“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 …
“‘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 …
“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 …
“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 …
“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 …
“When I meet Matt, he shows me one of their new hay barns. The old one caught fire earlier this year. The school bus driver saw the fire and radioed for the fire department. But by the time Matt got there, he was only able to save a few pieces of equipment. The barn and hay were a total loss. Matt’s insurance for replacement of the way was at last year’s normal hay price. This year, however, a Read More …
“It’s cold. I mean really cold, the kind of temperature where my nose hairs freeze as soon as I step outdoors. It’s minus twenty degrees this morning on the Circle Bar Ranch. I am thankful that it’s a perfectly calm day, one of the few days of the year when the wind isn’t blowing here in Wyoming. I have done a fair amount of winter camping, so I know how to dress for this kind of cold, but Read More …
“The ranch was established just over a half-century ago when Charlie and Della Van Norman bought a small homestead called “The Smith Place” near Tuscarora. Charlie had just returned from duty in Europe during World War II, where he served as a decorated captain under the famous General George Patton. Charlie and Della bought two mares and began breeding touch, athletic quarter horses in the 1950s. Sons Bill and Rob followed in the couple’s footsteps, taking over the Read More …