Editing Wibaux, Montana (section)

== History ==
[[File:WibauxMontana1894.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Northern Pacific Railway]] tracks in the Wibaux area in 1894, by [[Frank Jay Haynes]].]]

The town originally had names such as Keith, Beaver, and Mingusville (named for Minnie and Gus Grisy, who ran the [[Post Office]] in the late 19th century).<ref name="missoulan">100 Most Influential Montanans of the Century, [http://www.missoulian.com/specials/100montanans/list/053.html The Missoulan], ''The Missoulan''</ref> In 1895, the town was renamed for prominent local cattle rancher, [[Pierre Wibaux]], who had immigrated to the area from [[France]] in 1883.<ref name="ultimate">Pierre Wibaux, [http://www.ultimatemontana.com/newsletterarchives/121001.html] ''Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia''</ref> Wibaux expanded his herds by buying stock from less fortunate ranchers.<ref>Aarstad, Rich, Ellie Arguimbau, Ellen Baumler, Charlene Porsild, and Brian Shovers. [http://mhs.mt.gov/pub/press/reference.asp#PlaceNames Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008060633/http://mhs.mt.gov/pub/press/reference.asp |date=October 8, 2009 }}. Montana Historical Society Press.</ref>

After Wibaux's arrival, the town became a major cattle shipping center for the [[Northern Pacific Railroad]],<ref name="ultimate"/> notably receiving some of the cattle from [[Theodore Roosevelt]]<nowiki>'s</nowiki> [[Maltese Cross Ranch|Maltese Cross]] and [[Elkhorn Ranch|Elkhorn]] ranches near [[Medora, North Dakota|Medora]], [[North Dakota]].<ref name="nps">Theodore Roosevelt and the North Dakota Badlands,[http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/hh/thro/throi.htm Roosevelt the Rancher]''National Park Service''</ref> The great cattle drives of the 1880s often passed by Wibaux on their way from [[Texas]] to the northern ranges.<ref name="nps2">Theodore Roosevelt and the North Dakota Badlands, [http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/hh/thro/throh.htm A Typical Cattle Drive]''National Park Service''</ref>

Theodore Roosevelt had a famous encounter with a bully at Nolan's Hotel in Wibaux (Mingusville, at the time) shortly after moving to the North Dakota Badlands in 1884. Arriving at the hotel late at night, Roosevelt was accosted by a drunk [[shepherd|sheep herder]] carrying cocked revolvers in both hands, and ordered to buy drinks for the crowd. Roosevelt pretended to move towards the bar, then punched the man three times in quick succession, causing the drunk to fire his revolvers as he fell. The future president then took away the man's guns before several other occupants of the hotel dragged him out into a shed.<ref name="morris">{{cite book | first=Edmund | last=Morris | year=2010 | title=The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt | pages=275–76}}</ref>