Page Ranch
(Little Pinto)
The ranch on Little Pinto Creek was first homesteaded in 1858 by Robert Richey, whose grandsons Daniel and Robert Page would later live on the property with him. In 1890, the Page boys took over ownership of the ranch, and in 1891 Robert sold his share to Daniel. In 1898, Daniel and his wife Sophia began construction of a fine two-story brick home. The builders Jack & Harvey Fabian used bricks fired on-site, made of clay found in the immediate vicinity. The home was completed in 1900, and there Daniel and Sophia resided with their children until the two divorced in 1905. Sophia and the children remained thereafter (see below).
During the years of the ranch's operation, it was the only agricultural and livestock ranch in the area. Hay and grain were raised, an apple orchard planted, and cattle grazed on the hundreds of remaining acres. The ranch was also in an opportune location along a major thoroughfare to and from the local iron mines, and the Pages welcomed travelers. The home served as an informal hotel and boarding house for years following the divorce, until a new paved highway was established to the north. The family maintained ownership until 1931, when it was taken over by creditors due to financial difficulties incurred during the Depression. Sophia, disabled during her final years, was permitted to remain in the home until her death in 1934. The Page Ranch has subsequently passed through a number of owners, and was later abandoned. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
