Lake County, OR
National Register Nomination
Bureau of Land Management
2001
David Shirk was involved with some early cattle drives after the Civil War from Texas to the booming mining camps in Idaho. One historical author has noted that these drives relied on pointing the chuck wagon's yoke at the North Star at night for the next day's direction. Shirk's involvement with the stock business eventually led to the 1883 purchase of property in Oregon where he developed himself into a mid-level cattle and horse rancher. He built a two-story residence with numerous outbuildings, including bunkhouses, barns and a notable water tower. A large second-floor room contained a billiard table for the ranch hands' amusement.
During the last part of the nineteenth century competition was fierce as cattlemen, sheep ranchers, and homesteaders fought for water and the best lands. Shirk killed a squatter, but was acquitted by claiming that he shot at the ground and the bullet ricocheted off a rock and struck the man between the eyes.
He sold the ranch in 1914 and retired to Berkeley, California where he wrote about his "Lonesome Dove" life.