One Nation, Under God

Second annual Phillips County Proud event hosts 125 for food, fun and history

The Second Annual Phillips County Proud event was held at the Tin Cup Bar and Grill on Saturday night, bringing in an estimated 125 people to eat, drink and share in some Phillips County family history.

The event was once again sponsored by Ranchers Stewardship Alliance with the motto of "celebrating our pioneering past and vibrant future." The event featured a freewill offering BBQ meal - all proceeds to be donated to the Phillips County Volunteer Fire Department - as well as kids games and music provided by DJ Travis Rhoads. The dinner was followed by a presentation featuring nine families, businesses and entities that have been in Phillips County for 100 years or longer (the complete 2,360-word transcript of the presentation can be read at the Phillips County News website - phillipscountynews.com - with this story or stop by the office and we will print you a copy.)

Malta's Equity Co-op was a business featured on the night after celebrating their 100th nearly a year ago with a grand re-opening in which they added nearly 3,000 square feet of floor space.

Breipohl Homestead north-west of Saco, the John "Jack" Bruckner Family, Harold Christofferson and his family, Bill and Corky French's family, the Hall-Henderson-Jacobs family, Walter Kienenberger and the Rocky Ridge Ranch, the Harry Orahood of Tallow Creek family, the W.A. Barnard family as well as the Phillips County Fair, which concluded its 102nd year this past summer were all featured on the night.

Breipohl Homestead north west of Saco.

Hermann Breipohl immigrated to the United States in 1910, homesteading what is now the Caves and Breipohl farms. (pic A) He returned to Beilefeld Germany in 1911 and returned with Herman, Jr. (17) and Reinhard Sudbrack(11). Their ship travelled a day behind the Titanic and the boys witnessed the wreckage and tragedy. Herman, Jr. worked for Bob Abel south of Saco on a sheep ranch. Josephine, Ellen, and Ruth Miller lived on a homestead south of Saco. She and Herman met and married in 1926 in Glasgow. They homesteaded on the Kronsnable place and then at Larb Creek until 1930 when they moved to the farm northwest of Saco. Hermann Sr. had purchased that section from a Mr. Meyer. The family home was a 2 room house with a pitch roof,(pic B) where the boys Sonny (1927 – 57 D), Danny (1928), Carson (1930 – 34 D), and Robert (1933) slept above until it was remodeled in '45 or '46 by Ludwic Olson, a boat-builder by trade. (pic C) Patty (1938) and Donna (1946) grew up on the home place. (pic D)Sonny, Danny, and Robert joined the Army. Sonny returned to the farm, but died in a car accident. Robert returned then with his wife, Marilyn, to work the farm with Herman. Robert built his home next to the original home beginning in 1958. (pic E & F) Sheryl, Grady, Joel, Cristina, and William grew up on the farm. Robert purchased the farm from his father in 1962. He added a section in 1972 which was northwest of the Nelson Reservoir which he sold to Aaron Albus in 2014. Grady and Teresa purchased the home farm in 2016, the 4th generation to work the land. Robert and Marilyn live on the farm and Patty lives in the old farm house. Most recent event was the birth of the 6th generation Breipohl in Montana. Grady's son Carson and his wife Shannon brought Mason into the world in June 2017.

John "Jack" Bruckner Family

John "Jack" Bruckner came to Saco Montana from Iowa in 1914. He got off the train in Saco with thirty cents in his pocket. He found work with area ranchers for a few years before staking out his own home stead about 18 miles south of Saco. He had a hard go of it there because he couldn't find water. After a hard year there he pulled up stakes and moved about 12 miles south west of that location where he found a surface spring. He staked out another parcel and dug down about twelve feet and found some of the sweetest water you ever tasted. He continued digging to about thirty feet and built a well. That well is still producing to this day.

He built a shack there and set out building a barn and corrals along with breaking up some land and began "provin' it up. He then put a few small houses together that he moved out from Bowdoin and made a house out of them. It is still there and being lived in. He also worked with breaking draft horses collected from the Larb Hills to the south and selling the teams for extra money until the crop began to produce. There were many wild horses in the Larb Hills that were left by homesteaders that had not been successful in proving up their claims. Jack's brother Al helped by collecting these horses for Jack to break to the plow. It wasn't easy by any means but Jack was able to push through when many could not and made it work. In 1917 he got to know a "pretty good lookin' gal" that lived a few miles away by the name of Ida Johnson. She had come from Canada and caught Jack's eye pretty quickly. They were married on December 19, 1919 at the little white church parsonage in Malta. The Church was being worked on so they had to have the service in the parsonage.

Jack and Ida farmed there for most of the rest of there lives. Over the next 22 years seven children were born to Jack and Ida there on that farm. First there was Raymond, then Harvey, Laurin, Muriel, Lee, Evert, and finally Glenn. Raymond Served in WW2 and then became a History teacher, Harvey Served in WW2, came home and married a local gal named Elvira Tillman, began farming just down the road from his dad, and raised a family of 5. They spent most of there years on the farm moving to Malta for the last few years of their Lives. Laurin Served in WW2 and spent some years in Collage where he found his wife Marry Ellen, brought her back home and also raised a family of 5. He worked for the Agriculture and Soil Conservation Services (ASCS) till he retired. He also farmed in the Straighter Community for the rest of his life. Muriel married a neighbor boy by the name of Dan Brewer and they spent their lives in California raising a family of 2. Lee spent several years getting his education and Served as a professor of missions in Several Collages over the years. He and his wife also started a Bible Training Center in Thailand. They lived in South Carolina and Virginia till Lee's death and His wife Lila now lives in Ohio with her youngest of two boys. Evert also spent several years getting his education and became a Doctor specializing in the study of Cancer. He and his wife Joyce spent thirteen years in Quito Equator where he served as the chief of staff at the Quito Hospital. They raised two boys. He then began to teach Medicine and did so till retirement. After the death of his dear wife Joyce, Evert again married, this time to his wife Joann. They reside in Redlands, California. And Last but not least, Glenn Went to Collage in South Carolina. During that time He married a local gal named Lois Long and they raised one son. He farmed in the Harb Community with his Dad for 21 Years and then moved to Malta and operated a Septic Business till he retired. He and Lois still live here in Phillips County.

Where ever this family spread out to over the years, Phillips County was always home and they all would make their way back not forgetting where they came from.

Christofferson Bio

Harold Christofferson came to the U.S. from Ralingen, Norway in 1910. In 1912, he arrived in Malta, filed for a homestead, and built a three room home, barn, granary and chicken house.

Harold married Ovedia Solberg, December 25, 1921. They farmed together for 30 years, raising 8 children, of which 2 passed away at a young age. Harold died in 1949, leaving Ovedia and the children to run the farm as well as the kids continuing their education.

Artt and Joan Christofferson returned to the farm raising their 3 children.

Ross now manages the farm along with help from his son Tom and brother Bruce.

Equity Co-op

Equity Co-Op has been in business since November 9th 2016. Over the course of the last 100 years, we have changed in many different ways. There have been several different expansions on the building. Our most recent and largest expansion, being an addition on the west end of the building, added 2,800sqft of floor space. Other changes have included the sale of the elevators across the street, and buying the warehouse. After everything is said and done, one thing has remained a constant: our service to the Ag community. Equity Co-Op was founded by farmers and ranchers to provided access to much needed supplies. Today, we still try to serve and support the farmers and ranchers of Phillips County. We appreciate all of our customers, as we would not be here today without them. Today our inventory includes tires, oil, fuel, bolts, feed, tack, work wear, boots, hats, and some fashion clothes and accessories.

French

Bill and Corky French's family has resided in Phillips County for six generations. Bode Grimsley, Corky's grandfather, homesteaded just west of the current ranch headquarters in south Phillips County in 1910. Bill's grandfather, VV French, homesteaded on Beaver Creek in 1917, and his father moved to the Milk River Valley in 1937. Bill and Corky married in 1958 and started out with 6 cows, 10 heifers, and 2 hay hooks. In 59 years they have raised five children: Roger, Terri (Sims), Craig, Mark, and Steve; and witnessed the growth of 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way. 14 grand- and great-grandchildren live in Phillips County, today. Bill and Corky also built a family-owned and –operated ranch that currently employs son Craig and wife Conni, and daughter Kelli; son Roger; son Steve (in the summer); and grandson Wayne and wife Taylor. Off the ranch, Bill and Corky have enjoyed watching their family excel in athletics, 4-H and FFA, the military, the arts, and academia.

Hall-Henderson-Jacobs

Lemuel Hall made his way from Missouri to Malta via a short stint in Gregory, South Dakota. Upon arriving in the town which was crowded with people seeking homesteads, Lemuel bought a sled, loaded it with lumber, bed rolls, food, and hay and grain for the horses. He and several others traveled 52 miles south. Lemuel built a barn for his 4 horses and wrote March 17, 1917 on the side. Wife Lizzie and daughter Josephine joined him in May of that year. On September 6, 1938 Josephine married Ivan Henderson and they had one daughter Dolores. In 1958, Dolores married Francis Jacobs and they had three children; Joyce, Lee and JoAnn. Dolores & Francis along with Lee and Perri, the fourth generation, still own and operate the original homestead as well as other properties they have acquired.

WALTER KIENENBERGER ROCKY RIDGE RANCH

Leaving the Lisbon N.D. area at the age of 21, in 1914, W. C. (Walt) Kienenberger arrived in Dodson in an immigrant car on the Great Northern Railroad with four horses and some tools. He homesteaded what is now Rocky Ridge Ranch. In the early days he worked for Dud Jones and Ben Stevens. He hauled freight south to the mines with his 8 horse team and two wagons. He also hauled grain from the Big Flat to Chinook and hauled coal on the return trip. Walt served in the army in France in WWI. His homestead papers were sent to him there so he "proved up" in front of his commanding officer.

Walt married Ruth Shaw of Turner in 1922 and they had six children: Dorothy, Bud, Virginia, Hugh and Charles. In 1934 Ruth passed away. Walt married Dorothy Baxter of Dodson in 1936 and five more children were added to the family: Dean, Doug, Sherry, Bruce and Ted. We put together a modest sized ranch that at one time supported four families plus the folks. The ranch was spit in 1997. Dean and Carol and our daughter Kari kept the home place and our daughter, Darcy often comes to help out. Kari now manages the ranch, We've AI'd since 1965 and raise cattle and grain. Our good neighbors, the Mortenson's now lease our dry land farming. We feel fortunate that we have survived for over 100 years. Our greatest reward is not wealth or possessions but the good people we have become acquainted with over the years. Dean Kienenberger

Phillips County Fair

The Phillips County Fair began in 1916, a year after the county formed, when a group of dedicated Dodson citizens formed a fair organization. The first fair was held October 9th to 11th, 1916. It cost 80 cents to ride the train from Malta to Dodson for the fair! In 1950 the grandstands were remodeled to provide additional seating. Over the years the fair has had some standard entertainment- things like carnivals, musical acts, horse races, livestock judging and rodeo. In the 1970s demolition derby was also added to the line up. Throughout the years entertainment has also included chuckwagon races, parachute drops, trick ropers, pony polo and even lions and monkeys!

WA Barnard Bio

W.A. Barnard came west from Virginia as a young man at the invitation of his older brothers who were homesteading in Montana. He road the train to Hinsdale and got off their and walked to Saco to find a suitable place to homestead. He was hired to teach the Spencer School in South Phillips county so ended up homesteading in 1909 out there instead. He built a small log house and started ranching.

He told the story that he started with two heifers and they got pink eye. So he got them in and doctored them and one was blind from the pink eye. When he turned them loose, the blind one ran over a cut bank and broke her neck. "So," he said, "There went half my herd."

Lucy Watson was the oldest of eight children growing up in Missouri. At fourteen she was working for neighbors to help earn money for the family when her certificate to was delivered by the postman. The neighbor said to her "Get up off your knees Lucy Watson. You not going to have to scrub floors for a living anymore." After teaching four years she took a teaching job in Montana and got on the train in Missouri and got off in Malta. She road the mail wagon out to Liddy, a small town on the Missouri River now under the waters of Fourchette Bay. She homesteaded in the teens about 10 miles north of the river. She said she loved Montana from the time she saw those dun colored hills and felt like she was on the edge of the world with her legs dangling over.

She and W.A. Barnard courted, married, started their family, continued teaching, and started their ranching lives on Telegraph Creek. They ran the Post Office at Telegraph Creek. They managed to survive the "Dust Bowl" of the thirties. They divided their ranch among their three children in the 1960's and their children have continued to ranch in the area.

 

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