Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-09-05
PIERRE WIBAUX {.
WAS OLD VESTS
TOP CATTLE MAN
HIS VAST HERD ONCE NUMBERED
6a,000 HEAD; CAME AFTER
HARD WINTER

about 625 persons, was known sue
cessiyely as Keith, Mcclellan and
MingusyiIe. before Pierre Wibaux
came over from France to become the
Largest cattle rancher In the world
and so influential In the area that
both the county seat and county
eventually adopted the name Of WI
baux.
Early residents give the Frenchman
credit for establishing Wibaux' repu-
tation as one Of the VESTS great cattle
countries in the nineties. The area still
is prominent in livestock raising, but
crop production today holds slight
edge in Importance.
The third smallest county in the
state, Wibaux for years held the repu-
tation Of having the largest percentage
of acres under cultivation. The ener-
getic Frenchman wouldn't recognize
the area which today bears his name.
When Wibaux was making his marx
as a cattle king from 1887 to 1900
the plains and hills we're dotted with
well-fed steers, COWS and calves. Now
these same flats and hills have gone
under the plow and are producing
abundant crops Of wheat, corn, alfalfa,
flax, barley, beans, rye, sweet clover
and garden vegetables.
Came IN 1888
Pierre Wibaux was one Of the most
colorful figures to ever enter the area
comprising eastern Montana. He came
in 1888 and engaged In ranching, but
the venture did not prove profitable
and at the end of three years, ne
returned to France. The call OF the
COW country proved too strong TO the
wealthy young son of France, however,
and in the spring Of 1887 he returned
with his bride. But 1t was a dlsap-
pointing sight he saw when he got
there. The winter that had Just passed
was one Of the most severe In the
history of the country and approx
mately IS percent Of the cattle had
persisted.
Undisturbed by these facts, Wibatx
bought the remnants Of some OF the
large herds that had survived the win
ter and later purchased more cattle
from herds trailed into the state. he
had plenty Of money and kept buying
until at one time his herd numbered
10000 head. He enlarged the original
W-Bar ranch, II miles north OF VII
ballx. built a dwelling house, house |
for the ranch foreman, clubhouse Tor
the 20 cowboys he employed, and q /
dwelling for the servants he nao
brought over from France. In ADDITION
he built I'D another ranch SO miles
north of Wfbaux and had several line
cabins 40 miles apart along the yell
lowstone river. He also had camp
at which he stationed q wolfer with
about 100 dogs. The dogs were kept
in Enclosures and packs Of them ran
on alternate days.
The W-Bar cattle ranged from the
Tdttle missouri river west to the yell
Iowstone and from the Northern Pa
cific railway north to the big missouri.
The spring roundup lasted three
months and as many as lO,OOO caves
were branded in one season.
Pierre Wibaux continued to run his
cattle until 1900 when settlers began
to come in such number that ranch
ing on a large scale was no longer
feasible. He disposed Of his ranchlng
interests and engaged IN the banking
business in Miles City and was inter
ested in mining property In the Black
Hills. Before his death In 1918, WI
baux requested that he be buried az
Wibaux and today his likeness, cast
In bronze and over nine feet tail, sur
mounts a granite slab above his tomp.
He stands gazing out over the land
which he loved and which still bears
his name.
Different Story Today
That was the Wibaux county Of yes
terday. Today it's different story.
The population Is 2,161 and the ma
lority of the people are engaged IN
crop production. Wibaux has become
Known as the Gateway county OF
Montana for through it the Northern ,
Pacific railway and q. S. highway 10
enter the state.
Wibaux has surmounted many OBJ .
,tacles in its growth since the early
cattle days. In recent years drouth ,
md flood have taken a heavy toll. J
rhe most spectacular catastrophe to !
risit this area was the great flood OF !
June, 1929, which caused the death
# three persons and large financial
oss. The water rushed through town /,
Nth a tremendous force, carrying
buildings and livestock for miles TO !
he Little Missouri The water reached :
! depth Of 10 to II feet in some =
places and % business houses were
Hooded. The viaduct under the North =
IN Pacific tracks was washed out, the
ridge Just east Of the depot was car 4
led away and debris was piled three
md four feet deep in homes and :
when the water at last re-
eded. Some persons took refuge in
rees and remained on their precarious
'erches for as long as - hours before .
eing rescued. U
Scenic attractions Of the more YER s
amt variety as supplied by western L
Gontana are lacking In this area, but S
he picturesque bad lands lie not far v
way and the Airdrome picnic grounds d
n the banks of Beaver creek three I.
niles north Of town are an attraction ii
Or eastern Montana and western q
forth Dakota residents. n
Ignite rs Produced "
While farming and ranching pro- Il
ide most Of the income for county a
nSfdents many coal veins produce Il