Lifetime Leaders of Rodeo & Ranching Rodeo Ranching Great Westerner Western Entertaiment & Arts Rodeo Producers & Livestock Special Achievement Cowboy Long Rider Legacy Award

Ranching

Birdhead Ranch
2002 Hall of Fame Ranching Inductee

 The Birdhead Ranch, McKenzie County's second largest, was established in 1891 by Joseph and Robert Stroud. Located on the Missouri River bottoms southeast of Williston, it was sold to Landers and Green in 1892 and to the Morning Star Cattle Company-Jeff Hanley; Cornelius, Robert and Elijah Jaynes; Martin and Thad Uhlman; James McEwen "Mac" Uhlman; and other small investors from Wisconsin.

  In 1905, a small log building on the ranch was leased to McKenzie County for its first courthouse. The town of Alexander developed around it. A large house was moved to the site from Fort Buford and used as the county's first post office.

  Frank Banks bought the ranch in 1904. In the spring of 1913, he bought 150 registered Hereford cows. He sold half of the ranch to Anders Madson in 1917 and retired to Williston where he died in 1920. Madson became sole owner of the ranch with its 800 head of cattle and 75 horses.

  He was named North Dakota's outstanding cattleman in the late 1930s and a charter member of the North Dakota Stockmen's Association in 1941. The Garrison District Real Estate Division bought the ranch's bottomland in 1952.

  Madson then retired, leaving operations to his son-in-law and grandson, Oren and James Forthun. By 1972, the building site was abandoned because it was often flooded by Garrison Dam waters. The range- and farm-land were sold to various parties. The ranch site was named an historic site in 1986 and, in 1997, the ranch house.

  James Anderson bought the 2,677-acre ranch and the Birdhead brand in March 1996. In 2002, the operation and eventual ownership will go to Dustin Ceynar, great-great-grandson of cofounder James "Mac" Uhlman.