Tadewald Ranch History

The original homestead totaled 800 acres: William Tadewald had 320 acres; Mary Shurk (Tadewald) had 320 acres; and Herman Tadewald, 160 acres (2-80s). After proving up, William and Mary got married and later bought out Herman’s. Two-80s were farmed every year – potatoes being the major crop for years but also some corn, grains, and hay. With a small herd of cows plus free running turkeys, and a large pen of hogs, the family survived and prospered.

Bill and Mary Tadewald raised three children, Bernard, Herbert, and AnnaMae. After World War II, Bernard and his wife came to the ranch to try running it in conjunction with Bill and Mary. They later moved to Cheyenne and then Casper, working in the plumbing trade. In 1953, Herb and Rosemary returned to the ranch with their three children, Shirlee, Carmen, and Danny after working in the oil patch industry and working on both the Wagoner Hereford Ranch in Jay Em and the Podolak Polled Hereford Ranch in Lusk.

Herb and Rosemary purchased the ranch at that time from Bill and Mary who moved to Mitchell, Nebraska, and later Torrington, Wyoming. Herb expanded the original acres in 1960. In 1974 Herb installed a center pivot irrigation project to diversify and expand the ranch’s production. That spring son Danny returned to the ranch after graduation from the University of Wyoming and went into production partnership with Herb and Rosemary.

In 1977 Danny married Diane and they have lived and worked the ranch ever since, adding their own pastureland and another center pivot irrigation farm by private purchases. In 1980 they built a log home and reside in it, raising their two children, Amanda and Casey.

At present, the ranch raises and sells irrigated alfalfa hay and operate a 130 head cow/calf operation with a small herd of registered Texas Longhorn cows.

The main house which Herb and Rosemary reside in was originally constructed by moving three of the original homestead shacks together. The dining room was William Tadewald’s shack; the bedroom was Mary (Shurk) Tadewald’s; and the living room was Herman Tadewald’s. Before the banks crashed, Bill had invested in the materials to build the second story addition and square out the three shacks in the configuration the house now stands, with a full basement under it all. Before Herman’s homestead shack was incorporated into the ranch house, it was moved close to Bill’s homestead site and it was used as a cigar factory. Large tins of loose leaf tobacco were purchased and Bill and Herman hand-rolled cigars and marketed them in town. Between the hand rolled cigars and the moonshine and home brew beer, this is how they made it through and survived the Great Depression.

As told by Daniel Tadewald, and used with permission.

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