Henry Sieben and the Montana Story

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.