Journey with me into the depths of history, where the echoes of Nelson Story and his era resonate within the Nelson Ranch Cave. Nelson Story Sr. was born in Ohio in 1838. He became a Montana entrepreneur, cattle rancher, miner, and vigilante. He became a notable resident of Bozeman, Montana.
Nelson Story is best known for his 1866 cattle drive. He drove approximately 1000 head of Texas Longhorns to Montana along the Bozeman Trail. This was the first major cattle drive from Texas into Montana. His business ventures in Bozeman were so successful that he became the town’s first millionaire.
In 1893, Nelson Story played a prominent role in establishing the Agricultural College of the State of Montana. He donated land and facilities. He built the first Story Mansion on Main Street in Bozeman in 1880. Later, he built today’s Story Mansion at the corner of Willson and College for his son, T. Byron Story, in 1910. In his later years, Nelson Story became a prominent real estate developer in Los Angeles, California.
By 1862 Nelson Story was a successful freight driver operating out of Denver, Colorado. During a trip to Missouri, he met Ellen Trent. He married her in Kansas in 1862. In 1863, Story left Colorado with pack mules and ox teams and headed for Montana territory. Nelson and Ellen arrived in Virginia City, Montana, in June 1863 shortly after the major gold strike at Alder Gulch, Montana.
Story learned of a gold field near Alder Gulch that he felt had not been fully worked. Within a few months Story made $30000 in gold. He exchanged it for $20000 in cash. He traveled to Fort Worth, Texas. He used this stake to finance the first cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Later, as a merchant operating in the Bannack and Virginia City, Montana, Story participated in the vigilante committees. These committees ultimately hanged 21 criminals, including Henry Plummer.
In 1866, Nelson Story traveled to Texas. He spent $10000 for 1000 head of Longhorn cattle. Some accounts indicate possibly as many as 3000. 1866 was the first year after the end of the American Civil War. The economy of Texas was devastated. However, there were significant numbers of cattle roaming Texas that could be had for very little money. There was great demand for beef in the northern states along with money to pay for it.
Nelson Story decided to try for Montana and its lucrative market of gold miners in Virginia City, Montana. He became part of the first ever cattle drive on the Bozeman Trail. He pointed his herd north for the long drive. He brought his cattle over the Bozeman Trail into Montana. At Fort Phil Kearny, the U.S. Army ordered Story and his drovers to stop because of aggression by Sioux warriors led by Red Cloud. Story ignored the order, evaded the Army, and continued the drive into Montana. He encountered and fought Sioux warriors along the way. Only one drover was killed by Indians.
Story and the herd arrived in what is now Livingston, Montana, in December 1866. They established winter quarters for his men and cattle. Story established a thriving cattle herd. For at least two years he bought and sold cattle to hungry miners for up to ten times the Texas price. In 1870, when placer mining in Montana was starting to decline, Story and his ranch in the Paradise Valley had become the leading cattleman in the northern plains. Some credit Story with naming the now famous Paradise Valley for its grand scenery and abundant wildlife. This 1866 cattle drive inspired Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove.
Nelson Story settled his family in Bozeman. He used his business sense and cattle fortune to engage in banking, mercantile, and grain businesses. In 1882, along with others, Story helped capitalize one of the first banks in the county, the Gallatin Valley National Bank. The bank failed during the Panic of 1893 and never reopened. In 1882, Story opened the Story Flour Mill at the mouth of Bridger Creek. This mill produced up to 100 bushels a day. It was a major source of flour for the U.S. Army at Fort Ellis and for the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana. His business activities made him Bozeman’s first millionaire.
Nelson Story’s legacy lives on through his descendants. His great-great-grandson, Mike Story, still operates the Story Ranch and Cattle Company in Paradise Valley, Montana.
So, as you stand before the Nelson Ranch Cave, remember the spirit of Nelson Story. He was a pioneer, a cattleman, and an entrepreneur. His legacy continues to shape the landscape of Montana and beyond.