Riddle Brothers Ranch, west side of Steens Mountain (22844818544)

Want to see firsthand what the beginning of the livestock industry looked like in the American West? The Riddle Brothers Ranch in southeast Oregon—on the west flank of Steens Mountain—provides that historic context of pioneer settlement.
Walter, Frederick and Benjamin Riddle were three bachelor brothers who secured home sites and raised livestock in and around the ranch. Migrating from western Oregon, they settled in the early 1900s and built their ranch by gaining control of the land on both sides of the Little Blitzen River. In the late 1950s the Riddle brothers sold their ranch holding to Rex Clemens.
In 1986 BLM purchased the 1,120-acre property from Clemens and has since managed the ranch for its historic values. Since that time, the properties have been stabilized or restored, and it has also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
How to visit the remote area: www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=26
History on the area: www.blm.gov/or/resources/heritage/culriddlebros.php

Photo captured July 13, 2015