A Rich History: The Metcalf Family

                     George, William, Lee, Cleve, Margaret, Molly, Robert and Sarah Metcalf circa 1920

George Metcalf, who leased and then bought John Yandell’s ranch was born to English parents in Brigham, Utah, March 4, 1857. George had four brothers and five sisters and left home at the age of fourteen. First he worked the mines around Utah for one and a half years then moved to Idaho and worked as a freighter using ox teams between Idaho and Montana. In 1876, George started his own freighting business in Virginia City, Montana and operated it until 1880 when he returned to Idaho where he freighted between Wood River and Challis. During this time he met Sarah Richards and after their marriage on September 18, 1880 in Malad, Idaho, they moved to Marysville, Montana in 1882. Next he worked a short time for the Anaconda Copper Company and then took a contract with the Butte and Gallatin Railroad Company in 1888. 

The family then moved to Philipsburg where he built a branch railroad from the depot to the Bi-Metallic Mill. He then engaged in hauling for the Bi-Metallic until 1893and it is believed that they moved back to Malad for a short period during this time period. It was during this time that the family moved to the Yandell Ranch on Trout Creek. 

Their children are as follows: George Leo, known as Lee born October 8, 1881, in Malad (d-1949); William E. born in 1883 (d-1950); Margaret in 1884 (d-1988); Mary known as Mollie born in 1887 (d-1984); Cleveland A. born in 1889 (d-1972); Robert D. born 1892 (d-1973), plus in the Philipsburg cemetery are C.E who died at the age of six months and twenty seven days on October 14, 1891; William Baby without a death date; Charles Baby without a death date and Baby Roy without a birth or death date. 

During George and Sarah’s lifetime they were very active in the Granite county society as evidenced from all the entertainment and organizations they participated in. George served as Sheriff from 1888 to 1902; served on the School Board in 1900 and in 1904 was elected as the State representative of Granite County. He won the State Senate seat in 1906 and served through 1913, when he lost the seat to the Pharmacist, A.R. Dearborn. George was a member and President of the Trout and Rock Creek Grazing Association in 1916 and for several years was President of the Philipsburg State Bank which he retired from in 1922 due to his health causing him to give up an active business life. 

He traveled to California for medical treatment and after having surgery failed to improve and died on May 20, 1923. His body was returned to Philipsburg where his funeral was held at son William’s home with burial in the family plot containing his infant children. 

After George’s death, Sarah’s daughter Margaret and her husband Reuben Huffman lived with her and she spent her winters in Idaho and California until 1938 when she returned to her ranch home and died there on May 28, 1938 after a brief illness. Internment was beside her husband and infant children in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

The Metcalf ranch, now consisting of 3,600 acres was sold in 1938 to Bill Studdert and became known as the Tee Bar Three ranch. In September 1957 Gary Cooper bought a “substantial interest in the 13,000 acre Tee Bar Three ranch” according to the September 20, 1957 Philipsburg Mail. Then the Mail stated on May 19, 1972 that the Flint Creek Land Company had bought the Tee Bar Three ranch comprised of 12,400 acres on April 1. The seller was Mile T. Quinn who had bought the ranch from Studdert in 1971. 

The Metcalf children became active members of the community with Cleve partnering and operating drinking establishments including the Club Bar which he bought from his brother William (George Cartier Building). The two brothers owned the Sanitary Meat Market and bought the City Meat Market in July of 1920. Margaret and brother William operated the Metcalf’s Confectionery beginning in 1908. Robert operated The Philipsburg Cash Grocery until he sold out to Vatis Page in 1918 and then lost about $30,000 from a fire in his M.D. Warehouse later that year. He won the mayor election in 1928 and served in that office for twelve years. He then moved to Arizona and when he returned bought a feed and grain store on lower Broadway. This later became the Sparky White and then the Bowen’s Service station. As evidenced above by this short synopsis, a large portion of Philipsburg business was owned and operated by the Metcalf family and their descendants continued this pattern for another generation.