The Homestead

When we moved out of Seattle, in search of a bigger yard, it wasn’t just any property we were after. We wanted chickens, cats, timber, grasslands, water and a couple cattle for Richard III. Throughout the seven-year search for our dream property, he and Ryley took a few road trips per year, looking high and low.

We first found our ranch on Google, for sale by owner. But when Richard III and Ryley went to visit, they weren’t able to find the property. We contacted a realtor, who said that this owner would be too tricky to work with, so we moved on. Richard III and Ryley continued to visit Colfax and friends Penny and Jerry Gilchrist at Union Creek Ranch. We subscribed to the Gazette in Colfax, and ran an ad. “Wanted: large family ranch for sale by owner, live water, timber, pasture. Would make a good neighbor. Refer to Penny and Jerry Gilchrist as a personal reference.” One day, we received a phone call from someone saying they had the property we were looking for. After our second call with the owner, Richard III typed in the URL of the property website—it was the exact property he’d been looking for years prior.

We later learned that the property was originally homesteaded by the Curtis family in 1891. It had been split up since then, but after we rehomesteaded in 2012, we were able to reunite the original properties. It took us nearly two years to clean up the property, clearing away the numerous boats, campers, and other junk that had piled up over the years. We built corrals and fences, a large hay shed, shelters in the weaning pen, grain bins, and a stock tank watering system of our own design.

As it stands today, the ranch includes 650 acres of cliffside pastures, rolling hills, and a river valley. Every day, we step outside and feel like the luckiest people alive.