Wide open spaces, the hard-working cowboy, his spirited cow pony, and vast herds of cattle are among the strongest symbols of the American West. Once the headquarters of a 10 million acre cattle empire, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site pr...
This vibrant Victorian Era flower garden was planted and cared for by Augusta Kohrs. She felt a great need to impose a degree of order and elegance to separate her home and its surrounding landscape from the rugged Montana countryside.
The garden is located south of the Main Ranch House’s back porch. The garden sits at a lower elevation then the house. A large flower bed that is approximately 70 feet in length takes up most of the garden space. A long picket fence made of wood and painted white provides a distinctive border for the garden. The fence runs the entire west side of the garden before making a sharp 90 degree turn and running the entire south side of the garden. There is a double sided, swinging gate located in the fence that can be opened or closed in either direction. This gate creates a large opening for visitors to enter the garden from the lower area of the ranch. A series of wood planks that stick a few inches out of the soil provide a northern edge for the flower bed. The flower bed is covered in topsoil, grass, and straw. There are a variety of brightly colored and strong-smelling annuals, perennials, bulbs, roses, and native plant species that grow seasonally in this flower bed. Each flower varies in size, shape, height, and color. There are narrow dirt paths that run between the flowers, which allow visitors access to walk into the flower bed. In the middle of the flower bed there is a pair of 16-foot wooden and wire trellises that allow climbing flowers to grow vertically. These trellises extend from the picket fence to the wooden edge of the flower bed and effectively divide the flower bed into two sections (east and west) On the east side of the trellises there are several rectangular shaped raised flower boxes. They are constructed of wood and are filled with soil. These raised flower boxes rest on top of the ground and allow smaller, individual flowers that don’t grow very tall to be placed several inches above the ground. There is a rock wall and stone terrace constructed on the northern help northern edge of the garden. This creates ornamental space and provides additional raised space for plants to grow. Above the rock wall is a long lilac hedge that provides a beautiful backdrop for the garden when in bloom, while at the same time helps to create a divide between the large front lawn of the house and the smaller, more intimate space of the garden. A rustic style stone staircase with a wooden handrail lead from the northeastern section of the front lawn of the Main Ranch House to the lower garden area. A small walkway runs the entire length of the garden from the stairs to the gate located in the picket fence. This walkway is generally 48’ wide and it is composed of varying types and shapes of stones. The voids between the stones are filled with topsoil, and grass.
The Hard Winter of 1886, forced many ranchers to keep enough hay handy for their livestock to survive the harsh Montana winters. Necessity is the mother of invention and this unique device was invented to easily stack hay and leave it outside all year round.
This large piece of ranching equipment, known as a beaverslide hay stacker, and measures approximately 18 feet wide by 30 feet long by 32 feet high. It is constructed from large wooden timbers, steel connectors, and cables and is portable. The main body is wedge-shaped on one side with a large rake that can slide up and down the wedge. The opposite side from the wedge is a vertical, timber-constructed area that catches and withholds the hay deposited by the sliding rake. The beaverslide stands in a large, grassy field that is approximately 28-acres in size. To the west is the Clark Fork River with many large cottonwood trees along its banks. Further in the distance is Deer Lodge Mountain and the Flint Creek Range
It took a tremendous amount of patience, practice, and skill to properly butcher a cow. This small structure was added to the ranch in the 1880’s to feed hungry cowboys and ranch hands various roasts, steaks, and other basic cuts from a freshly butchered cow.
The beef hoist sits to the west of a dirt road and is north of the draft horse barn and north west of the dairy barn. The small structure is primarily composed of a rectangular shaped wooden post and rail enclosure with four wood corner posts sent into the ground. The pen is oriented east/west. There are six side rails along each side with two large poles sent in the center of the enclosure about five feet apart. A windlass shaft cross member connects these two poles and extends about one foot beyond the northern pole. This connects to the leaver system of the hoist. Four thin posts creating an X act as the level system that rotates the windlass to lift cattle for slaughter. The hoist deck is composed of eight 2”x12” boards. The entire structure is coated in a red stain. The main structure is designed in a U-shaped and contains a 9 x17’ plank platform that is resting on log cribbing with wooden rail sides. The front rails are not fastened down and can be removed to create an opening. There are two upright posts that hold a notched log sitting in “U” brackets that allow the notched log to spin. There are several long poles set at a 90-degree angle through the notched log with a rope threaded through the ends of the poles. The notched log has a hook on a chain attached to the center of it that would wrap around the notched log and hoist the cow carcass when the rope is pulled, spinning the notched log. The entire structure is sloped to the West.
Most people think that hardworking cowboys slept outside under the stars, but they didn't need to when working on a ranch that had a proper bunkhouse.
Through the right doorway in the sitting room is the bedroom or bunk room. This room is 15 feet wide and18 feet deep. Along the right front wall are windows which look towards the main ranch house. There is a large bunk along the front wall, which is approximately a double size bed frame. On the bed are blankets and some cloths, including a jacket and some denim overalls. By the front windows on the wall is a rack where a hat, shirt and overalls hang. In the center of the far wall is a chest of drawers with a mirror on the top, a wash basin and some toiletries. There is an ironing board standing to the right of the drawers and a small bed stand with a book and magazine on it. Along the far-left wall are three bunks with blankets and clothes laying on them. Between the bed are small dressers with towels and toiletries on them. There are racks hanging on the walls above the dressers. At the foot of the bunks are boots and bags. There is one picture hanging on the wall to the left of the door. The painting is a mountain scene.
Hungry? Come and get it! This dining room is where the cowboys shared a hot and hardy meal together.
Through the left doorway from the sitting room is the bunkhouse dining room. This room is 15 feet wide and 18 feet deep. Along the front wall there is a window which looks towards the main ranch house. Below the window is a table approximately 2.5 feet wide and 4 feet long with a chair. On the table are some pans, a bucket, and a paper dispenser for wrapping food. On the south wall, near the small table is a doorway with steps down which connect to the bunkhouse kitchen. Near the center of the room is a large oval table with 10 chairs. The table has a red tablecloth and is set with dishware, plates of food and some pitchers. Two extra chairs are in the back corner of the room. Along the backwall is a window and a rocking chair. In the back right-hand corner of the room is a bunk bed. Near the doorway which connects to the sitting room is a stove, a wooden crate for wood for the stove, and a wooden chair by the bed. There is also a bucket with coal for the stove. There is one picture hanging on the wall behind the dining room table. It is a painting of a cowboy on horseback in a river moving a herd of cattle.
When the bell rings, it’s time for the bunkhouse cook to share his food! See the room where the hardworking ranch cook would prepare several hot and hardy meals each day.
The Bunkhouse Kitchen is 8 feet wide and 18 feet deep. Cabinets line the front part of the left and right walls of the kitchen. In the left cabinets the dishes and cooking utensils were stored. In the center of the left wall is a drainboard counter for the cook to use after washing dishes in the kitchen sink. At the back of the left wall is a worktable with a Fairbanks Morse coffee grinder and other tools and cooking implements on the racks below the tabletop. In the center of the back wall is a large window. Along the right wall, near the window in the back of the kitchen is a hot water tank and the kitchen range/stove. In the center of the right-hand wall are the other cabinets in the kitchen. The cabinets on the right do not have doors on them, providing open storage space for food, pots and pans. Near the front door on the right wall is a doorway with steps. This connects the kitchen to the bunkhouse dining room. To the immediate right of the front door is a shelf where the cowboys would have placed their dirty dishes and utensils in a tub or bin.
The cowboys on the ranch usually had to go into town to wash the dirt and sweat away before this small shower and washroom was added to the bunkhouse row. Even with these modern amenities close by, most cowboys on the ranch typically only bathed once a week in the summer and once a month in the winter!
The Bunkhouse washroom is 10 feet wide and 18 feet deep. There is a door out of the back of the washroom as a secondary door. There is a shower stall in the rear left corner of the room. In the shower stall, a shower head hangs down from the water pipes and the concrete floor has a drain in it. The shower area is 5 feet by 8 feet in size. There are 6.5-foot-tall walls around the shower area for some privacy and a window from the shower stall looks out to the barns behind the bunkhouse row. Along the right wall is a large square shaped sink. There are some basins hanging on the wall. Along the left wall is a stove used to heat the room. Hanging on the walls are large square shaped wash tubs and on a metal bench on the floors are two more wash tubs. A washboard sits inside one of the wash tubs.
What did cowboys do in their free time? Did they hang out and sing cowboys songs at night? Did they play games? The bunkhouse sitting room was the place where they would relax and socialize together away from work.
The sitting room is 15 feet wide and 18 feet deep. On the left wall is a stove used to heat the room. On the floor behind the stove is a wooden crate used to store wood for the stove. A wooden bench sits in the left back corner of the room. There is a large window in the center of the back wall. In the back-right corner of the room is a large square table. In the front right corner, close to the main door is a saddle and hanging on the wall are hooks which cowboys used to hang their coats, chaps, lariats, and other items on. In the left and right walls are doorways which connect the sitting room to other rooms.
Structures like this chicken house and brooder coop not only provided the family with a never-ending supply of meat and fresh eggs, but also allowed the ranch to be self-sufficient during tough times.
The chicken house is a one-story, rectangular, wood-frame building with a concrete foundation. The building is painted white and covered with horizontal dropped siding on the exterior walls. The peak of the saltbox roof is offset to the south with a gable orientation that runs east to west. The roof is covered with red, hexagonal shaped asphalt shingles. The south east side of the building has a six-panel wooden door. A single concrete step provides entry into the building. An attached ramp, made of plywood and battens, provides easy access for the chickens to enter the building. The door is surrounded by a red border. On the south side of the building are a group of six nine-light, fixed-sash, wood-framed windows. The windows have a red border. Above the windows and near the roof are a series of wooden louvered vents that run the entire length of the south elevation. Directly on the middle of the south wall, below the windows and near the ground is a small, wood-framed chicken hatch door and a small wooden ramp is centered below the windows. The interior of the one-room chicken house features plywood floors, which were installed in cover the original 4” tongue-and-grove flooring. Along the entire interior northern wall is a chicken roost. Along the west wall is a chicken nesting area featuring seven wooden boxes full of hay for chickens to lay eggs in. built-in chicken nest is on the west wall. The floor is covered in sawdust and there is a small feeding trough and two metal water containers. Tongue-and-groove siding covers the walls and ceiling. A pair of large, round, metal heat lamps hang from the ceiling. Directly to the east across the lawn is the much smaller brooder coop that was historically used to electrically incubate eggs for hatching. The brooding coop is a one-story, rectangular, wood-frame building with a gable roof that is oriented east to west with exposed rafters. It is much smaller than the chicken house. It is built on a concrete foundation, and the exterior walls are covered with 5" horizontal dropped-cove siding. It is painted white in the same style as the adjacent chicken house. The roof is also covered in red hexagonal shaped asphalt shingles. The west side of the building has a two-panel, red-stained wooded door that allows for entry in the building. There is a small concrete and wooded one-step stoop in front of the door. Along the southern side of the building are two, nine-light wood-framed hopper windows that have a red-stained border. Centered along the east side of the building is single, red-stained nine-light wood-frame hopper window. Centered below this window is small chicken hatch that is located near the ground level. There is a small wooden ramp that leads from the hatch to the ground for chickens. The building’s interior is divided into two rooms. The first room contains various supplies and food storage containers. There is another door that leaves this room and enters the main brooding area where young chickens are kept until they become large enough to be placed with the adult birds. There is a large heating lamp near the floor and the wooden floor is covered in soft sawdust. The chicken house and brooder coop are both located within a large fenced in grassy area that allows for the chickens to be outside during the day. The fence also keeps predators out f the enclosure. The fence on the south side is roughly 5 feet tall and made of hexagonal shaped chicken wire. There is a swinging gate that allows for park staff to enter the yard. The fence on the west, east, and north are made of large 10-foot timbers. These also serve as a border along several adjoining horse pastures.
Got milk? In 1932, Conrad Warren developed a small herd of Jersey dairy cattle and constructed this barn as a processing center to sell milk, which guaranteed a monthly income for the ranch during a period of economic hardship across the United States.
The dairy barn is a one and one-half-story, rectangular, white painted,wood-frame building with a north-south oriented gable roof featuring red hexagonal shingles. The building is about 47 feet wide and 56 feet deep. On the south side of the building there are two doors, one constructed with vertical boards and stained red, and the other a white sliding door. The building sits on a concrete foundation, with an interior concrete pad A four-light, wood-sash hopper window is centered in the gable end and another slightly smaller, four-light hopper is located slightly off-center to the east, between the door openings of the first-story level. The east elevation has eight evenly spaced four-light wood-sash hopper-frame windows. On the north there is a wood double-leaf door stained red and three four-light wood sash hopper framed windows. The west features a wood double-leaf door stained red and two four-light wood-sash hopper frame windows. On the interior, one-by-nine-inch wood boards cover the walls, one-by-seven inch boards cover the floor of the west side of the building and a concrete s forms the east side floor. A concrete trough that held stanchions for dairy cattle runs down the center of the building. A wood-burning stove is in the center of the interior. The west interior wall features a display showcasing the Montana Draft Teamster Hall of Fame. Picnic tables are sometimes located in the interior. On the south side there are two doors, one constructed with vertical boards and exterior x-bracing, and the other a sliding door constructed with vertical board-and-batten and mounted on an overhead metal track. A four-light, wood-sash, hopper window is centered in the gable end. Another, slightly smaller, four-light hopper is located slightly off-center to the east, between the door openings of the first story A concrete trough that once held stanchions for dairy cattle runs down the center of the building.
This Dougherty wagon has connections to three separate national park sites which makes it a unique artifact to the story of Grant-Kohrs Ranch, the National Park Service and the nation’s transportation history.
This Dougherty wagon is located on display inside of thoroughbred barn at Grant-Kohrs Ranch. It is on display on the right side of the building near the back. There is a wooden beam running, vertically in front of the wagon that separates visitors from the historic item. The Dougherty wagon is roughly seven feet tall and, seven feet long and seven feet wide. The passenger box is roughly 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and four feet long. There are a pair of small wooden side doors, located in the middle of the wagon for passengers to climb in and out and two rows of seats. front seating area and a back-seating area. The insides are covered in patterned orange canvas, with red circular dots. The seats are covered in a black canvas. The seats fold down to create a flat surface. There are four, circular wagon wheels located on each corner of the wagon. The wheels are made of wood and painted black. The entire wagon, except for the canvas lining the inside is painted black.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a park ranger? Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site offers three different Junior Ranger Programs based on the age of the participant, These fun and free activity books allow children and their families to explore the ranch and learn more about the lives of the people who worked and lived on the ranch!
The Grant-Kohrs Ranch Junior Ranger program is designed for all ages. There are three separate books available at the park visitor center. The Little Rancher Activity Book is for designed ages 5 and under. It features two small calves on the cover and is 6 pages in length. The activities range from coloring, matching drawing, and a maze. The Junior Rancher Activity Book is designed for Ages 5-8 & Ages 9-12. This book features the photo of a young girl as she looks toward a historic black and white image f a cowboy that has been superimposed into the background. The book has several activities depending on the age of the participant. The Honorary Rancher book is designed for participants ages 13 and up. The cover features a group of cowboys moving a herd down a dirt road on the ranch, The books can be picked up at the park visitor center, which is located adjacent to the main parking lot.
Long before refrigeration was available on the ranch this building was needed to store blocks of ice to keep perishable food such as meat and dairy products from spoiling. As modern convenience's reached the ranch, Conrad Warren repurposed this building to store tack and other equipment for horse and ranching operations.
The icehouse is a one-story, square, log building with smaller extensions on the west and south elevations. The original portion is constructed on a stone full-basement foundation. The building is whitewashed with red trim. The walls are constructed with whitewashed logs. The gable roof runs east west and is covered with wood shingles over tongue-and-groove sheathing. The east elevation of the log component contains two glass windows. There is a centered, wooden, two-panel door that serves as the entrance to the building. The main floor of the original log building consists of one room finished with 1" x 5" wall and ceiling boards. The floor is reinforced wood boards covered with tin. Both the tin covering and the heavy floor joist evidence the historic ice-storage function. Blocks of ice weighing 200 to 300 pounds were stored in this main-floor room, insulated with sawdust. A nine-panel door provides access to the basement, where, historically, meat and dairy products were stored. The basement has a brick and mortar floor and stone walls. Between the west basement wall and the west addition are two windows. The west addition is finished with five-inch wall and ceiling boards and five-inch floorboards. Five-inch boards also cover the walls, ceiling, and floor of the south addition. Inside the room is a small work bench to the right of the entry way. On the bench are various tack and leather tools on display. Hanging on display against the walls and ceiling are numerous bridles, saddles, harnesses, and other tools as needed for working with horses and hooking them up to wagons and ranching equipment. In the middle of the room sits a small pot belly stove that connects to a chimney on the roof.
How does a ranch stack and store enough food for its livestock to eat throughout a harsh Montana winter? With a hay stacker of course! Take a walk to the distant pastures and view the historic Jenkins hay stacker.
The Jenkins hay stacker is approximately 18 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It is over 1200 pounds in total weight. The wood beams have a pyramid shape to create the main framework which is angled down and looks like a slide. On the ground is a large wooden fork attached to the stacker on which the cut hay is placed to be stacked. The fork is 10 feet long and 14 feet wide. White Oak wood is one of the materials used in the conservation work to replace decayed timbers. It is located in the western fields of the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site property, near the western park boundary. There is a ranch road walking trail along the base of the hills near the hay stacker. The land to the north, east and south of the hay stacker slopes down to the banks of the Clark Fork River, which is approximately a quarter of a mile away. To the west of the hay stacker, the hills are approximately 100 feet high.
Water has always been a precious resource, in the arid western United States, especially to ranchers who need it for hay production. Historical structures like the Johnson Creek flume have been used for over a century to help in determining who controls the rights and usage of the American West’s most valuable resource.
The Johnson Creek Flume has been used on the ranch for many years and is constructed entirely out of wood. It is long, narrow, and the dimensions are roughly 84 x 10 x 3-foot. The purpose of this flume is to carry water that flows through the man-made Kohrs-Manning Ditch and carry that water over the top of a naturally occurring body of water called Johnson Creek. The purpose of this is so the waters do not mix, and water rights can be more controlled. Surrounding the flume on both sides is a combination of dense grasses and riparian vegetation. This location on the ranch that is low lying and holds an abundance of water which makes it the perfect spot for this type of vegetation to grow. The Johnson Creek Flume is located just a few feet off the western side of a popular dirt road. This road is heavily used by ranch staff to access distance pastures and by park visitors that are enjoying a nice walk. Directly behind the flume is enclosed pasture and several historic ranch buildings and horse stables.
While most of the day-to-day operations of the Kohrs-Bielenberg Ranch were oriented towards beef cattle, the breeding and selling of thoroughbred and draft horses became an integral part of their business. This small barn once housed a prized Shire draft horse named “Leeds Lion.”
This historic barn is one and half stories tall and is rectangular in shape. The barn is constructed of logs and is located on the south west side of the historic lower yard area of Grant-Kohrs Ranch. The buildings ground level or first story is roughly 10 feet tall and is constructed of logs beams that are notched in the corners. There are many large cracks and gaps between each log beam that is filled with cement. There is a door located in the middle of the north wall of the building that serves as a point for people to enter the building. On the west side of the building is a much larger door that exits into an adjacent field and was used by large draft horses to go in and out of the building. This door is typically closed and does not provide access for visitors. remains closed. The front section of the barn, where visitors enter the building has a wooden floor. Beyond the wooden floor most of the building has a dirt floor where horses would have been housed. On the right-hand side of the entry way is a large storage bin. On the left-hand side of the entry way is a small manger, enclosed by a 3-foot-tall wooden fence. This manger would have held hay. There is a hole in the ceiling above this space where stored hay above could be thrown down. Above the entry way that leads into the dirt floor pin is a small sepia toned photograph taken around 1910 that is believed to show the Shire draft horse named Leeds Lion standing in front of the main Ranch House. Next to this image is a copy of the certificate of sale for Leeds Lion to Conrad Kohrs. There is an opening in the south end of this small enclosure that allowed horses to reach the hay from their enclosure. Inside of the dirt enclosure are several interpretive displays about the history of draft horses and equipment that was used by draft horses on the ranch. In the middle of the room is a small, glass enclosed rectangular case that houses draft horseshoes and interpretive information. On the entire length of the southern exterior wall is an interpretive display on the different types of draft horses and images of draft horses on the ranch. Against the western wall are a pair of wooden fences that are covered with a blanket that represents a draft horse. On top of the blanket is displayed the types of bridles, saddles, and other equipment that draft horses would have worn while doing hard work on the ranch. The ceiling separates the first floor from a half-story hay loft above. The roof is constructed of heavy planked wood. On the north side of the building, above the main entrance is a small door that provides access to the upstairs hayloft and where hay would have entered the building. The outside wall of the east side of the building has a small access hatch near the eaves that is made of braced vertical boards. The exterior and interior log walls of the entire building have been whitewashed. The main door on the north side of the building is stained red. In the center of the south facing wall there is fixed six paned, wood sash window. The window sash is stained red and the trim bars are stained white. The outside of the building has a gable roof that is oriented north and south. The roof is covered in wooden shingles with a metal flashing along the ridgeline.
For generations several Native peoples passed through the Deer Lodge Valley and used the surrounding area for multiple purposes long before the ranch was established by Johnny Grant and. These pair of tipis help to tell their stories.
This location is adjacent to the western side of the paved sidewalk that leads from the main parking lot to the historic ranch structures. At this location are two wooden tipi frames erected in the grass. The frame is supported by several tall and slim lodge pole pines. Each tipi is tied together at the top by thick rope. The rope is also anchored to the ground to support the tipis. The structure is wider at the bottom and comes to a small point at the top. The lodge pole frames are roughly 20 feet tall and the ends rest together at the top. The base is a large circular that is roughly 20 feet wide. In front of the tipis is an interpretive wayside that provides information on Native Tribes. Behind the tipis towards the west is a long wooden fence and small hill composed of large rocks. On top of the hill is an active railroad line. Trains pass through this point daily. In the distance is the Flint Creek Mountain Range and the large Deer Lodge Mountain.
The ranch repair shop was instrumental in the success of the ranch as it transitioned from the Open Range Era to a modern style of ranching and was used for maintaining and repairing ranch equipment, machinery, and vehicles.
This rectangular, wood-frame building has a total square footage of 1504 feet. The building is divided into two separate sections that visitors can explore. On the south side of the building there is an historic storage/ interpretive program area. This room features a working coal burning forge, anvil, several blacksmith tools, a line drive with leather belts, a drill press, grinding stones, and space for performing rough carpentry and repair. There is a large work bench against the south wall for storing various blacksmithing and carpeting tools. There is a set of red, sliding barn doors facing the west that function as the entrance to the shop space. To the left of the entry way is a tall, wooden display hat features several types and styles of horseshoes. To the right of the entry way is a tall wooden display that features several examples of iron brands that were used during the ranch’s history. There are four large windows inside of the shop that can be opened to let air flow in. Next the coal forge is an electrified air blower that moves air into the forge to operate. On the ground leaning up against the north wall is a historic wooden bellow on display. Adjacent to the bellow is a historic hand cranked air blower on display. The floor of the shop is made of aged wooden beams. This space is open to visitors and often has a park ranger or volunteer performing interpretive programs during the summer months. The north end of the building was once a garage and is dominated by three red-stained wooden, multi-panel, multi-light, overhead rolling doors that function as the entry point today. The floor and concrete are both made of concreate. Along the east side of this room are two restrooms and drinking fountain that are operated during the summer months. This room features two wooden benches for visitors to sit down. Along the walls of the room are several historically significant black and white photographs that help tell the story of the Open Range Cattle Era. The outside of the building is white with a red gable roof. There are two brick chimneys on the eastern slope. The rafters are exposed on the west and east elevations. The gable end on the north is dominated by three red-stained wooden, multi-panel, multi-light, overhead rolling doors. The west side of the building features elevation contains a pair of red-stained wooden sliding doors and one window with red-stained shutters. On the south side of the building there are three windows with red-stained shutters. The east side of the building contains five windows with red-stained shutters. There is a wooden door in the shop area and a wooden door in the picture room that lead to am area that is used by the National Park Service for a break and storage room.
How many uses can one building have? For more than a century this small building has served as a barn, garage, blacksmith shop, and exhibition hall.
The Stallion Barn is 28 feet wide and 22 feet deep, and one and a half stories high. There is one set of red double barn doors which function as the entrance to the old garage space. Along the left wall there are three windows which contain six rectangular panes of glass in each. The smaller panes of glass are approximately 9 by 12 inches in size. Along the right wall is an interpretive display which discusses the Hard Winter and the end of the Open Range Cattle Era. The building is constructed out of logs and limestone mortar, in the style of frontier cabins or similar to the structures you can build playing with Lincoln Logs. To the right of the main double doors is a single door which accesses the lean-to section of the building, used today for storage by the National Park Service.
Come and get it! Life on a cattle drive was exhausting work and the chuck wagon and the resourcefulness of the cook not only boosted the crews moral, but also played a vital role in the success or failure of the entire journey.
This replica chuckwagon that is on display at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic is constructed of both wood and iron. The wagon is roughly 12 feet long and 4 feet wide. The chuckwagon has 4-wheels made of wood and covered by iron. The two back wheels are 54 inches round and are larger than the front wheels. This allows more play when turning. The wheels are designed to negotiate bad roads and not sink into the axle. Iron reinforces the parts that take the greatest beating such as the undercarriage, axel, reach, hounds, wheels, and bolsters. All the smaller metal works such as bolts, nuts, brackets, hooks etc., were hand forged over a coal fired forge. The chuck wagon is cover by canvass top that shields the wagon from dust and weather. The cover is roughly 11 feet long and is supported by a frame of hickory bows and secured with hemp rope. On one side of the wagon is an oak water barrel, a metal pan for washing hands and utensils, and a rectangular coffee grinder. On the other side of the wagon is a wooden toolbox. The back end of the chuckwagon features a wooden pantry box with seven shelves, four cabinets, and a hinged door that lays down flat to create a table. Inside of the cabinets and shelves are replica items used during interpretive programs and items that would be used to cook food on the trail. On top of the wagon is a replica wooden crate that is labeled Arbuckles Roasted Coffees with an agnel graphic in the middle. The front of the wagon features an elevated wooden seat where the driver would sit. To the right of the seat is a larger metal brake handle. Underneath this seat is a wooden jockey box. A large metal bar known as the tongue points directly north from the front of the wagon. The replica chuckwagon can be found on display in two separate locations depending on what time of year you are visiting. From the late spring through late fall the replica chuckwagon is displayed outdoors to the north of a grove of cotton wood trees. There is a small fire pit on the ground behind the chuckwagon and a large pile of wood underneath. During the bus summer months, a ranger wearing authentic period clothing can be found at the chuckwagon performing living history interpretation. During the winter months the replica chuckwagon is stored inside the thoroughbred barn.
A River Runs Through It! The Clark Fork is the largest river in Montana by volume and one of the longest rivers in the state. It flows through 2.5 miles of the Grant-Kohrs Ranch and supports a variety of ranching operations, recreational opportunities, and critical wildlife habitat.
The Clark Fork is the largest river in Montana by volume and one of the longest rivers in the state. The Clark Fork River enters the ranch from the parks southern border and flows for approximately 2.5 miles before exiting the ranch towards the north. The river is narrow and shallow at this point so close to its confluence, but triples in size slightly to the west of Missoula. The Clark Fork River meanders, bends and flows straight through the ranch. Along the banks grows a variety of riparian shrubs, trees, and grasses that provide important food and shelter for a variety of wildlife species. This section of the river parallels the parks Nature Trail and provides easy access for recreational opportunities such as fishing, swimming, and wildlife viewing.
Originally this structure was built as a cabin, then later converted into a bunkhouse and eventually into a small office. This room was the heart of the business operations for the ranch from approximately 1935 to 1947.
The Warren Office is approximately 16 feet by 18 feet in size. Along the right wall is Conrad Warren’s desk and office chair. On the desk are papers, folios, baskets and other objects which Warren owned. On the wall above the desk are photographs of family and livestock connected to Conrad Warren. In the back righthand corner is a small table with a cabinet on top of it. Along the center of the back wall is a bookcase filled with artwork, books and records. To the left of the bookcases is a window. To the left of the photo are pegs with chaps and a lariat hanging on the wall. Along the left wall in the back are shelves filled with books and other objects. Below the shelves is a gun rack and on the floor below the rack is a traveling trunk. Toward the middle of the left wall is a stove. To the left, near the front window is a stand which holds a typewriter, and adding machine, and a chair with a coat draped over the chair in front of the typewriter. There are some family and ranch photos hanging above the typewriter and adding machine.
Endurance, power, and intelligence. These were just some of the attributes that horses brought to the day-to-day operations of the ranch. Horses were not always left outside on the range, however and this barn was constructed around 1883 to house many of the ranch’s prized Thoroughbreds horses.
This red barn, is approximately 119 feet long by 36 feet wide, and sits in a north/south configuration with its entrance on the north end. A dirt road runs along the eastern side of the building. To the west, a small, white barn stands close by with a large pasture just beyond. Immediately behind the red barn, passes a small creek that is thick with cattails and tall grass. The entrance to the barn is two large, swinging wood doors that open to the outside. Inside the barn, a wooden floor runs the length of the center of the building. Immediately inside the door is a small caretaker’s office to the left. Beyond the office, there are 7 horse stalls that run the length of the interior of the barn. Along the right side of the interior of the barn there are 9 horse stalls that run the length of the building. In each stall, one or more pieces of horse-drawn equipment sits on display.
This colonial style cottage home was the former residence of Conrad and Nellie Warren. It was built in 1934 as a wedding gift from Augusta Kohrs to her newlywed grandson and his bride. In 2002, the building was converted into the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site’s administrative offices.
The Warren residence is located at 266 Warren Lane. It is a one and one-half-story white building with a red roof. The building has an irregular floor plan and a cross-gable roof. The wood-frame building was built on a 12" wide poured concrete footing foundation. White stucco covers the exterior walls on the north and east elevation, and white horizontal wood siding covers the south and west elevations, dormers, and front gable end. Red asphalt shingles cover the roof. The north side of the house has an enclosed entrance porch. Other north elevation features include one large picture window, one 16-light wood-sash window with four fixed side lights and eight center lights in an operable casement, and one six-light wood-sash casement window. A nine-light, one panel door is on the south side of the east elevation. Four 16-light wood-sash windows, with operable centers and fixed side lights, also are located on the east elevation; three are on the first floor and one is in the shed dormer. The south elevation interior stucco chimney is topped with terra-cotta chimney pots. On the south elevation there are three 16-light wood-frame windows with operable centers and fixed sidelights, and one nine-light wood-frame, fixed-sash window in the south main gable end. On the west elevation, there are two one-light wood-frame, fixed-sash windows, three 16-light wood-frame windows with operable center and fixed sidelights. The dormer also features two four-light wood casement windows. The garage (HS 61) is attached to the house by a wood-frame breezeway. The breezeway features horizontal beveled wood siding and three fixed-sash wood-frame windows, two with nine lights and one with six lights. Although constructed prior to a 1958 appraisal, the breezeway was not enclosed until ca. 1980s. Rooms within the Warren residence are divided among a partial basement, the main floor, and a second story. The main floor contains an entryway (added in 1956), leading to the living room and the stairwell to the second story. The living room leads to a central hallway that provides access to the kitchen, dining room, den, bathroom, and bedroom. The porch, kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms and bath on the west side were part of the original construction. The dining room and den date to 1941. The upstairs, also completed in 1941, contains a central landing, bathroom, and two bedrooms; ceilings follow the roofline. Fixed furnishings include a stone fireplace and exposed ceiling beams in the living room and built-in dining room corner cupboards. On the main floor, wall-to-wall carpeting covers the original wood flooring. The wood remains exposed on the second story. The original inlaid linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms has been covered with modern vinyl flooring (date unknown). The original six-panel doors, painted, remain in place. Except for Warren’s den, which is paneled with tongue-and -groove knotty pine, walls and ceilings are plastered. Originally stained, shellacked, and waxed, much of the door and window trim has been painted.
This small outhouse was constructed in the 1930’s by a Works Progress Administration (WPA) crew and is one of 2.5 million that were constructed during the Great Depression as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelts “New Deal,” to improve sanitation and public health in rural areas.
This small, one story building is constructed with wood and is roughly 4’x 5’ feet. It has shed type roof, constructed of cedar shingles that slope from east to west. There is a small, ventilation chimney made of steel coming out of the roof. The structure rests on a concrete foundation. The building is covered with white vertical boards. A red, 6”, rectangular fascia board covers the roof rafters. There is a single, wooden toilet in the middle of the room. In the center of the structure is a large rectangular door facing east. The door opens from the right to the left. There are no windows on the structure.
Located just on the west end of the main parking lot, the visitor center can provide you with program information, park pamphlets, area information, and an overall introduction to Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site. There is also a bookstore located inside.
Looking for the perfect souvenir from your visit to Grant-Kohrs Ranch? We’ve got it and more at the park store! The park store offers a wide range of educational products, apparel, books, toys and games, handmade items, and other Grant-Kohrs Ranch souvenirs for all ages and interests. These products complement the interpretive themes that you experience while visiting the ranch.
Tours
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Explore Bunkhouse Row
The original structure that would eventually become bunkhouse row was built by Johnny Grant in the 1860’s. Over the years, the bunkhouse row was remodeled and lengthened with additional rooms and a living space for cowboys and ranch hands. Take a short walking tour of bunkhouse row, explore the different rooms and discover what it took to manage a large-scale cattle ranch and keep the ranch's hardworking cowboys happy and content.
