Charles Bahm

Ranching Pre-1940s

Inducted 2026

Charles “Charlie” Bahm was born on April 14, 1883, south of New Salem in what was then the raw frontier of North Dakota. From an early age, he was immersed in ranch life, herding the family’s cattle out of wheat fields while still a boy. One early moment foreshadowed a lifetime in the cattle business: when the New Salem blacksmith promised Charlie a calf if he could lift it into a wagon. Charlie did just that, and decided it needed to be branded. He registered his brand—the Lazy C Cross Y—marking the beginning of his independent cattle career.

As fencing became necessary, Charlie and his brother Willie moved their cattle to open range near Raleigh in the Three Buttes area. There, Charlie and Willie endured the brutal winter of 1896–1897. When supplies ran out, they survived for nine days on nothing but steaks, a testament to the grit that defined Charlie’s life.

At just 13 years old, Charlie took several carloads of cattle by rail to Chicago. Commissioners doubted that a boy could be in charge until Charlie produced a letter from his ill father authorizing him to handle the shipment and sale. The cattle sold for four and a half cents per hundredweight. Charlie would make that trip many times in the years that followed.

As homesteaders pushed into the region, Charlie and Willie were again forced to seek new range. They relocated to Slope County, about 35 miles from Medora, where they built a log cabin and ranched together for several years before Willie moved on to settle in Billings County. On December 23, 1906, Charlie saddled his horse and rode to Mandan. Two days later, he married Arlie Foltz and brought her home to a sod hut on his ranch.

During the hardships of the Dirty Thirties, Charlie owned as many as 1,180 head of cattle. With no feed available, he was forced to sell off the herd, keeping only two milk cows. By 1937, conditions improved, and Charlie rebuilt. As cattle prices rose, he steadily expanded his operation, eventually owning 37 sections of land.

Charlie Bahm was a member of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, the American National Cattlemen, and the 50 Years in the Saddle Club. He passed away on December 31, 1969, leaving behind a legacy of endurance, independence, and lifelong devotion to the ranching way of life.