Tom Sun Ranch, Historic cattle ranch in Sweetwater Valley, Wyoming, US
Tom Sun Ranch is a historic cattle ranching property in Sweetwater Valley along Wyoming Highway 220, about 6 miles west of Independence Rock. The property spans over 4,000 acres and preserves original structures from 1880, including a bunkhouse, washhouse, and blacksmith shop.
Thomas Du Beau Soleil, known as Tom Sun, established the ranch in 1872 after years as a French-Canadian mountain man and trapper across Wyoming territory. The property later passed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and now operates as a historic site.
The place shows how ranchers lived and worked in the 1800s, with buildings that reflect the daily rhythm of frontier life in this remote area. Visitors can walk through the structures and understand how families and workers shared this isolated landscape.
The site is managed as a visitor center with displays about ranching and pioneer history. Plan for flat terrain and prepare to walk between several buildings to see the full property.
The Sun family dedicated a room in the main house as a personal museum, collecting artifacts and photographs across four generations. This space shows how the family preserved its own story over more than a century.
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