David B. Christie Family Letters, 1883-1920

David B. Christie was born in Watertown, Wisconsin in 1848 of Scottish immigrants who came to the United States about 1847. David was the fourth of four children of James and Eliza Reid Christie. On July 4, 1870 David married Mary Emma Stratten also of Watertown, Wisconsin. While living in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Emma gave birth to seven children, with their first child dying within two years. David Christie suffered from asthma, and for this reason came west to Montana Territory beginning in 1883 to explore the possibility of relocating himself and his family. For three consecutive summers David work for the Godwin Ranch near Cherry Creek in Madison County, while exploring Montana to find a place to homestead. In 1885, David found land in Bridger Canyon, about 12 miles from Bozeman, where he built a home and move his family there in October. Once settled in Bridger Canyon, farming, dairying, and stock raising maintained the Christie homestead, and Emma gave birth to three more children. Five of his sons also homesteaded within the region. David Christie remained at his Bridger Canyon homestead until his death in 1920, with Emma dying the following year.