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I was just thinking today that this is our family's 120th continuous year of ranching here in Harding County SD. It was actually my dad's step grandparents that settled here. They started out about 15 miles NW of here in 1886, and eventually moved down here a few years later. They came to Deadwood origionally to make a grubstake in the mines to start a ranch with.
There were darn few settlers then (they were settlers and not homesteaders as the state wasn't in existance till 1889), so news didn't travel very fast. Once when Sitting Bull was heard to be coming thru the area, and other ranchers all gathered up to defend themselves, my relatives didn't even know about it until afterwards. It turned out that it didn't happen that Sitting Bull came through that time, but it sure stirred up the few locals for a while. Another time, during the big blizzard of 1889(?) the man of the house was gone for some reason, and the Mrs. wanted to turn the stock out of the corral to find better shelter, but the hired man wouldn't let her. All the animals ended up perishing in the corral. So they had to start over.
They then went to raising remount horses for the war days, and then went to running sheep, then sheep and cattle, to present where we run all cattle.
I am wondering how long all of you have had your operations in the family, and if you see it continuing that way?
My kids would be the 5th generation if they choose to ranch here.
There were darn few settlers then (they were settlers and not homesteaders as the state wasn't in existance till 1889), so news didn't travel very fast. Once when Sitting Bull was heard to be coming thru the area, and other ranchers all gathered up to defend themselves, my relatives didn't even know about it until afterwards. It turned out that it didn't happen that Sitting Bull came through that time, but it sure stirred up the few locals for a while. Another time, during the big blizzard of 1889(?) the man of the house was gone for some reason, and the Mrs. wanted to turn the stock out of the corral to find better shelter, but the hired man wouldn't let her. All the animals ended up perishing in the corral. So they had to start over.
They then went to raising remount horses for the war days, and then went to running sheep, then sheep and cattle, to present where we run all cattle.
I am wondering how long all of you have had your operations in the family, and if you see it continuing that way?
My kids would be the 5th generation if they choose to ranch here.