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

TXT

HAROLD BAUMAN[...]

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[...]o 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,[...]ter, Dick Kalina and Speed
Komarek. They helped in many ways.
We thank our pioneer residents[...]who helped by proofreading, filing, indexing and in numerous other
ways: Sue Kalina, Charlotte Kali[...]illmore, 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,[...]advice. Thanks for
photos and information above the call of duty: Carley Graham, Edyth Kauth Oquist,[...]n, Don Hardy and Dodie Rife.
Thanks to all the people who helped by writing stories and writing[...]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.
In reading this history 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 gath[...]o
use it. If anyone has data or stories on any of the homesteaders in this area please send it
to us. Many homesteaders[...]em. We had more data than we 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 already talking about
doing another in a few years.[...]Roy History Committee

[The Roy History Committee assumes no responsibility for opinions expressed by individuals in this book.l

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[...]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[...]could 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. By then we had 2500 names.
Other c[...]lp 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 wi[...]a few did both.
We sent form letters to all the people we had addresses for along with a geneolog[...]equest 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[...]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 tried to involve as many 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 her newspaper
column.
We talked to many printers around Montana, and in other states, in an effort to put
out a quality book at a price we[...]pe, 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 o[...]ts of
postage.
There is a great deal of work in putting together a book of this 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.[...]re 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.[...]ailing 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-[...]

Hereford, Angus and crossbreds dot the range. airplanes of all sizes break the quietness with their
The area is still primitive; wildlife abounds, ranche[...]come a training flight area for
are secluded, but where once only the eagles soared, jet our National defense syste[...]n, Dick Reed, Herman Otten and BilI Cook. Some of the other
men who rode for Deoton were: Chunky Conoll[...]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 whi[...]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[...]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 everything in their path. This was something 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[...]ckfeet,
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[...]goods. Behind this building ten robes. The man would count the $1.00 brass checks
another three room building wa[...]tchen and and keep a few for himself, $ving the rest to the women
dining room, cooks quarters as well as seve[...]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[...]

Gas Wpr.r-q NSAR Fencus

In 1920, California Oil Company drilled seven wells[...]sed it for eight or ten years
above Landru's. All the wells except two were plugged before it finally caved in completely.
since they were looking for oil not the gas that they The well on the Landru property was drilled to 3400
found. Will Landru hauled water to the welle with a feet, hit gas at 1380 feet, with 425 pounds of pressure
team of horses and a big steel water tank mounted on a coming out of the well. It wae caeed and is still being
wagon while[...]lling. used in all Bob Landru's buildings and Doug Landru[...]

It is stated in the Time Life book, "The Rivermen", est to dock at Fort Benton. In 1882, it carried 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,[...]e, 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 th[...]ermen.
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[...]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 lead to Fort Benton" 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. P[...]nt overland trail.
Transportation, which operated in 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 were given these r[...]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[...]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"[...]eed 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[...]ome Spread Eagle's pilot suddenly saw the short route
became a no-holds-barred, imperiling[...]ves. take the lead, he threw the wheel over and ro-med
Twenty-nine-year-old Samu[...]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. Be[...]read 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 thr[...]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[...]r and ahead of her rival. This race proved the fleetness of
soon she drew abreast and they held[...]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

SreAMe[...]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 boats or ships used wood 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".[...]posedly received its name from a
French trapper in the early 1860's. Armells also has[...]exas, 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 high cut bank caved in on them. He was camped near the Red Barn Ranch, a few

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. Lt[...]. 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[...]but 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[...]President Ulysses S. Grant 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[...]atched 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[...]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[...]keted 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.[...]ing season here is now closed, perhaps for good in
September L8742 Carroll Landing, population Z5 to[...]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 de[...]son 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[...]tories about how it got its name.
too far beneath the surface the temperature was gev- One is that L[...]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[...]made smoke signals with buffalo skins or robes.[...]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 alo[...]by Marie Webb Zahn

Ross Pass is the gateway in the Judith Mountains when asked to pa[...]ed 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[...]-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
man in self-defense.[...]wagon trains
pulled by oxen and horses, bound for the Fort, Maiden The shanger canried no identification and no one
and[...]knew 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 Atkinson, but shortly 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 Atk[...]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, miiita[...]heir water at this point.
whistles. The Mountain House was built in 1881 or 1882 Jimmie was employed ha[...]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 fou[...]

Out an the lonely Mountain prairie A s[...]ome, For as cowboys and, the lonely riders[...]Indians, coyotes and bull snokes
As the wind blows in fresh air. Were seen eu[...]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 Cause, I was raised in a cabin just tike this one
To all who 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 or two he came, glad to see com[...]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 qu[...]ybe only spuds and
This raw country had nothing in the line of conven- eggs, was the surest way to make a homesteader angry.
iences; no roads, water, houses or fences. But it held all In those days there wasn't a lock on anything. The
the healthful qualities that nature brings fresh air,[...]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 thei[...]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 homestead life. 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 observation
numerous freedoms that do not exist in this generation; 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 easy [o spot.

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-[...]farmer walking behind a team pulling a plow turning
In the 50's Roy stiil had a grocery-mercantiie store,[...]o grain eleva- A homesteader, in the early days, might sell out for a
tors, a cafe and[...]- 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[...]ing 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[...]rices 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[...]- in
cattle barons with vast herds, to thousands of ho[...]of how my family members came to where winter temperatures rarely dropped to freezing.
h[...]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
later. 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
Cornwall family home in LaConner, Washington when trees and there I found the tools of my new trade; a
the phone rang unexpectedly. It was bad news. Uncle[...]When the job was done, I began heading back. Then
That[...]s 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.[...]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 nearby homesteader. 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. other neighbors were often 10 or 20 miles away in any
What an adventure for a grandma, mother an[...]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 tak[...]led rrie A i,iruft iiirrr., 1r,i:1,
probably ride in with them. It was almost a week before thou[...]n. L)thers were g;razing. So rve
flagged it down. The driver said his name was Joe Bell. got our[...]ve 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 were to hunt in this fashion several times before sprirrg.
town.[...]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[...]ng 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 ge[...]tion was to 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 Darrell White, from nearby rode in on his gray male
suitable patch with a piece of tin. So I was back in "Sweetie". He arrived just before dinner[...]to Hilger,
cans of oil, and was sitting alongside the road with the saying he had a family there to see. Turned[...]ing for Joe Bell. 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
wished I'd taken. About 10 that night I made it to a lost in a prairie dog town, the snow drifts making it
cabin, having evaded range[...]er 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[...]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[...]d 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 co[...]arn 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[...]driving snow.
Sand Creek, about 10 miles east on the traii toward Grandma had experience in this country. "Now," she
Little Crooked. 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 ever big game 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[...]er. 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[...]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 made that ride, meaning we could place with my belt. That made for bulky riding, but it
communicate to the family back home on a weekly was the only way to keep them from freezing[...]Returning home we made shorter rides with more
Often picking up the mail, for the Jensens, IJmsteads,
Hemsings, Cornwalls, and McNu[...]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.[...]nd 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.[...]eryone 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[...]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 oth[...]andma 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[...]ng
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[...]g. 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 Al Snook, a boarder[...]out 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[...]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 occur which continue to be etched 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 Li[...]nd powerful frequently bunched together at the river because there
that winter. They had an[...]o sharp it was like they were Summertime in eastern Montana meant being in the
but an arms length away.[...]deer outside our cabin door, then awakening in the 10 days on Armells'Bottom, near McNultys[...]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,[...]oyote 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 that had strayed offto hunt for feed
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[...]ck up our stock since water there was growing
the howl of a wolf. I made one positive sighting, coming scarce. It took[...]g to get that
within 50 to 75 yards 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 creek bottom. His "dwelling" 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[...]was a man of few words.
from winter 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 wit[...]omatoes 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 railroad stockyards. One impressive drive was 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. At that time he recounted this very[...]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. Tomm[...]oping 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 ashin gto n, &fifln dfihi npfly[...]

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[...]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[...]. 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[...]to Helena. Bradbury, with Harry
Diamond City, and in to Helena, this being much the McDonald, F.M. (Pomp) Dennis, Harvey Mart[...]Butte they were attacked by
On October 1, 1867 the mail took the new route. By Sioux Indians. They fought u[...]rrows 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 186[...]short distance, and at nightfall, returned with in-
deep snow across the Dakota plains. creased fo[...]een 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 wi[...]es retreated to within fifteen miles of the starting place,
loaded with eight sacks of mail and reached Helena, where they camped. Again, they were attacked! They
M?rc[...]looking out for himself. Dennis
Two attacks on the mail have been recorded in the could not be found afterwards and it was s[...]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[...]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.[...]ain 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 m[...]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 anyone desiring to be officer in charge.
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 when Zelinda route to Valentine was established in November 1943
S. Peck was 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. Dur[...]ovember 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 was appointed postmaster on 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[...](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[...]ecame 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[...]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.
D[...]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[...]rth was her
assistant. When Mrs. Rife retired in May of 1972,
James C. Fuller was named clerk in charge until March This envelope with its[...]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. sary in 1988.

Br-r-r-hear that wind a blowing The wind just penetrates through me
On som[...]s sung all day and all night long."
It gets in the ualleys and rnokes big drifts[...]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:[...]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[...]thot wind I dread? That is: The wind wiII olways blow.[...]ald Koliho

IN lxo ljxpsn Tnp MowtANA PRArRre Srr[...]as bright as they did when the night skies entertained-
experiencedin only a few areas of the world - the rather than TV.
northeastern section of Fergus County is one of those In very few other places can one see both ends of a[...]s 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[...]f heart, make 4th of July fireworks displays dull in
a native speechless. Sunrises can be no less spec[...]ightning, 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[...]m ridge to ridge, from pole to post, from bank to
the sky in icy colors of green and blue and silvery white[...]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[...]touch it, and from one to one'hundred.
the stars still shine on clear summer and wint[...]

Some of the earlier ones were: February 5, 1933. That[...]d caught was Sunday and she was home for the weekend. As the
so many people away from home. They took their sh[...]ld and stayed several days. A lot Montana in the afternoon, Roy dnd Mickey left early to
of stock[...], 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[...]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 build[...]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 o[...]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 where Floyd Emery now lives.
rotten winters.[...]ing 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[...]lled Valentine, if not then it
Cimrhakl contacted the National Weather Service of6ce would be called, "Roy East". In a few days he called
in Great Falls to see if Carol could get a station d[...]there had been a station at Valen-
Valentine. At the time they told them that they were tine[...]alentine. 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
Service called Carol to ask if she was still interested in the Musselshell River. Carol had been keeping records[...]them yes" prior to the re-opening of the government weather
They delivered the station on August 24th. There was station[...]all 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[...]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 reporting station to Frank Ci[...]The National Weather Service Station in Great Falls
readings of precipitation, snowfall,[...]furnished the following State highlights and extremes:
and mini[...]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 be[...]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.[...]Lowest temperature 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[...]Of the 1?6 reporting stations in Montana,9S report less
10.61 for a total of 19.40 in two years.[...]t 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 b[...]s ranch 15 miles NE of Roy, cut a
18.36 in less than four months. That was an almost[...]long North and South and
equal total of the two previous years' about[...]tornado missed Bea
telling everyone that the drought would be broken and Munay's ranch by less than a mile. No one living in
big rains start in three days. How true that was![...]e homestead days ever heard of such
From the dryest years to the wettest in 1978 wiih 25.15 terrific destruction. A plane 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[...]In 1981, I was presented with the Thomas Jefferson
The lowest temperature was on January 24, L969, at 4l[...]Mac McFee, Field
- degrees below zero, and the longest cold spell was from[...]11, 1949, to February 1, 1950, which was
much below zero every day with blizzards almost 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-[...]ard by Dave Olsen, Dave Taylor
This was the lowest maximum recorded during one day.[...]mer. who is now retired. Edward H. Stoll
The highest temp€rature was on August 5, 1961, and[...]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 cu[...]r 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
Ro[...]ay." at the ranches and go straight to market began to take[...]. 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[...]Through the years many depot agents and section
destinations.[...]workers lived and made their homes at Roy. Some of
On Augrrst 10, 1916[...]rom Malta were shipped to Helena. the depot agents were: H.M. Underwood, 1916; W.A.
Ma[...]owiand, 1916 to i936; J.T. Plumb, 1936 to ?; then 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[...]ocque, Mr. Jones (Armells); C.R. Doolan (Armells,
In December of 1918 rumors were flying that the 'rail- 1915-1916) Clay Smith, Ario Wilcox Section foreman in
road will be in Valentine 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.[...]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

horses turned loose in this area to fend for themselves; where they would break and sell them to the local
some came from farmers in the Judith Basin and local ranchers.
owners. The drouth and poor economic conditions[...]nd disillu- for two months. This reduced the horse population to
sioned" Big cattle outfits went under, as well, but the make \r'ay for cattle and sheep.
horses p[...]. Drouth returned in the 1930's. Six hundred head of
By 1927-28, the economy boomed and moisture re- CBC, Chappel Brothers horses were gathered off the
turned. Cattle and sheep were claiming the grass and Reservation, swam across the Missouri River and
the horses had to relinquish their range. Gathering and shipped out of Roy in 1934. In June of 1985, BbO head
shipping or trailing them out was a big job for the cow- were put across the river at Joe Bell,s and traiied to
boys. There were markets in foreign countries, out of their new ranc[...]state locations; some choice saddle stock went to the US were iost in crossing the river.
Remount stations and many were destined for the A week Later,27 cars of horses l[...]ught by A.B. McCullough of Ft. Smith Horse and
The first sizeable shipment at Roy came from the Mule Auction Company of Ft. Smith, Arkansas to their
dispersion of the lazy F T horses in the estate of Ben large ranch holdings at LaPl[...]ded at Ft. Pierre and trailed to Laplant,
acloss the Missouri River, Ioaded on the Chicago the Iocation of the ranch.
Milwaukee & St. Louis Railroad at Roy in August of After the Grazing Districts took over the range lands,
1927. Eight cars went to the Butte Packing Company it was no longer feasible to run horses in this area. The ,
and 5 cars to St. Louis, Missouri. Iast of the range horses were disposed ofby the ranchers
The next spring, roundups in lower Fergus County in the early 1950's.
began with F.S. Johnson and his par[...]ooked, Athearns and John Mayberry,
Roy Hanson and the DAY horses, Johnny Matheson
dispersing the George Davidson estate of the 4p brand,
George Hamilton gathering the Thurlo McCain estate
(T bar M) horses, Sam Sherman and Hank Griener and
the local owners participating.
The first of June, 200 head or eight cars wenr out
from Roy by rail. The follow.ing shipment of 20 cars
went to Wisconsin[...]inois were trailed to Hays, via
Rocky Point, swam the Missouri River at the Wilder
crossing, where they joined several thousand head This photo was taken in the summer of 192g and. shows
being held on the Indian Reservation range until they but a few of the thousands of head of horses that were
could be handled by the eastern packing plant. Sam rounded up and shipped out of the country. In the uery
Sherman rounded up and bought horses in phillips eorly days a steady market[...]s. Later
W.W. Weyand of Chinook bought 80 head, the top end many were slaughtered, others were used for the
of the Davidson herd and trailed them to Chinook, coualry d.nd others were used in France, for food,

Sour RrMeRAN[...]Ernest Harrell
There were skirmishes between the sheepmen and I remember my fust rattlesnake scare. I was camping
the cattlemen. The sheepherder usually got the brunt of out, b1- Zahns. I laid still for an hour before I realized it
the "war" maneuvers. It was open range at the time. I was the seeds in a weed pod doing the rattling. A fan
remember once when Steve LaRocque[...]weed I think it was.
Carmikle, a cowboy came in and scattered the sheep all The second scare was for real. Larry Jordan and I
ove[...], but I thought that was were camping out and the snake crawled in bed with us.
getting pretty mean. I didn't like it. Larrl' saw the snake hrst and hollered and BOYI did we
T[...]

sheepherders camp. We stayed in the sheepwagon that
nightl"
"Well, the flood ruined the house and got to the barn.
After that they moved the house and built it up higher by
where the sheep camp was.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Jordan,
steaded in Custer County which Jordan said was "pretty[...]early and had a job with _t
the Bradshaw Land and Cattle Company on the Powder
River east of Miles City when he[...]any for a time, swim.
ming cattle across the Missouri and working the range.[...]to marry Helen Kudzia.
They'd met along the road while Jordan worked traiiing
cattle and "met officially" at a country dance in Roy in
the true western tradition. The Jordans married in 193?
and have lived near Roy ever since.[...]id (background) and Bob
Jordan enjoyed the rough times and said the boys had Ingalls (foreground) at Zahn homesteod, 1935.
dares all the iime. He remembers once how he and Mark[...]"We backed up our horses back to back and tied the rope
around the saddle horns. I knew this little black horse[...]this
Weli I pulled and the saddle came right
-back and forth.[...]s like jumping off cutbanks and
swimming in the river," Jordan said.[...]break around the campfire, at Cottonwood Crossing on
I used to t[...]Crooked Creek, July 4, 1935. This was the last roundup
Eorly euer' spring wagon that ran in this country. Cowboys frorn left to
The outfits paid me 45[...]ry Jordan, Marh Stanley, Ben Burnett, Ted
To ride the bronc rough-string[...], and Arnold Zohn.
They fed us beans an'beefsteoh
The pay an' grub was swell[...]ray
So I'II just make o picture:
"Fightin' broncs in my
younger doy."

Ben Gorthofner[...],\ :) A bunch of young cowboys during the early doys of the[...]

Riding in local rodeos was also a favorite pasttime and said he won $85 in three days by riding mount money
Jord'an[...]most of them too and first places in bronc riding in two days.
took them back to Madison Squa[...]out 38 to 40 head of bucking the CBC and his life with the cowboys of the 20's and 30's.
horses in two days. In 1927 he rode in the Miles City rodeo The breed of cowboy the CBC produced aren't around any
in saddle bronc and bareback. in 1932 he rode in the more and the wild west won't ever seem as wild.
Cody, Wyo. rodeo with all the professional bronc riders of "It w[...]life," Jordan said. "You'd be a hero if
the day. The day money was $25, $15, and $10 and Jordan you could work for the CBC all summer."[...]by Con Anderson

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[...]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 young horse which had been ridden only
down in like manner. By this time, the Government had twice before. We caug[...]any 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 St[...]ank about 15 feet high. 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 cutbank, each time falling back, so
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 sh[...]as given a started running across the prairie as fast as he could. I
name as were the creek crossings, such as Haystack[...]ry for rounding up came near Roy where more people were located, their
cattle.[...]e 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; t[...]f some through it. A young boy seeing the cow came out carry-
of his horses had gotten[...]ing 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[...]t east at a wild run. We took after the norih side where the cows stopped. This was trouble
them and did[...]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[...]. 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

Cowaoy Days IN Fnncus CouNry[...]ary 1915

Judge Roy E. Ayers (later, Governor of the State of range to ride 'em on. But, Doc, it made me remember a
Montana) reminisces his cowboy expe[...]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 positions in this state who once even his 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[...]ys 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[...]ed he The Real Cowboye
At that time the range was ridden semi.annually by
took down Judge[...]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[...]e from Montgomery
"Yes, Doc, I know I am slow in relating to 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[...]"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 etar[...]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,[...]o rea. bodieg and minds and by the acts of the horsea and
sons: First, i peddled my "Clarence[...]a dry sumroer or a hard winter was ueually good. In
horees like I used to ride. and if there were. there ain't no fact, Nature spoke to them in all her varioue languages.

A Few of the Old Guard have the reign of the piow horse and the school ma'am.
Rock and Rye are probably fo[...]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.
bunch. Some died with their 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[...]his band,
us left-uone ia jail, and none are in the eaddle. Some Vlhere the old, freighter, in his rough way,
are trying to "make it" go on[...]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[...]pire, 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[...]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, L.C. Willmore, Ralph Jensen Resources took over in 1976. Montana is the only state
and other ranchers in western states began to work for with state cooperative 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[...]

Under the Iaws of the Montana Grass Conservation Jones; dir[...]esent.
prioriiy years, could apply for membership in the dis- Over the course of the years many others have taken
tricts. This qualifi[...]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. Ver[...]life time lease. Several were Puckett held the job of secretary for over 40 years. The
members of the Indian Butte District. present day directors 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.
t[...]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 members of these 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[...]d members Charles Southworth, Carl Gautier and
The Soil Conservation Service administered these[...]nt 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[...]At the November 14, 1934 meeting it was decided[...]to call the district Crooked Creek Cooperative Associa'[...]ezrwc 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 big, so at a 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 d[...]that time cattle
District was formed. As reported in 1935: roamed freely and ranchers in either district would
The first officers of the Indian Butte Grazing spend many days an[...]Willmore; 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 riprapped with rock
Works Prog:ess Administration started a project in on the water side. I (Frank C.) was with a crew that
193[...]nd 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. Vaugh[...]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 Albert Jakes lived 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, sulky plow. Each living in campers. Flunky Scanlon had the best living,
plow was pulled by four horses. All[...]no'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[...]Wilder still had a post offrce and store where we would
Cimrhakl, John Umstead, Roy Umstead, Mur[...]lon, 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 $[...]s mattress making. Roy
hundred. Everyone paid for the feed for their horses. Umstead was the foreman on this job. Materials, sheet-
Jess Woodc[...]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[...]. When through they were
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 shifts, all that was allowed in a These mattresses were to replace the straw ticks most
month. There would be another cr[...]d no
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[...]

Her fingernails are polished bright,[...]Her joyous laughter rings out true;
Her hair, in curlers, done up tight;[...]s sometimes good, sometimes bad-
Nails and string in bulging pochet.[...]Esther ie the daughter of Dee and I*na Potterf, early day buein[...]Mrs. Hill was, for a time, editor of the Lewistown News Argus; a[...]by Donna Lund
The history of a country school is hard to trace as[...]amp or
schools were often moved around. Sometimes the build- lantern inside an apple crate and set the child on the
ings were moved, sometimes school was held in a dif- top of the crate to warm her up.
ferent building. When the school sat by Smiths, it was Country sc[...]as there was a
called Smith's school even though the name in the variety of ages and children learned[...]h
Superintendent's office might be Paradise. Then the them all.
Paradise school might be moved nearer to Jones, and The teachers were sometimes ladies from the neigh-
the neighborhood then called it Jones School. borhood. In some areas it was preferred that the teacher
In the early days, school was sometimes only held for[...]a time. Then school might start teachers. the married ones were hired. Teachers often
again in a couple of months, sometimes with a different did not mention they were married in order to have a
teacher. better chance at a school.
still in
Sometimes the children would be 15 or 16 and The following article by Margaret Hedman tells about
the sixth g:ade. Weather could prevent the children a year in Little Crooked school. It could have been any
from coming all the time, especially if they lived a ways country school, as the narrative is typical of most coun-
from the school. The boys sometimes had to go to work try scho[...]Individual schools are listed in the communities
Winnie Rife recalls a time when a child in the neigh- where they were located.
borhood came to school and was very cold. The teacher

Gonc To Scnool IN THs CouNrnv
by Margaret Hedman
The hot, dry, breathless summer of 1930 had a same[...]had our everyday Roy.
chores tending the turkeys and chickens, running They exp[...]was necessary for an
-
errands to and from the garden, watching and listening attendance of five pupils which were Marie Webb Zahn,
for the milk cows, - however, we had noticed an[...]nt of whispering and spelling between the teacher. My mother planned to move into a one
our parents. A common practice in those days-keep room 15 x 20 feet shack for the school year. She would
kids uninformed. We had fr[...]Warren and Bob
neighbors, Willmores and Jensens. The same hush- Willmore, Charles and I made the necessary five. "But
hush chatter continued, nonetheless the mystery solved where is Little Crooked?" we asked. My dad said "We'll
itself in about two weeks for they told us we were make a run over there then you can see where you'll be

Iiving this school year." Happily we all fit in a topless Mrs. Jensens selection of musical instrumentin accompan-
Model T. to jiggle and bounce the 22 miles across hills iment to her favori[...]uch as she
could plainly see a huge log building, the Little Crooked might say, "Today you play the flute, Margaret".
Community Hall which would be o[...]Our play time or free time was seasonal. The fall days
Enroute we had picked up Mrs. Jensen, now our were spent roaming over the near by hills and down to
inspection tour group was complete. Immediately when the Creek where we picked out sticks and willows that
viewing the long interior of the hall, it was decided to would make suitable stick horses.
partition the stage end of the building for a teacherage. This doesn't sound like much today; but to us in the
The building we were to live in had to be skidded into 1930's, picking out[...]rse became quite an
place between a reservoir and the school house. At one art. First you had[...]emember, we were amazed with scraped the very top of the bark off; and if you needed a
the different atmosphere. The huge room had a bare lpalomino to p[...]you
wood floor, high ceiling and ample windows on the side scraped deeper taking all the bark off leaving a pretty
walls.[...]Marie always had the stick horse that bucked the
The school desks were double wide booth like struc-[...]hardest, forever throwing her to the ground. My brother,
tures which made it convenient for the teacher to sit[...]always had a big old clumsy stick just right
with the pupil for class. The teachers desk had a very for a sheephe[...]played ranch
practical appearance, no doubt home made also.[...]and range war. Bob and I strung along with the more
The building was heated by a wood burning heater in gentle type.
the middle of the room. Our lights were either a kero- While Warren's semi-wild string always had the best
sene lamp or a gas lantern run by hi-test ga[...]ie's studs had torn his favor-
tles. "Heaven help the kid that broke the last mantle". ite. Our imagination ran wild in those days.
Our school day was from 9:00 to 4:00 with one hour Winter. In winter we builtsnowmen and slid down
for lunch. Our subjects met the requirements plus music hills in our homemade sleds. Did some skating if the ice
and art education. For music, Mrs. Jensen had[...]ember only about
type phonograph. When she played the instrumental two of us had skates.[...]rd to seeing W.E.
sides, we were to gless or know the type of instrument Jones, the mailman, for the Wilder Route.
by imitating playing the correct instrument . such as Spring[...]l-
violin, flute, horn and piano. We also learned the basics come. Away we ran again over the hills, watching the
in note reading from a scale that remained on the last bit of snow melt and run down the coulee, looking
blackboard continuously.[...]As I have mentioned
For art work, we decorated the windows with sea- before, we lived near a reservoir. Near the water was a
sonal objects made from heavy construction paper. cir[...]t set up to make a meal.
waving a hand brass bell in the doorway meant times I can remember us planning to build a fire in the
up. If we had wandered too far out of hearing, we had to circle of stones. As the shack we lived in was out of
make up the time; very annoying. sight and the school house was quite a distance, we felt
Mrs.[...]d being boiled
She had a chauffeur, and they came in a Model A alive, my mother came over the dam banking and need-
coach. She would make a visit in the fall and another less to say we all go[...]anticipated tell-tale smoke signals.
accomplished in some manner. What I hated most, When we went back to school in Roy, it was proven
probably why I remember it, was standing up imitating the two years at Little Crooked did us no harm.[...]e and gone, but Mre. Duffy of schools in the district, the Fort Maginnis, the Alpine and
Fort Maginnis still remembers the days when she was a the Dengel School. The young school ma'am caught the
pioneer school teacher in the Central Montana com. Great Northern train in Great Falls. While waiting in the
munities.[...]ing to
school at Diilon and taught one year in Cascade County Lewistown to accept a school. They changed to the Mil-
when ehe decided to accept a position in School Dietrict waukee in Lewistown for the ride to Grase Range.

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 lear[...]Betty 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,[...]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[...]old. An uncle, who lived near Great
students in the school that year.[...]t 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 student near Great Falls, or a teacher in
until winter weather forced it to close. The school was Cental Montana, school has played a prominent part in
always out before Christmas; so instead of the traditionai Anna's life.
Christmas program the students usually presented a pro- Anna Duffy passed away in November of 1988.
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[...]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[...]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.[...]ND InursE HART 1873 in Maine, the daughter of Augustus and Abbie
Amanda O. Swift[...]Alma Louise Swift was married to Elmer Hart of
in 1912 and homesteading. Miss Swift was born in Greenfieid, Mass.
August of 1870 in Maine. She taught schools in Central Mrs. Hart was a graduate of a[...]d also was Pet- did practice teaching in Maine. She also held positions
roleum County superintendent 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[...]etimes even money taught two years in Lewistown schools. As County
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 s[...]ith 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. Pauline E. Patton of Fergus was elected, beginning in
Hart's death, 26 May 1957. Mrs. Hart was b[...]

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,
were early Montana pioneers who came to Alder Gulch and one of the oldest trees now bearing is 75 years old.
in Helena in 1863. 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.[...]happy and school house was built on the banks of Armells Creek, a
contented in their mountain 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.[...]an. 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 River. Mail was delivered via this route in four
homesteaders.[...]f days; freight fifteen days, and freight
Among the early pioneers was one Tim Carey, a from Chicago in thirty days. This trail was not in use
dashing young Irish bachelor, who homesteaded[...]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, to[...]s 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 ra[...]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[...]ans 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, F[...]Ranch, Fergus Bros., and the Geo. Gilpatricks. Later
Mining, too, had its day, in a small way, this 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

AN AnnrpLLS C[...]to R.: Bob Fergus, George Gilpatrich'
Romunstad (in white shirt), James Fergus Sr-, Mrs'[...], Jim Fergus, Albert Wiedman, Lottie
Iittle girl in front hotdine onto Mrs. Wm. Vannest's Vannest (stand'ing in front of Albert), Charlie Wied'
hand is M[...]

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 Davi[...]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.[...]Ir ANpsnsoN

Rose Anderson Carmichael was born in LaPorte, Cap McCullough's mother. Both Rose and Mollie
Indiana in 1884. She had a homestead in Kansas before worked on area ranches[...]oming to this area. Her daughter, Keoka, was born in them the Horse Ranch when the Evert Harrells were
a hotel in bheyenne, Wyoming, in 1909, enroute to 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 divo[...]next Rose and Keoka left here in a team and wagon and
homesteaded on Armells Creek when K[...]is now living 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[...]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 associated with W.W. Parrett in of Fergus Co. 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
Blanchard were in business 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[...]Elder. Herbert Atkinson killed Pool in self-defense on the
run over by a wagon and had received considerable[...]wdies at John
headaches, melancholia and a change in disposition. Butterfreld's, one man was frozen to death last winter at
in 1881 a brother of his came to Montana and bought[...]tephens'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[...]d 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 had died years before. His mother was listed as a[...]near Salt Creek and a young man from the "east," far
"wealthy woman of Boston".[...]list
He was well known and universally admired in shows that the blizzard has cost us four times as many
Fergus co[...]his areas most lives and the gun and club three times as many as natural
promi[...]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, Edward married Louise Hilger in 1889. She was
New Hampshire" He graduated from Am[...]hen they met.
tural Coliege and farmed and taught in Kansas before Louise came to Montana, from Minnesota, in a wagon
coming to Montana. train which was accompanied by the Military through

James Fergus located on Armells Creek in 1880 Fergus Ranch. When Fergus divided his property after
where he began his extensive livestock operation. the death of his wife, his son, Andrew, was given the
In 1885 he was a member of the state senate for home ranch (now Yaegers); Luella (Mrs. S.C. Gilpatrick)
Meagher county when the county was split and Fergus the Townsend Ranch (now Maberrys);Mary (Mrs. R.S.
county was formed and named in his honor. James Hamilton) the ranch on upper Deer Creek (Lipke) and
Fergus gave powerfui leadership in the formation of the Lily (Mrs. Frank Maury) the Horse Ranch.
Montana Stockgrowers. A close frien$ of Granville
Stuart, the two were advocates of the vigilante move- ANonnw (sonof James) Fnncus
ment to rid the range of rustlers. Fergus was not a Andrew, son of James, married Hazel Akeley. They
member of the Vigilantes but he did applaud what they[...]Andrew along with his father and a hired man, came
Fergus was a great reader and a free thinker. He did by wagon in 1880 to locate and establish the ranch
not use alcohol or tobacco and had only contempt for headquarters on the north side of the Judith Moun'
those who used vulgar and profane la[...]lican. James Fergus died June 25, L902 the livestock; battling the bitter cold winter, wolves and
at the age of 92 and was buried in Helena beside his renegade Indians. He lived in a small one-room cabin
wife, Pamelia, who died Oc[...]Andrew died about 1928. Hazel is living in Alaska"
John, and John's son Steve, still live on pari of the old[...]sbyterian acres and was also one of the largest in the country. Mr.
member for all of his life. He remai[...]rm, saving his and cattle.
money. With his father's assistance he began farming On Febr[...]. Newton L. Landru), Christine from the interwiew follow.
(Mrs. David Hilger), Willia'"[...]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
an[...]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 wag[...]Massa- ranch on Armells Creek near the Judith Mountains. We
chusetts. They went by rail[...]kota then located on Box Elder Creek, where our uncle had
and from there by riverboat to Clag[...]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 shor[...]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[...]

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 family's roots in Stephen "Steve" F. was born in 1906 at Lewistown,
the area's history run deep.[...]Helena, high school; a business college in Helena and the State
Montana from Galena, Illinois. They were originally Agricultural College of Montana in Bozeman.
from Augusta, Maine. They had four sons:[...]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 Deffrnbaug[...]is Pete Def6n-
who was also a river boat pilot on the Mississippi, and baugh of Lewistown. Steve and Nellie were married in
Stephen. 1933.
Stephen was born in Augusta, Maine in June of 1838. Nellie was baptized by the legendary pioneer preacher,
He came to Montana with family members in 1863, Brother 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
marrie[...]f James Fergus. wouldn't give a domm for the whole country." The rest
Stephen and Louella had four sons: Collin[...]n of these miners: Biggerstaffs,
became a plumber in Seattle; James a.carpenter and McBurneys, Busseys, Beattys and Wunderlins are still
photographer in Sitka, Alaska; Frank, an automobile here!
corporation representative in Seattle. Steve and Nellie raised two children, John and Mona
George Andrew was born in Helena on October 22, (Mrs. Don Freshour)[...], a stepdaughter of Clyde Mariin. They
bookkeeper in his father's plumbing shop. Very much raised three children: Stephen G., Lynne and Jana.
interested in his grandfather Fergus'ranch, he came by Monette was killed in an auto accident in December 1979
stage to Lewistown where he was met by one of James 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.[...]ved 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 bo[...]yotes 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 reasonabl[...]Fergus, would ride
sometimes as far as Big Sandy, the livestock shipping
point, to attend a dance. Once when he was returning
home alone he was caught in a snowstorm and got lost.
Having been told before to let his horse "have his head"
in such 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 an[...]k Sr. with his wife standing next to him.
married in Helena. Bertha was the daughter of William Front row, L. to[...]

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.[...]on March He and Del Samuels enlisted in the Navy in Decem-
20, L921. He was listed as a youth of high[...]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.[...]n.
influenced Rose's decision to homestead there. The

LeNrnu Fur,ttlv

The Landru ancestry is as famous as Central When Will was two years old the family moved to
Montana. It was in 1882 that the matriarch of the Minnesota. Will attended school in Madison, Wisc., and
Landru family came to the United Statesrwith her fam- a Norwegian School in Canby. In 1895 he moved to
ily. Young Agnes Pate Fergus, da[...]a with his grandparents and, or,
Fergus, was born in Glasgow, Scotland on November his parents where they farmed rice and he attended a
22,1864. She was 17 years old when she arrived in this private school. In 1907 he went to business school in
country. Springfield, Missouri. in 1909 Will tried his luck in the
Newton L. Landru was born on March 14, 1857 in oil fields at Nerv Hall, California. But the prairies and
Primrose, Iowa. He came to Montana a[...]e and Black) of Montana that he had heard
soldier in 1884 and was stationed at Ft. Maginnis. about since childhood and the stories of the land near
The couple met, and were married on September 16, the Missouri River beckoned him and so in May of 1910
1885 at Fergus. They settled on a hom[...]investment and sent Peny Foster out to Montana to
the old Fergus Ranch on Box Elder Creek. Three other[...]d Will became good friends.
children were born to the couple: Helen (Cariney) in Will recalled that, "I went down to visit a friend
1889 in Madison, Wisc.; Ellsworth, who died at 9 (Perry) one day and this good-looking girl came to the
months of age; and Mable (Cary) who was born in door. She had an ax in one hand and a tea-kettle in the
Louisiana in 1901.[...]

Cr.a[...]Claude was married to Mary Margaret Butts in 1902
father of Fergus County. He was born in Iowa on ia Lewistown.
August 21, 1883[...]with his parents, to live on Mary was born in Missouri on November 2, 1884. She
the James Fergus Ranch at Armells when he was about[...]th her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry
two years old. The family stayed for two years then Butts, a[...]gon. There was also a brother, Marion, The Maurys had three children. Their eldest, Emory,
a[...]died in November of 1935 at the age of 32 from injuries
When Claude was fifteen he returned to Montana to suffered in an auto accident in May of 1923. He had
rork on his grandfathers ranch. He eventually became been paralized since the accident. There were two
nanager and half owner of the old Fergus Horse daughters, Mrs. Frank Bristol and Mrs. Robert
l,anch. He engaged in stock raising on an extensive Undblom.
;c[...]Mary died at her daughter's home in Oakland, Cali
At the time of his passing on March 21, lg32 the fornia of a heart attack in January of 1946. She was
lergus Horse Ranch was owned by the county and buried in Lewistown beside her husband and son.
llaude was owner and operator of the Maury Service Mary's parents are also buried in Lewistown.
itation in Lewistown.

Walter H. Peck was born on August 28th, 1853 in Montana and became a sheep man not far from where
Cook County, Illinois, the son of Presbyterian minister, Walter Pe[...]man
Reverend John Peck and Sarah Bremner Peck. At the by the name of William Fergus lived nearby and had a
age of 12 he went to work in the offrces of the Erie family of three girls and a boy who were nearing school
Railroad where he remained for the next 11 years. Afber age, but there were no schools in the area. Julian wrote
the death of his widowed mother and at the age of 28 to his sister and she decided to make the hazardous trip
years he decided to join those har[...]m to keep house for him and to keep her
challenge in new horizons in the West. anxious parents informed as to his well being as well as
Boarding the train to St. Louis and then on to to teach the Fergus children.
Bismarck, North Dakota, which was then the end of the She often told most interesting stories of her trip as
rail line. He rode up the Missouri River on the first she boarded the train as far as it went to Bismarck,
steamboat of the year, the "Far West", and landed in North Dakota and from there, by stage, where she was
Fort Benton. The trip took 14 days. Fort Benton was the only woman among a group of fur traders. She was
then the last nawigable station on the Missouri and was impressed with the beauty of the grasslands, the
the bustling headquarters for large shipments of furs, streams and the wild game and as they drove into the
wool and supplies and was the gateway for shipments of Maiden Canyon the driver asked where he could 'drop'
gold to the East. his lady passenger. She asked to be taken to the Hotel
There Wairer bought a saddle horse, a frying pan and but the driver shook his head and in astonishment said
a small pail. For provisions he[...]d some dried fruit. With no real hotel in these parts....just saloons and lodging
Square Bu[...]Mrs. Ballinger's. She is a white
directly across the open fenceless country and event- wo[...]our brother
ually ended up on Armells Creek, then in Meagher comes for you." Zelinda spent a few days with Mr. and
County on the North slopes of the Judith Mountains. Mrs. Ballinger a[...]lasted through their lives.
part of his wages in a share of the lambs. In 1882 he took Zelinda, or Linda as she w[...]ed and his cabin was quite small she went to live in
desert and timber claims he increased his acreage to 800 the home of Granville Stuart. Granville was a boister[...]7000. On September ous, hearty man of the West (no relation) and was
22, 1885 he married Ze[...]e was a shy, retiring full blood Crow Indian. She
in North Carolina inr1849. During the Civil War her taught his children as well as the Fergus children and
father clung tenaciously to his Quaker beliefs and any others in the immediate area. Eventually Linda and
refused to b[...]and John.
but was finally forced to march toward the enemy with a The need for a neighborhood post office became
gun ti[...]induced Walter to promote a petition to
and till the end of the Civil War was sent to work in the have one established. They proposed to have the new
salt mines as punishment. These years passed,[...]t office named Ray, shortened from Linda's child-
the end of the war he got in touch with his family again hood hometo[...]lle, Indiana, butthrough some
and they joined him in Raysville, Indiana to start a new error, perhaps in penmanship, when the official papers
life. Here he rented a small acreage and managed, by arrived, in 1892, to establish the post office in his home
working for his landlord whenever possible, to put by a the name was given as Roy.
small amount toward moving[...]lose most of his sheep so he sold his place in 1897 to
at that time. They finally moved to Plymo[...]lady of 19. parents in Illinois to go to school while he planned to run[...]to what was left of his band of sheep in the breaks of the

Missouri for the winter. The next spring he was forced to they came by stage to Utica where Walter met them and
sell what was left of his she[...]miles away. The railroad was built into the area during
About this time he learned of a general store in the next few years and with the excitement of homestead
Garneill which was having[...]s. areas opening up and new industry the general store
Through his reputation for personal[...]proved to be a thriving business. Peck ran the store until
no collateral, Walter was able to make arrangements 1917, which also included the post office from 1902 to
through Sam Phillips of the Bank of Fergus County to 1912. He was a[...]missioner
become half owner with Frank Hassett of the Garneiil and as such took homestead filings in the area.
property. He soon bought his partner's interest and Peck's retired to Lewistown where he died in 1928 at
became sole owner of the W.H. Peck General Merchan- the age of 74. Zelinda lived to be 94 years old. Thei[...]hing from a youngest son, John, stayed in the Garneill area where he
needle up to a threshing machine. Upon taking over the raised a large family, many of them still residing in that
business he sent for Linda and the children. By this time area.
the railroad had been built to Great Falls so from th[...]Samuel T. Strausburg, stock and grain rancher in and his sons then turned carpenters and built the
Fergus County, was a loyal and enthusiastic boost[...]on. Most of
Montana's opportunities. He had lived in a number of the improvements on his farm and ranch represent the
states and locations before coming here, and it was direct results of his enterprise and the labor of himself
Montana that proved most permane[...]ive and and his children.
afforded him the opportunities for getting securely Mr. Strausburg, in the spring of 1916, laid the founda-
anchored in terms of material prosperity.[...]their
Mr. Strausberg was born near Centerview, in Johnson calves, and the following year added nine head of the
County, Missouri, June 30, 1869, the son of Jacob and Shorthorn strain. A con[...]evenue was milk
Elizabeth (Fogle) Strausburg. His father was born at and cream. He also raised D[...]h parents were of and sold them to the butcher shops in Lewistown.
German Baptist families. They moved fr[...]shed as a homesteader and farmer
Ohio to Missouri in 1867 and Jacob Strausburg spenthis had not been at the expense of public spirited partici-
life as a farmer and died at Warrensburg, Missouri in pation in the community life. He helped build three
7924, at the age of eighty-four. His wife passed away in schoolhouses in the region and served on the school
1914, at seventy-nine, and both are buried at Centerview. board nine years. The first schoolhouse was six miles
They were the parents of nine children. from his ranch and his eldest son drove the stage to
Samuel attended the Houx schoolhouse, three miles carry the children to school. After getting on the school
north of Centerville and remained in his home locality board Mr. Strausburg succeeded in getting another
until he was twenty-two. He accepted the advice of a building less than two mile[...]his family on a train dnd started reared in the faith of the German Baptist Church. He
for Lewistown, where he arrived in 1914. He brought was a director of the First National Bank of Roy and
with him his wife and five children, and a cash capital of during the World War he and his family assisted in
only $250. carrying out the patriotic proglam of his locality.
His homestea[...]contest on this Martha Burgard, who was born in Fulton County,
homestead but the former claimants agreed to release Illinois on May 3, 1870. She was the daughter of Peter
his claim. Later he found other[...]ists and moved from Illinois to Missouri.
Some of the land was heavily timbered with pine. In the Mrs. Strausburg was one of thirteen children and the
course of his various experiences in the Middle West he others who grew up were: John, Mrs. Lizzie Strausburg,
had acquired the knowledge of a sawmill and he con' Peter, Paul Silas, Mrs. Ruth Kahler of Lewistown,
ceived the idea of saving a great deal ofcash outlay by Montana.
turning the fine trees into lumber. He bought a small[...]ve children. Their
sawmill and sawed up enough of the pine iogs to provide daugher Birdie is the wife of John Pelot and they owned
material for ho[...]uses and he and managed an apartment house in Lewistown.

Tahing utoo[...]Jay' C). \"esse1 *'as born on Jzinuary 8, 1S7l in Sauk Llombs and Amanda Butler, u'as born in October of
Center, Minnesota. He died in February of 19.17 at lhe 1872. She died March 19, 1928 at the age of 56. Both are
age of 76. His *'ife. Susan Combs, daushLer of William buried in Lewistown.

The Vessey's homesteaded in 1915, about 14 miies
from Roy, on Armells Creek, where they raised cattle.
They made their home in Roy i.n later years.
They had five sons: Ray, who was killed in France in
WWI; Winfred (Winnifred) and Ernest, who moved to
the west coast; Donald, who was around Roy for several
years and Fred.
Fred Vessey was born in 1895 in Sauk Center,
Minnesota. He was married to Nellie Belie Massey on
March 21, 1931 in Lewistown. Nellie was born on May
24,1907 in Oaks, Oklahoma. They had five children:[...]n
August 74, 1934, died December 29, 1936, buried in The J.C. Vessey's at their homestead on Armells Creek[...]Ln lJrO.
born September 26, i9a3 (all in Lewistown) and Dan
born March 5, L952 in Grangeville, Idaho, died Feb-
ruary 18, 1969.
Nellie Vessey wrote the following about her husband
Fred:
Fred work[...]ge cattle outfit between Roy and
(Valentine?) the winter of 1919. He and Charles Russell
rode the range together for this outfit. This outfit could[...]o Charles drew a
picture for Fred and left it in his house and when he was
gone someone stole[...]his family came to Montana, Andrew
Fergus had the Horse Ranch on Armells Creek. Some
settlers came in that he didn't like. Some of his cowboys r[...]le.
hung a boy on a cottonwood tree. That was in the early The Fred Vessey's bought the Bill Lane ranch below
days that happened, but they were still talking about it. Roy where they lived for several years. In the spring of
That took place about 7z mile of our place on Armells 1944 they sold the ranch and moved to Stites, Idaho
Creek.[...]February 26, 1962 of a heart attack at
Creek near the Horse Ranch. Fred had been foreman on the age of 77. Nellie was 81 years old in 1988 and
the Gilpatrick Ranch for several years before he started resides in Grangeville, Idaho.[...]a composite from the writings of[...]sie Coluer Wiedman
Albert C. Wiedman was one of the substantial They sold their grocery store and in 1888 Chris headed
ranchers and farmers of Fergus County, his homeplace the family migration to Montana. The family condisted
being located three miles south[...]12, Emma 4 and Charles 4
Creek, and comprised of the lands homesteaded by his months.
parents in 1888. They came up the river and across the plains to White
Albert was born near St. Joseph in Buchanan Sulphur Springs where Chris had a sister, Mrs, George
County, Missouri[...]Bruckert, Iiving. Chris and Albert left the rest of the
of Christian and Sibylla (Gutekunst) Wiedman and[...]family there while they came on to Lewistown where he
grandson of Frederick Wiedman, all natives of[...]Mrs. Frank Hash.
Chris and Sibylla were married in 1871 in America. After locating their h[...]arlet fever they Sulphur Springs for the winter. There were only three
decided to leave Mi[...]unhappy memories. houses between the homestead and Lewistown then;

the Townsend Ranch, now known as the Mayberry Alan retired in 1969 and lived in a mobile home at the
Ranch; the Coiver Ranch and the Vannest Ranch, now Colver ranch until his passing in 1980.
the Clark Carter Ranch.[...]six
Albert was 15 years old when they returned the children: Bob, Tom, Tim, Debra (Mrs. Rich Bowser),
following spring and he and his father worked together Mike and Leda (Mrs. Mike McReynolds). Tim, Deb,
in putting up the log house; their chief implements Mike and Leda all attended school in Roy and are RHS
being a cross-cut saw and a wood[...]graduates. Marcelyn and John took over the ranch
After he retired from the responsibilities ofgrain and when Alan retired[...]is- their construction business.
town, where he died in 1924, at the age of 85, and his Emma Wiedman married Marion Maury in 1900.
wife in 1927 at the age of 77. They had two girls, Emma and Amelia. The mother
Albert C. Wiedman acquired his education before died in 1905. Amelia Wiedman married William Fergus
leaving the old Missouri home. After assisting his in 1899. They had no children but adopted the Maury
father in the preliminary work of developing the home- children. William Fergus died in 1916, Mrs. Fergus
stead he became a range rider and cowboy on some of married Louis Smith in 1921. She died in 1955.
the ranch holdings of the Fergus Livestock and Land Amelia Fergus married Bud Wiliiams in 1930. They
Company. Later he returned home and took the active had one son, Charles.
management of his father's piace. This estate repre- Emma Fergus married John Simofy in 1930. They
sented the original claims entered by his father and had a son, Jack, killed in the crash ofa B52 in 1971 and
mother and other additional claims totaling 1180 acres. a daughter, Ethel, Iiving in Santa Maria, California.
Mr. Albert Wiedman also[...]rles Wiedman took a homestead near Christina.
ing the location of his parents, and his individual[...]boy, Wayne, Iiving
Mr. Wiedman served as one of the trustees of the in Omaha and another named Norman now living in
in
home school and helped organize two school distri[...]a.
this vicinity. Politically he was a Republican in Charles later remarried and had two daughters. The
national politics, and during the World War he was reg- mother, the former Lily Wilson, died when the girls
istered under the second draft law but was never classi- were very young. He took care of them until he died in
fied. The Wiedman's as a family were members of the 1942. One girl is now married to Art Chri[...]h. Dillon. The other one lives in Idaho.
Mr. Wiedman married at Fort Benton, Mont[...]1904 a Miss Eiizabeth Bremner. Elizabeth
was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and she and her
sister, Mrs. William Gordon, came to the United States
in 1900. Both of their parents had died in Scotland.
Mrs. Wiedman attended a business college in Scotland.
The ranch was on the main road to the Roy country.
When the lower country was being settled many un-
loaded their emigrant cars at Hilger and also hauled
lumber from the three yards there. Many of them
stopped at the ranch the first night. Usually there was
no charge for meals or horse feed. This was a heavy
load for Elizabeth. The pioneer women are the ones
who had it tough. Elizabeth was always cheer[...]ould recite an endless amount of
poetry. She died in 1929. Albert died in i945.
The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Wiedman was Alan
B., who was born August 19, 1905 and was a graduate
of the Lewistown High Shcool. He is a Charter member
of the Lewistown DeMolay organization.
Alan stayed on the ranch. On November 12, 1948 he
married Bessie Colver, the widow of Fred W. Colver.
She had two childr:en, Marcelyn and Fred D. Colver. The original Chris Wiedman homestead home located
Bessie died in 1969. on the Montgomery (Wiedman) Ranch on ArmeIIs Creek.