Thexton Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thexton Ranch
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 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 335 Varney Rd., Ennis, Montana |
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| Area | 240 acres (97 ha) |
| Built | 1883 |
| Architect | Johnson, Charles; Bauer, Jake |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000426 |
| Added to NRHP | May 12, 2006 |
The Thexton Ranch, also called Thextondale, is a historic ranch located near Ennis, Montana. George Thexton started this ranch in 1872 by the Madison River. It's a great example of how ranches used to work in Montana. Because of its important history and how it shows ranching life, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
The Ranch's Story
Starting the Ranch
George Thexton was born in England in 1824. He moved to the United States in 1855 with his wife, Nancy. They first lived in Grant County, Wisconsin, where George worked as a blacksmith.
In 1864, George left his family to look for gold in Montana's Alder Gulch. He brought his tools with him. He saw a chance to start a business in Montana. So, he went back to Wisconsin to get his wife and four children. By 1867, when they arrived in Montana, they had five children.
George opened a blacksmith shop in Virginia City. In 1871, he started a stable called Star Livery. The next year, he bought his first 160 acres (65 ha) of land on the Madison River. He continued to run his businesses in Virginia City. In 1884, he built a stone house there.
By 1888, his wife and two oldest sons had passed away. George then moved to the ranch. He lived there with his son Thomas, his daughter Annie, and his niece Agnes. George Thexton lived on the ranch until he died in 1904.
Growing the Ranch
Thomas Thexton helped his father with the ranch. He also ran a business moving goods around Madison County. After moving to the ranch, Thomas focused on raising shorthorn cattle and horses. He married Mary Ann Foreman in 1899.
In 1910, Thomas hired a builder to construct a new house. It was finished in 1912. He also made the ranch bigger, to more than 500 acres. Thomas died in 1929. His wife and sons then took over running the ranch.
Tom Thexton, one of the sons, moved into the original log ranch house. His mother, sisters, and brothers lived in the newer stone house. The ranch did very well during World War II. By 1977, when Don and Tom Thexton sold the ranch, it had grown to 3,000 acres (1,200 ha). They also leased another 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land. The old log ranch house was later taken down. Today, the Thexton Ranch is still an active cattle ranch.
What the Ranch Looks Like
The main buildings of the ranch are located near Blaine Spring Creek. This creek is about 1,200 yards (1,100 m) east of the Madison River.
Main Buildings
- Ranch House: The most important building is the ranch house, built between 1910 and 1912. Jake Bauer built it. It's a two-story building made of concrete. Large stones are set into its walls. It has a hipped roof and two enclosed porches.
- Bunkhouse: Behind the main house is a one-story log bunkhouse. It has two rooms. One room was for storage, and the other was for a hired worker.
- Barn: South of the bunkhouse is a two-story log barn. People think it was built before 1912.
- Root Cellar: A root cellar, also built before 1912, is north of the barn.
- Granary: A log granary that is 30-foot (9.1 m) by 30-foot (9.1 m) is still there.
A hay road runs from the barn, past the granary. It goes down to a ford (a shallow place to cross) on Blaine Spring Creek. This road follows a small valley down to the hay fields.
The Ranch Today
The original Thexton Ranch is now part of the north section of the Alton Ranch. The Thexton Ranch was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 12, 2006.
