Introducing 2009 Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee…
William I. Hughes (1860-1920)
William I. Hughes, a respected Stanford area stockman, is best remembered for proving his personal worth as well as his ability as a ranch. He accomplished this by: 1) building his Judith Basin ranch from his homestead on Willow Creek; 2) by managing his land and its resources and developing a quality herd of cattle, horses and other livestock; and 3) being a community minded citizen and organizer.
William I Hughes was born January 6, 1870 to John R. and Catherine Moore Hughes in Windham County, Vermont. In 1892, inspired by tales of Montana by returning neighbors, he left the family farm to see the vast western territory. His brother-in-law Edgar Hamilton owner of the Sage Creek Sheep Company gave him his first job. He spent his first Montana winter hauling hay and remarked that his rations were “biscuits, beans, pork and antelope”. The Willow Creek region of the Judith Basin captured his interest because of the grass stands and running streams. The following year he purchased squatters rights of homestead from the original squatter. The property contained a log cabin and stables. By 1897 he lived permanently on his homestead. He completed a ranch home by 1901 using the plan from the family home in Vermont. He also purchased adjoining land from homesteaders who quit to return home or to go to the Yukon. By 1930, he was running a magnificent ranch.
He first purchased crossbred Shorthorn cattle along with their brand and the brand is still used on the ranch. In 1898 he first shipped cattle to Chicago. They were driven overland across the Missouri River to Kershaw a Great Northern railroad station north of Fort Benton. The round trip required 25 days. He shipped cattle to Chicago for thirty consecutive years. In 1911 he purchased 250 cattle cheap with Ed Hamilton. In less than a year half of the 250 cattle were dead as their dairy breeding was not hardy enough for Montana. In 1913 he and Amby Cheney purchased some southern Texas longhorns that were good doers on the northern range. By 1919, he had 800 head of cattle, but the drought that year made it necessary to ship out cattle that were thin in early July.
In a letter to his family in Vermont dated March 22, 1908 he wrote, “I did not get my grain thrashed until November. We had a thrashing here, 2890 bushels oats, 1100 and more of rye, wheat and barley. It was a wonderful season here. I had 5 acres of spuds-over 600 sacks and five to six tons of cabbage, carrots, beets and rutabagas and a wagon load of parsnips. I rented the B.E. Stack last season and a wonderful crop there—over 300 tons of hay all gone now. Sold 200 tons last fall. I have about 100 tons of hay here at home. It was worth $10 in the stack last spring—it is worth from $18 to $22 per ton in the stack now”. He went on to say, “We use 1 beef and sometimes 2 a week and one hog. I have fifty steers that are good beef and 16 big hogs and some pigs, one sow, over 300 hens and one turkey”. “Mr. W. Cook is chore boy. We get 12 to 13 dozen eggs in a day now. I have the biggest bunch of cattle I ever wintered. I bought the Cook ranch last June and the cattle and horses. I bought the Parkins ranch in October 1906. I had the offer of all the land on Willow Creek below here. The Stack ranch I will rent for the same as last year, $500. I have been delivering coal to John G. William Coal Exploration Company. They burn from 7 to 9 tons every 24 hours. I just got my check from
Williams for $1485 for one month. I have bought 3 teams this winter and had 4 before.” He mentioned that with all the work he hired a man to cook and fed from 15-20 men at a meal.
Mr. Hughes had a good horse named Blondie that he rode for more than 18 years. This horse was good for long travel, roping and cutting cattle. When business matters meant a stay of several days in Lewistown, 45 miles away, he would turn Blondie loose and she would be standing at the home corral before sundown. He would ride the stagecoach home to Old Stanford.
He devoted part of his time freighting to Great Falls and Fort Benton. He negotiated with woolgrowers to haul wool to the nearest shipping point and return with commissary supplies, building materials, wagons and barbwire. In July, 1901 a thunderstorm came up while Mr. Hughes was hauling wood. He stepped off the front wagon, tied his lines up on the brake handle and was putting on his slicker when a bolt of lightening struck. It stunned him, killed all eight of the horses on the wagon and his saddle horse which was tied behind the wagon. Upon returning the next morning, one horse Old Nellie was standing and staggering when she moved. His 1893 saddle had the wool lining burned and torn off.
Coal mining started on the ranch in 1901. Mr. Hughes employed a few miners to dig beneath the cap rock to get the hidden mineral. Wheelbarrows were first used to carry the diggings from the hole and later tracks were laid and coal cars used. The mines stopped working in 1942. In later years he mentioned that he diversified to meet any emergency that can happen on a ranch.
In 1918 there was cattle rustling in the area. A former Texas Ranger, Tex Graff was hired to come to the ranch. He was able to stop the rustling. Mr. Hughes was also instrumental in organizing the campaign to conquer the famous White Wolf. The Hughes ranch was one of the hardest hit in the area, loosing sheep, cattle and horses to the elusive wolf. Mr. Hughes went on to be one of the founders of the First National Bank of Stanford. This bank went under in the 1930’s but paid off 100%.
In 1902, Mr. Hughes married Helen Hughes a teacher from Nebraska. They had six children: Gerald, Marguerite, Harley, Walter, Curtis and Helen. William and his wife helped create the first school district. They hauled lumber and shingles to build the schoolhouse on the ranch which neighboring children also attended. Mr. Hughes served on the school board. All the Hughes children attended College. Gerald, Harley and Curt lived on and worked the ranch. Mr. Hughes died in 1954 and Mrs. Hughes in 1955. In 1971 the ranch was divided among family members. In 2008 the ranches are still operated by grandchildren of William I. Hughes. Granddaughter Betty Hughes Sampsel and grandsons Harley, Gordon and Tucker Hughes live on and work the ranches today.
Mr. Hughes was recognized as a leader in Judith Basin County, not only because of his good and careful management of the land and its resources, but because of his commnity-minded spirit and skill as an organizer. He had a reputation for “strict business integrity, honor and duty first in all things”. He saw the Judith basin when it was wide open with lush grass cover. He saw the stage coach replaced by the railroad and automobile, followed by further settlement which turned much of the Judith Basin sod into grain fields. Today the ranch reflects his foresight and good stewardship of the land. The native grass stands tall and the streams run clear.
William I. Hughes, a respected Stanford area stockman, is best remembered for proving his personal worth as well as his ability as a ranch. He accomplished this by: 1) building his Judith Basin ranch from his homestead on Willow Creek; 2) by managing his land and its resources and developing a quality herd of cattle, horses and other livestock; and 3) being a community minded citizen and organizer.
