Welcome to the Broadus, Montana Picture Tour
Above you can see panoramas of the Powder River near Broadus, Montana. Views entering Broadus, Montana and a walk down Park Avenue towards Cottonwood Park.
Town History
Broadus is named after a rancher linked to Powder River County’s early cowboy days. After working as a cowboy for the N-Bar Ranch in Texas, Oscar Broaddus came to Montana in 1885 to work for the operation’s northern property along the Powder River where thousands of cattle would graze, according to “Beyond Echoing Footsteps,” a history of Powder River County published this year.
New Town Spelling
A slip of a bureaucrat’s pen probably dropped one “d” from the official post office name. That post office, subsequently operated by other people, closed in late 1905. The expansion of the Homestead Act in 1909 to include land suitable for dry-land farming opened up more land in Eastern Montana, bringing in more homesteaders.
Powder River Let’er Buck
Learn more about the story of the saying; “Powder River Let’er Buck!” by thumbing through the free 94-page booklet about the 91st Infantry Division (August 1917 – January 1945). The first chapter reads: “Five months after the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, the original 91st Infantry Division was activated at Camp Lewis, Washington. Most of the men came from the states of the Northwest, a fact which explains many of the distinctively western traditions and emblems which are part of the heritage of the 91st Division.”
Devastating Winter
After the Montana N-Bar Ranch closed out when a devastating winter and drought killed large numbers of cattle, Broaddus eventually built a log cabin at the mouth of Baking Powder Creek, south of present-day Broadus.
With more people moving into the valley, regular mail service became important, so Broaddus started a successful petition to set up a post office at his house with the help of his brother, John, according to Celeste Gerleman, Oscar’s great-grandaughter, who lives just across the Wyoming border south of Broadus.
“Horse Picket?”
The Broadus, Montana Tour video referred to a “Horse Picket.” For the kids: “What’s a Horse Picket?” For more information about this great town visit: www.broadusmontana.com
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