WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
D.I. RANCH
EAGLE SPRINGS RANCH
Motoqua, Utah
LOCATION
The DI Ranch in located on the East Fork of the Beaver Dam Wash in west central Washington County.
37° 19' 52.73" North Latitude, 113° 57' 38.80" West Longitude
37.3313° North Latitude, 113.9608° West Longitude
3,799 feet (1158 meters) MSL
DESCRIPTION
D.I. Ranch is short for the Desert Inn Ranch.It is an 831 acre cattle ranch.
It is accessible by rough dirt road and a dirt airstrip.
HISTORY
The D.I. Ranch was acquired about 1954 by reputed mobster, Moe Dalitz. Its name was derived from the Desert Inn in Las Vegas which Dalitz owned.The ranch was used as a vacation spot for Dalitz and his family. But it reportedly was also used to discreetly entertain Las Vegas showgirls, high-rolling customers, prostitutes, bodyguards and other assorted Vegas characters.
Rod Leavit built a small dirt airstrip on the ranch to make travel more convenient than over the rough dirt roads.
There were a number of buildings and outbuildings constructed during the 1950s.
John Shugart bought the Desert Inn in 1978 and owned the DI Ranch for two years before losing it in November 1980 after defaulting on an $82,500 payment.
The ranch played a part in a law suit from an actress who claimed to be bilked out of a large sum of money which was supposed to be used to buy the ranch for some kind of a religious retreat.
Various groups have claimed religious significance of the property.
Hyrum & Gail Smith bought the ranch and put a lot of money into fixing it up. Shortly after buying the property, they changed the name to "Eagle Springs Ranch." Smith said he bought it only as an investment — not out of any religious convictions. Larry Shurtleff managed the cattle operation at the DI Ranch for Hyrum & Gail Smith.
Currently, the ranch is owned by a partnership of prominent Washington County people. Lemuel "Lem" Leavitt manages the ranch for them and runs a herd of cattle there.
Owners:
Andrew R. Nordin, Nellie A. Nordin (11/23/1927 to 10/24/1955)
D. I. Ranch Inc. (M. B. Dalitz) (10/24/1955 to 4/29/1969)
Daniel Marc Bernheim (80%) (4/29/1969-7/20/1970)
Mark Swain (20%) (4/29/1969-8/18/1977)
Reach, McClinton & Company, Inc. (80%) (7/20/1970 to 8/18/1977)
Reach, McClinton & Company, Inc. (20%) (8/18/1977 to 8/18/1977)
Herb & June Fletcher (8/18/1977 to 4/25/1994)
Hyrum W. & A. Gail Smith (4/25/1994 to 5/31/2001)
R. T. Marten (5/31/2001 to 6/27/2001)
D.I. Ranch L.L.C. (6/27/2001 to present)
BIOGRAPHY
Moe Dalitz Click here.Hyrum Smith Millionaire founder of the Franklin Quest company.
PHOTOS
WCHS photos:WCHS-02560 Photo of the dirt airstrip at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02561 Photo of the approach to the new house at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02562 Photo of the new house on the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02563 Photo of the new house at the D.I. Ranch facing the south corner
WCHS-02564 Photo of the new house at the D.I. Ranch facing the east corner
WCHS-02565 Photo of the pond in front of the new house at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02566 Photo of the entrance to the basement of the old bunkhouse at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02567 Photo of the basement and one of the chimneys of the old bunkhouse at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02568 Photo of the basement and one of the chimneys of the old bunkhouse at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02569 Photo of the front entrance and one of the chimneys of the old bunkhouse at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02570 Photo of the playground next to the old bunkhouse at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02571 Photo of a generator shed and transformer on a power pole at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02572 Photo of the generator shed for the old bunkhouse at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02573 Photo of Milt Hokanson in front of a very large and old cottonwood tree at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02574 Photo of a very large and very old cottonwood tree at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02575 Photo of a Caterpillar tractor hooked up to drive a water pump at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02576 Photo of a Caterpillar tractor and some fuel tanks at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02577 Photo of a pasture and back of some ranch buildings at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02578 Photo of a garage or barn building at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02579 Photo of a garage or barn building and a storage building at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02580 Photo of the chicken coop and pig pen at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02581 Photo of the pig pen at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02582 Photo of the chicken coop at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02583 Photo of a dog kennel and three dogs at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02584 Photo of a barn at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02585 Photo of some corrals on the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02586 Photo of an emergency bridge made from a railroad flatcar at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02587 Photo of an emergency bridge made from a railroad flatcar at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02588 Photo of an emergency bridge made from a railroad flatcar at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02589 Photo of the horse barn and a tanker truck at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02590 Photo of the horse barn at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02591 Photo of the inside of the horse barn at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02592 Photo of the horse barn at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02593 Photo of a D/ASIA sponsored tour group at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02594 Photo of some D/ASIA tour group people eating lunch, relaxing, and visiting at the D.I. Ranch
WCHS-02595 Photo of Gene Sturzenegger and D.I. Ranch manager, Lemuel "Lem" Leavitt, exchanging info
WCHS-02596 Photo of an alfalfa field associated with the D.I. Ranch
REFERENCES
Recorded Documents11/23/1927 USA Patent to Andrew W. Nordin
(Book N-2, Page 158)
10/24/1955 Warranty Deed: Nellie A. Nordin to M.B. Dalitz
(Book S-47, Pages 289-290)
04/29/1969 Warranty Deed: M.B. Dalitz to Daniel Marc Bernheim 80% and Mark Swain 20%
(Book 84, Page 466)
07/20/1970 Warranty Deed: Daniel Marc Bernheim 80% to Reach, McClinton & Co.
(Book 95, Page 153)
02/28/1974 Quit-Claim Deed: D. I. Ranch Inc. (M.B. Dalitz) to Reach, McClinton & Company, Inc.
(Book ???, Page ???, Document 00186356)
08/18/1977 Quit-Claim Deed: Mark & Joanne Swain 20% to Reach, McClinton & Co.
(Book 224, Page 73)
08/18/1977 Warranty Deed: Reach, McClinton & Co. (dba J Bar F Ranch, Daniel Marc Bernheim, President)
to Herb & June Fletcher
(Book 224, Pages 76-77)
08/18/1977 Deed of Reconveyance: Herb & June Fletcher - Southern Utah Title Company ???
(Book ???, Page ???, Document 00454258)
11/10/1978 Second Trust Deed: John P. Shugart and Jack D. Hurst - Southern Utah Title Company ???
(Book ???, Page ???, Document 00199044)
11/10/1978 Deed or Reconveyance: John P. Shugart and Jack D. Hurst - Southern Utah Title Company ???
(Book ???, Page ???, Document 00464956)
04/25/1994 Warranty Deed: Herb & June Fletcher to Hyrum W. & A. Gail Smith
(Book 814, Page 155, Document 00464957)
05/31/2001 Warranty Deed: Hyrum W. & A. Gail Smith to R. T. Marten
(Book 1413, Pages 385-386, Document 00724610)
06/27/2001 Warranty Deed: R. T. Marten to D.I. Ranch L.L.C.
(Book 1416, Pages 54-55, Document 00726842)
Utah's Rancho Bizarro
by Tom Zoellner
The Salt Lake Tribune, May 5, 1998
Eagle Ranch Academy
This site contains information about the ownership of the D.I. Ranch.