140 years of the 101 Ranch coming to Blackwell

Kentucky-born George Washington Miller, the patriarch of Oklahoma's renowned 101 Ranch, was first introduced to cattle ranching in 1869 during a stop-over in Newtonia, Missouri, while enroute to California where he hoped to make a fresh start following the Civil War. Two years later Miller had his own cattle ranch in Baxter Springs, Kansas, in partnership with Texas cattleman Lee Kokernut. During those times he drove cattle herds from Texas to that ranch, Miller couldn't help but notice the lush, expansive grasslands he crossed in Indian Territory's Cherokee Outlet, and before long he determined to expand his growing operation to the wide-open ranges of the Cherokee Outlet.

In 1879 Miller started leasing two pastures in the Outlet. One, called “Deer Creek,” was along the stream by that name in what later became Grant County, Oklahoma. A little farther south, another piece of leased rangeland was called “Salt Fork” and located along that river near present-day Lamont, Grant County.

At the time he still owned his Baxter Springs ranch but by 1881 he had moved his wife and sons to a home to Winfield, Kansas. By then, Miller’s first Oklahoma ranch headquarters had been built by way of a crude dugout and log structure on a hill in the "Salt Fork" pasture from which his cowboy crews operated.

During the time Miller was in partnership with cattleman Lee Kokernut they branded cattle with the “Reverse LK,” but Miller bought out Kokernut shortly after moving all his cattle to the Cherokee Outlet. Although he continued using the "Reverse LK" brand for a couple of more years, it was 1881 when he devised his own personal mark in the now famous "101," which he initially used as a road brand during long distance cattle drives. In his 1937 memoir, George Miller's son Zack wrote that young John Hiatt, his father’s nephew, had “built the branding fire that burned the first '101' on a cow.” Miller had several irons made, some for branding the cow’s horn, others for conventional hide branding, and contrary to many popular tales, the "101" brand did not come about because of the amount of land he eventually collected. The most credible story of the "101" brand dates to a much earlier time and was derived from George Miller's unique way of punishing his wild, drinking-prone cowhands.

According to Hiatt, the brand was first used on a drive north from San Antonio in 1881. Hiatt explained that "when the boys arrived in town they were always in the habit of getting falling down drunk, usually at their favorite San Antonio saloon named the '101.'"

Rounding up his bunch to work the next day after their first hell-raising night in town was a persistent problem for Miller but that year he was prepared for payback. Miller told the boys, "When I'm through you'll wish you'd never seen the '101' because I'm gonna' make you put it on every cow I own!" That was the beginning of the "101" brand, not only on livestock but just about everything Miller and his three sons eventually owned.

When cattlemen were forced to leave the Cherokee Outlet in preparation for the 1893 land run, Miller began leasing land on the Ponca Indian Reservation. A year later, son Joe Miller claimed additional ground adjacent to the reservation property already leased. Through subsequent purchases, leases and buyouts, the 101 Ranch south of Ponca City soon amassed over 100,000 acres.

Although the senior Miller died in 1903 his dream of a grand, modern ranch home, known as the "White House," was carried forth by his three sons. Meanwhile, the ranch diversified by growing wheat, cotton, corn, Kaffir, alfalfa, various fruit orchards, and vegetables. It's array of livestock included cattle, bison, hogs, poultry, and several horse breeds. By then, George's wife Mollie had the ranch turned into a trust with sons Joe as the chair and Zack and George Lee as the only other members. The ranch operations were divided accordingly with Zack controlling the livestock and George handling the finances. In time, the Millers added their own electric plant, a cannery, a dairy, a tannery, a general store, and several different mills, and was promoted as the "greatest diversified farm on earth." In 1909 Ernest W. Marland spearheaded the search for oil on ranch land, forming the 101 Ranch Oil Company, a venture greatly increasing ranch profits.

With all this, the 101 earned most of its national and worldwide notoriety from the Wild West shows that it staged. Their show business career began in 1905 with a gala affair on the Oklahoma ranch grounds showcasing the skills of their cowboys and American Indians, including the famous Apache Geronimo, who shot a bison from the front seat of a car. The show also featured Lucille Mulhall, George Elser, and Bill Pickett. Its roaring success prompted the Millers to take their show on the road, and it began touring seasonally beginning in 1907. Several entertainers who continued their careers in the fledgling motion picture industry had connections with the 101. These included Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Jack Hoxie, Mabel Normand, and Buck Jones.

And, thus, with the legendary Oklahoma ranch, its famous brand, and subsequent businesses of farming to Wild West Shows evolving from those early days of 1879 when cowhands erected their makeshift dugout ranch headquarters in Oklahoma's old "Salt Fork" pasture, 2019 marks the 140th anniversary of the famed 101 Ranch.

To celebrate this milestone, scores of historic 101 Ranch artifacts along with other Western memorabilia can be viewed at the Kay County Fairgrounds Event Center in Blackwell, Oklahoma, on Friday evening April 12, and all day Saturday April 13, 2019. Items on display and for sale include original cowboy gear, firearms, personal Miller family possessions, assorted antiques, rare photos and ephemera. Displays from several area museums can also be viewed.

The show, presented by the 101 Ranch Collectors' Association, is open to the public Friday 4pm to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm.