Agriculture Magazine, Summer, 2022 - Page 13
Perry Backus Photo
Through hard work and sacrifice, Frank Mogen earned enough to buy some land north of the Lone Rock School. In December, Mogen signed off on a conservation easement that will preserve forever 161 acres along the Three Mile from development.
Untouched: Bitterroot fence builder preserves land in Three Mile area Perry Backus Ravalli Republic
This article orignally appeared in the Ravalli Republic on Jan. 31, 2021 Frank Mogen is no stranger to hard work. He’ll proudly tell you that he owns what he believes is the oldest fencing company in Montana. His folks bought their first yellow pages listing in the Billings phone book back in the early 1960s. Many driving by the Fort Owen Ranch north of Stevensville over the past few months have likely marveled at the perfect oil field pipe fence he’s been building there over the past few months. Mogen’s parents settled in the Bitterroot Valley on a 20-acre parcel just north of the Lone Rock School in the mid-1960s. When they first arrived,
people were scattered far and wide. Mogen remembers there were three students in the school’s first grade. “For 10 or 15 years, we were known as the new people,” Mogen said. “Now every day new people are coming here.” It’s been nearly 20 years now since the day that Mogen learned that a small ranch near his folk’s place had gone into probate with the state. He was building fence at the nearby Wheelbarrow Ranch when it came up for sale. The former owner had died and didn’t have any heirs. She had shared her house with about 60 cats. At the time, the place was a bit of a mess. Mogen thinks that might have scared other potential buyers off. So he took a chance and bought the land. Not long after that, a neighbor who had been about to subdivide his
property offered the parcel to Mogen. On a handshake deal, he bought that land too. All the while, he just kept working and making the payments. With sweeping views of the Bitterroot Valley and its snowcapped mountains, Mogen initially thought the small ranch he purchased would be the perfect spot for million-dollar homes. But that was before his mother took her first walk up the portion of Threemile Creek that winds its way through the property. “My mom came over to take a look,” he said. “After she took one walk up along the creek, she fell in love with it. From that day, I knew this wasn’t going to be a money-making thing.” Twelve years ago, Mogen met with the Bitter Root Land Trust’s Steve
