“Turpin Meadow – Then and Now”

Turpin Meadow – Then and Now from Jennifer Tennican on Vimeo.

Being a guest at a western dude ranch can be a relaxing vacation, but running a dude ranch is another story. Find out just what it takes to operate an historic Wyoming dude ranch in this highly-connected, hyper-paced Digital Age.
Join the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum for a Voices of the Valley program “Turpin Meadow Ranch – Then and Now: A Conversation with Nancy Johnstone and Elaine Luton.”  Join us for FILM + DISCUSSION + AUDIENCE TALK BACK on Thursday, December 5, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Teton County Library Auditorium.
The evening begins with highlights from a filmed conversation between Nancy Johnstone and Elaine Luton, current and former Turpin Meadow owners.  Turpin Meadow is one of the oldest, continually-operating guest ranches in the West.  Johnstone and her husband, Hans, both with experience in Jackson Hole’s hospitality industry, recently purchased the ranch. In the process of renovating its many historic buildings, they will reopen to guests this winter. Elaine Luton, retired and in her 80s, owned and managed Turpin for more than 30 years.
The program is the brainchild of local filmmaker Jen Tennican, who is passionate about preserving local history through engaging multigenerational storytelling.  “It isn’t often that an historic guest ranch changes hands, and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to bring a former owner together with the new one. To capture the first meeting of these dynamic and distinctive women was a treat.  We couldn’t have asked for a more genuine and lively discussion around the realities of running a guest ranch.  Their love for this region and their desire to share it with others is inspiring,” says Tennican.
After the film, historians and local residents Drs. Robert Righter and Sherry Smith will lead a conversation about dude ranching in Jackson Hole.  They will touch on the integral role of dude ranches in the conservation movement, along with issues of class and gender.  Audience members will be encouraged to share their own dude ranching stories.  The historians, film subjects and filmmakers, Jennifer Tennican and Rebecca Huntington, will be on hand to answer audience questions.
Funding for this JenTen Productions program was provided by a Lola Homsher Grant from the Wyoming State Historical Society and a Storytelling Grant funded through Collaborating for a Creative Community (C3) – a grant program of the Center of Wonder.  JenTen Productions is grateful for the collaboration and support of the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum and WyoHistory.org. Thank you to The Alpine House for their sponsorship.