August 28, 2025 - Timpson Area Genealogy and Heritage Society was honored to be the first group to which Bill O'Neal introduced his new book, "Miles City: Rollicking Cow Capital of the Montana Frontier". He addressed the Society August 20 in the Timpson Public Library annex.
Mr. O'Neal, a popular history professor at Panola College for decades, has authored about 60 books of a historical nature. His enthusiasm for the subject of these books is easily communicated to his audience. Mr. O'Neal's accolades include two terms as Texas State Historian.
Mr. O'Neal began by telling his audience that if his book was not "hot off the press", it was very warm, having been released five days prior to presentation. He dedicated this book to Billy Huckaby of Wildhorse Media Group, with whom he had a handshake deal to publish this work.
Mr. O'Neal first became interested in Miles City when he was working on a book on historic ranches. He later spent a week in Miles City in 1995, becoming a member of Range Rider's Museum, the owner of this establishment possessing a wealth of information on this frontier town and its evolution.
Having written books on several Frontier towns such as Tombstone and Lampassas, Mr. O'Neal found Miles City, Montana to be a bit different, without the many shootouts in some of these towns. There were drunken brawls, but the soldiers from nearby Fort Keogh were required to leave their arms on base. The first known altercation resulting in a gunshot death was fought over a prostitute in 1887. Bill Reece, owner of a popular saloon, was fatally wounded by Dr. Chester B. Lebscher. The object of the quarrel, Clara Clifton, was later arrested on murder charges in another death in Bismarck.
For the most part, however, Miles City was know as a party town. There were three variety theaters. Female hustlers sold drinks and "other services" from raised boxes in these. Someone slashed someone else's throat from one of these boxes. Prostitutes and their houses of ill repute operated openly. Miles City was known as a man's town, with the prostitutes referred to as the Demimonde. Someone noted that with 23 saloons in Miles City, at least one church was needed.
How did Miles City come to be?
The US had been aware of the confluence of the Yellowstone and Tongue Rivers since the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1806. General Phil Sheridan had long lobbied for a military presence in this location to deal with the Indian problem. However, as now, congress was slow to act on his recommendation.
In June of 1876, the year of the nation's Centennial, George Custer and his troops were annihilated in a battle with 10,000 Indians in the Battle of Little Big Horn. Custer, who graduated last in his class at West Point, had earned a reputation in the Civil War for his daring military maneuvers. He married well, and by age 21 or 22, had been awarded two stars. At Little Big Horn, he had unwisely split his men into several groups. This allowed the Indians an easy massacre of Custer's troops.
Custer's defeat galvanized congress to appropriate $200,000. for two forts. What became Fort Keogh was built at the Tongue and Yellowstone confluence. General Nelson Miles, an ambitious amd capable man, built this fort and campaigned against the Indians.
Named after Myles Keogh, the Fort had a large staff of officers who were college graduates. The women were refined, and planned social events. There was even a regimental band.
Miles City, named after General Miles, grew into a support city for the fort. In addition to saloons, there were restaurants, theaters, churches, hardware stores, etc. Miles City offered opportunities and challenges. The area was served on the rivers by flatboats, seventy feet long and capable of carrying 10 tons. By 1860, Mississippi steam boats had been adapted for the shallower river waters. Water transportation declined with the advent of railroads, freight wagons, and stage coaches.
By the early 1880s, the beef boom was at its height. There were modest cattle ranches in the more mountainous western Montana. Eastern Montana was grassland. By 1883, 600,000 head of cattle had been driven into Eastern Montana. With the coming of the railroad, cattle drives were coming from Texas. Someone voiced this sentiment, "All the cattle in the world seemed to be coming from Texas." On the trail from Texas, trail drivers were never out of sight of another herd. One reported seeing seven herds behind him and eight ahead. People came to watch herds cross raging water.
Miles City had the best cattle yards, and Montana ranches became finishing ranches. The largest of these was the XIT, a branch of the massive XIT ranch in Texas. Encompassing 3,000,000 acres, there was 6,00 miles of barbed wire. Ranches were plagued by rustlers and rancher, Theodore Roosevelt, in Miles City, scheme against the rustlers. Nineteen hustlers were caught or gunned down.
By 1908, Fort Keogh was shut down because there was no longer threatening activity to justify it to remain. A little later it became a remount station, providing horses for the US calvary. This endeavor, too, ended with the increasing mechanization of the military. Of course, the end of the garrison at Firt Keogh was a blow to Miles City.
The Chappel Brothers Corporation (CBC), of Rockford Illinois,was formed during the Great War, shipping horse meat overseas for human consumption. Phillip Chappel learned of the many unclaimed horses in Montana. CBC then incorporated in Montana, with corporate offices in Miles City. The company hired talented young cowboys with stamina, to round up and brand these horses. The cowboys were very well paid.
Today, there is Range Rider's Museum in Miles City. An annual Bucking Horse Sale is a 3-day event. Mr. O'Neal believes the residents of present day Miles City would have felt at home in the early days of that city, and that long ago residents would likewise feel at home in modern Miles City. He quotes William Faulkner. "The past is never dead. It is not even past."
