Joseph Lorraine Ranch

The Lorraine Ranch, located in the Spring Valley area was purchased in 1905 by Joseph Lorraine, a Frenchmen. He married Ada Bucks, whose pioneer family were early settlers of Spring Valley and on this ranch they raised three daughters, Ruth, Beatrice and Julia.

Ruth attended Spring Valley school for eight years and later graduated from Douglas County High School and Greeley Teachers College. She knew, as a child, that she wanted to be a teacher and spent 47 consecutive years teaching. When she retired, Fountain School District 8 where she had taught for 32 years, named a school in her honor the “Lorraine Elementary School.” This ranch was always close to her heart and she raised Polled Hereford cattle until her death in 1996 at the age of 88. She was honored with four other pioneer ranching women of the Divide area in the Pioneers Museum in Colorado Springs in 2000.

These pictures are of the Barn, wooden grain bin and gas tank reminiscent of a pioneer working ranch which is still in operation.

Lorraine Ranch with Pikes Peak in the background.


The silo behind this barn is an uncommon wood silo with wood horizontal staves. It was built before 1905.


This photo from 1980 of the ranches' gas pump dates back to sometime around 1920, the first gas pump was invented in 1905.