established in 1925
BRIEF HISTORY: We are in the aboriginal homelands of the Séliš (Salish) and Qlispé (Kalispel or Pend d’Oreille) people and acknowledge a fraught, complicated history. Today, Séliš and Qlispé maintain vital connections to the region. Orrie William “Pops” Potter and Gertrude “Mah” Potter started the guest ranch in 1925. Pops grew up in Chicago and attended MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He became a surveyor for the Milwaukee Railroad. While in Seattle, he met Gertrude Landsburg. They married in 1912 and moved to Greenough, Montana, living on land Pops bought in 1913 with the help of his father and three sisters. They named the ranch the Eldorel Ranch in honor of Pop’s sisters, Eleanor, Dorothy, and Elizabeth. The brand was E-L. During the summer of 1917 Pops left Greenough to serve in Europe during World War I. While overseas he was unable to re-register the brand and lost the rights to it, so the ranch’s brand changed to E/L (“E slash L”), but we still pronounce it “E Bar L.” Mah went to Seattle during the war to raise their two children, Bill and Eleanor, while various caretakers looked after the ranch. After the war the Potters returned to the ranch to settle down. The guest business was created in 1925 when Mah had had enough of the years spent single-handedly serving and entertaining Pop’s friends from back East. During the Depression, University of Montana student Gordon Erickson was hired as a ranch hand. Along the way, Mah and Pops had become close friends with Mildred “Wawa” Stone, whose husband, George, had died a year after their son, Johnny, was born. Johnny became devoted to the ranch. Gordon and Johnny were so like sons to Mah and Pops that after Pops died in 1959, Mah created a partnership among Bill, Gordon and Johnny. Mah died in 1989. Bill and his first wife, Peggy, were the parents of Mary and Spike. They divorced in 1972 and Peggy died November 14, 2023 at age 99. Bill died February 22, 2013, about six weeks shy of his 96th birthday. His second wife, Betty, who came here in 1962 on the kitchen and cabin crew, still lives on the ranch. Spike lives in Missoula and Mary is on the ranch with her husband, Louie Vero, whom she met in 1965 while he was a wrangler. Both are retired ranch partners and have two children, Juanita and Emmanuel. Juanita is a partner and Missoula County Commissioner so you may not see her very often. Her husband, Matt Rinella, lives in Miles City, MT. Emmanuel lives with his wife, Debbie, and two children, Sylvia and Nena, in Killeen, TX. Gordon met Zella Petersen while vacationing in Death Valley, where she worked during the winters. Zella visited the ranch in the fall of 1954, married Gordon October 8, 1955 and began working at the ranch. She assumed Gordon’s partnership after his sudden death in July 1962. Zella passed away February 4, 2019 after managing the office for more than 60 years. They had two sons, Andy and John. John lives with his wife, Ginny, in 1 Denver. Andy is a ranch partner. He married Connie Platt June 7, 1997 and they have two children, Annika (26) and Lars (24). Andy manages guest activities and Connie manages the office. Annika works for Facet and lives in Denver. Lars graduated from MT State in May and is working in Bozeman this summer. Johnny married Jane Bidwell, a ranch guest, and lived nearby on the Clearwater River. Johnny died October 2, 2013 and Jane died September 11, 2016. They had two sons, George and Jim. George lives with his wife, Shar, in Butte, MT. Jim owns and operates the Rolling Stone Ranch in nearby Ovando. His son, Brady (25), lives on his grandparents’ Clearwater property. Matt Knox started washing dishes here in 1994. He returned the next few summers to help Johnny with the milk cows and maintenance. Matt has made the ranch his home since 1997 and became a partner in 2020. Shannon Harper became our longtime pastry chef in 2007, decided to get his CPA, and evolved into our finance and business manager. He lives in Missoula with his wife, Renée who is an attorney, and their daughter Clementine (10). Caitlin Wall started on the cabin crew midway through summer 2007. She accepted a year round management position in 2017 and became a Potter Exemption Trust trustee in 2019. She shares her home with her dog, Cider. Magee Payne started coming to the ranch as a five year-old guest in 1988. In 2016, he joined the summer maintenance crew and stayed. In 2022 he became the land steward and as of April 1, 2024 he became a year round employee. In its fourth generation, we are pleased to share our ranch and hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.