Take a minute as we step back in time to share a story from our November / December 2008 issue of Working Ranch.
The Fabulous 101 Ranch
where Wild West Rodeo was the main attraction
Once upon a time -1881 to be exact - in a wild land filled with Indians, cowboys and cattle there was a man named George Washington Miller. Originally from Kentucky he eventually landed in northeastern Oklahoma in an area called the Cherokee Outlet, a largely unfenced tract of land owned by the Indians. It could be leased for a few cents an acre and became a crossroads for the Texas cattle drives and a place where cattle could roam freely. It was here that Miller set up his own business soon to be known as the 101 Ranch.
The story of the famous 101 brand is a little muddled in history, some say it came from a local saloon and some say it stood for 101,000 acres of land. It is known, however, that Miller slapped the 101 iron on the left hip of his stock for the first time in 1881. From then on the 101 became famous for just about everything that involved agriculture and Western entertainment.
The 101 raised horses, bison, poultry, hogs and cattle - thousands and thousands of cattle. They also grew alfalfa, wheat and corn, and experimented with fruits and vegetables of different kinds. George Washington Miller died in 1903 and his wife Molly set her sons Joe, Zack and George up to run the business. From this point onward the 101 became a household name in the heartland of America, not just for agriculture but for the best in Western entertainment.
Once promoted as the "greatest diversified farm on earth," the boys continued to search for ways to expand the use of their land, and eventually they got into the oil business. The profits from the oil set the stage for something radically new, even for the 101. In 1905, the brothers put together a genuine Wild West Show. It rivaled anything of its day including "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show, operating at about the same time. It was show business that got in the Miller boys' blood and by 1907 the show hit the road and began to tour the country. From the beginning it was a huge success, showcasing all the skills of its ranch cowboys.
The real hit of the show was the appearance of genuine American Plains Indians riding into the arena with war whoops featuring Geronimo, the famous Apache warrior who once killed a buffalo from the front seat of a moving car. One of the favorites was the famous Choctaw-Negro cowboy, Bill Pickett, who invented the sport of bulldogging. Life at the 101 was good, and as the success of the oil and show business grew so did the diversity of the ranch.
The Millers were now producing their own electricity for the operation and expanding their work in farming by experimenting with new strains of corn as well as apple, walnut and pecan trees. The 101 became a self-contained city with stores, a tannery and several different milling operations. The ranch even had its own novelty factory which produced beaded work, Indian rugs and jewelry. You could buy your own hat, boots and chaps and feel like part of the old West, at least in that part of Oklahoma.
By 1916, the 101 took a break during the war years and re-formed in 1926 to tour again. The Millers took the Wild West Show not only coast to coast but around the world to countries like South America, Canada, Mexico and even to Europe, performing for King George V and Queen Mary of England.
Most of the top western performers in the entertainment industry toured with the show in its day, including stars like Tom Mix, Mabel Normand, and Buck Jones. Will Rodgers was a staple at many of the touring events. At one point, Buffalo Bill Cody hooked up with the Miller show and toured as Buffalo Bill and 101 Ranch Wild West Combined. As the show continued to tour and recruit new stars, the industry of movie making began to come on strong. The Millers loaned out their cowboys and Wild West stars to the fledgling industry and many of them went on to successful careers in the business.
By the 1920's, the handwriting was on the wall for venues like live western shows. As the movie industry grew in popularity the box office for the 101 shows declined. In 1926, the 101 began to post losses they had never seen before. In 1929, the Great Depression took a dramatic toll on the operation causing even worse financial woes for the family. Joe Miller died in 1927 and George died two years later. The last remaining brother, Zack, could not stem the losses and by 1931 this incredible piece of western history passed away into the faded pages of American history.
What remained of the 101 was divided or leased out and most of the personal property auctioned off to the general public. The last of the Miller Brothers, Zack, died in 1952. The fabulous 101 may be gone, but the stories of the 17-room concrete reinforced mansion called the "White House," built along the banks of Salt Creek, near Ponca City, still live in the memories of many.
As the 101 began to fade, the refinery, tannery, powerplant and the icehouse as well as the repair shops and restaurant went the way of the wild buffalo. The 172 sections of land that comprised the old 101 is in different hands now, but if you visit there today you can feel the history and visit the graves of Colonel Zack Miller, Bill Pickett, Trick Shot Artist Jack Webb and many others located in the area.
People in this part of Oklahoma just couldn't seem to escape the ghosts of the 101 and were determined to bring back the Wild West to Ponca City. 2008 celebrates the 49th year of its triumphant return with the Ponca City 101 Wild West Rodeo. Fans of cowboy history and the Wild West can mingle with the spirit of the cowboys, Indians and cattle that once called this place home. And maybe you will catch a glimpse of a buffalo or a longhorn - or maybe even the ghost of Will Rogers or Tom Mix riding drag in the swirling dust of the 101 Wild West Rodeo.
