Life on the Ranch

The original founder of Granite Creek Ranch was Peter Zitlau. Peter immigrated from Germany around 1890 at the age of 14, landing in New Jersey, then traveled out West looking for a place to settle down. For several years he found work as a cowboy in south central Idaho (Twin Falls area). He then made his way to the upper Snake River plain looking for land to settle on.

Land during that time was available through a process called “Homesteading”, where new settlers could claim 160 acres of land by living on it and improving it for at least 5 years. If the new settler was successful in this endeavor, the land then became his property.

Homesteading was essentially over when Peter Zitlau came to Southeast Idaho, but he was able to find 325 acres of land that had been abandoned by a previous settler before 5 years were completed. Peter took this land up as his homestead in the valley in 1921. Peter finally found another 40 acres to homestead on the Granite Creek watershed next to the Caribou National Forest. He applied for this acreage and it was granted to him.

That marked the beginning of Granite Creek Ranch and over the next few decades Peter and his son Fred bought up land from other homesteaders until they had acquired over 3,000 acres. This was passed onto Fred's son Carl. Today, Granite Creek Ranch holds over 4,000 acres. In addition to the ranch horses, over 200 head of heifers and pairs of cattle now graze the ranch every summer and fall.