Hoot Gibson's D-4-C Ranch
Hoot Gibson was born Edmund Richard Gibson in Tekamah, Nebraska, he learned to ride a horse while still a very young boy. As a teenager he worked with horses on a ranch, given the nickname "Hoot Owl" by co-workers, the name evolved to just "Hoot".
From the 1920's through the 1940's, Hoot Gibson was a major film attraction. He successfully made the transition to talkies and as a result became a highly paid performer. He appeared in his own comic books and was wildly popular until singing cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers displaced him.
Hoping to cash in on his name Hoot Gibson bought land just outside of Las Vegas and opened the D-4-C Ranch just after World War 2 ended.
For four decades, the 1930's - 1960's, Nevada served as the divorce capital of the United States. During this time the rest of the states in the country had very restrictive divorce laws or waiting periods of up to a year between filing a divorce and being granted one. In 1931 Nevada passed a law establishing the six-week residency law as a way to boost Nevada economy during the Great Depression.
Hoot Gibson's D-4-C "Dude" Ranch was where ladies could check-in and stay long enough, six weeks, to obtain Nevada residency to enable them to get a "quickee" divorce. By the mid-1960's Nevada's reign as the divorce capital of America was coming to a close as most of the other states updated their divorce laws and most of the divorce dude ranches closed their doors. The D-4-C Ranch was an early victim of this, closing its doors in the mid-1950's.
D-4-C Ranch Chips
What would a Ranch and Cowboys be without a game of Faro or Poker? Where there is a card game there are often chips...
Chips from the the D-4-C Ranch are a unique addition to any Chip Collectors collection. They are a rare and unique chip from a often overlooked footnote of Nevada's History.
Frame Photograph of Hoot Gibson at the D-4-C Ranch.
This is a framed photo of Hoot Gibson's D-4-C Ranch (Divorcee) with an unidentified guest.
This is a one of a kind item and is only available in our retail store or call us at 702-362-8767.