I've got a vision ... a dream, for a large ranch. I'd like to get a few hundred acres outside of town (far outside of town) and I want to build an old west town on it. It want to locate it near the railroad, where the old steam train still runs, on occassion.
I'd like the railroad to run through it, or have a track that re-routes "to it", so that folks could come out on a special excursion to see the old west town. It'd have a working livery stable, with horses and tack (saddles, bridles, etc.) that you could rent, if you didn't have a horse. If you did, you could "drive out" and trailer your horses.
You have to park your vehicles at the entrance, and either ride your horse into town, or take the stage coach that occasionally drives through the parking lot. That way we'll have none of those new car things on our streets! But coming in on the train would, in my opinion, be the cream of the crop! While there, you'd find a restaurant (or several), a hotel, a barber shop, a telegraph office, a local newspaper office, a sheriff's office, and of course, the livery stable. There would also be saloons, though I haven't figured out how I'm going to set this up ... there ain't gonna be no alcohol available in this town. You can also find a general store, a gift shop, a clothing store (western clothing of all kinds), and even a bank! And let's not forget the doctor's office too!
I'd like to make all of this available to Christian groups that could come out ... a kids summer camp, winter camp, a spring break camp, seminars, 'n such ... The church house at the edge of town could host the smaller groups. The larger groups 'd have to take the stagecoach, or ride their horses, or horse-n-buggy's, to the ranch. There, we'd have a large tabernacle, a large dining facility, a bunkhouse (where the working hands live), outhouses, and basically a working ranch! The ranch hands would be folks who've come out there to live. Be in guys who were living off of the streets, orphans, etc. They'd all be welcome here. We take 'em in, they work for/with us on the ranch. We provide them with 3-squares (3 meals-a-day) and clothes, and a little spending money. They would have a place to live, and folks that love them and care for them.
The ranch would also have a large bunkhouses for the kids going to summer camp, winter camp, or spring break camp, and for folks who have come out for weeklong or weekend seminars. During kids camps, these would be segregated, boys vs girls bunkhouses. The kids would learn to ride, to care and feed horse, to work cattle, and about cowboy principles and the behavior of a gentleman and a lady. Church meeting's at the tabernacle would be regular and frequence, and counselors would be readily available in both bunkhouses, and throughout the ranch.
On the road from the ranch to town, and around those parts, you'd have road signs like in the old days. The roads would pretty much be dirt roads, like in those days, with an occasional road intersection, and signs directing you to the town, or to some other area of the ranch. These could be a ficticious nearby town, or an Indian reservation, where an Indian village could be constructed, if the interest and support are there.
I'd also like to have an area where they could go fishing! A stock pond, or lake, river, etc. Something along those lines. For swimming, I'd like to have a swimming hole just outside of town. It needs to look like a naturally occuring spring, or stream, so the bottom and sides would have to be made to look natural - not the usual concrete. This one could be called "Hot Springs", or something similar, and could be "heated" during the cooler times of the year. This area would have wooden logs built into picnic tables, and large treed areas where folks could ride, or hike, out to the area for a swim and a picnic! We could even have a changing room for men, and one for women, that is styled similar to an outhouse. Of course, there would have to be outhouses here for folks who "had the need".
The difference in these outhouses is that these would actually have toilets and sinks, with running water. An emergency "old western style" telephone would be there on one of the walls, should someone need. You don't have to know any numbers. You just call the local operator, to get anywhere. The operator could get some help out there, should a need arise.
The ranch would have a large swimming hole, a pool, geared for the kids and for large groups during seminar times. The ranch would also have buckboard wagons, buggies, and even a conostoga wagon for trailrides, with the "kitchen" included! Campouts would be offered, where we sleep outdoors, by the fire, and do things a great deal like in the old days.
Look for this vision on my website at: richallcorn.orgI will be posting it up soon, and developing it as it comes to me, in hopes to some day soon bring it to reality!
*NOTE: These ideas, dreams, and plans, are the creation and design of Rich Allcorn, of Rich Allcorn Ministries, and are therefore protected and proprietary writings.
written by Rich Allcorn
©Copyright - April 2001, Richard A. Allcorn
Come sit by the fire, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and let's tell some stories!
