Cedarvale / Hillsboro Ranch: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Regions 6, 7, & 8 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: The core of the 480-acre Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch is nestled at the base of the south fork of Trail Creek drainage in a shallow canyon between two large hills in Carbon County, Montana about 25 miles north of Lovell, Wyoming. The boundary encompasses all remaining features historically associated with the development of the ranch. Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch is a component landscape to the parent landscape of the Bighorn Canyon NRA. Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch was established in 1903 by Grosvenor W. Barry as a ranch and homestead and then converted to a horse breeding operation and dude ranch in the early 20th century. It formed the center of early recreation activities in the region including hunting, boating and fishing which continue today. In the late 1960s it was purchased by the U.S. government for inclusion in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch is more than just a collection of physical artifacts of a distant era, it embodies the cultural heritage of the American West during a period of rapid white settlement across Wyoming and the greater western United States which followed the flow of trappers, traders and gold prospectors. Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch characterizes the beginning of tourism and outdoor recreation in the area, which followed a decrease in opportunities for open range ranching and dry land farming. Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch is significant under Criterion A at the state level in the areas of agriculture and recreation for its association as an early homestead and the first recreation business in Dryhead Country. The property is also significant under Criterion B at the state level for its association with Grosvenor W. Barry who established the first recreation-centered business in the region, and at the local level for its association with Eddy Hulbert, a renowned silversmith. The period of significance begins in 1903, which corresponds to when Grosvenor W. Barry began ranching operations which led to starting a dude ranch, and ends in 1960 with Eddy Hulbert’s death which marked the end of active use of the site as a ranch, blacksmith and silversmith shop, and homestead. The homestead and ranch was first established by Grosvenor W. Barry in 1903 for himself and his family. He initially expanded the operation when he formed the Embar Horse Company, which he followed by establishing a dude ranch at the site that served as a base of operations for western recreation pursuits such as hunting, fishing, horseback riding and boating. Barry was initially drawn to the region by the promise of gold mining, but that pursuit was not profitable. Others in the area turned to ranching and farming when mining proved unprofitable, but that venture was also difficult and risky. Instead, Barry saw the recreation potential of the area and built Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch to provide a base of operations for those who wanted to visit. The arc of settlement and development of a homestead and recreation-styled ranch is reflected in the history of Hillsboro/Cedarvale Ranch.

Cedarvale / Hillsboro Ranch: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

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