Dude Ranchers Association

The Dude Ranchers Association was founded in Cody, Wyoming in 1926.

In the 1920’s as the railroads expanded dude ranches appeared across the west and the southwest. In 1926 Ernest Miller of Elkhorn Ranch in Montana and Max Goodsill of the Northern Pacific Railway recognized an opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship. Goodsill passed the idea along to A.B. Smith, passenger traffic manager for Northern Pacific who arranged a meeting at the Bozeman Hotel. This became the first official meeting of the Dude Ranchers Association on September 27 and 28, 1926.

Ranchers, railroad officials and national park officials attended the two-day event to discuss the five objectives: 1. Establish cooperation among ranchers and railroad officials; 2. Discuss the transportation and proper care of guests; 3. Create advertising and publicity for the association; 4. Standardize practices; and 5. Create an efficient sales organization. Later, the ranchers added a sixth objective – the organized protection of fish and game.

Larry Larom of Valley Ranch was instrumental in starting the organization and became the organizations first president. Ernest Miller was named secretary-treasurer. Twenty-six ranches signed up as charter members in 1926 and the number grew to 47 the second year.^[1]

Today, the Dude Ranchers Association is an active industry trade group that has over 100 ranch members and over 150 affiliated members.

References

1. ^ http://www.duderanch.org The Dude Ranchers Association

External links

• Dude Ranchers Association