An entertaining, fast-paced look at early ranching in British Columbia.

Frontier historian Ken Mather is known for his fascinating, in-depth profiles of the men and women who established a distinctive ranching culture in Western Canada over a hundred years ago. Now, in this concise collection of stories—based on Mather’s column in the Vernon Morning Star—readers will meet even more colourful characters, gain insightful tidbits on cowboy culture, and read about little-known cattle drives that stagger the imagination. Ranch Tales highlights the achievements, hardships, and exploits of Newman “King of the Range” Squires, “lady rancher” Elizabeth Greenbow, cow boss Joe Coutlee, the gold-seeking Jeffries brothers who came all the way from Alabama, and many more. This delightful book is a perfect companion to Mather’s other ranching histories and will appeal to anyone interested in the early days of the western frontier.

KEN MATHER has been researching western Canadian heritage for over four decades, working in curatorial, management, and research roles at Fort Edmonton Park, Barkerville and the O’Keefe Ranch since the early 1970s. He is the author of several books on pioneer and ranching history. His fifth book, Trail North – The Okanagan Trail of 1858-68, was runner-up for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Writing. In 2015, he received the Joe Marten Memorial Award for the Preservation of Cowboy Heritage in BC.

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". . . provides vivid depictions of life during the ranching frontier." - Ormsby Review

"Ranch Tales highlights the achievements, hardships, and exploits of some of the best cowboys that ever swung a loop." - Canadian Cowboy Country