The Sod House Ranch is a historic ranch in Harney County in southeastern Oregon, United States. The remaining ranch structures are located south of Malheur Lake in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The ranch was built by Peter French, a well known 19th-century cattle baron. The Sod House Ranch became the headquarters for the northern operating division of the French-Glenn Livestock Company, which eventually covered over 140,000 acres (570km2). After French was murdered in 1897, the French-Glenn Livestock Company slowly sold off its ranch property. In 1935, the United States Government purchased the Sod House Ranch property to add to an adjacent wildlife refuge. The eight remaining Sod House Ranch buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Sod House Ranch is located in the Harney Basin of southeastern Oregon. Around 9,800 years ago, the Harney Basin was covered by a great lake covering 255,000 acres (1,030km2). The birds, animals, and plants found in the wetland around the lake provided abundant food for early inhabitants. About 3,500 years ago, small villages began to develop around the lakes and along the banks of the river. Beginning about 1,400 years ago, extended droughts began to shrink the lake and surrounding wetlands.[1]
While there are no records of the earliest people to inhabit the Harney Basin, Native Americans used the wetland areas around Malheur Lake, Harney Lake, and Donner und Blitzen River for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. By the time Europeans began to explore the area in the early nineteenth century, the Northern Paiute people were well established in the Harney Basin.[1]
Hudson's Bay Company fur trappers were the first Europeans to visit the Harney Basin. Peter Skene Ogden passed along the north shore of Malheur Lake in 1826. Other fur trapping expeditions followed in the 1830s. Several military expeditions passed through the area in the late 1850s. Major Enoch Steen was the first non-native to explore the Donner und Blitzen River area in 1860. Steens Mountain, which dominates southern Harney County, was named in his honor. In the 1860s, the United States Army established a number of military outposts in the Harney Basin.[2]
Peter French
Peter French was born in Missouri in 1849. His family immigrated to California in 1850. As a young man, French worked for Doctor Hugh J. Glenn, who owned large tracts of land in the Sacramento Valley. In 1872, Glenn decided to expand his operation into Oregon. Glenn picked 23-year-old Peter French to lead the venture. French was sent north with six vaqueros and 1,200 head of cattle.[2][3][4][5]
Peter French bought the ranch in 1877
In the Blitzen Valley, French met a prospector named Porter, who had not found much gold and was eager to move on. French bought Porter's small herd of cattle along with his "P" cattle brand and rights to the west slope of Steens Mountain where Porter had prospected. French settled along the Donner und Blitzen River, over the next several years draining and fencing thousands of acres of wetlands along the river. That land became the P Ranch, named for Porter's "P" brand. French acquired the 43,000 acres (170km2) Sod House Ranch from A. H. Robie in 1877 along with Robie's property in the Diamond and Blitzen valleys. By the 1880s, the ranch was earning a good income for Glenn. Cattle were raised in the lush valley pastures. In the fall, French drove his cattle 200 miles (300km) to the railhead at Winnemucca, Nevada.[2][3][6][7]
In 1883, French married Glenn's daughter Ella. Glenn was murdered three weeks later by a former employee. French continued to manage the Oregon operation for the Glenn family, selling more cattle to help pay the family's debts. In 1894, Glenn's heirs decided to incorporate the French-Glenn partnership into the French-Glenn Livestock Company, making French the company president.[2][3]
Over the years, French expanded the company's holdings until the ranch extended from the foothills of Steens Mountain 40 miles (64km) along both sides of the Donner und Blitzen River to Malheur Lake, including the Sod House Ranch property running along the south shore of the lake. It also covered all of neighboring Happy and Diamond valleys plus a large part of the Catlow Valley to the south.[2][3][8] Eventually, the French-Glenn Livestock Company owned over 140,000 acres (570km2) of the Harney Basin.[9] Some records indicate the ranch may have covered as much as 200,000 acres (810km2).[10] The company built 500 miles (800km) of barbed wire fence to protect 30,000 to 45,000 head of cattle plus 3,000 horses and mules. In addition to the main P Ranch headquarters, the operation had four other divisions; the Happy Valley Division, the Diamond Division, the Catlow Valley Division, and Sod House Division. The Sod House Ranch served as French's sub-headquarters at the northern end the property near the mouth of the Donner und Blitzen River and along the south shore of Malheur Lake.[2][6][9][11]
French was not popular with new homesteaders in the area because he owned or controlled most of the water in the southern Harney Basin. His fences also made it difficult for some homesteaders to access their property. On December 26, 1897, French was shot dead near the Sod House Ranch by a settler who had been unsuccessful in getting a road easement across French's property.[3][4][5][12]
F. C. Lusk, secretary of the French-Glenn Livestock Company prior to French's death, became executor of French's estate and took over as ranch manager. Lusk gradually sold off ranch assets to pay off company debts. In 1906, much of the French-Glenn property including the Sod House Ranch was sold to Henry L. Corbett and his partner C.E.S. Wood. In 1916, the property was acquired by the Eastern Oregon Live Stock Company. In the 1920s, the part of the property known as the Barton Lake Ranch was bought by John Jenkins. This property includes the well-known Pete French Round Barn. In 1935, the United States Government bought the remaining property to expand the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.[2][3][6]
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
The Malheur Migratory Bird Refuge was created in 1908. Over the years, the refuge grew to encompass 81,786 acres (330.98km2) around Malheur Lake. In 1935, the United States Government purchased 64,717 acres (261.90km2) from the Eastern Oregon Live Stock Company for $675,000, adding the land to the refuge. The refuge was later renamed the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.[2][6]
During the 1930s, the refuge hosted three Civilian Conservation Corps camps, located at the Sod-House Ranch south of Malheur Lake, at Buena Vista Station, and at 5 miles (8.0km) north of Frenchglen in the P Ranch area. CCC crews built a number of stone buildings to house the refuge headquarters near the Sod House site, and several refuge buildings at Buena Vista, four lookout towers, the main refuge patrol road, four concrete dams, numerous canals and bridges, and hundreds of miles of fence. The camps were closed in 1942.[2][10]
Because it played an important role in the development of the cattle industry in the western United States, the Sod House Ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district on January 29, 1979. The district covers 10 acres (0.040km2). Today, eight of the ten original ranch buildings plus three other historic structures remain at the site. Most of the historic buildings are in good condition.[6][13][14]
Structures
Originally the Sod House Ranch complex included ten buildings. The ranch buildings were constructed between the early 1880s and 1900. Today, eight of those building and several other historic structures remain at the ranch site. They are the main house, a buckaroobunkhouse, a large barn, a workshop, a carriage shed, adjoining chicken coop and grain storage shed, a stone cellar, a small cabin, a beef wheel, and several original stockade fences. The ranch site is surrounded by a number of large cottonwood trees planted in 1892 by Emanuel Clark, French's Sod House Ranch foreman.[6][15][16]
The Sod House Ranch buildings were constructed using native materials including pine and aspen lumber, juniper posts, and locally quarried stone. Most of the buildings have been repaired, reroofed, or restored in some way, but all of the structures still retained their original character.[6]
Restored 1880s barn at the Sod House Ranch
The barn was probably the first building constructed, probably in the early 1880s. It is 120 feet (37m) long and 50 feet (15m) wide. It is a post and beam structure with heavy juniper posts supporting the roof, which is 30 feet (9.1m) high at its peak. The exterior of the barn is finished with pine and juniper boards. The roof is covered with pine shingles. The original roof was replaced in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps using pine shingles. The interior of the barn is a single large room with a wide center aisle to accommodate a winter hay supply. Feed racks run the length of the barn on both sides.[6][15]
In 1999, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service undertook a project to stabilize and restore the barn. House jacks were used to lift the barn clear of the ground while failing interior support posts were removed and replaced by new juniper posts. Concrete piers were placed beneath the interior posts. The project also lifted parts of the structure 23inches (58cm) into vertical alignment.[15]
The Sod House Ranch Historic District is located within the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon. The historic district covers 10 acres (0.040km2). The site is approximately 1 mile (1.6km) south of Malheur Lake and 1 mile (1.6km) west of the Donner und Blitzen River. The elevation of the ranch is 4,104 feet (1,251m) above sea level.[6][18]
The Sod House Ranch is 25 miles (40km) southeast of Burns, Oregon in direct line. From Burns, travel east on Oregon Route 78 for 2 miles (3.2km); then turn south on Oregon Route 205. Follow Route 205 for 23 miles (37km) before turning east on the Narrows-Princeton Road. Approximately 4 miles (6.4km) from that junction, turn south on the Sod House Ranch access road. Follow the access road for 1 mile (1.6km) to reach the historic ranch site.[6][18]
Related Research Articles
Harney County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,495, making it the sixth-least populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Burns. Established in 1889, the county is named in honor of William S. Harney, a military officer of the period, who was involved in the Pig War and popular in the Pacific Northwest.
The Harney Basin is an endorheic basin in southeastern Oregon in the United States at the northwestern corner of the Great Basin. One of the least populated areas of the contiguous United States, it is located largely in northern Harney County, bounded on the north and east by the Columbia Plateau—within which it is contained, physiographically speaking—and on the south and west by a volcanic plain. The basin encompasses an area of 1,490 square miles (3,859 km2) in the watershed of Malheur Lake and Harney Lake. Malheur Lake is a freshwater lake, while Harney Lake is saline-alkaline.
Peter French was a rancher in the western United States in the late 19th century. The community of Frenchglen, Oregon, was partially named for him.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located roughly 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Burns in Oregon's Harney Basin. Administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge area is roughly T-shaped with the southernmost base at Frenchglen, the northeast section at Malheur Lake and the northwest section at Harney Lake.
The Donner und Blitzen River is a river on the eastern Oregon high desert that drains a relatively arid basin, the southern portion of Harney Basin, from roughly 20 to 80 miles south-southeast of Burns including Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Though much of its course is marsh, it offers scenic glaciated canyons, unique ecosystems, and exceptional wild trout fisheries. Named by soldiers of German origin, the Donner und Blitzen River translates as "thunder and lightning". The name usually brings to mind two of Santa Claus's reindeer, but the river is named for a thunderstorm the soldiers experienced as they crossed the river; dry lightning is an almost daily occurrence in the region during certain times of the year.
Oregon Route 205 (OR 205) is a state highway in Harney County, Oregon, running from Roaring Springs Ranch to OR 78 near Burns. OR 205 is known as the Frenchglen Highway No. 440 . It is 73.35 miles (118.05 km) long and runs north–south, connecting the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to Burns. The highway has also been designated the High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway by the Bureau of Land Management. Part of OR 205 also is used in the Steens Mountain Back Country Byway, a loop road around Steens Mountain.
Malheur Lake is one of the lakes in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Burns, the lake is marsh fed by the Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake periodically overflows into Mud Lake to the west and thence to Harney Lake, the sink of Harney Basin.
Harney Lake is a shallow alkali lake basin located in southeast Oregon, United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Burns. The lake lies within the boundary of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and is the lowest point in the Blitzen Valley drainage.
Little Blitzen River is a 12.5-mile (20.1 km) tributary of the Donner und Blitzen River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Little Blitzen River rises on the west flank of Steens Mountain about 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Frenchglen and about 70 miles (110 km) south of Burns in Harney County. Flowing west in a steep-walled canyon, it joins the South Fork Donner und Blitzen River at 42.6737752°N 118.7935277°W to form the Donner und Blitzen main stem, which continues north about another 40 miles (64 km) to its mouth at 43.291542°N 118.8199273°W in Malheur Lake. The Donner und Blitzen River was named by soldiers of German origin and translates as "thunder and lightning". Little Blitzen River brings to mind one of Santa Claus's reindeer.
The Riddle Brothers Ranch is a pioneer ranch complex located in the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area in Harney County in eastern Oregon, United States. It is a rare extant example of the small family ranch. The ranch is located on both sides of the Little Blitzen River on public land and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
Hart Lake is a shallow lake in the Warner Valley of eastern Lake County, Oregon, United States. The lake covers 7,324 acres (29.64 km2) and has the most stable water level within the valley's Warner Lakes chain. The lake is named for the heart-shaped brand used by the pioneer Wilson and Alexander cattle ranch established near the lake. Much of the land around Hart Lake is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The lake and the surrounding wetlands support a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. Recreational opportunities on and near Hart Lake include hunting, fishing, bird watching, and boating.
The Summer Lake Wildlife Area is a 29.6-square-mile (77 km2) wildlife refuge located on the northwestern edge of the Great Basin drainage in south-central Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The refuge is an important stop for waterfowl traveling along the Pacific Flyway during their spring and fall migrations. The Summer Lake Wildlife Area also provides habitat for shorebirds and other bird species as well as wide variety of mammals and several fish species. The Ana River supplies the water for the refuge wetlands.
The P Ranch is a historic ranch in Harney County in southeastern Oregon, United States. The remaining ranch structures are located on the west bank of the Donner und Blitzen River in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The ranch was built by Peter French, a well known 19th-century cattle baron. The P Ranch became headquarters for the French-Glenn Livestock Company, which eventually covered over 140,000 acres (570 km2). After French was murdered in 1897, the French-Glenn Livestock Company slowly sold off the P Ranch property. In 1935, the United States Government purchased the remaining P Ranch property to add to an adjacent wildlife refuge. The Civilian Conservation Corps demolished most of the original ranch buildings in the 1930s, and a fire destroyed the main ranch house in 1947. The few remaining P Ranch structures are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
William D. Hanley, known as Bill Hanley, was a pioneer rancher in Harney County in southeastern Oregon. He owned several ranches between Burns, Oregon and Harney Lake. Together, his properties comprised one of the largest privately owned cattle operations in the United States. Hanley was also a progressive thinker and well known host. Among his personal friends were leading political figures, fellow cattle barons, industrialist, writers, and artists including Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, Peter French, James J. Hill, CES Wood, and Will Rogers. Hanley's progressive political views led him to run for Governor of Oregon and the United States Senate. A strong advocate of wildlife conservation, much of his ranch is now part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
The Double-O Ranch Historic District is located west of Harney Lake in Harney County in southeastern Oregon, United States. At one time, the Double-O Ranch covered over 17,000 acres (69 km2). The ranch was owned by Bill Hanley, a well-known cattle baron and Bull Moose progressive. In 1941, the United States Government purchased most of the Double O Ranch property and added it to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The two remaining Double-O Ranch buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The David L. Shirk Ranch is a historic ranch located in the Guano Valley of eastern Lake County, Oregon, United States. The ranch was originally homesteaded in 1881. It was purchased by David L. Shirk in 1883. He operated the ranch until 1914. The property was acquired by the United States Government in 1942. The ranch is now administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The remaining historic ranch buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Voltage is an unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, United States. It is about 34 miles (55 km) south of Burns, on the south shore of Malheur Lake near the Donner und Blitzen River.
The Whitehorse Ranch is a historic cattle ranch in Harney and Malheur counties in the southeastern corner of Oregon, United States. The ranch was started in 1869 by John S. Devine, a well-known 19th-century cattle baron. It was originally the headquarters for the Todhunter and Devine Cattle Company. The ranch has been in the cattle business continuously since it was founded. Today, the Whitehorse Ranch includes 63,222 acres (255.85 km2) of deeded property and grazing rights on an additional 287,205 acres (1,162.28 km2) of public range land administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
The Catlow Valley is a basin in Harney County, Oregon, United States. It is a remote valley at the northwestern corner of North America's Basin and Range Province. The valley is named after a pioneer rancher, John Catlow. The area was used by Native Americans for thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the 19th century. Today, cattle ranching is the main commercial activity in the valley. The public land in the Catlow Valley is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. This public land offers a number of recreational opportunities including hiking, hunting, fishing, bird watching, and wildlife viewing.
The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway is a 127-mile-long (204 km) scenic highway in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs through the state's high desert country from the town of Burns to the unincorporated community of Fields. It was designated as an Oregon Scenic Byway in 2003. The highway is maintained by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). There are a number of points of interest along the route including several that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1 2 "Peter French", The Oregon History Project, Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon, 2002.
1 2 McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "Frenchglen", Oregon Geographic Names (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, 2003, pp. 384-385.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Sod House Ranch Historic District", National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination Form, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Dept. of Interior, Burns, Oregon, January 29, 1979.
↑ McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "P Ranch", Oregon Geographic Names (Seventh Edition), p. 735.
1 2 "P Ranch Historic District", National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination Form, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Dept. of Interior, Burns, Oregon, January 29, 1979.
↑ "French’s 'P' Ranch", Prospector, Cowhand, And Sodbuster: Historic Places Associated with the Mining, Ranching, and Farming Frontiers in the Trans-Mississippi West, Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings, Division of History Studies, National Park Service, US Dept. of Interior, University Press of the Pacific, May 22, 2005.
↑ Jackman, E.R. and R.A. Long, The Oregon Desert, Caxton Press, Caldwell, Idaho, 1964, pp. 120-122. (Fourteenth printing May 2003).
↑ "Sod House Ranch", Oregon Historic Site Database, State Historic Preservation Office, State of Oregon, Salem, Oregon, August 29, 2010.
↑ "Sod House Ranch", National Register of Historic Places, www.nationalregisterofhistoricalplaces.com, August 29, 2010.
1 2 3 4 "Historic Sod House Ranch", Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Dept. of Interior, Princeton, Oregon, July 27, 2010.
1 2 "Blitzen Valley Auto Tour Route", Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Dept. of Interior, Princeton, Oregon, July 27, 2010.
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