Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-11-14
Rejecting Wealth and Position in France for
Western Wilds, Wibaux Amassed Fortune and
Etched Name Upon History of Adopted Country

Looking forever towards Wibaux,
the little city Of his creation, ON q
slight elevation 70 the west, stands
the bronze statue of Pierre WI
baux, who In his youth forsOok
the pleasures Of Paris for the pri-
vatiOns Of the plains. He became
the greatest cattle baron Of east
owned countless. herds and thou
sands Of broad acres He made such
an impression ON his section Of the
state that his name was given 70
ere Of the eastern border counties
and to the county seat which, be-
cause Of his activities, had grown
into q thriving center.
Pierre Wibaux was born in Rou-
baix, France, where his family had
been prominent for centuries in the
manufacture Of textiles. 1t was the in
tention Of his father that young Wi
baux should follow in his footsteps and
manage the textile business. He was
educated to that end. He was sent to
England for finishing year, and while
there learned Of the opportunities in
the livestock business In western Amer
lea. He managed to get his fathers
consent and in 1888, without any know
ledge Of the business, came to what
was then known as the bad lands Of
Montana. He spent months looking into
the cattle business, and more months
in the stockyards at Chicago Then
he came back to the bad lands" pur-
chased little herd of cattle, took care
Of them himself, living In little dug
out" where WibauX now stands. At the
end of five years he had made a little
money and concluded that he knew
enough OF the business to go into 1t on
larger scale.
He went back to his home in France,
married, secured capital, and returned
to his stock ranges. He brought back
with him enough money TO buy what
was the start of great cattle business.
His herds flourished and grew and he
made money rapidly. He acquired large
holdings of Northern Pacific land, and
IN the course of the next 10 years be-
came the foremost cattle breeder in
Montana.
Faced Dangers with SET. r."
Right across the line from his ranch
property in North Dakota was a young
easterner who had gone into the cat
tie business as a means of INDUCING
himself in the strenuous life of the west
and lettering his health. Pierre and
the young tenderfoot became great
friends. If there was a cattle rustler
TO ride down, or some cowboy who
had gone amuck and was out to kill, /
Pierre always found the tenderfoot
willing to do his part and take his !
share of the danger. Afterwards the |
tenderfoot attained some fame as a |
soldier in the Cuban wars, because Of /
which his admirers elected him first /
governor Of New York, and afterwards, |
president Of the United States. The |
tenderfoot was Col. Theodore Roose-
welt.
AS the years passed, Wibaux became
very wealthy. At one time in addition /
to his vast holdings of land in Mon
tana, he owned 100000 acres in Texas.
he ran as high as $4,000 head of cat
tie In Montana In addition to his herds
in Texas. He began to take life easy
and would spend his summers only on
his ranch property and his winters
in Paris.
Fortune Smiled on Endeavors
In everything that WibauX under
took fortune seemed to favor him. He
staked proSpector. The prospector
discovered the Glover Leaf gold mine
in the Black Hills. Wibaux took a small
fortune out of the mine as his share Of
the grubstalSe advance. The town at
which he made his ranch headquarters !
was called MinguSville. He asked the I
Northern Pacific management to put
IN stock loading yards there. The rail-
road agreed TO do It providing he would s
change the name Of Mingusville to s
Wthaux. There was little besides q
general merchandise store, a saloon, {
and a postoffice in Mingusville. WI
oaux decided If it was to be called !
after him he would encourage the COM I
ng of other business institutions He {
als0 bought lot Of land, and imme- l
lately after he made his purchase S
Wibaux doomed andlthe town lots adj |
1anced in price. Wibaux added to his
wealth by this process.
He took over control of the State
National bank at Miles City. and the '
HOTEL nATNROW I