Matthew Heinrich Tschirgi
Largest Land Owner

[Billings Gazette, October 20, 1963]

Revised 4 March 2003

Matt was born on the Crow Indian Reservation 12 February 1866, son of George and Maria Theresa Tschirgi. [Maria Theresa Heinrich was born 1 August 1861 in Dubuque, IA, George Tschirgi was born 13 March 1861 in Dubuque, IA; and died 4 January 1936 from a cerebral hemorrhage. George’s father, Matthew Tschirgi was born in Germany; Marie’s father, Frank Heinrich was born in Metz, Loraine, France.]  At age 13 Matt got his first taste of cattle business when he worked for his uncle, Frank Heinrich. He continued to ride herd for his uncle until his death on 27 October 1928 in Billings, MT. After that he went into business for himself. He married Bertha Weidman in 1915 about the same time that the first buildings were erected on a ranch ten miles south of Wyola, MT. Later the ranch became known as the Antler Ranch, or more simply put “the Tschirgi Spread.” After a short while the place resembled a small town, with dwellings for Matt and Bertha, Frank and Margaret Tschirgi and their two daughters, and for Clara and Robert Thomas and their son and daughter. There were homes for a few permanent employees, a big log bunkhouse, a mess hall, machine shop and several other buildings necessary for the ranch operation. The gravel driveways were immaculately maintained. Lawns and flowerbeds surrounded the white-framed houses. Prior to WWII Matt was a prosperous stockman, but the war suddenly created the means to make the ranch much larger.

Matt had a cattle competitor near by, who was leasing 300,000 acres of land from the Crow Reservation. The Crows were unhappy with the lease agreement, and Matt had an opportunity to acquire the lease for use as grazing land for cattle. The negotiations stalled, and after many months of coordination with his neighbors and the Crow Tribal leaders, it appeared that nothing would happen.  Without warning, the Indian Department advised him that the lease was his if he wanted.  This required exhaustive financing and cooperation with other ranchers to gain their support in the grazing rights, but he succeeded. He operated the stock on collateral loan from bankers until they were sold, but Matt and Bertha virtually owned one entire bank “Wyola’s Little Horn State Bank”. Neighboring ranchers ran their stock on his ranch, and he received a percentage of the summer’s gain when the cattle were sold. 

Tragedy struck the ranch when in October 1952, Frank’s wife Margaret committed suicide. Reasons were unclear, but rumors implied that it was over money. This started a long list of tragedies and prompted the sale of portions of the ranch to John R Scott & Sons in September 1958 for $1,772,155.35 [court records]. In January 1959 Matt & Bertha set up a revocable-trust with a Helena bank, listing the Scott contract as its sole asset. Beneficiaries after the death of Matt & Bertha were to be Clara Thomas [daughter of Matt & Bertha] and her two children. Matt revoked the trust shortly before his death.

Matt & Bertha Tschirgi

            Frank & Margaret Tschirgi

            Clara Tschirgi [Mrs Robert Thomas]

                        Twyla Thomas

                        David Thomas

·         Twyla, a student at University of Colorado, was on Christmas vacation at the ranch, when she was struck with a cerebral hemorrhage, and died December 29, 1961.

·         Bertha died November 18, 1962.

·         Matt’s gardener, Harry Mikami, died from an apparent heart attack November 1962. His body was found in the charred ruins of his home & garage.

·         Frank Tschirgi was shot March 11, 1963. He was found in the living room of his parent’s home, holding a 30-06 rifle. There were two bullet holes in his chest. His sister Clara had taken an overdose of sleeping pills and was transported to a hospital in Sheridan, WY.  She recovered on March 13^th, and issued a statement to Roy G Riley, Big Horn County sheriff, that she shot her brother in self-defense. At the inquest Clara and other family members refused to confirm or deny the statement. All members took the Fifth Amendment. 

On May 10^th Clara and David filed two claims in the district court; one against the estate of Frank Tschirgi and one against Bertha Tschirgi. Each claim was for one million dollars. Revoked trust and verbal agreements were cited. On June 25^th the three Thomas’ were arrested for first-degree murder. Three local Hardin businessmen provided property bonds for $10,000 each, and they were released pending trial. Note: For those interested, continue with the story in later editions of the Gazette.

Crow Reservation Land Holdings

The true extent of the Tschirgi estate is buried deep in the records of the Indian Agency at Crow Agency. It was reported that in 1958, Matt controlled over 500,000 acres of agency land. It was almost all the land between the Little Big Horn and Big Horn Rivers, and included most of the pastures of the Big Horn mountain range.

A pattern was noted by the Crow Indians in the acquisition of land by Matt, in that he sought to control the water rights. He purchased land where he could, and leased where he could not buy. After that the surrounding land was easily acquired. This was the “classic” plan of cattle barons of the late 19^th century. After Matt’s death on 18 August 1961, records showed that in 1960, after selling off  about 300,000 acres to the Scott’s, he still controlled over 250,000 acres. One year after the Scott sale, he leased another 100,000 acres. Researchers, digging through the agency files after his death, noted that he held 25,000 acres of office leases, 9,067 acres of tribal range land in the Big Horns, and over 150,000 acres leased from individual Indians. Lease expiration dates varied from 1965 to 1968. It was Crow Indian reservation custom that leases were paid for five years in advance.

Additionally, Matt purchased outright from the Crow Indians land they had obtained by fee patents from their allotments. Over 50,000 acres of land titled to Matthew, Bertha and Frank were located; as well as the Antler Land Company and the Little Big Horn Land Company. The Crow Act of 1920 set the limit of agricultural land that can be owned as 1,280 acres, and for grazing at 1,920 acres. This Act was enforced for many years, and then forgotten by all, including the Indian Agency. This clouded titles to over 2/3^rd of the land in the Tschirgi holdings.

According to their family history he leased at one time, about 500,000 acres on the Crow reservation, and continued with the Antler Brand that his father started in 1884. It wasn’t until after WWI that the ranch became a large dynasty when he took over his uncle Frank Heinrich.