Settled in the late 1800's

White Deer Ranch is in Stillwater County.  Stillwater County is rich with history of early Native Americans, pioneers and wagon trains. 

Early settlers traveling on the Bozeman trail came through this country and decided to call it home.  The earliest account of settlement along the Stillwater River was in the late 1800's.  The photo of the wagon to the left is from a re-enactment of the Bozeman Trail travelers.

The land which is now White Deer Ranch belonged to the Dave Hudson, one of four brothers that moved to the region in the late 1800's from Saginaw, Michigan.  Several of the brothers waited until the reservation land to open up for homestead in 1892. 

Some research about the early inhabitants of what is now White Deer Ranch was revealed in the text,  "They Gazed Upon the Beartooths", by Jim Annin,  

"Dave Hudson came to the family home in Saginaw, just before the Civil War started and came to Montana shortly after his brother, John, on a cattle drive.  He was a cowhand for the "79" for a few years under Con Mendenhall's camp wagon, and also for stockmen on the Stillwater.  In 1982, he located a ranch on the Stillwater, and later on Grove Creek.  In 1894, at Columbus, he was united to Della Riddle whose parents came to the Stillwater Valley in 1893.  The Hudson name was added to nine children, Roy, Clarence, Iva, Jesse, Eva, Ernie, Clara, Vina and Ida."

The original Hudson home is still on the ranch.  It started out the size of the present day kitchen.  As the family grew to include 9 children the Hudsons added additional rooms to the house.  It now has three bedrooms, all with hardwood floors, arched doorways, and a cobblestone decorated front porch.

The bunkhouse that sits on the property was moved here for use by the Hudsons. One part of the bunkhouse was originally on the Sandborn place and the other part was from the abandoned Ben Bow mine.  It was the home of the first school teacher, Mr. Chris Fladberg, in the region.  A bench nearby the property is named after Fladberg.  

Dave Hudson died in an accident on the ranch in 1936.  Mrs. Hudson died in 1956.  Ernie, their son, continued to run the place until he sold it to Jerry Raglin in 1980.  Jerry Raglin sold to Lee Dunn and Calvin Clark in 1990.  

Lee Dunn and Calvin Clark originally owned 2,220 +/- acres in partnership, that was divided in two equal parcels for each family.  After selling 600 acres of pasture, the Dunn's now own approximately 450 +/- acres where the original Hudson house and outbuildings are located.  

Read more about the history of the area surrounding White Deer Ranch.