Rankin Ranch, Historic ranch and single-story house in Townsend, Montana
Rankin Ranch is a house and property north of Townsend that spans about 14,000 acres of open prairie surrounded by mountain ranges and national forest land. The main house features a recessed porch with fieldstone supports and sits in Broadwater County near the Big Belt Mountains.
Jeannette Rankin, elected as the first woman to the US House of Representatives in 1916, used the property as her summer residence from 1923 to 1956. This period marks when she stepped back from elected office to live on the remote property in Montana.
The ranch served as a personal retreat for Jeannette Rankin, the first female member of Congress, where she lived out her values away from political pressures. Visitors can sense how this remote setting allowed her to maintain her independence and reflect on her pacifist beliefs.
The ranch is located off the main highway north of Townsend, so a vehicle is needed to reach it. Visitors should prepare for remote surroundings and variable weather, particularly during winter months.
Workers discovered a newspaper from 1878 hidden in the rafters during renovations, suggesting some parts of the structure may predate the official 1923 construction date. This discovery hints at a more complex building history than typical for homes in this region.
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