This idea first began as I was sitting in Afghanistan but before I tell you about the idea, I have to lay the backdrop for what may have sparked this whole idea in the first place. 

In high school I worked on a 380-acre cattle ranch for the gentleman that we rented our house from. It was quite the experience and became a part of my persona throughout my early adulthood. I dressed like a cowboy, rode horses, chased cattle, and I loved it. It was so much a part of who I was that when I was stationed in South Korea I was known by the nickname "Cowboy". 

In 2009, while in Afghanistan, I began to daydream about living in a wild west town and what life would have been like to live like that. It would only take a small spark to get that idea rolling and before I knew it, I had fallen headfirst in a rabbit hole of research into living history, business structure, multiple businesses, laws, statutes, and architecture. The interesting thing was all of it came together so smoothly when I put it down on paper. All of it except the financial part of it. The concept was good, the research was complete, and the plans were drafted out, but the money just wasn't there.

The overall idea seemed like a dream come true. I got to play the part of whoever I wanted, run a business and a town, and make money in the process. The basic concept for the idea was to build an entire town that would resemble an 1880's community from the frontier era. It would have a hotel, saloon, general store, jail, bath house, church, and of course cabins that could be rented.

I don't want to divulge too much but I'm sure you can get the concept that there would be people working at each of these places playing the parts of these characters. The basic operation would be much like any other living history museum. 

In the midst of gathering the information to put this plan together while I was still in my "dream state" I had to face the reality that funding would be an issue. As a person that was not very financially stable at one point in time, I knew that I would not be able to finance an operation of this scale. 

With the overall cost of land and construction in 2009, it was an estimated $250k-$500k. With the current rates of inflation and material cost, the price to make this a reality is going to be so high that there is no conceivable way that I could finance this on my own without investors and financial backing. 

Even though the cost for this project is more than I could have imagined in the beginning, I am still looking to move the plan forward. I have been looking for a good piece of investment property that would be suitable for the needs of the town. The plan will begin with the purchase of the property. My family will be full-time residents in order to continue working on the development of the town. 

Once the area is cleared for construction, the first building to be erected will be the Hotel. This will give us the opportunity to begin generating income for the future development of other businesses. The marketing strategy will initially be one similar to a bed and breakfast. As the funds become available, other buildings will be erected and businesses developed. 

The early businesses will have the opportunity to partner with us to promote the town together. This can be an opportunity for those that love living history to have their own business in a location that is created just for that purpose.

Although it may seem like a huge endeaver, great distances have been traveled one step at a time.