Stuart ran the store at Virginia City until 1867, when he sold it and permanently moved to Deer Lodge. He spent the next three years mining at Argenta and Philipsburg. He also ran a store and lumberyard with his brother. They also owned a store at Philipsburg. Stuart also operated a small ranch. He was also appointed county commissioner. Needless to say, his days were very busy.
He always got along well with the Indian tribes in the area. In western Montana, he generally traded with the Nez Perce, Shoshone, Bannocks, Flatheads, Spokanes, Kalispells, and Kootenais. He spent much time observing their customs. He greatly respected the hard life of the women who performed all the camp duties. But the 1860s were still full of Indian battles as tribes getting pushed further west and bitter enemies were forced to live together. But they all had a common enemy, which was white man. Most of the disturbances were further east of the mining areas. Still, the ranchers sold their excess stock animals to the army.
During this time, many settlers came and lived in areas designated for the reservations. Yet the Indians wouldn't go to the reservations themselves. Ownership was a question for a long time, so settlers did not improve their property, figuring they would have to move.
In 1879, Stuart entered a partnership with A. J. Davis of Butte, Erwin Davis of New York City, and Samuel A. Hauser. Hauser & Co. would raise and sell cattle. Stuart was the superintendent and general manager. One of his first duties was to look for a good range to graze the cattle. In the spring of 1880, he wandered around the Gallatin Valley and found good grass, but low water supply. While there he got caught in a terrible ice storm that coated everything from his clothes to the grass.
Next he explored the valley west of the Bighorn River, but it had the same problem: lots of grass but low water supply. He traveled up the Rosebud, but was dissatisfied with that area too. Many approaches to the river were treacherous and other areas were so muddy the cows would easily get bogged down. He finally found the perfect location in the Judith Basin. There was plenty of permanent water, good grassland, not too much sage, good shelter for the cows, and plenty of pine trees to use for fences and buildings. He and his men immediately laid foundations for cabins to claim the spot.
