Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE NATION'S FIRST DUDE RANCH
The Eatons brand is prominently displayed on their barn.
In 1868, a trio of brothers left Pittsburgh in pursuit of more adventure than their
father's dry goods store promised. Howard Eaton settled in the Badlands of North
Dakota; his brothers Alden and Willis joined him a few years later, and together the
three established a small ranch near what would become the town of Medora, North
Dakota. On the Custer Trail Ranch, the brothers made their living by supplying wild
game to railroad workers and hay to the nearby Army fort, all while establishing their
own herds of horses and cattle.
Stories of their adventures trickled east, and before long the much-loved brothers
hosted an endless string of friends. In 1882, realizing the financial strain he and
others were placing on the hospitable Eatons, Bert Rumsey insisted on paying for
the privilege of staying on the ranch. In so doing, Rumsey became the world's first
“dude,” a term coined by Howard Eaton. Modest as it was—guests slept several to a