Grant-Kohrs Ranch Kohrs and Bielenberg Home Ranch Historic Resource Study/Historic Structure Report/Historical Data

COVER

PREFACE

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT, PACKAGE 113, GRANT-KOHRS RANCH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, MONTANA, FISCAL YEAR 1975

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS

HISTORIC RESOURCE STUDY

CHAPTER I: THE EARLY YEARS, TO 1866

A. John Grant Introduces Cattle to the Deer Lodge Valley
B. Con Kohrs's Early Montana Years

CHAPTER II: KOHRS AND BIELENBERG, 1867-1885

A. 1867-1870
B. 1871-1876
C. 1877-1880
D. 1880-1883

CHAPTER III: THE BAD WINTER

CHAPTER IV: "GROWTH"

CHAPTER V: "CONSOLIDATION, THEN DISSOLUTION"

A. The Ranch in 1907
B. The Closing Years—to 1933

CHAPTER VI: THE WARREN ERA

A. The Ranch in 1937
B. The Warren Hereford Ranch: 1937 to 1972

CHAPTER VII: ASPECTS OF THE HOME RANCH

A. The Stock
B. Old Ranching and New
C. The Family
D. Vignettes of Daily Life at the Ranch
E. Conrad Kohrs
F. John Bielenberg
G. Augusta Kruse Kohrs

CULTURAL RESOURCES STATEMENT

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

A. Establishment and Development Limits
    1. General Site Description
B. Historical Structures
    1. Site Evaluation
C. Terrain
D. Visitor Services
E. Historical Summary
F. Historical and Cultural Themes
    1. Historical
    2. Architectural
    3. Archeological and Anthropological

CHAPTER II: CULTURAL RESOURCE IDENTIFICATION

A. Significance
B. Resources
C. Historical Objects
    1. Steam Thresher
    2. Hoof Trimmer
    3. Self Feeders
    4. Feed Troughs
    5. Farm Machinery
D. 1880-1883
    1. Fences
    2. Irrigation Ditches
    3. Underground Water Systems
    4. The Historical Scene

CHAPTER III: CURRENT AND PROJECTED CULTURAL RESOURCE NEEDS

A. Furnishings
B. Structures
C. Development
D. Scenic Easements
E. Status of Research
    1. National Park Service Research
    2. Other Research

CHAPTER IV: PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

A. Planning Studies and Reports Needed
B. Recommendations or Special Considerations
    1. Park Staff
    2. Restoration
    3. Scenic Easements
    4. Interpretation

HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT

CHAPTER I: THE HOME RANCH AS ILLUSTRATED FROM 1865 TO 1907

A. The Stuart Drawing, 6 August 1865
B. 1883 Bird's Eye View of Deer Lodge City: "The Stoner Picture"
C. Residence of Conrad Kohrs: The Leeson Drawing
D. A Partial Map of Deer Lodge Townsite
E. The Four Illustrations: An Evaluation

CHAPTER II: THE RANCH HOUSE

CHAPTER III: HISTORIC STRUCTURES 2 TO 55

A. The Bunkhouse
B. The Garage/Blacksmith Shop
C. The Coal Shed
D. The Ice House
E. The Granary
F. The Draft Horse Barn
G. The Privy
H. The Dairy Building
I. The Oxen Barn
J. Horse Barn
K. Machine Shed
L. Cow Shed
M. Stallion Barn
N. The Cow Barn
O. Leeds-Lion Stallion Barn
P. The Buggy Shed
Q. The Granary
R. Stallion Barn
S. Privy
T. The Brooder House
U. The Chicken House
V. The Granary
W. The West Corral Buildings
X. The Stock Shelter
Y. The Stock Shelter
Z. The Hay Roof Barn
AA. The Stock Shelter
BB. The Feed Storage House
CC. The Stock Shelter
DD. The Stallion Barn
EE. The Feed Storage House
FF. The Feed Racks
GG. The Feed Bunkers
HH. The Squeeze Chute
II. The West Feedlots
JJ. The Stock Shelter
KK. The Stock Shelter
LL. The Storage Shed
MM. The Feed Bunker
NN. The Squeeze Chute
OO. The Feed Bunkers
PP. The Cattle Scale
QQ. The Feed Rack
RR. The Feed Rack
SS. The Feed Rack
TT. The Manure Pit
UU. The Beef Hoist
VV. The Squeeze Chute
WW. The Feed Rack
XX. The Flume, Active
YY. The Flume, Inactive
ZZ. The Bridge
AAA. The Bridge

CHAPTER IV: NON-EXTANT STRUCTURES

A. Non-Extant Structure A
B. Non-Extant Structure B
C. Non-Extant Structure C
D. Non-Extant Structure D
E. Non-Extant Structure E
F. Non-Extant Structure F
G. Non-Extant Structure G
H. Non-Extant Structure L
I. Non-Extant Structure H, I, J, K
J. Non-Extant Structure M
K. Non-Extant Structure N
L. Non-Extant Structure O
M. Non-Extant Structure P

CHAPTER V: MISCELLANEOUS DATA

A. Introduction
B. Fence Lines and Pastures
C. Water and the Home Ranch
    1. The Front Lawn Watering System
    2. The Drainage System and Some Aspects of the Water System
    3. The Kohrs-Manning Ditch

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL STUDIES

I. ADDITIONAL STUDIES

A. Historical Base Map and Ground Cover Study
B. Biographical Study: Conrad and Augusta Kohrs and John Bielenberg
C. Furnishings Study
D. Archeology
E. Ranch Operations
F. Historic Resource Maintenance Guide
G. Historical Data Compilation

II. INTERPRETATION

III. MICROFILM READERS

IV. STAFF

APPENDICES

1. Description of home ranch house at Deer Lodge, from the Montana Post, 1865
2. Augusta Kohrs obituary, from Helena Independent Record, 1945
3. Description of wedding of Anna Kohrs and John Boardman, from New Northwest, 1891
4. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Conrad Kohrs, from Warren Papers
5. Compilation of entries from transcribed Powell County Deed Books and Powell County Deed Books involving Conrad Kohrs
6. Index to 1893 Kohrs and Bielenberg Stock Farm Catalog
7. Conversation with Conrad Kohrs, from New Northwest, 1886
8. Articles from New Northwest, 1886-87
9. Excerpts from Kohrs and Bielenberg Shorthorn Breeding Journal
10. Letter from Conrad Kohrs to his daughter Anna, 1881
11. Letters from H. P. Kennett to Samuel T. Mauser, 1887
12. Compilation of entries from Conrad Kohrs's ledger for 1892 to 1906
13. Microfilm rolls of Kohrs-Bielenberg-Warren Papers
14. Title page and sample page from 1903 Brand Book for Montana
15. Essay on ranching in the 1940s, by Paul Gordon
16. Letter from Conrad Kohrs to Frank Conelly
17. Essay on furnishings of the ranch house, by Rodd Wheaton

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS

Illustrations

1. Granville Stuart drawing, 6 Aug. 1865
2. Detail, "1883 Bird's Eye View of Deer Lodge City"
3. Illustration of ranch from Leeson, History of Montana
4. John F. Grant, 1866
5. Conrad Kohrs, 1874
6. Conrad Kohrs, 1882
7. Living room of the home ranch, ca. 1904
8. Conrad Kohrs and John Bielenberg, ca. 1912
9. Augusta Kohrs, 1868
10. Augusta Kohrs, 1874
11. Augusta Kohrs, 1882
12. Augusta Kohrs, about 70 years of age
13. Tom Hooban, ca. 1876
14. Mitch Oxarat, ca. 1876
15. Chinese cook at home ranch
16. Dining room of home ranch, ca. 1900
17. Parlor of home ranch, ca. 1900
18. Ranch house from southeast, ca. 1905
19. Ranch house from southwest, ca. 1905
20. Bunkhouse row, ca. 1900
21. Looking west across Fred Burr Creek and Stuart field
22. Historic structures at home ranch, 1968
23. Aerial view of historic structures at home ranch, 1968
24. Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS, view from northeast, 1974
25. "Laugh Kills Lonesome," by Charles M. Russell
26. Home ranch Short Horn herd, ca. 1900
27. Squeeze chute in operation, ca. 1900
28. John Bielenberg and crew brand calf, ca. 1912
29. Cow camp, 1912
30. Conrad K. Warren inspecting Herefords, ca. 1940

Maps

1. "Deer Lodge Townsite," 1907
2. "Kohrs & Bielenberg Grazing Areas & Cattle Trails, 1862-1924"
3. "Building the Home Ranch: Kohrs & Bielenberg, 1866-1908"
4. "Building the Home Ranch: Kohrs & Bielenberg, 1866-1908-by Decades"
5. "Selling the Home Ranch: Kohrs & Bielenberg, 1919-1924"
6. Map marked "Cattle from Montana," by Conrad Kohrs, 1881
7. Site Plan