Buckaroo Hall of Fame | Honorees | Powder River Lee Reborse

Powder River Lee Reborse

Lee G. Reborse (Powder River Lee) (1897-1953)

Lee was born in Fargo North Dakota; left home at the age of 14. Ventured into Montana where a family by the name of Seal took him in. Lee lived with this family for two years. Lee then went to work for a big cow outfit brand CK. They ran cattle in Montana and the Powder River country of Wyoming. Lee’s next move was to Elko, Nevada where he jumped off a freight train. All he had was his bed, saddle and ten cents in his pocket. In those days you never asked a man his name as so many men were dodging the law. You only asked where they were from, and that is how Lee got the name Powder River that he was called till the day he died.

It was the year of 1917 Lee came to Elko, Nevada. He then went to work for the P Bench headquarters at the Spanish Ranch, Tuscarora, Nevada, then owned by Bill Moffat. The superintendent was a man by the name of George Callagan. Powder went to work breaking horses. Bob Ward was there at the time. As the story goes Powder was one of the best bronc riders of the time, as well as a reins man. Powder could make fine reined horses as well as being a top cowboy and cattleman.

In 1918 Powder married Verna M. Horn. They had two boys Lee and Clyde. In 1922 they bought a homestead from a man by the name of Mike Fowley on the Owyhee River called Pool Valley. They ranched at Pool Valley until 1929. Powder sold Pool Valley to John G. Taylor and bought the Ray Suddle ranch on the Jack Creek that joined the Spanish Ranch. Powder held grazing rights on the Owyhee Desert using the Devils Corral as a line camp.

In 1944 Powder sold out the TH Ranch and bought Eden Valley Ranch from John Grayson Edibarney. In 1950-51 Powder sold Eden Valley and bought the Vance Ranch from a McDermitt on the Oregon side. He only held it for a short time. He then sold the Vance Ranch to Walter Bowden and moved back to Golconda, Nevada where he built a house and a year later died July 2, 1953 at the age of 57 of a heart attack.

Inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September 2001.