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101 Ranch Panoramic
The 101 Ranch was a sprawling 110,000 acres of leased
Indian lands that spread across four counties. It was founded in 1879 by
Col. George W. Miller, a Confederate veteran. The 101 was a working
showplace, self sufficient and employed thousands of people.
The ranch consisted of a school, show grounds,
general store and cafe,hotel, newspaper, magazine, blacksmith shop,
leather shop, dairy, saddle shop, meat packing plant, oil refinery
and even its own scrip (money). Homes for employees were available
on the ranch along with guest houses and a "Dude Ranch".
It was a city within itself consisting of a population of around
3,000 people at any given time.
The 101 Ranch became one of the largest diversified farms
with cross breeding of animals and agricultural products.
In 1903, Col. George Miller died and the ranch was taken over by his three
sons. Each of his sons had a specialty that made the ranch pay off. The
oldest was Joe Miller, an expert in grains and plants. The middle son,
Zack was a cowman. The third son, George was a financial wizard.
 In 1905, Joe started the 101 Ranch Wild West Show, an
expansion of the yearly rodeos that featured roping, riding,
bulldogging, Indian dancers, trick roping, riding and shooting. The
show traveled all over the world. The Millers also introduced a
sport called the "terrapin derbies".
In 1908, E.W. Marland, an oilman who was down on his luck,
met the Miller Brothers and through them E.W. was able to drill on leased
Indian lands. In 1911, E.W. made it pay off and went on to become a
millionaire oilman, U.S. Congressman and 10th governor of Oklahoma.
In 1927, Joe Miller died of carbon monoxide poisoning. His
death, along with World War I and the depression saw the ranch begin to
decline. George died in 1929 in an automobile accident. Zack tried to keep
the ranch a profitable business, but found himself and the ranch sinking
deeper into legal problems. The problems eventually overtook him and the
ranch. In 1937, he left for Texas where he died in 1952.
What the banks, depression, war and death had not taken from the ranch,
deterioration, fire and the Salt Fork River has claimed. Little remains of
the once fabulous empire, but the memory of it will live on forever.
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NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing