Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters facts for kids
|
Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters
|
|
.jpg)
Swan Land & Cattle Company
|
|
 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | E side of Chugwater, Chugwater, Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Area | 60 acres (24 ha) |
| Built | 1884 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000760 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters is a special historic place in Chugwater, Wyoming. It was once the main office for a huge ranching business. This company, started in Scotland in 1883, was one of the biggest ranches in the United States. It managed over one million acres of land. Today, it is a much smaller ranch. Its old headquarters were named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. This means it is a very important historical site.
Contents
What is the Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters?
The Swan Land and Cattle Company Headquarters is a group of old buildings. They are located on the south side of Chugwater, Wyoming. You can find them where Happy Hollow Road meets Wyoming Highway 313. These buildings are lined up along Happy Hollow Road. This road used to be a path for stagecoaches long ago.
Buildings at the Headquarters
There are four main buildings still standing today. All of them are one-story buildings made of wood. They have wooden boards on the outside.
- The general store is at the north end. It was built in 1913. It has extra roof sections on its sides.
- Next to the store is the manager's house. This house was built in 1876. It has some fancy wooden decorations.
- Further south is the office building. This building was used for paperwork. It was built in 1918.
- The barn is the last building. It was also built around 1876.
Big cottonwood trees grow around the property. The company planted these trees in 1888.
History of the Swan Company
The Swan Company was started in 1883. Investors from Scotland put in a lot of money, about $3 million. This was a huge amount of money back then!
How Big Was the Ranch?
The company grew very quickly. By 1887-1888, it was at its largest. It owned over 113,000 cattle. It also controlled more than one million acres of land. This land stretched across eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. Imagine a ranch bigger than some small countries!
Changes Over Time
In 1904, the company changed its main business. It switched from raising cattle to raising sheep. By 1911, it had a huge number of sheep, about 112,000.
The company started selling off its land in 1945. By 1964, when the headquarters became a National Historic Landmark, the company managed only about 5,400 acres. Even though it's smaller now, the headquarters remains an important reminder of a huge ranching empire.
See also
