Upton native chosen as fair parade marshal

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
James Martens, a Weston County native, will represent his family and the county as parade marshal during the Weston County Fair Parade hosted by FOCUS. The parade is July 27. 
“I think the reason I was selected is that my family has been here in the county ranching for over 100 years now,” Martens said. “I think that is who you pick on for this, someone who has been in the ranching business this long.” 
Karen MacKenzie with FOCUS reported that Martens was chosen by “fluke.” She said that she had met him through Isabella’s, a restaurant in Newcastle, and that he had talked about the ranch. 
When it came time to pick this year’s parade marshal, MacKenzie remembered Martens and nominated him. 
“We try to pick someone from either Newcastle or Upton, from Weston County, that is involved with ranching and the fair,” MacKenzie said. “James is what I always thought a cowboy would look like, nice dressed and all.” 
Choosing Martens to be parade marshal was easy after his name was mentioned and Neela Beardsley, also with FOCUS, and MacKenzie quickly selected him. 
The parade marshal rides at the front of the parade in a horse-drawn carriage, usually a nice old car, and waves at those gathered on the streets to enjoy the parade, MacKenzie said. 
“The parade marshal really just rides at the front of the parade and gets the privilege of being named grand marshal,” MacKenzie said. “They also get to be featured in the paper and share their life story and the story of their ranch.”
Martens’ story began when his family settled over 100 years ago on a ranch between Newcastle and Upton. To date, six generations have grown up and worked on the ranch. 
“We have run quarter horses, cattle and sheep,” Martens said. “My grandfather came and went through the county at the turn of the century, and then he came back in 1914 to homestead near main Beaver Creek. My grandmother did the same thing, and the rest has become a history of buying out homesteads, which we still do today.” 
Throughout his childhood, the Weston County Fair was always the big event of the summer for Martens, which he admitted was one of the only times he had the opportunity to socialize. 
“It was the end of summer in those days, and we got to socialize. That is one thing ranch kids didn’t get to do too much, and fair was kind of my first venture into that,” Martens said. 
His membership in 4-H also gave him the opportunity to socialize and learn lessons he has utilized throughout his life, he said. 
According to Martens, ranch life has its pluses and minuses, with one of the biggest benefits being the true responsibility learned through raising animals, something that he said city kids don’t necessarily get. 
“I think it has carried me through my entire life, as far as work ethics go. I have always showed up on time and always worked hard,” Martens said. 
Besides working on the family ranch, Martens also worked at Black Thunder Mine, where he worked for 35 years before retiring and returning to full-time ranch life. 
“I have seen the changes of this world close up, and it is amazing how much the world has changed since then. I talk about how it has gone full circle,” Martens said. “Just the other day, we were talking about how every 128 acres had someone living on it and that my ancestors bought up homesteads to create one big ranch. Now things are moving into smaller ranches. Now everyone is trying to get back out in the country. We have never left.” 
Back in the day, he said, only two families lived on the ranch land between Newcastle and Upton and that now there are tons of families living on the miles of land between the two rural towns in eastern Wyoming. 
“I have been through several booms and have seen the leading edge of the coal industry. I was able to run every piece of equipment at Black Thunder before moving into management,” Martens said. 
His wife was instrumental when he was working full time and running a ranch. 
In the end, Martens said, it was “cool” to be honored as the parade marshal for the 2019 Weston County Fair, although he admits that fair and 4-H were “a lot bigger deal” when he was growing up. 
“We had twice as many people involved and twice as many entries. … There are just a lot less ag people now than when I was a kid,” Martens said. “The ag world has always been … because there are no days off. You know that song and dance. The only thing worse than being a rancher is being a dairy farmer. Those are a dedicated bunch of people.”