Newly discharged from the US Navy, a young, single man of Polish ancestry from Buffalo, NY, Albert John Skubiszynske, nicknamed Mickey Wagner, came west to help fight the legendary 1910 forest fire which consumed millions of acres of forest land in Idaho and NW Montana. He stayed on, made a homestead claim under the 1906 Homestead Act taking land out of the Flathead National Forest in 1911. Out of a handful of early claims filed, Abbott Valley Homestead is the only homestead granted in the South Fork drainage known to still exist. He single-handedly cleared the meadows with horse teams and built the present-day historic cabins named Mickey’s and Baptiste, two barns and storage buildings. In the 1950’s the Foley family purchased the homestead from Mickey. He continued to live on the property, tended his garden and draft horses, Mouse and Ted, until he passed in 1967 at age 81. Together with the Foley property to the north, these lands make up the 270 acre Abbott Valley Homestead.
Our family is fortunate to have our roots in such a special place and we enjoy sharing this slice of heaven with people who appreciate history and nature.
A conservation easement to protect riparian areas, wildlife habitat and the heritage of the homestead was completed in 2009. The Foley family appreciates the privilege of living in such a beautiful area and would like to protect it for generations to come.
