The Kennedy Ranch on Kaiser Hill

I do not know when Bowen’s sold or willed the ranch to their son-in-law and daughter, Chauncey E. and Jessie Hoyt Kennedy. Jessie and Chauncey were married by Rev. H.F. Pemberton of the St. Paul Methodist Church at their home on Broadway on January 8, 1908. Chauncey was an employee of the Walker Commercial Company of Philipsburg according to the wedding announcement. 

I found where Chauncey’s legs were fractured when Jessie struck him with the family vehicle as he was opening the gate for her to drive through. After the accident, Jessie immediately drove him to the Murray Hospital, in Butte stated the Mail, November 21,1908. I also found articles that stated C.E Kennedy was appointed by the School Board as a judge for the school elections, such as in The Mail, March 17, 1922. 

Announced in the October 16, 1910 Mail was “Born to Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Kennedy in this city on Monday, October 12, a daughter” which referred to the birth of Fern. Their other children were: Eugene (Chauncey Jr.), Basil, Dale and Keith. Two year old Keith was accidentally shot with a gun while Jessie and the four boys were visiting the Bowen grandparent’s, at the ranch, on June 20, 1926. He was buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Chauncey and Jessie were still living in Philipsburg, according to the 1930 Federal Census. By the 1940 Census they were living on the ranch with Dave Bowen age 78 and Milo Hoyt age 58 residing in their household. 

Jessie died after a month long illness in the local hospital on February 28, 1955. 

Chauncey born in 1874 died in 1965 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena from a pulmonary embolism. They are both buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Basil, born August 28, 1912 married Miss Bessie (Elizabeth and also called Betty) Twiggs of Philipsburg in the Mountain View Methodist Church in Butte on August 14, 1937 They honeymooned at Yellowstone then made their home in Philipsburg. Don Dee and Karen Kennedy were born to Basil and Bessie before they divorced. Bessie died about 1978 in the Hi-Line area of Montana. Basil then married Utahna Measom on November 3, 1950. To this marriage was born Kal K., Luana and Jon Taylor. Jon was still born on February 22, 1961 and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery Of interest, Utahna was a cousin of Jennie Ray Kennedy (Eugene’s wife). 

Basil lived in Philipsburg where he served as both deputy treasurer and treasurer. He then became the Montana State City/County auditor/examiner until he retired. After his retirement Basil served as a Granite County Commissioner. He died at the Granite County Hospital after a long illness on August 9, 1974. Basil was survived by his wife and four married children; thirteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren. 

Basil’s son, Don Dee served as a Juvenile Officer and Chief of Police for Philipsburg in 1960. He married Margaret Reed from Anaconda in 1962 and they had two girls and a boy. Don Dee worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad Police until 1965 then tried mining, logging and carpenter work. He joined the Military and served from 1968 through 1970. He was Sheriff of Granite County from 1991 to 1998. Don Dee and wife Margaret continue to live in Granite County. 

On October 11, 1937, Dale Kennedy married Maxine Wickershime (Wickersheim) in the parsonage of the Methodist Church. This marriage was short lived and Dale then married Margaurite Lueck, daughter of Sheriff and Mrs. Fritz Lueck. In the early forties Dale and Margaurite took over operation of the Kennedy Ranch. A few years after their children Gail and Michael were born, they moved to California. Dale born January 15, 1916 died August 26, 1997 in California and was interred in the Philipsburg Cemetery. His headstone has a cowboy and horse engraved on it with the inscription “Gone Ranching with God.” 

Eugene (Chauncey Jr.) married Miss Jennie Ray daughter of Paul and Phoebe Wells, on October 21, 1937 and they made their home in Butte. Gene was a graduate of the Butte Business College and Jennie was a graduate of the Murray Nursing School. Jennie died in 1957 and is buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Fern Kennedy married Dee D. Cooper on August 20, 1934 at the family residence in Philipsburg. She attended the State Normal School at Dillon and taught at numerous schools in Granite County, including the Rock Creek School. Mr. Cooper had been teaching at Granite County High School and had accepted a position on the White Sulfur Springs High School teaching staff, for the ensuing school year. 

The Kennedy ranch, in recent time, was sold to the Bauer Ranch and most of the buildings have now been torn down.

The Kaiser Homestead that became the Bowen Ranch

Another ranch located on the west slope of Kaiser Hill that looked out over the Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek valley and the 3-H ranch was the original Kaiser homestead founded prior to 1895 as research revealed “Herman Kaiser has gone to the Kaiser ranch on upper Rock Creek to remain for some time”( The Mail January 17, 1895). 

Kenneth Smith an Anaconda Dairy owner bought the homestead from Kaiser about 1897 with the dream of becoming a cattle baron in an area as good as the “Big Hole.” Smith believed that the B., A. & P. Railroad was going to be built from Anaconda to Hamilton right past the ranch in the next couple of years and that would mean he could ship beef directly from the ranch. When Smith’s dream became a bust he sold the Kaiser homestead to Dave Bowen. 

D.T. Bowen and Mrs. Dora Hoyt were married in Helena on April 27, 1898 and returned to Philipsburg the next day. Dora brought to this marriage four children: Basil, Jessie, Martha and Milo Hoyt. In February 2, 1900 Mrs. D.T. (Dora) Bowen had what was referred to as a hospital and was involved in providing care to the county poor. The County Commissioners awarded her the contract to provide care and requested a bond of $800.00 be filed before the contract was in effect. At this same time Dr. Wm. Ray was awarded the contract for supplying medical attendance and had to file a $1,500.00 bond. 

During the same year, I found articles that sometimes referred to D.T. and sometimes T.D. as being in town from the Ross’ Fork Ranch leading me to deduce the ranch was bought during 1900. In 1908 under the Court proceedings on March 6 was listed “David Bowen vs. Amelia Bowen notice of intention to move for a new trial.” But I am unable to find any follow-up to this matter. Then on September 25, 1914 was: “Emelia A. Bowen vs. David T. Bowen and Thomas Gravenitis; to quiet title to real estate. Cause was heard before Judge Patterson, Judge Winston being disqualified. Plaintiff failing to appear, defendants put in proof and the court ordered that judgment be entered in their favor. As discussed previously, Bowen also had a long running civil case with J.A. Naef. 

Dora’s son Basil Hoyt died from injuries at the Anaconda Round House on October 21, 1906, at the age of twenty-two years. During the night shift an engine and other cars came lose crashing into each other killing one man and Basil died a few hours later. He had worked at the Round House since spring. His funeral was held at the Bowen home on the south side of Philipsburg, confirming they continued a residence in town, while operating the ranch. 

Assessed taxes for the year 1927 were $259.10 for D.T. Bowen according to The Mail, January 1,1928 but the assets are not listed. 

Dora born December 23, 1850 in Pennsylvania died just short of her eighty-first birthday on November 12, 1931 in Philipsburg. She married Emory B. Hoyt prior to 1882 as that was the year Milo was born. They moved to Anaconda in 1886 then to Rumsey in 1881. Mr. Hoyt died in Rumsey in 1895. Dora and David Bowen were married in 1898 then took up residence at the Kaiser homestead ranch in 1900. Her funeral was held at son-in-law Chauncey Kennedy’s home in Philipsburg on November 14, 1931.

David, born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1859 was a freighter in the Dakota Territories before he moved to Philipsburg and operated the Hoffman Hotel in 1888. A reference in 1925 stated Dave Bowen and his brother Jack Bowen built the Hoffman House by the Northern Pacific Depot in 1861. (the Depot was built in 1887). The article goes on to state they completed the building about the time the N.P. Branch came from Drummond to Philipsburg. Dave died in a local business November 1, 1941 after suffering a heart attack at the age of eighty-two years. 

Dora’s daughter Martha Hoyt married young Ed Rodda from Rock Creek in 1912. Her son Milo Hoyt born January 10, 1882 in Pennsylvania moved with his parents to Anaconda when he was four years old, then Rumsey five years later. He worked for the Forest Service for years and then returned to ranching. I remember him living in the bunk house at the Kennedy Ranch. Milo retired in 1945 and died after a long illness at the Granite County Medical Center on June 5, 1952. 

Daughter Jessie married Chauncey Kennedy on January 8, 1908. He was an employee of the Walker Commercial Company of Philipsburg. To be continued in the Kennedy Ranch article.

3-H Ranch and others co-mingled into Bauer Ranch

Tom and Louise Barr Circa 1920

Many of the original homesteads at the base of Mt. Amerine (Emerine) are now co¬mingled into what is known as the Bauer Ranch on Ross’ Fork. Some of this property was previously known as the Barr and then the Christensen Ranch. 

Louise Hoben after having Harold and Miss Katherine married Tom Barr and he bought the ranch in 1920. The assessed taxes in 1927 for Tom and Louise Barr were $179.02 according to the taxes published in the Mail, January 20, 1928. Miss Katherine Hoben married Rexford Samson on October 11, 1927 in the Methodist Church in Philipsburg. Prior to her marriage she had taught at the Middle Fork School according to her marriage announcement. 

Tom Barr died at the ranch on April 26, 1930. His death was secondary to pneumonia suffered during the winter. Tom was born in Ireland on February 19, 1878 and came to America as a young man. He followed the trade of plasterer for a number of years in New York and Pennsylvania. Then he moved west and worked in the Black Hills. When he located in Philipsburg Tom formed a partnership with Edward Miller and they worked as general contractors. This included leasing the Granite Bi-Metallic mine where they realized success. When the lease expired the partnership was dissolved and Tom bought the ranch on Rock Creek in August of 1920. Survivors were: wife Louise, a step-daughter Mrs. H.R.(Katherine) Sampson and step-son Harold Hoben both of Chicago and a sister Mrs. Madge Carter of Levenworth, Kansas. Funeral services were held at St. Philip’s Catholic Church by Rev. Father Casey. Internment was in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Louise then married Eli Christensen as was discussed in the Christensen family article. Local Information was that the price of the Barr/Hoben Ranch in 1948 was $14,000. This was when Harold Hoben bought the ranch from the bank after Eli and Louise went bankrupt. Harold the son of Louise Barr Christensen worked for the Mars Candy Company in Chicago. Almost twenty years later, Harold originally asked $300,000 and raised that to $500,000, when he sold to Bauer in 1967. 

Lorraine Hoben the daughter of Robert and Florence Smith of Chicago, Illinois married Harold on April 21, 1949. When Harold Hoben and his wife Lorraine (Smith) sold to Bauer they moved to Anaconda. Harold died later that year and Lorraine died at the age of ninety on February 10, 2005, in Anaconda. 

Other property, besides the Hoben Ranch (3-H) that now comprise the current Bauer Ranch are the O’Connor/Stephens Ranch and Reservoir; the Rupp/Shoblom, then Verlanic Ranch, originally owned by David and Ellen Helm and leased by my grandparents May and Billy Bentz in the late twenties through 1946; the Charles Gray place located on the south side of the Ross’ Fork Road; the Kaiser homestead (later owned by D. T. Bowen, then Kennedy) located on the Kaiser Hill on the east side of Ross’ Fork; and the Russell place which was in the meadow below the Helm ranch. 

I found where Helm’s lived in the area in 1920 when Adolph Helm was one of the students going to Missoula to attend the Montana High School annual track meet detailed in the Mail, May 13, 1920. Also, a news article revealed Ellen Helm died in Birmington, Washington on February 7, 1928. The article stated they were former ranchers on Ross Fork of Rock Creek. Ellen was born fifty years before in Sweden and was survived by husband David; daughters: Lillian, Alvira and Elsie and two sons: Theodore of San Francisco and Adolph of Philipsburg. Her son, Adolph married Emily Flickinger. Adolph died in 1983 and Emily died in 1992. They are both buried in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

The Stephens’ Place and Reservoir was named after George Stephens who was the original owner of the Stephens Hotel. Stories are that he traded Tom O’Conner the hotel for the ranch. The date O’Connor’s took over the Hotel is 1929. The date Stephens’ began ranching was about 1917 according to his obituary on August 13, 1937.

Bus Hess, recalled that a person named Vaughn leased the Stephens place before Ray Hess signed a lease in 1929. George may have operated the hotel while leasing the ranch and then moved out to the ranch after O’Connor took over the hotel. George’s wife Edna moved to California with the children in 1923 according to her obituary in March of 1939. George Stephens was the Philipsburg City Marshal and he submitted his resignation letter in the November 17, 1899 Mail. 

T. J. (Tom) O’Connor (1871-1943) left ranching and became the owner of the Stephens Hotel in 1929. Shortly after the transaction, his wife Ida B. (Kelley) died September 18, 1929. at the age of fifty. After Ida’s death Tom married Mary Ellen Naef, in 1931 and she died a year later. Tom also ranched on Trout Creek as I found where he sold his place located next to the Schuh ranch to the W. M. Montgomery and Company butchering firm of Anaconda in June of 1910. He received $40 per acre for the unstated amount of acreage.

The Bauer Ranch currently also owns sections of land on the Middle Fork, one of which was originally homesteaded by Charles Adams. Research shows where he paid $440.78 in taxes to Granite county for the 1927 tax year..

Where did the name Ross come from

In “The Philipsburg Story” authored by Robert Oakley in August 1981 it is stated that Ross Fork “was named for a prospector that frequented the drainage in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s.” I have researched for more than twenty years and found no one named Ross in this area at that time. Also the Fork was named before the eighties and nineties because Nez Perce Jones, (The New Northwest , July 19, 1878) references watching the Nez Perce Indians traveling up Ross’ Fork as he sat on top of what is now Mt. Emerine (Amerine) after he climbed the mountain to get away from the renegades. This tells me that the Fork was already commonly known as Ross’ Fork during Nez Perce Jones prospecting ventures. 

Continued research shows only two people named Ross entering Montana when it was virgin land or a Territory. Granville and James Stuart with friend Reece Anderson arrived in the Big Hole in October of 1857 and their journals speak frequently of a person named only “Ross” camped with Grant and Meeks and he was with the Stuart’s often in their travels including Deer Lodge and Flint Creek, but never do they speak of traveling on any Forks of what was then known as Stony Creek. This Ross almost drowned in the Big Hole and then a year later did drown crossing a stream in high water in the Flathead valley, in the early 1860’s. There is no one named Ross listed in the 1862-63 early settlers Census contained in Contributions Vol. I, 1876. 

The second person involved in Montana ‘s early history was Alexander Ross a trapper with the Hudson Bay Fur Company. Born at Nairnshire, Scotland in 1783 he immigrated to Canada in 1805 and in 1810 traveled to New York where he enrolled in the John Jacob Astor Pacific Fur Company. In October of 1813 the Pacific Fur Company was passed over to The Hudson Bay Company while The U.S. and Britain were involved in the War of 1812. Thus Ross spent most of his 15 years in the fur trade with the Hudson Bay Company. In 1823 Ross was tendered a new trapping route in the Snake River country. He began his duties early and had great difficulties obtaining adequate trappers at Spokane House. Traveling into the Flathead he continued hiring men, whose families usually traveled with them, ultimately totaling twenty five women and sixty four children. Against expert advise he decided to begin the trip down the Bitter Root in early March. By March 20th they had reached the area which is just south of present day Sula with heavy snow and about fourteen below zero. Until the 14th of April the group of men and their horses battled this valley to cross over the pass into the Big Hole. 

In Ross’ words “Making the road took the united labour of fifty men and two hundred and forty horses, with all the available means within our power, (most of the time trampling down snow that was ten feet deep) for twenty one days…and our supper at night depended on the good or bad luck of our hunters during the day.” 

 Ross named the area "The Valley of Troubles" and shortly thereafter it became known as "Ross’ Hole", as is the current map depiction. This “Hole” is located at the base of the Sapphire Mountains south of Sula. About fifteen miles from the top of the ridge on the eastern slope is located the source of the Ross’ Fork of Rock Creek. As you travel east on the creek you then come to the South Fork of Ross’ Fork which comes in from a south westerly direction and the Pintler Range. These waters continue on down Ross’ Fork passing the south side of Mount Emerine and dump into the West Fork about one-thousand yards from the confluence of the Middle Fork and the beginning of upper Rock Creek. 

Ross resigned from the Fur Company after he completed this difficult first Snake River trip in 1824 and moved to the Red River country in Canada. He became a popular politician and died in what is now known as Winnepeg in 1856. 

After a lot of research, conversations, heated discussions and thought, I have come to the conclusion that Ross’ Fork is named after Alexander Ross and his infamous Ross’ Hole. In Ross’ journals he discusses numerous ventures of him and his men traveling up the mountain sides while hunting and attempting to find another way out of the valley, during their twenty-one day ordeal. I imagine at least once they looked over the ridge into the Ross’ Fork area.

Abbie's Story

Abbie and Will McClain circa 1930

The following is a story told by Abbie M. McLain to Garnet Stephenson at Georgetown Lake in 1964:

 "I Abbie May Belyea McClain was born in the green timber land of New Brunswick, Canada Sunday afternoon of January 18, 1885..at 5:00 p. m…My father John Wesley Belyea was a hard working dairy farmer. My mother Mary Elizabeth Delong Belyea who was thirty-nine when I was born was a good farm woman. I was her tenth and youngest child. Four girls and five boys lived to maturity. One child died at birth. My father worked in the lumber woods in the winter. I was one month past five years of age when my father died of dropsy at the age of forty-eight. His body filled up with water and when it reached his heart he passed away…My brothers stayed home to finish paying for the farm. $300.00 was owed on it… 

I was twenty-three years old when in July 1908, my sister’s husband and oldest boy came to Missoula, Montana. The following March I helped my sister bring her seven children to Missoula... I fully intended to go back to New Brunswick where I had done housework for another family for seven years. I was young, pretty and had good clothes. 

I had blue eyes, a straight nose and cheeks that stole the bloom of the wild rose. I wore my hair in a large bun on the top of my head. I had a fancy pin in it. My tall, slim figure was clothed in dresses of the bustle-mutton-leg sleeve style. The better dresses had long trains that trailed behind. Women often carried the trains over their arms. Shoes were high top button style. 

I found a job doing housework in a place called Washington Gulch eighteen miles north of Avon. I worked there sixteen months, then I went to Missoula to work. I arrived in Missoula December 3, 1910. While I was in Missoula a neighbor, Mr. Gibson used to tease me about a Will McClain. I had never seen Will, but jokingly told him to invite Will down sometime. The Gibson’s had worked for Will and his brother Charlie on their farm in the Bitterroot. I found Will to be a handsome, blue-eyed man of medium build with dark curly hair. 

We had supper at Gibson’s then Will and I went to a revival meeting. A teacher named Lowry had meetings in a big tent across the tracks. We went to revival meetings often after that. I had been in Missoula exactly one year when Will and I were married December 3, 1911… 

Will was thirty-eight and I was twenty-six. I, the bride wore a brown suit with an ecru lace blouse. I paid $10.00 for the blouse. On my head was a brown velvet hat trimmed in front with blue net. We drove a buggy from Missoula to the ranch near Philipsburg. Will and I lived on the ranch from 1911 until he died January 26, 1949. Will and I worked hard and over the years we expanded the original ranch of 160 acres to 2,470 acres. 

We had three children. The first was a boy who died when he was ten days old. He was born January 29, 1913. Howard was born eleven months later on Christmas day, 1913. Emily was born December 6, 1917… To make a living we raised horses, range cattle, chickens and milked cows. We sold fifty pounds of butter a week…I have always been fond of chickens but Will never wanted to have any. I took some of my own money that I had earned and put away before my marriage and bought a dozen hens. Later I bought another dozen red hens. When Will saw that I could make money with them he built me a hen house… 

We milked one cow at first then Mrs. Belleview had cows she wanted to sell. We then bought more from Cleve Metcalf. Fourteen were the most we milked at one time. We both milked and after they were big enough the kids milked. After Howard was three years old, we had a hired man all of the time. 

The years have passed and I am an old woman. I have five granddaughters: Lesa Marjorie Lyon, Charlotte, Mary Etta, Lydia “Gail”, and Nellie McClain and one grandson George W. McClain. The ranch that I worked so hard to help pay for is still in the family. My son Howard operates it. I had my part in the progress of the west and now I relinquish the work to younger, stronger hands.” 

 Abbie lived a simple life consisting of hard work, harsh reality, and her legacy: the ranch and family including the Sheriff’s better half.