Cynthia Galey Peck
Bio: Daughter of Frank and Inge Galey grew up on the ranch, 1940’s to mid 1960’s. Descriptor: An invitation to post stories about your experiences at the ranch.
Cynthia’s Story: Change is the only constant, nothing remains the same. White Grass is believed to be a meeting place of the native tribes who came to hunt; they named it White Grass before white men came into the Hole. Wild animals have always roamed the area.
Harold Hammond and his partner, Tucker Bispham started homesteading this place in 1913. They started to accept Dudes; it was a Boy’s ranch for time; also, a silver fox farm. The records show that it was “proved-up” in 1923. Hammond bought Bispham out. Hammond died in 1936 shortly after he married Marion Chandler Galey. She operated the ranch until her son, Frank Galey, who came back from the armed forces. Frank and his wife, Inge, first owned and operated it in 1946. In 1956 Frank sold to Grand Teton National Park, but held the right to continue its operation. When Frank died in 1985 and Inge held no right to continue operation, the Park left it to deteriorate for twenty years. During those years, the barn was removed as was Cabin 14. The Messler cabin and Homestead cabin and Galey house were demolished by fire. Even before the National Trust for Historic Preservation started work in conjunction with the Grand Teton National Park there had been these substantial changes.
With a change in Grand Teton Park leadership and pressure from former dudes, ranch employees and others, the National Trust for Historic Preservation started to repurpose and rehabilitate the badly deteriorated remaining buildings. Work began in 2004. Today the ranch is a training and meeting center with rehabilitated meeting buildings and sleeping cabins.
With My Share Your Story website is another change, a way to share and contribute to the history of White Grass Ranch. It fulfills a desire of former Dudes and Wranglers who wanted their ranch stories and history collected, preserved and available for the future. It also makes available archives organized by the White Grass Heritage Project working in collaboration with the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, the Western Center for Historic Preservation and Grand Teton National Park.
I invite all to share your White Grass stories. To do so add your story to this web site in the section called “Share Your Story” whether it involves life changes, working, a dude experience, fund raising campaign or rehabilitation and training stories. Yours will be added to the many White Grass stories collected between 2010-2014 and placed into this permanent active site. 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 may still roam the area and natural processes may continue.
May all who come to White Grass enjoy this special place, Cynthia Galey Peck.