Montana Cattle History Quiz Updated: February 22, 2026 Answer the questions below about the beginnings of Montana's cattle industry and life on the open range. 1. Where did Captain Richard Grant and his family live around 1850? In downtown Helena At the junction of the Ruby and Beaverhead Rivers near present-day Twin Bridges On the shore of Flathead Lake In Chicago, Illinois 2. What smart business did Johnny and James Grant start with worn-out oxen? They used them only for wagon racing contests They traded healthy cattle for sick ones without feeding them They traded furs and goods at Fort Hall for tired trail oxen, let them recover on Montana grass, then brought the fresh animals back to trade again They shipped all the cattle to Europe 3. Why were the abandoned oxen in the Beaverhead Valley able to recover and get fat? They were kept inside barns and fed only grain They ate the rich native grasses like basin wildrye, rough fescue, and bluebunch wheatgrass They were given medicine by a veterinarian They swam in hot springs all winter 4. What was one reason Father DeSmet and other missionaries brought cattle to the Bitterroot and Mission Valleys? To completely replace buffalo in the ecosystem To give the miners a place to rest To help provide a steady food supply for Native people living near the missions To start a zoo for tourists 5. What happened in the early 1860s that greatly increased the demand for beef in Montana? A giant potato harvest The building of skyscrapers Big gold discoveries that brought thousands of miners and new mining camps The invention of the Internet 6. How did Conrad Kohrs become one of the most important cattle ranchers in Montana? He found the largest gold nugget ever He started as a butcher in mining camps, then bought Johnny Grant's ranch near Deer Lodge and built a huge cattle empire He only raised sheep He owned a railroad, not cattle 7. What helped Montana cattle ranching grow during the open-range era in the late 1800s? Heavy forests that covered all the grass Free or cheap government land, wide open prairie grass, and new railroads to ship cattle to market A law that banned all cattle in other states Only small backyard gardens 8. What were roundups mainly used for on the open range? To hold rodeo shows every weekend To gather cattle for branding, sort out ownership, and choose animals to send to market To count how many coyotes lived nearby To plant crops in the fields 9. Which statement best describes the life of a Montana cowboy in the late 1800s? It was easy office work done in big cities It was a special but difficult life with long days in the saddle, harsh weather, and dangers on the open range Cowboys only worked during the summer and played games all winter Cowboys mostly worked on fishing boats 10. Why did ranchers form Stockgrowers Associations in the 1880s? To organize school dances To discuss and solve problems like rustlers (cattle thieves), diseases, predators such as wolves, overstocked ranges, and new laws To stop people from eating beef To close the railroads Check Answers Reset
