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Articles written by Emmett Labree


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  • A bit of history on agriculture, markets and weather

    Emmett LaBree|Updated May 8, 2024

    Starting 1881, the N.P. Railroad came and promoted this country. There were herds of southern cattle driving into the northern U.S. to be fattened, then in turn shipped by rail to the heavier populated country in the east. But, they forgot about one thing — the weather. A terrible, hard winter hit in 1886 and 1887. No hay was put up and the short-haired, thin-hided cattle starved to death by the 1000s. I had one old-timer tell me about 4 and 5 year old steers going down and dying by a spring on Fallon Creek close to where I...

  • The Winter of 1964 & 1965

    Emmett LaBree|Updated Mar 14, 2024

    Beings I was born in 1934 I had a real good memory of the winter of 1964 and 1965. I bought a place of my own in 1965 over between Ekalaka and Baker on Lame Jones Creek (4000 Deeded, 1640 Leased). I paid $15 per acre for the deeded. The summers of 1960 and 1961 were dry but it went to raining in the fall of ‘62. We were wet until ‘79. I started neighboring with the people; them with tractors and me with horses. I always liked to have plenty horses — saddle horses and teams. When the fall of ‘64 hit, it started snowing...

  • My recollection of the winter of '48 & '49

    Emmett LaBree|Updated Feb 29, 2024

    I was born in 1934 and had a real good memory of that time frame. Our fall of ‘48 wasn’t as bad as it was in the Dakotas and Nebraska. We lived 32 miles south of Ismay, MT. Ismay was a big shipping point for horses, cattle and sheep on the Milwaukee Railroad (600 hundred people) until the depression hit in the 30’s. During Christmas vacation of ‘48 we cleaned out a spring and I remember it was 60 above. December 31st my dad took us to town with team and sled, with mother and four of us boys, it took all day. He stalled...

  • Some of the better horse breeders in the area during my time

    Emmett LaBree

    John Scott came from Texas in ‘48 or ‘49 with some well bred ranch horses. Good feet, flat bone, cinched up big, could travel over the rough country and really could get down and turn a cow. Desentio, Eddy 40, Sugar Bars bred. Top horses if you could ride “em!” Tookes had the best bucking horses in the country. You could work ‘em maybe. Albert Phelps brought in a good thoroughbred stud. Poddy Askin brought in a stud named Steve Reed, that crossed good on any mare. Bickles had a few remounts from Fort Keogh that were good...