Near Deer Lodge in Powell County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
On the Ranch
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 7, 2022
1. On the Ranch Marker
Captions: (center) The water needs to be changed meaning the dams need to be moved every 24 hours. The son should be moist to s frothy of 3 to 6 inches.; (upper right) All ranches work with the weather to complete repairs and maintain the buildings. The historic preservation crew maintains 88 historic structures with historic methods and materials. You may see staff re-roofing buildings, white-washing or replacing mortar.; (center right) Cattle are worked several times throughout the year. During the spring and early summer, calves are branded, fly repellent ear tags are applied and a series of vaccinations are given to protect the cattle from disease.; (bottom right) checking the equipment that will be used to harvest the hay is also important. Maintenance work might be adding grease, sharpening mower blades and completing any needed repairs. This insures that the equipment is working when the crop is ready and the weather is clear.
Irrigation is the very important step in the haying process since the average precipitation is 10-12 inches per year. Without the extra water, the crop plants would not produce enough to feed the herd through the winter.
Flood irrigation is the historic method of irrigating, where water is carried in a series of ditches and then damned up to flow over an area of the fields. The extra water flows downhill to another catch ditch, which carries it on across the field. These "sets", or where the dams are placed and therefore, which areas are flooded, need to be changed daily.
There are four historic ditches still in use, maintaining the historic landscape and historic water rights. The oldest of these and closest to the ranch buildings, is the Kohrs-Manning Ditch, dug in 1870. The Kohrs Big Ditch and the Taylor Ditch have been in use since 1885 and Westside Ditch since 1887. These historic main ditches total 9 miles in length. This network of ditches allows for the correct amount of water to be delivered throughout the growing season. How the grasses are irrigated influences how much hay is available to harvest
this page online
Erected by National Parks Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 46° 24.362′ N, 112° 44.201′ W. Marker is near Deer Lodge, Montana, in Powell County. Marker can be reached from North Main Street (Business Interstate 90) near Warren Lane, on the left when traveling north. The Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site parking lot is on the left side of North Main Street just north of Deer Lodge. From there one must walk to the ranch buildings. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 266 Warren Lane, Deer Lodge MT 59722, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Feeding a Hungary Nation (a few steps from this marker); "...but of lasting peace, let them kill, skin and sell until the buffaloes are exterminated. (within shouting distance of this marker); Good Fences Make Bad Neighbors? (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Beaverslide Haystacker (about 700 feet away); Winter of 1886 (about 700 feet away); Two Immigrants Shared an American Dream (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ranching Traditions - A New Generation (approx. 0.2 miles away); Vaquero vs. Cowboy (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deer Lodge.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, August 7, 2022
2. On the Ranch Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
