Walking D Ranch History
The Walking D Ranch is 640 acres in size and has a rich history. At the turn of the century president Theodore Roosevelt deeded over the land to private property (his signature is on our original papers) and the present ranch was formed by combining several parcels. Various homesteaders developed the land and put in orchards, irrigation ditches, the dam, and constructed various dwellings whose remains can still be seen as old foundations. There even are signs of the old town slaughter house that also posed as a location for a secret moonshine still. The dirt road that crossed the ranch from north to south was the main highway through the valley until 1930.
In the mid 1950s Daniel O. Doran discovered the property while on a hunting trip in the Methow Valley . Shortly after his retirement from the navy Dan and Barbara bought the ranch in 1957 from Audy Peters. The Doran family lived in Twisp for a couple of years and weathered harsh climate and poor health for some of the children, all while living in a cramped old ranch house. The family move back to San Diego until 1968 when conditions there–specifically, a freeway was built right next door to the property there–prompted a return to country living. The ranch house was remodeled and made much more comfortable. By this time several of the older children were living elsewhere and there was more room for all.
Over the years the Doran family has run an active cattle ranch, put in irrigation for pasture land, run a herd of horses and has hosted various private and community events such as the annual Methow Valley Sunflower Race and private family enterprises such as yoga retreats.
In 1978 Dan and Barbara Doran formed the Walking D Corporation. Their intention was to consolidate and protect their ownership of land under the governance of a Washington State corporation and to help preserve ownership of the ranch. In 2011 the Walking D, Inc. placed the majority of its land into a non-development conservation easement with the State of Washington. This restricts the land from being developed in ways other than for agricultural purposes, in perpetuity. In 2014 the corporation partnered with the Yakama Indian Nation to perform a major wetlands restoration in its slough for the purpose of bringing salmon back to the Methow watershed. This project has been a great success.
