THE COLORADO COWBOY

The Colorado Cowboy could easily have been the Colorado Sheepherder. Sheep were the first 'commercial' animal in Colorado.

Santa Fe Trail near Ft. Union, New Mexico

In the book "Historic Ranching Complexes on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site" the authors state that ranching, specifically sheep ranching was brought to the southwest with the settlers from Mexico in the 1500s. It was sheep that formed the basis of ranching as the early settlers knew it. Other livestock were for personal use. It was the Churro Sheep that became the breed of choice due to its hardiness, meat and wool. https://goo.gl/images/bzu9LZ

These ranchers would move the sheep across the open range seasonally, usually penning the livestock at night for protection. In winter they would settle them near the rivers and/or close to the settlements. Where the high country range was used on a more permanent basis, rock walls and shelters were built to create wind rain blocks.

Even as late as 1879, sheep and its wool, which is a twice a year crop, were still popular. In Colorado Springs, one of the principal money earners was wool growing. The city directory shows a list of twenty-five stock growers vs thirty-five wool growers. What is most interesting about this list is the number of people who were doing both.

So where does the Cowboy fit into this picture? Columbus and other early explorers may have introduced cattle to the new world, but Colorado really didn’t see them until people started their journey on the Santa Fe Trail, which passed through the southeast section of Colorado. The Bent brothers, of Bent’s Fort fame, would trade one oxen for two worn out ones. Thus they built a herd of ‘beeves’. In the 1840s the Army order 500 ‘beeves’ from the Bents to supply Kearney and his Army of the West on their trip from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Comanche National Grasslands near Bent's Fort, Colorado

In the central Colorado plains, there is a mention of one man who had cattle as early as the 1830s, but not much more is known about he and his herd.

It was during the cattle drives from Texas through Colorado that the cowboy took his place in this state’s history.  The 1866 Goodnight/Loving Trail through Pueblo, then Denver, Colorado, was one of the early ones to enter the state. In 1867 Goodnight established a ranch near Pueblo, Colorado. The barn his ‘cowboys’ built in 1869-70 in the Pueblo region, still stands today.  Goodnight Barn  Goodnight-Loving Trail

A second trail, called the Potter/Blocker (Bacon) trail came through the eastern part of Colorado on their trip to Montana sometime around 1883. Not as well known and harsher than most, it traversed a drier and more unforgiving area for such drives. Potter-Blocker(Bacon) Trail

Today, Colorado still has cowboys and cattle grazing on the land. This legacy is traced back to the early settlers who braved this new country and left their mark. I will leave you with this quote from the book Century in the Saddle: The 100 Year Story of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, 1867-1967:

“The cattlemen who built the Colorado range industry in the later 1860’s and 1870’s were not all heroes, not were they all villains. However, there were both heroes and villains among them.     Essentially they were pioneers, with the foresight to see a future in the cattle business...”

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Member of National League of American Pen Women,

Women Writing the West,

Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

FALL IS IN THE AIR.... By Gail L. Jenner

Fall is definitely in the air. It started to rain yesterday -- the first time in weeks -- and we even got a bit of snow on the peaks surrounding our quiet valley.

Getting some wood in for winter -- everyone helps!

Finished up the last of the haying yesterday (thank goodness!), and the guys were able to get all the balers out of the weather and put away for winter -- just in time. Sometimes it's a matter of scrambling to get the last of summer's jobs done before fall arrives......

Also working on the last of the garden! Had a few of the grandkids helping out with picking what they could, although their dedication tends to wane after awhile. Onions pulled and corn stripped, tomatoes picked and more. Got some salsa and chow chow made and the basil dried, too, but still have more to do....That is probably my hardest 'transition' -- saying goodbye to the garden. I love the end of summer and try to make use of everything. Never can get it all done, though.  My husband always says, "There's always next year!" Yes, to be sure....

This is also the time we work cows, as they are getting ready to calve. Separating off the yearlings so that the cows can be turned out again on pasture. Love riding and working cows.  

Everyone seems to enjoy the cooling temperatures, though -- especially Louie as he rides with Papa around on the ranch! It's truly a dog's dream life to ride side-saddle, although sometimes it's hard to keep him from jumping out of the window after a 'coon or barn cat! Sometimes we simply have to tie him up....

And now the geese and ducks are settling in. We are quite fortunate to have them stay here throughout the fall and winter. They love hanging out with the cows and neither seem to find the other an intrusion on their lazy days.

Hopefully we will be gathering apples again this year. Sometimes we have a bounty of them, but sometimes we don't get as many. We have a 100+ year old cider press and make gallons of great apple cider, which we share with friends and family.




We did, however, get some nice grapes this year! Instead of crushing, I froze them on pie sheets and what a delightful treat to pop them into your mouth.

Have also been picking blackberries and freezing them, too.  Next job? Jam.....

It's also time to begin calving -- which will keep us busy for the next couple of months! I love this time of year, with babies running across the pastures, tails high in the air. The "nursery" is growing day by the day.

So, here's to the coming fall and time spent beside a big fire...it's when I get to spend a little more time writing and reading, too. I love this time of year when transitions take place...it seems to me that it represents the changing times of our lives, too.

Hope everyone has an opportunity to relish this time of year. What is it that tickles your fancy as the year moves on???

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Gail L. Jenner has enjoyed working with Prairie Rose Publishing and her collection of stories published by PRP has grown since "joining the gang" in Dec. 2013 with the re-release of her WILLA Award-winning Across the Sweet Grass Hills.

"Prettiest Little Horse Thief"  and "July's Bride" are two of her other favorites.....and then there are the boxed sets and anthologies!  For more about Gail, check out: www.gailjenner.com or http://www.amazon.com/Gail-Fiorini-Jenner/e/B005GHR47O

Five Generations Strong....Ranching is What We Do.... By Gail L. Jenner

Although I've briefly talked about the ranch, I thought I'd delve a little more into its history. Several people have mentioned they enjoy hearing about the ranch. So here's a little more on the Jenner Cattle Company, three generations working together today, representing 3 of the 5 original generations:

L-R: nephew Frank; "Great Papa" Jack (91); brother-in-law John; son Matt; hubby Doug; son Nick.

 The Jenner Cattle Company, Inc., is one of the oldest ranches in Scott Valley, Siskiyou County, California.  For those who think California is the land of beautiful people and beautiful beaches and sun year-round, they have not visited the most northern quadrant of the state! Forty miles from Oregon, we are a rural (very rural) mountain community. We are surrounded by the Klamath National Forest, the Trinity-Salmon Alps, and the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area. The "valley" is perhaps 30 miles long and 6 miles wide. Originally the land of the Shasta, it is still the home of one of the largest tribes in northern California. Neighboring tribes include the Karuk and Yurok (further to the coast).

The first contact with whites dates back to Hudson Bay Company's beaver trappers and early mountain men, circa 1928-30. Stephen Meek, brother to Joseph Meek, is "credited" with putting Scott Valley (then called Beaver Valley) "on the map."  Interestingly, Stephen Meek lived for a time on a part of our ranch, and Old Pop used to recall how the Meek would hang his beaver pelts on our barn to dry in the sun (that would have been in Meek's later years -- around 1900+)... today the beaver are few, but they remain -- rather fascinating to watch how quickly they can build a dam. Only trouble is that we often try to plant trees along the slough and they saw them down very quickly! LOL...

The Jenners' entry into the valley goes back to the days of the gold rush (more on that in a future blog <g>).....the gold rush here followed on the heels of the Sierra Mother Lode "rush," but actually produced as much, if not more gold. Gold was first noted in 1848, but it wasn't until 1850 that the rush north into the Trinity region and beyond took hold. Even today, few people realize that the "northern mines" were as rich as they were, and the gold rush here lasted into the 1900s.

The Wagner Saloon in Etna

Part of the family’s ranching operation has its roots in the Wagner Ranch, purchased by Ignace and Mary Ann (Lichtenthaler) Wagner, both of Alsace, France, in March of 1874 (March 17, 1874). Although Ignace first went to mine in the area of Placerville (then known as "Hangtown" in the Sierras), he soon moved north, with a little bit of gold, as did so many gold seekers. He was a hard-worker and began to look around at how he could make a living for his family; farming and ranching was very profitable in the early days and he had come from farming stock. Later, at least one of his sons ran the Wagner Saloon in Etna. 

Another branch of the family included the Kapplers, who founded the original Etna Brewery--which has been resurrected and has won many micro-brewery awards since its "re-creation" in 1990! The Kapplers were also from Germany, arriving again as part of the gold rush. Settling in Etna, the Kapplers established the brewery and built an ice house and were the first to bring electricity to the town in 1898. Prohibition forced the brewery to close, although the beer did win a Blue Ribbon at the San Francisco Exposition in 1915.

The original farmhouse on the Wagner Ranch was built in 1859, but Ignace soon built a new home on the flat, opposite the old structure. The painting below was done by A. Cedro and stretches a good 4-5 feet across; it shows the layout of the Wagner Ranch in its "heyday."

Note the "horse barn" (still a beautiful and historic barn, on the right....).

The Wagners raised prized horses, including some magnificent Percherons; one even won a Blue Ribbon at the 1915 Exposition. They also raised hogs and apples. Today we still butcher hogs in the same way as did the first Wagners and we smoke our hams, bacon, sausage in the "old smokehouse on the hill." 

Our oldest son - note the "scrapers" to the left of the hog - 150 years old.

We also press cider in the 150-year old family cider press, made from a variety of apples on the ranch (many of which were planted later by my husband while in high school). Both are annual traditions that we have passed on now to the sixth generation. In fact, each Christmas our gift to neighbors, family and friends includes some of our wonderful sausage. Everyone looks forward to the gift!

NOTE: if anyone's interested in the historic and fascinating history of processing pork -- I could do a blog with photos...?

The first Jenner to arrive in Scott Valley was E.P. Jenner, who emigrated from Sussex County, England, in 1849 (again, because of the gold rush!), then founded the Union Flour Mill c. 1864, outside the town of Rough and Ready, now called Etna. With gold miners needing food and supplies, it was E.P.’s nephew, Frank S. Jenner, who followed his uncle to the valley and established a ranch on land straddling the “Island” (land between Scott River and Patterson Creek/slough) in the early 1870s, where rich bottomland produces good feed for cattle. 

This is the view from our living room window.

Today we still raise cattle on these rich pastures and native grasses – which adds to the flavor and nutrition found in our beef. It is 100% All Natural, with no hormones, no antibiotics, and it has a strong reputation as prime and superior beef.

The Jenner family, operating in its fifth generation, is centered around Frank’s original Island property, in addition to the Wagner Ranch, but we have also added to the family’s holdings and cow herd in the years since my husband and his brother joined the business (40+ years). And in the last 15 years, our two sons and nephew have joined the family operation/corporation. But "Grandpa Jack" (now 91) still works a good 8-hour day!

Today we run 1000+ cows and we've moved from raising Hereford to Angus-cross cattle. We calve in the late fall but since we have FOUR seasons (yes, temps drop to well below zero in the winter and we get snow that often lasts for days or weeks). With the valley floor at 2800 feet and the mountains around us peaking at 9,000 feet, we are a beautiful, green, lush valley. It's no wonder that so many immigrants from Germany and Switzerland made this valley their home.
    

In addition, the Island ranch features a lush, natural slough, with roughly 50 acres of ponds and four reservoirs. The area is maintained as a natural preserve where waterfowl and other wildlife congregate year-round. 

In winter, the geese often "skate" along the frozen slough....

We limit hunting in order to protect both wildlife and cattle, so it’s not uncommon to see hundreds, if not thousands, of ducks, geese, herons, even pairs of eagles (both Bald and American Golden) and other bird life, as well as beaver and/or otters, etc. The diversity is amazing and there is rarely a day I don't look out and marvel at the beauty and the fertility of nature. We love our cows, and for those who have wondered, cattle AND wildlife do cohabitate incredibly well. Cattle are natural recyclers; they are also natural fire retardants and can convert otherwise dry material into a powerful food source (like the dry hillsides that ignite in California every summer -- a shame they are no longer used to keep the fire danger down). 

Now that we have the sixth generation coming on, it's been wonderful having our rich family history to pass on -- not only the stories, but the actual "material" culture of a family that has lived on the same land for almost 150 years! And now, even the Jenner "girls" have expanded the family's enterprise; we've created our own business, Jenner Family Beef, which offers beef locally and regionally.

Just this year, Jenner beef is being featured at the new and exclusive Clove & Hoof butcher shop and eatery in Oakland, CA......along with an endorsement by San Francisco's Slow Food group. By expanding what we do, we feel that we can provide for our growing family. With four generations at work now and the next coming on, we hope to maintain our family's rich heritage!

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Gail L. Jenner is the wife of Doug Jenner. She considers

her life on the ranch to be almost a dream-come-true!
Keeping the history of five generations alive is another
reason she collects and records local history, in addition
to writing historical fiction....
For more, visit: www.gailjenner.com
OR: http://www.amazon.com/Gail-Fiorini-Jenner/e/B005GHR47O
OR: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Gail-L-Jenner/207027702703732?ref=hlhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Gail-L-Jenner/207027702703732?ref=hl
She is the author of the PRP release of her WILLA Award-winning novel, ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS. Her stories have also been included in the PRP anthologies, PRESENT FOR A COWBOY, LASSOING A BRIDE, and COWBOY KISSES. She has also coauthored 5 regional histories, and edited and contributed to ANKLE HIGH AND KNEE DEEP, an anthology of Western rural women's stories.

A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE ON A CATTLE RANCH by Gail L. Jenner

Living in the mountains of Northern California our seasons are shorter than most, and though many people think that California is all sun and sand, we live in a rugged environment with four seasons. In the end, however, that works out to our benefit as cow/calf operators/ranchers because this creates a higher nutrient content for the alfalfa-grass hay we raise in the summer and feed our cows in the winter. In the summer our cows remain on the ranch with beautiful grass pasture, much of which is actually native grass, never having been farmed at all. The cattle live their entire lives on this ranch, never leaving at all until time for sale. What grain our cattle do eat prior to sale is primarily seed that is reused from year to year. We raise “natural” beef; Natural Certification verifies there is no antibiotic or hormones added to the meat.

            

            All summer long is spent working; I love the old saying, “Make hay while the sun shines!” That’s definitely summer for us! There are six men (3 generations) doing the swathing (hay), raking, baling 1-ton bales, stacking on a truck, and hauling to the barns to be stored in the barn for wintertime. And there is no air conditioning for these guys – with temperatures often in the high 90s

            In the fall, we calve – that means watching the young cows (and first time heifers) and often pulling calves. OBs hold nothing over these guys on some nights!! We work cattle during these months, too – but this is a fun time, too! Riding horses and moving cattle is a time that I enjoy immensely.

            In wintertime the primary focus is feeding cattle – and      mechanicing or working on equipment for spring and summer. Sometimes the temperatures drop below zero but most of the time it’s in the teens and 20s for daytime temperatures. One of the family benefits that comes with this time of year is evening “family time!” While we eat late during the summer, sometimes after nine o’clock, in wintertime we get to eat early! 

            Many people suggest farmers and ranchers work smarter not harder. But smarter for us is employing the entire family and a quality of life that requires sacrifice and dedication.

            The women play a big role on the ranch too.  We help where it is needed, hauling hay if the need arises, working cattle, providing daily lunches to the crew, which has also gone on for generations. We are now in our 5^th generation with the grandchildren being the 6^th generation.

 

 For more about life on a ranch or related topics, visit my blog: www.whatsthebeeffromsouptonuts.blogspot.com

LIVING THE LIFE OF A RANCHER'S WIFE....HOW IT ALL STARTED...

Howdy! This marks my second blog and the first one on living the life of a rancher’s wife…

Marrying into a fourth generation cattle ranch was a jump of sizable proportion for this gal! I was not raised in a rural community, although I was raised in a family that had some roots in farming (on my mother's side). I met my bull riding cowboy husband while at college; it was a romance that, more than anything, could be described as a whirlwind affair. He is still a man of “few” words, but he was definitely a man of “fewer” words then! He was silent, rugged, rather serious, and I was intrigued.... I simply couldn't get him off my mind. What I didn’t know for many months, was that he was so tongue-tied and nervous after our first few dates, that he would return to his apartment and throw up…..yikes! 

Regardless, I threw caution to the wind as we moved quickly into a serious relationship. He asked me to marry him and I said yes, without hesitation. Forty-two years later, I'm still enamored.

            Coming “home” to the ranch -- after our wedding -- actually felt like coming home to me. It was an old farmhouse, the original family ranch house, and had been rented out for years so it was in pretty poor shape. In fact, in one 24 hour period that first year, we trapped 29 mice in our old pantry!

            The ranch was established in the early 1870s, but part of the family (on the maternal side) had established their ranch in the 1850s. My husband’s family immigrated from England (on one side) and Germany (on the other) during the gold rush, so his roots here in our valley go back to the original settlement period. This area is home to a number of tribes and the conflict in those early days was harsh; California miners were not kind to the tribes at all. Today the tribes are still an active and vital part of our community, but like all of America’s settlement history, there are scars that will never heal.

            Living in a northern California mountain valley, only 40 miles from Oregon, our seasons are short; elevation starts at 2800 feet.  As ranchers, however, that works to our benefit because this creates a higher nutrient content for the hay we produce each summer and feed out in winter. Many people do not understand that this climate (with four distinct seasons, including long cold and snowy winters -- though lacking this year) -- is not conducive to growing commercial crops, but is ideal for cattle and hay. 

In the summer our cows remain on the ranch grazing on our own pastures, many of which are native grass, having never been farmed at all. The cattle live their entire lives on this ranch. We used to assist our in-laws in taking cattle into the mountains on horseback (which I loved) to graze – a practice today sadly misunderstood. Cattle co-habitate with wildlife beautifully and these wonderful bovines have the ability to convert dry, fire-kindling matter into feed, protecting the forests and mountain regions from fire. Would that California encourage more grazing – perhaps some of the recent grass and forest fires could be reduced significantly. But that’s another issue!

Our ranch has a historic natural wildlife area, which we preserve, and have for over a hundred years. That means we have an abundance of waterfowl and bird and animal life that thrives here: ducks, geese, eagles (including bald eagles and golden eagles), heron, blackbirds, etc., along with mink, otters, fish, and even a few stubborn beaver! Another interesting fact that few understand is that we are not unique; more than 75% of migrating waterfowl, for instance, are protected by ranches and farms, not by public lands. The view from where I'm seated right now, in fact, looks out over several hundred Canadian geese, busily and happily "grazing" on the remnant of hay the guys scattered out earlier for the cows. Their frequent honking is music in the stillness of the frosty morning air.

Life here is idyllic in so many ways. It’s been an ideal place to raise children, and now 2 of our 3 children have returned to work the ranch, with children of their own. There is a tradeoff, of course; as I’ve told my two daughters-in-law: you will always have security, a great place to raise a family, and an unending supply of great food <g>, but if you’re looking to get rich or to take long extended vacations, this is not the life for you. Vacations are few and far between. I’ve likened ranching to being a MOM. Once you sign on, the job is almost 24/7 – or at least it feels like it much of the year. But, again, the rewards are worth the “sacrifice!” Just this year, all of the women of the ranch, including daughters who are not "on" the ranch (that is 7 women all together!), have started our own business, Jenner Family Beef. We have been asked so often over the years about purchasing our meat, that we have entered into marketing it. We do raise 100% natural Angus cross beef, with no hormones, no antibiotics, grass-fed, and are excited about the direction the business is headed. For those who may be interested, our new website is: www.jennerfamilybeef.com. We do ship all over...

I love this life of mine and thank God daily for the beautiful valley where we live and for having the space and opportunity to live alongside cattle, our horses, the mountains, the wildlife, and my rugged, hard-working cowboy husband! I hope to share a more about life on a cattle ranch in weeks to come…and if you have questions, please respond. I'll be happy to answer whatever I can. And if you want to know more about me, check my Author page out on Prairie Rose or www.gailjenner.com. And I'll see you in two weeks -- on the first Monday of February...

My husband on far left; one of our two sons, in the center, working calves...with over 900 calves each year, it's a job!