Artist: Othmar J. Hoffler (1893–1954)
Robert Simpson Ford
FORD, ROBERT SIMPSON (1842–1914), inducted between 1936–1939
Along with Conrad Kohrs and Dan Flowerree, Robert S. Ford was one of the first men to drive cattle into Montana Territory, in 1870. Born in Simpson County, Kentucky, Ford moved to Montana Territory in 1864, as a freighting wagon master. In 1871, he established one of the largest ranches in the region, near Sun River Crossing, with cattle from Texas. He was a founder of the Montana Stockgrowers Association in 1879, serving as its first president. He also was a member of the controversial Sun River Rangers, a group of men who combated cattle rustling, sometimes with violence. Ford sold his holdings just before the devastating winter of 1886–1887, when many ranchers lost their herds. In 1891, he moved to Great Falls and established Great Falls National Bank. Robert Ford was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1958.
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 89