John Francis Grant

Grant chose this ranch site for its rich grasslands, abundance of water, and the sheltered valley. He completed this house in 1862 as a trading post and family home. He first traded cattle with emigrants on the Oregon Trail to build up a large herd. He later made a hefty profit by selling meat to miners during the Gold Rush.

New settlers brought racial discrimination and shady business practices. Discouraged by these changes, Grant sold the ranch to Conrad Kohrs in 1866 and moved his family back to Canada.

Carsted (sic) Conrad Kohrs

Kohrs left Germany at 15 to work at sea as a cabin boy. Lured west by gold, his biggest profit came from selling beef to miners. In time, he built a business that shipped 10,000 head of cattle a year to the Chicago stockyards. His herds grazed over 10 million acres, which are now part of four states and two Canadian provinces.

Two years after Kohrs bought this ranch, he married Augusta Kruse, who made the house a home. Kohrs served as a territorial and state senator and a founding member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

He lived here until his death in 1920.

Erected by National Parks Service.