▁the ▁Indian ▁wars ▁dimin ished ▁on ▁the ▁pla ins ▁of ▁Mont ana , ▁stock ▁ran ches ▁and ▁open ▁range ▁cattle ▁ran ch ing ▁moved ▁east ▁into ▁Central ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Mont ana . ▁The ▁D HS ▁ran ch , ▁owned ▁by ▁Samuel ▁Haus er , ▁Andrew ▁Davis ▁and ▁Gran ville ▁Stuart ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁in ▁the ▁M uss el shell ▁region ▁of ▁Central ▁Mont ana ▁and ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁open ▁range ▁ran ches ▁in ▁Mont ana . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁stock men ' s ▁association ▁in ▁Mont ana ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁Virginia ▁City ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁The ▁association ▁was ▁established ▁to ▁discuss ▁brand ing ▁standards , ▁how ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁rust ling ▁and ▁how ▁to ▁influence ▁the ▁territorial ▁legisl ature ▁to ▁pass ▁laws ▁favor able ▁to ▁the ▁cattle ▁industry . ▁This ▁association ▁did ▁not ▁surv ive , ▁but ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁other ▁organizations ▁in ▁subsequent ▁years . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Stock ▁Association ▁of ▁Lewis ▁and ▁Clark ▁County ▁was ▁organized . ▁One ▁of ▁its ▁prominent ▁members , ▁Ross ▁De eg an , ▁editor ial ized ▁about ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁extra legal ▁action ▁if ▁the ▁territorial ▁legisl ature ▁did ▁not ▁en act ▁laws ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁cattle ▁industry : ▁ ▁In ▁July , ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁a ▁Territ orial ▁Stock ▁Association ▁was ▁formed ▁that ▁ultimately ▁spawn ed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁small ▁county ▁or ▁district ▁based ▁associations ▁throughout ▁Mont ana . ▁By ▁ 1