The Butler family, Cora not pictured.
Vance and Jean Butler still farm at the home place. They still live in the house built by Wesley for his wife Mary in 1913. It's been remodeled of course, but it was and still is an amazing home. So much family connected to the house.
Farming stills runs in his blood too. He still loves it. "It's a good way of life. It's a struggle at times with commodity prices being where there at, but it's better than a 9-5, I think. I'd rather work 5-9. I work till it's dark."
When you ask why he still likes to farm even though profit's are down and it's hard work, he said, "I can work at my own pace. Get things done that I need to get done. We live in a good community. Neighbors help neighbors. And that's a good thing." As an example, even though Vance had hours of work to do when he got home, he had come in that morning to help a friend and stopped at the Mountaineer to give us the history of his farm. Because of Jean's neck surgery Vance has to do the farm work by himself these years. She wants to help, but it's just not possible. However, Vance believes farm life is worth celebrating and exploring. We are our history.
Jerry Skallure and her granddaughter wrote the history of the Butler and Skallure family farm histories. The following is an excerpt from those histories. "Early in 1913, Wesley Butler and his wife Mary Catherine arrived by train in Big Sandy, Montana from Wisconsin. Both them and their married son Chester, their youngest son Arthur, and son-in-law Archie Reed who was married to their daughter Cora (who homestead the Skaluure place). Wesley, Chester and Archie filed for homesteads approximately 21 miles southeast of Big Sandy. Archie's homestead was ¾ mi. east of Wesley's. Chester bordered his parents on the west."
"Trains made up of emigrant cars brought livestock and other worldly possessions for the homesteaders. May lived in Big Sandy while the home sites were being built. Building was he job. Lumber had to be hauled from Big Sandy by team and wagon. It was a two-day trip there and back. Water was hauled from local springs until wells could be dug. Sometimes the water was not good enough for drinking, so more hauling."
"Mary liked the house that they had left in Wisconsin, so one like it was built at the homestead. It was a two-story farm house with a porch. It was nothing like the shacks built by many of the homesteaders. Barns and other outbuildings were built to accommodate horse, cattle, pigs, chickens, etc. Land was gradually plowed and planted to oats, barley or wheat. Cattle were raised for milk and meat, pigs for meat, and chickens for eggs and meat. Big gardens were raised to provide fresh vegetable with enough to can for winter's use. Meats were cured or canned."
"Chester Butler was a barber. After establishing his homestead, Chester went to Big Sandy and set up a barbershop on the west side of the tracks. That was where the business district was at the time. Not long after, lightning struck the building and it was destroyed. The Butlers moved back to the homestead. In July 1914, Chester's wife Christine died of complications following the birth of their son Merrill. Chester and his sister Cora accompanied Christine's body back to Wisconsin for burial. Wesley and Mary took care of baby Merrill and decided to continue to raise the boy. Sometime later, Chester moved back to Big Sandy and joined the Conklin brothers in their barbershop which at the time was near where Pep's is now located. He later joined Dan Cushman at this barbershop. In 1924, Chester left Big Sandy, moved to California and remarried." His son Merrill graduated in 1933 from Big Sandy and then moved to California to join his father.
"Arthur Butler married Vioka Beck, a neighbor girl. They lived at the home place. Ellsworth and Leatrice are their children. Arthur continued to farm the land. When he retired, he and Vioka built a house in Big Sandy. Ellsworth and his wife Lois(Drake), moved to the farm. Ellsworth's son Vance and his wife Jean now live in the house built for Mary Catherine. It has since been remodeled. Vance and his family are the fourth and fifth generation to live there."
