A Fortuitous Detour

Granville Stuart made a left turn—and made Montana history.

Granville Stuart made a huge mark on Montana during its early years. He was a cattleman, a land baron, successful prospector, businessman, vigilante leader, and many more things (and seemingly successful at each). But how he got to Montana was a bit unusual.

He and his brother James went to California during the gold rush period. In 1857, they decided to visit the old homestead in Iowa.  But the Mormon War in Utah blocked their path. They decided to take a detour to the north and ended up in Montana.  And the rest was history.