Cattle Country of Peter French

This honest portrayal of the cattle barons of the Old West is more readable, more challenging than any fiction about them. In southeast Oregon, Peter French, manager of the P Ranch and 'Boss of the Blizen' was dedicated to building his cattle empire with a single-minded intensity. His story and the stories of those whose lives are intertwined in the history of this area are presented here. Many photos, . Index

There's a story to be told in the little known and visited nether lands of Southeastern Oregon. An immense land of sage, hills, mountains, bighorn sheep, Kiger Mustangs (who were named after the Kiger Gorge who was named after Doc W.D. Kiger pictured on pg. 76), and cattle and plenty of cattle. And did I mention the people that shaped that country with the presence of cattle and ranches and a pioneering spirit? The author Giles French no doubt writes this book to bring the cattle barons alive with particular respect and adulation of Peter French. So in that vein, there may be some impartiality lost along the way. With that in consideration though, there is some fascinating history captured for anyone familiar with Burns, Harney County, the Steens, and the Malheur Bird Sanctuary.Probably the best aspect of the book is the historical pictures of Burns, French-Glenn, and the round barn that still stands solid today on the P Ranch. There are many other stories to be told in that part of the country begging for a less jaundiced eye to incorporate the push and pull of land use as well as the native people already resident there. That's the only area where this book falls short. This book was given to me by a local Vet who has had his hand up the majority of the cattle in the county and it (the book that is) made the area come alive in history. If you are interested in that area's history, this book comes highly recommended.