Irvine Flats named after William ( Billy) M. Irvine - an early pioneer in the Flathead area

In the link below one will read about William M. Irvine.  Irvine Flats, a ranch area west of Polson, Montana is named after Irvine.  He was also known as Billy Irvine.

genforum.genealogy.com/irvine/messages/1239.html

Some quotes from the article follow:

"A biography and portrait of William M. Irvine, rancher/stockman of Flathead Valley, is included in "Montana, Its Story and Biography", Vol 3, page 859."

and -

"Irvine was born near Post Creek, June 15, 1856.  His father, Perter Irvine, came to western Montana as an employee of the Hudson's Bay Trading Company.  He settled at the Fort Conan Trading Post on Post creek and there married Angela Ashley, a Flathead Indian woman. Billy was the oldest of nine children. He amassed a great deal of livestock and property in the late nineties."

and -

"William M., b. 15 Jun 1856, was son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Irvine. He grew up on a ranch and worked as a cowboy and traveled and worked with cattle outfits all over the West and Northwest. Later he settled in Flathead Valley country and owned 5,000 acres in that and Sanders County, where he raised cattle. He lived in the Flathead Valley for 29 years and then moved into the Town of Polson, MT."and -

"William M. married Mrs. Emily Larivee, a native of the State of Washington."
and -

"Irvine returned to his native Flathead in 1886 and went into the cattle business for himself, Charles Allar, Sr., staked him to his first small herd and the Irvine ranch in its heyday totaled 3,000 cattle and 100 horses.  He located west of Polson, which now bears his name, Irvine Flats. In 1896, he married a part Indian woman, Emily Brown, who died in April, 1937."

Family memories -

My grandmother, Lilly Ryan, who was raised on a homestead on Irvine Flats remembers the Irvine family.

She remembers that the Irvine ranch was a very nice place.  She also remembers a Mr. Larivee, who must have been the brother of Emily, who always played Santa Claus in the Christmas gatherings in the area.

Lilly remembers that the Irvine's (or was it the Larivee's)  had a daughter named Kathryn, who was a friend of Lilly's older sister, Rena.

She believes that a log school house was near the Irvine ranch or on the property of the Irvine's.
This writer will check on the accuracy of Lilly Ryan's memories when she visits her next week.