Spade Ranch (Nebraska)

Spade Ranch
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Aerial view of Spade Ranch in 2009
Show map of Nebraska Show map of the United States
Location	Sheridan / Cherry counties, Nebraska, USA
Nearest city	Ellsworth, Nebraska
Coordinates	42°18′19.7″N 102°05′25.8″W / 42.305472°N 102.090500°W / 42.305472; -102.090500
Built	1888
NRHP reference No.	80002464[1]
Added to NRHP	February 28, 1980

The Spade Ranch is a large cattle ranch located in the Sandhills of western Nebraska between the towns of Gordon and Ellsworth. Founded in 1888 by Bartlett Richards, the ranch was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

A beef ranching operation in the Nebraska Sandhills, the Spade Ranch, encompasses land in both Sheridan and Cherry Counties. Founders Bartlett Richards and William Comstock successfully managed the ranch into the early twentieth century. At its peak size in 1905 with open range grazing and ready markets for cattle, the Spade, encompassed over 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) with a herd of 60,000 cattle. Under the direction of the Bixby family, associates of Richards and Comstock since 1908 and owners of the ranch since 1923, the Spade Ranch has continued to produce quality beef cattle as part of Nebraska's large beef industry. That the ranges remain cattle country today attests to the vision of early Nebraska Sandhills ranchers.

The Spade Ranch is named for the cattle brand that founders Bartlett Richards and William Comstock used to mark their cattle. The brand resembles an Ace of Spades on playing cards. The Spade brand is still in use as the ranch brand today.^[2]