What Is the Peaceful Valley Ranch?
This was one of North Dakota’s first “dude” ranches and features the only surviving ranch home in the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park!
What Makes It Historical?
The early days of this ranch were more chaotic than peaceful! Eldridge “Gerry” Paddock settled here in 1883, hunting and selling wild animals to the railroad for about a year before selling it to Norman Lebo. Mr. Lebo stayed here another year before selling to Benjamin Lamb in 1885, who used his Boston family’s money to build the first ranch house here. He stayed for five whole years before selling to Joe Caughton and Tom Donohue, who then sold to George Burgess, the first person to actually file a patent under the Homestead Act of 1862!
After all these purchases and sales, the family of Harry W. Olsen took ownership of the ranch in 1915, turning their focus away from cattle ranching and more toward the ranching of dudes! (“Dude” was a country term for visitors from the city who weren’t accustomed to rural life!) Folks would come to the ranch to camp, ride horses, and even do ranch chores as a novelty!
The Peaceful Valley Ranch operated all the way until 1936, when it passed through its final sale to the US government. The ranch houses were home to Depression-era workers from the CCC, WPA, and ERA, and were the first headquarters of Theodore Roosecelt National Memorial Park, founded in 1947!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer at Theodore Roosevelt National Park!
- Become a member of the Friends of Theodore Roosevelt National Park!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
E River Rd, 0.6 miles notheast of Scenic Loop Dr
Medora, ND 58645
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Enjoy the outside any time you like, but at the time I visited (2022) the historic buildings were closed for renovations!
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