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Frank M. Rothrock: Spokane Stockman, Shorthorn Breeder and Mining Executive

A butcher who moved from Indiana to Idaho became the Pacific Northwest's leading Shorthorn breeder and a silver-lead-zinc executive.

Who was Frank Miles Rothrock?

Frank Miles Rothrock is one of those western stockmen whose name turns up in several industries at once. He raised sheep, became the most significant Shorthorn cattle breeder in the Pacific Northwest, bought a major stockyard and finished his career as an executive in one of the largest silver-lead-zinc mining companies in the country. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's Hall of Great Westerners inducted him in 1959, two years after his death.

The sources that survive online are short, so this profile sticks to what they document. The Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Foundation profile gives the outline of his career, and a collection description from Archives West adds the stockyard chapter.

From an Indiana butcher to a Spokane livestock company

In 1894 Rothrock moved from Indiana to Idaho and went to work as a butcher. That is the only documented first step: a young man in a mining and ranching region where beef and mutton had to move from pasture to table, and where the people who handled the meat saw the livestock business from the buyer's side.

Ten years later, in 1904, he settled in Spokane, Washington, and established the Rothrock Land and Live Stock Company. Spokane sat at the center of the Inland Northwest's range country and mining districts, which made it a natural headquarters for someone who wanted both. He would stay based there for the rest of his working life.

Sheep first, then the Shorthorn herd

Rothrock began with sheep. The Portrait Foundation's account says his early focus was a sheep operation, and he rose to president of the Washington Wool Growers' Association, an office that shows his standing among the region's flock owners.

Within a few years, though, cattle took the lead. He became the most significant Shorthorn breeder in the Pacific Northwest and served as president of the American Shorthorn Breeders Association. That was a national post in a breed that dominated American purebred registrations in his day, as the next section explains.

Why Shorthorns mattered in his era

The Shorthorn was known as the Farmer's Cow. The Heritage Shorthorn Society reports that registrations with the American Shorthorn Association reached the highest numbers in its history during the 1910s, with more than 118,000 animals registered in 1918 alone. Those same years brought the Cooperative Extension Service and a push to improve livestock productivity.

A breeder who led the Shorthorn association in that period was therefore working inside the largest purebred beef movement in the country. Rothrock's Northwest herd was part of that national effort rather than a regional curiosity.

Stockyards and silver: the business beyond cattle

In 1930 Rothrock acquired the Old Union Stockyards in Spokane. The Archives West description says he developed it into one of the region's largest stock auction houses. A stockyard turns a breeder's interest in good cattle into a marketplace, and it gave him a hand in how Northwest livestock were priced and sold.

He was also invested in mining companies throughout these years. After the heart of his herd was dispersed in 1934, he focused on mining management. When a dozen companies merged as Day Mines, Inc., in 1947, the result was one of the largest silver-lead-zinc companies in the United States, and Rothrock served as vice president of its board. The Portrait Foundation page notes that the Hercules Mine and Mill at Burke, Idaho, was one of the properties consolidated into Day Mines.

The Key to Rothrock's Success

The documented record points to a man who refused to depend on one commodity. Sheep, Shorthorns, stockyard fees and mine shares each rose and fell on different cycles, and Rothrock held positions in all of them.

The sources do not say why the herd was dispersed in 1934, so no motive is claimed here. What the record shows is that he had another large business ready when the cattle operation wound down.

  • He started small and local, as an Idaho butcher, then built a company in Spokane in 1904.
  • He ran sheep and cattle side by side before concentrating on Shorthorn breeding.
  • He took leadership roles, including the Washington wool growers and the American Shorthorn Breeders Association.
  • He bought into the marketing end of the business with the Old Union Stockyards in 1930.
  • He kept mining investments alongside livestock and moved into mine management after the 1934 dispersal.
  • He gave purebred calves to University of Idaho students to raise and exhibit, with sale proceeds helping students in financial need.

Honors, legacy and where to read more

The Hall of Great Westerners inducted Rothrock in 1959. His work with university students is a quieter part of the record: the calves he donated let University of Idaho students learn purebred cattle handling and use the sale money for tuition help.

Anyone following his story should know the limits of the evidence. His birthplace, family and the full history of his herd are not covered in the pages reviewed. For stories from the ranching world he moved in, browse the ranching section of farm.FM, or read a farm.FM story on Shorthorn breeders.

Timeline

  1. 1870Frank Miles Rothrock born
  2. 1894Moves from Indiana to Idaho and works as a butcher
  3. 1904Settles in Spokane and founds Rothrock Land and Live Stock Company
  4. 1930Acquires the Old Union Stockyards in Spokane
  5. 1934The heart of his Shorthorn herd is dispersed
  6. 1947Day Mines, Inc. formed from a dozen companies; Rothrock becomes board vice president
  7. 1957Dies
  8. 1959Inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners

Frequently asked questions

Who was Frank M. Rothrock?

Frank Miles Rothrock (1870-1957) was a Spokane stockman who led Pacific Northwest Shorthorn breeding, headed the Washington Wool Growers' Association and later served as vice president of Day Mines, Inc.

What breed did Frank Rothrock raise?

He began with sheep and became the Pacific Northwest's most significant Shorthorn cattle breeder, later serving as president of the American Shorthorn Breeders Association.

Was Frank Rothrock in the Hall of Great Westerners?

Yes. The Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Foundation reports that he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1959.

What was Day Mines, Inc.?

Day Mines was formed in 1947 when a dozen mining companies merged. It became one of the largest silver-lead-zinc companies in the United States, and Rothrock sat on its board as vice president.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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