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The 320 Guest Ranch's historical
journey began in the year 1898, when Sam Wilson homesteaded
160 acres along the Gallatin River. In 1900, Sam's
father, Clinton, claimed an adjoining 160 acres and
they combined their two properties, naming the stunning
parcel the "Buffalo
Horn Resort."
On January 16, 1936, Dr. Caroline McGill, a woman
far ahead of her time, purchased the ranch from the
Wilson family. As well as being Montana's first woman
doctor and first pathologist, Dr. McGill was an avid
hunter and fisher. She believed that time spent outdoors
was physically and mentally beneficial and bought the
ranch as a retreat for her patients and friends.
Soon after, the ranch's popularity began to grow.
In the summer of 1938, Dr. McGill trucked in a Cadillac
engine to generate power, bringing the ranch electricity
10 years before power lines showed up in the Gallatin
Canyon.
In 1955, Dr. Caroline McGill was
awarded an honorary degree from Montana State University
for her outstanding service to Montana in medicine
and her dedication to Montana's natural resources.
That year, she retired from medicine and settled
here at the ranch permanently, living in a cabin
that the crew finished for her on Christmas-now known as the "Christmas
Cabin."
Over the years, Dr. McGill acquired
an extensive collection of antiques from around Montana,
filling buildings at Montana State University with
items of historical interest. In August of 1956,
she turned the collection into a small museum housed
in an old dairy located on campus. In January 1967,
featuring Dr. McGill's artifacts, the now-famous
Museum of the Rockies opened to the public-although for many years, Bozeman residents
referred to it as "The McGill Museum." In 1998, the
museum opened an exhibit dedicated solely to Dr. McGill's
life. Also, part of her collection at the 320 Ranch
was donated to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bovey to help in
their restoration of Virginia and Nevada Cities (two
historic Montana mining towns now preserved as popular
tourist attractions).
On January 4, 1959, at the age of 79, Caroline McGill
passed away in her Christmas Cabin. In her will, she
gave her good friends, the Goodrich family, the option
to purchase the ranch, which they did, and continued
to manage it until 1987 when the ranch was sold to
Dave Brask, the current owner.
Since then, the 320 Guest Ranch has grown from a capacity
of 20 guests to well over 200. Dr. McGill's original
ranch house was moved to a more secluded setting near
Buffalo Horn Creek, the Christmas Cabin is occupied
by ranch staff, and the original Wilson homestead cabin
is now a part of the 320 Steakhouse. Very few of the
original accommodations could be saved, but even the
new cabins capture the feel of those old buildings,
from the days when Dr. McGill spent the day on the
trail with her guests. Of course the mountains and
the big skies haven't changed a bit.
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