Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site

Visited: May 2016

Nearby town: Deer Lodge, MT

This working ranch in western Montana is one of the best preserved ranch homes and estates from the late 19th century. Just outside the small town of Deer Lodge, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch serves as a great roadside attraction to spend an hour or two and tour the ranch. Best of all, the tour is free.

The surrounding countryside of the ranch, like most views in the Treasure State of Montana, is a spectacular vista.

The ranch started in 1859 by Johnny Francis Grant, and he built his home there in 1862. Grant founded the town of Cottonwood (later to become Deer Lodge). Grant had grown up in Quebec and came to the American West in the 1840s to venture in the fur trade. However, the trade was quickly dying out at that time and Grant switched to the cattle business. As more settlers moved to the area, Grant quickly became outnumbered because he only spoke French (being from Quebec) and all the new settlers spoke English. Grant moved back to Canada and sold the ranch to Conrad Kohrs in 1866.

Conrad Kohrs had moved to the west during the California Gold Rush period and made his fortune not by striking it rich, but by selling beef to the hungry miners. His cattle empire eventually grew to over 50,000 head of cattle and grazing pasture of 10 million acres. He became known as the undisputed "Cattle King of Montana."  

After purchasing the Grant ranch, Kohrs expanded the home and the operations of the ranch. Kohrs modernized the methods of ranching: by fencing his rangeland, raising and storing fodder, and buying purebred breeding stock to produce high-quality beef. When the devastating and severe winter of 1886-1887 hit, and temperatures hovered at 30-40 degrees below zero for months and months, Kohrs' modern methods helped him weather the storm. Indeed, ranchers that had been using open range for their herds lost upwards of 90% of their cattle to brutal cold and lack of feed. With many ranchers going bankrupt, Kohrs managed to stay in business. Kohrs also dabbled in politics, serving as county commissioner, in the Territorial Assembly, and as a member of the Montana State Constitutional Convention.

Kohrs passed away at his ranch home in 1920, at the age of 84. The family maintained possession of the ranch, until his grandson sold the property to the National Park Service in 1972. The NPS runs the site as a living history ranch, and strives to keep all operations as close to the late 19th-century as possible, such as using draft horse teams to hay the land, and blacksmiths to make horseshoes, etc.

Once you arrive at the Visitor's Center, get your free ticket for a guided tour of the home. A guided tour is the only way to go inside the home. Tours are available throughout the day, but they are first come, first served...so arrive early.

Unfortunately, there are no pictures allowed inside the home. The home is beautifully preserved and full of heirlooms and priceless antiques belonging to the cattle baron's family.

front of the home, originally built in 1862

Kohrs expanded the home by adding this portion in the back.

Tara loved the back porch

After the guided tour, you can walk around the other ranch buildings on your own. Check out the website to see if any ranger programs are going on: they have wagon tours, blacksmith demonstrations, test out your roping skills, etc. The thing that interested me the most was the display of all types of vehicles and wagons used at the ranch. It's quite the collection.

blacksmith

If you are in the Deer Lodge area (about halfway between Butte and Missoula), the Grant-Kohrs Ranch is a great place for a quick stop to learn about ranch life in the American West during the 19th century. For more info: https://www.nps.gov/grko/index.htm