Dawson Carpenter Ranch
Routt County
The ranch has a long association with the agricultural development of the Yampa Valley. Beginning in 1902, the ranch was a major local producer of hay and livestock under the ownership of John Barkley "J.B." Dawson. Along with Charles Goodnight, Dawson was the first to trail cattle in 1859 from Texas to Colorado over what became known as the "Dawson Trail."
Dawson Carpenter Ranch (1995 photograph.)
The ranch is considered nationally significant for its association with Farrington Reed Carpenter. He managed the ranch from 1926 until 1946, at which time he purchased the property. Beginning in 1934, Carpenter served as the first director of the Federal Grazing Service, and his guidance laid the foundation for public domain land management which ended the era of free open range grazing in the West. The Bureau of Land Management recognizes Carpenter as its first director.