Hillsboro 1 Visionary Entrepreneurs: The Barrys Arrive
Dr. Grosvenor Williams Barry was blessed with brains, resources and an entrepreneurial spirit. He was lured to the Dryhead area around 1902 by the promise of gold. Doc Barry asked his wife and young stepson to wait to join him out West until he could offer some amenities. Mary Edith Gordon Sargent and Claude St. John soon joined him after the original cabin on the South Fork of Trail Creek was completed in 1903.
After the mining companies failed, the Barrys decided to stay on the Trail Creek Ranch, but changed its name to Cedarvale when they started accepting paying guests. The remnants of the dude ranch and the small community of Hillsboro still bear witness to the ingenuity of the people who called this place home. The Barry’s carved out their own Eden in the middle of the rugged wilderness through hard work, grit and sheer determination.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 2 Embar Horse Co.
Horse breeding was just one of many business ventures in which Doc Barry invested. He partnered with Jeff Brewer and John F. Kelley in 1907 to form the Embar Horse Company. The articles of incorporation illustrate that Doc and his partners did not think small. They stated the company was not only for “raising, buying, and selling horses, cattle, sheep, and other domestic animals”, but also “to carry on any kind of manufacturing, mining, mechanical or chemical business.”
Doc specialized in breeding English Hackney ponies, as well as the standard stock horses used on the ranch. Each guest at the dude ranch had the use of a horse and saddle calculated into their daily rate.
The stallions were probably kept in the corrals and stable below.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 3 Cedervale Ranch
Cedervale Ranch
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 4 Blacksmith Shop
Eddy Hulbert came to the ranch as a guest, but ended up making it his home. He became a skilled blacksmith and silversmith. The nearby post office allowed him to sell his work through catalogs.
Eddy and other guests bunked in the attached dude cabin at times.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 5 Hillsboro is Born
The nearest post office was 18 miles away, so Doc Barry petitioned the government over this “troublesome situation” and succeeded in establishing the Hillsboro Post Office here in 1915.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 6 A Formidable Woman
“Cedarvale is noted for its bountiful and well-prepared table.” Cedarvale Ranch Promotional Brochure
Edith Barry insisted on being called “Mrs. Barry” by everyone and was known for her cooking talent. The root cellar stored produce from her large garden and orchard.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 7 Creature Comforts
“There will be no frozen combs this winter, that is sure.” G.W. Barry
The chicken coops served double duty as they were used as storage for Mrs. Barry’s trunks which contained extra furniture and smaller decorative items.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 8 Eddy's Place
“He treated me like a lady.” Mabel Bischoff Hulbert
Eddy Hulbert lived here when he wasn’t bunking in the blacksmith shop. This cabin was comfortably furnished with Mrs. Barry’s extra furniture.
Eddy married later in life, and lived here happily with his bride for two years.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 9 Early Refrigeration
Ice cut from the river was hauled 1200 feet up the canyon walls using a system of winches and pulleys. The ice was covered in sawdust and stored in an ice house located right behind the milk house. The perishable food kept here included fruit from the orchard, milk from the dairy cows, and wild game.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Hillsboro 10 Modern Conveniences
“You simply did not walk through the snow to a privy in high heels.” Beverly St. John
The original cabin Doc built became the “north wing”and housed the family’s bedrooms as additions were made. However, an indoor bathroom wasn’t added until Claude St. John married Beverly Brown. The house burned in January 1948 and, sadly, all their belongings were destroyed.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Last updated: August 15, 2017
Park footer
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.