Frank
Joseph Button (1855-1938)
Frank was born in Danby Four Corners, Vermont on April 20, 1855. He made
his home there with his parents, Joseph and Melissa (Hulett) Button, until
he was nine years old. Of the six children in the family, Frank was the eldest.
The family then came to California by boat, making the voyage around Cape
Horn at the southern tip of South America. After settling in California,
Button attended Santa Rosa High School. Continuing his education, he attended
the North Pacific Methodist College at Santa Rosa.
Frank Button, and his Uncle I.V. Button, came to Humboldt County, Nevada
in 1873. They bought six-hundred head of cattle, and arrived in Winnemucca
to find a few houses, a ferry across the Humboldt River, and Bridge Street
paved with sagebrush stubs to keep the wagons from sinking into the sand.
Going North, Button and his Uncle settled in the Midas area, 50 miles East
of Winnemucca, Nevada. From an Indian there, for fifty dollars and a saddle
horse, I.V. Button bought ground that was to spearhead the famous Double-Square
Ranch and then later two ranches and 4,000 square miles of range.
The Double Square was first a cattle ranch, but horses were valuable then
and the Buttons soon converted, and built an amazing herd of several thousand
horses. Indicative of the value of horses, a recorded sale of livestock in
1887 list seventeen head of cattle that brought an average of $14.00 per
head, whereas a six year old mare brought $135.00.
Frank Button got into many Indian skirmishes. But despite that early trouble
with the Indians, the Buttons' herd thrived. Double Square saddle horses
were in demand by the U.S. army, the San Francisco Police Department and
neighboring Nevada Ranchers. The herd was also famous for its beautiful,
perfectly matched sets of horses often seen in parades. Frank Button and
his Uncle were charter members of Nevada’s first Cattle Association,
and the original owners of the Double Square Brand. I.V. Button sold the
Double Square Ranch in 1885 and moved to Berkeley, California. However, this
was just the beginning of a long ranching career for Frank Button in Humboldt
County. Frank then engaged in horse raising on another Ranch further up the
Little Humboldt River until that Ranch was sold.
On August 25, 1888, Frank Button (age 33), Libby Shallenberger, Charles Miller
and Lenore Shallenberger (Mrs. Button’s sister) were married in a double
wedding ceremony at Golconda, Nevada. Charles Miller served as Deputy to
Sheriff Graham Lamb and George Brady from 1903 to 1925. Frank was named
superintendent of vast holdings of the Bliss Bros., and Mr. and Mrs. Button
made their home at the C S ranch at Button Point.
Frank passed away December 19, 1938.
Frank Joseph Button was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September
1992.
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