Pierre Wibaux

Pierre Wibaux (January 12, 1858 – March 21, 1913) was a French cattle owner and rancher in Montana and North Dakota at the turn of the 20th century. He immigrated from his native France to seek business opportunities in America and was among the most successful in the second wave of "Frontier Cowboys". He earned the title "Cattle King of Eastern Montana" due to his extensive holdings.

Early life Wibaux was born on January 12, 1858, to a prosperous family of textile industrialists in Roubaix, France. His father, Achille, ran the family textile factory he had inherited from his own father, Desiré Joseph Wibaux. It was expected that Pierre would continue the family business.

Cattle ranching In 1883, Wibaux immigrated to America and traveled to Chicago. There he spent time in the Stock Yards learning about the cattle market. He and his new wife Mary Ellen, who he met earlier in England, lived in his simple log cabin on the creek until he built a proper house. The 80 x 36 frame house was completed in 1885.

The nearby town was named after Wibaux's former partner Gus Grisy and his wife Minnie, who worked the post office and saloon. He also built another ranch area sixty miles north of Wibaux and several cabins forty miles apart on the Yellowstone River.

The range cattle industry experienced rapid growth in the early 1880's. Also, the shortage of beef available ensured high sale prices for Wibaux's stock for the following 3 years.

In 1889 Wibaux sold his entire stock of horses to Green Mountain Ranching Company in Forsyth.

He was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2012.

The Pierre Wibaux Museum includes the home he shared with his wife and son. The W-Bar Ranch house was destroyed in a fire in the 1920s.

Death Toward the end of his life, Wibaux wintered in Paris where his wife Nellie and son Cyril lived. They are buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. He died in St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, on March 21, 1913. The total value of his estate was appraised at $515,414. Additionally over $100,000 in dividends, interest, and rent were added.