THE CAREY RANCH, Our Yesterdays, Jefferson Co., MT

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"List transcribed and organized by Ellen Rae Thiel, thieljl@aol.com All rights 
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  Copyright, 1998 by Ellen Rae Thiel. This file may be freely copied for non-profit 
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                              THE CAREY RANCH

Bernard Cooney established a homestead on 160 acres - NE 1/4
Section 8 - on May 20, 1889 and in 1896, Bart and Ellen Carey and
family purchased the land from Mr. Cooney.

Bart and Ellen Carey and family moved from Eau Claire, Wisconsin,
1892. Their daughter, Lillian, came to Montana in 1890 as a
teacher and was so impressed with the country, she talked her
folds into moving West to Montana. The family first settled in
the Lump Gulch and Wickes areas, working in the gold mines.

Then in 1896, the family moved to the Boulder Valley, purchasing
the Barney Cooney homestead.

The family members were: Vinte, Frank, Agnes, Lillian and Alice. 
Vente passed away leaving a small son, Robert, who now lives in
Moscow, Idaho.  Agnes married John Dignan. Lillian was a teacher
in the Boulder area and Jefferson County Superintendent of
Schools. Alice was a teacher and later entered the Convent.

My father, Frank, and his brother, Vente, worked in Idaho for
quite awhile in the mining-milling operations around Wallace and
Coeur d'Alene.

Dad was one of a group who left the Valley in 1900 to go on the
Gold Rush to Alaska. His trek took him through the Yukon, Dawson,
Whitehorse, and many other areas with his dog sled. There was one
story Dad would tell along with his many other experiences. They
had a large supply of gold nuggets and the boat they were on
started to capsize. They had to throw everything overboard - and
were miraculously awarded their lives. When the Alaskan highway
went through, Dad always thought he might make a trip back to
Alaska.

When my father returned to the Valley, he went into stock raising
and ranching with his father and brother. The family lived in a
log cabin. This cabin had been built by Mr. Cooney. They lived in
it until Mr. Weber, who built so many of the Valley homes, could
build theirs. The home was destroyed by fire in 1941. This is the
original ranch where Martin Carey now lives.  

Later my father purchased the Con Smith ranch, where the Tom
Carey family now resides.

My Mother, Mary Ellen Gallagher, was raised in Finn, Montana
(Incidentally, my son Bill Murphy, and his wife, Marilyn and
family purchased a ranch about ten years ago at Garrison, Montana
and his summer range goes up into the mountains. Directly on the
other side was where my mother was raised). 

My Mom was hired as a teacher by the Weber School District in
1910. The school year began in the spring and ran through the
summer into the late fall, as long as the weather would permit. 
All grades from one to eight were taught by one teacher. 
Arrangements had been made for her to board at the Con Smith
home. My father had boasted that he would bring the new teacher
home. He made a trip to Great Falls to visit his sister and,
knowing the day the teacher was to arrive, planned his return
trip on the train. He knew when my mother got on the train in
Helena, as she weepingly left her mother, and knew the ticket was
for Boulder. He let her weep awhile. Then my dad went over and
introduced himself and asked if he might join her. Mom didn't
want him to, and didn't invite him to a seat, but he sat down
anyway. He began to tell her about the Valley. The next day after
their arrival in Boulder, dad arranged for them to take the
Valley stage. He had the old stage driver dangle his feet out of
the back of the stage, and my dad helped the new teacher up front
and proceeded to handle the team. Every place they stopped
delivering the mail. Dad would explain and introduce the new
school teacher. Mom was embarrassed and hated this man. But then
in the months after, the hate soon turned to love and they were
married in December of 1910.

There were good years and bad years - years like the 19's and the
30's when the winters were long, hard and cold and the summers
were hot and dry. The livestock in the 19'1 had to be moved out
of the valley and quite a few stockmen had to move their stock to
the Dakotas.

The World War I days were upon them - and the flu epidemic.--

And the good fun times days! The Valley used to pride themselves
on their Baseball team. They won many of their games; and the
ones they didn t, the fight after the game usually was their
victory! Also card parties and dancing were held in people s
homes. Then a dance hall was built across the road from the
Murphy home for square dancing and all their get togethers. The
fiddler, Ed Smith, and Andy Hall, on his mouth harp, provided the
music.

When World War II came up on us, the draft call numbers were
issued and my brother, Martin s, number was the number one call
of the County. Martin spent most of his stay in Alaska. My
sisters, Lillian, Agnes, and Jo joined the Navy and were
stationed in the Hawaiian Islands. Lillian, Agnes, Jo, Rose and
Eleanor were all nurses. My brother, Tom, served too in the
Korean Conflict.

My father passed away in 1957. My mother moved to Boulder and
passed away in 1967. Francis, a brother, passed away in 1946. 
Lillian is a nurse, married to Mr. Herb Peterson and living in
Missoula. They have one daughter. Agnes, a nurse, is married to
Mr. Ken Oeverndiek. They live in Belmont, California, and have
two children, a son and a daughter. Jo, also a nurse, married Mr.
B. W. Phelan. They live in Boulder and have six children, two
daughters and four sons. Rose, a nurse, married E. J. Monahan. 
They live in Butte and have ten children, four sons and six
daughters. Eleanor married Mr. Bud Connell. She was also a nurse. 
They live in Long Beach, California, and have seven children, six
daughters and one son. John passed away in 1972. He was married
to Dora Tax. They had seven children, three daughters and four
sons. Their ranch home is where the Dunn s lived. The family
operates the ranch. Tom married Helen Greutman. The have eight
children two sons and six daughters. They live on the old Con
Smith Ranch. Martin lives on the home ranch. He married Mary
Brown and they have one daughter. Mary Ellen married Bill Murphy
(deceased). They had three children, one daughter and two sons. 
She still resides on the ranch in Boulder Valley.

One daughter, Virginia, died at the age of one and half years,
and one son, Joseph, died shortly after birth.

SUBMITTED BY MRS. MARY ELLEN CAREY MURPHY