Ben Snipes was born in North Carolina and followed his family in 1847 to Iowa. He was always a simple and modest man, even when he had made his fortune in cattle and banking, he lived in a simple cabin.
At the age of 17, Ben joined a wagon train headed for Oregon. He served as a wagon driver and had other various duties along the journey.
Ben began as a potato farmer in Oregon, until the California gold rush hit. Ben struck out with a pick and shovel and made a small claim, which he sold for five hundred dollars. He stayed on with the new owner and worked the claim for seven dollars a day. The mine eventually paid out $75,000.
Ben headed back to Oregon in search of his brother whom he had heard had also ventured out west. He met John Jefferies who owned a few cattle and Ben began working his ranch. Ben loved the life of a rancher and decided that cattle ranching was his calling. With the help of a new Chinook Indian friend, Ben found the perfect grazing range in Eastern Washington near the Cascade Mountains. Ben along with Jefferies purchased a local herd on credit at a high interest rate.
The following spring Ben sorted the herd and with a group of Chinook cowboys drove this herd through dangerous ice filled rivers and over mosquito infested terrain which was hard on the cattle, but throughout the 800 mile journey, he only lost a few cattle before arriving at the Cariboo Mines in Canada. He made a handsome profit selling his cattle to the miners who were hungry for fresh beef. He earned enough money to pay off the debt and to buy out Jefferies.
Ben increased his cattle during the years, but In the winter of 1861-1862 heavy snow fell which began to melt before the deep freeze came. Snipes along with other ranchers in the area lost 70% of their herds. The cattle that survived were thin and sickly looking and a number of ranchers decided to quite the business, selling their thin cattle to Ben at rock bottom prices. The thin cattle were nurtured back to health and the prices of beef began to rise, ensuring that another one of Snipe's financial gambles paid off.
Ben started a bank in Rosyln, Washington when cattle ranching began to wane. The bank was once robbed by Wild Bunch members Matt Warner, Tom McCarty, and Bill McCarty. Due to a general panic in 1893 and questionable operating practices at the bank, the business venture failed and all of Ben's holdings were taken and sold for pennies on the dollar.
At the age of 17, Ben joined a wagon train headed for Oregon. He served as a wagon driver and had other various duties along the journey.
Ben began as a potato farmer in Oregon, until the California gold rush hit. Ben struck out with a pick and shovel and made a small claim, which he sold for five hundred dollars. He stayed on with the new owner and worked the claim for seven dollars a day. The mine eventually paid out $75,000.
Ben headed back to Oregon in search of his brother whom he had heard had also ventured out west. He met John Jefferies who owned a few cattle and Ben began working his ranch. Ben loved the life of a rancher and decided that cattle ranching was his calling. With the help of a new Chinook Indian friend, Ben found the perfect grazing range in Eastern Washington near the Cascade Mountains. Ben along with Jefferies purchased a local herd on credit at a high interest rate.
The following spring Ben sorted the herd and with a group of Chinook cowboys drove this herd through dangerous ice filled rivers and over mosquito infested terrain which was hard on the cattle, but throughout the 800 mile journey, he only lost a few cattle before arriving at the Cariboo Mines in Canada. He made a handsome profit selling his cattle to the miners who were hungry for fresh beef. He earned enough money to pay off the debt and to buy out Jefferies.
Ben increased his cattle during the years, but In the winter of 1861-1862 heavy snow fell which began to melt before the deep freeze came. Snipes along with other ranchers in the area lost 70% of their herds. The cattle that survived were thin and sickly looking and a number of ranchers decided to quite the business, selling their thin cattle to Ben at rock bottom prices. The thin cattle were nurtured back to health and the prices of beef began to rise, ensuring that another one of Snipe's financial gambles paid off.
Ben started a bank in Rosyln, Washington when cattle ranching began to wane. The bank was once robbed by Wild Bunch members Matt Warner, Tom McCarty, and Bill McCarty. Due to a general panic in 1893 and questionable operating practices at the bank, the business venture failed and all of Ben's holdings were taken and sold for pennies on the dollar.
Ben Snipes was born in North Carolina and followed his family in 1847 to Iowa. He was always a simple and modest man, even when he had made his fortune in cattle and banking, he lived in a simple cabin.
At the age of 17, Ben joined a wagon train headed for Oregon. He served as a wagon driver and had other various duties along the journey.
Ben began as a potato farmer in Oregon, until the California gold rush hit. Ben struck out with a pick and shovel and made a small claim, which he sold for five hundred dollars. He stayed on with the new owner and worked the claim for seven dollars a day. The mine eventually paid out $75,000.
Ben headed back to Oregon in search of his brother whom he had heard had also ventured out west. He met John Jefferies who owned a few cattle and Ben began working his ranch. Ben loved the life of a rancher and decided that cattle ranching was his calling. With the help of a new Chinook Indian friend, Ben found the perfect grazing range in Eastern Washington near the Cascade Mountains. Ben along with Jefferies purchased a local herd on credit at a high interest rate.
The following spring Ben sorted the herd and with a group of Chinook cowboys drove this herd through dangerous ice filled rivers and over mosquito infested terrain which was hard on the cattle, but throughout the 800 mile journey, he only lost a few cattle before arriving at the Cariboo Mines in Canada. He made a handsome profit selling his cattle to the miners who were hungry for fresh beef. He earned enough money to pay off the debt and to buy out Jefferies.
Ben increased his cattle during the years, but In the winter of 1861-1862 heavy snow fell which began to melt before the deep freeze came. Snipes along with other ranchers in the area lost 70% of their herds. The cattle that survived were thin and sickly looking and a number of ranchers decided to quite the business, selling their thin cattle to Ben at rock bottom prices. The thin cattle were nurtured back to health and the prices of beef began to rise, ensuring that another one of Snipe's financial gambles paid off.
Ben started a bank in Rosyln, Washington when cattle ranching began to wane. The bank was once robbed by Wild Bunch members Matt Warner, Tom McCarty, and Bill McCarty. Due to a general panic in 1893 and questionable operating practices at the bank, the business venture failed and all of Ben's holdings were taken and sold for pennies on the dollar.
At the age of 17, Ben joined a wagon train headed for Oregon. He served as a wagon driver and had other various duties along the journey.
Ben began as a potato farmer in Oregon, until the California gold rush hit. Ben struck out with a pick and shovel and made a small claim, which he sold for five hundred dollars. He stayed on with the new owner and worked the claim for seven dollars a day. The mine eventually paid out $75,000.
Ben headed back to Oregon in search of his brother whom he had heard had also ventured out west. He met John Jefferies who owned a few cattle and Ben began working his ranch. Ben loved the life of a rancher and decided that cattle ranching was his calling. With the help of a new Chinook Indian friend, Ben found the perfect grazing range in Eastern Washington near the Cascade Mountains. Ben along with Jefferies purchased a local herd on credit at a high interest rate.
The following spring Ben sorted the herd and with a group of Chinook cowboys drove this herd through dangerous ice filled rivers and over mosquito infested terrain which was hard on the cattle, but throughout the 800 mile journey, he only lost a few cattle before arriving at the Cariboo Mines in Canada. He made a handsome profit selling his cattle to the miners who were hungry for fresh beef. He earned enough money to pay off the debt and to buy out Jefferies.
Ben increased his cattle during the years, but In the winter of 1861-1862 heavy snow fell which began to melt before the deep freeze came. Snipes along with other ranchers in the area lost 70% of their herds. The cattle that survived were thin and sickly looking and a number of ranchers decided to quite the business, selling their thin cattle to Ben at rock bottom prices. The thin cattle were nurtured back to health and the prices of beef began to rise, ensuring that another one of Snipe's financial gambles paid off.
Ben started a bank in Rosyln, Washington when cattle ranching began to wane. The bank was once robbed by Wild Bunch members Matt Warner, Tom McCarty, and Bill McCarty. Due to a general panic in 1893 and questionable operating practices at the bank, the business venture failed and all of Ben's holdings were taken and sold for pennies on the dollar.
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