Larry Larom
Encyclopedia
Irving Hastings Larom, known as Larry Larom (June 3, 1889 – December 23, 1973), was the founding president of the Dude Ranchers Association
and an owner of the Valley Ranch near Yellowstone National Park
in Wyoming
.
Larom was born to a wealthy family in New York City
. His father was a prominent businessman, and it was assumed that Larry would become an urban merchant. However, Larom attended Buffalo Bill
’s Wild West Show in Madison Square Garden
in New York City in 1909, and this experience inspired him to travel to Cody
in northwestern Wyoming the following year for a summer vacation on Jim McLaughlin’s Valley Home Ranch on the South Fork of the Shoshone River
. After three more summer visits there, he decided to become a dude ranch
er. He persuaded a fellow New Yorker, Winthrop Brooks, to become his partner in the purchase and operation of Valley Ranch. Larom and Brooks, scions of wealthy New York families and educated at Princeton University
, had an advantage in selling the concept of a dude ranch vacation to members of their social class. In a few years Brooks left the partnership and later became president of Brooks Brothers
men's clothier from 1935 to 1946. In 1920, Larom began sponsoring pack trip parties for boys and girls into Yellowstone. In 1922, he established a college preparatory school for boys. The operation folded in 1934 because of the impact of the Great Depression
. Under Larom's guidance, Valley Ranch grew to be one of the largest, most successful dude ranches in the West. In 1926, Larom was instrumental in starting the Dude Ranchers Association
and became the organizations first president. Larom also found time in his busy career to become actively involved in the civil and cultural affairs of Cody. He died in Cody in December 1973.
Dude Ranchers Association
The Dude Ranchers Association was founded in Cody, Wyoming in 1926.In the 1920’s as the railroads expanded dude ranches appeared across the west and the southwest. In 1926 Ernest Miller of Elkhorn Ranch in Montana and Max Goodsill of the Northern Pacific Railway recognized an opportunity for a...
and an owner of the Valley Ranch near Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.
Larom was born to a wealthy family in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His father was a prominent businessman, and it was assumed that Larry would become an urban merchant. However, Larom attended Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
’s Wild West Show in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City in 1909, and this experience inspired him to travel to Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
in northwestern Wyoming the following year for a summer vacation on Jim McLaughlin’s Valley Home Ranch on the South Fork of the Shoshone River
Shoshone River
The Shoshone River is long river in northern Wyoming in the United States. Its headwaters are in the Absaroka Range in Shoshone National Forest. It ends when it runs into the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyoming. Cities it runs near or through are Cody, Powell, Byron, and Lovell. Near Cody, it...
. After three more summer visits there, he decided to become a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
er. He persuaded a fellow New Yorker, Winthrop Brooks, to become his partner in the purchase and operation of Valley Ranch. Larom and Brooks, scions of wealthy New York families and educated at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, had an advantage in selling the concept of a dude ranch vacation to members of their social class. In a few years Brooks left the partnership and later became president of Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers is the oldest men's clothier chain in the United States. Founded in 1818 as a family business, the privately owned company is now owned by Retail Brand Alliance, also features clothing for women, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.-History:On April 7,...
men's clothier from 1935 to 1946. In 1920, Larom began sponsoring pack trip parties for boys and girls into Yellowstone. In 1922, he established a college preparatory school for boys. The operation folded in 1934 because of the impact of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Under Larom's guidance, Valley Ranch grew to be one of the largest, most successful dude ranches in the West. In 1926, Larom was instrumental in starting the Dude Ranchers Association
Dude Ranchers Association
The Dude Ranchers Association was founded in Cody, Wyoming in 1926.In the 1920’s as the railroads expanded dude ranches appeared across the west and the southwest. In 1926 Ernest Miller of Elkhorn Ranch in Montana and Max Goodsill of the Northern Pacific Railway recognized an opportunity for a...
and became the organizations first president. Larom also found time in his busy career to become actively involved in the civil and cultural affairs of Cody. He died in Cody in December 1973.