Pierre Wibaux
Cattle Rancher
Revised 20 June 2001c
Pierre Wibaux was an influential business man in the Yellowstone
Valley, although his main interests
were centered on the border of Montana where US 10 and the Northern Pacific Railway enter Montana from the east.
In 1881, the railroad crossed over into Montana
and established a line station called Mingusville. One of Pierre Wibaux's
future business partners was a fellow named Gustave Grisy. Gus and his wife Minnie operated the post office in
the area. They renamed the location "Mingusville"
after them. Earlier names of the site were "Keith" and
"Beaver." Pierre came to Montana in 1883 and
started cattle ranching in a big way. After his efforts became noted, the town
was named Wibaux after him.
He called his ranches the
“W-Bar Ranch”, and there were two locations: one was 12 miles north
of the town of Wibaux,
and there he ranged 60,000 head of cattle. After an unsuccessful start, his
cattle eventually ranged over the land from 1883 to 1886. The endeavor was
unprofitable and he returned to his native land, France. He returned later to find
that 85% of his cattle had died during the 1887-1888 winter.
He made a second ranch
that stretched from his Wibaux location along the Yellowstone
River from the Little Missouri west to
the Yellowstone, and from the Missouri
to the Northern Pacific area. His line cabins were located 40 miles apart.
Pierre became interested in banking in Miles City
(County seat for Yellowstone County), and mining in the Black
Hills. After his death in 1913, homesteaders cut into his land
holdings and established vast wheat fields and farming
moved ahead of cattle ranching.
There is a nine-foot
statue dedicated to him at his gravesite.
Email
me:
Katy Hestand
Yellowstone County Coordinator