Historical Designation

Provincial Heritage Property Designation an Industry First for Saskatchewan Ranch.
Released on September 18, 2017

Acknowledged for its historical integrity and association with the ranching experience in Saskatchewan, the Historic W.D. & Alice Reesor Ranch has been designated as the province’s 52nd Provincial Heritage Property.

“Our government is pleased to recognize the Historic W.D. & Alice Reesor Ranch as a Provincial Heritage Property,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said.  “This property tells the story of a family’s life on a Saskatchewan ranch for more than 100 years.  This story will help future generations to understand the historical significance of the ranching industry in our province.”

The designated portion of the cattle ranch, founded in 1904 and located south west of Maple Creek, includes the ranch house, several barns and sheds, and natural landscape elements.  The main buildings were erected between 1906 and 1916 and display original construction and functionality, as well as modifications made by the Reesor family to adjust to the evolving ranching industry and family life.

Today, the buildings operate as the headquarters of the Reesor’s family ranching operations and as an award-winning bed and breakfast business.  The family feels this designation is another milestone in celebrating the hard work and legacy of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

“We see it as an honour to the family, the Cypress Hills community and the province, being the first ranch in Saskatchewan to be designated,” current resident and operator of the ranch Theresa Reesor said.  “We have been here 20 years, and our focus has always been on emphasizing the history of the family and of ranching in Saskatchewan and in Cypress Hills.  It has been part of our mandate to tell the story and keep it alive.”

Provincial Heritage Property designations play an integral role in the conservation and protection of Saskatchewan’s heritage.  For more information about Saskatchewan’s Provincial Heritage properties visit www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/parks-recreation-heritage-and-arts/heritage.

For more information about the Historic W.D. & Alice Reesor Ranch, please visit their website at www.reesorranch.com.

For more information, contact:

Katrina Robinson   Parks, Culture and Sport, Regina
Phone: 306-787-3506 Cell: 306-550-5927  Email:

 

“The Historic Reesor Ranch is an integral part of the history of ranching in Saskatchewan,” quote by Saskatchewan Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, Ken Cheveldayoff.
The well-preserved original 1904 homestead, ranch yard and five original heritage buildings, established by pioneer ranchers W.D. and Alice Reesor, symbolizes the important role that pioneer ranch families played in the settlement of Saskatchewan and the Canadian West.

The following onsite ranch buildings can be visited with our self-guided tour booklet:

1. Ranchhouse

The first Reesor home was built in 1906. It was replaced with and is partially encased in the present Arts and Crafts Style home in 1916.  Built for two families as a duplex for WD & Alice and Frank & Hazel Reesor. Original fir and maple flooring and woodwork with original wall coverings.

2. Roothouse

Built circa 1906. Root vegetables like potatoes, turnips and carrots, were grown in the large garden plot and were stored in the roothouse over the long winter. It was dug to a depth of 6 feet with interior walls lined with local field stones and the exterior covered with earth and layered stones. The interior still displays the wooden bins used for sorting/storing vegetables as well as the two clay pipes for ventilation.

3. Old Log Barn

Built circa 1905. Adjoined horse barn, cow barn, cow shed, chicken house and turkey shed. Built with hand-hewn logs and lumber from Cypress Hills.

4. Bunkhouse

Built circa 1906. Combination blacksmith-machine shop, woodshed and wagon/tractor shed. Ranch hands lived on the upper floor. Built with local Cypress Hills lumber.

5. Granary

Built circa 1906.  Used for grain storage and machinery storage.  A wagon full of grain could be driven in, unloaded into bins and driven out the other side. Built with local Cypress Hills lumber.

 

A tribute to the Reesor family…honoring our forefathers and celebrating our Western Canadian ranching industry.           

“The native prairie sweeping across the north slope of the Cypress Hills owes its resilience to root systems that extend deep into the earth where life giving moisture sustains its grasses. These grasses have in turn sustained the area’s ranching industry for well over a century and attracted the Reesor family to put down their own roots in the beautiful Cypress Hills. For more than 120 years, generation after generation of the Reesor family have served as stewards of the grasslands stretching across the family Ranch. Today, the 6th generation invite guests to share in their family’s connection to these ranchlands with their own brand of cowboy comfort and western hospitality. In 2017 the Historic W.D. & Alice Reesor Ranch became the first ranch in the Province to be designated as a Provincial Historic Site commemorating the role that the ranching industry has played in the development of Saskatchewan. This photomerge is a celebration of the deep roots the Reesor family have in this special place, and the unbroken continuity of care the family has given to their ranch and historic ranch-house. The family extends their deepest thanks to their many friends, neighbours and visitors for sharing in this journey with them.”

Sincerely,  Royce E. W. Pettyjohn, PCED.SK  Park Manager  Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Saskatchewan  Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport  Box 850, Maple Creek, Sask., S0N 1N0  306-662-5416