Swett's Ranch

While driving around the Red Canyon and Green River area near Flaming Gorge we saw a sign for Swett's Ranch, an historical site. We turned down what was pretty much a dirt road and rode for a mile or so. The road ended in a most amazing place. The "ranch" was homesteaded in 1908 by a young man of 18 who had to have his mother "co-sign" the homestead because he was too young. He homesteaded the first 125 acres for his mother and then when he was old enough himself, he homesteaded an additional 125 acres of his own. He later bought even more land and ended up with 450 acres.

There are 3 houses on the property along with multiple outbuildings. The first house the family lived in was a one room log cabin that Amos Swett moved to the site from 40 miles away. Rustic is the word for this place, but it housed them for several winters and through the birth of 3 children. He then moved the family into a very "posh" 2 room log cabin with a loft. This grew to have many more amenities and over the years boasted a large cook stove and actual beds in the sleeping room along with a small wood stove for warmth.

The 3rd and final house was completed in the 30s and was a "normal" clapboard style house. There was no indoor plumbing though until 1960 when his daughters came home (they were 7 of the 9 children) and told their father that their mother really needed to have a bathroom! He was resistant, and only agreed if it was not actually within the walls of the house. So, they built an attachment on the side porch of the house which served as the indoor privy....you went out the side door onto the porch and then opened another door into the bathroom! It was complete with a pink bathtub and must have been a very welcomed addition.

The pictures below show the ranch....it was a beautiful, peaceful spot with fields that ran down to the reservoir banks miles away. It must have been extremely isolated in the winter, but they were known to be the gathering place for the mountain community in which they lived. Three of the children who grew up there are still alive and one recently returned to tell her story. After Amos died in 1968, his wife (we can't remember her name!!), stayed on for another year, but then passed away herself in 1970. The property is now part of the Utah Forest Service and is a real gem.