Conrad Kohrs was a Montana Territory and Montana State cattle Baron and politician. He was a German who immigrated to the U.S. and became a citizen in 1857. He traveled to the gold mining camps of Montana Territory in 1862. He built butcher shops and sold beef to the miners. He was also a prominent member of the Montana Vigilantes in 1863-1865 in Virginia City and Bannack with R.S. Ford, Granville Stuart and many others to bring law enforcement to a very wild and dangerous area of thieves and road agents. In 1866 he began ranching in Deer Lodge, M.T. At his peak he owned 50,000 head of cattle. He became known as "Montana's Cattle King". Many movie and TV cattle barons were later based on his life. He also developed modern methods of breeding, fencing, and storing feed to protect his cattle against the brutal Montana winters.
He was county Commissioner in 1869, a member of the territorial assembly in 1885, and a member of the State Constitutional Convention in 1889. He , like R.S. Ford and Granville Stuart, also served as the President of the Stock Growers Association during the 1880's Vigilante movement. He died in 1920 in Deer Lodge at age 84.
