Ernest Hemingway did some of his best writing in Big Horn, Wyoming, at the historic Spear Ranch, which he prized for its solitude and seclusion.
He tried the Folly Ranch first, but noisy college-age tourists drove him to the Sheridan Inn. There, his third-floor room in August 1928 proved both unbearably hot and small.
The third floor had once housed the servants, and a 6-by-9-foot room barely accommodated a bed, much less a burly writer like Hemingway.
That soon had Hemingway looking at other ranches for the peace and quiet he needed, among them the Spear Ranch, where he wrote at least some of his famous novel, “A Farewell to Arms.”
That very ranch has just hit the real estate market for $29 million, according to a listing by Hall and Hall.
The Spear Ranch takes its name from its founding family. William Bradford Spear traded a few mules and some cash for a 160-acre homestead in the 1880s.
Spear brought his wife, Jane Ferguson Spear, and their eight children down to the ranch from Montana. It was a rough journey. The family lost 21 or so horses out of a herd of 100 while crossing the Yellowstone River,and they passed by the scattered bones that still lay on the field after the epic Battle of the Little Bighorn.
But they also carved their names into Pompey’s Pillar near William Clark’s. Yes, that William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, securing their place in America’s pioneer history.
Their son, Willis Moses Spear, then 21, would meet his wife among the family’s new neighbors. Virginia Belle Benton lived on the homestead right next to the Spears. The two would marry a few years later, in 1886.
Her father, George Washington Benton, had traded a wagon, harness and two white mules for their 160-acre homestead adjacent to the Spearsin 1881. He sold it to his new son-in-law for some horses and cash.
The two homesteads together are the heart of the 300-plus-acre Spear Ranch. Broken up a few times over the years, the ranch has been put back together again by its latest owners, who were not identified in the real estate listing.
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall)
About The Ranch
Hall and Hall’s listing agent did not respond to Cowboy State Daily’s request for an interview. But the listing for the ranch features photos of the Ranch that seem as though they should lie in some kind of fairy tale.
The picturesque Bighorn Mountains are just to the south and west of the ranch, rising to 11,000 feet, while a 1.6-mile section of the Little Goose Creek, an outstanding trout fishery, meanders through the property. There’s a lovely gazebo overlooking that creek at the main house.
Multiple ponds, extensive lawns and an irrigated meadow contribute to an almost park-like feel.
The main house, located at the downstream end of the property, is the original home built by Willis and Belle, according to the real estate listing. It offers 7,414 square feet, remodeled in the last five years in a classic, New England style.
Natural oak wood flooring runs throughout the two main floors, and there are eight bedrooms in all. There’s also a formal dining room with gas fireplace just off the kitchen. The latter features high-end granite counters and the latest, high-end appliances, according to the real estate listing.
Many of the bedrooms feature their own fireplaces as well as their own private baths and spacious closets. Some also include their own sitting areas as well.
Other features of note include an attic recreation room for the children, as well as an exercise room in the basement.
Near the main home, there’s a 984-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath home for a caretaker.
There are also two guest homes with at least two bedrooms each, a four-car garage, a one-room pond cabin that overlooks the creek, an equestrian barn, an event barn and a 3,200-square-foot heated shop, with bathroom, to store ranch equipment.
Miles of trails throughout the ranch have been covered with wood chips, and there’s a small gauge target range. Not to worry about drinking water either. There’s access to Sheridan Area Water Supply District, as well as 12 permitted wells for domestic and stock water.
Irrigation rights for the ranch are some of the earliest in Wyoming, with history predating the state itself. And the seller is offering 131 shares of Park Reservoir water, which helps assure late-season irrigation and good stream flow.
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Wyoming’s historic Spear Ranch is where Ernest Hemingway found the solitude and seclusion he needed to finish “A Farewell to Arms.” It’s also near Wyoming’s oldest polo field, and can be had for $29 million. (Courtesy Hall and Hall) 
Polo Riders during Don King Days in 2023. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
Kassandra Shoemaker on her horse Holly. Shoemaker made history in 2023 as the first woman to compete in the steer-roping finals at Don King Days. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
Steer roping during Don King Days in 2023. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily) 
Bronc riding during Don King Days in 2023. (Renee Jean, Cowboy State Daily)
Not Just About Solitude
Hemingway chose Spear Ranch to write part of his novel, “A Farewell to Arms,” because he needed solitude and seclusion, but the Spear Ranch can also bring excitement. That’s because it’s in the heart of a major polo hub that’s not just prominent in Wyoming, but the polo world at large.
Top players from around the world annually come to the area to play in tournaments during the summer, and there’s not just one but two prominent polo clubs nearby, the Big Horn Polo Club and the Flying H Polo Club. Together, they offer a wide range of experiences from practice games to serious tournaments.
Polo has a long history in Sheridan County going back to the 1890s, when a pair of Scottish brothers, William and Malcolm Moncreiffe, decided to not only set up a pony breeding operation but offer a polo field. They wanted to introduce the game to their cowhands.
One of their cousins, Oliver Malcolm Wallop, the fifth son in a titled line in Britain, decided he wanted to be a cowboy and came to Wyoming to ranch near his cousins, the Moncreiffes, not long after graduating from Oxford in 1883. Wallop had to return to England after his fourth brother died, but eventually, his son, Oliver Wallop, returned to that Wyoming ranch, which is adjacent to the Spear Ranch.
The first recorded polo match in Sheridan County was July 4, 1893. According to historical records, it was played in front of several thousand spectators, with a warmup from a military band before the match started.
The teams featured five mainly British players to a side and were listed as Beckton vs. Sheridan.
Equestrian polo has remained a part of the Sheridan-area culture ever since, and the arena where Don King Days Polo tournament, the biggest of Big Horn Polo Club’s season, is ringed by mountains, making it a gorgeous place to watch this sport. The event often hosts other competitions, like the Wyoming Steer Roping Finals in 2023, where Kassandra Shoemaker made history as the first woman to compete in that particular event. She was also named Rookie of the Year.
Big Horn Polo Club was established in 1898, and lays claim to being the oldest polo club in the West.
That, too, is all part of the one-of-a-kind history and legends, ranging from Hemingway to European royalty, that surround the historic Spear Ranch in Wyoming.
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
