Ross
Dollarhide Sr (1886-1974)
Ross Dollarhide was born October 20, 1886 to Leander and Florence Dollarhide
at Phoenix, Jackson County, Oregon. He spent his early years on a ranch at
the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains, where his folks ran the toll gate.
They later had a dairy near Dusmuir, California.
When just a young man his dream was to come to Eastern Oregon and work on
some of the big ranches that were in Harney County. He rode horseback alone
from Ashland heading for the East. He became confused in his direction and
ended up in Fort Bidwell, California. He stayed there and worked for awhile
and eventually went on to Harney County in Oregon.
During his years in Harney County he worked for almost all the big cattle
Ranches; the Whitehorse Ranch, the famous “P” Ranch, Roaring Springs
Ranch, Rock Creek Ranch, The Diamond Ranch and the New Diamond Ranch.
When World War I broke out, he went to Miles City, Montana to break horses
for the Cavalry. He rode in all the local roundups and in 1914 rode at the
Pendleton Roundup. He rode a horse, which had up to, that time had never
been rode. He was featured in the National Geographic Magazine.
In July 1916 he married Alvira Courtright in Winnemucca, Nevada and took
his bride to the Steens Mountains, where he had a small homestead. They had
three sons; Wesley Leander born in Burns, Oregon in 1918 (deceased 1993),
Ross Jr. born in Burns in 1921 (deceased 1977), Richard (Dick), born in Burns
1924 and lives in Central Point Oregon.
In the early 1930’s he and Alvira divorced and he went to Lake County.
In 1933 he went to work for the ZX Ranch in Paisley, Oregon where he buckarooed.
He stayed there until 1938. Mr. William Kittredge persuaded him to go to
Adel, Oregon and work for him at the MC Ranch where he stayed until shortly
before he died. He semi-retired in 1969 and did not actively ride during
his later years, but was always willing to help with the branding, taking
the cattle to the desert or just helping out on the ranch.
The greatest tribute to this man was, everyone said “He had no
enemies.” He was truly a legend in his time.
Ross Dollarhide passed away January 1974 in Lakeview, Oregon and is buried
at the Sunset Cemetery in Lakeview.
Ross Dollarhide was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September
1994.
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