Riddle Ranch

Native Americans inhabited the Steens Mountain area around the Riddle Brothers Ranch for 10,000 years prior to the arrival of European explorers in the early 19th century. The first recorded exploration of the area was by fur traders between 1826 and 1829. Peter Skene Ogden also explored the area a few years later. In 1845, Steven Meeks led a wagon train through the area, mistaking the snow-covered Steens for the Cascade Mountains.[1]

In 1860, the United States Army sent Major Enoch Steen to protect settlers in the area and determine the feasibility of building a road from the Willamette Valley to southeastern Oregon. His party named many topographic features including Steens Mountain. In 1864, Captain George B. Curry led a unit of the 1st Oregon Cavalry through the area. The cavalrymen crossed a river on the west slope of Steens during a violent thunder storm. Curry named the river Donder und Blitzen, which in German means thunder and lightning. Over time, it became known as the Donner und Blitzen River.[1]

Riddle brother's ranch land in the Little Blitzen Valley

Settlers brought cattle into the area in 1872. Scott Catterson, a rancher from Iowa, claimed the land and built the first cabin at the site of the Riddle Brothers Ranch buildings prior to 1900. The Riddles later obtained Catterson's squatter's claim.[2] When the Riddle brothers arrived around 1900, there were 100,000 cattle and sheep grazing the open range in valleys on Steens. The three brothers, Walter, Frederick, and Benjamin, settled along the Little Blitzen River, and began raising cattle. The Riddle's increased their land holding on both sides of the river to 1,120 acres (4.5 km²), eventually gaining control of all the water in the area. Without access to water, the nearby open range land was useless to other ranchers.[1][3]

The Riddle brothers lived on their ranch for fifty years. However, none of brothers ever married. In 1952, Fred Riddle, the last of the brothers sold the ranch to Rex Clemens, a lumberman from Philomath, Or. Clemens continued to raise livestock on the property for more than thirty years. In 1986, the Bureau of Land Management purchased the property from Rex's widow, Ethel Clemens. Since then, the Bureau of Land Management's Burns District has maintained the ranch as a historic site.[3][4] In 1991, the Riddle Brothers Ranch was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.[1][2]

In 2003, Bureau of Land Management archaeologists identified the first of 48 prehistoric sites on the Riddle property. These archeological sites are collectively known as the Mortar Riddle Site.[4]

The Riddle Brothers Ranch National Historic District covers 1,120 acres (4.5 km²), including 850 acres (3.4 km²) that also falls within the Donner und Blitzen Wild and Scenic River system. The ranch is mostly meadow land, which is irrigated by a series of ditches. The meadow vegetation includes both native and non-native plant species. Native species include redtop, tufted hairgrass, Nebraska sedge, and Cusick's bluegrass. The non-native species include Timothy-grass and Kentucky bluegrass. The riparian area along the Little Blitzen River and seasonal drainages are dominated by black cottonwood, alder, and willow trees. Sagebrush and Western juniper are common on upland slopes and undeveloped parts of the ranch.[1]

There are eight historic buildings and a number of other historic structures located in the national historic district. The historic buildings are in three groupings. The main ranch complex includes a house, bunkhouse, barn, root cellar, chicken coop, storage shed, blacksmith shop with adjoining tack room, and several corrals built of willow and juniper. Another group of structures includes a house, root cellar, and stone storage building. A log house surrounded by a split rail fences makes up the third area. All of the structures on the ranch were built by the Riddle brothers using logs, weatherboard, hand-cut shingles, and local stone. Walter Riddle's ranch house was destroyed by a wild fire in 1996.[1][2][5]

The Bureau of Land Management has preserved the ranch complex in order to give visitors a feel for the living conditions experienced by pioneer ranch families in eastern Oregon. The Bureau of Land Management has stabilized and restored the main buildings and many of the other structures. The repair work added structural support and replaced deteriorating elements of the buildings; however, the BLM was careful not alter the character of the historic structures during the restoration and preservation process.[3]

There are several modern buildings at the ranch. The Bureau of Land Management maintains an administrative building and several corrals adjacent to the main ranch complex. There is also a small caretaker cabin located on the west side of the Little Blitzen River and a public vault toilet.[1]

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  *Frederick Riddle's ranch house
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  *Riddle Brothers' barn
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  *Blacksmith shop
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  *Old farm equipment
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  *Willow branch corral

About 550 people visit the Riddle Brothers Ranch each year.[1] Visitors enjoy exploring the historic ranch buildings, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and photography. The historic structures scattered across the ranch property offer the opportunity to see how pioneer ranchers lived. However, visitors must be careful not to disturb any historical artifacts or structures. The Frederick Riddle house, Benjamin Riddle house, the bunkhouse, and ranch barn were all built by the Riddle brothers using locally available materials, and are popular subjects for photographers. Hikers can access the Steens Mountain Wilderness from the Cold Spring Road north of the ranch, or can trek cross-country to the Little Blitzen Gorge east of the ranch. The Levi Brinkley Memorial Trail provides access to the confluence of the Little Blitzen and the Donner und Blitzen rivers. Built in 2017, the Fred Riddle Trail provides access between the Little Blitzen Trail and Cold Springs Road. The Little Blitzen River is popular for catch-and-release fishing for Redband trout. The river, along with 850 acres (3.4 km²) of the ranch property, fall within the Donner und Blitzen Wild and Scenic River system. This expands the recreational opportunities along the river beyond the ranch itself.[3]

In prehistoric times, the Riddle Brothers Ranch area was an ideal location for Native American people to live. It is located near a dependable water supply. There is ample firewood, game is plentiful, and a number of edible plants grow in the vicinity. Because of these conditions, this area may have been in continuous use as a base camp for as much as 1,400 years.[1][4]

In the summer of 2003, Bureau of Land Management archaeologists began exploring the Riddle Brothers Ranch for signs of prehistoric sites. During the first season, archaeologists unearthed 42 arrowheads and spear points and 89 stone tools including a large number of mortars. Mortars are a common find at archeological sites, but it is rare to find a large number in one location. As a result, the site was named the Mortar Riddle Site.[4]

In 2004, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee joined the Bureau of Land Management team expanding the excavations to new areas. By the end of that season, 65 mortars and over 200 arrow and spear points had been found. The oldest points may be as much as 6,000 years old. In the second season, archaeologists also found United States Army buttons. This shows that the inhabitants of this site had contact with the United States military before it was abandoned, probably sometime between the 1840s and 1880s.[4]

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  *Open excavation pit
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  *Site excavation work
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  *Screening artifacts
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  *Archeology volunteers

As of 2005, archaeologists had identified 48 prehistoric sites on the Riddle property. Volunteers from the Oregon Archaeological Society have joined the Bureau of Land Management and the University Wisconsin–Milwaukee archeologists working on the site. Because the excavation sites are fragile, they are not open to the public.[4]

To get to the Riddle Brothers Ranch from Burns, Oregon take State Highway 78. Travel southeast for approximately two miles. Turn right onto State Highway 205, and travel south for 60 miles (97 km) to Frenchglen, Oregon. Continue on State Highway 205 through Frenchglen nine miles (14 km) to "P" Hill; then turn left on the Steens Mountain Loop Road. The turnoff to the Riddle brother's ranch is approximately 18 miles (29 km) from the State Highway 205 junction.[3]

Because of its remote location, travelers should call the Bureau of Land Management's Burns Office to ensure the ranch is open before departing. The road to the Riddle Brothers Ranch is rough, especially during wet conditions but was significantly improved in 2016. The Bureau of Land Management recommends a high clearance vehicle be used when traveling to the ranch. Also, it is worth noting that cell phone service does not reach the Riddle Brothers Ranch area.[3] However, local law enforcement officers visit the ranch periodically.[1]

Caretakers are on site and the ranch is typically open for vehicle access from June - September, Wednesday - Sunday, 9am-5 pm, weather permitting. When closed to vehicle access, visitors can park their vehicles at the ranch gate and walk approximately 1.25 miles to the main cluster of buildings around the Fred Riddle house. Access by foot, bicycle, or horseback is always permitted. There is a public vault toilet at the ranch, but visitors must bring their own drinking water. Camping is not allowed on the property so visitors must leave in the evening before the caretaker locks the entrance gate at 5pm. For those who want to camp in the area, the South Steens Campground is only three miles away.[3]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Riddle Ranch Historic District.

• Riddle Brothers Ranch
• Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office