Granville Stuart wore many Montana hats. He was a pioneer, gold digger, businessman, Vigilante, cattleman, author, and diplomat. He became known as "Mr. Montana after he died. He and his brother James arrived in the soon to be Montana Territory as early as 1857. They dealt in horses and cattle. Then they followed the gold rush to Virginia City and Bannack. In Bannack, the brothers open a butcher shop. Between 1863-1864 he was deeply involved with R.S. Ford, Edgerton, and others in the Vigilante movement in the area. He later served in several public offices until 1879 when he worked as a bookkeeper for Samuel Hauser's bank in Helena, M.T. In 1880 he created his ranch, the DHS in what is now Fergus County. In 1884, he helped create a Vigilante group later called in history "Stuart's Stranglers". He became the Secretary of the Montana Stock Growers Association under R.S. Ford and other prominent Cattlemen. He was involved with the hiring of "Stock Detectives" who were no more than hired gunmen authorized by the Vigilantes to run off or kill horse and cattle rustlers in the area. They killed about 20 of them. In 1885, he became President of the Association. In 1890, he went broke and lost his DHS ranch. In 1893 he became Minister Plenipotentiary to Uruguay and Paraguay. After he returned home, he held only minor jobs until he died in 1918. This image is dated 1873 and is one of a few early images of him. It is personally signed by him.
