The West Elk Mountains and the Gunnison Valley below were long the home of the Ute Indians, who lived and hunted here for thousands of years. In the l9th Century, frontiersmen and explorers described the area as a land of tree covered mesas and mountains and the lower valley, a sea of head tall grass. When the area was opened for settlement in the l800’s, cattlemen and farmers quickly staked claims on the fertile land and the cattle ranches and fruit orchards that still sustain the area today were born. With no mining booms, no railroad, no tourists, "Crawford Country", as the area is called, has managed to keep its old-west character and out-of-the-way charm for over a hundred years.

Toward the end of the 19th Century, in the Smith Fork Valley, miles above the town of Crawford, two ranches were staked out. At one point, one of the ranches was traded for a banjo before1928, when the Ferrier family, including newlyweds Grant and Mamie, bought the two places and made them into one ranch.

Mamie Ferrier (approx 1950), wrangler, guide and historian

Grant Ferrier, horseman, outfitter extraordinaire

Early ranch homestead

Grant and Mamie lived in a log cabin with only a bed, cream separator, cookstove, table, and dresser for furnishings. There they raised their family by living off the land and selling extra farm goods they produced.








History Page 2

Phone: (970) 921-3454
all contents © 2002-2008, Smith Fork Ranch