The Writings of John A. Rhone 1880s - 1910
John A. Rhone grew up in the Little Bitterroot Valley in western Montana. His father started the first newspaper in the valley in 1911. In the 1960s Rhone wrote a column for the “Hot Springs Citizen Newspaper,” titled “Silver Spurs & Rawhide Ropes,” defining the early stories of the area. In this writing, Rhone stated, “I hope to give an account of each early day cattleman. A record of some kind is due those men and their wives.” Sometime before 1890, John Herman came to land adjoining the Flathead Indian Reservation in the Hog Heaven district located north of Niarada. During the first few years of his ranch career, so the story goes, John Herman concentrated on raising horses. He had acquired a sizeable herd of Indian pony mares, crossed them with Percheron stallions, creating a horse of good size, fair disposition with plenty of speed. Not being satisfied with this he crossed the product of this with Morgan stallions and later on the product of the latter crossed with Standard bred stallions. The result of this breeding program being a strain of horses that was not to be excelled in cow country. For at least four decades the Herman ranch horses, bearing the “Round Top T” brand on their left thigh were known as the top of the line in cow horses. Rhone states that to his knowledge the “Round Top T,” brand was the earliest recorded brand in the State of Montana, having been recorded by John Herman’s father when he resided in Butte. Rhone’s column also left a record of the earliest Indian’s living in the valleys. According to Rhone, Coyola was a Nez Perce who established a ranch where the Little Bitterroot emptied into the Flathead, now known as Sloan’s Bridge. Coyola owned quite a large number of horses and some cattle. Coyola, as told to Rhone, was around when a band of Indians annihil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