Nestled in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is the Taylor Wilderness Research Station. Colloquially known as “Taylor Ranch,” it is a University of Idaho remote research facility and has been in operation since 1970. Part of the Western Shoshone lands, it was homesteaded by “Cougar” Dave Lewis, who sold the property in 1935 to Dorothy and Jess Taylor. The Taylors in turn sold it to the University of Idaho in 1969.
A Civil War veteran, Lewis worked for the U.S. Cavalry as a scout and handled mules carrying extra ammunition. After his employment with the military, he settled in the Big Creek area and became a predator hunter for the Forest Service. Following the property sale to Jess Taylor, he stayed on through the winter and then headed out to Cascade, Idaho with his pack horses on what would be his final journey at the age of 93.
Lewis left a tin box behind, containing his personal papers which came to the UI in 1969 and the UI Library in 1990. These papers were the beginnings of the Cougar Dave Lewis collection. The collection holds not only correspondence from hunters who referred to him as “Uncle Dave,” but photographs and newspaper clippings as well as the Taylors’ notices of mining claims and interviews with the Taylors.
Recently, a digital collection has been made: Cougar Dave Digital Collection. The collection offers materials from Idaho’s history and highlights the beginnings of one of the University’s remote research stations.
Below are some items from the digital collection. Follow the links to learn more.
