FRANK JOSEPH BUTTON  1855-1938

Frank was born in Danby Four Corners, Vermont on April 20, 1855.  He made his home there with his parents, Joseph and Melissa (Hulett) Button, until he was nine years old.  The family then came to California by boat, having made the voyage around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.  After settling in California, Button attended Santa Rosa High School.  Continuing his education, he attended the North Pacific Methodist College at Santa Rosa, of the six children in the family, Frank was the eldest.

Frank Button, and his Uncle I.V. Button, came to Humboldt County, Nevada in 1873.  They bought six-hundred head of cattle, and arrived in Winnemucca to find a few houses, a ferry across the Humboldt River, and Bridge Street paved with sagebrush stubs to keep the wagons from sinking into the sand.  Going North, Button and his Uncle settled in the Midas area, 50 miles East of Winnemucca, Nevada.  From an Indian there, for fifty dollars and a saddle horse, I.V. Button bought ground that was to spearhead the famous Double-Square Ranch and then later two ranches and 4,000 square miles of range.

The Double Square was first a cattle ranch, but horses were valuable then and the Buttons soon converted, an amazing herd of several thousand horses.  Indicative of the value of horses, a recorded sale of livestock in 1887 list seventeen head of cattle that brought an average of $14.00 per head, whereas a six year old mare brought $135.00.

Despite early trouble with the Indians, the Buttons herd thrived.  Frank Button in many Indian skirmishes.  Double Square saddle horses were in demand by the U.S. army, the San Francisco Police Department and neighboring Nevada Ranchers.  The herd was also famous for its beautiful, perfectly matched sets of horses often seen in parades.  Frank Button and his Uncle were charter members of Nevada’s first Cattle Association, and the original owners of the Double Square Brand.  I.V. Button sold the Double Square Ranch in 1885 and moved to Berkeley, California.  However, this was just the beginning of a long ranching career for Frank Button in Humboldt County.  Frank then engaged in horse raising on another Ranch further up the Little Humboldt River until that Ranch was sold.

On August 25, 1888, Frank Button, Libby Shallenberger, Charles Miller and Lenore Shallenberger (Mrs. Button’s sister) were married in a Double wedding ceremony at Golconda, Nevada.

Charles Muller served as Deputy to Sheriff Graham Lamb and George Brady from 1903 to 1925. Frank was named superintendent of vast holdings of the Bliss Bros., and Mr. and Mrs. Button made their home at the CS ranch at Button Point.

Frank passed away  December 19, 1938.

Frank Joseph Button was inducted into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame in September 1992.