[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 58 (Friday, March 27, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E283-E284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE GRANT-KOHRS RANCH NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN DEER LODGE, 
               MONTANA IN CELEBRATION OF AMERICA'S 250TH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RYAN K. ZINKE

                               of montana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 27, 2026

  Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 250th year since 
our Nation's founding by recognizing the legacy of Conrad Kohrs and the 
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge, Montana for 
their historical impact on the American West.
  Grant-Kohrs Ranch was established as a unit of the National Park 
Service in 1972; the ranch preserves the story of the frontier cattle 
industry and the people whose determination and grit helped to shape 
the American West. What began as a modest ranch in 1862, founded by 
John Francis Grant, was later purchased and expanded by Conrad Kohrs in 
1866. Through vision and hard work, Kohrs transformed the property into 
one of the largest open-range cattle empires in the country, operating 
over 10 million acres and earning him the nickname ``the Cattle King of 
Montana.''
  Conrad Kohrs became a United States citizen in 1857 after years of 
travelling and working in the American south. Conrad made his way to 
the Montana Territory in 1862 looking for gold and found it not in the 
mines, but in cattle. Kohrs recognized the growing demand for beef 
among miners and settlers. Conrad purchased the ranch in 1867 and by 
the 1880's held fifty-thousand grazing cattle.
  Today, the ranch still stands as a museum that tells the story of a 
different era when millions of cattle roamed freely across the western 
plains. The historical site spans more than

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1,600 acres and contains over 90 historic structures from preserved 
barns and blacksmith shops to the grand ranch house that once served as 
the center of a thriving cattle empire. Visitors can walk the same 
grounds where cowpunchers once saddled their horses, tended livestock, 
and prepared cattle drives that helped supply a growing nation with 
beef and agricultural prosperity.
  Grant-Kohrs Ranch offers an immersive look into daily life on the 
frontier. Guests can watch a range of ranching traditions like cattle 
drives, roping, branding, blacksmithing, and haying. Observing these 
once daily tasks shows how generations of ranch hands and families 
sustained a way of life built on perseverance and responsibility. These 
traditions highlight the ingenuity and work ethic that defined the 
American frontier and contributed to the development of the West and 
still does.
  Mr. Speaker, places like Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site 
remind us that America's history was not built solely in cities, but 
also on wide open landscapes where hard work and resilience shaped the 
future of our country. By preserving the story of the frontier cattle 
era, this historic site ensures that future generations can learn from 
and appreciate the people who helped define the American West.
  Mr. Speaker, on the 250th anniversary of the United States, it is 
important to look back at our country's history and the people who 
shaped it. The story of the Grant-Kohrs Ranch shows us the true 
American spirit and the idea of the American dream.

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