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Cattle Barons and Land Owners

W. W. Terrett: From Missouri Cattle Feeder to Owner of Montana's JO Ranch

A Missouri feeder who bought into Montana's Tongue River country and kept the JO Ranch in his family for five generations.

Who Was W. W. Terrett?

William Wiseham Terrett was born July 23, 1847, in Washington, D.C. His father, a Confederate officer, died soon after the Civil War began, and at 14 Terrett became the main provider for his family. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame biography calls him a man of high ideals who held the respect of all who knew him, and the National Cowboy Museum entry places him among the 1967 Hall of Great Westerners inductees.

A Missouri Feeder Heads West

In 1869 Terrett married Priscilla Gantt Richards, and in 1870 they moved to a farm in Chariton County, Missouri, where they raised eight children. He raised Shorthorn cattle there and built a successful cattle-feeding business. Feeding is a different skill from range cattle raising: it rewards good buying, steady feed supplies and timing the market. Those skills later shaped his role in Montana.

Founding the JO Ranch in the Tongue River Valley

In 1881 Terrett helped establish the JO Ranch on Beaver Creek in Montana's Tongue River Valley. The land was bought for the Chariton Montana Cattle Company, in which Terrett and his brother A. H. Terrett were major shareholders. One museum account says the original tract came from a squatter for $300.

The brothers divided the work. A. H. Terrett ran the range operation while W. W. handled cattle purchasing, drawing on his Missouri feeding experience. After A. H. left the manager role in 1890, W. W. managed the company until it closed in 1895. Early herds were Texas longhorns. The company name points back to the Missouri county where the Terretts already lived and fed cattle.

Surviving 1886-87 and the Panic of 1893

The JO came through the harsh winter of 1886 and 1887, which devastated many northern ranges, and then the Panic of 1893. The museum biography notes that few ranches in the area managed both. It does not spell out the reasons, so this profile avoids guessing, but the later record shows an owner who kept buying and improving rather than selling out.

The Key to Terrett's Success

Terrett's record points to steady ownership and herd improvement more than to any one dramatic move.

The cost side is also on record: the original company was wound up in 1895, and his ownership began after buying out the other stockholders.

  • He brought outside expertise. His Missouri feeding experience guided cattle purchases.
  • He split roles with family. His brother ran the range while he bought cattle.
  • He survived two shocks. The JO weathered the winter of 1886 and 1887 and the Panic of 1893.
  • He consolidated ownership. In 1896 he bought the ranch from the other stockholders.
  • He added brands and stock. He acquired the A Bar A brand and cattle, then bought the remaining JO cattle and horses in 1897.
  • He improved the herd. Higher-grade bulls raised local quality, and he built one of Montana's finest registered Hereford herds by his retirement.

Registered Herefords and a Lasting Ranch

After 1896 Terrett built the JO into one of the leading ranches in southeast Montana. He improved local herd quality with higher-grade bulls and became a breeder of registered Herefords, owning one of the best such herds in the state when he retired.

Moving from Texas longhorns to registered Herefords within one working life mirrors the wider shift in Montana herds toward higher-grade beef breeds.

He died June 9, 1922. His wife Priscilla died October 1, 1929. The ranch has stayed in operation under five generations of the Terrett family, over 127 years by the museum's count.

Honors and Learning More

Terrett was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1967 and the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008. The museum honoree page gives the same life dates and ranch story.

For more on the Hereford era, see the ranching section of farm.FM, or a farm.FM story about Hereford ranching.

Timeline

  1. 1847Born July 23 in Washington, D.C.
  2. 1869Marries Priscilla Gantt Richards
  3. 1870Moves to a farm in Chariton County, Missouri
  4. 1881Helps establish the JO Ranch on Beaver Creek, Montana
  5. 1890Becomes manager of the Chariton Montana Cattle Company
  6. 1895The company closes
  7. 1896Buys the ranch from the other stockholders
  8. 1897Buys the remaining JO cattle and horses
  9. 1922Dies June 9

Frequently asked questions

Who was W. W. Terrett?

William Wiseham Terrett was a Missouri cattle feeder who helped found the JO Ranch in Montana's Tongue River Valley in 1881, later owned it outright and bred registered Herefords.

What is the JO Ranch?

The JO Ranch is a Beaver Creek ranch in Montana's Tongue River Valley, founded in 1881 for the Chariton Montana Cattle Company. It remains in the Terrett family after five generations.

Did the JO Ranch survive the 1886-87 winter?

Yes. The Hall of Fame biography says the company survived the harsh winter of 1886 and 1887 and the Panic of 1893, which few local ranches managed.

When was Terrett inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners?

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum lists William Wiseham Terrett as a 1967 inductee. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted him in 2008.

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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