[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MacGREGOR RANCH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 1998

  Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
acknowledge the history and legacy of one of Colorado's oldest and 
largest historic cattle ranches, the MacGregor Ranch, and to pay 
tribute to all of those that worked to create, operate and protect it. 
This scenic, 3,000-acre ranch is located near the growing town of Estes 
Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
  Homesteaded by Alexander and Clara MacGregor in 1873, the MacGregor 
ranch will celebrate its 125th anniversary as a working ranch on August 
28 and 29, 1998. Moreover, Clara MacGregor, the first postmistress in 
Estes Park, will be honored with a commemorative postmark. The 
MacGregor's granddaughter, Muriel Lurilla MacGregor, ran the ranch 
until her death in 1970. A remarkable woman, Muriel earned a law degree 
from the University of Denver at a time when women lawyers were 
practically unknown. She also held degrees from the University of 
Colorado and from Colorado College. Hoping to preserve the beautiful 
ranch, Muriel's estate planning called for the ranch to be held in 
trust, and operated as it had been.
  The Internal Revenue Service, however, disagreed and attempted to 
collect over two million dollars in inheritance taxes and fees from the 
relatives of Mrs. MacGregor. Fortunately, some civic-minded volunteers 
and a few lawyers in the Colorado Attorney General's Office worked 
diligently to prevent that, and to save the ranch from impending 
litigation and sale. Attorneys Ruth Anne Garland, James Riles and 
Howard Kennison put in eight years of hard work on the issues. They 
contributed their time and expertise to help resolve the many complex 
legal and tax issues clouding the future of the ranch. Gladys Thomson, 
and Orpha Kendall contributed considerable time and labor to keep the 
ranch operating after Muriel's death. With all of their help, the IRS 
negotiated a solution, and the Department of the Interior contributed 
funds for a scenic easement on the property. The MacGregor Ranch has 
now been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  Volunteers now staff a visitors center for the charitable trust that 
holds and operates the ranch. Notably, the ranch attracted nearly seven 
thousand people last year. They come from around the nation to witness 
the active cattle ranch, and to revel in scenery and history as rugged 
as the Rocky Mountains. Students and youth groups make up a large 
proportion of the visitors. At the MacGregor ranch, children see how 
the hardy pioneers once made their living from the land. I am 
encouraged that all of those children have the opportunity to see how a 
ranch operates, and to see what good stewards of the land Colorado 
ranchers have been.
  Mr. Speaker, the MacGregor family has left a lasting legacy for all 
of us to enjoy. I salute them, and all of the good people who worked to 
preserve that legacy. We all have a lot to gain from preserving our 
history and preserving the ranching way of life.

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