W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M
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e first ranch in Montana was founded in 1850 at the confluence of the
Ruby and Beaverhead Rivers, which today is near Twin Bridge, Montana.
e ranching industry, however, didn't really blossom until the early 1880s
when the railroad was completed, which offered a means for ranchers to ship
their cattle to market. e green native grasses on open prairies were perfect
for feeding cattle. And while Montana didn't have many people in 1880
(fewer than 40,000), one resource it did have in quantity was grass. us,
Montana's cattle industry was born.
Today it may be easy for Montanans to take its ranching heritage for
granted, but only because it is on display everywhere. But for many travelers
and tourists from outside of Montana, the state's western roots are very much
on the mind of those who cannot experience that cowboy and cowgirl culture.
Dude ranchers offer visitors to Montana accessibility, but real working
ranches offer authenticity. at is why I have chosen to photograph real work-
ing cowboys and cowgirls. While many western shutterbugs photograph rodeo cowboys and models wearing cowboy
hats who are more comfortable in a La-Z-Boy than in the saddle of a horse, I have chosen to train my lens on the real
men and women who work hard every single day putting food on the plates of Americans. ey are a touchstone to a
different time in the West and embody the spirit of Montana even today.
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