OROVADA - When Juan Antonio Ugalde, who was born in 1889, left his hometown of Ea, Viscaya, Spain, he may not have foreseen the legacy that he would leave in the high desert community and surrounding area of McDermitt. Traveling by way of Liverpool, England, and the Philippine's he made his way to the Pacific coast of the United States, arriving in 1904 at the age of 15. He traveled to northern Nevada where he worked for the well known Miller and Lux outfit. His wife, Paula Maria Bengoa Erquiaga, was born in Anguelucho, Viscaya Spain, in 1893 and immigrated to New York City in 1911 before going on to Winnemucca. Juan and Paula were married in 1915 and that same year bought the 9-Mile Ranch in Kings River, where they raised sheep and cattle to make a living for themselves and the eight children born to them - James, Emillio, Aurelia, Helen, Ted, Annie, Dan (who along with his family still live on the home place at 9-Mile) and the youngest, Adolpho.
Elsie (Kershner) Holloway, the daughter of Dave and Nannie Kershner, had grown up on the Squaw Creek Ranch near Marsing, Idaho. She was a single mother with three children - Connie, Kenny and Dave Holloway - and Adolpho became an instant dad when he and Elsie married in 1960. A year later their new son/baby brother, McDermitt Combined School Alumni Kap Ugalde, was born on Aug. 1, 1961.
Kap lived his first three years in Paradise Valley, where his dad worked for Lyman Schwartz. The rest of his preschool years were at Alder Creek Ranch in Denio and Trout Creek Ranch in Fields, Ore. Kap recalls his brother Kenny was old enough to have a motorcycle by then and when he asked to take Kap for a ride their mom said," OK but don't let Kap drive!" Needless to say when they were out of sight, on a very rough road, Kenny let Kap drive and the inevitable happened. Kap had his first wreck at the age of 5 and the two brothers had enough injuries that they couldn't "fib" their way out of it!!
Kap started first grade in Fields before going on to French Glenn, Ore. Later Adolpho went to work for his brother Ted who owned Flat Creek Ranch in Orovada and they lived on the Lower Flat Creek place that now belongs to Leo and Donna Harrer. Kap says that Orovada third grade teacher, Margret Barber, was one of his best - "She was great!" Four years later he was in seventh grade in Salmon, Idaho, where Adolpho shod horses and built racing chariots. The school was bigger than any Kap had gone to and when he tried out the fire alarm (which he then couldn't shut off) it caused quite a stir as the school was evacuated while they tried to locate the "fire." It was another incident that Kap wasn't able to "fib" his way out of!!
The next summer was spent at the Home Ranch in Orovada with his friend Bob Shaft, the son of Kenny Shaft the ranch manager. When he returned to Salmon he used the money Kenny had given him for working to buy a two man rubber raft. He and his friend David would put it in the Lemhi River and float about a mile downstream then pack it back up the river to go again. On their last fateful trip a big pine tree had fallen across the fast running river making it impassable. As the boys couldn't get out of the water in time Kap found himself stuck in the tree limbs. He finally reached shore losing only his hat and an oar - a "potential tragedy" that he "was" able to get himself out of!!
Kap's parents leased the 45 Ranch from Burt and Pearl Brown on the Owyhee Desert the year Kap started high school. He stayed in McDermitt with some of his mom's family, Dick and Sharon Swisher whose son Jack (also a McDermitt alumni) was the same age. (Could it have been double trouble!?) Kap says that Home EC class with Mrs. Ross was fun and he liked Coach Copeland and history/government teacher Barb Ferguson, but it was Mr. Fred Smilie who stood on a pillar for teaching life lessons! He played all sports during his high school career and says that while they were not too successful his first two years, it turned around his junior year when they started winning and he was named the All-State Tailback for football. His senior year his parents moved into town as his dad began working at the McDermitt Mine and he got to live at home with them. Kap participated in the program that the mine had for students, working in the maintenance shop with Tom Kerns, Skeeter Lasa and Cliff Donaldson for Chuck Johnson. He worked various places during summer vacations including for Bob Campbell at the Lucky 7 Ranch; the Curly Angel Powerline Construction Company (who had a sub contract with Harney Electric) where his brother Kenny was a foreman; and for Don Dufurrena at the Lucky 7.
Graduating in 1979 Kap wasn't sure what he would study in college, and was concerned about the expense, so a series of ranch jobs followed. Always ready for a new challenge, in 1981 he earned his pilot's license and started flying airplanes. In 1982 he went to work for Don Miller on the Double O Ranch by Burns, Ore.; the Hackleman place by Paulina; and the Rock Creek Ranch at French Glenn.
On Sept. 24, 1983, Kap married Cathy Dunbar, the daughter of Red and Margret Dunbar - he was 22 years old and she was 19. He recalls first knowing Cathy when he was 7 and she was 4. Kap and Cathy's older brother would chase her through the Roaring Springs Ranch orchard trying to rope her. He says, "It took me 12 years to catch her - she was pretty fast!!" They have now been married 28 years.
Kap and Cathy moved to the Rex Clemens Ranch in Diamond, Ore., staying at the headquarters in the winter and moving in May to the summer camp at the Riddle Place on the Steens Mountains to care for 600 head of cows. The two-story log cabin they lived in, while very comfortable, had no electricity or modern amenities - they had to pump water, use a propane refrigerator and a wood cook stove - and outside there was a "neat" old barn. Their daughter Darcy was born on June 15, 1985, and they stayed on the ranch for two more years before moving to Burns. There Kap worked for Alan's Repair Shop as a welder and their son Shane was born on Oct. 21, 1988. They bought a new double wide home placing it on Cathy's parents place and Kap commuted to Burns for work.
In 1989 he heard that there would be an opening at the power company. Kap and his family stayed with foreman Rod Hoagland and his wife Cindy while they moved their year-old home to Fields and Kap started a career with Harney Electric, beginning with a 2½-year apprenticeship to become a licensed journeyman. After 16 years he was sidelined by a back injury that had a long healing time. When he was finally able to rejoin the work force he spent two years at the Trout Creek Ranch before he began working part time in 2007 as winter help for NDOT supervisor Dave Gourley of Orovada. Now after four years full time at NDOT, Kap enjoys the work and the men he works with boss - Curtis Tollesfrud, and co-workers Arnold Sam and Barron Santiago. He stays at the Denio Station during the week and on weekends he joins Kathy at home on property they bought in 1991 at Fields. They have a few cows and horses, and spend spare time working on landscaping. Cathy works at the Fields school; is a state brand inspector; and when her dad needs extra help at his place - she and Kap are there in their off hours.
Kap is proud of his kids - Darcy graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Animal Science and works for the Farm Service Agency in Hines, Ore. Shane started college but was badly injured while riding a bronc on the college rodeo circuit, and rather than going back to college he went to flight school, and is now a helicopter pilot. He works for the county part time and works for his Grandpa Red on his ranch.
Kap would tell McDermitt students, "Enjoy the sports, your friends and classmates but - don't monkey around - take learning seriously! While I have had a good life I wish I had worked harder on scholastics because once you leave school, the learning opportunities are not always so easy!"
Sharon Falen's column on McDermitt alumni appears the first Tuesday of each month in the Humboldt Sun.
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