"Wild West Ranch names ... I need some" Topic

I am drawing a blank when it comes to naming some ranches for my Wild West campaign.

I have a number of ranches, but so far have only named one.

Do any TMPers have some good suggestions for ranch names I can use?

An atlas of Lincoln County, KS issued in 1918, reveals the following names that were selected as names of farms and ranches in the county:

In Salt Creek township: W.H. West, Springdale Mule Ranch; Alec Jackson, Elkhorn Ranch; Henry Woody, Hereford Home Farm; Emmett Clark, Valley View; and C.W. Myers, Myers Stock Farm.

In Logan township: J.H. Markle, Slim Chance Farm; G. Schultz, Limestone Stock Home; William Oetting, Elder Grove Stock Farm; Joe McBride, Spring Creek Stock Farm; F.A. Lewis, Pleasant Dale Stock Farm; and A.J. Lancaster, Cedarcroft Stock Farm.

In Colorado township: A.R. Reitz, Holstein Dairy and Stock Farm; J.N. Schmidt, Twelve Mile Creek Ranch; E. Morton, Saline Valley Stock Farm; Henry Martz, Longview Stock Farm;. H.E. Skinner, Old Homestead Stock Farm; C.A. Greene, Greenacres; and John Lee, Table Rock Stock Farm.

In Madison townshp: Frank Neel, Golden Plume Farm; Frank Jilka, High Point Stock Farm; George Peeler, Elms Stock Farm; G.E. James, Rattlesnake Stock Farm; J.E. Hunter, Sunnydale Stock Farm; Charles Parsons, Battle Creek Stock Farm; G.E. Loy, Hardscrabble Stock Farm; O.M. Goulden, Orchard Farm; Joseph Markley, Northview Stock Farm; E.M. Donovan, Number 1 Feeding and Breeding Ranch; J.P. Cavendar, Cottonwood Valley Stock Farm; Lizzie Howell, The Locusts; and John Wild, Poland China Stock Farm.

In Beaver township: D.W. Patterson, Valley Farm.

In Elkhorn township: O.N. Greene, Evergreen Farm; Henry Weseloh, Elkhorn Valley Electric Farm; H.F. Eckelmann, Pleasant Dale Stock and Grain Farm; Ernest Thiemann, Saline Valley Farm; and Henry Zuroeveste, River Valley Farm.

In Franklin township: Joe Walker, Utility Thoroughbred Stock Farm; Charles Anderson, Orchard Farm; and A.M. Nimmons, Mulberry Lane.

In Battle Creek township: Edgar Pierce, Coal Creek Ranch; and W.T. Watson, Reliance Stock Farm.

Regards, the Gorb

How about the "Lazy I"!

thanks guys – this gives me a bit to work with :-D

As for cattle brqnd like names to labl ranches by, "Rocking R" always appealed to me. Not sure why, maybe being a west coast kid of the 50's and 60's it may imply rocking and rolling?

Anyway, there is my dos centavos.

Gracias,

Glenn

A combination of items like colors, initials ,numbers and terrain seem to have been common.
Two Pines, Three Pines

Brands – Lazy, flying, rocking… "x"
Or adjective – green, pleasant, piney, dry, fertile – plus
terrain features – creek, river, gulch, valley, hills, plains…

Normally, (based on movies), it is either "The [insert family name] Place" or "The [insert brand] Ranch.

For the basics of naming brands, look here:
PDF link

DyeHard

Found these in Texas: XIT, 666 (that's correct- triple six), Six Shooter, Escondido, Y.O., Rancho Grande, Rancho Del Sol, Dobie and Bar None.

The largest ranch in Texas "under one wire" is the Waggoner Ranch. The largest and aptly named with multiple land holdings is the King Ranch. Google/Bing these for a story of larger-than-life characters and a view that the American Wild West still exists.

Culebra Ranch, Eagle ranch, Wolf Ranch, Coyote Ranch

Sweetwater.

Where's Wingnut when ya need a spiffy name…the King of Punsters!!!

Rancho Costa Plenty

The Sunk Creek Outfit from THE VIRGINIAN.
Count Natokina.

Flying Crown (Sky King)….. B Bar B …… Melody Ranch (maybe not macho enough)

Mandrake and Shellshocked Gulch, founded by a battle hardened veteran duck hunter! And the owner can be one Ian Scatalogicals. "Head 'em up, move 'em out!"

tongue now receding from indentation in cheek

The Shakey Bacon Dude Ranch?

-B6

One note on ranch names – if there was a single owner the ranch would most often be named after the owner while a more elaborate name is a good rule of thumb indicator that the owner was a syndicate or corporation.

Good one Bravo Six…

So Bravo6 how would that brand look? LOL!

A few famous fictional examples with very slight twists:

– Hat Creek (Lonesome Dove) is a transplant from Texas to Montana; whilst presumably named for a local feature, it's a local feature 3000 miles away.

– Venneford (Centennial) is, I think, named after a major shareholder. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that the actual owner was a unnamed corporation in which Venneford held shares, not the noble earl in person.

– Shiloh (The Virginian) is a darling name, but why ? Religious influence, or from the battle ?

It's the same as any other choice of business and/or house name: there's invariably a reason, but it's quite likely to be a reason that only makes any sense to the owner themselves.

How about the classic "Rancho Relaxo"