Silver King Ranch

Silver King Ranch is located 12.5 miles northeast of Lincoln and only about 6 miles north of Highway 200. Lincoln provides basic goods and services, including several restaurants, service stations and a grocery store. Lincoln also has a public airport with a 4200’ lighted runway. The property is located approximately 60 and 90 miles respectively from commercial air services in Helena, the state capital, and Missoula where the University of Montana is located. Both Helena and Missoula provide good urban amenities, including fine dining, theater, more extensive shopping and all other major services. Additionally, the city of Great Falls is located 90 miles to the northeast, with a full complement of commercial air service, goods and other services.

The Blackfoot Valley is undeniably one of the most highly sought-after locations in the northern Rockies. It is in the hands of some of the most prominent and ardent conservationists in the world and, as a result, it has maintained its integrity and rural character. Countless ranches in the valley have been placed under conservation easement, forever protecting them from development. In fact, the valley is the home of the very first conservation easement in the state and the valley has led the way in the conservation arena ever since. The Blackfoot Valley sits at the southern edge of the Bob Marshall/Scapegoat Wilderness complex, which gives backcountry enthusiasts access to over one and one-half million acres of wilderness. This wilderness complex is the second largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48 states, which means that a full complement of native species can be expected to visit the ranch, either as year-round residents or through migratory patterns. The ranch is located at a historical juncture as it sits directly on the route followed eastward by Meriwether Lewis on the return trip from the Pacific Coast. That route was also used for centuries by Salish and Kootenai tribes of Native Americans, known as the “Going to the Buffalo Road”. Other historical uses include a variety of pioneering cattle ranches, early and modern logging operations, and more recently, for fly fisherman and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

Elevation: 5,090-6,200± feet above sea levelAnnual Precipitation: 18± inchesAverage Annual Snowfall: 85± inches

In July of 1806, Meriwether Lewis passed through the Blackfoot Valley on the return trip from the Pacific, a round trip expedition conceived by President Thomas Jefferson. In his journals, Lewis described the Landers Fork area as having abundant game and evidence of recent American Indian encampments. The entire party was on high alert as they passed through the area. The trail along the Landers Fork was used extensively by a number of tribes to access the massive herds of bison on the plains east of the Continental Divide. Once Lewis passed through, it was another 40 years before another non-Indian traversed this region when Christian missionaries arrived in Western Montana. Homestead days followed a few decades later. Matthew King was the first homesteader in the area. He filed his claim in 1882 and is presumed to be the namesake for Silver King Mountain. In 1895, the Craig family settled a 160-acre parcel that was later sold to Owen Byrnes, a prominent businessman and politician in the early twentieth century. This 160-acre parcel is the parcel upon which the current structures are located. Byrnes added to the ranch by purchasing homesteads and railroad grant lands (Northern Pacific Railroad Company) until 1927, growing the ranch to become the Silver King Ranch with well over 2,000 acres. The history of the Silver King Ranch illustrates the change in land use over the years. The ranch began as a mining operation, then its focus changed to harvesting wild hay, to cattle and horse ranching, to timber management and land trades and, ultimately, recreation. 

Deeded Acres: 2,080±

Total Leased Acres: 0±

Total Acres: 2,080±

Three deeds of conservation easement collectively covering the entirety of the ranch were executed and donated to the United States Department of Agriculture on December 4th of 1984, July 9th of 1986 and November 3rd of 1987 for the purpose of “protect[ing] the scenic, water quality, recreational, geologic, wildlife, fisheries, historic, cultural, and other similar values of the Landers Fork area and its immediate environment…”. The easements provide, in part, the following:Subdivision of the property is not permittedA total of 4 dwellings (2 pre-existing) “with normal appurtenant structures” are permitted to be constructed inside an 80 acre “envelope”Additional “nonresidential agricultural or livestock production structures are permitted” with written authorization by the Secretary of AgricultureNo public access is permitted under any of the conservation easementsFull documentation is available upon request. 

The ranch has a variety of structural improvements virtually all of which have contributed to the listing of the site on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.  These structures are located in a complex near the south boundary of the property and include the following:Owen Byrnes’ residence (commonly referred to as the “ranch house"): Reportedly constructed in 1914 and measuring 61’9” long x 31’8” wide, this two-story log building is constructed of peeled, square-notched logs, trimmed with corner boards. Newer cement chinking has replaced the original mortar. It is square in massing with a projecting rear wing, and a steeply pitched hipped roof capped by a small gable. A central chimney rises above the roof’s gable peak. On the east elevation, an open shed porch supported on log posts spans the first story. Two doors enter from this side, and are set to either end of the wall. Between them, a pair of windows, double-hung, 1-over-l is set just off center. Above this a shed-roofed balcony originally projected and was later enclosed as a small sitting room. On the west elevation, a single story gabled wing projects outward. On the west end, there is a single window, double-hung, 2-over-2. A recessed porch runs along the south side and a side entrance is located here. To the south, a low shed roof extends from the gable to cover a patio area. On the north, the windows include two small, paired 1-over-l sash units and a long opening with more horizontal 1-over-l hung windows. On the north and south elevations, double-hung 2-over-2 windows are hung singly and paired. Above this, second story bedrooms are lit by 2-by-2 casement windows which appear to be original, installed by turning the standard hung units on their sides.“The Cabins”:Built by Carroll “Dave” Davenport in 1953, these two log structures are the most recently constructed buildings on the ranch. The larger cabin includes a kitchen, living room with fireplace, bathroom and bedrooms while the other is a small one-room cabin that was used for guests. Horse barn:Featured in the book “Hand Raised Barns of Montana”, this two-story barn is constructed of square notched logs and measures 31’ long x 26’6” wide. It is a gambrel-roofed building constructed between 1914 and 1916. The original wooden shingling has been replaced with ribbed metal roofing. The main barn doors are centrally placed on the south gambrel end and open out in dutch-door fashion. Above them is a single square opening. Framed within the gambrel, a horizontal doorway with a ledged and braced awning door accesses the haymow. The barn opens into a small series of corrals. The corrals include a square main corral, and a loading chute, and were reconstructed at one time following the original configurations. On the interior, the barn is sectioned into stalls on the ground floor. A wooden ladder built into the southeast corner accesses the large, open hayloft above. Woodshed:The woodshed is a small, square massed cabin with a low-pitched gable roof. The roof, which is covered with non-original corrugated metal, is supported by six purlins and a ridgepole which project out across the front. Constructed with logs joined in a modified square notch, the original chinking has fallen out. Due to shrinkage, the present owner filled the spaces between the logs with lengths of small-diameter, unpeeled poles. The doorway is centered in the east wall housing a braced plank door.Smokehouse: The smokehouse is a small log building with a gable roof located on the western edge of Indian Meadows Creek. The building, now collapsed, is constructed of round-notched, axe-cut logs. A gable roof is supported on four purlins and a ridgepole; these project across the front to cover an open porch deck. The interior consists of a single room, having a small, square log crib in the southwest corner, a wooden bench along the north wall. No door remains in the doorway, which opens to the east. The opening is framed with poles. There is no foundation so the earth beneath forms the floor.Blacksmith Shop:The blacksmith shop is a square massed building with a steep gable roof. Built of frame construction with pole rafters, it is sheathed on the exterior with vertical board siding. A paneled wooden door framed with milled lumber is set off center on the west elevation. On the east elevation, a standard-sized window opening has been boarded in. A single, horizontal window opening is placed on the south. On the interior, planking covers walls and floor and there is no foundation. Brands burned into the walls link the building to early stock raising at the ranch. There are remnants of other buildings on the property including an icehouse and root cellar. 

The State of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records indicate the following water rights are appurtenant to the property:A flood irrigation right for July 1st – September 1st from Indian Meadow Creek for 60 acres with a maximum flow rate of 2.27 CFS (Priority Date is 1949)A year round stock water right of 1 acre foot from the Landers Fork (Priority date is 1940)A year round stock water right of 1 acre foot from Silver King Lake (Priority date is 1940)A year round stock water right of .3 acre feet from an unnamed pothole (Priority date is 1940)A domestic groundwater right with a maximum flow rate of 10 GPM (Priority date is 1914)A domestic groundwater right with a maximum flow rate of 2 GPM (Priority date is 1914)

Historically, the ranch has been managed for timber. However, the “Snow-Talon” fire burned through the area in 2003 charring much of the landscape but regeneration is strong and proper management will yield future harvests. 

Annual taxes are approximately $3,183.65

The ranch is rich with wildlife habitat and harbors strong populations of elk and deer. A wide variety of other Montana native species also utilize the area, including bears, moose, raptors, wolves and assorted small game. There are stands of aspen, open meadows, marshy areas, conifer forests and native range. Quality cutthroat trout fishing can be had on the ranch with its extensive frontage on the Landers Fork of the Blackfoot River. Though it has not been stocked in many years, it appears the lake also has tremendous potential as a fishery. Lincoln and the surrounding area offer one of the best locations for the active outdoor enthusiast. Fly fishing on the Blackfoot and its larger tributaries is extraordinarily good. The salmon fly hatch in mid-June is especially famous, but quality dry fly fishing occurs from April through October. The fall offers some of the best big game hunting in Montana directly on the property and in the surrounding national forest and wilderness areas. Winter provides an abundance of over the snow options ranging from snowshoeing to snowmobiling. There are trails covering hundreds of miles in and around the Lincoln and upper Blackfoot area while the Great Divide Ski Area, less than 35 miles away, provides the alpine enthusiast the convenience of lift-served skiing.

At one time or another throughout its history, operations at Silver King Ranch consisted of mining, ranching, raising horses, dude ranching and logging. The current owners are a family that purchased the ranch in 1963 and have used it mainly as a summer retreat. 

The current owners grazed cattle on the ranch during the spring, summer and fall months from May until October, but have not done so in recent years. A new owner will find a productive grazing resource here.