I received a phone call yesterday from an
Anne Marie Mistretta. She explained she is involved in the Crail Ranch
Conservators and wanted to know if I was Kathleen Halley related to Fanny (Crail)
Halley, I said that I was and asked how she found me, she said she was
researching the Halley surname and she came across my web site, then googled
me! Anna Marie explained that the Crail Ranch
is a historic site and that she was researching the ancestry of the Crail
family.
Fanny (Crail) Halley is my 2nd great grandmother, and the
sister of Augustus Franklin Crail, who established the ranch. She told me she
had pictures of Fanny, her two daughters, and Fanny’s brothers. She e-mailed
them to me! I was so excited; I now know what they look like!
Fanny (Crail) Halley - unknown date Martha
& Mary Halley – unknown date
I
do not know which one is Martha or Mary
Fanny’s brothers
Augustus Frank Crail –unknown date Albert Crail –unknown date John Crail & family – unknown date
Established Crail Ranch
A brief history about
the ranch
In 1902, Augustus Franklin Crail moved his family to Gallatin Canyon Basin
(now called Big Sky), after he purchased a small cabin and a 160-acre homestead.
The Crails raised wheat, cattle, horses, and sheep. The home stead was occupied
by Crail family members for nearly 50 years.
In 1950, Emmet, Augustus son, sold the ranch; the
ranch was sold at least two more times.
In 1982 the Historic Crail Ranch is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places through efforts of a group of Big Sky
residents.
In 1997 The Crail
Ranch buildings and about one acre of land was turned over to the non-profit
Big Sky Community Corporation as a community resource.
The Crail Ranch Conservators mission is to
preserve and maintain the ranch as a heritage property and to promote it as an
educational resource.
The Conservators are also working on
several projects, besides establishing a Museum and preserving the Ranch’s
collection of historic artifacts, photographs and documents, they are also
researching the ancestry of the Crail Family.
To read more about the Historic Crail Ranch
please see the web site at http://www.crailranch.org
When my grandmother passed away a few years ago, I inherited all of her
pictures. Among the pictures was a photograph of women with no name written on
the back. I believe this now to be Fanny.
Picture from Anna Marie Picture from
my grandmother
Do you think they are the same women?