It takes ingenuity, perseverance and the ability to diversify to make it in an environment plagued by scorching heat in the summers and extreme cold and violent snow storms in the winter. In 1896, Erastus Ewing was the first of the Ewing/Snell Ranch inhabitants to understand this. He came looking for gold and eventually turned to ranching, also including a post office at this site for additional income. The Hough, Snell, and Sorenson families followed suit, determining how best to use the land, irrigation, and innovation in farming and ranching techniques to make the Ewing/Snell Ranch a home.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
EwingSnell, A Creek
The sound of trickling water in Layout Creek (also known as Hough Creek) is a reminder of the important role the resource played in the lives of those calling this area home.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
EwingSnell, Mother's Determination
With only three students enrolled in school on the Dryhead, two being her own, Alma Snell convinced Carbon County to move the school to this log shop for the 1945-46 and 1946-47 school years.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
EwingSnell, Tools of the trade
This equipment is a small sampling of the tools that may have helped the Ewings, Houghs, Snells, and other area ranchers tame this harsh environment, making the desert bloom.
Date created:
10/14/2020
EwingSnell, More than shelter
The Ewing/Snell cabin was home to several families; from the original owner, Erastus Ewing; the longest residents, the Snells; to the many park employees, researchers, and volunteers. More than just a shelter, the cabin became a place of collaboration, a place for education, a place for art and culture, and a place for quiet reflection for many visitors.
The cabin was destroyed by a fire on December 9, 2015.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Last updated: August 14, 2017
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center
20 US Hwy 14A
Lovell,
WY
82431
Phone:
307 548-5406
(307) 548-5406 is the South District in Lovell, WY.
(406) 666-9961 is the North District in Fort Smith, MT.