The Rankin Ranch is a historic

ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

off Montana Highway 284, north of

Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...

in rural

Broadwater County, Montana Broadwater County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,774. Its county seat is Townsend. The county was named for Charles Arthur Broadwater, a noted Montana railroad, real estate, and banking ma ...

. A

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, it was a longtime summer residence of

Jeannette Rankin Jeannette Pickering Rankin (June 11, 1880 – May 18, 1973) was an American politician and women's rights advocate who became the first woman to hold federal office in the United States in 1917. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representat ...

(1880-1973), whose 1916 election to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

made her the first woman elected to the House. Her legacy includes a penchant for

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

, and social reform. She served another term from 1941 to 1943 when she was the only member of the House to oppose the declaration of war against Japan in 1941. A small portion of the ranch was designated a

and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1976. and

Description and history

The Rankin Ranch is located on the southwestern flank of the

Big Belt Mountains The Big Belt Mountains are a section of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Situated mainly in the Helena National Forest, the mountains are used for logging and recreation for the surrounding residents. Nearby are the cities of He ...

, between Montana Highway 284 and

Helena National Forest Helena National Forest is located in west-central Montana, in the United States. Covering , the forest is broken into several separate sections. The eastern regions are dominated by the Big Belt Mountains, and are the location of the Gates of the ...

. The ranch consists of about of land, most of which is open

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

. The ranch complex is located on Avalanche Gulch Road, a county road providing access to the national forest, just southwest of the national forest boundary, and is screened by a number of trees. The main house is a modest single-story clapboarded frame structure. The front facade, facing roughly west, is set behind a recessed porch supported by fieldstone posts. The interior, of the house, and the accompanying ranch outbuildings, are not architecturally distinguished. The ranch house is believed to have been built in 1923 by Dan Flouree, the same year the initial parcel of the ranch was purchased by Wellington Rankin, brother of Jeanette Rankin. This ranch became the regular summer home for Jeanette from then until 1956. Of all of the places she lived, it is the place where she spent the most of her time during the height of her political influence. Elected in 1916 to the

, she was the first woman elected to Congress. She was a strong

pacificist Pacificism is the general term for ethical opposition to violence or war unless force is deemed necessary. Together with pacifism, it is born from the Western tradition or attitude that calls for peace. The former involves the unconditional refus ...

, opposing American entry into both

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

; in 1941, she was the only member of Congress to oppose the war declaration after the December

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

. She was a supporter of socially progressive legislation, working to secure

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. An area of surrounding the homestead was designated a

in 1976, in recognition of Rankin's historic role.

References

{{Montana National Historic Landmarks in Montana Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana Houses in Broadwater County, Montana Houses completed in 1923 National Register of Historic Places in Broadwater County, Montana Ranches on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana 1923 establishments in Montana

Ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

Description and history

See also

References