HISTORIC RANCH | EST. 1865
Gang Ranch
American brothers Jerome and Thaddeus Harper had been ranching and gold mining in California. They heard of the gold rush that started in British Columbia, how thousands of miners were migrating to the area and there were very little cattle to sustain them, causing a jump in cattle prices. The Harper brothers began to drive cattle north to British Columbia in hopes of cashing in on the higher cattle market.
They were very successful in their drives and quickly became the largest landowners in British Columbia, owning large portions of ranch land all through the interior. One of their most well-known ranches, the Gang Ranch, started in 1863, originally called the Canadian Ranching Company. In addition to the cattle business, the Harper brothers owned two saw mills and a flour mill. Jerome Harper died in 1874 leaving Thaddeus to inherit his estate of $150,000 including 1,000 hectares of land.
Historic Gang Ranch
The Name & Brand
The JH brand used by the Gang Ranch is the oldest registered brand still in use today. It was originally used at the Harper Ranch. The Brand represents the two founder's initials, Jerome and Thaddeus Harper. The J stands for Jerome and the sideways T stands for Thaddeus, connected they form an H for Harper. The Gang Ranch was originally part of the Canadian Ranching Company, but was commonly referred to as “The Gang.” The origins of the name are debated between the large numbers of workers or “gangs of workers” required to establish irrigation ditches, or from being one of the first ranches in the area to use the gang plow.
Historic Gang Ranch
The Longest Cattle Drive in BC
Jerome Harper, Founder
Thaddeus Harper continued ranching after his brother’s death and completed the longest cattle drive in BC history. As the gold rush slowed down, the cattle market had dropped to $15 per head in British Columbia, but in Chicago the market was high enough to net $40 a head after the costs of driving and freighting the cattle down. Harper set out with a crew of cowboys including, Newman Squires, Antoine Allen, Charlie Connor, Tom Moore, Joe Tenice, Louis Eneas, Jimmy Joseph, Jimmy Rendell (a boy) and possibly Johnny Twan and Bill Hart. They started down an old drover’s trail, established in the 1860’s, with 800 head of cattle, buying more on the way. He wintered the cattle near Walla Walla, Washington.
Thaddeus assessed the situation in the Spring; to transport the cattle by rail to Chicago they would need to drive the cattle about 600 miles and then pay $250 for a car of 20 head. The Chicago market had dropped drastically to $16 - $17 a head. Harper decided to summer the cattle in Idaho to fatten the cattle and wait on the market.
Daily British Colonist, April 20, 1876
Daily British Colonist, February 5, 1878
In the winter of 1878 the drought in California elevated the cattle prices exponentially. Harper drove the cattle to San Francisco cashing in at $70 a head. Harper profited enormously and made arrangements for shipping additional cattle to San Francisco.
Thaddeus eventually started experiencing financial hardships and sold the Hat Creek Ranch property in 1881. After a severe winter in 1887, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid personal bankruptcy Thaddeus sold the Gang Ranch in 1888 to his partners in the Western Canadian Ranching Company. The sale included ranch land at Canoe Creek, Clinton, Kamloops, and the Perry Ranch at Cache Creek.
Thaddeus Harper would go on the pursue opportunities in the mining industry, until 1889. While out riding alone Thaddeus Harper suffered a fall from his horse and was kicked in the face. He was found unconscious a day later and spent six weeks in the hospital in Victoria. Thaddeus Harper died in Victoria on December 9th at the age of 65.
