The N-Bar Ranch is situated on the east side of the Snowy mountains at the head of Flatwillow creek. It was lo¬cated by the Montana Sheep com¬pany in 1880. In 1885 Thomas Cruse of Helena bought out the Montana Sheep Company, land and livestock. In 1888 Mr. Cruse bought all of the Newman Brothers cattle in Montana which had headquartered on Powder River near the Wyoming line. These cattle carried the N-Bar brand, so from then on the Cruse Ranch was known as the N Bar Ranch, with headquarters on upper Flatwillow Creek in southeastern Fergus County. In 1913 Mr. Cruse sold all of his ranch holdings, with the livestock, to the Judith Farms Company, a corporation set up to operate this ranch in small farms. This company was composed of the Bolter family and Mr. Al Smith of Helena and Mr. Austin Warr, Sr., of Lewistown. In the fall of 1929, E.B. Milburn, pur¬chased the Austin Warr Jr.’s interest in the Judith Farms Company. His brother, Jack Milburn, was employed as ranch manager.
