OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch
About this property
The OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch was the first dude ranch in the US state of Montana. It was started by James Norris (Dick) Randall and his wife Dora after they purchased squatters rights on a small cabin along Cedar Creek in the Absaroka Range. The original cabin had a dirt floor cabin with a sod roof. Randall courted wealthy eastern clients (the Dudes) and by 1912 they came to the OTO to experience a "genuine" western ranch lifestyle. The property grew to meet the needs of guests and by the 1920s included an impressive lodge (1921), cabins, barns, post office, and outbuildings. Notable guests included Theodore Roosevelt and Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Jr. The Randalls sold the OTO in 1934 to Chan Libby (a former guest). In 1939 the OTO closed its dude ranching operations permanently. After its 1939 closing the property was sold to John Paul and Jessie Shields, who owned for more than 30 years and worked it as cattle and horse ranch. Two of their granddaughters would come and spend summers with them and go to the OTO, Gayle (Shields) Terry and Nikki Shields. They sold it to the Elk Foundation in 1989. The 3,265 acre (1,321 hectare) property was eventually acquired by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, who donated it (1991) to the United States Forest Service (Gallatin National Forest District). In 2004 the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and buildings are currently undergoing renovations with labor provided by volunteer groups including Passport in Time, Elderhostel and Amizade. The site continues to provide habitat for large wildlife.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch listed on the National Register?
OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 11, 2004.
What type of historic resource is OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch?
OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch?
The period of significance for OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near OTO Homestead and Dude Ranch will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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