You Won’t Believe What We Found Buried on This Old Wyoming Ranch
June 16, 2024
Source: Reddit
Do you recall those summer days where you would play in the backyard, discover something new, and create entire worlds in your mind? Perhaps, it was a worn out machete, a childhood toy, or even a coin. Every find seemed to open up a door to another time, another existence. This sense of wonder and curiosity is precisely what one might feel when coming across a mysterious concrete pit on an old Wyoming ranch.
Recently, while exploring the vast pasture of a ranch built in the late 1800s, a peculiar concrete structure was spotted. This pit with other eroded foundations nearby is a testament to the history of this ranch. Located near a railroad that may not have existed when the pit was constructed, it piques the imagination: What was its purpose?
To solve this mystery, let us go back to the time when the ranch was full of life. Wyoming in the late 1800s was a place of opportunity. Large tracts of land used for cattle rearing were spread across the region to form the basis of the American West. These ranches were like small communities where one had to be creative to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Each structure served a specific function, whether it was for storing things, providing shelter, or aiding in the workings of the ranch.
While its exact purpose remains a puzzle, several educated guesses can be made:While its exact purpose remains a puzzle, several educated guesses can be made:
Root Cellar or Storage Pit: Before the use of refrigerators, root cellars played a significant role in food storage. This pit could have been used as a cool and dark chamber for keeping vegetables, fruits or even canned items.
Water or Ice Storage: Ice and water were also kept in ranches to have a constant and readily available source during summer or during periods of drought. This pit could have been a cistern or an ice hole, to store water or ice in case of necessity.
Utility Access: With the advancement in ranches and the introduction of new technologies, such pits could have been used to house water pipes, sewer systems or early electrical installations.
Animal Pen: It could have been used as a shelter for small livestock or domesticated birds to protect them from predators.
Industrial Use: Located near the railroad, the pit may have been used for storage of materials or waste related to rail construction or repair.
The existence of this pit and other concrete footings show that the people were hardworking and resourceful. It shows the transformation from the basic ways of living to the more complex and efficient ways of the society at that time. Ranchers were not only cowboys; they were inventors and technicians who always tried to develop their land and businesses.
Picturing the ranch in all its glory, with cowboys, families, and the sound of a train in the distance, is quite romantic. These are not mere relics of the past but rather a symbol of the strength and ingenuity of the people who built them.
Even if the purpose of the concrete pit remains unknown, it is a discovery that shows that there is so much history hidden beneath our feet. It prompts us to discover, probe into, and value the histories that have been told. So, the next time you are on an old ranch or even in your own backyard, just take a moment to look around. You never know what piece of history you might find and the story that will come from it.
After all, it is these links to the past that enhance the present and give the people a feeling of belonging and awe, thus preserving the essence of the ‘good old days’.