Pinedale Online!
www.PinedaleOnline.com
www.Pinedale.com

Pinedale on the Web!
Pinedale, Wyoming

Home | Calendar of Events | Photo Gallery | Local Businesses |

Pinedale Online > News > August 2012 > Sommers Ranch Homestead Grand Opening Sept. 1

Homestead. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Homestead

Garage and Cellar. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Garage and Cellar

Historical Site. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Historical Site
The historical site is about 1.4 acres.

Old pedal toys. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Old pedal toys

Old plow. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Old plow
Sommers Ranch Homestead Grand Opening Sept. 1
Public invited to see the new additions to the historical site
August 29, 2012

Everyone is invited to come out to the Grand Opening of the Sommers Ranch Homestead living history site on Saturday, September 1st.

The Sommers Ranch Homestead is a new living history project that focuses on the homestead era of the Upper Green River Valley. It is a joint project of the Sublette County Historical Society, Green River Valley Museum, and Jonita and Albert Sommers.

It is a bit remote, located about 13 miles from Pinedale on the East Green River Road, but is well worth the drive and makes for a really fun family outing. If you didn’t get a chance to come out this summer and visit during the homestead open hours on Fridays and Saturdays, this will be your last chance to visit the Homestead for public hours this year.

If you came out last year for the Open House, there are lots more new things for you to see.

The public can walk through the restored, 100-year-old, 2-story log homestead house which is now furnished and has interpretation on many unique objects related to the homestead period. This year the interpretation features special exhibits from the Budd, Jensen and Sommers families, who were some of the early pioneer families in the Green River Valley.

The old garage has been restored and interpretation has been put in about ranching tools and implements. The underground cellar has been restored and accessible. Other new buildings on the site waiting to be restored are the old bunkhouse and an icehouse. The Historical Society plans to soon move a barn onto the property from a nearby ranch and restore that as well.

Kids will especially enjoy playing with the new working water well pump, ringing the old-style dinner bell, and playing on the wagon-wheel merry-go-round and teeter totter.

There will be lots of great food and many of the ranching families from around the valley will be there. The Grand Opening will be from 10 AM to 3 PM with a meal served over the lunch hour. No reservations are required.

To get there from Pinedale, go west on US 191 approximately 6 miles and turn south onto the East Green River Road at Trappers Point, just before the road construction for the new wildlife bridge. Stay on the main gravel road that follows the high bluffs and go south for 7.3 miles. The homestead is at the turnoff for the Sommers Fishing Access road (the second fishing access on that road).

A direction map is also available from the front desk of the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, which is open daily from 9AM to 5PM.



Summer hours. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Summer hours
The homestead has been open Fridays and Saturdays during the summer of 2012, with much of the staffing and work done by volunteers.

Furnishings. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Furnishings
The homestead house is now furnished and has interpretation. People who came to last year's open house will find lots of new things to see at the Grand Opening.

Living room. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Living room
This year features many items from the Budd, Jensen and Sommers families - early homesteading families in the Green River Valley.

Upstairs. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Upstairs
The upstairs bedrooms are now furnished. This one is decorated like it would have looked like in early years in the house, with bare wood walls and no heat.

Checkers. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Checkers
Kids can play the board games like checkers at the Homestead - no TV, computer, or video games here!

Hay sleigh. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Hay sleigh

Hay field. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Hay field
Pastoral ranch setting. The historical site sits on a working cattle ranch that has been in the same family for more than 100 years, homesteaded in 1907.

Hay rake. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Hay rake

Historical site. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Historical site
The Historical Society hopes to bring back the old garden and get it growing vegetables again (volunteers welcome!)

Fresnos. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Fresnos

Old ranch truck. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Old ranch truck
Kids can climb in this old ranch truck.

Water well. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Water well
The broken water well pump has been repaired and is now working. The water has been tested and deemed safe to drink. Kids will have fun pumping the water and imagining what it was like to live without modern plumbing in the house.

Hops. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Hops

Restored Outhouse. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Restored Outhouse
A 2-seater. (non-functional)

Hiding bats. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Hiding bats
In July, Clint Gilchrist got the task of trying to dislodge bats that had taken residence in the ceiling of the porch. He succeeded, and netting was put up to keep them out. It is hoped they will relocate to the bat houses placed on the property.

Bats in the ceiling. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Bats in the ceiling

Flying away. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Flying away
Bats are actually good to have around because they eat insects. Bat houses have been placed on the historic site as new homes for them.

Ice House. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Ice House
The Ice House was moved over to the historical property in May. It will be restored sometime in the future once funding can be found.

Moving the bunkhouse. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Moving the bunkhouse
The old bunkhouse/granary was moved onto the property this spring. It will be restored as funding can be found.

Bunkhoue. Photo by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online.
Bunkhoue
The crew moved the bunkhouse over using roller logs.

Map to the Homestead. Photo by Pinedale Online.
Map to the Homestead
Pinedale Online > News > August 2012 > Sommers Ranch Homestead Grand Opening Sept. 1

Pinedale Online!
Pinedale Online! PO Box 2250, Pinedale, WY 82941
Phone: (307) 360-7689 or (307) 276-5699, Fax: (307) 276-5414

Office Outlet in Pinedale, 43 S. Sublette
E-mail:support@pinedaleonline.com

Copyright © 2012 Pinedale Online. All rights reserved.
Pictures and content cannot be used in whole or part without permission.