By Tiffany Sweeney
Martinsdale is not typically a destination town. It is home to less than fifty people in a beautiful valley surrounded by three mountain ranges: Castles, Crazies, and the Little Belts. Charles M. Bair found success there as the head of one of the largest sheepherder families in the world. Originally from Ohio, he made his way to Montana in 1883 thanks to the railroad.
He went on to dabble in mining, oil, and real estate, among other things, before meeting his wife Mary, and growing their family with two daughters, Marguerite and Alberta. The Bair family lived in a multitude of locations and were travel lovers, visiting locations all over the world. They had a special place in their heart for the arts, with Charlie Russell and Joseph Henry Sharp being good friends. But no matter where their life and travels would take them, the ranch in little Martinsdale was always home.
Charles M. Bair passed away in 1943, and his wife Mary, passed in 1952. Their two daughters carried on the love of their home, filling it with antiques and art from all over the world, but it would be Alberta, the youngest daughter that would ensure the legacy that continues to stand today. Alberta and her sister Marguerite had visions to create a place for people to enjoy their collections from all their travels and experiences, but it would not become a reality until 1996, three years after the passing of Alberta and two decades after the passing of Marguerite. Today, with no living descendants of the Bair family, the museum shares their eccentric collection across 11,000 square feet and twenty-six rooms, from original drawings and paintings of Charlie Russell to a mix of cultural antiques spread across the expansive home and even their own personal collection of Native American artifacts.
The home stands as a place of pride amongst the locals, but the Bair family left behind more than just a museum for visitors to enjoy; they also left a legacy that you can see throughout the communities that surround it. A trust was established in their father’s name by Alberta and Marguerite to continue to aid the communities that surrounded them. The trust awards grants to surrounding organizations with a focus on education, hospitals and general healthcare organizations, human service providers, as well as civic or cultural organizations. Today, the trust run by a Board of Trustees continues to help support communities across Central and Eastern Montana. However, if you ask the residents of Meagher and Wheatland Counties, it is the scholarships that leave a lasting impression on the youth and their families. In 1979, The Charles M. Bair Memorial Scholarship was distributed for the first time; a scholarship that provided students a full-ride scholarship to four years of post- secondary education thanks to the Last Will and Testament of Marguerite. Today, four students in each of the two counties are awarded this scholarship based on their academics, extracurricular activities, and financial needs. These students could be graduating seniors or current college students that maintain permanent residency within those counties, and they are required to complete an extensive application process. In addition, earlier this year, an interview was added to the selection process for the committee to aid in the decision.
Kendra Manger, a 2024 recipient of the scholarship really captures what this honor can mean for families in these communities, “The Bair Scholarship has impacted me by giving me an opportunity to pursue my best education without worrying about how to pay for it. College is hard enough with all the changes and adaptations needed to be made, and the Bair Scholarship does a great job at helping students overcome these difficulties.”
Charles M. Bair made a name for himself throughout the state, and his daughters ensured that his name would carry on beyond his lifetime. The life-altering philanthropy by the Bair family continues to ripple throughout our communities and will continue to do so for years to come.
For more information on the Bair family, visit the museum website at bairfamilymuseum.org or the trust website at charlesmbairtrusts.org.