Henry Sieben and the Montana Story

About This Audiobook

Perhaps no life is more emblematic of Montana's transition from a wild and contested territory to a settled and vibrant state than that of Henry Sieben (1848-1937). He arrived in Montana in 1864 with John Bozeman's first wagon train. A seventeen-year-old German immigrant, he was intent on making his fortune, and his story and that of the state are inextricably linked. From gold mining to freighting, from open range to homesteading, and from soldier/bachelor society to permanent family farms and businesses, Henry Sieben participated in all the major economic and social developments of Montana itself. From penniless teenager to prosperous business owner and family man, Sieben established a legacy that continues in two of the largest and longest-held family ranches in Montana today. This biography uses a wealth of previously unavailable sources to examine the life of pioneer rancher and businessman Henry Sieben and his deep connection to Montana history.

Details

Author: Ciara Ryan
Narrator: Craig R. Sieben
Runtime: 08:50:53
ISBN: 9781971980195

About the Author

Ciara Ryan researched and prepared Henry Sieben's biography while in the employ of the Foundation for Montana History. Originally from Limerick, Ireland, Ciara fell in love with Montana as a Fulbright Scholar in 2010 and has been researching Montana history and teaching Irish, Spanish, and French languages ever since. She earned her PhD from University College of Cork and has published numerous articles on the Irish language and history in Montana. Ciara is a Lecturer with the Department of Celtic Langueages and Literature at Harvard University.

Reviews

Many Montana maps – especially the older ones – show sites named for pioneers. Sanders, Hedges, and Brown's Gulch are a few. The names are often familiar but details about the namesakes are scant. Sieben is another name on the map, found north of Helena. For the curious seeking to learn about the location's namesake, Henry Sieben and the Montana Story by Ciara Ryan offers answers. Henry Sieben, a quintessential capitalist on the American frontier, became one of Montana's more substantial citizens. A self-made man, he would claim in his later years that "I paddled my own canoe". Born in Germany, Sieben emigrated to America with his family and moved west in 1864 along with his brother Leonard and two companions. They joined John Bozeman's wagon train and arrived in Virginia City in late July to search for gold. Having little success, Sieben hired himself out as a farm laborer. From there, he branched into freighting, trailing supplies to and from Fort Benton, Helena, Salt Lake City, and Corinne, Utah. Next came cattle and sheep ranching. He and Leonard ran cattle in various areas on Montana's open range. As time went by, they added sheep to the inventory. Henry Sieben also dabbled in real estate, mining, and other businesses that took him throughout the state. Community minded, he established the first school in the Chestnut Valley. He was a loving family man and a shrewd but fair businessman who acquired many friends over the years and earned a great deal of respect from even casual acquaintances. His family home in Helena is now a historic landmark, and in 2012 he was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Ryan's thorough research has lifted the shroud on Henry Sieben and his family, a noteworthy accomplishment when considering Sieben kept his personal and professional accomplishments private and left no detailed journal or biography. Ryan has overcome this drawback by utilizing family papers, corporate and government records, oral interviews, newspapers, and journals – an effort that required meticulous hours of study at numerous repositories in the state. As a result, Ryan skillfully intertwines Sieben's life and the times he lived in, including the challenges he and many other early Montana settlers experienced. This opens the reader to all aspects of Sieben and his family. The scholarship is impressive and the text flows smoothly, making the book very readable and enjoyable. Clearly a work that is a must for all students of Montana history, Henry Sieben and the Montana Story does not disappoint.

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