Pierre Wibaux
| Pierre Wibaux | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 12, 1858 Roubaix, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France |
| Died | March 21, 1913 (aged 55) Chicago, United States |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Cattle-Rancher, Banker, Gold-mine owner. |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ellen Cooper |
| Children | Cyril Wibaux |
| Parent(s) | Achille Wibaux, Cécile Vernier |
Pierre Wibaux (January 12, 1858 – March 21, 1913) was a highly prominent cattle owner and ranchman in Montana during the turn of the 20th Century. He emigrated from his native France to seek business opportunities in America and was among the most successful in the second wave of "Frontier Cowboys".
Pierre Wibaux was born on January 12, 1858 to a prosperous family of textile industrialists in Roubaix, situated in the north of France. Pierre's father, Achille, ran the family textile factory he had inherited from his own father, Desiré Joseph Wibaux, and it was expected that Pierre would be the next in line to manage the family business. In 1876 he spent a year serving in the army with the French Dragoons (as Pierre was an excellent rider), then left to England for 2 years to observe how English textile industry worked. It was during this time that he first heard mention of the promising cattle-ranching opportunities in America from relatives of British families who had emigrated and found success overseas. Upon his return to France, he announced that he was going to travel to America to try his luck at cattle farming rather than taking over the family business in his Roubaix. With much reluctance his father agreed and gave him $10 000 to start his new venture.
In 1883 Pierre gets to America and travels to Chicago to learn more about the range stock business before investing any capital. There he meets the Marquis de Mores who tells him of the prairies in North Dakota and Montana. Wibaux decides to settle there and builds his ranch on what was formerly known as Beaver Creek. The conditions in the area are ideal for raising stock and Wibaux quickly finds himself owning well over 10 000 heads of cattle. Business thrives until the region is hit by an extremely harsh winter in 1886-87. It is estimated that around 70% of the cattle in the area perish in the long snowstorms. Pierre Wibaux saw an opportunity in this: only the sturdiest and most resilient beasts survived this trial, so Pierre went back to France to borrow the necessary funds to buy out all the remaining cattle from desperate neighbouring ranchers and low prices. Also, the shortage of beef available ensured high sale prices for Wibaux's stock for the following 3 years. In the 1890s, Wibaux had amassed one of the largest herds in the world, with over 65 000 cattle heads and 300 horses. This prestige earns him the friendship of a certain Theodore Roosevelt, a fellow Montana cattle-rancher who would give up the stock business to go on and become the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909.
...
Wikipedia