Sunday, February 19, 2012

Owyhee Mystery Homestead



Sunday February 19 2012

Far down a dirt back road off a gravel back road at the foot of the Owyhee mountains, hidden back in a fold of hills on a sometimes-dry, sometimes-flowing creek, lie the remains of an old… something. You wouldn't know anything is there back off the road but for the Lombardy poplars, (also known as 'Mormon poplars', as the fast growing species was popular with Mormon settlers) which are almost always markers of old homesteads out here in the Owyhee desert.

I've heard it called a stage stop; but after finding nothing referring to a stage stop in that area, and after a lot of snooping on maps and the internet and in books, I suspect it might have been an old homestead belonging to Tommy Doyle, "an early day horseman who lived in the vicinity," according to Helen Netteton's "Sketches of Owyhee County" book. Doyle Mountain is nearby, which must be named for him.

There's a "Thomas Doyle, rancher," listed in the "1898 Directory of residents and businesses" of Owyhee County. His name is not found in any Owyhee Avalanche newspapers between 1865 and 1905… perhaps that means he was too busy ranching and horsing around (literally) to be involved in any scandals or great deeds or anything in between.

But "early day horseman" sounds intriguing. I've been unable to find anything else so far on this Tommy Doyle. Now I'm on a mission.

9 comments:

  1. My goodness, you seem to live in the middle of a giant studio full of perfect subject matter for your photos!

    Great pictures, I too would be fascinated by both the ancient homestead and the life of the man who lived there. Even the Mormon poplars would fascinate me, marking out the limits of the old approach road.

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  2. Have you tried using Ancestry.com to trace him? Knowing where and about when he lived will help in such a search. You might even find modern day family members who have family stories about him. Good luck on your search.

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  3. Old homesteads always fascinate me. They're all around the country here.

    It looks like you're onto an interesting story.

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  4. I love historical searches like that. It's detective work of a special kind. Here's hoping you can track down some information about Mr. Doyle. He might have been a real character.

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  5. How interesting. I love old homesteads like this. Wonder how he lived and what he did there. Good luck on your mission.

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  6. What a perfect place to sit and think about they way it must have been. Bet that was a cold spot in the winter.

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  7. What a fascinating piece of history. Hard to imagine ever living in such a primitive dwelling. It leaves behind a lot to imagine about life back then.

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  8. I can't wait for the Rest Of The Story about the old Doyle homestead!

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  9. Great find, Merri! Love our Owhee history!

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