The Bair Sisters: Montana Princesses??

After touring the Bair Home and Museum in Martinsdale and during a history video on the family, a lady in our group commented "Must be nice spending Daddy's money."  This evokes the stereotype rich princess that has probably been around since the dawn of civilization.

I humored that there is a modern equivalent to the Bair daughters Marquerite and Alberta: we know them as the Kardashians.

But is that a fair comparison?

Building the Bair Fortune

Charles M. Bair was the undeniable businessman, amassing wealth through sheep, wool and a permafrost thawing machine for the gold mines in Alaska.  He shrewdly invested in opportunities that proved lucrative, kinda like if your grandparents bought Apple or MicroSoft stock when they started.

The family lived in Billings and Portland and summered at the Martinsdale ranch, and settled at the ranch home in the 1930s.  Antique pieces from the Oregon home furnished this house.

Marquerite married the ranch foreman Dave Lamb.  Alberta never married and neither woman had children.  All five lived in the ranch home.

The Caregivers

Marguerite and Alberta were decades ahead of their time in regard to in-home elderly care, what we today call Caregiving.  They looked after their father Charles until his passing in 1943, then took care of mother Mary until her passing in 1950.

Shopping in Europe

The family had planned to travel together in Europe but that did not happen.  After Mrs. Bair's passing and the caregiving done, Marguerite and Alberta made the trips, a dozen in all.  That's when the purchases of silver, art and antique furniture happened.

Now you may think the ladies went on wild spending sprees given how luxurious the Bair Home is.  I'm not so sure about that.  I speculate that Europe in the 50s was likely still trying to recover economically from World War II and that even aristocratic families sold treasures at a discount for the money.  Along came the sisters with the cash, and I wouldn't be surprised if they haggled some on the prices.  So maybe the glitz did not cost quite the fortune that we may think it does.

I bounced this idea by the museum manager and she agreed that was possible.

Their Personalities

Alberta was the more outgoing and flamboyant so she could be seen as a Kardashian of the time.  Marguerite was the artistic and creative woman who even painted chinaware, so maybe she was more like Martha Stewart.  Was there "Drama"?  Only they and God would know.

Montana became the Heirs

The Bair estate continues to give to all of us in the form of the home museum, full-ride scholarships, and trusts funds to benefit libraries, museums and universities, hospitals and mental health programs, and youth organizations.

Can't achieve this level of legacy by spending like a princess.

Fall Hours after Labor Day

You have only two months left this year to tour this fabulous facility.  After Labor Day, the hours will be 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.  Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

After October, the Bair Home will be closed for the winter.

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