Trading Sapphires for Cattle

Raymond Rau, Henry Bohrnsen and Ruth Erickson Rau Bohrnsen on their wedding day

When banks began going broke in 1929 Henry Bohrnsen had about $7,000.00 in the Kroger bank. Because the bank had so many ranches they were foreclosing on, the bank traded Henry a ranch on Willow Creek for the money he had on deposit. To accomplish this deal, Henry had to buy the adjoining piece of property, to the north of the ranch, which cost him another $1,000.00. This was a lot of money at that time, yet very cheap acreage at less than $1.00 an acre. 

In the Montana Historical Society Files are the details of letters between the St. Louis Office and Joe Yob demonstrating that finances were becoming an issue in 1929 and 1930. “April 8, 1930-Wrote to Henry Bohrnsen last week and sending you a copy. We are increasing the board at Sapphire 25 cents a day. And in line with decreased wages in Philipsburg you can decrease the wages at Sapphire 25 cents a day. If you think advisable decrease wages 50 cents a day at Sapphire. Our Boarding House ran behind $900.00 last year and the income from operations showed a very small profit….I think you had better get Henry in and talk to him about them.” The reply April 14, 1930: “Henry was in today and is opposed to the cut in wages. 

On October 24, 1930 receipts showed General Electric had kept only 817 ounces of the total 2449 ounces of class “C” stones shipped to them. Rejected stones continued with almost every home in the county possessing at least one wooden keg of rejects. We used the kegs for weight in our vehicle and poured out the sapphires for traction whenever the vehicle got stuck. 

Seeing the writing on the wall, Henry Bohrnsen gave his notice of resignation to Mitchell, in 1936 and Mitchell hired Charles Carpp Jr. as foreman for the placer. American Gem was already in the process of convincing Carrp and Walter Kaiser to buy the placer. August Erickson’s Diary stated on October 29, 1937 “The (Sapphire) mines have been leased to Charley Carrp. 

Henry born in Germany to Hans and Mary Bok (Bock) Bohrnsen October 12, 1879, came to Montana at the age of twenty-three and began work shortly there-after at the Sapphire Mine. The parents, remained in Germany but all of the siblings (Clause, Magdalena (Lena Hollings), Margaretha (Luthje), Hans, John, Catherine (Mundt), Egert (Edward), Jurgen (George), Elsie, Bill, and Marie (Froehlich), immigrated to America. 

Henry’s wife, Ruth Erickson, born August 30, 1895 in Ashland, Washington arrived in Granite County with her parents Charles and Marie Erickson when she was one years of age. Her siblings were: Selma, Rodney, August, Anna, Signe and Victor. 

Time books in the Possession of Edward Bohrnsen (2008) showed Ruth continued to cook for American Gem Mining Syndicate employees through out the time Henry was foreman, taking time off only when she was recuperating from child birth with Edward in 1926 and Norman in 1927. I do not have any records for 1932 when John was born. But the event was documented in a letter from Leigh Wyman the secretary at St. Louis to J.C. Yob on November 7, 1932 “Dear Joe: Your payroll and other papers came in this morning with your message from the stork. I didn’t know he was headed for Sapphire this fall. That makes three huskies for Henry doesn’t it?” 

Raymond Rau, suffered a serious injury in 1934. The boys, (Raymond, Edward and Norman) were in the “jig” house hunting for rats. Raymond hit the butt of his gun on the floor to scare out the rodents. The gun discharged and the bullet struck Raymond above the eye with parts lodging in his brain. When discharged from the Butte hospital Raymond was able to use his left hand and arm, with little movement in his left leg. With his mothers constant care he recovered well. 

Henry took over full time ranching when he left the Sapphire mines. The Sapphire Ledger year 1934 included fifty doses of Blackleg Aggressin which Edward (2008) believed were given to the calves his father bought and took to Willow Creek about that time. Edward remembered the boys driving the cattle from the Sapphire Ranch through the old Amerine ranch around the back of the West Fork Buttes and down Brown Gulch to Rock Creek and then on to Willow Creek. These cattle had the brand of PF believed to be owned by Paul Fusz, but there is no record of it ever being recorded. Proving himself a successful rancher, 

Henry was able to provide a good home for his wife, three sons and step son. He died from cancer at the ranch February 21, 1960 at the age of eighty.

Henry Bohrnsen instilled strong values and work ethic in his boys while teaching them the business of ranching. Edward took over the ranch management when Henry became ill. He married Shirlee Moran the daughter of Mrs. Abbey (Dorothy) Owens on October 14, 1961 in St. Philip’s Church in Philipsburg. After the wedding they lived on the original Wilbur Sanders ranch (known as the Nicely Ranch) and now owned by Carl Sander’s. Edward commuted from upper Rock Creek to run the Willow Creek ranch.

Their sons, Hans and Eric were born while they lived on Rock Creek. Eric, born prematurely died October 29, 1963. Shirley died on February 11, 1964. Edward and Hans then moved back to Willow Creek so Ruth could assist in the toddlers care. Ruth died on March 27, 1974 at the ranch and is buried next to Henry.

Edward shared with me more than once, how as a boy he watched in awe as my Dad and Uncle (Harry and Walt) broke the horses in the spring at the Sapphire ranch. He was determined to be able to ride “like those guys did” when they climbed on a bucking bronc and rode it until the animal was trotting around the corral. He learned the art and he was still riding his “ really good horse” when she became tangled in wire and fell over backwards with him, at the age of eighty two, leaving some major bruises! Edward managed the Willow Creek ranch until his death at eighty four, October 27, 2010. To honor his brother, Norman rode Edward’s horse from the funeral service at the Gymnasium to the cemetery when he was laid to rest.

Edward Bohrnsen in the 1940's

Edward’s son, Hans and wife Carol (Petersen) built a home south of the original ranch house. Educated as surveyor, Hans took over management of the ranch after his Dad died. Carol, originally deputy clerk, has been elected as Granite County Clerk of Court since 2008. They have two daughters: Jacquelyn (Walter) and Stephanie (Gates), who both live in Granite County and a son Eric in college. They are also blessed with three (soon to be four) grandbabies.

Norman Bohrnsen in the 1940's

Norman married Coreene (Crook), daughter of Mrs. Henry Lee Crook of Jackson, Mississippi, June 3, 1949 in the First Christian Church at Jackson. They bought the William (Bill) Werning Ranch on upper Rock Creek in 1949 and with hard work built a lovely ranch, including a cattle herd to be very proud of. Coreene died at the Ranch on February 10, 2011 with Norman and daughter Martha at her bedside. Her ashes sit in a beautiful carved wooden urn waiting for Norman to join her.

Norman continues active ranching with help from his daughter Martha (Brandon) at the ripe age of ninety one. Martha’s daughter Heather (Holloway) and her husband Dana presented Pa with a great-grandson (Drayson) and Martha’s son Eric works on the ranch during calving and hay season. 

Norman and Coreene’s son Geoff and wife Elizabeth “Lisa“ (Fleming), built a home near the main ranch house. Their son Kyle, Private First Class, was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, by an IED April 2007. After a full Military Honor service, inurnment was at the Veteran’s Cemetery, at Fort Harrison, Montana. On July 2, 2007, the bridge over Rock Creek, referred to as the Gillies bridge was designated with full military honors as the PFC Kyle Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge. Their daughter, Danielle joined the Montana National Guard and served in Dubai and Afghanistan before becoming a Dental Technician. She now lives in Alaska.

The youngest Bohrnsen son John did not choose ranching as his career. He married Judith Pearson, daughter of Alice (Howard) and John Pearson of Philipsburg and worked as a logger. John and Judy had five children: Heidi (Annau) (1959-2018), Nicole (Hardin), Dan, Mark and Chris. John died in Great Falls, August 20, 1999 and is buried in the Philipsburg family plot. Judy retired from the local Forest Service office and lead an active life involved with the Republican Party and Granite County Cultural Center and Museum. Judy died from ALS on April 30, 2011 in Great Falls where she had moved to be close to her daughters.

Ruth’s first son, Robert Raymond Rau (May 4, 1919 - December 7, 2007), attended Business School in Spokane. He worked for the Boeing Company for twenty years then became a court clerk for King County Superior Court in Seattle. Ray and wife Mae had a son, Kenyon. Mae died in 1981. Raymond rests in peace in Waterville, Washington. He had moved there to be closer to Kenny, his wife Linda and grandchildren Jocelyn and Jeffrey.

Ranching is a really hard business and as I have heard from both Bohrnsen boys “You can support one family if you manage well but never two households”; “Always lots to get out of bed for.” “A really good year.” “So proud of this good bunch of cows.” God truly blessed the Bohrnsen Rancher.