The Davis Homestead Ranch

In 1885, George Albert Davis moved to Harding County with his twin, Fred Davis, so they could begin ranching. They started out on Upper 48 Mile Creek, close to what is now known as the Clark Blake ranch. George Albert Davis married Betsy Matilda Bonefield on October 17, 1897 in Belle Fourche, SD. George and his twin, Fred, were the second and third children born of six children to Thomas Jefferson Davis and Mary Lucinda (Spaulding) Davis.

George and Betsy later moved to the present-day headquarters around 1907, where they built a small log cabin and then they built a larger cabin as more children came along. Then in 1915, they moved into a large, new two-story frame house that still stands on the homestead today. They had four children on Upper 48 Mile: Amos, Alfred, Sylvia (married Easton Padden 1925) and Floyd (Bud). They had five more children after they had moved further North to where the homestead stands now: James, Paul (deceased at the age of 20 days), Bessie (married Bob Cordell 1935), Gilmer and Tom.

As a young man, Floyd (Bud) went into partnership on the ranch with his father, George and his brother, Jim. Bud filed a claim on the property that joined his Dad’s land, just to the north of the corrals. Bud married Georgia Jones in February 1934, a teacher that came from Belle Fourche. Bud moved a one room shack onto his homestead claim, and this was their first home. A daughter was born to them (Loretta Joan) in December 1934. In 1939, Bud built a four-room house with his father-in-law on his property, and this was the house that Bud lived the rest of his life in. They had two sons, Floyd (Rex) in 1941 and Maurice in 1944.

In 1965, Floyd (Rex) bought out Jim’s share of the ranch and moved his family, wife Alfreda (Hansen) married in 1960 and their two sons, Douglas Allen and Daniel Ray Davis. They lived in a small four room house when they first moved to the ranch. Then they moved into the original homestead two story frame house.

Bud died unexpectedly on August 18, 1974 and that left Rex and Alfreda running the ranch on their own. They added to the original ranch over the years, buying homesteads that people had given up on as had the Davis men before them. Rex and Alfreda built a modern home in 1975 and lived there until their retirement in 1993.

Doug and Julia moved back to the ranch from Belle Fourche, where they both had good jobs, in March of 1989. They had one son, Jake, already and then they had another son, Travis, in April of 1990. They moved into the house that Floyd (Bud) had built and lived there and ranched with Rex and Alfreda. Rex and Alfreda moved to Belle Fourche in January 1993, but they stayed involved with the ranch. Rex passed away in July of 2008. Doug and Julia continue to ranch on the Davis Homestead Ranch. Both of their sons are married and they have three grandsons that are in line to run the ranch someday. The grandsons are the 7th generation on the Davis Homestead Ranch.

Doug and Julia grew up always wanting to ranch. They run a cow/calf operation with sheep on the side. Over the lifetime of the ranch there has been cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, geese, turkeys, chickens and rabbits. They are the 5th generation on the ranch and continue to try new things to better the ranch and their lives. They are looking at doing some different grazing ideas and are always updating like solar water. One of the best parts of ranching in Harding County is the neighbor’s help – they watch out for your kids as they grow up. (4/21/21)

The Nelson Family Ranch

Nels Nelson and Olive Peru were married in 1905. Nels and Olive lived in Nekoma, ND. until 1909 and moved back to Sioux Falls.  In 1910, they filed on a homestead two miles northeast of Bullock, SD and came to Bowman by train and then continued on to their homestead.  They broke up 40 acres and planted it into corn.

Four children were born to this marriage: Ray, August, Florence, and Woodrow. In 1923, Nels was kicked into a manger by a horse and died in 1924. Olive died on May 4,1943 after being kicked in the leg by a calf which resulted in a blood clot that broke loose and caused a heart attack.

Peder Tollefsrud came to America in 1911. He worked in Iowa for 4 yrs then returned to Norway in 1915. He came back to America in 1916 and made his way to Rhame ND where his brother lived. He filed on a homestead 7 miles west of Ladner SD in 1917. He married Marie Ostdahl in 1918 and was inducted into the army the same year. Upon his return they moved to the homestead in the spring of 1920. Born to this marriage was 4 children: Ruth, Selvin, Thelma and Donnie. They moved to Buffalo in 1950. Marie died in 1953. Peder died in 1978 in Norway.

Woodrow Nelson and Ruth Tollefsrud were married in 1942. Born to this union was 4 children: Ken, Wayne, Terry, and Sherry.

They ranched on the Nels Nelson homestead raising beef cattle and small grains. In 1957, they added more land to the operation when they bought the Tollefsrud homestead from Ruth’s brother, Selvin.

Woodrow died of cancer in 1977. Ruth died in 1992 from complications from heart surgery.

Wayne Nelson and Susan Gunderson were married in 1978. They moved to the Tollefsrud homestead after purchasing the land from Ruth Nelson. They also bought Ruth’s cattle and invested in sheep.

In 1980, they purchased the Carl Strom place from Percy Oien, and land from Victor Carlson.  Many of the buildings that were at the Carlson place were moved north to the current ranch site.

They transitioned out of sheep in 2010 and invested in more cattle.

Their 3 children and their spouses, live in Harding County and are actively involved in ranching. Kayla and Miles Spickelmier have 2 sons, Hazen and Krece. Chad and Bobbi Nelson have a son, Barrett. Kaycee and Tyrell Moody are expecting a little girl in May.

The best part about ranching in Harding County are the people, our neighbors, the lifestyle we get to live. We are thankful that all three of our children are living nearby and love this lifestyle as well and will carry the ranch into the 4^th generation! (2/24/21)

The Burghduff Family Ranch

The Burghduff Family Ranch began in 1910 with Otto Burghduff and his wife Alice, along with their three children, including Kenneth at 2 years of age.  They moved from Viroqua, WI, lived in Selby, SD for 2 years, then moved on to settle 12 miles north east of Camp Crook, west of the Little Missouri River.  Later, three more children were born.  1918 brought tragedy to the family when wife Alice and son Virgil both died from Scarlet Fever.

Otto continued taking care of the homestead and the family without their mother.  He also traveled the country selling Rawleigh Products or trading the products for whatever the customer had to offer that he could bring home to feed his family. 

In 1933, Otto moved to Ismay, MT marrying Iva Magee.  That same year, Otto’s son Kenneth married his neighbor Edith Mae Turbiville.  They lived in Camp Crook for 2 years selling milk and eggs and doing odd jobs, including Edith Mae taking care of her invalid grandmother. 

Kenneth and Edith Mae moved to the family ranch, taking over in 1935.  They had six children: Rex, Alice (died of cancer at age 24), Kenny, James (died in infancy), Gerald, and Rhoda Mae.  In addition to caring for the ranch, they herded sheep for some neighbors, living in a sheep wagon from time to time with their oldest 3 children.  They raised cattle and sheep as well as breaking horses to ride and drive.  Kenneth was known for being excellent at both.  Edith Mae was known for her cooking and sewing skills.  Both were known for their generosity, hospitality, and kindness to everyone.  Kenneth and Edith Mae increased their livestock numbers as well as adjoining acres and made numerous improvements, including fences, buildings, and hay ground. 

After graduating from High School in 1967, Gerald ranched with his parents.  He married Becky Tetrault from St. Onge, SD in 1971 and they continued to work on the ranch with his parents.  They took over the ranch in 1978 when Kenneth passed away with cancer.  Gerald and Becky added adjoining land from the Magee place and land from his aunt and uncle, Gene and Leora Turbiville.  They increased cattle numbers and have made improvements over the years on buildings, windbreaks, water lines, and hay land. 

Gerald and Becky had two children, Shawn and Natalie.  Shawn married Alicia Clarkson and they had one son, Dane.   Shawn ranched with his parents until age 28 when he passed away from a possible aneurism.  Natalie married Ryan Glines and they have three children, Brennan, Shawn, and Alexys.  Natalie has always been involved in the ranch and returned full-time in 2004.  Shawn and Alicia’s son, Dane, along with Ryan and Natalie’s three children make the 5^th generation on the Burghduff Family Ranch.  It is the grandparents’ hope that some will continue the ranching tradition. The entire family in all 5 generations worked hard to do their part to keep the ranch going. It is a great place to live and raise a family! (2/17/21) 

The Swan Family

The Bledsoe Ranch

The Bledsoe family purchased the Zeta White ranch on the north fork of the Moreau river, southeast of Buffalo in 1980. The Bledsoe Cattle Company headquarters are located at Wray, Colorado. There they ranch, farm and run a private feedlot to feed and finish their own cattle. Currently there are four generations actively involved in the operation ranging in age from 99 to 12. They converted some of their Colorado pastures to irrigated farm ground in the late 60’s so they needed to expand their rangeland. After looking in Montana and South Dakota, they purchased the ranch from Mrs. White. Later, the Bledsoes expanded the ranch by acquiring the Schmaltz Ranch. Tom and Madonna Costello moved to the ranch in 1982 and are still there today. They manage the day-to-day operations along with their son Jake Costello, his wife Holly, and children Kelsi and Cade. Dakota and Morgan Seymour and children, Remuda and River are also involved.

Bledsoes purchase weaning calves every fall to winter and run as grass cattle the following year. Most calves are owned over one year and have just about tripled their weight at slaughter. All cattle are owned by Bledsoe Cattle Company. They stock the South Dakota ranch to best utilize the forage conditions. They have purchased the calf crop of some ranches for over 30 years. They have also been fortunate to buy great calves from SD neighbors for many years. Over 2000 head are taken to the ranch in South Dakota where they are wintered and then summered. In the fall, yearlings are shipped to the Bledsoe feedlot and fed to a finished weight. They have been marketing all their cattle through Cargill. They have been able to keep their costs down by owning cattle longer and using compensatory gain in their favor. Their goal has been to come off grass with over 900# steers and 800# heifers. This is a business model that has been fairly successful for them.

Over the years, they have improved their water systems by adding submersible wells, pipelines, and using solar units on some of their wells. This has improved cattle grazing distribution and increased stocking rates. Most all the cattle movement is still done with horses. They do use side by sides to go around fences (Which is hard for a cowboy to do!) Besides being a little more mechanized now, mainly tractors pulling bale processors and cake feeders on pickups, life on the ranch is just about the same as it always was.

The ranch amazes the Bledsoes. Even in times of low rainfall, the grass produces a lot of pounds of beef.

Bob Bledsoe says they are so blessed to have the Costellos and Seymours caring for the ranch. They are wonderful people. Also, Bob says they are privileged to ranch in an area with such great neighbors. (1/27/21)

Costello Family

For 40 years, Tom & Madonna Costello have lived on and managed the Bledsoe Ranch southeast of Buffalo.

Tom grew up between Scenic and Interior, SD.  His Dad had a ranch in the Badlands and Grandpa had a ranch on Elk Creek near Piedmont.  They ran both ranches at the same time.  Madonna also grew up down on Elk Creek.  They both attended High School in Sturgis.  Tom graduated one year before Madonna.  They were married five days after she graduated in 1973.

They ran the liquor and grocery store in Piedmont for two years.  The two ranches were sold in 1975 and they moved to Montana.  Tom worked on a ranch near Winifred along the Missouri River for three years.  Tom and Madonna moved to Belle Fourche and Tom worked at the sale barn and American Colloid for a couple of years.

Bledsoes bought the ranch southeast of Buffalo in 1979 and Tom & Madonna moved there in 1980.  They have three sons:  Jake, Tommy and Matthew.  Jake and his family are also on the ranch.  Tommy and his family live in Sundance, WY.  Matthew and his family live in Rozet, WY.

Tom and the Bledsoes run yearlings and take them to the feedlot in the fall.  They start buying calves in October and then ship August through October.  They buy a lot of contract cattle each year out of Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana.  They buy from the sale barn in January and February after they’ve been weaned.

Tom and Madonna also run their own cow/calf operation on leased ground on the east side of the Buttes.  They sell to Bledsoes and keep replacement heifers.

Bledsoes have expanded the ranch buying more land and now put up a lot more feed.  They summer between 2800 – 3000 steers and winter 1500 – 2000.

They have put in a lot of wells over the years.  The Moreau River runs all the way through to the north end and never goes dry.  They run one yearling to 9-10 acres.

Tom has been very active in the community.  He was on the High School Rodeo Board for 14 years, President for three years and on the Board of Directors.  He helped the kids in bronc and bareback riding any chance he had.  He’s been on the Board of Directors for the Western South Dakota Buckaroos and President for a term.  Tom is also a member of the South Dakota Stockgrowers, R-Calf and Cattle USA.  Bledsoes and Costellos provided the cattle for cutting events for many years.

Tom says the last 40 years went by too fast.  It’s been a good living there on the ranch and was a great place to raise kids. (1/20/21)

The Grubbing Hoe Ranch

Charles and Kate Matson started the Grubbing Hoe Ranch in Harding County in 1885 or 1886.  They settled about 15 miles southwest of present-day Buffalo near Jerry Creek.  Charles and Kate had seven children: Albert, Jennie, Ernest, Sandy, Amanda, Elmer and Ted.  In 1904 or 1905, the Matson family moved further south to the North Moreau area, where the ranch still operates today.  In the World War I days, the Matsons raised remount horses for military use.  They also ran some cattle. 

Ted Matson took over the ranch in the 1930’s and began running sheep.  He added a herd of cattle along with the sheep in the 1940’s.  Ted married Bertha Fowler in 1940.  Bertha was previously married to Charles Fowler and they had five children: Marion, Charles Jr. “Chuck”, Eleanor, Phyllis and Leet.  Charles Fowler owned the first Standard Oil business in Buffalo.  He freighted between Buffalo and Bowman, ND with horses and later with trucks.

Ted and Bertha had a son name James “Jim” in 1941.  Chuck, Leet and Jim all served in the Navy. 

Leet married Maurine Brengle in 1961.  In 1971, they moved to the north part of the ranch.  That ranch was traded in 2006, for the Junek ranch near Redig.  The Junek ranch had already joined the main portion of the Grubbing Hoe Ranch.  Leet and Maurine have three children: Ty, Aaron and Teddi. 

The Matsons and Fowlers expanded the ranch several times, including part of the old Ward Van Horn Ranch which is where Ty Fowler lives today and also the former Jeckell ranch in the East Short Pines.

Ty has two children: Kendall and Logan and Melissa has a son, Kane Hill.  Kane is married to Victoria and they have a daughter named Poppy. 

Leet and Maureen are still part owners of the ranch, but now reside in Belle Fourche, SD.  Ty and Melissa manage the Grubbing Hoe Ranch along with having two full time employees. 

By 1996, the sheep were completely phased out and more cattle were brought into the operation.  The ranch currently runs a cow/calf and yearling operation.  The mature cows calve unassisted on the range in May and June.  They do not sell any calves and sell them all as yearlings.  The goal is to sell the steers weighing over 1,000 pounds and some spayed heifers that usually weigh over 900 pounds.  Occasionally, they buy feeder cattle to put with their own herd if the grass conditions warrant.  They raise their own replacements.  Ty and Melissa only use horses to work their livestock.

Rotational grazing has really helped to keep grass.  There has been a lot of cross fencing done on the ranch.  They have ran a good amount of water line which they believe has helped increase their calf weights.  They rotate pastures every couple of weeks and still leave grass behind.

Ty and Melissa are traditional but progressive, too.  They hope to keep moving forward by raising better cattle and growing their operation.

When asked about the best part of living and ranching in Harding County, Ty said, “We neighbor and work with people a lot from Harding and Butte County.  We are so lucky to be amongst some of the greatest people.  We wouldn’t be able to manage without the help of these neighbors.  The best way to have good neighbors is to be a good neighbor and we have awesome neighbors!  Another benefit to living here is the short strong grass that helps the cattle do so well.”

Both sides of Ty’s family started out very early on in Harding County – the Matsons and the Brengles.

2021 marks the 135^th year for the Grubbing Hoe Ranch in Harding County and also Leet and Maurine’s 60^th wedding anniversary.  The Fowlers plan to have a celebration in June. (1/13/21) 

The Price Ranch

Long Pines Land & Livestock   

longpineslivestock.com

Near Camp Crook, SD lies Long Pines Land and Livestock, owned and operated by Deb Brown and Larry Licking.  Deb grew up on the nation’s largest purebred Rambouillet sheep ranch in Northwestern South Dakota which is where her interest in using production records and genetics started.  She has an eye for photography and captures beautiful images of life on the ranch.

Larry grew up on a ranch near Mullen, Nebraska.  In 1956, his family purchased a ranch near Buffalo, SD and moved to Harding County.  He has raised commercial Angus and Hereford cattle and owns a trucking business.  Larry is happiest when in the saddle on a good horse watching his cattle graze!

Deb and Larry bought the ranch in January of 2000.  Deb’s son, Sterling is also an active part of Long Pines Land & Livestock.  They started with a commercial cattle herd but later turned their focus to registered cattle, including Irish Black and Irish Red females, replacement heifers and registered bulls.  They offer purebred Irish Blacks and Irish Reds cattle through bull and semen sales, and female and embryo sales.  Deb and Larry also raise registered Quarter Horses that have been successful in the National Reined Cow Horse Association, roping, speed events and everyday ranch use.

Over time, Deb and Larry have increased their overall carrying capacity by developing water resources, implementing rotational grazing systems and improving the genetics in their cattle herd. Their ranch straddles the Montana/South Dakota border with the ranch house being a stone’s throw from the state line. The Long Pines offer protection from the north west and adds to the beautiful landscape. The unique drainage from the Long Pines feeds a century old irrigation system of dykes that waters hay meadows and feeds sub-irrigated fields on the ranch. (12/17/20)

The Painter Ranch

In 1895 Lewis Levi Painter trailed in a herd of cattle with the CY Cattle Company from Wyoming to South Dakota.  The CY headquarters were on the West side of the Little Missouri River.  Lewis homesteaded on 160 acres on the East side of the Little Missouri River which is where the Painter Ranch headquarters are to this day.

In 1902 Lewis married May Bovell.  They had three sons: Joe, Fred and Preston.  Joe married Mildred Ellis and they had four children: May Ruth, JoAnne, Dolly and Paul.

Lewis Levi and family made a living by running a few cows and breaking horses which they sold to the army during World War I.  It wasn’t until the 1930s when cattle started playing a larger role on the ranch.  He would feed with a team in the morning until about noon, then would spend the rest of the day riding horse twelve miles, spending the night in a cabin to get up in the morning and feed another group of cattle with a team.  Then ride the twelve miles back home to do it all over again.  The cattle weren’t worth much, so they shot rabbits and sold the fur to help buy groceries!

In 1955 Joe and Paul bought out Preston’s share of the ranch and ended up with two places.  Paul married Marilyn Scott in 1956 and had four children: Laurie, Cindy, Joe and Judy.  Joe’s family remains on the homestead today.

Joe met Cindy Schutt while attending BHSU.  After graduating in 1983, they married and had three children: Jessica, Paul Jay and Joey.

In 1975 Paul married LuAnn Evridge.  They ranched with Joe and Cindy until 1992 when Paul passed away unexpectedly.  Several years later, Joe and Cindy were able to purchase Painter’s, Inc.

Today the ranch consists of Black Angus cow/calf pairs, grass yearlings, quarter horses, sheep and buffalo.  The Painters raise replacement heifers and bulls that are sold to the public and they also keep many for themselves to ensure a great herd.  Joe and his family continually work on improving the ranch from hay fields to water tanks to stockades.  They have cross-fenced many pastures to improve grazing management and practice proper rotational grazing.

The Painters acquired more land whenever given the opportunity.  Over 100 years and 6 generations later, the Painter Ranch continues to grow.

Joe and Cindy hope that at least one if not all their grandkids will come back to the ranch.  They feel the main reason to stay in the business is to keep passing it on to the next generation.  Joe says the highlight of his childhood was working every day on the ranch with his Grandpa, which is what his grandkids do now.

When asked about the best part of ranching in Harding County Joe says, “The best parts are the people – your neighbors.  When you meet someone on the road, they wave every time.  You won’t find that in the cities.  We are pretty blessed to live where we do.”  (12/10/20)

The Gilbert Angus Ranch

The Gilbert Angus Ranch was homesteaded in the late 1800s and now has its 6th generation involved in ranching operations.