Pat Dougherty (Enterprise) builds fences in the “rock jack” style that has become iconic of northeast Oregon’s cattle ranching heritage. Dougherty picked up his rock jack building skills as a working ranch hand, when he was still in high school, and has become a rock jack champion in local competitions. A forester, he also helps local cattle ranches with brandings, fence repair, and other one-off jobs.
Bio
At the annual Wallowa County Stock Growers Ranch Rodeo, Pat Dougherty regularly competes in the day’s most unusual event. Entrants race to build a single fence post in the “rock jack” style that has become iconic of northeast Oregon’s cattle ranching heritage. Dougherty’s quick work has made him a repeat victor of the contest. According to the organizers, this local race determines the “world champion” of rock jack building, since no other rock jack contests are known to exist. This sense of humor is characteristic of the event, which raises scholarship money for Wallowa County youth heading to college. The “rock jack” is a simple wooden frame made of split tamarack and weighed down with field stone for stability. In the Wallowas, the rocky soil makes it impractical to dig post holes. Stabilizing a fence with rock jacks is the traditional solution. Dougherty picked up his rock jack building skills as a working ranch hand, a job that requires a great deal of versatility. The list of responsibilities for a cowboy in the Wallowas is endless: shoeing horses, calving cows, repairing loading tractors, hauling wind-fallen trees, building corrals, and learning about agricultural policy or the science of animal breeding. Dougherty says it was the “basic, hard labor” of the job that appealed to him. He began doing ranch work in central Washington when he was still in high school. Now, even though his full-time work is forestry, he stays involved in local cattle ranches, helping out as needed for brandings, fence repair, and other one-off jobs.
