Historic Structure Report, Archeological Data: Grant-Kohr Ranch National Historic District
McGarry TE and Snell P. 1977. Historic Structure Report, Archeological Data: Grant-Kohr Ranch National Historic District. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Denver Service Center, Denver, Colorado
This is a statement of the archeological resources at the GrantKohrs Ranch National Historic Site. The duty of the archeological consultant at the site is to provide ·the historical architect data for the restoration of the ranch. The archeology assessment of the site is divided into two sections: (1) a discussion of previous archeological fieldwork, and (2) recommendations for future archaeological study. The Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site has been the location of cattle ranching operations since the 1860's. Continuously since that time the immediate vicinity of the home ranch has been altered and added to with increasingly specialized support structures, more corrals, fencing and fields. The present configuration of the ranch reflects a working ranch of the 1930's and 1940's, while the amount of buildings and fencing is about the same as was present at the turn of the century. Not only buildings but land usage and fence types have in many cases remained unchanged from the earliest years of the ranch and were retained as productive elements of a progressive operation. However, at no time was every element of the ranch in working condition. Some buildings no longer extant had been given over to increasingly less specific uses as they deteriorated. Some buildings here studied are in a second or third adaptive form, some are at the verge of collapse. The late 1930's is the apparent end of new construction, and by the early 1950's, adaptation of ranch facilities ceased when a new ranching operation was built east of this site. This was followed by a period of financial constraints which brought about neglect, the eventual dissolution of the historic ranch holdings. Attempts to return entire segments of the ranch to an appearance or function predating the 1930's will ultimately produce conflicts in use and design of the landscape as well as threaten the integrity of the historic site by possible removal of "modern" ranch buildings. The use and appearance of some areas have remained unchanged for long periods of time and these offer excellent and varied interpretive possibilities. No structure should be left in a derelict state for the sake of its own preservation. Each building should be restored to appear as it did during its most recent active role in ranch operations and should be maintained in a condition to permit use of the structure in that capacity. Careful management interpretation and exhaustive "furnishing" research will be necessary to correct the visitor's impression of the ranch and prevent an appearance of an "over-restored" or "too-clean" site. While preservation of the extant physical resource is the focus of the park's This report responsibility, some development is appropriate at the site. proposes limited restoration and reconstruction where it can be determined that it is essential to the public's understanding of the remaining resource or essential to the preservation and maintenance of that resource.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- McGarry, Thomas; Snell, Peter
- Date of Issue
- 1977-04
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- GRKO , IMR
- Keywords
- cattle, cattlemen, Conrad Kohrs, frontier, Johnny Grant, management, ranch
- Subjects
- CRIS-HS: 010690: Beef Hoist , CRIS-HS: 010661: Bielenberg Barn , CRIS-HS: 010700: Bridge (010700) , CRIS-HS: 010667: Buggy Shed , CRIS-HS: 010652: Bunkhouse Row , CRIS-HS: 010685: Cattle Scale , CRIS-HS: 010672: Chicken House (010672) , CRIS-HS: 010654: Coal Shed (010654) , CRIS-HS: 010663: Cow Shed (010663) , CRIS-HS: 010659: Dairy (010659) , CRIS-HS: 010657: Draft Horse Barn , CRIS-HS: 010697: Feed Bunk (010697) , CRIS-HS: 010696: Feed Bunk (010696) , CRIS-HS: 023053: Feed Bunk (023053) , CRIS-HS: 100003: Feed Bunk (100003) , CRIS-HS: 010694: Feed Bunk (010694) , CRIS-HS: 010692: Feed Rack (010692) , CRIS-HS: 010687: Feed Rack (010687) , CRIS-HS: 023052: Feed Rack (023052) , CRIS-HS: 052794: Feed Rack (052794) , CRIS-HS: 010686: Feed Rack (010686) , CRIS-HS: 010688: Feed Rack (010688) , CRIS-HS: 010693: Feed Rack (010693) , CRIS-HS: 010681: Feed Storage House (010681) , CRIS-HS: 010678: Feed Storage House (010678) , CRIS-HS: 010653: Garage-Blacksmith Shop , CRIS-HS: 010668: Granary (010668) , CRIS-HS: 010656: Granary/Roller Mill , CRIS-HS: 010676: Hay Storage , CRIS-HS: 010655: Ice House (010655) , CRIS-HS: 010662: Machine Shed , CRIS-HS: 010651: Main House (010651) , CRIS-HS: 010689: Manure Pit , CRIS-HS: 010673: Metal Granary , CRIS-HS: 010660: Oxen Barn , CRIS-HS: 010670: Privy (010670) , CRIS-HS: 010658: Privy (010658) , CRIS-HS: 100015: Squeeze Chute (100015) , CRIS-HS: 010698: Squeeze Chute (010698) , CRIS-HS: 010695: Squeeze Chute (010695) , CRIS-HS: 010691: Squeeze Chute (010691) , CRIS-HS: 010669: Stallion Barn (010669) , CRIS-HS: 010664: Stallion Barn (010664) , CRIS-HS: 010666: Stallion Barn (010666) , CRIS-HS: 010680: Stallion Barn (010680) , CRIS-HS: 010675: Stock Shelter , CRIS-HS: 010677: West Corrals Stock Shelter (010677) , CRIS-HS: 010679: West Corrals Stock Shelter (010679) , CRIS-HS: 010674: West Corrals Stock Shelter (010674) , CRIS-HS: 010682: West Feedlots Stock Shelter (010682) , CRIS-HS: 010683: West Feedlots Stock Shelter (010683)