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Henry Sieben: Orphaned Immigrant Who Built Montana's Sieben Ranches

A German-born orphan who turned worn-out freight oxen into one of Montana's lasting ranching families.

Who Was Henry Sieben?

Henry Sieben was a German-born Montana stockman who began as a teenage freight hand and ended as the owner of several ranches. He was born in 1847, came to the United States with his family around age five and settled in Illinois. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame biography says his mother died the year after they arrived and his father when Henry was 12. Other accounts differ slightly, with one giving his orphaning at 11.

Cutting Hay and Hauling Freight in Montana

At 17 Sieben left Illinois with his brother Leonard and two friends. With the Oregon Trail closed by conflict with the Lakota, they joined John Bozeman's wagon train for Montana Territory. In 1865 he began by cutting hay in the Madison Valley, then hauled goods to the mining camps with ox teams from Fort Benton and from the railhead at Corinne, Utah.

Sources differ on exactly when he arrived, giving 1864 in one case and 1865 in another, but both describe the same path from farmhand to freighter.

From Worn-Out Oxen to Cattle and Sheep

The Sieben ranching start is a good example of using what you already own. Henry and Leonard bought worn-out freight oxen cheaply and grazed them on open range. In 1870 and 1871 they bought cattle in Utah and drove them to Chestnut Valley. Their younger brother Jacob later helped add sheep, trailing 2,200 Merino sheep to Montana. They sold the freight outfits and committed fully to ranching.

A portrait-foundation biography says Sieben was among Montana Territory's first sheep ranchers, dating that to 1875. He acquired several ranches under the Sieben Livestock Company and managed them from Helena.

The Key to Sieben's Success

Sieben had no inheritance. What the sources show is a series of practical, low-cost steps and a willingness to switch livestock when the market or range called for it.

He also took on hard work for years before any of it paid.

  • He used his freight business as a bank. Ox teams and freight hauling paid for the first stock.
  • He bought cheap animals. Worn-out oxen on free range cost little to carry.
  • He mixed species. He ran cattle and Merino sheep, spreading risk across two markets.
  • He worked with family. Brothers Leonard and Jacob each shaped the early operation.
  • He spread across several locations, including Flat Willow Creek, the Big Hole Valley and Little Prickly Pear.
  • He organized the industry, co-founding the Montana Woolgrowers Association in 1883 and staying active in the Montana Stock Growers Association.

Ranches, Marriage and Community Work

Sieben married Alberta Gordon in 1886 and the couple lived in Helena. They had two daughters, Bernice, born in 1890, and Margaret, born in 1895. Alberta died in 1912. The portrait biography adds that Sieben and his wife funded and directed Montana's first orphanage.

In the 1930s he transferred his holdings to his daughters rather than selling. He died in 1937 at the age of 90.

Two Ranches That Carry the Name Today

Both daughters inherited a ranch, and the family business has continued across multiple generations. The Hall of Fame names two operating ranches: the Sieben Ranch near Wolf Creek and Helena, run by John and Nina Baucus, and the Sieben Live Stock Company near Adel, south of Cascade, run by Scott and Terry Hibbard.

The Adel operation once ran 12,000 ewes, switched mainly to cattle in the mid-1960s and is known for registered Targhee sheep sold across the West for more than 50 years.

Honors and Further Reading

Sieben was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1961, as shown on the museum inductee page, and into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2012. The Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Foundation profile also records his portrait by Robert Wadsworth Grafton.

More northern range stories are in the ranching section at farm.FM, including a farm.FM story about a multi-generation Montana ranch.

Timeline

  1. 1847Born in Germany
  2. 1865Begins cutting hay in Madison Valley (one source says he arrived in 1864)
  3. 1870Buys cattle in Utah and drives them to Chestnut Valley
  4. 1875Becomes one of Montana Territory's first sheep ranchers, per one biography
  5. 1883Co-founds the Montana Woolgrowers Association
  6. 1886Marries Alberta Gordon
  7. 1912Alberta Sieben dies
  8. 1937Dies at age 90 after dividing his estate between his daughters

Frequently asked questions

Who was Henry Sieben?

Henry Sieben was a German-born Montana rancher who began as a freighter and built cattle and sheep ranches under the Sieben Live Stock Company, managing them from Helena.

Are the Sieben ranches still operating?

Yes. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame names the Sieben Ranch near Wolf Creek and Helena and the Sieben Live Stock Company near Adel, both run by his descendants.

What is Sieben known for in the sheep industry?

He was among Montana Territory's first sheep ranchers and co-founded the Montana Woolgrowers Association in 1883. The Adel ranch is known for registered Targhee sheep.

When was Henry Sieben inducted into a hall of fame?

He was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1961 and the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2012.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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