McLain family wins Agricultural Heritage award

The Gunnison County Historic Preservation Commission has honored the McLain family with their annual Agricultural Heritage Award for significant contributions to the agricultural history of the valley. The family has been directly involved in the production of livestock in the Gunnison basin for over 100 years.

John Jay McLain was a teamster in the late 1800s when he and his wife Olive Colter moved to Cripple Creek. While he was there, he mined and saved money towards his dream of ranching. Life was tough in Cripple Creek, so they moved to Ohio City in the early 1900s. John was superintendent of the Raymond mine and in his free time he panned gold out of the creek. This paid off and in 1908 he was able to finally put down payment on his dream ranch near Parlin.

John and Olive raised oats, potatoes, horses, chickens, hogs, sheep, cattle and five children: Floyd, Earl, Erma, Jack and Roy. In 1952, Jack and Louise McLain took over the ranch and raised their three children: Carl, Nancy and David.

Jack and Louise continued raising Hereford cattle. They also spent time mining, logging, operating a sawmill and constructing cabins in the Quartz Creek Valley. While working on the ranch David married Ladonna and they raised their three children: Teri, Justin and Lorie.

David and Ladonna purchased the ranch in 1988, working to improve the breeding quality and milk production of the cattle herd. They replaced several outbuildings with newer, more functional spaces used for repairing and storing machinery. The crew spent countless hours enhancing the ditch and water systems turning several pastures into hay meadows for increased hay production. While working on the ranch Justin married Meredith, and they raised two daughters: Kaitlyn and Marisa.

Justin and Meredith purchased the ranch in 2012. They have built multiple haysheds, planted grass seed for more hay meadows, purchased additional property, upgraded ditches and continue to run the cattle herd. They are part of the Taylor Park Cattle Association and members of the Gunnison Stockgrowers Association. The McLain Ranch is a steward of the land, working with neighbors, other ranches and governmental agencies in order to continue ranching well into the next generation, according to a press release issued about the award.