| If you're looking to take a trip back in time, to | | | | time, nearly 6,000 livestock grazed the land. |
| the dawn of the cowboy and the rise of working | | | | In 1885, the Long Island Railroad reached |
| cattle ranches, visit one of the nation's oldest | | | | Montauk, and life began to change as tourists |
| cattle ranches. | | | | came from New York City to the place known |
| With 8,000 acres of its own and bordered by | | | | for its fishing and beautiful scenery. |
| 22,000 acres of public leased land, Horse Prairie | | | | In 1898, former president Teddy Roosevelt and |
| Ranch is one of the oldest cattle ranches in | | | | the Rough Riders recuperated at one of the |
| Montana. The ranch's goal is to preserve the | | | | houses in Montauk, but as the era closed and the |
| tradition of working ranch life. As a guest, you can | | | | 1900s began, ranchers began giving up their |
| choose from a variety of activities including | | | | livelihood in favor of sport fishing and farming. |
| evening sunset rides, cattle drives, branding, chuck | | | | Polo ponies arrived in Montauk in 1926 with a New |
| wagon breakfast rides or a history tour, among | | | | York City-based real estate developer who had |
| others. | | | | dreams of developing a luxury resort town. He |
| Similarly, one of the old ranches in Utah, Red | | | | purchased most of the area but then rented part |
| Rock Ranch, is a real working cattle ranch | | | | of it to teenage Phineas Dickinson in 1936. |
| complete with cattle drives for guests. | | | | At the onset of World War II, as the Dickinson |
| Homesteaded in the 1850s, the ranch is nestled | | | | boys went off to service, most ranching at Deep |
| among the South Fork canyon's red rock cliffs. | | | | Hollow came to a halt. On their return in 1947, |
| The ranch house is a two-story home build in the | | | | Phineas brought white face cattle from Texas and |
| 1850s with dove-tailed logs. | | | | raised them for slaughter in the 1960s. |
| The nation's oldest working cattle ranch, Deep | | | | The early 1970s brought the Leavers as Rusty |
| Hollow Ranch is located in, of all places, Montauk, | | | | Leaver, a former summer ranch hand for Phineas, |
| NY. Montauk, known as an inspiration for Peter | | | | decided to leave New York City for Montauk. |
| Benchley's Jaws and just over 100 miles from | | | | When he heard that the ranch was for sale, he |
| New York City, would not seem the place for a | | | | purchased it. Within a few years, he married a |
| cattle ranch, but Deep Hollow Ranch has been | | | | Dickinson daughter, Diane. |
| operating there since the 1800s. | | | | But if you want to visit Deep Hollow Ranch, you |
| The history of Deep Hollow began in the 1600s, | | | | had better do it soon. The family has reluctantly |
| as ranch life was popular in Montauk. Ranchers | | | | put the ranch on the real estate market in the |
| there would lease land from the Montauk Native | | | | summer of 2006 as the Hamptons area location |
| Americans to graze their cattle. There was no | | | | has made it exceedingly more difficult for the |
| need for fencing as the Atlantic Ocean was a | | | | family to continue to raise cattle and horses. The |
| natural barrier on the south side, and the Block | | | | ranch could soon, like the cowboys of yesteryear, |
| Island Sound a barrier on the north. Around this | | | | be riding on into the sunset. |