Download Property Brochure - Farm & Ranch

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Like many other young adventuresome entrepreneurs in the 1800s, Daniel Flowerree left his home in Missouri in 1852 to find his fame and fortune in the gold fields of Montana. After several years of hard luck, he found his fortune in the mining claims around Helena. Young Flowerree soon realized the abundant possibilities in the cattle industry in Montana with its vast grassy prairies and plentiful water resources. Flowerree trailed 65 head of mother cows from his home state to the grasslands of Montana. On his way through Miles City, he acquired a business partner by the name of Lowry. These two stockmen worked their way west to the Sun River Valley. It was in the early 1870s that these cattlemen purchased 1,500 head from Texas and they made their way north along the renowned Chisholm Trail. Several years later another large herd was purchased from the Oregon Territory and trailed across the Rocky Mountains to the Sun River Valley. The Flowerree and Lowry Cattle Company was created and the town of Lowry was established on the Ranch (on the eastern edge of the current day Broken O Ranch). The two cattle barons also bought and raised a large remuda of horses which they utilized on the Ranch and traded with other cattlemen and locals. When the Flowerree and Lowry Cattle Company was in its prime in the early 1880s, local historians claim that these cowmen were running between 25,000 and 40,000 head of cattle from Wolf Creek to the Canadian border! The brutal winters of 1881 and 1886 set them back significantly. The hard crust and cold prevented the cattle from breaking through the snow to reach the grass underneath. Montana’s own Charles Russell made famous the winter of 1886 in his oil painting of “The Last of Five Thousand.” Through the financial trials and tribulations of the devastating winters when the majority of the cattle herd were lost, Daniel Flowerree’s son, William K. Flowerree, became a great asset to his father. With the aging of his father, William began taking over many of the ranching responsibilities. The open range was diminishing with settlers moving from the east, and the Flowerrees realized that in order to operate the size of herd they needed, land would need to be purchased. RANCH HISTORY Will Flowerree, Founder of the Broken O Ranch. 18 …“it was impossible to buy all the land necessary to run the cattle they owned. The method which they used for securing the needed capital, was by organizing the ranch into a company. The organization of the ranch took place in 1892. It was then renamed the Flowerree Sheep & Horse Co.” The Flowerree Ranch – A Stockman’s Paradise, Jon K. Hane – Page 44. The passing of the Reclamation Act by the federal government in 1900 allowed anyone to claim land which they were able to irrigate and take out of prairie. With the plentiful supply of water from the Sun River flowing through the Ranch, young William saw this as a superb opportunity to acquire additional lands to run cattle, but more importantly, land to grow hay crops in order to avoid the devastating losses of the 1881 and 1886 winters. William was soon put in charge of building a canal to irrigate the vast prairie lands north of the Sun River. With slips and over 150 men, it took three years to complete the main ditch. “The actual acreage acquired, and put under irrigation, was 16,000 acres. Another 20,000 acres was used for range land in the surrounding country, making a total of 36,000 acres.” The Flowerree Ranch – A Stockman’s Paradise, Jon K. Hane – Page 45. The Ranch flourished for nearly 45 years before it eventually fell on hard times and was sold at a sheriff’s sale on the courthouse steps to the Teton Land Company. With new management the Ranch once again became the largest cattle ranch in Teton County. The Texas longhorns brought to Montana by Flowerree were replaced with English Hereford cattle which were better acclimated to the climate of the Rocky Mountain Front. Some of the place names or sub-ranch houses, of the Teton Land Company are the “Soldiers Home,” the “Red Shed”, the “New Barn” and the “Grimes Place.” The Flowerree Ranch – A Stockman’s Paradise, Jon K. Hane – Page 49
In 1944, Teton Land Company was sold to John Hamilton. Under Hamilton, several ranch buildings were updated and bathrooms were installed in many of the bunkhouses. Additional crop lands were established and irrigated increasing the production of the Ranch. William and Desiree Moore, founders of the Kelly-Moore Paint Company, first came to the Sun River Valley in 1988 and purchased the Hamilton Ranch and, soon thereafter, the Freeman Ranch – constituting the core of the Broken O Ranch. Over the course of the next 20 years, the Moores continued to purchase and block land resulting in the present-day configuration. The Moores quickly realized their need for a competent and trustworthy individual to not only manage his assets, but one who was well respected in the community. With the acquisition of the Freeman Ranch, they found Dan Freeman. Freeman’s family had operated a commercial cattle operation along the Sun River since 1948. Dan Freeman has been an integral part of the Moore Family and development of the Broken O. The Ranch and lifestyle that Montana offered quickly became William Moore’s passion. He would spend weeks on end there entertaining friends and riding with his close friend, RANCH HISTORY 19 Dan Freeman. Freeman recalls spending many days riding in his pickup with Moore, answering questions ranging from irrigation head gates and barley crops to their breeding program for the upcoming year. William Moore was a hands-on owner who wanted to be knowledgeable about not only the operation of the Ranch, but the lifestyle that surrounded it. He spent countless hours reading and studying to increase his knowledge base in agricultural production. Freeman comments that Bill “…was still jumping ditches at 70 years of age.” A lifelong innovator, he constantly challenged Freeman and his crew to find better and more efficient ways of operation and was always the first to provide the necessary tools for success. William Moore was a very unassuming man and took tremendous pride in his cattle and the stewardship of the land and its resources. With all the changes throughout the history of the Sun River Valley, the integrity, productivity and attraction to the area have remained unchanged for those pioneering spirits similar to young Daniel Flowerree.
Page 4 and 5: TABLE of CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....
Page 6 and 7: The Cattle Division and Headquarter
Page 8 and 9: PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The topography
Page 10 and 11: The Ranch ranks among the largest c
Page 13 and 14: The farming component of the Ranch
Page 15 and 16: FEED MILL The Feed Mill is located
Page 17 and 18: UTILITIES & SERVICES Electricity is
Page 19 and 20: MINERAL RIGHTS The Seller will conv
Page 21: The outdoor amenities of North Cent
Page 25 and 26: OFFERING PRICE & CONDITIONS OF SALE
Page 27: Inside Back Cover Flap

Download Property Brochure - Farm & Ranch

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?