Plains ranch celebrates 100 years

The Pilgeram's Family Ranch in Plains celebrated its 100th anniversary on July 7. Keith and Carol Pilgeram hosted a family reunion to celebrate and share fond memories. There were games of volleyball, cornhole, horseshoes and tetherball spread across the property for everyone to enjoy. The ranch once grew wheat along with raising cattle, but currently just serves as a cattle ranch. The newest addition to the ranch is a calf that was born July 2. The calf was given the name Omega, or Meg for short, because it is the last of the calving season.

In 1918, William Pilgeram migrated from Germany with his two brothers Peter and John. William ended up settling in Plains with the hopes of ranching. Carl, William's son, took over the ranch and ran it as the second generation. Carl and his wife Lucille had two children. The third generation to work on the ranch was Carl's son Keith who later married Carol and had three children.

Parts of the Pilgeram family have since spread out across the western U.S., including California, Oregon and Washington. It is very important for the family to continue to run the ranch and keep operation in the family. The ranch serves as a little piece of history, with so few working family farms still in the area.