Teddy Blue Abbott Crossing the Musselshell

In 1883 Edward C. “Teddy Blue” Abbott trailed a sizable herd of Texas Longhorn cattle north to Montana Territory as Texas cattlemen looked to free grazing and the territory’s expansive grasslands to help meet the nation’s growing demand for beef. Cattle barons depended on cowboys such as Abbott to drive large herds north from Texas, and Abbott later led the trail drive of a second herd on the Western Trail. He afterward settled in Montana and served as cow boss for Granville Stuart’s DHS Ranch near Fort Maginnis in central Montana. He deepened his ties to the state by marrying Stuart’s daughter Mary, establishing his own outfit, the 3 Deuce Ranch, near Giltedge, and promoting the cattle industry as a member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. His life as a cowboy is reflected in We Pointed them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher, created in collaboration with Helena Hunt Smith.

Roundup, Montana · United States