January 16, 1946
Daniel “Dan” Dean Carson was born to Dick and Ethel Carson on Goose Creek in the family home. He is the youngest of the Carson children: Jimmy (deceased), Bonnie (deceased), and Juanna Beth. He was born on Carson Ranch and had lived and worked on Carson Ranch his whole life. Early in his life, Dan learned mandolin, sitting in the family living room, strumming with his dad and so hi love for music began. His cowboy life and heavy responsibility began at an early age also due to multiple tragedies in the family with the loss of his father in 1958 and his brother in 1959. After graduating from high school in 1964, Dan became a full-time cowboy. Dan met Shirley Zeigler and in 1968 Dan and Shirley were wed. They have three children: Chad Dean, Cody Jean and Colt Eli. For 55 years they have been a thoughtful and responsible ranching team. They raised their children with the same thoughtfulness to animals and the land.
Stability and usefulness of the land is very important to Dan. Starting early in their marriage, every years, a new habitat grove would be planted until, every pasture had a habitat grove in it. Dan and Shirley planted over 20,000 trees, creating a great habitat for the cattle and wildlife. When a blowout forms after the harsh winter winds, last year’s prairie hay is used to heal the blowout. When unwanted cedar trees sprout in the pastures, they are cut off at a young age. Most important to Dan is to maintain healthy prairie grass in all the pastures through thoughtful grazing rotation.
Dan is an artist and a problem solver; creating useful objects from horseshoes. If something can be made with his welder, Dan loves to build it. He has made and donated several flagpoles around the area; all topped with horseshoes. He has built several lamps, each standing about 5’ tall, with a horseshoe base and local brands burnt into the wood shades. A broken off sweep tooth may adorn a lamp. Each one is unique. Table center pieces, bathroom accessories, kitchen accessories, hat rack, boot jacks, light fixtures, wood burning fire pit with adjustable grilling surface are a few more of his creations. Recently he was commissioned to weld a new bar base for “The Spur” in Dunning. A neighbor was asked to supply the wood for the front and top of the bar. It became a community event. Dan took his branding iron stove to the bar and anyone who wanted their brand on the bar brought their irons. They spent all day branding the bar.
Dan also developed a gate latch that allowed his family to easily be able to close the gates on those tightly stretched sandhill fences. He still makes the gate latches and donates them to fundraisers or benefits. Several of his gate latches dapple the Sandhills and some are in other states.
Dan is a volunteer. Dan told the Brown County commissioner, 25 plus years ago, that if they would bring down a “retire” road grader that he would maintain the Koshopah Road. It is a 5 mile stretch of gravel road in the SW corner of Brown County. He told them, “it makes no sense for you to drive all the way down from Ainsworth just for the 5 miles of gravel.” A road grader was delivered and sits at Carson Ranch until needed. Dan is the current maintainer of Koshopah Road.
In the summer of 2003, the first Annual Bluegrass Jam was hosted at Carson Ranch. Musicians from all over the country come to enjoy 3 days of music both listening and playing: 250 plus music lovers’ journey to Carson Ranch for the jam in each July. Dan’s love for music, singing and harmonizing, gathering with friends and meeting new people was a great reason to start such an event. Through time, Dan learned several instruments; guitar, dobro and mandolin. He has been part of several bands. Currently he is part of the Goose Creek Bandidos with band members: Mel Coffman, Nate Pfeil, Barb Dvorak and Mike Kuszak.
Around 2011, Dan developed the nickname “Crash Carson” after several consecutive accidents in a single year. The first accident, while fencing his pickup popped out of gear and ran over him. This put him in the hospital for several weeks and it was the only time that he missed a Carson Ranch branding. His friends and family came together and got it done. Second, he flipped his Polaris Ranger upside down in Goose Creek while driving a bull home from pasture. He lost his cowboy hat and his friend Hank, the ranch dog. Third, he flipped his Ranger while trying to separate a cow from a calf that wasn’t hers. The Ranger flipped over him on the hill and the open window of the cab rolled over where he lay on the ground. Fourth, and finally, another close call was on icy winter roads. A nickname well earned. His birthday gift from a friend that year was a bubble wrap body suit.
In February of 2021, Dan retire, somewhat. Even though he is retired, his passion for cattle and the land is strong. With cattle gone during the winter months, Dan’s attention has shifted to making a pleasant place for wildlife with early morning feedings’ a goal of his is to make the ranch feel like a wildlife preserve. During the summer, attention is back to putting up hay and cattle as the renters arrive with their herds. His face lights up when cattle are back on the ranch. He is so excited by this, that he provides full service. He is a cowboy at heart.
Awards:
2012 Nebraska Outstanding Tree Planter, from the Nebraska Association of Resource Districts.
Publications:
GG&T Magazine: July/Aug 1987, Article by Marianne Beel; “Another cow-calf operator chooses Salers and becomes a believe”
Tri-State Livestock New/The Fence Post
Forage Magazine: March 21, 2020 Freelance Contributor by Linda Teahon; “History repeats itself: 90-year old slide stacker is back in the field”
Nebraska Cattleman Magazine: November 2020 Cover Photo by Linda Teahon
The Fence Post
Breeder’s Connection: Periodical 2020
“Cover Photo Spotlight” Photos by Linda Teahon
Tri-State Livestock News/The Fence Post
Homeland Magazine: Fall 2021 Photos by Linda Teahon
“Land Values” and “Hard Numbers”
Nebraska Cattleman Magazine: November 2021 Cover Photo by Linda Teahon
“Things to do in Nebraska Before you Die” by Alan J. Bartels. Copyright 2023
Cover photo: Music and Entertainment chapter, p26
Entry: Clap to Old Country Carson Ranch, p30.
Other distinctions:
Life long member of the Purdum volunteer fire department
Volunteer maintainer of Koshopah Road for over 25 years