Big Horn Basin

 Photos

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This Page: C. J. Belden photos continued.

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"A Bitter Morning in a Wyoming Cowcamp."

The cowcamp was at Jack Creek. Frank Owens is checking the horse's leg. The antelope symbol in the lower right-hand side of the photo was Belden's personal logo which appeared on many of his photos. It also appears on the cowling of the airplane on the previous page.


 Jack Rhodes, Sr. with Fawn

Note the skull on the ground. Belden, as indicated in the photo, had an interest in antelope. In July 1936, He would take newly born antelope and raise them, feeding them cow's milk. In this manner, the antelope would be tame and would become used to humans. The antelope fawns could then be sold to zoos.


 Antelope Fawns in Gunny Sacks for Shipment East, Bill Monday in center, 1936.

In July 1936, Belden employed Bill Monday, a local aviator who owned a Ryan Monoplane, to fly Belden with 83 antelope fawns to various zoos in the east, ending up in New York. There, two of the fawns were sent to Germany on the airship Hindenburg. Belden received $100.00 apiece for each of the fawns.


 Antelope Fawns in Gunny Sacks for Shipment East, 1936. Bill MOnday holding fawn.

The trip was a publicity bonanaza for Belden. The trip and Belden were written up by the wire services. An article appeared in Time Magazine. The trip was written of in the New Nork Daily Mirror, the Helena Independent, and the 1936 Aircraft Year Book


 Cowboy on the Z Bar T

To gain proper prospective, the photos were frequently taken while Belden was on his favorite horse, "Pinky." To steady the camera Belden used a monopod. The photos also contribute to the popular conception of a cowboy being similar to the "Malborough Man." Indeed in recent years, some Malborough commercials were filmed on the Pitchfork. Belden in the 1930's, however, was featured in advertisements for Camel Cigarettes.


Elmer Bergquist at Jack Creek, Absaroka Mountains in the Background. Photo by Charles J. Belden

The scene is southeast of Cody on a tributary of the Greybull River on the former Pallette Ranch. The Pallette became part of the Pitchfork.

As Rick Ewig of the American Heritage Center noted in his "Give Them What They Want: The Selling of Wyoming's Image Between the Wars," Roberts, ed., Readings in Wyoming History (Laramie: Skyline West, 2000), Belden publicized himself. Although, he never actually said it, he left the impression that the Pitchfork Ranch was his and that he was the manager. He certainly dressed the part. Time Magazine referred to Belden as "Clumping about Manhattan in his cowboy boots, ten-gallon hat." The Stetson Hat Company actually named a Montana peak style hat for Belden. In actuality, the Ranch belonged to his wife and to his brother-in-law. With the death of L. G. Phelps in 1922, operation of the ranch fell under the guidance of Eugene Phelps and Belden. Phelps busied himself with an interest in electrification, irrigation and minor inventions. Phelps held patents for a chain wrench, gate opener and a can opener. Belden devoted himself to his photography and an interest in antelopes. Slowly the Pitchfork fell into debt until it was finally put into receivership. The ranch was essentially rudderless. Thus, ultimately it fell upon Belden's wife, Frances Phelps Belden (1889-1984), to rescue the spread.


"A Cattle Pullman," Cody Railyards.

Next Page, Belden Photos continued.