page_title: David L. Shirk Ranch
section_title: David Shirk
hierarchical_section_title: David L. Shirk Ranch / David Shirk
caption_attribution_description: English: Oregon pioneer rancher David Lawson Shirk at the age of 28
context_page_description: The David L. Shirk Ranch is a historic ranch located in the Guano Valley of eastern Lake County, Oregon, United States. The ranch was originally homesteaded in 1881. It was purchased by David L. Shirk in 1883. He operated the ranch until 1914. The property was acquired by the United States Government in 1942. The ranch is now administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The remaining historic ranch buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
context_section_description: David L. Shirk was born in Parke County, Indiana in 1844.  He was the oldest of nine children.  He left home at the age of 22 to travel west.  He spent several years working as a cowboy on cattle drives from Texas to southern Idaho.  His younger brother William joined him in 1874, and together they moved to Oregon.  They both made land claims in the Catlow Valley in what is now Harney County, Oregon.
  Later, the brothers acquired land in neighboring Guano Valley, approximately 50 miles west of their Catlow Valley ranch.  They used the Guano Valley ranch to raise horses, while their main Catlow Valley ranch was a cattle operation.  They were successful enough at their cattle business that their ranch became the social center for the local ranching community.  Eventually, a post office was opened at their Catlow Valley ranch.  The Shirk post office was moved to their Guano Lake ranch in 1903, where it continued through 1905.
  The Catlow Valley was the scene of a number of Indian attacks during the Bannock War of 1878.  Both Shirk brothers were engaged in defending their ranch.  In one incident, William Shirk and two teamsters were ambushed.  His two companions were killed outright and the Indians pursued Shirk for several miles before giving up the chase.
  The Shirk brothers eventually acquired about 50,000 acres (200 km²), controlling much of the water in the Catlow Valley.  This was quite contentious since the vast P Ranch owned by cattle baron Peter French extended south into the Catlow Valley as well.  As result, the Shirks had to compete with French for Catlow Valley grazing land and water.  During one skirmish over a land claim in 1889, David Shirk shot and killed one of French's employees.  Shirk was tried for murder and acquitted.
  After the trial, Shirk moved his home ranch west from the Catlow Valley to his Guano Valley property, probably to help avoid conflict with French and his employees.  By 1899, Shirk had increased his Guano Valley parcel to 1,080 acres (4.4 km²).  In 1914, Shirk sold his ranch holdings to pursue other business opportunities.  Eventually, he moved to Berkeley, California, where he died in 1928.
caption: David Shirk at age 28
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