John Clayton's Page

Happily Ever Aftering on a Montana Cattle Ranch

When Caroline Lockhart moved to her homestead in Dryhead, Montana, in 1926, she was trying to enact in real life the sort of "happily ever after" experience she had described in her Western fiction. Though little-known today, Lockhart (1871-1962) in the 1910s wrote six novels, three of which were made into movies, and all of which culminated in the hero retiring to a cattle ranch. Lockhart based her novels on her real-life experiences—and vice-versa. So can a single, liberated woman with a tendency to romanticize succeed at running a 1920s ranch? As we chase down this narrative, illustrated by photos of the individuals and setting and based on the climax of The Cowboy Girl, I hope to provoke discussion of women’s issues, ranching in fiction and real life, and conflicts between individualism and community.

Neonatives in Montana

A “neonative,” as conceived by the late historian Hal Rothman, is a person who moves to his or her “hometown” as an adult. The neonative’s relationship to that community is almost as strong and complex as—though quite different from—that of the native. Often neonatives come to a place for its qualities, but inadvertently change it into the place they left behind. Is that good or bad? How have neonatives affected your community, or Montana as a whole? Are there typical characteristics of a neonative (for example, a passion for community, a perception of classlessness, or a continual clash between the values that community life suggests and the values with which they were actually raised)? These questions don’t necessarily have answers, but they should provoke interesting discussions of community history and values.