Clearmont Historical Group Honors Bates Centennial Year Ranch

The Wyoming Centennial Farm & Ranch program, a branch of the State Historic Preservation Office, annually honors Wyoming families who have owned and operated the same farm or ranch for 100 years or more.

Since it’s inception in 2006, over 260 families have been honored. Each year, the program partners host a celebration to honor these families. There is also an annual yearbook published featuring the histories and photos of the Centennial families.

Fritz and Beverly Bates who have a ranch outside of Clearmont, and their family were honored in 2020, and they can display a Wyoming Centennial Ranch Sign on their ranch.

Beverly talked about how they applied for and received the designation.

This June the Clearmont Historic Group is honoring their achievement with a month-long display at the Clearmont Historical Center.

Nellie Smith Rassmussen, Fritz Bates’ grandmother, took over a relinquished homestead near where Bates’ now live and continue to ranch.

Nellie Smith came to Clearmont around 1915, to keep house for her brother, Carl, and cook for the ranch hands. Carl lived in the Huson house near Clearmont. Each morning Nellie would get up early, go out on the porch and count the chaps to know how many hands she had to cook for.

In 1917 she took over a relinquished homestead on Pin Head Creek, and proved up on it, living in a dugout. Many women in Wyoming homesteaded, either to extend their land by homesteading near their husbands, or to create a better life for themselves as single women.

Nellie later married Harry Rassmusen, who worked for the Spear Cattle Co. near Clearmont. after he returned from WWI.

The couple decided to settle on Nellie’s homestead and they worked the homestead together. They later purchased homesteads from their neighbors.

A daughter, Shirley Ann, was born in 1927, and she married Kenneth Bates in 1950. Bates’ father, Claude, ran a blacksmith shop in Clearmont for several years and was also mayor of Clearmont.

Shirley and Kenneth were married on horseback in front of their ranch house. Sheridan artist George Ostrom was the best man. They took over the management of the ranch in the early 1950s. Kenneth was in the Army during WWII and served in the Pacific theater.

Kenneth and Shirley also started a small museum at the ranch, with memorabilia from their ranch life. Included are Indian artifacts, Harry Ramassum’s WWI helmet; Kenneth’s WWII uniform; an old butter churn; spurs crafted by Claude Bates, blacksmith; old lanterns and many other interesting items.

Fritz Bates said his grandparents raised Hereford cattle, and they cleared the land for hay meadows. Harry and Nellie moved into Clearmont and turned the ranch over to Shirley and Kenneth, who ran the ranch until they retired. One of their sons, Fritz and his wife, Beverly, took over the ranch operations in the 1980s, and they currently raise black cattle.

According to the SHIPO website, Wyoming’s ranch and farm lands are disappearing. However, many farmers and ranchers have withstood development pressure, bad weather and other threats, and yet they continue to preserve these important pieces of Wyoming’s rural heritage. Agriculture produces food, maintains open spaces for wildlife, and contribute to Wyoming’s economy. These Centennial farms and ranches highlight the importance of agriculture to Wyoming.

A display of some of Bates’ antiques, as well as a notebook with a story and photos, is on display at the Clearmont Historical Center during the month of June. Everyone is invited to learn about the history of their Centennial Ranch.

As well as the Bates’ Ranch, artist Brenda Kassuba has been chosen as the Clearmont Historical Group’s artist of the month for June, and there is a display of her unique artwork at the center. Center hours are 10-4, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

There are two tours planned for this summer-the Passaic/Otter Creek tour on July 15, and the Powder River tour on September 16. Details at clearmonthistoricalgroup.com