Mercer Farm

In 1901, Andrew J. Mercer (AJ) of Maryville, Missouri took a homestead east of the Yellowstone River – approximately six miles southeast of Sidney, MT. AJ was an aggressive entrepreneur. He owned bars, rented out his work horses on the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation System project and owned most of the block north of Main St and Central in Sidney.

AJ met Florence Gardner, a graduate nurse from Croydon, England, while on a train hauling cattle from Sidney to Minneapolis. They married soon after in 1913. It was the beginning of what turned out to be a tragic romance. Florence was the love of his life. Tragedy struck in 1915 when Florence died from a pre-existing kidney condition, only one month after giving birth to their first and only son, Russell. Russell was then raised by his father and multiple housekeepers.

Horses were a big part of life on the ranch. AJ ran cattle on just under 6000 acres using his herd of 60 draft horses. In addition to this, he grew feed. He owned his own threshing machine which was considered a 'community threshing machine.'

After graduation, Russell went to work for Holly Sugar Factory. He met Mary Alice Hammes and they were married in 1940. The couple made their home on the family ranch and eventually had seven children together. Russell's father AJ died in March of 1957.

Mary was involved in politics, education and was dominant in preserving history. She was instrumental in the formation of the "MonDak Historical and Arts Society," very involved in securing support for the restoration of Fort Union and the editor of the book Courage Enough. On her 80th birthday, for her years of dedication to the area's history, Mary was given the keys to the city of Sidney and declared Sidney's "official" historian.

In the Fall of 1972, Russell had a heart attack and his youngest son John, who was working in Denver, CO., came back to hold the place together in hopes of avoiding a forced sale of the family farm and ranch. It took less than six months for John to realize how much he enjoyed farming which was a completely different direction than the law enforcement career he was pursuing.

Thankful for exceptional people, "great neighbors who make time for others," said John, he made it work. John married Kathy McChesney of Sidney, MT in 2002.

His mother, Mary, passed away in March of 2012.

John and Kathy still live and work on the family homestead and ranch. They rent out the irrigated land and some of the pasture and the two of them work together haying the dryland.