Ranch History
William H. Short moved to the Salmon River around 1870 and bought up a mining claim along the River that bears his name. It had been a favorite camping spot for the Indians, with a small creek coming into the river, and canyon walls which protected their camps from the winter winds. Shorts prospected the sand bar for gold until 1905 when he sold the ranch. The ranch changed hands with failed mining ventures until it was sold to Mason Kerr grandson of the fruit jar manufacturer. A year later, Kerr was murdered by a drunken ranch hand. There was quite uproar but no one was convicted. The ranch then reverted back to the Carreys who ran sheep on the ranch until 1943 when it was sold to the Walters family. The Walters family ran sheep until 1973 when they transformed the ranch into a cattle and timber operation. In 1999 all of the cattle were sold to make room for elk. The ranch which now spans four generations of the Walters family is now a working elk and buffalo ranch that covers 6,000 acres and includes a guest ranch, a hunting operation and a specialty meat shop
