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Share Your Story

Share Your Story is about Your White Grass Story(s) whether you are a former dude or wrangler, volunteer, rehabilitation specialist, special friend to the ranch, preservation workshop instructor, trainee, historian, student or interested person.

Share Your Story documents how the dude ranch experience changed the lives of many individuals and families and it seeks to document White Grass evolving into a National Park Service Training Center teaching historical preservation skills to professionals and students from across the country.

But don’t take our word, read an invitation to Share Your Story from Cynthia Galey Peck who grew up on the ranch with her parents, Frank and Inga Galey, starting in the 1940’s.

“I invite all to share your White Grass stories whether it involves life changes, working, a dude experience, fund raising campaign or rehabilitation and training stories. (It is) a way to share and contribute to the history of White Grass Ranch (and) fulfills a desire of former Dudes and Wranglers who wanted their ranch stories and history collected, preserved and available for the future.

Your story(s) will be added to the many White Grass stories collected between 2010-2014 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation who granted permission for 75+ stories to be posted below. (Your) pictures are welcome on the site also.

I am delighted that White Grass’s story and history is ongoing, humans are using this special spot, animals still roam the area and natural processes continue. May all who come to White Grass enjoy this special place.” -Cynthia Galey Peck

Please click on the names below to read their stories, or use the search bar above to look for an individual or topic of interest, e.g., person’s name, pack trips, cabin girls.

The stories are made available here for educational and research purposes only. Commercial use is prohibited. Requests for reproduction of these materials must be submitted at: whitegrass@jacksonholehistory.org

BETTY BONDS HATFIELD 8.01.2022

Bio:  Teenage Dude, 1968 Descriptor:  Dude with Westward HO Episcopal Church, Memphis, who came to WG with 35+ teenagers for a retreat to learn about themselves, others, the outdoors and their own spirituality. See Share Your Story postings by Father Dan Matthews and Julie Bonds Green and White Grass Oral History by Clare Leach. Betty’s […]

RANDY STENSON 6.29.2022

Bio: Dude, 1968; Wrangler, 1969. Descriptor: Best time of my life and for a kid from NJ. Randy’s Story:  Best time of my life. Wildlife that can’t be replaced, pack trips in Yellowstone meadows. Truly a magical place with Pancho, and Freddie, and Willie, Franny, Tom and many more. How often do kids from NJ […]

Trip Wheeler 2.15.2022

Bio: Junior Wrangler 1976. Descriptor: Trip’s father was a wrangler at White Grass and encouraged Trip to work at the ranch.  In 1976, he was a junior wrangler for Frank Galey where he lived in a canvas tent, wrangled horses off the mountain at 5:00 am, enjoyed the Sunday Barbecues, the dude ranch rodeos and […]

Ted Wiederseim 12.23.2021

Bio: Ted’s father was WWII injured, recuperated at White Grass, cousin to owner, Frank GaleyDescriptor: Creating a White Grass like life in PA, experiences at WG with Frank Galey. Ted’s Story: Remembrances of My Cousin Frank Galey and the White Grass Ranch – By Theodore “Ted” Wiederseim The first time I met Frank Galey was […]

Michael Marcroft 10.4.2021

Bio: White Grass Staff, 1983Descriptor: $300/wk with room and board, my heart took root. Michael’s Story: From late July, through the third week of August in 1983, I had the good fortune to work on White Grass Ranch. Upon seeing The Tetons for the first time, I was so startled by the beauty of the […]

Herb & Sally Ford 9.30.2021

Bio: Seasonal Caretakers at White Grass Since 2019Description: No class at White Grass in 2021 but plenty of tasks accomplished. Herb & Sally’s Story: Sally and I just completed our 3rd year as White Grass Ranch Caretakers and it was yet another memorable experience. We arrived with expectations that Covid would be under control and […]

Herb and Sally Ford 9.30.2020

Bio: Herb and Sally, Volunteer Caretakers at White Grass, 2019-20Descriptor: White Grass and the COVID-19 Pandemic Herb & Sally’s Story: Another season in paradise complete and we’re looking forward to 2021. We just completed our second season as Caretakers at White Grass Ranch and to say it was unique would be an understatement. With the […]

William “Dub” Lloyd 6.10.2020

Bio: Wrangler 1983; Volunteer, 2015-2019 Descriptor: His meaningful return to White Grass via invitation by the Ranch Caretaker. William’s Story: Dub was invited to volunteer at the Ranch and brought with him, his partner, Marilyn Smith, both talented woodworkers  He pays tribute to the ranch and Ranch Caretaker, Roger Butterbaugh. Dub was invited to volunteer […]

William “Dub” Lloyd 6.10.2020

Bio: Wrangler 1983; Volunteer, 2015-2019 Descriptor: From Wrangler to Volunteer, White Grass heals and draws one back. William’s Story: My poem starts when I came to White Grass in 1983 a broken man. The ranch was my healing place. Thirty three years later, I returned as a volunteer, bonded with other volunteers most of whom […]

Eileen Mikielian 5.5.2020

Bio: Ranch guest in 1962, 64 & 65 with her parents. Descriptor: Discovering Nature via Her White Grass Experience Eileen’s Story: My parents, Hugh and Anne Rafferty, first went to White Grass as guests in 1960 or so. They traveled with John and Helen Pickens. They returned as many times without the kids, probably yearly […]