Ghost Ranches of Montana Kalispell Area
The Red Barn
Oil on Canvas size Sold Siderius Ranch In 1900 in Modersville, Michigan, Peter Siderius arrived into this world. He was one of 14 children born to Everet Siderius and his wife, Gertrude De Boer, both natives of the Netherlands. When land was opening up in Montana in 1907 the family moved to Kalispell, where, as a child, Peter helped the family financially by delivering their farm’s milk and other products around town and the reservation. Being second oldest, he always had to fetch the midwife when his mother was delivering a child and sadly, had to run and get his […]
Please, No More Pictures, Daddy!
Oil on Barnwood 26″ x 16″ Sold Petersen Ranch Based upon an old picture taken around mid-1920’s, these snow-covered children were obviously not too happy to stand still freezing while Dad took the picture with his box camera. The Petersons had a large, beautiful home located in Pleasant Valley, west of Kalispell. The children, Betty, who was Terry Siderius’ mom; Willard, nicknamed “Woodie”; Rodney; and Donald were enjoying a sledding outing. The children, each a year apart, ranged in age from perhaps seven or eight to ten or eleven. Three of them, sleds at the ready, obviously had been having […]
The Outfitter
Oil on Canvas 30″ x 24″ Sold Morris Ranch Taking folks up into the national forests to hunt is an enterprise that causes heated arguments both pro and con. This is the tale of David Morris, a packer and guide, who has been memorialized in the Silvertip Basin for his conservation techniques and animal management program long before such things existed. Dave, to support his family, also ranched, logged, and maintained the roads and ski slopes on the big mountain. Sometimes, when storms stretched into days upon days, he worked 24-hour, continual shifts clearing the roads. Sleep was something done […]
Mending Fence
Oil on Barnwood 26.75″ x 21.5″ $1300 Contact to Purchase O’Connell Ranch With over 40,000 sheep and a large herd of cattle, all destined for the military who were fighting in the second World War, maintaining fences made the difference between success and failure for the ranch. Atop a work horse and leading two others loaded with gear, food, and tent, Larry’s dad, Chuck, is about to embark on a two-week journey to mend the ranch’s fences. Back then there were neither automatic post-hole diggers nor electric wire strung and connected to a battery. It was hard, grunt work where […]
Magnificent
Oil on Canvas 24″ x 16″ $900 Contact to Purchase O’Connell Ranch This farm, homesteaded by Bill Curran, was the largest farm in western Montana. Mr. Curran liked his whiskey, but his wife did not approve, as Larry’s dad and he found a profusion of empty whiskey bottles hidden in the barn. The Curran family lived in a dugout until he built his log house in which they lived. Larry O’Connell’s great-uncle built the brick-house in 1898. The Stahl brothers had the first brickyard in the valley and they used their product to build the impressive home,. Larry’s grandmother bought […]
The Homestead and Barn
Oil on Canvas 16″ x 20″ Sold McCarthy/Pedersen Ranch In 1892 John E. McCarthy, who came from Ireland, found 80 acres near Glacier he thought perfect for a farm. He applied for a homestead and received the patent, signed by President Grover Cleveland. His dream came true, for he was now a farmer growing grain and raising horses, but it was not until 1903 that he built his home. In 1907 Andrew Pederson bought the farm, built the new house, along with a granary, and raised chickens and dairy cows for 43 years. He increased the size of the farm […]
Hog Heaven
Oil on Canvas 30″ x 24″ $1200 Contact to Purchase O’Connell Ranch Here, on land near Lake Mary Ronan and the town of Niarada, was a ranch called Hog Heaven, where Larry O’Connell; his parents, Charles and Jean; and grandparents lived. A beautiful, picturesque area, Lake Mary Ronan and Flathead Lake were just over the farthest hill. The ranch had a rather exciting history, for it was the hideout of a band of horse thieves! They stole horses in Wyoming, wintered them on this ranch, then drove them to Idaho or Oregon to sell. Needless to say the owners of […]
Harvesting
Oil on Barnwood 25″ x 23″ $1300 Contact to Purchase McCarthy/Pedersen Ranch Based upon an old photo, the painting depicts threshing when people relied upon real horsepower.
Great Uncle Was Smitten
Oil on Canvas 11.5″ x 20″ $1000 Contact to Purchase Doll Ranch he came from Minnesota to visit her brother, Oscar Peterson and his family. Selma Peterson’s elegance, charm, and beauty surpassed anything Frank Doll had seen. They fell in love, and Frank soon married his doll. Frank and Selma bought and operated the famous Dillon Hotel in downtown Kalispell. During its heyday it was the elite hotel in the city. Though it has been razed, the Doll family will always be remembered for Lake Dahl, the beautiful lake named in their honor in the Flathead area.
The Eleanor
Oil on Canvas 12″ x 24″ $600 Contact to Purchase McCarthy/Pedersen Ranch During the Depression, the WPA built the most up-to-date outhouses the nation had ever seen. Dubbed “The Eleanor,” after President’s Roosevelt’s wife, its toilet seat automatically dropped when one closed the door. This kept all the flies out of the pot and made usage about as comfortable as that type of facility permitted.
Her Dream Ranch
Oil on Canvas 20″ x 16″ Sold Morris Ranch Sitting in Helen Morris’ comfy, modern living room made it seem impossible we were inside what was once a two-room log cabin. Helen’s parents, the Belvederes, married young in Tacoma, Washington. Her dad, born in Italy, was nineteen years old while her mom was just fourteen. Both died in the great flu epidemic of 1918 when she was just twenty-two months old. Helen, with one of her brothers, was adopted by locals. Another brother and sister were raised by folks living in other parts of the country, but the four, as […]
Building Glacier National Park
Oil on Barnwood 46″ x 19″ Sold Petersen Ranch The only clue to the scene in the photograph is the hand-written words on its back, “Taking boiler across McDonald Lake. G.N.P.” The area was heavily forested. In fact, White Fish was known as “Stump Town,” for one had to drive one’s vehicle over tree stumps which were left in lieu of a normal road. To get a large piece of equipment, such as this boiler needed for the construction of one of the park buildings took a Herculean effort. Waiting until McDonald Lake was frozen, building a giant sled on […]
Bringing Down the Elk
2012 Oil on Canvas 20″ x 16″ framed in Old Barn Wood $600 Contact to Purchase David Morris was a packer and guide, who was memorialized in the Silvertip Basin for his conservation techniques and animal management program long before such things existed. Dave always loved hiking and riding in the wilderness, particularly the Silvertip Basin, a rugged, steep area, but his outfitter career began quite by chance. Locals and friends knew of his expertise and asked him to take them up to hunt for deer, mountain goats, bear and elk. He gladly fulfilled their wishes and never asked compensation. […]
The Little Red Barn
Oil on Canvas 16″ x 20″ $800 Contact to Purchase McCarthy/Pedersen Ranch In 1892 John E. McCarthy, who came from Ireland, found 80 acres near Glacier he thought perfect for a farm. He applied for a homestead and received the patent, signed by President Grover Cleveland. His dream came true, for he was now a farmer growing grain and raising horses, but it was not until 1903 that he built his home. In 1907 Andrew Pederson bought the farm, built the new house, along with a granary, and raised chickens and dairy cows for 43 years. He increased the size […]