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| "today we passed
the bed of the most extraordinary river that I ever beheld. it is as wide as the
Missouri is at this place or ½ a mile wide and not containing a single drop of running
water. . .This stream (if such it can properly be termed) we called Big dry river." |
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Captain
Meriwether Lewis, Thursday, May 9th, 1805 |
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Looking East Down the Big Dry Toward the Little Dry
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Big Dry Angus is a family owned and operated
ranch east of Jordan, Montana. The earliest members of the family
settled on the Big
Dry in 1906, which makes them one of the earliest families in
the area.
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Jack and Mary McRae came to the Big Dry, prior to
their marriage, from Scotland. Jack as a young man herding sheep
and Mary, with her parents, brothers and sisters, to ranch and
farm. Following their marriage they continued to run sheep on
the Big Dry in the summer and would winter where ever they could find
feed. That could be any where from Colstrip in the south to the Missouri River
in the north.
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By 1930 the family was old enough that Jack and
Mary had to settle down to a permanent home for the children's
education. They purchased the land that the ranch buildings
are on today and the family has been here ever since.
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Jack and Mary raised eight children, the oldest
of which was Charles. Charles and his wife Hazel now operate the
ranch with their sons. The ranch has both cattle and
sheep with all the family members involved with both types of
livestock. Jack and Kathryn have more to do with the
sheep and also raise registered Targhees under the name "McRae
Brothers Targhees." Brent and Hillari take care of the ranch's
cattle and Charles and Hazel keep everything running smoothly. A
third son, Bill, lives in Portland, Oregon and is a writer of travel books
and articles.
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By clicking on the appropriate picture below you
will learn more about the livestock on our ranch.
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