History: The Town of Ranchester

Ranchester became an incorporated town in 1911. But years before, on August 29, 1865, Ranchester was the site of the Battle of Tongue River, when 125 cavalrymen with 90 Pawnee scouts, under the command of Brigadier General Patrick E. Connor, attacked a most friendly Arapaho Indian camp along the Tongue River near the present-day town. Today, there is a park and information signs with describing the battle.

The town got the name, Ranchester, when S.H. Hardin, owner of the O-4 Bar Ranch in the area, combined “ranch” to honor the ranching heritage, and “chester,” due to many towns in Hardin’s native England often ended that way. In England, “Chester” signifies that a place was once the site of a Roman military camp. Probably not the case here. But, the name stuck and Ranchester it is today. Ranchester was also the site of the loading dock for railroad ties hewn on the nearby mountains and were floated down the tie flume.

The Tongue River near Ranchester

Ranchester held a picnic shortly after it became incorporated in 1911. This from The Sheridan Post, Friday, July 21, 1911 Ranchester Boosters Will Hold Picnic On July 30th. Governor Coming. Telephone Line to Eaton’s Ranch— Other News From the Live Town of Ranchester.- A “Boosters’ Picnic” will be held at Ranchester, Sunday, July 30th, which promises to be one of the most enjoyable events of the kind ever held in this section of the state.

Yet it is not altogether for fun and a good time that the picnic is to be held. The object of the picnic is to call attention to the many opportunities which Ranchester and the surrounding country possesses, and with this object in view strenuous efforts are being put forth to bring people to the picnic from distant points and especially from Northern Wyoming and Southern Montana. Governor J. M. Carey has been invited to attend and deliver an address and has signified his intention of accepting the invitation. Other prominent speakers will also be present.

Ranchester is fortunate in having picnic grounds, convenient to the town, that cannot be excelled for the purpose in the west. The grounds are on a part of the 04-Bar ranch and adjoin the city and are but a short distance from the station.

Racetracks are being prepared. A matched game of ball is scheduled for that date between two of the crack teams of northern Wyoming. Bucking contests have also a conspicuous place on the program. There will be band concerts during the day. Expert river men in the employ of the Big Horn Timber company are arranging for several contests on the river, which will be of interest of all who are not acquainted with games and contests of this kind.

A special train will leave Sheridan on the morning of the 30th, stopping at all the mining towns on the way and returning in the evening, and all who wish to avail themselves of this means of transportation may do so. The excellent roads between Sheridan and the other towns will make the trip by auto a pleasant one. The people of Ranchester extend to all a cordial invitation to come and enjoy the day. Don’t forget the date, Sunday, July 30th.

New Telephone Line- Direct telephone connection between Ranchester and the Eaton Bros, summer resort has been secured by the completion of a new line. This brings the well-known tourist resort on the Wolf Creek canyon in direct touch with the Burlington station at Ranchester and enables the Eatons to handle the increasing tourist traffic to better advantage. Tourists are met at the trains daily by the Eaton coaches, drawn by four and six horse teams, and taken direct to the Eaton ranch, where every convenience possible is at hand to make the stay of the tourist a pleasant one. Heretofore, connection by telephone was had in only a roundabout way, leaking it very in convenient for all concerned.

The distance from Ranchester to the Eaton ranch is 14 miles, and the wagon road has been greatly improved during the past year and a number of new bridges have been built. The Eaton’s are planning to hold a Frontier Day celebration on August 7th, which is to be held on the ranch and to which the public is invited.

Physician Locates. Ranchester can now boast of a resident physician in the person of Dr. Schunk, a young practitioner from Deadwood, S. D. The doctor has taken up a permanent residence in this city and can be found in his office in the Currie building. He comes to this place highly recommended as a physician and surgeon of more than ordinary ability, and will fill a place in the community that has long been awaiting a man of his kind. The people of this town and vicinity welcome the doctor to their midst and wish him success.

Religious Services. The two religious denominations in Ranchester will each hold separate services. Heretofore Rev. A. C. Bawls has been holding joint services with Rev. G. W. Gentry at the Christian Church, but on last Sunday Rev. Rawls withdrew and held services at the old schoolhouse, where he will hereafter hold services each Sunday and he will hereafter hold services each Sunday and will also organize a Sunday school.

This was later in the same newspaper.

Ranchester’s New Doctor Edward R. Schunk, Formerly Of Chicago, Opens Office Over Currie’s Store.– Ranchester medical circles have been augmented by the arrival of Edward R. Schunk. formerly of Chicago who has opened an office in that thriving little hamlet with an intention of engaging in a general practice of medicine and surgery in Ranchester and vicinity.

The new doctor’s apartments are located over Currie & Co.’s store. Dr. Schunk is a graduate of the Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery and has served an internship in the Norwegian Lutheran Deaconess hospital of Chicago. He comes highly recommended and will be warmly welcomed in the community which he has chosen as his future home.

The Sheridan Post, December 5, 1911

Ranchester was a town, and they needed a school. Bids were asked for the construction of a school.

The Sheridan Post March 7, 1911

Ranchester had another celebration the next year. This from The Daily Enterprise, July 3, 1912 – Excursion Trains Go to Ranchester. Ranchester is going to celebrate the glorious Fourth of July in grand style tomorrow and are expecting several thousand visitors from Sheridan County and other adjacent points to join with them in making the event one of the most successful ever held in this neck-o’-the-woods.

Three excursion trains will leave Sheridan in the morning, 8, 10 and 12 o’clock, and will stop at Dietz and Alger to pick up passengers. Return trips will be made in the evening at 7, 9 and 11 o’clock, stopping at Alger and Dietz. Ranchester has arranged an exceptionally strong program, designed to please one and all, and a good time is guaranteed. Fifty Crow Indians are already on the grounds to participate in the festivities and fifty more are expected today.

Today, Ranchester is a thriving community of around 1200 residents. It has a K-12 school system, SCSD#1. The elementary and middle schools are in Ranchester, and the high school is located in nearby Dayton. Slack, a one-room elementary school, is located outside of Parkman.

Ranchester has several businesses and a summer tourist trade, as Highway 14-16 across the Big Horn Mountains to Yellowstone Park winds through the town, and Interstate 90 from Sheridan to Billings, Montana goes past the town.