Author: Mike Callicrate

Warren Ranch – WY. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“The Civil War did much to shape the character of this young man from Hinsdale, Massachusetts. After the war, the lure of the Western Territories called Warren away from Hinsdale to the wild, boisterous town of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Warren found work with cattle baron Amasa Converse, and their arrangement evolved into a partnership that ultimately formed the Warren Livestock Company. Warren’s business and ranching pursuits prospered from the beginning, quickly followed by and interest in politics. He was Read More …

Pine Creek Ranch – NV. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“A year after Wayne Sr. purchased Pine Creek Ranch there was a knock at the door – the U.S. Forest Service was calling to try to purchase the ranch and the water rights. The price they offered was half of what the Hages had just paid for it. Wayne’s refusal to sell brought the full forces of the government’s eminent-domain policies against Pine Creek Ranch. But the bureaucrats had squared off with one tough cowboy. Years of legal Read More …

Monahan Ranch – NE. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“James H. Monahan’s son, Earl, was born on the ranch in 1899. Again, ingenuity and determination reigned in that generation of Monahans. The winter of 1913 wreaked havoc on all the nearby ranches when a series of malicious blizzards buried the plains in so much snow that thousands of livestock froze to death. Earl and a high school friend hired out to the neighbors to uncover the frozen, dead cattle and collect the hides. They engineered a unique Read More …

Missouri Amendment One; An Easier Road to Multinational Corporate Food Takeover

Mike Callicrate

“This is our constitution, corporations stay out!” – Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell For Immediate Release: During their August 5th primary election, in addition to selecting candidates for the November election, Missouri voters will decide whether or not the so called right to farm and ranch shall be inserted into their state constitution. OCM urges Missourians to vote no on Amendment One. OCM is distressed by such narrowly defined and clearly corporate friendly language being inserted into the very Read More …

Vermillion Ranch – MT. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“‘Everyone push on the count of three.’ The mud was nearly knee-deep in places after two days of heavy rain, and the stage wouldn’t budge. All the passengers had to climb out, the women stand to the side as the men all pushed. ‘And three!’ The wheels slogged out of the mud with a sucking noise. Women were allowed back on board while the men walked alongside, too muddy to ride inside. Coulson, Montana, began to feel farther Read More …

Two Dot Ranch – ID. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“When James, his dad and grandfather acquired land, they were always careful to include water rights. As James says, ‘Beside cattle, you need just a few things to be a successful cattleman – water and good grass.’ In 1902, the Big Timber Creek Water Right and Diversion project was established, and today provides water rights to several ranchers in the region. Recently a lawsuit was filed to block the delivery of this water, hoping it would help stop Read More …

Nottingham-Albertson Ranch – CO. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“December 20, 1896. Running for his life, the cowboy slipped on frozen mud in the corral. Scrambling to his feet, he sprinted into the barn and shimmied up a latter into the loft. Ernest Hurd’s breath turned to puffs of white in the frigid air as he squinted through gaps between hay bales, gun drawn. Cold sweat tricked between his shoulder blades. Just seconds later, his senior partner, William Nottingham, burst through the barn door. Gunfire split the Read More …

W Dart Ranch – AZ. Great Ranches of the West

Mike Callicrate

“The ranch holdings that the Grosetas have acquired over the years are beautiful, with miles of the Verde River and meandering streams, rocky foothills, and elevations up to 6,000 feet. And yet the W Dart is just an hour-and-a-half drive from Phoenix. This proximity to the burgeoning population of northern Arizona has brought unsettling problems to the Grosetas. Determined vandals steal heavy ranch equipment such as lock-and-chain-secured generators. Rambunctious ATV enthusiasts leave deep tracks that quickly lead to Read More …