Last updated: September 5, 2021
Place
Dairy Barn
NPS/Grant-Kohrs Ranch
Quick Facts
Location:
Grant Kohrs Ranch
Significance:
Historical Structure
Designation:
National Historic Site
Amenities
8 listed
Benches/Seating, Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Picnic Table, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trash/Litter Receptacles
During the early 1930’s many ranchers struggled to survive as beef prices dropped, brucellosis infections rose, and an extreme drought devastated most crops. In 1931, the United States Department of Agriculture declared the period as one of the worst ever for stock growers. During this time, Conrad Warren reported that his potato and wheat crops were a “complete failure,” however, he was able to grow just enough hay on the ranch to support his cattle herd through the winters.
There were several factors that contributed to either the success or failure of a ranch during this devastating period of widespread depression, drought, disease, and forecloses. Those that survived carefully bought and sold livestock, improved their vegetation and water systems, selectively bred cattle, and found unique ways to supplement their income.
In 1932, Conrad Warren wisely developed a small herd of Jersey dairy cattle and constructed this barn as a processing center to sell milk. A handwritten entry from his “cash journal” shows that on February 28, 1932, he sold “642 gallons of milk at 10 cents a gallon, to the Deer Lodge Creamery for a profit of $642.00.” Eventually the cattle market slowly improved by the late 1930’s, but by developing this facility, Warren was able to guarantee a monthly income for the ranch during this tough period. As a bonus, the rich milk was also used to supplement Warren’s prized registered Hereford bull calves.
To meet sanitation requirements of the time for processing food, a 6-foot deep, concrete lined manure pit was built to the northwest of the dairy barn. Manure was hauled from the building across the road to the pit, where it was flushed out with running water and allowed to flow downhill to fertilize the pastures below. Even though most of this pit has been filled in over time, it is still used to clean out manure from the nearby draft horse barn.
The outside of the dairy barn hasn’t changed much since it was constructed, but the inside has seen many changes over the years. The interior was modified in 1975 and served as a maintenance building when the National Park Service took over management of the site. Today, the dairy barn is used as an indoor classroom, a meeting space for special events, and is a good example of how to balance historic preservation with modern needs.
In August of 2019, the dairy barn hosted a Senate field hearing of the Subcommittee on National Parks to discuss the economic benefits of national parks and how to expand visitation at “lesser known” parks across the country. During this meeting the chair of the subcommittee joked that “this might be the first time in modern history that a Senate hearing has taken place inside of a barn.”
Although the interior of the building has changed since 1932, visitors can still walk inside the barn today and see the original concrete trough running down the center of the building that once held the stanchions for Warren’s dairy cattle.
There were several factors that contributed to either the success or failure of a ranch during this devastating period of widespread depression, drought, disease, and forecloses. Those that survived carefully bought and sold livestock, improved their vegetation and water systems, selectively bred cattle, and found unique ways to supplement their income.
In 1932, Conrad Warren wisely developed a small herd of Jersey dairy cattle and constructed this barn as a processing center to sell milk. A handwritten entry from his “cash journal” shows that on February 28, 1932, he sold “642 gallons of milk at 10 cents a gallon, to the Deer Lodge Creamery for a profit of $642.00.” Eventually the cattle market slowly improved by the late 1930’s, but by developing this facility, Warren was able to guarantee a monthly income for the ranch during this tough period. As a bonus, the rich milk was also used to supplement Warren’s prized registered Hereford bull calves.
To meet sanitation requirements of the time for processing food, a 6-foot deep, concrete lined manure pit was built to the northwest of the dairy barn. Manure was hauled from the building across the road to the pit, where it was flushed out with running water and allowed to flow downhill to fertilize the pastures below. Even though most of this pit has been filled in over time, it is still used to clean out manure from the nearby draft horse barn.
The outside of the dairy barn hasn’t changed much since it was constructed, but the inside has seen many changes over the years. The interior was modified in 1975 and served as a maintenance building when the National Park Service took over management of the site. Today, the dairy barn is used as an indoor classroom, a meeting space for special events, and is a good example of how to balance historic preservation with modern needs.
In August of 2019, the dairy barn hosted a Senate field hearing of the Subcommittee on National Parks to discuss the economic benefits of national parks and how to expand visitation at “lesser known” parks across the country. During this meeting the chair of the subcommittee joked that “this might be the first time in modern history that a Senate hearing has taken place inside of a barn.”
Although the interior of the building has changed since 1932, visitors can still walk inside the barn today and see the original concrete trough running down the center of the building that once held the stanchions for Warren’s dairy cattle.