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'''THE MOTT BUFFALO HERD''' By Bruce Mott [[Fanning the Embers]], 1971, Range Rider Reps, Miles City, Montana In 1912 the Miles City Chamber of Commerce decided it would be a good idea to put on a Wild West celebration, complete with cowboys, cowgirls, Indians, bronc riding, calf roping, bull dogging, trick roping, Roman standing races, bands and floats. The show was to be fashioned after the first of its kind which was held in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Mott's Buffalo in the pasture on Moon Creek The Miles City Roundup Association was formed. Hugh Wells was the chairman. Other board members were Wirt Newcom, Charley Wagenbreth, Larry Mott and Rolla Heron. Luther McCarthy was hired as Arena director. It was his idea to have some buffalo on exhibition as an added attraction. Two old cows were shipped in from the Scotty Phillips herd in South Dakota. During the Roundup the old cows were chounced around, ridden, roped and raised cain with generally. After the show was over the directors had two homeless buffalo on their hands with no place to go. Larry Mott solved the problem. He bought them and took them to his ranch at the mouth of Moon Creek. One of the old cows suffered a relapse from the celebration, and in spite of the expert administrations of Doe Swank, the local veterarian, gave up the ghost. The remaining old cow went into seclusion. Mr. Mott decided that one buffalo didn't make a herd, so he sent back to the Scotty Phillips herd for a bull and three heifers. That was the beginning of the Mott buffalo herd. They were kept in a pasture that had to be nine feet high, and even then they occasionally jumped over. Horse pastures only need two to three wires, and cow pastures usually have four wires by comparison. The buffalo pasture bordered the old Yellowstone Trail, and the fine animals became an interesting tourist attraction. Pictures and letters were received from all over the country from people who had seen them. The herd was sold in 1942 and shipped to Wisconsin. Three of the heads were preserved from the herd. They are on exhibition at the Range Riders Museum just west of Miles City on the Tongue River.
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