The Legend of Sandy Bar
:: as written in January 2008 issue of Today's Angus Advantage

Four and a half hours of hard driving from Saskatoon to Aneroid puts you into the headquarters of Sandy Bar Ranch. Bob says, “Get up an hour earlier and come for lunch, because there are no Tim Horton's where we are.” At the table sits Frank Linthicum, who had just returned from Alberta with Bob on a livestock excursion, along with Scottie Hofer, from the neighboring Pontiex Colony and Larry, from the Earview Colony. The plan was to pregnancy examine a group of cows with Scottie and Larry giving a helping hand at the chutes, but the veterinarian cancelled. Coffee cups were cleared and within minutes, Gail unveiled an awesome noon meal for all. Everyone stayed for our visit about the livestock industry, the Switzers, Sandy Bar, the price of calves and next spring bull sales. Scottie informed us that, “They use Sandy Bar bulls because they do not see barley here; last year there were twelve Colonies buying bulls at Bob’s sale.” As the discussion of bull prices continued, Frank added, “Buying a bull for $800.00 at a bull sale is like buying a plow at an auction sale, you just leave it there.” The balance of “table talk” continued and here is the rest of the story …

In 1873 the NorthWest Mounted Police were established, Queen Victoria was the reigning Monarch, Mark Twain was writing Tom Sawyer and Canadians were settling on the new frontier. This included the small settlement of Hazenmore, located on Highway 13 or as it's better known, the historic "Red Coat Trail." A 1,300 kilometer route approximates the path taken in 1874 by the North West Mounted Police in their quest to bring law and order to the Canadian West. The "Red Coat Trail" meanders across the southern section of the Saskatchewan grain belt and eventually merges with the rugged terrain by the Big Muddy badlands through the picturesque Frenchman River Valley and up to historic Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills. The area along the "Red Coat Trail" and the vast expanse south to the Montana border is steeped in history; perhaps most notably, as a safe haven for outlaws, criminals, whiskey traders, half-breeds and Indians. Names like Dutch Henry, horse thief and cattle rustler, the Jones-Nelson gang, notorious stagecoach robbers, outlaw Sam Kelly, Chief Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, James Walsh, Big Bear and George Armstrong Custer are experienced by the many tourists exploring the history of this area.

South and west of Hazenmore bordering Pinto Creek, you come upon a site making current history … Sandy Bar Ranch. Four generations of Switzers have survived this rugged terrain with each generation adding value to the heritage built by previous family members. Bob’s grandfather was born in Teeswater in Bruce County, Ontario while his grandmother originated in Iowa. They homesteaded in the Stoughton area of southeastern Saskatchewan and relocated to Aneroid in the early 1920’s. Bob recalls “My granddad was a drover, trading horses and cattle. By 1930, he had accumulated a large amount of land in the area, but the “dirty thirties” virtually took all of it.”

The Angus tradition began with Bob’s father, Earl, (the second generation) who purchased his first land in the early 1940’s. Bob stated “Anytime my father had money to buy something, it would be either land or cattle. He ran black cattle from day one.” In 1945, Earl Switzer purchased his first registered Angus female using the herd prefix “Jack Creek,” then changing it to “Valley,” and in about 1970, he established the herd name “Southern Lane” which is known to breeders to this day.