Eighty-One Years In The West

GEORGE A BRUFFEY

Publication: The Butte Miner Company, 1925, Butte

First edition. Author's copy. 8vo. Printed wrappers, 152 pp., frontis. [portrait of the author], illustration. An historical account of the settling of the Montana Territory. George A. Bruffey, a native of Pocahontas County, Virginia, was born September 24, 1842. When he was two, his family moved to Missouri. Three years later they moved to Marion County, Iowa, where he remained until he was twenty. By 1862, Bruffey traveled to Denver, Colorado, and within a year became part of a freight team headed for the Salmon, Idaho Territory, mines. Once there, the wagon party agreed to continue to Alder Gulch where Bruffey engaged in mining until 1866. Subsequently he moved to the Jefferson River country where he herded cattle, became involved in an unsuccessful toll road venture between Butte and Boulder City, and briefly returned to mining. In 1869, he started the George A. Bruffey Mercantile Company at Fish Creek Station, Madison County, on the Salt Lake Road. He married Matilda Ridlen, a childhood acquaintance, on February 12, 1871. In 1872, Bruffey was elected to the territorial legislature from Madison County. He also served as the Fish Creek postmaster from 1876 until 1889. In 1889, he moved to Park County where he bought a ranch ten miles southeast of Livingston and started a dairy and stock ranch. He was elected in 1896 to the state legislature from Park County. In later life Bruffey became active in the Society of Montana Pioneers. On half-title page, author has neatly written in ink: Born Sept 24 - 1842 West Virginia; Missouri April 1844; Iowa 1847; Nebraska 1862; Colorado May 1863; Alder Gulch Neb Nov 9 1863; Geo. A. Bruffey Now Montana Oct 27 - 1926. He died 2 years to the day later on October 27, 1928. Much on gold mining in Montana and outlaws and lawmen of the day. Six Guns 307 says, "Scarce." "Material on the Montana vigilantes and outlaws, the hanging of Slade, and the Plummer gang." Wrappers soiled, wear to the extremities and “G.A. Bruffey - 81 YEARS IN THE WEST 1925" typed on paper and then neatly attached to spine. Fine copy of a very scarce item.