About Us

History

Marcus Daly

In the summer of 1864, while prospecting land in the northwest, a young Irish immigrant named Marcus Daly passed through Western Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. “I’ll come back here someday, and build me a horse ranch,” he vowed in a letter to his wife Margaret. Later in life, Daly would go on to become a major Wall Street player, a famed Montana “copper king” and ultimately, one of the richest men in the world. In 1888, Daly fulfilled his 24 year vow, building the renowned Bitter Root Stock Farm on 22,000 acres of land he purchased on the Bitterroot’s eastern slopes. Not content with simply building a “horse ranch”, Daly also established the town of Hamilton to provide services for his ranch staff. He created several grand highways for his business colleagues, and built the much celebrated Daly Mansion in 1912. With access to nearly 10,000 square miles of US Forest Service land, Stock Farm has retained much of the natural beauty and abundant wildlife that enticed Daly more than 100 years ago. A century of care has preserved the elk, deer, moose, and upland bird populations that inhabit the Bitterroot Valley’s mountain forests. Even today, Stock Farm’s lands, which have been carefully protected since Daly’s day, are home to elk herds that roam freely through the hills and valleys.

Bitterroot Valley

In the southwest corner of Montana lies one of the most scenic and beautiful valleys in the country. Ranches are scattered throughout the landscape amidst acres of lush hayfields nursed by the Bitterroot River as it meanders the length of the valley. Surrounded by the theatrical backdrops of the Bitterroot Mountains and Sapphire Range are quaint communities unique and rich in history. Home to approximately 40,000 residents, the Bitterroot Valley, with its majestic mountains and rolling meadows, has an abundance of public lands accessible for recreational enjoyment. People from all walks of life have come to this valley and shaped the Bitterroot lifestyle. Here the past and the present blend. We live close to the good things of the past, as we draw from historic roots while always striving for a brighter future. Adding to the quality of life is the availability of health care, a wide range of housing choices, and an array of services and shopping. The arrival of the Bitterroot College of the University of Montana has widely enhanced the already proud educational services and opportunities in the valley. The communities’ residents also enjoy and participate in a wide variety of cultural events such as theatre, concerts, art shows, professional sporting events, rodeo and horse shows, festivals and celebrations.