History Of the Pitchfork
Te valley of the Greybull River in Northwestern Wyoming has been the headquarters of the Pitchfork Ranch since 1878, when Otto Frank Von Lich- tenstein broke ground on his first cabin. His choice was well made as grass, fresh water, and natural shelter were abundant across the wide valley. At the time the region was teaming with herds of buffalo, elk, mountain sheep, deer
and antelope. Bear wandered the valley alongside beaver, muskrat and mink. Otto noted that an area that was home to so many species seemed an excellent place to raise cattle.
Otto Frank spent the remaining 33 years of his life building the Pitchfork brand and documenting daily life through his frequent journaling. His untimely death came in 1922 as a result of shooting himself with his shot- gun while climbing through a barbed wire fence. As the twentieth century came into view the Pitchfork un- derwent many changes and subsequently several in ownership. At the Pitchforks greatest it encompassed seven ranches and 250,000 acres and ran 10,000 Hereford cattle and 20,000 Rambouillet sheep. In 1914 the Pitchfork was put on the worldwide stage by Charles Belden, an avid conservationist and accomplished photographer. Living alongside his subjects he was able to capture the true life and times of the ranch until his departure from the ranch in 1940. Te romanticism and hardships of the west were both celebrated in Belden’s photographs. He is quoted saying “If a picture doesn’t tell a story, it is not worth taking.”
Te ranch is currently owned by the Baker family who has lived full time at headquarters for the last twelve years. Teir extensive efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the ranch and aid in conservation efforts will en- sure the legacy of the Pitchfork will remain for decades to come. Our focus for the future of the ranch is to build our quality commercial herd to offer ethically raised beef from our pasture to your plate. Although our primary focus is raising cattle we understand the importance of being stewards of the land so that we can leave the soil, grasslands, and water resources better than we found them.
About Our Beef
We aren't the first ranch to offer beef from our pasture to your plate but it is the first time in 143 years of opera- tion that the Pitchfork Ranch has offered finished beef to the public. We are confident that the quality of our beef will win over even the toughest of critics. From 1878 the ranch has been committed to being stewards of the land while raising a quality commercial herd. Our beef is pasture raised, grain finished, and dry aged for at least 21 days making it the perfect addition to your family's freezer.
Managers: Ben and Lindsey Anson have managed the Pitchfork Ranch for the past three years with Ben start- ing at the ranch in 2016 aſter graduating from the Ranch Management Program at Texas Christian University. Teir long term goals for the Pitchfork are to start and grow a branded beef program as well as expand the exist- ing commercial herd. Tey have chosen to put an emphasis on stewardship, stockmanship, and quality genetics in hopes that their contributions to the ranch will ensure the ranches legacy will remain intact for generations to come.
“Courtesy of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming; McCracken Research Library; MS003-Charles Belden Collection; (PN.67.1)”
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Horse Sale 2025
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