Staff writer
In the northwestern corner of the county lies a 1,120-acre pasture belonging to Irvin Christiansen of Durham. It borders McPherson County to the west and Dickinson County to the north.
Christiansen’s son, Gordon, runs 250 to 300 yearling heifers on the bluestem grass every grazing season.
Rex Siebert, a 78-year-old retired rancher from Marion, requested a tour of the pasture. He wanted to see the Elm Springs located there and view the box canyon in which cattle on the Chisholm Trail often were gathered in preparation for delivery to the railhead at Abilene.
Siebert said his grandfather used to buy cattle from various places and drive them overland to his ranch, which Rex and his wife, Vernolis, now occupy west of Marion.
Rex was curious about the box canyon because his grandfather had herded a group of cattle home from there.
Gordon Christiansen took Siebert and two friends, Clayton Hamm of Marion and Glennon Crowther of Durham, on a tour of the large pasture. It is rugged — filled with deep ravines, ragged hills, and seeping springs.
Running along the bottom of the steepest ravine is a spring-fed stream. The springs are known as Elm Springs. At one point, the water flows over a large flat rock, making a waterfall, before meandering on its way to the bottom of the canyon.
Arriving on top of one of the highest hills, the men were provided with a sweeping view of the wide canyon below.
Surrounded on all sides by hills, it was a natural place for cowboys to corral cattle. It provided a convenient place to allow cattle to graze and rest after their long drive from Texas.
Christiansen said he learned there is only one way to gather cattle from the huge pasture. His wife, Pat, and their son, John, join him in rounding up the cattle, using horses and cattle dogs.
The cattle must be gathered out of the valleys and ravines and herded along the perimeter fence into the canyon. From that point, they naturally head south across the canyon to an 80-acre holding pasture, Christiansen said.
After a few days, the cattle are herded into adjacent catch pens and loaded into semitrailers for delivery to markets or feedlots.
Christiansen sometimes takes people on trail rides through the pasture.
He also raises horses and cattle dogs. The mares and their foals spend the winter in the pasture. He said they know where the water is and can take care of themselves no matter how much snow or ice the weather brings.
He said his cattle dogs are indispensable in gathering cattle from tight spots and loading them into trucks.
The Chisholm Trail was used through Marion County from 1867 to 1871. The biggest year on the trail was 1871, when nearly 5,000 cowboys and 700,000 head of cattle passed through Marion County to Abilene. The railroad reached Newton later that year, ending use of the northern end of the trail.
For Siebert, a lifelong cowboy, the time on the range was well spent.
“I just enjoy something like this so much,” he said.