The Open Cross Ranch

 

About three miles south of Hall on the east side of Highway 1 is a sign “Open Cross Ranch” with a driveway crossing Flint Creek leading to the ranch buildings and houses that the fourth and fifth generation of the Anderson homestead live in. Stated in an earlier article, Linda Franz married Charles J. Anderson on July 5, 1906 in Missoula, Montana and they settled on the Open Cross Ranch in 1908. 

The Anderson family history in the United States begins with Peter Anderson, who was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1852. The 1900 Federal Census states he immigrated to Montana in 1882 and was naturalized in 1894. But there is a Peter Anderson (consistent with his age and home country) listed in the 1880 Census living in Yamhill in Deer Lodge County which was a settlement near Gold Creek. 

Research also reveals Peter Anderson advertising in the Philipsburg Mail beginning January 30, 1896 through April 1896 on the O K placer mining claim in the Harvey Creek Mining District. The public notice stated Peter had made the $100 improvements and that unless his co-partners P.A. Anderson and C.W. Anderson contribute their portion of the improvement dollars within ninety days the claim ownership reverted to him as sole owner. 

Family history states that Peter began freighting ore from Granite to Philipsburg after his son, Charles J. Anderson immigrated from Sweden in 1895 at the age of 17. Peter’s brother, Charles O. Anderson, born in 1866, immigrated in 1889 and was naturalized in 1904. Charles O. had a homestead at Nimrod and also at Silver King Ridge (Sec.29, T.9N, R.14W) on Lower Willow Creek where he had a cabin. This acreage was incorporated into the ranch after his death with the payment of twenty some odd dollars in inheritance taxes. Charles, a bachelor, died when he accidently fell from a bridge into the Flint Creek, November 12, 1941 at the age of 52. 

Peter Anderson, prior to immigrating, married Ida (Carlson) Johnson. She was born January 1, 1856 in Stockholm, Sweden and immigrated in 1902. To this marriage was born Charles John, in 1878 and Erick G., on December 22, 1879. The family resided at a homestead near Nimrod. Research by the family revealed that the August Ohrmann family raised prize winning Angus cattle and Peter bought a bull from him at a bull sale November 15, 1918. 

Erick died when he was kicked in the head by a horse April 21, 1924. Sometime after Peter died, on May 14, 1930, Ida came to live on the Open Cross Ranch with Charles O., Charles J. and Linda. As Ida aged she suffered dementia and apparently wandered off from the ranch one day. After an extensive search she was found five miles east of the ranch on Douglas Creek and her Death Certificate states she was pronounced dead from exposure and old age at 12:30 pm on August 12, 1942 at the age of 86. 

Family history knows that at some date Charles J. owned the Silver Tavern Bar in Philipsburg which is documented with ads in the Granitonian Senior yearbooks in the 1956 through 1960 publications shown below 

Charles was also instrumental in getting telephone service from Drummond towards the ‘Burg in the early years. Charles died at the age of 93 from Pneumonia at Granite County Memorial Hospital on November 12, 1971 and is buried in the Valley Cemetery, next to Linda who died on May 9, 1965 at the age of 80. 

To the marriage of Charles J. and Linda was born: Alfred C. (April 5, 1907- 1935); William E. in 1908; and John Howard and Margaret: September 21, 1910. The family is together though the 1930 Federal Census and then by 1940 only John Howard, age 29, remains on the ranch with his parents and housekeeper Evalina D. Staples age 25. 

Bill Olson shared that his mother related one Memorial Day at the Valley Cemetery that "Linda planted the first spruce tree at Alfred's grave and dutifully packed water to it until it reached self sufficiency."

John, always known as Howard, met his wife, Evelina Staples when she was visiting someone at Moose Lake and came to work for Linda as a housekeeper to get enough money to return home to Minnesota. She returned to Minnesota and Howard having fell in love with her, followed and they were married April 27, 1941 at Grand Marais, Minnesota. Howard then brought her back to Open Cross Ranch as his wife. He died on October 16, 1980 and when Evelina died on December 11, 2002 she was buried next to him at the Valley Cemetery. 

Their daughter Gayla married Leland Skaw, native of Hamilton, whose family moved to Ovando in 1967, where he lived when Gayla met him. Gayla and Leland operated the ranch until their daughter Jolene and husband, Levi Parsons, took over the operation and built themselves a house a little ways up the ridge. Currently Skaw’s, Parson’s and their children: Colt, Kimber, Dakota and Cooper live on the ranch.