Flat Creek Ranch
Encyclopedia
Flat Creek Ranch was a private retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, now a guest ranch. The original ranch was established by Cal Carrington between 1901 and 1918 at the base of Sheep Mountain, also known as the Sleeping Indian. In 1923 a new owner, socialite and journalist Cissy Patterson
built the present structures. The transition from working ranch to vacation retreat foreshadowed a movement of the Jackson Hole economy away from traditional ranching to tourism, which is documented by the Flat Creek Ranch.
Carrington had worked at the Bar B C Dude Ranch
from 1912 on, and established Flat Creek as a dude ranch
. Patterson appeared in Jackson Hole 1916 as "Countess Gizycka", on the rebound from a failed marriage to a Polish count. The two toured Europe together in 1922. Through Cissy's influence with US Senator Francis E. Warren
, Cal obtained a homestead patent on the ranch, then sold it to Cissy for $5000. In 1923 Cissy built seven cabins, a barn and a lodge on the property.
The property is presently owned by journalists Joseph Albright
and Marcia Kunstel. Albright is the son of Cissy's niece Josephine Patterson Albright (daughter of Joseph Medill Patterson
), who inherited the property at Cissy's death in 1948, and former husband of Madeleine Albright
.
Cissy Patterson
Eleanor Josephine Medill "Cissy" Patterson was an American journalist and newspaper editor, publisher and owner...
built the present structures. The transition from working ranch to vacation retreat foreshadowed a movement of the Jackson Hole economy away from traditional ranching to tourism, which is documented by the Flat Creek Ranch.
Carrington had worked at the Bar B C Dude Ranch
Bar B C Dude Ranch
The Bar B C Dude Ranch was established near Moose, Wyoming in 1912 as a dude ranch by Struthers Burt and Dr. Horace Carncross, using their initials as the brand. Rather than converting a working ranch, Burt and Carncross built a tourist-oriented dude ranch from the ground up, using a style called...
from 1912 on, and established Flat Creek as a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
. Patterson appeared in Jackson Hole 1916 as "Countess Gizycka", on the rebound from a failed marriage to a Polish count. The two toured Europe together in 1922. Through Cissy's influence with US Senator Francis E. Warren
Francis E. Warren
Francis Emroy Warren was an American politician of the Republican Party best known for his years in the United States Senate representing Wyoming.-Early life and military service:...
, Cal obtained a homestead patent on the ranch, then sold it to Cissy for $5000. In 1923 Cissy built seven cabins, a barn and a lodge on the property.
The property is presently owned by journalists Joseph Albright
Joseph Medill Patterson Albright
-Biography:Albright is the scion of a media empire, the grandson and namesake of Joseph Medill Patterson, founder of the New York Daily News who had rivaled William Randolph Hearst in the 1930s. His great-great grandfather, Joseph Medill, owned the Chicago Tribune and had been elected mayor of...
and Marcia Kunstel. Albright is the son of Cissy's niece Josephine Patterson Albright (daughter of Joseph Medill Patterson
Joseph Medill Patterson
Joseph Medill Patterson was an American journalist and publisher, grandson of publisher Joseph Medill, founder of the Chicago Tribune and a mayor of Chicago, Illinois.-Family:...
), who inherited the property at Cissy's death in 1948, and former husband of Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
.
External links
- Flat Creek Ranch History
- Flat Creek Ranch at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office