Located on South Willow Creek South Willownear Creek Pony, Montana Meadows Ranch offered exclusively by INTRODUCTION This very private, readily accessible Ranch contains The terrain is very diverse and contains high Within a 45 minute drive of Bozeman, the lush riparian bottom meadows with multiple dense rocky crags or “hogbacks” and lush grassy creek Ranch’s proximity to commercial airports willow strings, rolling hillsides with rugged granite bottoms providing prime habitat for a variety and interstate highway travel make it readily outcroppings and stunning views of Hollow Top of Rocky Mountain wildlife, including elk, accessible year 'round, and private airstrips Mountain. Located in the foothills of the majestic that traverse the Ranch from the nearby USFS. located within a 30-minute drive of the Ranch Tobacco Root Mountain Range, the South Willow Mule deer, whitetail deer and upland game birds afford additional ease of enjoyment. Creek Meadows Ranch encompasses about 1,905 are seen in abundance. acres of contiguous deeded land. The absence of poorly-designed and situated The privacy and seclusion of the Ranch could improvements – of any vintage – and outlandish Freaturing dramatic vistas of the Tobacco Root, also afford the next owner simplicity and residential structures provides an equally rare Bridger and Spanish Peaks Mountain Ranges, the enjoyment should he choose to lease it to opportunity to execute exactly what feels best to Ranch is located near the historic towns of Pony and a neighbor to summer graze its productive the next owner. Harrison – notable sites in Montana’s early history. riparian pastures. The stream bottom is partially fenced, additional fencing judiciously- The Ranch is located in one of Southwestern South Willow Creek traverses the Ranch for a one located near the creek would further preserve Montana’s premier areas for ranching, big-game and one-half mile stretch and affords excellent South Willow Creek’s habitat for enhanced hunting and fly-fishing. Combined with close habitat for German brown trout and brook trout. personal enjoyment. proximity to the Madison, Gallatin, Jefferson Outstanding water rights and a lush riparian area and Missouri Rivers and three and one-half provide a superb opportunity for further stream Interspersed within the dense willow strings miles of private fishing water in South Willow and pond enhancement. The willow covered are several ideal pond locations which could Creek, it may be one of the finest fishing and big bottoms are healthy and provide protection for be carefully designed to blend into the existing game hunting properties on the market today. wildlife and unsurpassed privacy. Several springs landscape and provide prime habitat for The Ranch is a tremendous candidate for a are evident in several locations along the riparian waterfowl and additional fishing opportunities. conservation-minded buyer. bottom. AREA HISTORY At the base of the magnificent Tobacco Root name. Was it Tecumseh Smith? One man Around the turn of the century the mining Mountains is situated the historic mining town was sure that was it. Another said, no, it was industry geared up once again, extracting ore of Pony. A drifter by the name of Tecumseh the other way around - Smith Tecumseh. from the various mines. During this time Smith nicknamed “Pony”, had traveled over the Still another insisted it was not Tecumseh Pony thrived with a population fluctuating mountain range from the Alder Gulch to seek at all but McCumpsey. Then somebody re- between 2,500 and 5,000 residents. his fortune in mountain streams of the area. membered the little guy answered to “Pony” Legend tells us that “Pony” threw his digging and that stuck. The diminutive wanderer, In 1920 a horrendous fire swept through pick into a thicket of brush one day, to his although vanished to other parts, left his the bustling mining town destroying a good surprise when he retrieved it he had discovered nickname attached to a creek, a gulch and portion of the business district and family gold where it landed. what would be a booming mining camp.” dwellings. By the early 1920’s the gold rush Daniel Ter-Nedden had subsided and the small mountain town “He was less than five feet tall, his ac- www.GhostTownGallery.com, 2000. dwindled to a mere 100 residents. complishments in proportion. Few people noticed him as he moved from creek to During the Fall of 1875 quartz deposits were Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is located creek, panning enough gold to keep him in discovered in the mountains behind town and on property once owned by the Northern beans and get him to the next camp. In 1866 the rush was soon on. Within several years the Pacific Railroad and were granted to the he was crowded out of Alder Gulch and town had grown to nearly 1,000 people, primar- federal government in 1908 under local public Virginia City by bigger men and made his ily miners and merchants. The Presbyterian pressure. President Theodore Roosevelt de- lonely way to the far-out edges of Tobacco and Episcopal churches were constructed in clared the Caverns a National Monument in Root Range. 1894 with the Catholic Church constructed the Spring of 1911; however, due to the Great soon thereafter in 1903. The Northern Pacific Depression, the Caverns were closed for the He left very little of himself at the creek. Railroad added a spur into Pony in 1889 hauling next thirty years. The others who moved in to take advantage supplies to the mining town and returning with of the finds could not even remember his railcars of ore. PHYSICAL & OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION A testimony to the reputation of this area’s world-renowned trout fishing is the internationally-known R.L. Winston Rod Company headquartered in Twin Bridges. Numerous fly-fishing shops and guide services – both hunting and fishing – are located in Bozeman, Three Forks, Sheridan, Twin Bridges and Ennis. The lush meadows and consistent hard grass RECREATION of the higher ground are consistent and have This area is surrounded by some of Montana’s Division I-AA university, where Bobcat athletic generated solid gains on cattle. If the new owner most desirable recreational areas and picturesque events are as social as they are entertaining. is desirous of maintaining a grazing program, the mountain ranges with the Beaverhead and Bozeman also is the home of the Museum of the installation of several strategically-located stock Deerlodge National Forests located directly Rockies – Montana’s premier natural history water tanks in the higher elevations near the hog west of the Ranch. National Forest trailheads museum and home of the Taylor Planetarium. backs would aid in keeping the cattle off of the can be accessed just west of Pony. stream bed and more thorough utilization of In addition, two of the West’s premier ski forage, and increased numbers of wildlife. A herd of approximately 125 elk traverse resorts, Bridger Bowl and Big Sky, offer miles In addition, it appears that carefully planned between the USFS and the protection of the of groomed trails and runs for all levels, both food plots positioned in several locations along Hog Backs. With very limited hunting allowed downhill and cross-country alike. the north facing slopes of the hog backs would for the past five years, scores of whitetail deer Fly fishing in this part of Montana is some of the further attract upland game birds and big game. inhabit the willow-laden bottoms along South best the Rocky Mountain Region has to offer. For the past five years the Ranch has been leased Willow Creek. The waters of South Willow Creek on the Ranch to a local purebred black angus operator. They The diverse ecosystem of the Ranch supplies provide outstanding mountain stream habitat have done a fine job managing the grass resource prime habitat for trophy mule and whitetail harboring German browns along with brook and and maintaining the integrity of the land. The deer, bear, mountain lions, antelope, moose and rainbow trout. However, if one ventures off the tenant would be desirous of maintaining this elk. A great variety of bird species inhabit the Ranch, they need not go far to experience high lease with a new owner. Ranch in significant numbers. Blue grouse, sage mountain lake and blue-ribbon trout streams. grouse, Hungarian partridge, a limited number The stunning Madison Valley in Ennis - with The Ranch’s 1,905 acres of deeded land are of pheasants, and many predatory birds make the Madison River 10 minutes to the east and classified approximately as follows: their home on the Ranch. the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Gallatin, Missouri • 1,515 Native Range and Pasture and Jefferson Rivers to the west and northwest Bozeman is an easy drive to name-brand retail • 390 Acres of Flood-Irrigated Hay Ground - provide the devoted angler miles of river to stores, fine dining and shopping, and is the and Riparian Corridor enjoy for a lifetime. home of Montana State University, an NCAA LOCATION & ACCESS WATER RIGHTS The Ranch is located about four miles west of Harrison is the closest town and offers limited Any and all water rights appurtenant to and Harrison via Highway 283 and about one mile south services including a post office, gas station, for the benefit of the Ranch will convey to the of the historic mining town of Pony, Montana. A grocery store, and café. Buyer at the Closing of a Sale. Please contact well-maintained graveled county road accesses the our Bozeman Office for a complete tabulation A short drive south on US Highway 287 leads Ranch and provides excellent year 'round access. of water rights. to Ennis and then to Yellowstone and Teton Bozeman is a comfortable sixty-minute drive from National Parks.