Old Missoula

David O’Keeffe Ranch & The Story of Kenneth Ross

Old Landmark Near City Reported Sold

Another chapter in the history of a local landmark, the O’Keeffe ranch, 12 miles west of Missoula, was brought to light Saturday when a special warranty deed was filed with the county clerk and recorder.

A tract of 2,340 acres of what was once the O’Keeffe ranch was sold for approximately $30,000 to George A. Cates of Crowell, Texas. The New World Life Insurance company was the seller of the majority of the land. The ranch, which is situated near the mouth of O’Keeffe canyon and came to be known as the O’Keeffe ranch some eighty-five years ago, will be used by the new owner for cattle raising.

David (Uncle Dave) O’Keeffe came there to join his brother, C. C. (The Baron) O’Keeffe in 1862. David later became one of the oldest residents of Missoula and often told of the old days when Missoula was a town of 2,500 population [probably should be 250] population situated 330 miles away from Fort Benton. Uncle Dave and his brother grew potatoes and wheat on their ranch.

They freighted the potatoes to Fort Benton, the riverhead, in a wagon pulled by a team of bulls. After they had passed all the six houses along the way and reached the riverhead, they sold the potatoes for 20 cents per pound.

Other of Uncle Dave’s stories were more exciting. He told of how Bob Zachery, a road agent, pursued by the Vigilantes, stopped at the O’Keeffe cabin. He was intercepted there by the possee which proposed to hang him in the ranch barn. The O’Keeffe’s objected and Zachery, the road agent, was taken to Hellgate for the hanging.

Once Uncle Dave came from the ranch to serve on Montana territory’s first inquest jury to determine the cause of the death of an individual known as “Overlander.” “Overlander” had been shot by a defendant known locally as “Big Neck.” When it was revealed that all of “Big Neck’s” bullets had hit the same place, the jury returned a verdict of “good shooting.”

Uncle Dave O’Keeffe lived his last years in blindness. He had come to reside at the home of Kenneth Ross in Missoula. When he died at 78 years of age in August, 1921, he was known as Missoula’s oldest resident.

The above article appeared in The Sunday Missoulian on January 5, 1947.

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Missoula Pioneer Kenneth Ross died in Missoula in 1933. His obituary appeared in The Daily Missoulian on September 7, 1933:

Widely Known Lumberman Ill For Long Time

Passes at His Home on Gerald Avenue. Service During the World War An Outstanding Chapter.

Came To Missoula Fifty Years Ago

Career a Romance of the West. Became General Manager of A.C.M. Lumber Operations in 1899.

Kenneth Ross, one of the pioneers who made Missoula and Western Montana, died at his home on Gerald avenue shortly before 2 o’clock this morning, after a long and courageous fight against death. In May of 1925 Mr. Ross resigned his position as general manager of the lumber properties of the Anaconda Copper Mining company and his health has not been good during much of the time since then, although he has not been entirely an invalid. He spent most of this summer at Seeley lake and was brought to his home here on Sunday before last, after further failure of his health.

Mr. Ross was one of the earliest lumbermen in Western Montana and a part of his record consists of building up a splendid organization at Bonner, the headquarters of A.C.M. lumbering, and of efficient and successful management over a long period of years.

Serving His Country.

However, his genius as an organizer and manager shone brightest in his service to his country at the time of the World war, when he was appointed by the late John D. Ryan, then assistant secretary of War, to supervise the production of spruce timber for use in the building of airplanes for the American army. Mr. Ross found this patriotic enterprise in a precarious condition but soon was able to establish production on an efficient basis and to establish for himself the reputation of being one of the most valuable of the “dollar-a-year men.” This is the part of his career least known, perhaps, to the people of Missoula, but it was as important as any. The organization he perfected – and it had to be done swiftly – was the marvel of bureaucrats in its rapid efficiency. Mr. Ross was compelled to establish offices in Missoula, Spokane, Portland, Tacoma, San Francisco and Baker, Oregon, but he was able to keep in touch with all of these and to know what was going on throughout all of the great territory they represented.

Another star in his crown of patriotism was his organizing of the work of the American Red Cross in Missoula, Sanders and Powell counties. Mr. Ross led in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and in aiding the people of the three counties during the trying days of 1917 and 1918. As ususal, his organization was strong and efficient and carried on even after the war had ended, as long as there was emergency need for the services of the Red Cross. Mr. Ross resigned his Red Cross office to become an executive of the War department.

Another feature of his war-time service was his welfare work for the people of Bonner, including the still-famous “war gardens” in which virtually the entire Bonner community was actively interested. Mr. Ross came to Missoula almost exactly fifty years ago, only a few days after the golden spike had been driven to mark the completion of the Northern Pacific railway. Although he was only 20 at that time, he had been on his own for five years. At the age of 15, he left his home in Nova Scotia – he was born at Green Hill, Pictou county, in 1863 – for the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Then he went to Wisconsin and began learning the lumber business from the ground up, as a lumberjack.

Career a Romance.

From then on his career was a romance of advancement possible only in America. By the time he was 25 years of age he had come to Montana, had worked in various places, had come into contact with men whose names still are large in Montana history and had acquired a mill of his own. He expanded his lumbering operations and at various times had mills at Evaro, at Huson, at Bearmouth and on the Nine Mile. Also he had an important part in building the Marent trestle for the Northern Pacific (a few miles west of Missoula), from laying the foundations for the piers to hoisting the steel.

In 1899 he became general manager for the A.C.M. lumber operations and the major phases of his career began.

A great deal of the success Mr. Ross attained was due to the loyalty he was able to inspire in those who worked with him and in the community at large. As one who has known him for many years said upon hearing of his fatal illness, “He never did anything that he did not think right.” He was a man of great strength of character as well as of body and he was always willing to work harder than any of his subordinates. And he had at all times the courage of his convictions. He was by nature a leader and he spent his life in leadership.

Mr. Ross is survived by three brothers, George of Portland, Malcolm of Missoula, and E. M. of Plains. A sister, Mrs. Isabella Burnheimer, lives at Salem, Mass. Mrs. Howard Toole of Missoula is his daughter. Two sons also survive, Kenneth of Spokane and Bruce of Seattle.

His wife died a number of years ago.

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