Sommers Ranch Homestead Grand Opening Sept. 1
Public invited to see the new additions to the historical site
August 29, 2012
Everyone is invited to come out to the Grand Opening of the Sommers Ranch Homestead living history site on Saturday, September 1st.
The Sommers Ranch Homestead is a new living history project that focuses on the homestead era of the Upper Green River Valley. It is a joint project of the Sublette County Historical Society, Green River Valley Museum, and Jonita and Albert Sommers.
It is a bit remote, located about 13 miles from Pinedale on the East Green River Road, but is well worth the drive and makes for a really fun family outing. If you didn’t get a chance to come out this summer and visit during the homestead open hours on Fridays and Saturdays, this will be your last chance to visit the Homestead for public hours this year.
If you came out last year for the Open House, there are lots more new things for you to see.
The public can walk through the restored, 100-year-old, 2-story log homestead house which is now furnished and has interpretation on many unique objects related to the homestead period. This year the interpretation features special exhibits from the Budd, Jensen and Sommers families, who were some of the early pioneer families in the Green River Valley.
The old garage has been restored and interpretation has been put in about ranching tools and implements. The underground cellar has been restored and accessible. Other new buildings on the site waiting to be restored are the old bunkhouse and an icehouse. The Historical Society plans to soon move a barn onto the property from a nearby ranch and restore that as well.
Kids will especially enjoy playing with the new working water well pump, ringing the old-style dinner bell, and playing on the wagon-wheel merry-go-round and teeter totter.
There will be lots of great food and many of the ranching families from around the valley will be there. The Grand Opening will be from 10 AM to 3 PM with a meal served over the lunch hour. No reservations are required.
To get there from Pinedale, go west on US 191 approximately 6 miles and turn south onto the East Green River Road at Trappers Point, just before the road construction for the new wildlife bridge. Stay on the main gravel road that follows the high bluffs and go south for 7.3 miles. The homestead is at the turnoff for the Sommers Fishing Access road (the second fishing access on that road).
A direction map is also available from the front desk of the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, which is open daily from 9AM to 5PM.
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