• In the winter of 1886-87, western artist Charlie Russell was working for the O-H Ranch near Utica, Montana. When the ranch foreman needed to write to Helena to inform the owners of the ranch that all 5,000 head of the stock had died because of the harsh winter, Charlie painted a postcard depicting a starving cow beleaguered by coyotes. The drawing, entitled, “Last of the 5000” became one of his most famous paintings.
• This terrible winter was responsible for ushering in the modern methods of cattle ranching. Previously, cattle had been left to wander on the Montana prairie, forced to find their own forage. No one brought in bales of hay. At most, there might be a trough of water provided. That changed after this disastrous winter. Here is what happened:
• May: A very hot, dry month yields only a half inch of rain, and many days over 90° and 100°F (32° to 38°C) are reported. The calf crop in Montana is unusually large this spring.
• June: Only 3/4 inch (2 cm) of rain falls this month, normally Montana’s wettest month.
• July: On only 8 days does the day’s high fall below 90°F (32° C) at Fort Custer. Nearby, Fort Assiniboine (“a-SIN-a-boyn”), named for a local tribe, reports 108°F (42°C). Prairie grasses die everywhere.
• Despite the drought, cattle are shipped into Montana as fast as possible, until there are more than a million head on Montana’s ranges. Montana is still two years away from being declared a state. The human population of Montana Territory is about 132,000.
• August: Creeks that have never gone dry are now dry. Steamboats are unable to make it up the Missouri River to bring in supplies due to low water levels. Numerous prairie fires burn across the state, further reducing the amount of vegetation. Fort Custer reports 105°F (40.6°C) twice this month.
• September.: The Great Falls Tribune reports only 2 inches (5 cm) of moisture in the past year, when 15 inches (38 cm) is normal.
• October: A Great Falls Tribune article predicts a mild winter.
• November: The first storm hits with 6 inches (15 cm) of snow, strong winds, and big drifts. A few days of drizzle after the storm turns the snow to slush. The temperature then plunges to below zero (-18°C), turning the slush into a crust that cattle are unable to break through to find forage.
• December: A storm begins on Christmas Eve and takes temperatures down to -37°F (-38°C) at Fort Assiniboine. The Missouri River freezes solid at Fort Benton by Dec. 27.
• January, 1887: Another storm commences on New Year’s Day. Fort Benton reports that 32 inches (81 cm) of snow fell between Dec. 1 and Jan. 20. Fort Keough reports a low temperature of -60°F (-45.5°C).
• February: A storm begins on January 29 and continues through February 4. Temperatures of -40° to -50°F (-40 to -55°C) are reported statewide, with wind chill factors dropping as low as -95°F (-70°C). The Great Falls Tribune reports that only the rich can afford coal oil. Fence posts are torn down for fuel, as is the old Fort Benton jailhouse. Great Falls runs out of potatoes, and wood sells for $20/cord ($641 in today’s dollars). Another storm hits on February 15. Fort Assiniboine’s average temperature for the first 10 days of the month is -20°F (-29°C). On February 27, the long awaited warm spell arrives. All the snow melts in 46°F (8°C) heat and causes massive flooding on the Missouri River.
• March: 60% of Montana cattle are dead, including 90% of the cattle that had been shipped in the previous summer. Many ranchers are bankrupt. The age of modern feeding methods begins.
