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With plans already under way for re-recording Montana brands during the next year, it will be recalled to some old-timers that the first brand book was published in Montana by the Montana Stockgrowers association. “Theo dore Roosevelt, P. O. address, Medora, Oak. Range, Little Mis souri from mouth of Beaver creek to Middle creek.” This, together with the cuts of a couple of fat steers and a horse bearing the brand “Maltese Cross,” occupied a half page in the first edition of the brand book of the Montana Stockgrowers association, pub lished in 1886. The book is an interesting souvenir of the early days of Montana, con taining the names, addresses and brands of all the leading stockmen and livestock companies which at that time maintained large herds of cattle,and horses upon the ranges of this state, then unbroken by railroads and division fences._It is a book of 211 pages, bearing an engraved title page and bound in red morocco with a flap which closes it up similar to a purse. Theodore Roosevelt, who was then riding the ranges looking after his own herds, was a frequent visitor in Montana and he and other stockmen of the territory of Dakota were then members of the Montana association. His foremen, according to his brand record in this publication, were Ferris and Merrifield, the latter, A. W. Mer rifield, being remembered by Roose velt when he became president by appointment to the office of United States marshal for the district of Montana, Old-Time Cattlemen The book bears the brands, and data relating thereto, of several hun dred stockmen of that time, among those from northern and central Mon tana thus recorded being David Au chard of Dearborn, George W. Barrow of Utica, Broadwater, McCulloh Co. of Fort Assinniboine, 8. C. Burd of Choteau, Robert Coburn of White Sulphur Springs, Nat Collins of Cho teau, Arch Deamiston of Roundup, George Falligan of Stanford, James Fergus Son of Fort Maginnis, D. A. G. Flowerree and Flowerree Lowry of Helena, Ford Dunn of Sun River, Fort Shaw Livestock Co. of Fort Shaw Hamilton Hazlett of Chateau, Hill Lowther of Roundup, S. S. Hobson of Utica, Judith Cattle Co. of Helena, Judith Beef Steer Co. of Fort Benton, John Lepley of Fort Benton, Milner Livestock Co. of Fort Benton, E. F. Mowrey of Utica, Benjamin Rumney of Cartersville, Henry Sieben of Flat willow, Will F. Strait of Roundup, Stuart Anderson of Fort Maginnis, the Benton St. Louis Cattle Co. of Fort Benton, the Meriden Cattle Co. of Musselshell, the Musselshell Cattle Co. of Lavina, the Parker Cattle Co. of Albright, Ole: Thoreson of Stanford, Travis Morris of Fort Shaw, Nelson S. True of Utica, Robert Vaughn of Sun River, Conrad Wagner of Stan ford, John F. Wagner of Stickney. The officers of the association at thate were: Thomas J. Bryan, Milesty, president; B. F. Potts, Townsend, first vice ident; Wil liam Harmon, Miles City, second vice president; R. B. Harrison, Helena, treasurer The executive committee, which consisted of members representing the 13 Montana counties and the territory of Dakota, was constituted as follows: Beaverhead county—Dr. Azel Ames Jr. of Dillon ty (th C choteau counenled with but one u )—Joan Lepley, Fort Ben ton; Jesse Taylor, Oteau; A. W. Se , Fore, Rosebud; E. 5. Newman, Miles City; Joe Scott, Miles City; J. J. Thompson, Muddy, and John N. Simpson, St. Louis, Mo. Deer Lodge county—Conrad Kohrs of Deer Lodge. Gallatin county—Charles Anceney, Moreland. Jefferson county—S. S. Huntley, Toston. Lewis and Clarke county (then spelled with an “e” in Clarke)—M. E. Downs, John T. Murphy and L. A. Walker, all of Helena. Madison county—Alex Metzel of Puller Springs. Meagher county—Granville Stuart of Fort Maginnis; John N. Freezer, Helena, and S. 8. Hobson, Utica. Missoula county—C. P. Higgins, ula. . Silver Bow county—Nicholas J. Bielenberg, Butte. Yellowstone county—Alfred Myers and Omer Hoskins of Billings. Dakota territory—Marquis de Mores, Medora, Dak.;Theodore Roosevelt, Medora, Dak., and Henry Boice, Min gusville, Dak. The Days of Granville Stuart It shows the board of stock com missioners for the territory of Mon tana to consist of Granville Stuart of Fort Maginnis, president; R. B. Har rison of Helena, secretary; J. S. Day of Glendive, R. P. Walker of Sun River, F. Robertson of Rosebud, R. S. Hamilton of Helena, and Omer Hos kins of Bill . The bylaws the Montana Stock growers association, which were print ed in this book and shown to have been adopted April 3, 1885, state the purpose of the association as: “The oy of this association is to advance interests of the stock growers in Montana and adjoining territories, arid for the protection of the same against frauds and swind ling, and to prevent themtak ing and driving away of cattle, horses, mules and asses from the rightful owners thereof; and to enforce the stock laws of Montana territory.” The bylaws provided that all an tin of the association should be held in Miles City and this custom was continued for some time. The admission fee was fixed at $15 with annual dues of $10 in addition to which all members were subject, not oftener than once per annum, to an assessment not exceeding 1 cent a head on 70 percent of all cattle, horses, mules and asses of which each person at that time may be owner. Secret Work of Association That the association engaged in more or less secret work is evident from sections 11 and 12 of the bylaws, which read: “Section 11—Any member who shall divulge the proceedings of or action taken in any meeting of the associ ation to any person or persons, or do act calculated to, or that may de feat or injure any gs or ac tion of this association or officers thereof, that may be instituted for the purpose of its protection or that of He its members under the laws of territory or of these bylaws, resolutions and regulations, or that may be subversive ,of the interests generally of the association, shall have a fair and impartial hearing at a special meeting called for that a pose, or at a semi-annual—meeting, and if found guilty by a majority of the members present, shall be ex pelled. “Section 12—Any member of this as sociation who shall be expelled there from as aforesaid shall not be again to the knowledge of any member 0 this that 4 persons in alirt killing or a stock of one. se chal iemediate ly notify executive committee of the association, who are hereby empow ered to act in such manner as will, if possible, bring such person or per sons to justice and recover said property.” The resolutions adopted by the as sociation bore directly upon the con duct of the open range and the hold ing of roundups. The resolutions, in part, follow: Regulating the Range .1. That the members of each ‘roundup district’ shall meet and elect a time and place for commencing work in their respective districts; also name a suitable man for captain of roundup in their said districts, and report the same to the semi-annual meetings of this association, and the same shall be published as a part of the proceedings of this association. “2. That in order to obtain greater efficiency in roundups, we hereby agree to place our men under the orders of the foremen of the roundup they may be attached to, so long as they may remain with it, and in case of refusal of any man to do faithfully and well the duty assigned to him, or to obey the orders given to him by the foreman in driving, cutting out and other work, we hereby authorize the foreman of any roundup to pro hibit any man so offending from any further participation in said work.” The resolutions further made it binding upon its members to turn upon the range not less than 8 bulls for every 100 head of female cattle of more than 1 year of age, and required members who may have gathered cattle upon the range between Nov. 15 and the date of the general spring roundup to notify ranchmen of the vicinity so that they might examine the cattle before they were driven from the range.
Newspaper Details
Thompson Falls Sanders County Independent Ledger
Thompson Falls, Montana, US
Wed, Apr 16, 1941
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 10 Oct 2025
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