160 Acres and Some Cattle

A historic look at the close-knit community of Jackson Hole homesteads spread across 100 miles in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Early Jackson Hole homesteads spread across 100 miles in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Mary Ann Allen brought a yellow rose from Idaho. Some men mailed for brides from Chicago. Homesteaders built barns before they built houses. Horses, cattle and chickens provided sustenance in a land that offered little more than timber to stake down the new American dream. Mind you, this dream evolved from the perception that land equaled opportunity only if it were cultivated.

Despite the popularity of Jackson Hole today, it was not the choicest part of the frontier; the soil was rocky, the climate harsh, the growing season a mere 90 days and entry routes arduous. Research suggests that settlers did not specifically move to the region because of the beauty either. Karen Reinhart of the Jackson Hole Historical Society notes that settlers built homes without windows on the west side, thus putting a solid wall between themselves and mountain views because of the winds.

According to the Homestead Act, settlers had to file, build a 12' x14' dwelling, then live on the land and grow crops for five years. Some settlers found loopholes and slyly pushed cabins between two ad — jacent parcels. Others took advantage of subsequent desert, timber and mineral land acts and shifting forest boundaries to secure more land. National Archives document that by 1934, over 1.6 million homestead applications were processed in the U.S. and more than 270 million acres — 10 percent of all U.S. lands — passed into the hands of individuals.

Among the returning trappers, John Holland and John Carnes and his wife entered “from the Green River Basin via the Bacon Creek-Gros Ventre River route. Over this trail they hauled dismantled farm equipment with pack animals,” to become the first Jackson Hole homesteaders in 1884. Robert E. Miller, a shrewd businessman, played a role in cattle ranching, real estate and banking. While many raised cattle, John P. Cunningham arrived early and successfully ranched in the Spread Creek area. His homestead cabin still stands on the original property. *

Finally, in 1889, Elijah “Uncle Nick” Wilson encouraged family and friends to the area. They worked hard to prepare for the first winter and a journey that took two weeks to cover the 88 miles from St. Anthony, Idaho, with six wagons, multiple teams of horses and five families. This group was said to establish Teton Pass as the main transportation artery. The Wilsons also started a trend that brought more Mormon settlers from Utah and Idaho as well as the first substantial group of women and families.

The Mays and the Budges arrived pre-1900, too. James May had scouted the territory
and chose a location where the sagebrush grew heartily, indicating fertile soil. The alluvial fan east of Blacktail Butte attracted many to “Grovont” which later became the historical landmark Mormon Row. By early 1900, settlers had planted barley, alfalfa, grain, wheat, oats, potatoes, berries and some vegetables to add to their meat-rich diet and to “prove up” on their land. The Mays, like other homesteaders who arrived with little time to set up a new life before winter, stayed with others and built shelters for their animals. Jackson Hole developed a close-knit community despite the fact that homesteads spread across almost 100 miles.

Stories of boisterous socializing, of riding all day to visit neighbors, and of the proliferation of dance halls illustrate a frontier ethic and affinity for community. In 1897, The Clubhouse, or the Jackson Hole Gun Club, came to life even before “Pap” Deloney’s general store in 1899. Before that, valley residents had traveled a week by horse and wagon to obtain building, farming and domestic supplies.

Post offices further confirmed the frontier identity. By 1892, settlers had a post office with others at Elk, Grovont, South Park, Wilson and Jackson to follow. These areas, including Flat Creek and Spread Creek, also indicate concentrated areas of settlement. Of the 638 residents in the 1900 Census, 145 were farmers while farm labor and day labor made up another 89 people. The valley’s six schoolteachers earned special attention as some of the first women in a male-dominated society. The Census also revealed that 10% of the residents came from Europe, yet 374 had been born in the Rocky Mountain west with 25% of those from Utah.

Early in the 1900s, the Moultons filed claims along Mormon Row. “Like others of the homestead era, Alma Moulton had visions of a ranch and prosperity someday. But when he needed a barn for his livestock, he had to rely on his own brute strength and careful craftsmanship. He was a poor man with a young family and dreams of a better future for his children. The barn he built is a poor man’s legacy… and a symbol for America and the struggle and perseverance of a homesteader.” **

Jackson Hole’s population almost tripled during the first decade of the 20th century with 150 new land entries and 5,280 acres of what is now national park under cultivation, among other entries. Starting in 1909, Jackson’s Hole Courier demonstrated that settlers
preferred their own stories and gossip to national news. Meanwhile, oral, written, and physical history owe much to the Mormons who resettled in Jackson with their penchant for genealogy and story collecting. Paradoxically, homesteaders seemed oblivious to the fact that they were making history as they reveled in their own stories. The conservation movement and national preservation of Grand Teton National Park did much to change that focus.

Perhaps what is most interesting about this valley is the shift in values between then and now. They hunted elk, we feed them. As they sought to till and utilize open spaces, we are bent on preserving them. Thus, the privatizing of a frontier ended with 97% of land in the public domain. The mountains, which were once a rite of passage, have become a channel for reflection and recreation. Dreams that were won with labor are now dreams celebrated as a luxury. The land hasn’t changed much, but the stories have. Both remain a legacy.


Sources:
* “A Place Called Jackson Hole,” by John Daugherty
** “Legacy of the Tetons,” by Candy Vyvey Moulton
Jackson Hole Historical Society Archives
“The First Families into Jackson Hole,” compiled by Mary G. Davis
and Judy S. Andersen