Can anyone Identify this picture ? It was in a group of old photos of my Grandfather Sol Nichols That a cousin sent me.

Hi,
Found this on the Montana livestock website :For all questions regarding the history of brands (1873-1950), please call 1-406-444-2681 or email the Montana Historical Society archives at [email protected] Call and ask them who owned that brand at that year on the picture then you can goto this website put the name in and it will tell you where it was at:

http://www.glorecords.blm...n_Form.asp

I am not sure at all that D is a brand if it was it would be a terribly blotchy brand. I thought that it was probably a inital. I will check and see. thanks. It is a far more prosperous looking place than any other I have seen with that early of a date. That is why I thought someone may recognize the picture.

The barn is huge, are those teams of horses or mules? There was and probly still is a big barn on the powder river near the TN ranch that was once owned by John Scott, I think. There where lots of harnesses in it years ago and I was told the mule trains used to stop there. Great photograph!

Lorin,
Librarians help me a lot with research. If you haven't already tried it, here's the contact info.

PRAIRIE COUNTY LIBRARY
Rolane Christofferson, Director
309 Garfield Avenue
PO Box 275
Terry, MT 59349-0275

Phone 406-635-5546
Fax 406-635-5546
Email [email protected]

Thanks Cindy I will email the picture

If the "D" is actually a brand it might be more like a "JD".......the "D" seems to have a curved line beginning the "D". Just a thought. Awesome photo!

Cool Photo. How about the Flying D ranch near Bozeman? Although it looks more like SE Montana say around the Diamond Ring.

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr (11/7/2009)]

Doesn't really look like Flying D country to me. Did Al Denby have a place?

Yes one of the Denbys' came up the trail with my grandfather, but I don't think they were that prosperous in 1913, Maybe never, at least the ones I remember which may not be related. The only one I knew was Digger, whose grandfather came up with my Grandfather.
I think they both came up with the Kemptons.

[This message has been edited by Lorin Dixson (11/7/2009)]

I may have figured it out my grandfather worked for the Frenchman De Mores. My brother suggested that may be it, but I still don't really know if that is it. I didn't think the early ranches built that permanent.

Sorry; My brother had the wrong Frenchman, Pop never worked for De Mores. He did work for Pierre Wibaux Which would have nothing to do with this picture.

A simple Google search for JD Ranch +Montana shows a present guest ranch near Grassrange. Photo could be over in that area, and it seems that sometimes people back then had a surprisingly large feeling for 'local' or 'neighborhood'.
Ken Z

The 1903 Brand Book for the state of Montana has been digitized by Google Books! Google montana cattle brand book 1903 to see it.
I haven't yet looked for JD and don't yet see how it might be indexed.
Ken Z

If that big barn has burned down since 1913, which I would guess to be 95% likely, then the rest of that spread would look like about 60% of all Montana ranches.

I found the answer from Rolane Christofferson in Terry. I still not sure how I ended up with the photo. And the JD was correct.

Lorin,
I've already found the answer by going through our local history book which actually has
the same picture in it. The owners at the time of this picture were the J. D. (Jim) Johnson
family. This barn was built about 1910. The ranch was later sold to Alolph Ulrich in
1925. The owners are now Delbert and LaVonne Hoffer. Hope this helps. Rolane

So where is the ranch located?

All I know is somewhere in Pairie County.

The only homestead filing I could find for James D Johnson in Montana:


James D Johnson 11/15/1904 on 160 acres
Fallon County
3N-60E
Sect 20 W1/2SW
Sect 20 SESW
Sect 29 NENW

I guess it could be in the north part of Fallon County. I think she got the info from Prairie county history book I assume (Wheels Across the Prairie) I remember the Ulrich name, but nothing about them. I talked to my brother he thought the Ulrich place was north and west of Fallon somewhere around cracker box.

Maybe this is it.
Prairie County wasn't formed until February 1915--from parts of Custer, Fallon, & Dawson Counties.

I did a name search for Hoffer, I got Cabin creek rd. Fallon MT. So I would have to guess that is where it is.

I know Delbert , he has some property towards Cabin Creek , there is a big old barn down there, not sure it is the same one . Do not remember, it as that big but I will try to look again and ask around.

Thanks Bill, it would be interesting to know if the barn is still standing. Also if it is and you could get a picture as it is today it would be cool to see how it has held up over the last 99 years.

Cool to have found more out about the mystery barn and the brand and for once I was onto something. Brands are a lot of fun to read and figure out how to read them. I believe there use to be some Ulrich families that lived here in Miles City. You might try to find them in the white pages.

Lorin,
I just found these thumbnails of Evelyn Cameron photos listed in the Andrew Smith gallery. There are 47 of them & there's one of Mrs. J D Johnson. I haven't looked at them all yet. Perhaps your relatives are shown.

http://www.iphotocentral....+cameron/0

Based on the PLSS data above I looked for a set of buildings on Google earth but the photo for that area is too grainy to be of much help. There are 3-4 spots where buildings might still exist.

Yes I tried looking on Google earth also. I am hoping Bill Bloom or someone from Fallon that knows the Hoffers will be able to find out if it is still there, will be able to post a picture here. It isn't very important, but would be interesting.

Lorin, I will call Delbert within the next few days, and visit with him about it, I do `beleive there was another Hoffer ranch further up Cabin creek and I believe there is also a big barn there. The one I first refered too is only 5 or 6 miles from where I live, I live on the third Eve Ranch . I think there are two sets of buildings there and the place on top is mostly fallen down. Will let you know what I find out. Good job DJB on the brand!

I just got this email from Rolane Christofferson.

Lorin,
I called Hoffer's and found out the barn blew down this past summer in a
terrible hail storm. But I did find out that this barn will be included in a book
titled "Barns of Montana" which is supposed to be published soon. There
will probably be a lot of history included. If you would like to talk to
Delbert Hoffer about the barn his phone number is . He
has a lot of information about the old barn. I also found a short history of your
grandfather in our "Wheels Across the Prairie" book. If you don't have this
and would like a copy please send your address and I will forward. Hope
this helps. Rolane
.

It's kind of interesting looking through that `03 Brand Book that Ken Ziebarth mentioned:
http://books.google.com/b...q=&f=false

Lots of familiar names in it. And some of the ranges claimed by the Outfits were huge - and this was supposedly after the era of the Open Range.

Some of the brands are pretty darned intricate - some look sloppy. Some look like they'd be easy to cover and some look like they were made for covering other brands. I can see why a good Rep at the range associations' roundups was worth top dollar.

There's a couple brands (cattle and horses) that might be JD - but since it's a 1903 brandbook and Lorin has learned that the photo was taken around 1910 - there's no reason the brands would necessarily match the locale of his photo (which is good - cause they don't ; -)


http://books.google.com/b...182&edge=0

http://books.google.com/b...534&edge=0

http://books.google.com/b...534&edge=0

http://books.google.com/b...534&edge=0

http://books.google.com/b...704&edge=0

http://books.google.com/b...709&edge=0