OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch
|
|
The lodge at the OTO ranch (completed 1921)
|
|
 Location in Montana
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Park County, Montana |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Gardiner, Montana |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000054 |
| Added to NRHP | 4 October 2004 |
The OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch was the very first dude ranch in the US state of Montana. A dude ranch is a special kind of guest ranch. It's a place where people, often from cities, can visit to experience life on a working ranch. They can ride horses, learn about ranching, and enjoy the outdoors.
The OTO Ranch started small but grew to be a famous spot. It even hosted important guests like President Theodore Roosevelt! Today, it is a historic site managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The OTO Ranch Story
How the OTO Ranch Began
The OTO Ranch was started by a man named James Norris (Dick) Randall and his wife, Dora. They bought "squatters rights" to a small cabin. This means they took over the rights of someone who was already living on the land without owning it. The cabin was located along Cedar Creek in the Absaroka Mountains.
The original cabin was very simple. It had a dirt floor and a roof made of sod, which is like grass and soil. Dick Randall wanted to attract rich visitors from the eastern United States. These visitors were often called "dudes."
Growing and Changing
By 1912, these "dudes" were coming to the OTO. They wanted to experience a "genuine" Western ranch lifestyle. The ranch quickly grew to meet the needs of its guests.
By the 1920s, the OTO Ranch was much larger. It included an impressive lodge, which was finished in 1921. There were also many cabins for guests, barns for animals, a post office, and other buildings. Famous guests included President Theodore Roosevelt and Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Jr..
A New Chapter for OTO
The Randalls sold the OTO Ranch in 1934. The new owner was Chan Libby, who had once been a guest there. However, in 1939, the OTO Ranch stopped its dude ranching business for good.
After closing, the property was sold to John Paul and Jessie Shields. They owned the ranch for over 30 years. During this time, they used it as a cattle and horse ranch. Their granddaughters, Gayle (Shields) Terry and Nikki Shields, spent summers there.
In 1989, the Shields family sold the ranch to the Elk Foundation. The 3,265-acre property was later given to the United States Forest Service in 1991. It became part of the Gallatin National Forest.
In 2004, the OTO Ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. Today, the buildings are being fixed up by volunteers. Groups like Passport in Time, Elderhostel, and Amizade help with this work. The ranch also continues to be a home for large wild animals.
