MUCH TO SEE IN DEER LODGE-WHO KNEW?

April 27, 2009

Today we have decided to check out the town of deer Lodge,Montana-and its vast history. It is a decent day-no snow-yet,but dark and stormy looking. First on the list is the Grant-Kohrs Ranch. Deer Lodge was named by the Indians-travelling from the Bitterroot Vally to West Yellowstone to hunt the Buffalo. John Grant was on of the immigrants attracted to the are with news of gold mining, timber and other business opportunities. He was known as a cattle baron, and drove 400 head of cattle from Deer Lodge to the sacramento valley. By the 1880's, Conrad Kohrs was shipping 10,000 head of cattle annually by railroad to the stockyards in Chicago. He and Grant met, and soon Grant sold Kohrs his ranch in Deer Lodge. Grant moved to Carmen,Manitoba Canada-leaving behind a great legacy of stock-raising in the sheltered and grassy valleys of southwest Montana. Conrad Kohrs began is empire in Deer Lodge valley. He eventually acquired 30,000 acres at the home ranch-he raised fine breeding stock-horses and cattle. He and Theodore Roosevelt worked together to form the Montana stock-growers assoc. in 1884. He (Kohrs) and his half-brother even helped to draft the constitution that led to statehood. Conrad died in 1920, his grandson,Conrad Warren became owner of the ranch in 1940.He was responsible for keeping everything at the ranch-the ranch house and furnishings exactly as they were when he took over. Today when we toured the ranch-it is as if nothing has changed. All of the buildings have been preserved-the numerous carts and buggies all in pristine shape. The ranch house interior is as clean and perfect as it was in the 20's. Today it is still a working ranch to some degree-in 1977 it was opened to the public and declared a National Historic site. Summer is the time to see the working demonstrations at the ranch. Our guide,Lyndel, is the resident blacksmith! We truly learned a lot and had a great time touring this ranch-oh, and while walking out, I saw a huge porcupine! now, on to the prison-no porcupines there,I bet!