Joseph L. Asbridge Diary and Photographs, 1884-circa 1920

Joseph L. Asbridge was born on January 9, 1860 in Cockermouth, Cumberland County, England. In 1883, he immigrated to Billings, Montana, and established a 160-acre homestead west of Roundup on Willow Creek not long after. There, Asbridge started the firm Hightower, Asbridge, and Battams and became an extensive cattle and sheep raiser. His ranch came to be known as Lazy X Ranch, because "X" on his sign did not stand straight.

In 1908, Asbridge was elected to the Montana State Legislature. As a representative from Fergus County, he introduced a bill to establish a grain testing lab in Bozeman. The measure was controversial at the time, because many out-of-state seed houses used Montana as a dumping ground for low grade seed. Asbridge then became active in the organization of Musselshell County and was elected its first state senator in 1912. In 1915, he was appointed as a U.S. Marshall by President Woodrow Wilson. Asbridge and his family subsequently left Lazy X Ranch and moved to Helena, Montana.

Asbridge was married twice and had eight children. He died on December 6, 1935 in Lakeside, Montana.