There’s a lot to see in Dinosaur National Monument, but something always draws us to ghost towns and abandoned homesteads. The human history found in this part of Utah is no exception. Join us as we find stories behind a family ranch in Dinosaur National Monument, USA.
Disclosure: This post contains Affiliate links.
Table of Contents
Discovering the Human History of Dinosaur National Monument
Maybe it’s the stories that linger in the hand hewn wood of the old homes. Perhaps it’s the sense of discovery in finding a piece of the past. It might be admiration for the sheer grit and determination it took to carve out a place for themselves in the wilderness. For whatever reason, historic places garner attention.
- Human history in Dinosaur National Monument includes this old chuckwagon sits rusting in the yard. (photo: Brad Kopp)
We drove down into the heart of Dinosaur National Monument in the northeastern corner of Utah searching for petroglyphs carved into sandstone walls – because that’s what we always search out in the American Southwest. Eventually we found the rock art, but along the way discovered this historic gem with tales worth sharing of a pioneering family.
- Remains of the corral. (photo: Brad Kopp)
If you enjoy discovering historic sites focused on pioneering life,
you might also enjoy reading Exploring Yosemite & Its Pioneer Past and Mountain Meadows.
The Chews in Dinosaur National Monument
Jack Chew settled at Pool Creek with his wife Mary and six of their 12 children in 1910. In 1911, they were living in a one-room cabin. Imagine preparing dinners for the lot – root vegetables pulled from the nearby garden or root cellar, chicken fresh from the coop, eight hungry bodies gathered around a wooden table…
Mary and Jack’s son Rial eventually became sole owner of the property. Were the other siblings bought out? Did they decide that ranch life was not for them? We don’t know the answers to these questions but it’s fun to think about what might have happened. Could you live here?
Under Rial’s direction, the Pool Creek ranch grew to more than 2,250 acres. Rial raised cattle and sheep on nearby pastureland. Summers were spent at Pool Creek. Winter’s were spent in Vernal. This is where the kids went to school. What was the drive – or wagon road in Jack and Mary’s time – like back then? How long did it take them to get from the ranch to Vernal? How often did they return in the winter months?
So many questions, but the whispered answers from the past are hard to hear. Still, it’s fun to imagine what their life must have been like in this special place.
- In the 1940’s, Rial built the ranch house for his family. (photo: Brad Kopp)
From Homestead to National Monument
In 1966, Rial Chew sold 1,900 acres of the ranch that were in Dinosaur National Monument to the National Park Service. Today, visitors drive through the Chew’s homestead on the way to Echo Park. There are interpretive signs that help the history of the family and their farmstead.
- Black-and-white photos on interpretive signs show Rial Chew and his family in 1955.
Chew family descendants now run the ranch located directly across from the Green River Campground on the Cub Creek Road.
- Chew family property today. (photo: Brad Kopp)
When You Go:
Pool Creek is located in the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. To access, drive east on Highway 40 past the town of Dinosaur and take the exit north (left) past Canyon Visitor Centre. Follow the road up onto the plateau 25 miles (40 km) to the Echo Park Road.
Note: Echo Park Road descends a set of narrow switchbacks and can be impassable when wet.
Resources:
Thanks for checking out our family! My dad is Rial Chew III and grew up in this house. If your curious to the answers for any of your questions let me know. Thanks for the shout out!
Lexie and Megan
I am a Chew descendent, living in St Louis Missouri. My grandfather was Floyd Chew, lived , grew up and married Elsie McClennan in southern Indiana, about 50 miles north of Evansville. Floyd and Elsie owned a store with groceries and household items in Algiers, Pike County, Indiana. When the Great Depression 1929 hit, no one had money to pay for food, my grandfather continued to distribute his goods among the residents and kept a tally(bill) for each family. When the depression ended, not many residents could honor their debts and my grandparents store went bankrupt. His ancestors were also from Sabden England. Would like to communicate with some of Jack’s relatives and see if we have a common bond.
What an interesting story, Susan! I hope Lexie sees this and wants to get in touch with you. Cheers, Megan
So happy to hear from you, Lexie! What a beautiful part of the country your dad grew up in. Definitely interested in learning where Rial’s siblings ended up and why he chose to stay on the ranch. Cheers, M.
I visited here this year and we didn’t have a chance to read the signs because we were in a rush but we walked through the house. I remember I had a picture taken sitting in the wagon and I had this strong image of a woman with a long dress of sorts. Didn’t look at the photos or anything! I asked for permission to take photos in her wagon before leaving. Now seeing her photo I know it was the same image in my head!