Crossing Fenceposts An Oral History of Ranch Women in Gunnison County, 1965-Present

Crossing Fenceposts

An Oral History of Ranch Women in Gunnison County, 1965-Present

^{Spann Ranch, Gunnison, Co. Photo Credit: Ashley O’Hara.}

On Colorado’s Western Slope, particularly in Gunnison County, ranching has been the backbone of both the landscape and those who work it. Since the 1860s, the cattle industry in this region has relied on open-range systems, with livestock migrating seasonally across high-mountain grasslands and valleys. The familiar story—rugged men taming the frontier—has long dominated the lore of the American West. But, history is more complicated than that. Women weren’t just there; they were essential, sustaining ranching communities and shaping the industry in ways that often went unrecognized. Without them, the story of the West is incomplete.

^{Map of Gunnison County, Colorado. Photo Credit: Google Maps.}

Historically, women in ranching were seen as confined to the domestic sphere, but a closer look challenges this perception. The term rancher traditionally evokes cowboys, yet the women in Crossing Fenceposts claim it for themselves. Whether working cattle, managing operations, or balancing responsibilities inside and out, they perform the same essential labor as men. Without them, a ranch couldn’t function—let alone thrive—making women indispensable to ranching in the American West.

Yet, historical literature often marginalizes their contributions. Century in the Saddle (1967), a history of Colorado ranching, relegates women to an appendix. Authors Robert Goff and Robert H. McCaffree acknowledge that some worked cattle but describe them as “spare cowhands” who “opened gates and tended sick calves in the kitchen.” Women began to organize officially; the Colorado Cowbelles formed in 1941, and the Gunnison Valley Cattlewomen started in 1951 to promote beef, strengthen industry ties, and engage the public. By 1967, their efforts had become vital to Colorado’s beef industry, despite their work remaining primarily overlooked.  In “Explore the Exhibit,” you can learn more about the history of the Gunnison Valley Cattlewomen through the exhibit “From Cowbelles to Cattlewomen: Advocacy and Leadership.”

 _{^{Robert Goff and Robert H. McCaffree, Century in the Saddle (Colorado: Johnson Publishing Co, 1967), 269, 271, 339.}}

^{Fay Vader riding horseback. Photo Credit: Vader Family.}

By the 1960s, ranching remained central to the region, but local ranchers faced growing threats from tourism-driven development, rising land costs, climate change, and new environmental regulations. Meanwhile, the civil rights movement reignited the push for women’s rights, reshaping their roles in male-dominated spaces. Today, historians work to uncover overlooked voices, bridging gaps in our understanding of women’s roles in ranching. Throughout this exhibit, you’ll hear firsthand accounts from women in ranching in Gunnison County who adapted to shifting economic, social, cultural, and environmental challenges. As Gunnison County’s cattle industry and rural life evolved, these women saw themselves as ranchers—just like the men they worked alongside, dating back to the 1860s.