Cedarvale (Hillsboro, Montana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Cedarvale
|
|
Hulbert's Cabin, Cedarvale
|
|
 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Hillsboro, Montana |
|---|---|
| Area | 165 acres (67 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000161 |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 1975 |
Cedarvale, also known as Hillsboro Ranch, was a special kind of ranch in southern Montana, United States. It was both a working ranch and a dude ranch. A dude ranch is a place where guests, often from cities, can stay and experience life on a ranch. They might ride horses, fish, or just enjoy the outdoors.
Cedarvale was started around 1903 by a man named Grosvener W. Barry. He was a prospector, someone who searches for valuable minerals like gold. Barry used the ranch as a home for his family. It was also a base for his mining projects, but these projects didn't make much money.
His most successful idea was turning Cedarvale into a dude ranch. He worked with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad to help bring guests. This made Cedarvale the very first dude ranch in that area. Barry even used special powered boats on the Bighorn River to bring guests from the train station in Kane, Wyoming.
In 1913, Barry, his stepson, and a neighbor did something amazing. They took a 16-foot motorized boat called the Edith on a long trip. They started from Hillsboro and traveled down the Bighorn, Yellowstone, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers. They left on May 31, 1913, and arrived in New Orleans on August 1. This was a great way to get attention for the ranch! One of Barry's other boats, the Hillmont, can still be seen today at a place called Barry's Landing.
Meet Doc Barry
Grosvener W. Barry was born in New York. He moved west with his wife, Edith, and her son, Claude St. John. People often called Barry "Doc." He was known for starting many mining plans. One of his biggest ideas was to raise $50,000 to bring a gold dredge to the Bighorn River. A gold dredge is a large machine used to dig for gold in rivers. However, this project never made back the money it cost.
Barry passed away in Billings, Montana, on January 25, 1920, from a brain tumor. After his death, Edith and Claude St. John continued to run the dude ranch. Over time, the ranch went back to being a working cattle ranch. It kept operating until the late 1950s.
What Cedarvale Looked Like
The historic area of Cedarvale was like a small village. It had several buildings made of logs:
- The Hillsboro Post Office, which was 1-1/2 stories tall.
- The Big Chicken House and the Small Chicken House.
- A milk house.
- A root cellar (a cool, dark place to store food).
- Hulbert's Shop and the Dude Cabin, which were part of the same log building.
- A barn and a corral (an enclosure for animals).
- The Hulbert Cabin.
Most of these buildings had roofs made of sod (grass and soil). The post office opened in 1915 and closed in 1945. The main ranch house burned down in the winter of 1947-48. Its replacement also burned down some years later.
Cedarvale was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1975. This means it's an important historical site that is protected. Today, it is part of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. The area known as Barry's Landing in the park still carries the Barry name.
