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History - The Taylor Ranch Story
Taylor Ranch has a rich and fascinating history and pre-history. Many of the components of Idaho's frontier past are rooted in the Big Creek drainage and the surrounding Salmon River Mountains. There have been distinct Indian cultures, military campaigns, gold rushes, "hardscrabble" homesteading efforts, the creation of an outfitting industry, and the advent of land-tenure system favorable for wilderness. The Sheepeater Indians were the first to reside near the mouth of Pioneer Creek. They were attracted by the abundant natural resources such as bighorn sheep, mule deer, Chinook salmon, spring steelhead, cutthroat trout, and many species of riparian berries and wintered in the canyon. The round depressions from their "house pits" can be seen today. The Taylor Ranch Story includes the "path crossings" of 3 individuals; Dave Lewis, Jess Taylor, and Maurice Hornocker. Dave Lewis received a homestead patent on this 65 acre alluvial fan and bottomland and permanently lived on the site from 1911. For many years the site was known as the Lewis Place. "Cougar Dave" was the quintessential Idaho frontiersman who made a living off the land hunting cougars for bounty, trapping, gold prospecting, growing a large garden and hay crop, horse packing, and guiding hunters. Dave Lewis may have been Idaho's first big game outfitter. When Jess Taylor purchased the ranch from Dave Lewis in 1934 he had a dream of making the place into a premier guest ranch, which he had accomplished by 1964 when Maurice Hornocker came onto the scene. During the winters that Maurice conducted mountain lion research based from the Taylor Ranch, he developed a friendship with Jess Taylor which ultimately led to the sale of the ranch to the University of Idaho in 1970. Maurice had a vision of the Taylor Ranch becoming a premier wilderness field station. So the actions of these 3 men established the foundation for the opportunities that we have today.
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