Louis D. “Louie” Boles

Louis “Louie” D Boles was born in 1918 on a homestead started by his grandfather, Amzi Boles, on the Little Medicine Bow River, just north of the town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. He was the son of James Adelbert (Del) Boles and Chrystal Dolling Boles, the second of five children.

He was put to work early in life and the first haying job he had was running a horse-drawn dump rake–the seat had to be shortened so he could reach the pedals.

He left home at the age of 15 and worked for Edgar West at the base of Elk Mountain, Ab Irene at the TL and other ranches in that vicinity. He later went to work for Quealy Land and Livestock as their cow boss. While employed there, he married Louise Mary Roberts from the Seminoe Mountain country in July of 1942.

That winter, Louis and Louise were snowed in at the Home Ranch when Ladd Quealy finally made it through with their mail. The only thing in it was his draft notice! So, off to the Aleutian Islands for the duration of WWII. Once discharged from the army, he returned to work for Quealys and when it was purchased by Palm Livestock in 1948, he remained on as their cow boss. He often told a story about having to chain his hay sled to a powerline pole so it wouldn’t blow away and he could find it the next morning to feed.

In 1952, they had saved enough money to buy the Reese Place on the side of Elk Mountain and the herd of black cows that went with it. They remained there until their son, Powd, was born. They then purchased the 76 Ranch on Austin Creek in the Shirley Mountains of northern Carbon County. Louis came home and told Louise that he had found a place where the wind didn’t blow. Born and raised in wind country, she didn’t believe such a place existed. Once there, they raised and ran the first black cattle in that area. He ranched and cowboyed there until his passing in 1995

In addition to ranching, he was a brand inspector from 1952 until he retired in 1988. He very much enjoyed his job and visiting with all the people involved.