The ranch's wild history is rivaled only by its wild beauty
The ranch’s wild history is rivaled only by its wild beauty and now that Doug and I have retired I have more time to research and appreciate the history of the Double Circles.
Not so many decades ago, the Double Circle Ranch was one of the largest ranches in the entire country. It once covered almost a half million acres, and its cowboys trailed as many as 30,000 head of cattle a year to railheads in New Mexico and Arizona. A string of 350 horses and over 20 full-time cowboys helped keep the ranch running, along with various other hired hands.
People far and wide knew of the Double Circle Ranch on Eagle Creek. The ranch was famous for its wild cattle, wide open country, and rough and tumble cowboys. Geronimo killed ranchers on this land. Bank robbers signed on here as cowboys while they were laying low. And with the acreage and the number of animals involved, cattle gathers could literally take years. Celebrated extensively in song and old newsreels, the Double Circle Ranch is still one of the landmarks of the American West…an icon of days gone by.
Today, the ranch is smaller, but still as Western as it gets. We only have 10 acres, but we are surrounded by the Circles and national forest. On Eagle Creek, cattle are still herded on horseback by honest-to-goodness cowboys, the nearest town is still a 1 ½ hour trip away, electricity is 30 miles from our cabin, eagles still soar and wolves still howl. Stars shine brilliantly far from light pollution and coyotes serenade at dusk. Some good things never die.
