In the early days of the West, pioneers discovered the cool, cottonwood shaded stream which is now known as Crazy Woman Creek. They followed the creek to where it rushes forth from a deep canyon on the face of the Big Horns. They found it good and settled there. Years later the ranch site passed to a successful prospector of the famous Klondike Gold Rush and was renamed Klondike.

Since the 1920's, Klondike Ranch has offered guests an authentic western adventure. Klondike is a working ranch located in one of North America's most historic and dramatic landscapes. Guests are invited to share in ranch life and learn the skills and language of the American cowboy. Our visitors are part of the family. They work with us, eat with us, and play with us. They help us move cattle to new pastures, fish some of the finest trout water in the nation and enjoy the stunning scenic vistas.

Klondike is an historic cattle ranch established in 1886. The ranch is nestled in the midst of the most unspoiled and beautiful country in America. Four times the size of Luxembourg, Johnson County, Wyoming, is home to just eight thousand people. This is the American West, as it once was - rugged, friendly and unchanging.

The Klondike Ranch is operated by Richard and Patty Tass.
Klondike has been in the Tass family since May 21, 1920.

Local Legend
There are two accepted local legends on how the nearby canyon and creek got the name of Crazy Woman. They both start out the same, only have somewhat different endings. As the story goes, there was a white man who was trapping along the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, became acquainted with the local Indians, and was trading with them. One year, when he returned to the area to start his trapping and trading, he brought with him his wife, a white woman.

During the course of events, he had a falling out with the Indians over fur pelts, whiskey, and/or guns, and they tortured him to death. His wife witnessed this before being able to escape into the mountains. This traumatic event caused her to lose her mind. One legend has the Indians pursuing her to the rim of the canyon, where she jumped to her death to avoid being recaptured. The other legend says that, since the Indians would not bother one who was possessed by the spirit, the trappers wife roamed the vicinity of the canyon until she died of natural causes. As legends go, it could be true.

History
The original patent on the land known as Klondike was first issued November 10, 1886, to Orrin Cook. His sister, M.F. Estelle Cook, received her patent on some other land on November 12, 1886. On January 18, 1890, Orrin received another patent on some additional lands in section 19 and section 20. Frank A. Jones, (Klondike Jones), does not appear in the abstract until March 4, 1890. He and his spouse, Estelle Cook Jones, transferred some land to a neighbor, Benjamin Hertzman. On August 26, 1899, Frank Jones purchased Orrin Cook's land. Frank and Estelle sold their place to Joseph Todd July 16, 1904. On September 5, 1904, Todd sold out to Martin DeYoung. Martin DeYoung sold the ranch to Patrick Haley, Jr. on April 13, 1915. Haley in turn sold to my grandfather, Joe Hakert, Sr. on May 21, 1920. The ranch has been in our family ever since.

The Johnson County Cattle War and battle at the TA Ranch occurred in April of 1892. The TA is only about 5 miles from Klondike, and I am sure that you could hear the rifle shots from here. I have not heard about any of Klondike's landowners being directly involved. Frank Canton owned land just down the road from Klondike, about 3 miles. It is alleged that he was involved, probably directly, in the murder of John Tisdale.