Phillips family

Born in Saline, Kansas, Edward (Ed) Harford Phillips (1868-1944) moved west in 1882 to pursue cattle ranching. He primarily worked as a horse handler on multiple ranches, including James B. Kempton's XIT ranch near Terry, Montana, one of the largest cattle ranches in eastern Montana. A skilled horseman and steer roper, Phillips joined the cast of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in New York in 1900 as a stunt horse rider. In 1902, Phillips married Mary (Marie) N. Kempton (1881–1946) with whom he had two children: Jean Sarah Phillips (1908–1985), who also performed in Wild West shows, and Joseph Edward Phillips (1913–1972).

Marie Kempton Phillips, an accomplished horsewoman and relay rider, joined her husband as a performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. The couple celebrated their honeymoon in London while touring with the show during its four-month run at the Olympia Building beginning in December 1902. Over the next couple of years, the Phillips traveled back and forth from Montana to New York working various jobs at cattle ranches, farms, and race tracks, and performing in rodeo and horse-racing contests, and a Wild West show in Coney Island. From 1906 to 1912, the Phillips family lived at Cross L. ranch in Medora, North Dakota before moving back to Terry, Montana.

In 1919, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, and Ed Phillips joined Tom Mix's stock acting company. He left after a year to work with cowboy stars such as Buck Jones, Harry Carey, Fred Thompson, William S. Hart, and Hoot Gibson, and others. From 1922 to 1930, the Phillips family lived and worked a farm in Merced before returning to Los Angeles where Ed again worked as a film actor and consultant for westerns. During his Hollywood career, Phillips was in movies made by Leo D. Maloney (1888-1929) and had minor roles in the movies "Gun Play" (1935) and "In Old Chicago" (1938), among others. His movie career ended with Columbia Studios (1939-1942). Phillips was an honorary member of the Chuck Wagon Trailers.

Photographs and some information about Ed Phillips and the Kempton ranch can be found in Mark H. Brown and W. R. Felton's book, Before barbed wire; L. A. Huffman, photographer on horseback (New York, Holt [1956]). The Kempton ranch and family, including Ed and Marie Phillips, were also documented by photographer Evelyn Cameron whose farm sat adjacent to the Kempton's property.