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Meet The Wiltbank Family Owners Since 1942
The land where Sprucedale Ranch is located was homesteaded by Hiram & Maryette Thompson of Springerville, AZ. Sprucedale, at that time called Espero, a Spanish word meaning “hope,” was the post office for the surrounding ranches and homesteads.
The Thompsons built their homestead cabin around 1906 (still in use and still a favorite), two log barns, and a well. They sold the property to Ernest R. & Bertha A. Patterson in 1921. Shortly after the Pattersons bought it, some fishermen stopped by and asked if they had a place to stay. The fisherman had been camping, and a typical White Mountain Monsoon season had rained on them for several days. They wanted a warm, dry place to stay. The Pattersons had a small cabin that they used for storage, which they offered to them. The fishermen had a great time and asked to come back next year. From that simple request, the Pattersons began building Sprucedale Guest Ranch with the addition of three new cabins.
A Family Legacy Since 1941
Western Grit and Hospitality in the White Mountains
In 1941, the Pattersons approached Walter and Faye Wiltbank to purchase Sprucedale for $10,000 at zero interest for as long as they needed to pay. This was quite a change and challenge for the Wiltbanks, who were cattle ranchers, and 1941 was at the end of the Great Depression. Walter and Faye hesitantly agreed, and Walter went to work providing for his wife and two small children by adding seven additional cabins, ranching and farming, and by packing hundreds of fishermen down Black River. Faye cooked and sewed homemade clothes, curtains, and quilts while also providing the nearby CCC Camp at Buffalo Crossing on Black River with eggs, homemade butter, and cheese. Walter and Faye ran Sprucedale with their four children (Margine, Bud, Emer, and Ellis) until Walter’s passing in 1980.
In 1981, Sprucedale was handed down to Emer and Esther Wiltbank and their seven children. Emer added six more cabins, bringing Sprucedale’s rentable cabins to thirteen. Esther focused on adding to Sprucedale by constantly improving the menu, cabin comfort, and overall ranch aesthetic beauty. Emer and Esther retired in 2004, and their youngest son, Whitney, with his wife and four children, is now carrying on the Wiltbank tradition of warm Western hospitality.”
Our Family, Our Story, Our History
As it did all those years ago, Sprucedale Ranch is located deep in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. Unlike its humble beginnings, our Dude Ranch now consists of a large main lodge, 13 guest cabins, workers’ quarters, barns, corrals, a playground, a dance porch, and a frog pond, all tucked in a breathtaking valley surrounded by pines and the curved banks of Beaver Creek.
We’ve come a long way since then, but we’re still just as full of character, family, and history as we always were.
Sprucedale & the Legends of the White Mountains
Why the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest makes Sprucedale a real ranch experience
The Country We’re In
The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are Arizona’s high country – the Mogollon Rim rolling into the White Mountains. This is where pine forests, meadows, and cold creeks replace the desert, and where elevation and weather still shape how people live and work.
It’s a land of lakes and moving water, big timber history, and sacred peaks. Mount Baldy rises above it all, and the Black River runs clear and cold through country that still feels untamed.
John Wayne
26 Bar Hereford Ranch (Eagar / Round Valley)
Up in Round Valley, the Duke wasn’t just playing cowboy – he owned and spent time at the 26 Bar, right here in real cattle country.
Mollie Butler (née Wiltbank)
Molly Butler Lodge (Greer / Lee Valley)
Before Greer was a summer tradition, Mollie – born a Wiltbank – was feeding and hosting travelers. Her family place grew into the 1910 lodge that’s still running today, with stories of visitors like John Wayne, Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and Zane Grey.
Apache Railway / White Mountain Scenic Railroad
The timber-and-grit era (McNary corridor)
When the rail line pushed Holbrook to McNary and on toward Maverick. Later, the White Mountain Scenic Railroad let families ride straight into that history.
James McNary
The company-town chapter (McNary)
This mountain country wasn’t only cowboys – it was industry too. James McNary built a modern logging-and-milling operation that shaped towns, jobs, and generations up here.
Mount Baldy
The high-country monarch
Explorers wrote about Baldy with awe back in the 1800s, and it still has that same pull: wild timber, crisp air, and a skyline that makes you stand up straighter.
Black River
Apache trout stronghold
The Black River is cold and stubbornly wild – the kind of water that can still hold native Apache trout and remind you what Arizona used to be.
The Wiltbank Name in the White Mountains
The Wiltbank name is tied to the history up here. From Sprucedale to the building of Greer, its irrigation ditches, ranch work, and rodeo, the Wiltbank family footprint is part of why these mountains feel like a place people didn’t just pass through – they put down roots.
Why This Makes Sprucedale Authentic
Sprucedale isn’t Western-themed. It’s Western-situated – planted inside the same landscape that produced the real thing: cattle valleys (Round Valley), hay meadows (Greer), timber towns (McNary), rail-and-logging history, sacred high peaks (Baldy), and cold-water country (Black River).
So when guests come to Sprucedale, they’re stepping into a place where the West still has consequences and meaning. You ride in real country, learn real horsemanship, and feel why generations keep coming back to Sprucedale Guest Ranch.
Interested in learning more?
Enjoy some recommended reading
- Historical Marker Database (HMDB) - 26 Bar Ranch / John Wayne references
- Arizona Highways - Molly Butler Lodge history; Mount Baldy feature
- Forest History Society - McNary / Arizona logging history
- Wikipedia and local history summaries - Apache Railway and White Mountain Scenic Railroad
- Arizona Game & Fish Department - Apache trout and White Mountains fisheries
Be Part of the Tradition
Discover the history, hospitality, and wide-open spaces that make Sprucedale Ranch unforgettable. From horseback rides to evenings around the fire, every moment is designed to help you slow down and reconnect with family and friends. Come experience authentic dude ranch living and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Disconnect From Screens, Connect With Family
This place is amazing to unplug from electronics and connect with your loved ones. I cannot recommend this place enough. Family owned, family operated, and family enjoyed!!! Truly an amazing experience that you will Never Forget!