I plan on calling the State Historical Preservation Office tomorrow. The paperwork to get us recognized as a Centennial Ranch will be a fairly straightforward.
Read any Wyoming history book and it will tell you about the Spring Creek Raid that happened in 1909. Cattlemen had drawn a Dead Line in the badlands. Any sheep brought into this side of the Dead Line meant you were fair game. But sheepmen had their own pride and rangelands, and a huge band of sheep was brought through and camped overnight on Spring Creek. Greets had settled on Spring Creek 20 years before, but the twin boys, Fred and Frank, now in their 20’s, were loading their wagon with the last of their belongings as they were moving to our present ranch the next day. They invited the sheepmen to supper… and even said they could spend the night in the cabin. The sheepmen declined, knowing they’d be more comfortable in their own sheepwagons. That night a band of cowboys attacked their camp, killing men and sheep. The Greets stepped out of their cabin and were met with gunfire over their heads. They stayed put. The next morning they investigated and then reported the incident to the authorities. They eventually testified at the trial. This entire countryside was inflamed for a while…
That story has set the date of our moving to this ranch firmly in mind. April, 1909.
We’re celebrating July 26th, though! April in Wyoming is usually not conducive to an outdoor party. That day (hopefully) will not interfere with school, or haying, or cow work, or anything else but irrigating!
We invite friends, family, and neighbors to attend.
I’m very excited
and proud.
