Arizona
Papago Stables owner, Donald K. “Bill” Scott had been an Arizona snowbird for over 43 years. On April 23rd, 2009 we lost one of the pioneers of the trail riding business. He died in Jackson, Wyoming at the age of 74 surrounded by his family and friends at St. Johns Hospital.
Bill was born on May 20th 1934, to Harold and Bertha Jane Scott in Gillette, Wyoming. He grew up on his family’s cattle ranch north of Gillette along with 3 brothers, Marion, Jim, Doug and sister, Kay. Bill went to a country school, by horseback much of the time, and graduated from Campbell County High School in 1952. His main interests were FFA and shop where he built a horse trailer his senior year. He always kept his grades up in school, even though by graduation he held the record for the most absences at CCHS. (In his defense, part of that was due to helping on the ranch one winter while his father was recuperating from an illness.) Upon graduating, Bill presented his mother with his diploma and was off to see the world. He spent the next several years rodeoing as a member of the Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association where he won the All Around Championship in Buffalo, SD. He also trapped bobcats one winter, worked in hunting camps in Jackson Hole, gathered wild burros and horses in Utah and Nevada, sold Christmas trees from Montana to Arizona, drove a cotton picker in Arizona and worked on construction at Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Bill then went to Jackson Hole where he wrangled and guided for Crystal Springs Girls Dude Ranch near what is now Teton Village until 1956 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. While Stationed in France he competed in their first ever Inter-Service Rodeo south of Paris where he also won the All-Around Title.
In 1959, upon completion of his tenure with the Army and receiving an honorable discharge he returned to the Jackson Hole area. Bill then leased a Lodge and Cabins on Dinwoody Lake near Dubois where he packed and guided fishermen and mountain climbers into the Gannett Peak area. In 1960 he married Melva Lea McGuire and three children were born of this union; Clay and twin girls, Shelly and Kelly. They later divorced, and Bill and the children, with help from family and friends, continued to make their home in Jackson.
In the winter of 1965, Bill left Jackson with a truck, small trailer and seven horses and headed south to Tempe, Arizona. Here he marked the beginning of Papago Riding Stables, which was located originally in the Salt River Bottom, which is now Tempe Town Lake. The Salt River was dammed up to catch water in 1998 and the Stable now sits adjacent to the Town Lake Marina. He always had great foresight of his dreams…i.e. as his trail rides go into the 2500 acre Papago Park Reserve that was donated to the City of Phoenix by the family of George W.P. Hunt, first Governor of Arizona. This park is reserved forever for public use and horseback riding. Now the 202 Red Mountain Freeway has been developed and Scottsdale Road has become a main transportation route, so the stables went from the dirt roads of Scottsdale to a main area in the city with lake frontage.
When returning to Jackson Hole during the summer months, Bill would cut his own poles to build miles of buck rail fence, as well as clearing and building many miles of Forest and Park Service trails that are still in use to this day. In the summer of 1966, he opened Meadowbrook Stables at the base of Saddle Butte in Jackson. Bill also started contracting with the Federal Government spraying bug trees, hiring 3 men and using 25 horses, some of them in Grand Teton National Park. There he met Vonona Bailey (also known as “Sam”), who was an employee of the Park, and they were married in 1968. They added to their family another set of twins; Jayne and Wayne, another daughter, Jodi and youngest son, Shane.
Bill moved his family and horses back and forth from Wyoming to Arizona for the next 40 years. He enjoyed outfitting, guiding, and was an exceptional teamster working his horses, teams, wagons and stagecoaches in commercials and movies over the years and even kept his Screen Actors Guild card current. His first movie was “Road to Denver”. He also worked and put equipment on ‘’Dream West”, “The Quick and The Dead”, “Rambo III”, “Tombstone”, “Cat Balou”, and many others. He also supplied horses for many Arizona parades such as the Tucson Parade where he provided teams for wagons, The Cave Creek Parade, as well as the Parada Del Sol where he would mount the Scottsdale Jaycees for the past thirty years. One year he overbooked his 75 head of horses, as the first riders finished the parade he gathered the horses and trailered them back to the beginning to mount the extra riders so the horses made a second trip through the parade. He always knew what to do and how to make things happen. He was very proud to have such gentle horses with the disposition to handle any situation.
He liked to tell the story of competing in the first Scottsdale Rodeo where he broke his arm riding in the saddle bronc event. His sister Kay was with him then, and joined him 50 years later for the Anniversary as she witnessed his horses in the grand entry which he provided many times.
In 1976, Bill operated the Stagecoach concession on the Jackson Town Square, which he continued for 11 years. This also included supplying the horses and putting on the “Shoot-out” each night during the summer in downtown Jackson. During this time, he also opened and operated a riding stable at The Virginian Lodge, guiding horseback rides on the Snow King Mountain Ski Area. In 1977 Bill and his brother, Marion bought and operated Turquoise Lake Hunting Camp in Upper Granite Creek. In 1978 Bill moved his riding stable business to Teton Village where he owned and operated Jackson Hole Trail Rides for the next 30 years. Along with the trail rides of both Papago Stables and Jackson Hole, he loved to provide cowboy breakfast and steak dinner rides as well as hayrides.
Last year the Teton Barrel Racing Association, in Jackson, surprised Bill as the 2008 Honorary Member on their 50th Anniversary for his dedication and support over the many years. He spent a big part of his life at the rodeo grounds and in the arena competing, judging rodeos and watching his children and grandchildren live their (and his) dream. Bill was very proud of his grandchildren and loved them very much. He had a bumper sticker on his suburban saying, “Ask me about my grandbaby”. He often said, “If I’d known grandkids were this much fun I would have had them first”.
Bill always felt fortunate to be able to do the work he loved and also have his family by his side every day, but mainly was very proud to witness all his children become excellent horsemen through his guidance. He was a good man who never knew a stranger and touched so many lives throughout his journey. He loved his family and friends and he loved the Arizona winters and the summers in Jackson Hole with the Tetons so much that he influenced many people to come to these areas. Some were just visitors, some were family and friends, some were his employees, all sharing Bill’s love of the great outdoors and western way of life and some even followed him to enjoy the best of both worlds. From his childhood, he chose to look at life on the lighter side and had a joke to fit about every situation. Bill had a heart as big as all outdoors and truly “lived his dream”.
Bill was preceded in death by both of his parents, Harold & Bertha Jane Scott, and his stepmother, Helen. He is survived by his wife, Vonona “Sam” Scott and his seven children Sons: Clay (Chelsea) Scott, Chandler, AZ; Wayne Scott, Tempe, AZ; Shane Scott, Jackson, WY; Daughters: Kelly (Barney) Holmes, Jackson, WY; Shelly Scott, Jackson, WY; Jayne (Ken) Chambers, Driggs, ID; Jodi Scott, Scottsdale, AZ; His 10 beloved grandchildren: Sammy, Lani, Clayton, and Jackson Scott; Tayler and Keith Holmes; Tyler and Koti Schwitzer; Amber and Hailey Chambers; His brothers: Marion (Mary) Scott, Gillette, WY; Jim (Patty) Scott, Cottonwood, AZ; Doug Scott, Buffalo Gap, SD; and sister: Kay Storms, Queen Creek, AZ; many nieces and nephews and their families and many, many friends.
On April 30th, 2009, Bill’s life was honored at his favorite spot, The Heritage Arena at the Teton County Fairgrounds in Jackson Wyoming, which was barely large enough to hold all of his family and friends. During the very memorable service, Bill’s favorite musical group, The Bar J Wranglers preformed several special selections. After the service a “Celebration of Life” was held at his next favorite place, The Virginian Lodge, where an “open mike” gave many opportunities to hear some great stories about Bill and his “simple solutions for just about anything!” The many caring friends, the stories and pictures from the past and some wonderful food made this a very special time for Bill’s family.
Bill’s place of rest has a beautiful view of the mountain range at the Elliott Cemetery in Wilson, WY.
There will be a gathering for Bill at Papago Stables this coming winter, where the family plans to have a memorial placed to honor him and his life.
Contributions in memory of Bill may be made to Teton County Friends of Fair at P.O. Box 3075, Jackson, WY 83001, or St. John’s Hospital Foundation, Cardiology Dept. at P.O. Box 428, Jackson, WY 83001. Condolences can be sent to the family at http://www.valleymortuaryjackson.com/ or the residence at P.O. Box 768, Jackson WY 83001.
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