2022 Centennial Farm & Ranch Program families honored

SHERIDAN (WNE) — The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office and its partners recognized 15 Wyoming families this year as 2022 Centennial Farm & Ranch honorees.
Each year, the Wyoming Centennial Farm & Ranch Program recognizes families who have owned and operated the same farm or ranch for 100 years or longer. 
Centennial Farm & Ranch families recognized this year are the Pownall and Kluver families from Campbell County, the Bates family from Sheridan County, the Epsy family from Carbon County, the Kennedy family from Albany County, the Brabec family from Washakie County and the Theobald family from Laramie County.
There are also eight families from Sublette County: the Bain family, the Chrisman family, the Hittle family, the Olson family, the Rees family, the Roberts family and the Steele families.
The Blake Sheep Company is the oldest ranch recognized this year. It was established in 1880 by Frank Blake.
Many of the eight families from Sublette County still actively use the Green River Drift, which remains the only recognized cattle drift in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (WYSHPO) partners with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Rural Electric Association, Wyoming Business Council, Wyoming Wool Growers Association, Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, and Wyoming Livestock Roundup to honor Centennial families at a ceremony each year during the Wyoming State Fair. 
Families receive a framed certificate signed by the governor and a large Centennial sign to display on their property. 
Following the ceremony, the WYSHPO publishes a yearbook that features the histories and photos of the Centennial families, and each family receives a free copy.
For more information about the program, go to https://wyoshpo.wyo.gov/ and follow the Centennial Farm and Ranch Program link.
This story was published on Oct. 13, 2022.