|
Charles M. Bair came to
Montana from Ohio in 1883 as a conductor on the Northern
Pacific Railroad. He married Mary Jacobs from Michigan
in 1886 and they lived in Helena where he continued to work
on the railroad. Marguerite was born there in 1889.
While still working with the railroad, Bair began to invest
in land and sheep, and in 1891 he quit the railroad and
moved his family to a ranch at Lavina.
In 1893, the Bairs moved to Billings where they lived in a
brick home situated where the Alberta Bair theater is today. Alberta
was born in that house in 1895. Bair sold his sheep in 1898 and went
to the Klondike to the gold rush, taking with him thawing machines that
hastened the thawing of the permafrost enabling the miners to access the
gold faster. He also had some good claims and came home a wealthier
man that when he went. Upon returning
to Montana, Bair went back into the sheep business and soon became one of
the largest sheep owners in the United States, at one point running as many
as 300,000 head. He leased a large portion of the Crow reservation,
railroad land and private land. Over
the years he obtained land in the Hardin area, was active in oil and coal
exploration, served as a director of the Billings bank, helped build the Two
Leggin's canal, was active in land settlement and took an active part in the
political scene of the state. In 1910,
Bair moved his family to Portland for Mary's health and the increased
cultural advantages for his girls. That same year he lost the lease on
the reservation. He acquired the Martinsdale Livestock Company and
this house in 1913 and moved his base of operation to the ranch. While
the family continued to live in Portland, they spent their winters in
California and most of the summer in Montana, either at the home ranch,
which was immediately across the highway, or at the Northern Hotel in
Billings. It wasn't until 1934 that the family moved permanently to
this home, known as the John Grant ranch.
Marguerite married Dave Lamb in 1939, Charles died in
1943 and Mary died in 1950. After the deaths of their parents,
Marguerite, Dave and Alberta continued to live in Martinsdale and run the
ranch and other family investments. Dave Lamb passed away in 1973 with
Marguerite following in 1976. Alberta was the last of the family when
she died in 1993 at the age of 97.
Marguerite and Alberta started collecting antiques when they lived in
Billings at the turn of the century. At their home in Portland from
1910 until 1932, they continued to purchase antiques, which they brought
with them to Montana. Following the war years, the sisters made twenty
trips to Europe to collect antique furniture and decorative art. As
the collection was enlarged, they remodeled and added on to their ranch home
in Martinsdale until there were more than twenty rooms.
The Bair family has long been one of the most philanthropic
in the state, providing funds for scholarships, hospitals, museums,
libraries, mental health programs, youth organizations, arts and music.
It was the wish of the Bair sisters to leave their home as a museum - a gift
to the people of Montana and visitors.
The Bair collection is a very eclectic one, blending the cultures of Europe
and Montana. The Bair sister decorated their home with French
furniture, English silver, western paintings, Indian artifacts and Chinese
porcelain. The result is a very warm, interesting home. |
