Big Sky in Gallatin County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Welcome to the Historic Crail Ranch

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 26, 2021

1. Welcome to the Historic Crail Ranch Marker

Inscription. In his early 60s, Augustus (Frank) Crail purchased land in this area and brought his wife and three young children here in 1902. Frank, who migrated to Montana from Indiana when he was 21, had ranched in the Bridger Mountains in the late 1800s. He then lived in Bozeman during the 1890s when he served as the Clerk of the 9th District Court. Sallie Crail, a music teacher, move to Bozeman from Missouri and married Frank in 1886, when she was 22. The Crail Ranch grew to 960 acres, encompassing all of what is now known as The Meadow.

Frank and Sallie had three children: Eugene (b. 1887), Emmett (b. 1888), and Lilian (b. 1896). The family lived at this ranch during the summers. When Emmett was old enough, he lived on the ranch throughout the year. Eugene left while serving in WWI as a Red Cross hospital surveyor in England. He married in his 40s and moved to a ranch on West Babcock Street in Bozeman, and then left the region to work in Port Angeles during WWII. Lilian moved to Chicago to study nursing. After she graduated in 1921, she remained in Chicago until she moved to California as a private nurse and married in her 60s.

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It was Emmett who stayed on the Crail Ranch, operating it as a true ranch until 1949.

Erected by Montana History Foundation & Gallatin Canyon Women's Club.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Agriculture.

Location. 45° 16.184′ N, 111° 17.756′ W. Marker is in Big Sky, Montana, in Gallatin County. It can be reached from Spotted Elk Road near Crail Ranch Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2120 Spotted Elk Road, Big Sky MT 59716, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Yellowstone Country

and in Greater Bozeman.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Historic Crail Ranch - North View (within

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 26, 2021

2. Welcome to the Historic Crail Ranch Marker

shouting distance of this marker); Crail Ranch Buildings (within shouting distance of this marker); The Historic Crail Ranch - East View (within shouting distance of this marker); The Historic Crail Ranch - West View (within shouting distance of this marker); The Historic Crail Ranch - South View (within shouting distance of this marker); Crail Ranch (approx. 0.3 miles away); B-K (B Bar K) Ranch (approx. 1½ miles away); Lone Mountain (approx. 2.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Big Sky.

Historic Crail Ranch Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 26, 2021

3. Historic Crail Ranch Building

Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 228 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 23, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.