Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-04-03
Prospectors and Adventures of Old Montana
Were Closely Followed by Cattle, Sheep Men

turer, came the cowman. Trailing his
herd over broad plains and through
mountain passes, Drawing the elements
and fighting dangers at every step,
came the great builder. for the stock
man came to build and maintain and
develop his future home.
From various authorities the fact
Is established that cattle were in the
country now called Montana as early
as 1882. These were dairy cattle and
work oxen used for freighting supplies
to the widely scattered posts and later
TO the mining camps. However, the
livestock industry was actively started
In 1852, though on a very limited scale
In 1864 Kohrs and Bielenberg trailed
the first cattle into the Deer Lodge
valley. The years Immediately follow
ing brought 4 great importation of
cattle for the wonderful feeding quail
tiles Of the native grasses were soon
recognized. In 1869, John F. Bishop of
Dillon brought the first band of range
sheep into Montana from Oregon. With
the settlement Of the state. the in
dustry naturally grew. In 1871, Robert
Ford and Thomas Dunn drove a herd
OF cattle to northern Montana and
ranged them on Sun river. Within a
short period Of years followed the
stocking of the Powder river country,
the Judith, the Milk river, the Mussel-
shell, the Blackfoot and the Crow.
Poindexter and Orr, the well known
Beaverhead county stockmen, came to
the state in the early sixties.
First Shipments From State
In 1868, the first herd of beef cattle
was driven out of the southwestern
part Of the territory to Salt Lake. P.
Largey, long resident Of Butte, owned
this herd. The first shipment of Mon
tana cattle to Chicago was made in
1874, when Kohrs and Bielenberg
trailed herd from Sun river to Og-
den for shipment. After 1876, 1t was
not uncommon for herds to trail to
Cheyenne, where they were loaded on
Union Pacific cars for Chicago and
Omaha. With the completion Of the
Northern Pacific In 1888, a real export
livestock trade was established.
Records are available showing that
from 1885 to 1922, approximately 81
million cattle were shipped from Mon
tana.
In 1888, the Eastern Montana Stock
growers association was organized at
Miles City by Col. T. ]. Bryan and
six other stockmen. In April, 1885, this
association was merged with other
small associations, and there was born
the present existing Montana Stock
growers association. Granville Stuart
served as first president and Theodore
Roosevelt, who then ranged cattle on
the Little Missouri. was an active
member Of the executive committee.
The history of the Montana stock
man has been series of ups and
downs. There was the destructive win
ter of 1886, which gave Charley Russell
his first claim to fame, and the panic
of 1893, when the railroads demanded
that the freight on livestock shipments
be paid in advance, and there have
been subsequent periods Of drouth and
low prices
Northwests Stock in 1888
In "Maximilians Travels in North
America" by Prince Macmillan of
WED, who visited the upper Missouri
river country in 1888, the following
is observed:
Fort Pierre NOV South Dakota) =,
is one of the most considerable settle
ments Of the American Fur Co.. on
the Missouri . the verdant prairie
is very extensive, animated by herds
of cattle and horses; of the latter,
Fort Pierre possessed Gn 1889 $50,
and of the former SO, which afforded
a sufficient supply of milk and fresh
butter.
Fort Pierre was built under the
supervision of the Chouteaus but at
this time was in charge of William
Laidlaw.
THE erection of Fort Union was
commenced in 1929 in the autumn, by
Mr.. Mckenzie. In the inner quad
rangle are the residences of the clerks,
the interpreters, etc. L. stables for
horses and cattle etc. The fort con-
tains about so or 60 horses, some mules
and an inconsiderable number of cattle,
swine, goats, fowls and domestic ami
mails. The cattle are very fine and
the COWS yield abundance of milk"
This goes to show that they prob
ably had fairly good stock, for it IS
well known that Mckenzie considered
himself the king of the upper Mis-
souri," and that he ruled that section
like a king and served only the best
from st. Louis at his table.
The great Indian artist, George Cat
lin, visited Fort Union in 1882, and In
his book he says:
Mr.. Mckenzie Is a klnd-nearteo
and high-minded Scotchman. He lives
In good style, ETC., and pronounces me
welcome at his table which groans I'M
der the luxuries of the country-buf-
falo meats and tongues, with beavers
tails and marrow fat, but sans coffee,
sans bread, sans butter. bottle OF
Madeira and one of excellent port are
set in pail of ice every day, and
exhausted at dinner"
This would seem to indicate that
the cattle must have been introduced
at Fort Union after Catlins visit in
1882, but we find cattle there in the
summer of 1893. as related by Prince
Macmillan of Wied.
At Fort Mckenzie in 1888
Some may criticise and say that
Fort Union was in what Is now North