Zortman's Circle C inducted into Cowboy Hall of Fame

One of the oldest ranches north of the Missouri is the Circle C Ranch which was located just east and north of Zortman, Montana.

The ranch was formed by Robert Coburn who was born in Ireland. He had emigrated first to Canada, then to Montana where he started out at Virginia City and Alder Gulch in 1863. He mined for gold and other precious metals there. He moved to Last Chance Gulch in Helena where he held three claims that made him from $300 to $400 a day. That was Coburn’s stake to get into ranching.

“In 1886 he (Coburn) moved to the old D H S ranch at the foot of the Little Rockies where th...