If there's one aspect of American culture that helps spread the word about dude ranches, it's movies. Dude ranching as a business had been around since 1882, but it took nearly forty years for filmmakers -- also creating a new industry -- to see the potential of these places. At first, dude ranches were just … Continue reading Dude Ranches Go to the Movies
Author: Lynn Downey
The buildings in our lives
Courtesy County of Marin, Cultural Services I think everyone has a house or a building in their life that is special to them. You don't have to be a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, or even follow what your city council is doing with buildings where you live, to care deeply about … Continue reading The buildings in our lives
“I’m so happy there’s a place like this in the world.”
I just got home after spending three fabulous days at the O.T.O. dude ranch, outside of Gardiner, Montana. It was Montana's first dude ranch, and though it was only open for about twenty-five years, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also a legend. And that's because of its legendary founder, Dick … Continue reading “I’m so happy there’s a place like this in the world.”
Happy Birthday, Blue Jeans!
One hundred fifty years ago today - May 20, 1873 -- denim pants got a makeover and became blue jeans. On that date, San Francisco dry goods merchant and philanthropist Levi Strauss, and Reno, Nevada tailor Jacob Davis were granted patent number 139,121 for an "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings." Davis had started making denim pants … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Blue Jeans!
Sally Rand’s…Nude Ranch
Yes, you read that correctly. "Nude Ranch." In the 1930s, as the dude ranch got more popular with vacationers and started showing up in movies and books, one entertainer took the concept and gave it some sex appeal. Her name was Sally Rand. Born Helen Beck in Missouri in 1904, she got interested in dance … Continue reading Sally Rand’s…Nude Ranch
On The Trail With Levi Strauss in Panama
On March 14, 1853, Levi Strauss walked off the Pacific Mail steamship Isthmus and onto a wharf in the city of San Francisco, which would be home for the rest of his life. He then started up his wholesale dry goods company, called simply Levi Strauss, which was the West coast branch of the family … Continue reading On The Trail With Levi Strauss in Panama
The Case of the Desert Rat
Ninety years ago, on March 1, 1933, Erle Stanley Gardner published the first Perry Mason novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws. Gardner was an attorney living in Ventura, California, and though this was his first full-length book, he had been writing stories for the pulp magazines since the early 1920s. Born in Massachusetts in … Continue reading The Case of the Desert Rat
From the Collection: Postcards
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have over 100 pieces of dude ranch memorabilia in a collection I started about 10 years ago. Some of my favorite pieces are the postcards, because they are all so different and present very different messages about dude ranching. The card pictured above is the oldest … Continue reading From the Collection: Postcards
Gary Cooper: Dude Rancher
On August 4, 1928, Helena, Montana newspaper The Independent-Record ran a story with the heading, "Gary Cooper Promotes Dude Ranch for Hollywood Stars." A series of dude ranches was being planned to bridge Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. Not only that, the ranches were expected to draw movie stars from Hollywood. One of those stars … Continue reading Gary Cooper: Dude Rancher
Dude Ranch New Year’s Resolutions: 1940
As we say goodbye to 2022, here's a look at a list of New Year's resolutions from the dude ranching world. The Dude Ranchers' Association was founded in 1926 to help ranches increase their business and keep up with tourism trends. In 1931 the DRA started publishing a magazine for its members, called The Dude … Continue reading Dude Ranch New Year’s Resolutions: 1940
