A Trip Back in Time: Nation's Oldest Working Cattle Ranches

If you're looking to take a trip back in time, to the dawnlife began to change as tourists came from New York
of the cowboy and the rise of working cattle ranches,City to the place known for its fishing and beautiful
visit one of the nation's oldest cattle ranches.scenery.
With 8,000 acres of its own and bordered by 22,000In 1898, former president Teddy Roosevelt and the
acres of public leased land, Horse Prairie Ranch is oneRough Riders recuperated at one of the houses in
of the oldest cattle ranches in Montana. The ranch'sMontauk, but as the era closed and the 1900s began,
goal is to preserve the tradition of working ranch life.ranchers began giving up their livelihood in favor of
As a guest, you can choose from a variety ofsport fishing and farming.
activities including evening sunset rides, cattle drives,Polo ponies arrived in Montauk in 1926 with a New
branding, chuck wagon breakfast rides or a historyYork City-based real estate developer who had
tour, among others.dreams of developing a luxury resort town. He
Similarly, one of the old ranches in Utah, Red Rockpurchased most of the area but then rented part of it
Ranch, is a real working cattle ranch complete withto teenage Phineas Dickinson in 1936.
cattle drives for guests. Homesteaded in the 1850s, theAt the onset of World War II, as the Dickinson boys
ranch is nestled among the South Fork canyon's redwent off to service, most ranching at Deep Hollow
rock cliffs. The ranch house is a two-story home buildcame to a halt. On their return in 1947, Phineas brought
in the 1850s with dove-tailed logs.white face cattle from Texas and raised them for
The nation's oldest working cattle ranch, Deep Hollowslaughter in the 1960s.
Ranch is located in, of all places, Montauk, NY.The early 1970s brought the Leavers as Rusty Leaver,
Montauk, known as an inspiration for Peter Benchley'sa former summer ranch hand for Phineas, decided to
Jaws and just over 100 miles from New York City,leave New York City for Montauk. When he heard
would not seem the place for a cattle ranch, but Deepthat the ranch was for sale, he purchased it. Within a
Hollow Ranch has been operating there since thefew years, he married a Dickinson daughter, Diane.
1800s.But if you want to visit Deep Hollow Ranch, you had
The history of Deep Hollow began in the 1600s, asbetter do it soon. The family has reluctantly put the
ranch life was popular in Montauk. Ranchers thereranch on the real estate market in the summer of
would lease land from the Montauk Native Americans2006 as the Hamptons area location has made it
to graze their cattle. There was no need for fencingexceedingly more difficult for the family to continue to
as the Atlantic Ocean was a natural barrier on theraise cattle and horses. The ranch could soon, like the
south side, and the Block Island Sound a barrier on thecowboys of yesteryear, be riding on into the sunset.
north. Around this time, nearly 6,000 livestock grazedStop by our beautiful and effective equine network for
the land.equine classifieds and our equine community. We will
In 1885, the Long Island Railroad reached Montauk, andbe waiting for our newest friend.