In the
post Civil War cattle boom of the 1880’s, Howard Eaton started the Custer Trail
Ranch in the Dakota Badlands. He was soon joined by his brothers Alden and
Willis and a friend from Pennsylvania, A.C. Huidekoper. Thrilled with their new
lifestyle and potential success, the Eatons' wrote enthusiastic letters to
friends back East.
One
such letter, published in a New York newspaper, caught the attention of Teddy
Roosevelt. Roosevelt quickly made his way out to the Badlands and spent his time
hunting, fishing and riding. He bought the Maltese Cross Ranch near the Custer
Trail Ranch and struck up a friendship with the Eatons'. Stories of ranch life
and exceptional hunting spread like wildfire, and soon the Eatons' found
themselves hosting Eastern visitors.
It
wasn’t long before their generosity and hospitality lead to overwhelming costs.
Many visitors recognized the financial burden they were creating and offered to
pay for room and board. While the concept flew directly in the face of western
hospitality, the Eatons' had to consider the opportunity. The first recorded
paying guest was Bert Rumsey, of Buffalo, NY and with the purchase of a guest
book, the ranch officially began accepting “dudes.”
A
devastating wildfire and the unusually harsh winter of 1886 revealed a spring
stock count equal to that of their first year on the Custer Trail Ranch. A quick
look at the books revealed 2,200 free meals provided in the previous year. The
Eaton brothers estimated they would have to charge $10 a week for each guest.
Capitalizing on the grandeur and serenity that surrounded them, they tailored a
unique experience designed to improve the mental and physical condition of their
guests, through ranch chores and riding. Before long, the Eatons' focus on the
well-being and enjoyment of their guests became a trademark. Ultimately, their
unique style of hospitality became the benchmark for all dude
ranches.
The
harsh winter of 1886 and the Panic of 1893 affected ranchers across the country.
With the railroad pushing west and cattle prices dropping, Montana ranchers
tried their hand at the “guest business.” Many new travelers were anxious to get
into Yellowstone and the Big Horn Mountains by horseback. By 1903, as rangeland
was fast disappearing in the Badlands, the Eatons sold Custer Trail Ranch and
moved their operation to Wolf Creek, WY. By 1917, Eatons' Ranch covered 7,000
acres, ran 500 horses and several hundred head of cattle. Their guest capacity
reached 125 - the largest dude ranch in the country.
As
the railroad expanded in the 1920’s, dude ranches spread across the west and as
far south as Arizona. The cattle industry was struggling and many ranchers were
faced with financial hardship. Ernest Miller of Elkhorn Ranch in Montana
convinced Max Goodsill of the Northern Pacific Railway that there was an
opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship. Goodsill passed the idea
along to A.B. Smith, passenger traffic manager for Northern Pacific, who
arranged a meeting at the Bozeman Hotel. This became the first official meeting
of the Dude Ranchers’ Association on September 27 and 28, 1926. Ranchers,
railroad officials and national park officials attended the two-day event to
discuss the five objectives set forth:1) Establish cooperation among
ranchers and railroad officials 2) Discuss the transportation and
proper care of guests 3) Create advertising and publicity
for the association 4)
Standardize practices 5) Create an efficient sales
organization. Having
agreed to all five objectives, the ranchers added a sixth - the organized
protection of fish and game.
Larry
Larom of Valley Ranch, instrumental in starting the organization, became the
first president. A.H. Croonquist of Camp Senia at Red Lodge was named vice
president and Ernest Miller of Elkhorn Ranch was named secretary-treasurer.
Seven directors were appointed: Paul Van Cleve Jr. of Lazy K Bar Ranch; ***
Randall of OTO Ranch; W.A. Binko of Missoula; Mrs. Walter Shaw of Shaw’s Camp;
Ed Wyman of Trappers Lodge; William Eaton of Eatons’ Ranch; and Dr. Horace
Carncross of Bar B C Ranch.Twenty-six ranches signed up as
charter members the first year and the number grew to forty seven the second
year. In 1928 Larry Larom and Max Goodsill persuaded T. Joe Cahill to become the
executive secretary. Northern Pacific gave Cahill passes for all his travel and
helped with expenses while the DRA paid his salary and the remainder of his
expenses. Cahill was a dynamic man who tracked and published important ranch and
travel statistics while generating newspaper and magazine publicity. He was
credited with getting the young organization off to healthy start.
Ultimately, the railroad would
benefit by increasing passengers while promoting dude ranches as new
destinations. The ranches would receive much needed marketing and increased
number of guests. Visitors from the East Coast and Midwest could escape the
crowds of their urban and suburban lives to experience the unique rejuvenation
of spirit that ranches had become known for. Ranches quickly became a “home away
from home” as returning guests became lifelong friends with the staff and
guests. The remote location often lead to creative socializing; costume parties,
games, romances, contests and practical jokes. This social interaction became
just as important as the riding. It’s a quality that exists today, as ranch
vacations continue to provide that special brand of western hospitality that
nourishes body and soul.
