Over decades of ranch operation, there were many defining events. Some happened frequently, others not so much and some only once. Each left their own mark on the ranch and its history.
Travel to White Grass
In the early days of the ranch (1920s), guests left their residences in eastern cities, such as Philadephia, and traveled by train for multiple days. The last miles to White Grass were by horse drawn coaches crossing the mountains from Idaho. Decades later, guests were picked up by wranglers at the train station in Rock Springs, WY and were transported to the ranch in a ranch vehicle. As transportation continued to evolve, guests arrived with much less effort via airplanes and/or their own motor vehicles. The earliest travelers to the ranch, routinely stayed several weeks and many stayed at White Grass the entire season. By contrast, in the 1980s, guests more often stayed a week or two and sometimes stayed only a couple of nights.
Polo Matches in the Meadow
Polo was commonplace at White Grass during the Frank Galey era. Played on Sunday afternoons, polo matches often followed a lunchtime barbecue. Trail horses with western saddles were employed with riders wearing polo helmets and using standard polo mallets. For less formal polo matches, riders wore cowboy hats and used brooms to advance the ball.
Gymkhanas
Gymkhanas, games on horses, were much less formal and smaller events than the dude ranch rodeos. Some gymkhanas were staged with only one ranch; others were between several ranches. These events happened throughout a summer season and included saddle races, calf roping, musical chairs played on horses and gunny sack races. Because most events required much less skill than traditional rodeos, younger dudes were able to participate.
“Westward Ho” – Episcopalian Youth Retreat
Father Daniel Matthews from Memphis, TN brought 60-70 Episcopalian teenagers to Wyoming via nonstop buses from 1964-68. Half of the teenagers stayed at the R Lazy S and half at White Grass. In addition to traditional dude ranch activities, the program content focused on Bible study, human sexuality, worship and war/peace games. Traveling by horseback, the teenagers attended services at the Chapel of Transfiguration. As one participant, wrote, “No other scenery in the world can compare with it (the Tetons). I really felt close to God for the first time in my life because I felt that in this free and open country, I was really a part of God and His world.” These retreats were held in early June prior to the start of the regular dude summer season. Read more: Episcopal Retreat Brochure.
Fall Horse Drives
Because of deep snow and harsh winters, the ranch horses were often moved to more favorable conditions east and south of the ranch, e.g., Lander, WY. Sometimes the horses were trucked the entire distance; other years wranglers drove the horses from the ranch over the Gros Ventre Mountains to DuBois, WY and then trucked the horses further south. As a way to generate income for the ranch and provide a western experience for many, Frank Galey offered dudes the opportunity to join the 5-6 day horse drive to DuBois. The sizes of a White Grass herd varied by season but sometimes the herd reached over a hundred horses. The horse drive in 1971 lost 22 horses in route which were not found until February 1972 by an airplane pilot. Read more: 1980 Horse Drive Brochure.
Relationships & Weddings
Dudes and wranglers have stated that owner Frank Galey enjoyed bringing adolescents and young adults together to watch the ‘sparks fly.’ As expected, many relationships were begun at the ranch. Some were short lived but several were long term and lead to successful marriages. Because of their ties to the ranch, couples would sometimes include the ranch in their wedding plans.
BBQs, Parties & Celebrations
Parties and barbecues were long standing traditions at White Grass during the Galey era. Sunday lunches were held outdoors in the north pasture and sometimes at Lake Ingeborg. Ranch staff would prepare the meals; guests and staff would eat together. Guests from area ranches were welcome. Polo games in the meadow after lunch were common.
Forth of July parties were frequently big events with attendees from dude ranches and the Jackson area. A local newspaper reported that in 1977 over 250 people attended the annual event. In 1984, Senators Clark (PA), Proxmire (WI), Eagleton (MO) and Simpson (WY) attended with another large crowd. One staff member wrote that the crowds were so large, the tossed salad was made in garbage cans. Read more: Fourth of July.
In 1964 and 1974, the ranch celebrated its 50th and 60th anniversaries respectively.
Paying tribute to the influence that the White Grass experience played in the lives of dudes and wranglers, alumni reunions were held in 1989, 2000, 2011 and 2014. Friends were re-united, stories told and in 2014 (attended by over 60 White Grassers), the White Grass Heritage Project began collecting oral histories, historical photographs and memorabilia for archiving. Many of these same White Grassers advocated for saving the ranch post 1985 and financially supported the rehabilitation efforts that began in 2006.
In 2016, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the ranch to celebrate the rehabilitation of 13 original log structures at the ranch. The ranch now serves as a National Park Service historic preservation training center.
