Alternate names

Cliff Olson Cowboy Hat

Description

Wide brimmed hat with large soft crown, deep pinch, shallow slope

History of Use

Cliff was the younger of two sons born to Ed and Alma Olson, born on June 21, 1920 in Ponteix. He was raised on his parents’ homestead northeast of Val Marie. He took his schooling at the Butte School, attending school until the eighth grade. Although Cliff didn’t have a high school education, he was a self-educated man. He loved reading and obtained a lot of his knowledge from a broad range of magazines and books. He was blessed with a remarkable memory, a God-given talent that stayed with him his entire life. As a boy, Cliff helped his dad with the farming and ranching. He learned at a young age that hard work and perseverance were necessary to make it through the tough years ahead. Cliff and his brother, Francis, were never idle. There were cows that had to be milked and chickens and turkeys that had to be fed. Drinking water was hauled from a well that was a ¼ mile trek up a hill. When Cliff, Francis, and Ed were out in the field, Alma would haul the water herself. In 1944, Cliff met Dorothy Eunice Wilson at a dance in Val Marie. They married on July 26, 1944 in Malta, Montana. Cliff and Eunice had three daughters and two sons. They lived in Val Marie and Cliff commuted from town to his farm and other land. Cliff spent his younger years bronc riding at rodeos and was also a pick up man. At a young age Cliff had a love for horses; he believed that all he needed for a good day’s work was a saddle horse. Cliff was instrumental in organizing the first rodeo in Val Marie in 1964. Cliff bought the Val Marie Hotel in 1973 and owned it until 1995. There was always plenty of entertainment when Cliff owned the Hotel, some was musical and some was provided by the patrons or Cliff himself. After Cliff bought the bar, he continued to farm and ranch. He also raised racehorses at this time, along with his Hereford cattle, longhorns, and buffalo. Cliff passed away in 1997 at the age of 76 and is missed by his family.

Materials

leather