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History

History

Charles Cornell Moore, the founder of the CM, was the son of a trader who grew up in Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation. When he was a young man, he ventured East for law school in Michigan. He absolutely hated it.

Years later, when he returned to his beloved Wyoming, he had a new vision: to open a camp that would introduce the city slickers of the East to the splendor of the wilderness. Thus, he built his first operation, Yellowstone Camp for Boys, at the mouth of the Dunoir.

In search of guests, he travelled to the East Coast to wine and dine high society, convincing families to send their young boys to Wyoming, so they could bear witness to the splendors of the West. He organized and led pack trips through Yellowstone Park for these affluent, teenage boys, all inexperienced outdoorsmen. The boys returned home so changed and appreciative of their time in Yellowstone, that entire families soon wanted their own introduction to the park.

But in 1926, the corrals and facilities on Dunoir burned to the ground. The dude business, at that point, was such a passion for Charles that he abandoned the idea of pack trips for boys and started the CM, build to accommodate parents and family members wishing to join their children on the fringe of the natural environment.

Eventually, Charlie sold the ranch to Les and Alice Shoemaker in 1952. He passed away in 1971. Les and Alice managed the ranch until the mid 1980’s. Alice’s daughter, Barb Shoemaker, still lives in Dubois and conducts weekly CM history talks during the summer.

After Les and Alice, Pete and Lisa Petersen managed the ranch with Barb until 1997. The ranch then sold to its current owners, siblings Jay Kemmerer, Connie Kemmerer, and Betty Gray. The CM continues to function in much the same way it did in the beginning besides a few building additions and improvements. The original character, charm, and spirit have been well preserved through time and are true representations of life out West.

East of the River

West of the River

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800 455 0721
307 455 2331

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