Valley Y Ranch at Steel Creek: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Buffalo National River, National Park Service

The Valley Y Ranch is located east of Boxley Valley in an expanse of bottomland along the Buffalo National River, one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the contiguous United States. The ranch is situated in the rugged Arkansas Ozarks where Steel Creek flows into the Buffalo River, which winds for 5 miles through the property and defines its northern and western boundaries. Sheer limestone bluffs tower over the valley on the property, providing a dramatic backdrop to the ranch below. Bee Bluff rises to prominence on the opposite side of the river. The landscape was an important facility in the 20th century agricultural history of the area and an influential horse ranch. The period of significance for the Valley Y Ranch begins with its establishment in 1954, and it ends in 1974 with the sale of the land to the National Park Service (NPS). In 1950, Provin W. Yarborough and his family left Overland Park, Kansas to seek the tranquility of a more primitive lifestyle in rural Arkansas. In the subsequent years, they built structures and accumulated land on which to raise Arabian and quarter horses. By the end of 1964, the vernacular complex was much larger than a typical ranch of the region, consisting of a residence, spring house, historic hay barn, several stables and sheds, blacksmith shop, machine shop, and a paddocks area. It continued to expand in operations and reputation, nationally recognized for its Arabian horses. At its pinnacle, it included a large arena, portable bleachers, stalls and tack rooms, restroom, a concession area, and guest housing. Plans for a golf course, airstrip, and other amenities were never actualized. The expansive ranch became a controversial property in the 1960s and 1970s as environmental groups pressed for a protected park along this section of the Buffalo River. The Yarborough’s resisted the movements; however, when P.W. Yarborough died suddenly in 1973, his wife and daughter were forced to sell the property to the NPS. Some of the original buildings have been removed, deemed unnecessary for park operations. However, many of the structures remain on the landscape, significant for their association to areas of agriculture and architecture. The ranch represents changing trends in settlement and land use in the region, shifting from small subsistence farms to larger, commercial productions. Marking the establishment and growth of one of the first Arabian horse ranches in the state, the ranch is significant for its rarity and completeness. It is also important for its relationship to the conservation movement, as its development stimulated environmentalists to pursue preservation and interpretation of this land. The property can be divided into three distinct working areas: the Headquarters Area, the Headquarters Bottom Area, and the Pear Bottom Area. The latter two areas were directly associated with the raising of Arabian horses by the Yarboroughs, used as pastureland. Historically, the Yarboroughs cleared an additional 74 acres for pasture on the more moderately sloping hillsides along the approaching access road. These pastures are no longer extant and have since returned to forest. The entire ranch utilized the natural features of the terrain, developed in direct response to the floodplain, views, and local building materials. Many of the original structures of the ranch are intact and clustered in the Headquarters Area. Although some prominent structures have been removed by the NPS, the orientation and layout largely reflect that of the historic ranch. The landscape of the valley that was altered as a response to the needs of the expanding horse ranch has since been changed or reverted in efforts to preserve the Buffalo National River area. Overall, however, the ranch character of the landscape has been retained, lending integrity to the historic landscape.

Valley Y Ranch at Steel Creek: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Buffalo National River, National Park Service

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