Dennis was hit in the shoulder, but
under an Indian attack. On February 16, 1868, with they managed to slip away in the darkness and
a party of five, they left Hawley with two ponies retreated to within fifteen miles of the starting place,
loaded with eight sacks of mail and reached Helena, where they camped. Again,[...]looking out for himself. Dennis
Two attacks on the mail have been recorded in the could not be found afterwards and it was supposed
area of Black Butte. Fred Rutschmann and a com- that he had been captured and killed. The rest ofthe
panion rider left Hawley on October 26, 1867 with party reached Musselshell City the next day, and
four sacks of maii bound for Helena. Near Black[...]Helena, which he reached April 21, 1868.
riors. The Indians robbed them of everything except A decade passed by the time the Northern Pacific
their clothing and proceeded to rip open the mail railroad took over.
bag, scattering the contents to the wind. The cap- Ruffee and the Huntleys nevertheless played a

The Roy, Montana Post Offrce has been serving area A new structure was built and relocated on the
residents from 1892 to 1988 - a span of96 years. southwest corner of Second Avenue and Main Street,
Walter H. Peck came to Montana from the east in and on fuug.22,1974 the post offrce moved into the new
1881 and went into the sheep business on Box Elder building. Rosalie English is postmaster at this date,
Creek (at the present location of the Dorm Jackson and mail is delivered by mail truck, six days a week[...]was Peck who established from Lewistown.
the Roy Post Of6ce. In his petition to the Postal In the early 1980's the Fergus Post Office was closed
Department he asked for the name "Ray" in honor of a for lack of anyo[...]family member, but through a mistake, it received the About half of the Fergus patrons now receive their mail
name of "Roy". Mail delivery was from Fort Maginnis, out of the Roy Post Of6ce, and the others receive theirs
by stage; semi-weekly. out of the Hilger Post Offrce.
On April 18, 1892 Walter H.[...]There are three mail routes out of Roy. The present
He held this position until July 27, 1894[...]named postmaster. and Paul Pitman is the mail carrier.
The Peck ranch was sold to Oscar Stephens and the John O'Reilly is mail carrier for what is known
post office was moved to the Smith and Laraway locally as the River Route. This route is an "offshoot" of
ranch, one mile west of the present town of Roy. the old Wilder route which was established in 1887
On June 30, 1898 Nathaniel T. Smith became the new between Wilder and Fort Maginnis. During homestead-
postmaster, and on November 6, 1902 Ervin W. ing days the route ran between Roy and Wilder. The
Laraway took his place until the Smith and Laraway last patrons to receive their mail in the Wilder area
ranch was sold to Frank Stephens. were the Ivar Mathisons. The route to Wilder was offi-
James B. Sarjeant[...]Nov. cially discontinued in 1987, except for the mile from
2, 1907, and the office was moved to his ranch at the highway 191 to the Wilbert Zahns. This route also runs
present site of Roy. Mail delivery came from Lewis- south to the Knerr (Braiser) place on the east side of
town, by stage, weekly. Black Butte and on the west side to the old Guy Town-
On October 18, 1913 Jay Gove b[...]send place (Jack Ritts now lives there) and back to Roy.
and the post office was moved two blocks south of Joe The third route is comparatively new. It goes from
Mu[...]site. Roy to Hilger and mail is delivered to those who have
Frederick A. Barney became postmaster on Dec. 16, boxes along the highway, by George Vaughn Jr. who
1915, and he held this post for four years. Mail was now carries the mail from Lewistown to Winifred and Roy
coming in by railroad. and back again.
William L. Marsh took over the job on Aug. 5, 1919 Although the post office "Roy" was established in
and was postmaster for 27 years. Mrs. Marsh was his 1892, the actual town did not come into existence until
assistant. The post office was located, at this time, 1913. To commemorate the birth of the town cachet
where the Roy Bar now stands and remained there envelopes with a special postmark and design, and
until moving to the Security State Bank building. The special stamps, was prepared and were made available
Roy Catholic Church took over this building, and the in June of 1988.
post office was moved into the building beside the First
National Bank (Wass Merc.).
In 1946 Marsh reached retirement age; and Simon L.
Dotson assumed charge until May 31, 1948[...]ostmaster. She held
this position for 23 years.
The post office was moved across the street into the
Rindal building. Mrs. Rife said that she served a[...]This envelope with its homesteader's shack and cancel'
of 1973 when Rosalie Y. Fogle English of[...]stamp of Black Butte was designed by Marie
became the new postmaster. Arlene O'Reilly was clerk Webb Zahn in commemoration of Roy's 75th anniver'
and assistant for several vears.[...]

Br-r-r-hear that wind a blowing The wind just penetrates through me
On som[...]I'II be
Soft white petols which ddnce and flirt Just to get owoy from thot mournful song
With euery odd shope and thing on earth That is sung all day and all night long."
It gets in the ualleys and rnokes big drifts[...]Setting him gently on her knee
And neuer is stotionory, but olways shifts[...]replied, to his weII meant plea.
First from the east and then from the west
"The wind is lihc a boy that's gay
Giuing the snowflakes no time for rest.[...]All it euer does is simply ploy.
The wind does blow olmost euery doy:[...]s what some folks do say And neuer again will it you onnoy-
Not only whi[...]Il probobly say
Dorkening nlan's future and his labors foil. "I wish I could play with the wind today."
The wind appearc to haue no end
The wind, has d,one ond seen stronge things[...]Like the lone eagle, it trouels olone,
While it w[...]Watching its prey in the distant zone.
One day I heard a boy his[...]n around, ond stop its hum.
"If I be good and go to bed, One mo[...]thot wind I dread? That is: The wind wiII olways blow.[...]as bright as they did when the night skies entertained-
experiencedin only a few areas of the world - the rather than TV.
northeastern sect[...]nsets with brilliant oranges, rainbow, and the full arch in between.
yellows, golds, pinks, fushias, greys and blacks all The lightning on a hot summer night, for those stout
intermingled and bold can leave both a "foreigner" and of heart, make 4th of July fireworks d[...]tning, streaking clear
lar, unequaled anywhere in the world. These have left across the sky and lighting up the entire countryside
an indelible mark in the memories of many who have like a gigantic incandescent bulb. There is lightning
left the area.[...]ks like a million tiny veins, shootingdarting-
The area lies within the chinook zone, though it has coiling through the air. Ttren there are the earth jarring
been several years since the era of the drastic change. bolts that come from the clouds to touch the earth; the
There are mirages that can stagger the imagination ones that start the frres and can make one's heart leap.
and give one an eerie feeling of being in never-never These are the killers. Spectacular-bright-blinding. They
land. The Northern Lights can'dance' and'play' across leap from ridge to ridge, from pole to post, from bank to
the sky in icy colors of green and blue and silvery white bank. Maybe one gigantic finger reaches out to its point
and pink, colors that no Hollywood or Las Vegas light[...]atch. lightning is-and on the prairie far from tall buildinge
'Sundogs' around the sun, with their bright center to hide behiud, so very close,-and so very humbling.
framed in rainbow hues, herald the advent of frosty air; It is no wonder then, that the weather, which controls
sometimes they will join, making a firll halo around the sun. the lives and livelihood of all within our borders, is a
The harvest moon, in the still unpolluted atmosphere, guaranteed[...]articiparits
can look as though one can reach out and touch it, and from one to one'hundred.
the stars still shine on clear summer and winter nights,

Some of the earlier ones were: February 5, 1933. That[...]ts. It
one came up quick on a beautiful sunny day and caught was Sunday and she was home for the weekend. As the
so many people away from home. They took their sh[...]re weather to hit Central
ter wherever they could and stayed several days. A lot Montana in the afternoon, Roy dnd Mickey left early to
of stock drifted under and smothered. take her back[...], 1938. It was all over about 2:30 p.m. the sky clouded over, the wind blew and
Central Montana and a lot of cattle were lost. One it loo[...]3 it really turned it on.
bunch of cows camped at the Mountain View School, I tried to[...]ost 34 head. the operator said owing to the storm they couldn't
Probably the worst storm I
remember was April 5, reach Billings. I did the chores; put the sheep in the
1955. School Election Day! So many people were caught sheds and got the cattle in around the barns. After that,
away from home. Cars and buildings were drifted everything happened at 10 minutes afler the hour. At
under.[...]10 past 4Lar.y Emery walked in. He, Sandy, Mark and
We had a whole two years of blizzardy winters f[...]hip Styer had been feeding Altenhofen's cattle on the
December L7, L977 to March 2, L979, nothing but snow Puckett place and had gone in the ditch, on the hill
and one perpetual windy nightmare, both of those[...]After taking our 4-wheel drive and pulling them back
But the one storm I'll never forget was the 26th of on the road, I didn't even try to turn around. I backed[...]almost half a mile home, without going in the ditch. I

In the spring of 1984 Carol Sluggett and Frank name. If okay it would be called Valentine, if not then it
Cimrhakl contacted the National Weather Service of6ce would be[...]see if Carol could get a station down at back and said that there had been a station at Valen-
Valentine. At the time they told them that they were tine from 1911 to 1941 and that Carol's station would be
not starhing any ne[...]ntine. Joe also told her, at that time, that
In the early part of August 1984 the National Weather the station she received came from north of Mosby on[...]d Carol to ask if she was still interested in the Musselshell River. Carol had been keeping records
a station and she told them yes" prior to the re-opening of the government weather
They delivered the station on August 24th. There was station (years 1972 to 1984).
some question as to what to call it and it was decided, B.M. Bean was the weather observer in the Valentine
before Joe Johnson left. that he would check into the area from 1911 until his death Ju[...]

Faulds then became the weather observer and heid the The year with the most snowfall was 1977 with 88".
job until Milo Messenger took over on October 1, 1933. The year with the most precipitation was 1975 with
Lester Bevis began reporting the weather statistics on 20.80". The coldest day was minus 50 on January 31,
September 9, 1936 and did so until W.J' Trimble took it 1918" The hottest day was 110 deg:ees on June 27,1936"
over on June 12, 1941. The station was closed four Altitude of the Valentine Weather Reporting Station is
months lat[...]by Fronk Cimrhak'I

The National Weather Service from Great Falls The longest growing season was in 1963 with 157 days[...]- -May 22 to October 26. And the shortest season was in
delivered a weather report[...]age of 125 days.
station is known as Roy 8 NE and is used to take daily
The National Weather Service Station in Great Falls
r[...]furnished the following State highlights and extremes:
and minimum and maximum temperatures.[...]Heron, Montana, has the most annual precipitation of
April 21, 1988, marked the 50th anniversary of - 34.21 and the least is at Twin Bridges wiih 9.13.
weather obser[...]tation. The most precipitation recorded in one year was at
This report covers the years 1939 to 1987'49 years - Summit with 55.51 in 1953 and the Ieast was Belfry
-1938 and 1988 not being used because they begin and with 2.97 inches in 1960.
end in April and are not full years. The greatest oneday precipitation was 1l'.50 at Circl[...]-
The following are some very interesting recorded on June 20, L92L, and Circle went on to have the most
statistics: in the month of June, 1921, with 16.79.[...]perature recorded in Montana was at Rog-
The average yearly precipitation is 13.94. Due to the - er's Pass on January 20, 1954, at 70 degrees below zero
- last few dry years, the average dropped from a high of and the highest was at Medicine Lake on July 5, 1937,[...]on Julv 20, 1893, at 11? desrees above
The dryest year was 1952 with only ?.03 total precipi[...]- tion. Other dry years were 1960 wiih 8.79 and 1961 with[...]Of the 1?6 reporting stations in Montana,9S report less[...]and 83 report more precipitation than Roy 8 NE'
When the drought broke on May 11, 1962, and before On May 21, 1981, the only tornado in 50 years
- the end of May, we had 7"58 precipitation, followed by
June with 5.03, July with 2.08 and Aug:ust with 3.67 or[...]months. That was an almost swath one and a half miles long North and South and
equal total of the two previous years' about 100 yards wide through timber and rangeland.
On May 8, 1962, Jense Yde had[...]le 18 miles Ponderosa Pine were uprooted and many broke off. Up
- North of Roy. After t[...]tornado missed Bea
telling everyone that the drought would be broken and Munay's ranch by less than a mile. No o[...]e homestead days ever heard of such
From the dryest years to the wettest in 1978 wiih 25.15 terrific destr[...]e flying near Robinson
- precipitation was the mostin one year and June, 1944,
with 8.16 was the wettest month. The gteatest one'day
Bridge observed the tornado in action and called the
precipitation was2.24 on September 12, 1[...]National Weather at Great Falls by radio. The plane
The most snowfall in one year was 91 inches in 1977' was never identified. This was the only tornado re'
- and the least was 14 inches in 1956 - an average of44 ported in the state in 1981.
inches.[...]In 1971, I was presented with the John Campanius
In 1955 probably the worst snow storm was on the 3rd, Helm award by Bill Rammer, Meteorologist from the
- 4th, and Eih of April with 28 inches of snow and 3.48 National Weather Service.[...]In 1981, I was presented with the Thomas Jefferson
The lowest temperature was on January 24, L969, at 4l[...]st; Mac McFee, Field
- degrees below zero, and the longest cold spell was from[...]Representative; and Larry Owen, Weather Forecaster.
December[...]ost every Cameramen from KFBB-TV filmed the presentation
dav. and it was shown on TV that night.
The coldest one day was December 29, 1968, when min-[...]d with a 50-year
- imum was 33 below zero and maximum at 24 below. Edward H. Stoll award by Dave Olsen, Dave Taylor
This was the lowest maximum recorded during one day. and Bill Rammer. who is now retired. Edward H. Stoll
The highest temp€rature was on August 5, 1961, and August has a record of 76 years as a weathe[...]readings of 107 de8rees above zero. the most years for one observer in the Nation"

The raging wz.ters of Armells Creek near where it empties into the Missouri riuer, during the damaging ftoods of
June 1962 ripped these huge culuerts out of highway 191, near Mobridge, and twisted them, like pretzels.

The Roy town became isolated as the rDater rose.[...]the winter of 1949-50[...]on the road going[...]where the Floyd[...]Ernery's now liue.

The highway east of town, Iooking west.

operation to Fergus. John Stephens received the first The winter of L944,4000 ton of hay was shipped out
fr[...]-
Tuesday April 28, 1914-.Roy Enterprise "The rail- After WWI and again after WWII traffic slowly
road is completed into Roy, the Y is being finished dwindled on the railroad. Better roads made it more
today. A crew of carpenters started to work on the depot attractive to travel to Lewistown and other places by
this morning and the first train, which consisted of auto. The mighty herds of horses that were shipped out
fourteen cars of freight was pulled in last night and by the thousands were gone and trucks that could load
Roy is a busy town today." at the ranches and go straight to market began to take
It wasn't l[...]passenger service was added. over and soon semi's were doing the job of moving cat-
Thus began the years of railroading in Roy. Not only tle entirely. Ft. Peck had covered the productive river
was freight brought in, but the products of the area bottoms and there was no longer the seed and potato
were taken out and hauled to far away markets. There crops to ship out. The railroad was dying and in 1970,
were cans of cream and milk, cases of eggs and crates 56 years after the steel was laid to Roy an era came to a
ofchickens, carloads ofcattle, sheep, horses, grain and close.
potatoes, tons of turkeys; al[...]Through the years many depot agents and section
destinations.
workers lived and made their homes at Roy. Some of
On Augrrst 10,[...]rom Malta were shipped to Helena. the depot agents were: H.M. Underwood, 1916; W.A.
Ma[...]hen in
August 1918, 200 cars of cattle bound for the Chicago later years there were Jim M[...]R.S. PIum. Some of the section workers throughout the
May 1919, Two carloads of potatoes shipped out by the Roy years: J.E. Miller (Armells 1918), St[...]ells,
In December of 1918 rumors were flying that the 'rail- 1915-1916) Clay Smith, Ario W[...]lentine by summer of 1919, for sure.' the 1940's.[...]"THE Lesr Olu Ttrrrpn"
The steers now doys don't carry horns[...]Can't find o reol cow-horse no more,
And giue the Cowboys Willies. And a man can't read o brond.[...]collected a number of articles from
mankind than the horse. The most prized possession of local newspapers which tell of the demise of the range
the indian and horse power to the white man. To this horses in this area, where once there was free range. I
day, the horse is still a necessity to the ranchers and might add that this was a thrilling experience to run
the well-bred animals of the modern day are very popu' horses; to out-maneuver these animals took skill and
lar and valuable in sports of racing and rodeo and the good saddle horses.
show ring, as well. The post war drouth and recession of 1919, saw many

ornery and hated to cook outside, so he headed for a[...]p stick of wood was chasing the rat and Joe was keeping
residence. his distance. As the fellow went by the'stool'his spur
Joe Wright and his daughters, Jenny and Laura, had hooked on it knocking the stool and pan of water over,
come in. Joe was deathly scared of pack rats. He had a which hit the rat killing it. All bedlam broke loose when
big knife with which to kill the rat if it came near him. he threw the rat over in Joe's direction!!
There was a thick b[...]December 21, 1980 The cowboys had no days off and rarely took part in
-[...]ties but would sometimes ride for hours to
"The cook was up fust at 3 a.m. and would start break-
fast. At 3:30 Sid and Old Tom would get up and Old Tom get to a country dance. They were back at the wagon[...]fthey wanted to keep theirjobs.
would kick me and say, 'C'mon kid - time to get up.'One
morning he just stood there and looked at me. 'Hey kid, Jordan recalls a story when he was working for the
you got some company there,'he said.[...]CBC branding colts, castrating stallions and breaking
"A snake had curled up around my f[...]severai horses in one evening.
and had fallen asleep. Old Tom just got a stick and picked "They gave us this buckskin who wouldn't steer. We
the snake up and threw it away." were up creek from camp and wouldn't come around to tlre
Roy rancher, Larry Jordan, remembers the early days left at all. No way. This old timer would tell me about
with Old Tom and others he worked with when he was a putting him on a picket line and kink his neck a few
dder with the CBC, the Chapple Brothers Cannery. The times."
"CBC worked horses just like cattle" during the depres- "We got a long rope and tied him to this log. Well, two
sion years of[...]night hawks brought the saddle horses by to conal them.
Montana was a large, open country and many home. We figured the tree weighed 500 to 600 pounds. It was
steaders had returned to the east or headed north when hollow! B[...]r when that
they couldn't make things work on the small homesleads buckskin took off.[...]e got all but 40 back
their living riding for the CBC across the plains and riding most of the night."
mountains of eastern and central Montana. The CBC Jordan said the CBC took a bit of getting used to at
rounded[...]as part of an first. He lost 22 pounds the fust six weeks.
agreement the United States had made with the Russians. Jordan had his share of tough times and sustained a
Jobs were hard to frnd and pay was often minimal, but few injuries during his years with the CBC. Men couldn't
for those who could endure the hours, hard work and afford to be injured during the 30s, and CBC riders were
knew horses, the CBC was the place to be. usually in such good shape that they healed quickly.
The CBC hands worked from 3 in the morning until 8 or Jordan remembers a trip to the doctor two years ago
9 each evening, every day of the week in all types of when he broke[...]bosses kept strict control fence. The X-ray showed two previous breahs.
over the CBC cowboys and drinking was forbidden. Cow- While working for the CBC, he was kicked by a big stud.
boys suspec[...]tough in those days." he said.
The giamour of beiag a tough cowboy drew many to the "We made $40 a month. It was hard to get a job riding.
outfit and Jordan has many memories of the CBC days There was always somebody looking for a job".
of long rides and tough cowboys. The crew ate whatever could be hauled on the wagon
-stories[...]wagon included 15 circle riders
who went out and gathered horses, two night hawks who and "spotted pup," a dish of rice and raisins. Steaks,
herded saddle horses at nigh[...]when available were usually horsemeat and a homemade
herded the saddle horses in the daytime, a boss and the pie was true luxury.
all-important cook. He was never the brunt of jokes for "We thought if we could stay with the wagon for a full
fear the crew would have to cook for themselves if the summer we were pretty tough hands,"[...]going for weeks without time for a bath or
The CBC boys were tough and took pride in their work, shave,[...]etime. Jordan rode with CBC in 1932-33 and in 1935-36, work-
CBC's grazing land ran from Hardin to Fort Belknap and ing with cattle between stints with the CBC.
from Miles City to Wolf Point. A former CBC rider and He was born east of Miles City between the town of
historian claims the outfit once ran more than 60,000 Ismay and Ekalaka on a homestead.
horses between the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. Jordan remembers hearing a story about those early
Most of the CBC hands were young men in their days when the creek was flooding. "My dad suggested we
twen[...]ad old timers like "Old Tom" go up to the barn and spend the night in the haystack
McAlister.[...]

By the summer of 1915, homesteaders had taken up An incident I enjoy remembering took place in the
nearly all of the land north to the river some 30 miles fall of 1914, when the King cattle were taken to Walter
from Roy and east to the Musselshell River. Much of Haney's ranch near the Judith Mountains. One special
these iands were in the river breaks which were hills or cow co[...]ands with a wild bunch of cattle and had me help take her to
were, remember that the Missouri River here eroded soil Mr. Ha[...]saddle hotse, but Henry
down over 900 feet. The creeks and coulees were eroded was riding a youn[...]dden only
down in like manner. By this time, the Government had twice before. We caug[...]I had great dreams of owning many cattle and using and started for the town of Roy some twenty five-miles
much of this land. In the spring of 1915 this area was away. We[...]mesteader to be to a walking gait. The King cow soon began to show
away from his claim six months of the year. This way signs of anger. When we reached Crooked Creek, the
he could work for others and make a "Grub Stake" to cows went i[...]We could not drive
In 1914 a Mr. Brockway and Mr. Vaughn (horse out- them out because of the fighting attitude of the cows so
fit) took500 head oftheir horses south ofthe river and we rode to where we could pick up some rocks to throw
grazed them on unfenced lands in the Indian Butte at them. We were on the top of the creek bank where
country about five miles from the river. These horses Henry could not throw these rocks from his horse, so he
were in the charge of Joe Searles. Indian Butte was a[...]eral times to
higher point of land on one of the ridges running to climb this steep[...]Armells Creek where an Indian war was fought in the Henry thought he was safe afoot. The cow tried again
earlier days. In the cattle round up days of the 1880's and it seemed that this time she would succeed. Henry
and 90's, every higher point of ground was given a started running across the prairie as fast as he could. I
name as were the creek crossings, such as Haystack[...]me!"
Three Princesses, Cottonwood Crossing, and so on. We frnally got these cows to moving again and as we
Naming these points was necessary for[...]s for roads to be built. While
Many horses and cattle were realiy wild and some driving up the first lane, we came to a homesteader's
traveled or grazed in groups and were called wild cabin; their gate was open, and our wild cow went
bunches" One day, Joe Sear[...]f some through it. A young boy seeing the cow came out carry-
of his horses had gotten[...]ng a broom to drive her back. He just got back in the
help him ride. He selected two of his best and fastest house before the cow could hit him.
saddle horses. We located the wild bunch near Indian Next we came to Box Elder Creek where there was a
Butte. When the wild bunch saw us we were still a mile[...]ridge. There was a lot of high brush on
away and they went east at a wild run. We took after the norih side where the cows stopped. This was trouble
them and did not overtake them until we reached[...]towards
Button Butte some 12 or 15 miles to the east. This ride us. As we waited Henry and I changed horses and
was in very rough terrain with sagebrush and cut Henry asked for help. Henry, being a good roper,
coulees up hill and down. What a ride!! Exciting-yes, caught the cow with his lariat rope, the other man
perhaps more so than the horse or car races oftoday. doing the same. Then they dragged the cow across the

bridge and some 100 feet beyond. Henry, leaning down, so the driver went around her, going fairly fast. The
got the bther man's rope off. When the cow got up she cow made a lunge after the car but missed it by a few
hooked the horse Henry was riding, then seeing me not inches. Well, on we came, the cow following us. When
too far away on the tired pony, she made a run for me. I[...]. I threw my leg for- gate in the fence, to the north near the creek and much
ward, and the horse had moved enough that the cow brush. The cow went in here, and Henry, following her,
hooked him in the rear. "Whoopie!!" with the second grabbed the rope and tied it to some heavy brush. We
bucking jump I we[...]head first then went on to the livery barn and got three mounted
and made a fast run to and under the bridge, the cow men. They roped the cow using onb rope each to keep
right at me. Henry was really laughing. The cow went the cow from attacking if she managed to get up. They
back across the bridge and headed back to her home dragged the cow into the stockyards where all the ropes
range. The other two cows had gone back before. Well,[...]then went to supper after having
that cow was mad and on a real rampage by now.[...]food" I went to our home ranch five
Henry crossed the bridge after her and I got on the miles southeast of Roy, sa[...]t
bronc again. When Henry came within 100 feet of the help to finish the trip the next morning.
cow, she turned and chased him back across the bridge. I saw Henry a few days later and asked him who
Henry and I headed up the lane (fenced road) towards helped him. "No one would help," he answered, "but
Roy with the cow afLer us. Whenever she stopped, we then, I did not need help. When I opened the stockyard
would go back toward her, and she would take after us gate, she came after me so I took off for the Walter
again, dragging the long rope. Part way up this lane we Haney ranch and the cow chased me all the way. "This
met a Ford car and the driver honked his horn, think- was a tease and a chase for about 10 miles.
ing the cow would get out of his way. The cow did not,[...]ary 1915

Judge Roy E. Ayers (later, Governor of the State of range to ride 'e[...]cident that I know you would enjoy.
Case of "Rock and Rye", two steers that became pals[...]In the Good Old Daye
and long escaped the butcher's block. It was along in the early nineties, before Jim Hill's or
Roy E. Ay[...]Fergus county dirt. It was before the dry-land farmer, irr
now occupying official posit[...]s most fantastic dreams, had ever thought of
rode the range. The Judge was always "the kid" with Fergus county.[...]session of the streams, and before we thought that a
the outfits and he was still a good deal of a kid when he post hole would ever be dug upon the benches. Yes, Doc,
stopped riding and came to Lewistown to attend school, in tbose days thousands of cattle roamed the ranges of
later going east to college. He looks b[...]e days Fergus county at will, and in that portion lying east of
of the range with affection and has a soft spot in his the Judith Mountains browsed over the finegt range
heart for the cow-punchers. The other day a point came ever selected by the bovine. From the Missouri river
north to the Musselshell on the south, and even to the
up in conversation in the judges chambers that led him land of the Crows, we gathered the finest beef that ever
to a reminiscent vein. This followed upon the heels of J decorated the Chicago stockyards.
some dictation to Hal B. Gibson, the court stenographer,
and he was still present and becoming interested he The Real Cowboye
At that time the range was ridden semi.annually by
took down Judge Ayers'talk, transcribed it, and here it scores of cow-punchers-but not of the claes we aome.
is just as it came from the lips of the judge: times see no[...]you any of my Ward, nor were they the parcel poet variety. Most of
reminiscenses of the range, but this morning, in going them knew no other home than the cow camp on the
through those of my belongings which I do not p[...]acrose my "private", a saddle, and a gun, and their etock in trade
old forty-five still sticking in its scabbard and hanging and commodity of exchange was a post-graduate educa-
on the same belt that I used to wear when I was on the tion in the great echool of experience, which education
range. The belt won't go around me now by about eight[...]from leseons taught by Dame Nature.
inches, but the sight of it made me wish that I could They could tell the time of day and night by the sun and
buckle it on and climb to the middle of a cayuse and etars; they could tell when a stonn wa8 coming and
comfortably seat myself in the full flower stamped when it wae going to break, by the instinct in their own
"Clarence Nelson". But I can't do it, Doc, for two rea. bodieg and minds and by the acts of the horsea and
sons: First, i peddled my "Clarence Nelson" when I cattle, and their judgement a6 to whether it was going to
went away to study law, and second. there ain't no be[...]as ueually good. In
horees like I used to ride. and if there were. there ain't no[...]

A Few of the Old Guard have the reign of the piow horse and the school ma'am.
Rock and Rye are probably forgotten by most ofthoee[...]en a You haue swiftly yiel.ded to the biner's roar,
study-or probabiy I ehould say[...]of them, becauge now it occune to me that many of the Are fields of groin by the farmers plonted;
boys have crogsed the Great Divide. Many of them had 'llhere the Ind.ion ond the buffola used to roam
then grown old in the eaddle-I was the "kid" of the We find some dryJand farmer's hnme[...]ir boots on, others made their Vy'here the sun-tanned puncher with his brand.
exit in the uaual quiet manner. However, there are few of[...]s to inteose his band,
us left-uone ia jail, and none are in the eaddle. Some Vlhere the old, freighter, in his rough way,
are trying[...]ty miles o doy,
clinexng to their old fiend, the horse, by running livery Vlhere potches of sogebrush couered the ground.,
barns; others have been, and etill are, in the eheriffg Nou we find, a dry-land farm[...]ffice, an honor to which all cow-punchers aepire, and Al even though these changes in vocation and indus-
from which clase the beet eheriffe are made. The place try have come to pass, and the man in his arrogance
where Buffalo corral gtood ie now a thriving community still sleims the Spirit Land only for himseU, yet who can
under the Winnett i:rigation project, and the rest of the say that there may not be found at this mom[...]ing side by side, an eternal continuation of the fiend-
iaolat€d cow elmps, ie now a great eettled comunity of ship of Rock and Rye!"
proeperous and ihriving dry-land farmers; and in that by Roy E. Ayers
land once ruled by the bronco and the cowboy, now we[...]by Worren Willrnore

The government land opened for homesteading,[...]d east to
called public domain, was all a part of the Louisiana the county line, aloug the south side of the Missouri
Purchase. After the surveying, certain sections in each River and south for about 12 miles. At a meeting held in
township were reserved for the support of the public November, the decision was made to split the Fergus
school system. These sections, and county lands No. 1 as it was too big and the Indian Butte District
acquired by tax foreclosure[...]was incorporated. Armells Creek was the western line.
the homesteaders, were used as free range until 1934[...]tte was approved as a grazing district coop-
when the Taylor Grazing Act closed all federal lands to eration in January of 1935. It was the fi.rst such district
free grazing.[...]organized under Montana Laws with the approval of
In 1929 the pioneering venture of the people of the the MontanaGrazing Commission. These districts had
Me[...]t 200,000 acres of open range land. They were
had the idea of cooperative grazing districts. Two co- incorporated so the members could control the range
ops were started, which resulted in the State Grazing from over grazing and develop livestock water.
Act passed in 1933 by the legislature. In 1935, with 30 more districts in the planning, the
The first two grazing cooperations had very little fedr state created and organized the Montana Grazing
eral government land, but a lot of county and state Commiseion, by an act of the 24th legislative asBembly,
school lands. They had blocks of school lands, a result to admininster the Taylor Grazing Act in Montana and
of a trade of timber lands of western Montana for grass to supervise the work and promulgate the rules and
land in the eastern section. There are no such blocks of regulations. Senator L.M.A. Wass, of Roy, was the first
school lands in our area, just sections 16 and 36 in each chairman. This group was called the Grass Commis-
township.[...]sion until it was abolished when the Department of
In 1934, Mike Hickey[...]Resources took over in 1976. Montana is the only state
and other ranchers in western states began to work fo[...]perative grazing districts.
control ofthe ranges, the result being the Taylor Graz- The first grase survey, the result of the 1933 State
ing Act passed in Congress which closed all federal Grazing Act, to figure the carrying capacity of a range
land to free grazing[...]was done bv Bill Johnson of Roy. The suney, done at
In August of 1934 stockmen in the Crooked Creek that time, corDpares with later work. It takee 40 acres to
area met at the Rossiter School house and in October of gummer a co'i/ and calf, on the average; less near the
that year stockmen in the Indian Butte area met at the mountaine and up to a hundred in the breaks. There is
Willmore ranch, to formulate plans to create gtazing one school section on the north side of the river that
districts. At the meeting, at Willmores, Fergus No. 1 will summer one cow and a calf.

Under the Iaws of the Montana Grass Conservation Jones; directors, John Beck, Herb Beck and Ralph
Act, anyone who ran livestock from 1929 to[...]nt.
prioriiy years, could apply for membership in the dis- Over the course of the years many others have taken
tricts. This qualified them for a permit on federal lands. over and served on the board ofdirectors. Some ofthose
In 1935 the War Department bought the river ranches who served on the board were: Swend Holland, Larry
from Fort Peck to Cow Island with the ranches on the Jordan, Ray McNulty and Joe Mauland. Vernon
upper end receiving a life time lease. Several were Puckett held the job of secretary for over 40 years. The
members of the Indian Butte District. pr[...]ectors are: Charles Petranek, chairman;
In 1936 the g:azing districts paid the first fees to the Wilbert "Hap" Zahn, Dan Cimrhakl, Joe "Speed"
Secretary of Interior. When the fee system was set up Komarek and Perry Kalal. Helen Umstead is hired as
under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), one secretary.
fourth of those fees came back to the county in lieu of The rules, laws and regulations governing the dis-
taxes. trict have changed many times over the years; many of
In 1936, a very dry year, the grazing districts were therchanges having to do with its relationshp to the
recipients of a program to build several stockwater CMR game range. The game range was managed by
dams, under WPA. The districts were set up to improve the BLM and Fish and Wildlife until 1976 when the
the range and there was a provision in the law that Fish and Wildlife took over.
there had to be a dam built so that no cow had to walk The Willmore Ranch is the only one of the original
more than a mile for water. It was at this time that ranches involved in the formation of the grazing dis-
many of the dams were built, among them the huge trict, still in operation by the same family.
Valentine reservoir. There were also[...]rnn Cnner Cooptrurrtvr GnazrNc Assocnttow
side of the river, was set aside by executive order to[...]by Carol Sluggett
create the Ft. Peck game range, to be managed for the
small game of eastern Montana. This area is now On August 22, 1934 the stockmen interested in the
known as the Charles M. Russell Game Refuge. formation of a grazing district on Antelope and Crooked
In 1938 several ranches that were memb[...]Creek held a meeting at Rossiters School House. The
grazing districts sold their places to the government meeting was called to order and Vernon Puckett was
under the Bankhead and Jones Act. The drouth of the elected chairperson. Temporary officers[...]e Peoples, vice president;
for about $3 per acre. The grazing districts were re' Vernon Puckett, Secretary-treasurer, and executive
quired to lease these lands for grazing[...]board members Charles Southworth, Carl Gautier and
The Soil Conservation Service administered these[...]way. Those present were: W.C. Galloway, Joe
lands and transferred the g:azing rights from the pur- Peoples, Frank Southworth, Laurence Kauth, Charles
chased lands and increased them, on the remaining Southworth, Swan Johnson, Rolly Rossiter, Gib
ranches. In the beginning cattle could run on the range Distad, Joe Kosir, Nick Spiroff, Carl Gautier and
for 10 months out of the year, now they are run for 7 Vernon Puckett.
months on summer range and wintered the other 5 The second meeting was held on Sept. 17,1934. Those
,months within the boundaries of the ranches. present in addition to the above were: Andrew Murphy,
In 1940 the grazing districts re-incorporated as State H.[...]y, Frank Messinger,
Cooperative Districts to get the state lands under lease. Frank Perry, A.J. Hughes and Mike Myers. )
From 1944-1946 the two districts bought about 45,000 Perm[...]unty Peoples, Carl Gautier, W.C. Galloway and Nick Spiroff.
land. At the November 14, 1934 meeting it was decided[...]to call the district Crooked Creek Cooperative Associa'[...]Butrn Gnezrwc DtsrRtct tion and that the meeting place would be Rossiter
After the first planning meeting in October of igga School house in Fergus Co. and the post office to be
the decision was made that the Fergus No. 1 area was Roy, Montana.
too[...]meeting in November of that year inter- In the fall of 1949 it was decided to contact Indian
ested parties again met at the Willmore Ranch and the Butte about building a fence between Crooked Creek
Fergus No. I was split and the Indian Butte Grazing and Indian Butte districts. (Up to that time cattle
D[...]ported in 1935: roamed freely and ranchers in either district would
The first officers of the Indian Butte Grazing spend many days and travel many miles to round up
District were: P[...]lmore; Sec.-Treasurer, Mrs. Josie H. In the fall of 1964 and 1965 most of the allotments

During the years of drouth and low farm prices the All dams, when completed, were riprappe[...]Administration started a project in on the water side. I (Frank C.) was with a crew that
193[...]This project was to build stockwater truck and with Laurence Christensen helping, picked
dams in the area; starting 20 miles northeast of Roy up rock on the range near the dam site. We hauled 8
and extending 20 miles east. The dams were to be built loads each day. Vaughn Tindall, with a stone boat and
about 3 miles apart. two horses, hauled the rocks to where three men were
All work was done with horses. Each dam site had up doing the riprapping. Charles Yusta was the foreman.
to 12 four-horse teams. Each team pulled a 5-foot My brother-in-law, Frank Stepan and I, lived in a
fresno, one behind the other. Everyone moved very fast. tent on the site, slept on a mattress on the ground and
A helper would load the fiesno, holding onto a Johnson cooked with a small campstove for the 10 days each
bar to steady; then the driver had to hold the lever so as month. On our last shift, in October, we had 3" of snow.
not to lose the dirt before he got to where it was to be Albe[...]ed nearby, so we moved into their house
dumped on the fill. Two other operators did all the to fi.nish the shift. Today, people on the job would be
plowing, each using a one-bottom, su[...]h living in campers. Flunky Scanlon had the best living,
plow was pulled by four horses. All[...]fresno's only picked up loose dirt. and the best comfort on the job. Some called it the
There were several dams built at one time. Earl[...]ins on another. Frank Stepan was on the riprap crew and got $4 per
The dams were numbered as built, from 1 to 13. There day. I received $4.50 for the use of my truck and for
were other dams, in other areas, being built at the same myself $4, for a total of $85 for a 10 day shift.
time. Some of the men working on our crew were: Dam No. t had the only cement spillway. I hauled
William Kudzia, Gus Souchek, Claude Satterfield, Bill sand from the Turner bottom on the Missouri River.
Larson, Con Anderson, John Siroky, Joe Siroky, Frank Wilder still had a post offrce and store where we would
Cimrhakl, John Umstead, Roy Umstead, Murray buy gas and supplies.
Cottrell, Ernie Peters, Flunky Scanlon, Stibal, Joe Everyone appreciated the chance to earn $40 a month,
Kasala and Guy Townsend, the time keeper. He rode close to home. This was one good project the govern-
out everyday and kept check on everyone. ment did for this area as all the dams have good stock-
Walt Braiser, from the Montana Elevator at Roy, water in them to this day.
delivered hay to each site at $40 a ton and oats at $4 a Another WPA project was mattress making. Roy
hundred. Everyone paid for the feed for their horses. Umstead was the foreman on this job. Materials, sheet-
Jess Woodcock, with a 1936 Ford truck and a 1000 gal- ing and cotton batting, were shipped in and the mat-
lon tank, delivered water from the Roy railroad well to tresses were made in the dance hall at Roy. There were
stockwater tanks for the horses at each site at no cost to 30 or more in[...]e
Some had tents to live in; others slept under the "just like boughten ones". "We (John Siroky) used ours
wagons where the horses were tied and fed. The men for many years".
worked in ten day[...]in a These mattresses were to replace the straw ticks most
month. There would be another cr[...]o
another ten day shift. Over 85 people worked in the two $/ages, but each received a mattress. No[...]were ever sold, all were for those who worked on the[...]

Aboard the train they made the acquaintance of a The Duffys had a total of seven children. In addition to
young man, Jerry Joslyn, and learned he was also to Tom th[...]tty Ann Harris of Fairfield; Dave of
teach in the area. It ended up that Joslyn got the Dengel l,ewistown; Chet, Dillon; Murray, Bozeman; Mrs. Dorothy
school, Miss Hanson the Fort Maginnis and Anna the Mays, in California; and Mrs. Ruth Burnett, Fairbanks,
A)pine.[...]During that term of school, Anna lived with the Taylor Anna was originally from England. She came to this
famiiy. She drove a team and buggy to school each day, country with her mother and little sister in 1898, when
picking up children along the route. There were 13 she was[...]d. An uncle, who lived near Great
students in the school that year. Falls, had lost his wife and written asking Anna's mother
In those days the school term was short, starting soon to come and keep house for him.
after the school election in the spring and continuing Whether as a stude[...]r in
until winter weather forced it to close. The school was Cental Montana, school[...]in
always out before Christmas; so instead of the traditionai Anna's life.
Christmas program the students usually presented a pro-[...]gram for their parents at Thanksgiving time - if the
school was still in session then.
After teaching at the Alpine school, Maiden and New
Year, Anna accepted the ?9 school in the river breaks
beyond Dovetail in what was then the norihern edge of
Fergus County.
Reaching the school was a major problem. The railroad
only ran as far as Roy, and the school was some distance
beyond that. But with typical pioneer spirit, young Miss
Roberts boarded the train and went as far as she could.
Getting off the train in Roy, she asked a man how she
could get to the 79. Pointing to a tall, lanky homesteader
sta[...]he was Gene Covert
who iived near Valentine; and she might be able to catch
a ride with him as[...]heading out with supplies.
She rode to the Covert ranch, where she stayed over-
night, and the next day Gene Covert's son, Bob, hitched
up the team and buggy and drove her to her school in the
breaks country.
Anna gave up her teachi[...]llo Neuijel, Wasta Stibal, Joe "Speed"
ranch, and she has lived in that area ever since. Her hus- Komarek, in the back row. Front row: Lada Stibal,
band died in 1944, and she lived with her son, Tom. Helen Mouc[...]by Marie Zahn
AraNpa O. Swrn'r AND InursE HART 1873 in Maine, the daughter of Augustus and Abbie
Amanda O. Swift was Fergus County superin[...]Louise Swift was married to Elmer Hart of
in 1912 and homesteading. Miss Swift was born in[...]Mrs. Hart was a graduate of an eastern college and
Montana rural areas for many years and also was Pet- did practice teaching i[...]rintendent from 1925 to 7927. in the suburbs of Boston and in Randolph State
Much credit for the early success of country schools Normal School, Vermont, before her marriage.
here, goes to the indomitable will and unfailing energy After her husband's death in 1923, Mrs. Hart came to
of Amanda Swift. The good of the children in this early Montana as deputy to the county superintendent of
era was her untiring purpose. Many a child in Fergus schools, and was later elected to this office. She also
County received clothing and sometimes even money taught two ye[...]ty
from her or from her appeal to others, so that the child Superintendent, she visited all the county schools, first
might be able to continue school. with horses and then by car, with her chauffeur at the
Her sister, Alma Louise Hart, came to live with her in wheel. Her last term ended the fall of 1932, when
1926 and they made their home together until Mrs.[...]

Eighteen miles from Lewistown[...]is tribe had their winter camp at the head of Armells and
the old Townsend ranch which took in the first home- tepee poles were still standing on the bottom land
stead of Shorty Becraft, stage driver and miner. This which is now the Wiedman hay meadows.
ranch was later the home ranch and headquarters for The Wiedman ranch was homesteaded by the g:and-
the George Gilpatrick sheep ranch; who came to this father, Chris Wiedman, in the fall of 1888 and the orig-
area in 1895. inal log cabin 6till stands at the present building site.
The grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Gilpatrick, The apple orchard planted then still bears much fruit[...]a pioneers who came to Alder Gulch and one of the oldest trees now bearing is 75 years old.
in Hele[...]When this pioneer couple was in The first school in the area, for which the registration
their eighties, they took up a homestead on which the books are still in the files at the Wiedman Ranch, was
Steve Gilpatricks now live, and the log cabin still held in the log ranch house. A few years later a log
stands. They lived there for several years, happy and school house was built on the banks of Armells Creek, a
contented in their[...]home, making a modest short distance from the house. The two pupils listed on
living, raising a wonderful garden and living until they the school attendance records for the first two months
were 98 years old. were May Biggerstaff and Alan Wiedman. Later many
Other pioneer families who lived in the valley near more pupils came and a larger school was built nearby.
the Judith Mountains were the Emory Stowell's, the J. During the next few years the Junction School,
Kelly's, the Goods, the Chandlers, the Hiatts and the Romunstad, Knob Hill, Fergus and Horse Ranch
Hosiers, whose land is now part of the Wiedman and schools were opened and all were well attended.
Gilpatrick ranches. In the spring the old-fashioned Iris Winding its way through numerous ranches in the
which still blooms in the tall grass and the rhubarb, year 1874 was the Old Carroll Trail, main stage road
which planted[...]from Helena to Fort Carroll near Rocky Point on the
nostalgia of the hopes and dreams of these early rugged Missouri[...]and one-half days; freight fifteen days, and freight
Among the early pioneers was one Tim Carey, a[...]se
dashing young Irish bachelor, who homesteaded, and for a few years, due to Indian attacks. The trail can still
then was on his way to other surroundings. be seen through the Lipke, Gilpatrick, Maberry, Wied-
This area, too, had its good and bad sides, as does our man ranches, and down through the Yaegers property.
modern world. During prohibition days, several flour- One of the oldest pioneer ranches was the James
ishing bootleggers turned out some of the best and Fergus holdings. This ranch was a[...]for many homesteaders. Mail was handled hbre in the
Notorious characters, too, lived in the area, including early days and a commissary was run at the ranch.
one Jack Maher, who was driven out of Cripple Creek, After the hard winter of 1886-1887, many pioneers who
for murder. A sheep-herder for the Fergus Ranch, went suffered severe[...]James Fergus.
on a wild shooting spree one night and killed Jack Bar- They paid back their loans with butter, eggs, oats, etc.
clay and others in the old bunk house which still stands During the depression of the 1930's part of this ranch
on the ranch owned now by the Yaeger families. was sold to the Yaeger family.
The Rev. George Edwards was the early Presbyterian Telephone serv[...]tained by a group of
missionary minister who held the first church services ranchers who built their own line into Lewistown in
in the home of James Fergus and the Chris Wiedmans, 1900-Wm. Fergus, Fergus Land and Livestock, HiIl
with many pioneer families attending. Ranch, Fergus Bros., and the Geo. Gilpatricks. Later
Mining, too, had its da[...]is side of they sold their franchise to the Bell Telephone Co.
the Judith Mountains. From the copper mine of Golden Later the rural line for Armells, with the switchboard
Jack Lee and the lead mine of Vince Geis. ore was in the Wiedman kitchen, served the area until about
freighted to the mill in Helena. Several placer miners 1958. (In 1968 the old ringer-type antique phones were
rvorked the area. A crew of ten men dug water ditches still in use serving the Wiedman, John Gilpatrick, Fred,
by hand and spent the winter taking out a fair amount Charles and Larry Yaeger ranches and the Tom Byrnes
of gold on Armells Creek on the Wiedman Ranch. on the Box Elder. During many winter storms, when
This area is also rich in Indian lore. The Blackfoot the new modern phones were often out of order, the

antiques still worked and were a comfort when help or abundance in the area until 1930's when most of the
visiting was needed. The line was kept up by willing ranchers became convinced the area was really adapted
ranchers who all did their share in a good, old- to the raising of cattle. Due to the amount of rainfall
fashioned way.) received, many of the acreages have been re-seeded to
Postal service was furnished by the Armells Trans- pasture grass, and once again the sheep and cattle eat
portation Co., with George A. Gilpatrick as proprietor and grow fat as they graze in this paradise.
and H.C. Brown as agent. The stage left Lewistown Another pioneer ranch in the area is the Will Landru
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:30 a'm. Fare to Deer property. The Landrus took up homesteads in 1910, and
Creek was $1.50 and to Armells $2. the property is still occupied by the second generation.
The postmaster at Box Elder was Mrs. Odin Romun-[...]s were Gladys Hunnewell Hall, now Mrs.
stad, with the home serving as her office. Later the post Lutz; the Stephens family; Lokavitch; Jack Badger; the
office was moved to Armeils and located on the prop- Walter Pecks; Greens and many, many others.
erty now owned by ihe Yaeger families. The postmaster In this area, too, was the huge sheep shearing plant
there was Mathews, Dick and MonaJhomas, and later which was owned first by Jim Wilson where ranchers
Hazel Fergus. During the time Hazel Fergus was in brought their sheep many miles in June and July to
charge, the building burned to the ground. All patrons have them sheared. As[...]r from 150 to 300 sheep per day each, these
In the years 1912 to 1916 during the gradual closing being a small Rambouillet, Merino breed. The shearing
of the Kendall mines, many of the hard rock miners plant was run by a one-cylinder engine and part of the
came into the area to take up homesteads' Some of old shearing machinery is still stored on the Wiedman
these were the Ed Biggerstaffs, whose ranch is owned and Maberry ranches.
by Charles Hala; Reid Biggerstaff, whose ranch is now We of the pioneer famiiies are happy and proud to
owned by John Gilpatrick and familv; the William carry on the work started by our ancestors, and truly
McBurneys; Busseys; John Bleckel; Williard[...]enjoy living in a wonderful community with fresh
and Jack Huber. Many of these homesteads are now[...]orating air to breathe, blue skies, lots of space and
part of the larger ranches, and some are still in the neighbors who believe in working together. We truly
famiiy with the second and third generation Iiving on think we are l[...]the Treasure State.
Much land was plowed and grain was raised in[...]

The Weideman district was created in 1913. The trustees were A. C. Weideman and Edward Dougherty. Other
families in the area were W.W. Lamphier, John Cravens, J.J. Sullivan, Thos. Herbert, Jas. Craig, Reid Biggerstaff.
The first teacher was Marie Singleton. Some of the other teachers were L. Blair, Ivy Davis, Joy Davis, Ida Anderson,
Clara Plath, Alice Hamilton, and Vernadel Green. The last teacher was Grace McClenning Beattie. The last school
term ended November 20, 1936. The district was abandoned in 1942 and attached to #56 Hilger.

Rosn CennarcHaEl, AND Mou,Ir ANpsnsoN

Rose Anderson Carmichael was[...]Cap McCullough's mother. Both Rose and Mollie
Indiana in 1884. She had a homestead in Ka[...]Her daughter, Keoka, was born in them the Horse Ranch when the Evert Harrells were
a hotel in bheyenne, Wyoming,[...]o leasing it; for Joe Marshall on the Sharp Ranch; and
l,ewistown, Montana with her husband and her mother, for Murray Deaton on the Stoddard Ranch. After
Mollie Anderson. leaving the Armells homestead, Rose and her mother
Rose divorced her husband and homesteaded near both worked on[...]h's ranch.
Fort Maginnis. She sold that homestead and next Rose and Keoka left here in a team and wagon and
homesteaded on Armells Creek when Keoka was about[...]iving in Deming, New Mexico. Rose passed
During the school year Keoka stayed in Roy with her away in 1971.
grandmother, who was a nurse and was taking care of[...]Rindal, was known for many years as the Beatty Ranch.
worked in the While Sulphur Springs area for about two An interesting article appeared in the February 6, 1896 issue
years, before becoming ass[...]. Argus following his death. It reads as follows:
the sheep business on Armells Creek. Parrett and "The recent death of Herbert Blanchard reminds us that[...]ss together until 1894 when of the eleven white men who have died in the settlement
Parrett moved north of the Missouri river. north of the Judith mountains since what is now Fergus[...]county was first settied, his is the frrst from a natural
Bianchard, a bachelor, died in January of 1896 at the[...]ng
age of 38. His death wa caused by an abcess on the[...]or horse stealing; one was drowned while crossing the
brain which was undoubtedly the result of an accident[...]river, Doyle killed Howard at the Howard ranch near Box
that had occurred eight yea[...]. Herbert Atkinson killed Pool in self-defense on the
run over by a wagon and had received considerable divide coming from Maginnis, a sheepherder was
head injuries and never fully recovered, suffering from pounded and clubbed to death by two rowdies at John
headaches, melancholia and a change in disposition. Butter[...]er at
in 1881 a brother of his came to Montana and bought Oscar Stephens'ranch, a young man left Armell creek on
a team, wagon and harness and headed for the Springs. foot for the Norih Moccasin some four winters ago and
The first night out on the road, while leading the horses his body was found next spring on Deer Creek, about the
from water, he became entangled in the rope and was same time a maruleft lower Dog Creek for the Bear Paw's
dragged to death. and was seen by a sheepherder offthe road going in the
wrong direction and has not been seen since, a sheep-
Herbert was the last survivor of four children. His[...]herder in the employ of Brooks Bros. was frozen to death
father[...]near Salt Creek and a young man from the "east," far
"wealthy woman of Boston".[...]ed at N.T. Smith's. This list
He was well known and universally admired in shows that the blizzard has cost us four times as many
Fergus county and was one of this areas most lives and the gun and club three times as many as natural
prominent woo[...]"

Eownno AND LouISB CHaNolPn
Edward P. Chandler and his cousin, Will, came to the Will did not stay long; this country was "too tough''
area in 1882. They were engaged in the sheep business for him and he returned to Virginia.
in the Deer Creek area. Edward came from Concord,[...]ing school at Fergus when they met.
tural Coliege and farmed and taught in Kansas before Louise cam[...]train which was accompanied by the Military through

Charles Grant Edwards, son of David and Ohio Charles Grant Edwards di[...]ery. Survived by his
was schooled in South Dakota and came to Montana widow, one adopte[...]f Lewistown; his adopted son, Henry G. Edwards of
the Gilt Edge area for several years. Belgrade and eight grandchildren and six great-g:eat
His death almost closes those p[...]in grandchildren. Edwards was a menber of the United
the Treasure State's history concerning Company I of Spanish War Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and
the First Montana Volunteers who served their nation St. Leo's Parish. Military honors bestowed at the
in the Spanish American conflict and the Phillippine graveside.
Insurrection just before the turn of the century. Matilda P. O'Brien Edwa[...]1868in Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada, the
Charley" and was classffied as one of the most depend- daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John O'Brien.
able soldiers in his outfrt. W[...]100 Mrs. Edwards came to Montana in the late 1880s and
strong-they marched out of Lewistown in 1898 on the was a member of the first graduating class of the
125 mile hike to the nearest railroad, and then to the Columbus School of Nursing at Great Falls in 1890. She
wars in which the Montana Regiment won an enviable spent most of her lifetime in the nursing profession in
collection of citations, medals and everlasting honor. Helena and Bozeman. She managed the Miners Union
In addition to his military service, Edwards was a Hospital during the period when Gilt Edge, Maiden and
miner and rancher in Montana's early days, and he Kendall were active mining towns. Mrs. Edwards was a
contributed to the development of the state. On 12 May member of the Spanish American Woman's Auxiliary.
1913, Edwards and Maiilda P. O'Brien were married in Sh[...]Helena. They settled on a stock ranch at Armells and her son Henry G. resided and spent her last days in a
remained as ranchers unt[...]convalescent home there. She died 31 January 1964 and
and moved to Lewistown to make their home at 330 her remains were interred at the Lewistown City
Second Avenue South.[...]

William Fergus was a farmer and a Presbyterian acres and was also one of the largest in the country. Mr.
member for all of his life. He remained at home until he Fergus had 20,000 sheep and several hundred horses
was 17, then went to work on a cousins farm, saving his and cattle.
money. With his father's assistance he began farming On February 8, 1966, Con Anderson and his wife
some acres of his own. On June 16, 1862, he was married visited and interviewed Margaret Fergus Rauch, who
to Ellen H[...]. Newton L. Landru), Christine from the interwiew follow.
(Mrs. David Hilger), Willia'", Robert and James (twins),
Mrs. Rauch told the Andersons that the family got on one
Nellie (Mrs. Odin Romunstad), Alex (who died in 1896) of the Missouri River steamboats at Bismarck and came
and Margaret (Mrs. J.B. Rauch). up the river to Fort Claggett, at the mouth of the Judith
On April 1, 1882, upon the invitation of his half- River, "Our uncle James Fergus met us there, driving
brother, James, the eleven Fergus'boarded the Prussia four horses and a covered wagon. He also had some
at Glasgow, Scotland and sailed for America. After a saddle h[...]Massa- ranch on Armells Creek near the Judith Mountains. We
chusetts. They went by rail[...]n located on Box Elder Creek, where our uncle had
and from there by riverboat to Claggett. They went[...]ther's ranch on Armells. James The William Fergus farnily was very religious and was
friendly with other settlers and the Indians who were
Fergus had bought the squatters rights from Nels[...]here. As Mrs. Rauch said, "The Indians were fiendly
Strever for William and shortly after their arrival they[...]with us. Our mother was afraid that the Indians would
moved there, where they started the William Fergus & take one of us cnil[...]en. These
Sons Ranch holdings, which incorporated the five sons. Indians we thought to be of the Cree Tribe. (Though she
The Fergus postoffice was named for Nellie Fergus was not sure.) In the spring the Indians stole some of our
Romunstad, (not William) the first postmaster. horses, about forty head, and took them up to Canada. In
William became one of the largest sheep growers and the fall of that year, Bill Cantrell, known as "Flopping
wool raisers in the county. His ranch, on and around Bill" went to Canada and brought back most of our
Box Elder Creek w[...]

?ltis stone monument was erected by friends and rela-
tiues as a memorial tribute to the Honorable James
Fergus. It stands urhere the old Fergus home was situ-
ated and is onll' a feu feet from where this pioneer
father of Fergus Countl'died. It is on the old Roy road
on the Yaeger Ranch"
The monument is six feet high and made of stones
which tuere beautifuLLy arranged and set in cement by
WiLliam Dunn.
The stones came t'rom different parts of the state as
well as some from the foundation of Andrew Fergus'
homestead and from the fireplace of the cabin YeLIow-
stone KeLly once liued tn.
The bronze plaque giuen b1' Fergus' grattdson, Tom
Ha[...]JAM ES F.'RG L/S
The father of Fergus County
With *ife, Pamelia and son Andreg
Locatt'd this[...]James Fergus, father of Fergus County, and his wife
Capurin Fisk Espedit[...]Pamelia Dillon Fergus. Photo courtesy of the Montana
I S6:[...]Historical Society, Helena and Steue Gilpatrick, Hilger.

The Gilpatrick Ranch lies on the western edge of the first white child born in the Judith Basin. Her father
Armells territory.[...]life on parents were originally from Missouri.
the ranch, just north of the Judith Mountains, on the The couple had four sons: Stephen Fergus, George Jr.,
west fork of Armells Creek. His home is on the original James Andrew and John Collins.
homesite of his grandparents. Their[...]Stephen "Steve" F. was born in 1906 at Lewistown,
the area's history run deep. Montana- He attended school at Hilger grade and Hilger
John and Ann Collins Gilpatrick came to Helena, high school; a business college in Helena and the State
Montana from Galena, Illinois. They were or[...]teamboat pilot who lost his life while serving on the the Snowies, near Ryegate. Her parents were Harold
Mississippi River during the Civil War;George;Henry and Mona Deffrnbaugh. Her brother is Pete Def6n-
who was also a river boat pilot on the Mississippi, and baugh of Lewistown. Steve and Nellie were married in
Stephen.[...]ne in June of 1838. Nellie was baptized by the legendary pioneer preacher,
He came to Montana wi[...]ther Van, a Methodist Circuit rider.
traveling up the Missouri River to Fort Benton; then Steve remembers miners from Kendall and the North
overland to Virginia City where he prospected. After Moccasins sitting on the mountain and looking east
using up all of his funds, he went to work for wages. He over the prairie country and one of them saying, "I
married Louella Fergus, daughter of James Fergus. wouldn't give a domm for the whole country." The rest
Stephen and Louella had four sons: Collins Fergus, agreed. But many of them did homestead and stay
George Andrew, James Henry, and Frank. Collins and grandchildren of these miners: Biggerstaffs,
became a plumber in Seattle; James a.carpenter and McBurneys, Busseys, Beattys and Wunderlins are still
photographer in Sitka, Alask[...]sentative in Seattle. Steve and Nellie raised two children, John and Mona
George Andrew was born in Helena on Octob[...]h raised three children: Stephen G., Lynne and Jana.
interested in his grandfather Fergus'ranch,[...]s while enroute to her job in Lewistown at the postoffrce.
Fergus' cowboys, who was waiting for him with a sad- Monette is buried on the ranch.
dle horse. Steve and Nellie have loved their ranch home and
It was a long ride for the "tenderfoot" and he said he their life here. They love the beauty, the mountains, the
had trouble walking the next day. The saddle was not climate, the clean fresh air and the wild game; deer, elk,
as soft a job as was his bookkeeping one. antelope and birds. They aren't fond of coyotes which
He filed on a homestead claim along the creek below
the Fergus farmstead. On proving up he sold it to his
grandfather. This was a common practice and in this
way the larger ranchers could controi the area within
reach of the water. Control of the water-control of the
range. Fergus paid these homesteaders a reasonable
price for that time; from $20 to $40 per acre.
George and his uncle, Andrew Fergus, would ride
sometimes as far as Big Sandy, the livestock shipping
point, to attend a dance. Once[...]returning
home alone he was caught in a snowstorm and got lost.
Having been told before to let his hors[...]ch a situation he reluctantly did so. He was sure
the horse was going in the wrong direction, but the August 1915. In the back row on the far left is Shorty
animal took him straight home. (Clifford) Becroft. The 2nd from the right, back row, is
On April 20, 1904 George and Bertha Vannest were George Gilpatrick Sr.[...]anding next to him.
married in Helena. Bertha was the daughter of William Front row, L. to R: George Gilpatrich Jr., S.C. Gilpatrick,
and Elizabeth Wiedman Vannest. She is believed to be Gus Kauth, and Stephen F. Gilpatrick.

P. R. Hell AND JoHN HaLr,

Mr. and Mrs. P.R. Hall came to the Armells section, John went to school at Armells and later the county
probably from Burlington, North Dakota.[...]. Hall, died of pneumonia on March He and Del Samuels enlisted in the Navy in Decem-
20, L921. He was listed as a youth of high character, ber of 1920 and they were home on furlough when John
who made many friends easily and won the regard of was stricken with the fatal illness.
all who knew him. The funeral was held at the Catholic Church.

FF.nNr AND MADGS Jacoes

Frank and Madge Jacobs homesteaded on Armells[...]ren: Leslie Frank, Rose Eva, Jess
Creek, sometime between 1912 and 1915" Madge was a and Harriet. They lived on their homestead for eight[...]n.
influenced Rose's decision to homestead there. The