OUR HISTORY
Halpin Family and Lost Creek Ranch
Lost Creek Ranch was originally homesteaded in the late 1800s.
In 1929, as the Rockefeller Family was acquiring thousands of acres in Jackson Hole to convert into Grand Teton National Park, the ranch’s owner, Albert Schwabacher, opted to keep it private.
The Halpin family purchased the ranch in 1968 in order to continue Albert’s legacy of inviting new people to experience the region’s tradition of dude ranching. The Halpin family became the sole owners of Lost Creek Ranch in 1989. Over the years, subsequent generations of the Halpin family have brought families together to enjoy the amazing wildlife, scenic beauty and recreational opportunities in Jackson Hole.
In addition to owning Lost Creek Ranch, Jerry Halpin had a long and successful career developing real estate in the Washington, D.C. area. With a passion for wildlife and the natural beauty of the area, in 1997 he founded the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. As of 2017, that organization had raised $65 million to support the park that Lost Creek Ranch overlooks.
Jerry and his wife Helen passed away in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Lost Creek Ranch, and its rich history in Jackson Hole, continues to be a part of their legacy, evidenced by multiple generations of the Jerry and Helen Halpin family who have, over many years, called Lost Creek Ranch home.
Jackson Hole History
Jackson Hole has a long and rich history.
Fondly known as “JH” to locals, the Teton Range bounds it to the west, the Gros Ventre and Wind River ranges to the east, the Palisades Mountains to the south, and the Yellowstone Plateau to the north. The area's largest town, Jackson, tucks into the southern end of the valley 20 minutes from the ranch.
Settlers named the town after Davey Jackson, a fur trapper who wintered in the valley. But the region had seen thousands of years of human travel as the summer and fall hunting grounds for the Shoshone Indians.
In 1807, John Colter, the only scout to be allowed to venture separately from the Lewis and Clark Expedition on its return east, wandered south from the thermal basins and geysers of what became Yellowstone National Park. His tales of the beauty of the region seemed so far-fetched as to render him an outcast upon his return to eastern settlements.
Jackson Hole is now a thriving community which retains its small-town appeal. Its world-class skiers and mountain climbers are neighbors to some of America’s most successful businessmen and politicians.
For more information on Jackson Hole, please visit the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce.
