Collection SummaryHenry Sieben was a Montana pioneer freighter, rancher, and businessman who came to the region with John Bozeman in 1864 when he was seventeen and built a thriving and lasting ranching enterprise. However, he remains one of Montana’s least known historical figures. This collection of oral histories, conducted with some of Henry’s former business associates and friends, shines a light on Henry’s life and significant contribution to Montana history including: participation in large cattle drives, ranching sheep and cattle, homesteading, surviving weather disasters, social and economic development in Montana, political storms, a world war and the arrival of the railroad and automobile.
Whitney Hibbard conducted this collection of interviews in the 1980s to capture stories about his ancestor Henry Sieben (1847-1937). The initial goal for these interviews was to fill out gaps in family history so the interview style is informal and conversational. The Foundation for Montana History digitized the audio cassettes and transcribed the interviews in 2021 and 2022. A portion of the digitizing and transcription costs for this project was offset by ARPA funding from the Montana State Library. Contributing InstitutionThe Foundation for Montana History
