Introducing 2009 Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee…
Clyde Hunter Smith (1884-1965) Beaverhead County Pioneer Rancher & Cowboy
At a young age Clyde Smith came to the Dillon area by train from the mountains of West Virginia to fulfill his dream of raising prime Hereford cattle on his own land. Coming from a large Scottish/Irish farming family he knew he would have to strike out on his own to make his mark in life. Clyde strongly believed in the old saying “Go west young man!” From the moment he arrived he had work as a cowboy on the many ranches in need of someone that could break their rough stock and train the horses for the hard work of farming and ranching. Through time Clyde gained a solid reputation for breaking horses with a gentle touch and developing the best stock and draft horses in Montana at that time.
By 1908 after years of working for wages on other people’s ranches he gained the opportunity to own his own place. He homesteaded on a rough patch of ground near the Axes Canyon southeast of Dillon. With blood and sweat over time he built the homestead from 320 acres to a ranch in excess of 5000 acres while developing one of the finest herds of Hereford cattle in early Montana. He returned to West Virginia and married his childhood sweetheart Madge Suzanna Ray and brought her to Montana. Together they raised eight children while raising fine horses and cattle as well as barley and alfalfa hay.
Despite his success as a rancher Clyde remained a “working cowboy” throughout his life. He loved the way of life cowboying provided. He lived his life by the cowboy code. Living by this code, he and his family thrived through good years and bad. They weathered the depression and came out stronger than before its coming. All the while they helped neighbors and strangers, not so fortunate, to survive the tough times by sharing their bounty. Clyde provided jobs to many and helped with harvest and trailed cattle for neighbors and friends short on help or money. Clyde is still fondly remembered to this day as a good neighbor and a generous gentleman cowboy by all that knew him. Clyde Smith proudly lived the cowboy way. The fifth generation of the Clyde Smith family still live in Dillon.
