We love history, and the thing about the west is that the history is so recent. When two of our kids went to one of the last one room schools in the county, history class often meant we would pile the entire school, all seven kids, into the suburban with our teacher, Mrs Sanders. We would then pack in several grandparents who would tell us everything they knew about the many well known and unknown historical sites in the county. Then the students would paint a mural on long rolls of cardboard of the days most exciting find..

The Agnew Ranch was established as Lucerne Ranch in 1904 by Jacob Hoyem, one of the many Norwegian immigrants that came to Big Timber in the late 1800,s to herd sheep. His first homestead was north about 15 miles on Wild Cat Creek. In the early 1900's he bought a ranch on the Lower Sweet Grass Creek and proceeded to build the most modern agricultural operation in Sweet Grass County. He built a show place including a large barn, many outbuildings, an extensive irrigation system  and a victorian home complete with the first bathroom in the county. 

The ranch includes a way station for the stage coach, as well as the one room Howie School. Several years ago we bought and moved a clapboard cottage built in 1912 by the ranchers of Rapelje for their new Parson. It fits in well. 

Howie was the first settlement in the area, and a historical marker two miles to the south of us was the site of the very first school in Sweet grass and Park counties. The ranch is filled with history. Every few years Jacob Hoyem's grandchildren return from Norway to visit with their grandchildren in tow. Just when we think we have heard it all, there are always more stories..