Lytle Preserve History
https://lytle.byu.edu/About/History
The region now included within the Lytle Ranch Preserve was originally settled by pioneer Dudley Leavitt sometime during the 1870's. Dudley's daughter, Hannah Louisa, married Thomas Sirls Terry as his third polygamous wife and moved to the Beaver Dam site of her father's property in 1889. Hannah and her six children were secure at this remote location from federal authorities, who were actively prosecuting those engaged in cohabitation.
In addition to raising hay and cattle, Hannah and her children planted fruit trees and other crops. Today near Hannah Terry's meager homestead is a grove of persimmon trees that offer shade to the person who hikes upstream from the present visitors' area. Hannah raised her family at the cabin site, and left the wash in 1912. Her sons Ed and Jed Terry continued to farm downstream from the original home site.
In 1928, a portion of the Terry property was purchased by John Eardley, whose wife and six children cleared the fields and built a ranch house, resevoir, fences, and ditches. They raised alfalfa, sorghum, melons, and fruits of various kinds.
Talmage and Eleanor (Marie) Lytle purchased the ranch from the Eardleys in 1952. In 1985, the Nature Conservancy secured the property to preserve its natural and unique features and wildlife. Brigham Young University is the present owner having acquired the property from the Nature Conservancy in August of 1986.
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https://wchsutah.org/homes/lytle-ranch.php
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Lytle Ranches (1865)
May 15, 2014
In the spring of 1865, Brigham Young sent members of the Lytle family to settle the valleys that house our present-day ranch. They built the Eagle Valley Fort, and for three years, cleared the land, made irrigation ditches, and built their first homes in the lush meadows of Eagle Valley. When they learned that the land belonged to the state of Nevada, not Utah, most of them left. Seeing opportunity, however, Charles Lytle came to Nevada, buying out his brothers and the Chamberlains, another one of the original families. Later, Charles traded a mine he owned near Deer Lodge, Nevada, for two more valleys. Eventually, Charles would own a substantial amount of land that encompassed five valleys and a highly successful cattle operation. Together, with other local ranchers, Charles formed what would become the West Side Cattle Company, an organization that existed for years and acquired a vast amount of mountain properties and vested water rights. Each generation of Lytles bought members of the West Side Cattle Company when they were no longer interested in ranching. Presently, only two families of the original company still ranch, the Delmues and the Lytles. Currently the Lytle’s ranch contains over 1000 acres of privately owned meadows, alfalfa fields, and other irrigation crop lands. They also lease over 40 percent of the Bureau of Land Management’s million acre Wilson Creek allotment that provides ideal winter grazing in Dry Lake Valley, as well as fenced crested wheat seedings for spring and fall, and vast high mountain areas for summer use. Throughout the years, the Delmues and Lytles have made numerous range improvements, installing over 60 miles of pipelines from mountain springs, over 300 miles of fence, 10 windmills, over 20 troughs, over 30 reservoirs, and 20 sets of corrals, and they have seeded over 31,000 acres. Today, Charles’ great grandson Kenny and his wife Donna, great, great granddaughter Kena and Kena’s husband Patrick Gloeckner own and operate the Lytle Ranches. Sixth generation descendents Kylee, Kori, and Kourtney Gloeckner, and Jason Lloyd, and seventh generation Rowdy Lloyd, are helping carry on their heritage that started 147 years ago in Eagle Valley. In 2012, the Lytle Ranches was a recipient of the Nevada Centennial Award Ranch & Farm Award.
This entry is from the Nevada Centennial Awards Ranch & Farm Program which recognizes agricultural families who have owned and operated the same land in Nevada for 100 years or more. Forty-seven families have now been inducted into the program that began in 2004. The awards program is sponsored by the Nevada Agriculture Plate funds, Farm Bureau, Agricultural Foundation, Nevada Department of Agriculture, Cattlemen’s Association and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information about the Nevada Centennial Awards Ranch & Farm Program please visit http://agri.nv.gov/.