He sounds like John Wayne, and cares about the Constitution and freedom like Cleon Skousen. Born in Cache Valley, and raised in Box Elder County on the old Fort Ranch, which was 23,000 acres just west of the Promontory Mountains, Don Dunbar says he’s a “dyed-in-the wool” cowboy. Descended from his LDS convert and immigrant Grandfather Dunbar, who came from Scotland in 1879, Don cares about freedom of all types. He says he still dreams of the days on the old Fort Ranch. He still loves the freedom and solitude of the almost open range.
When he was 30 years old and living at the ranch, his stepfather, Claude Staples, and his mother sold the Fort Ranch because of federal controls and increased taxes. That was a devastating blow to Dunbar as he really loved the ranch and wanted to stay there. He said he came to realize the cause was governmental impact on private property, and vowed to do what he appropriately could do to protect others and all of us from governmental unconstitutional action. However, sometimes the government needs defending and he has fought on the side of the government, too.
Don Dunbar said he has lived all around the West, working as a hired cowboy. He said he has also been to Alaska, and has been chased by bears and moose. He has worked as a wildlands firefighter, but of all things, he says he likes to ride a good quarter horse. If he could take his horse, a bedroll, and some beans, he would be happy to just camp out under the stars. Yet, when he was growing up, he said he just loved the TV series Star Trek.
He admits he likes to write, and is a prolific ‘letter to the editor’ writer, having written his first letter to the editor when he was 12 years old. He wrote a book about his father, Marv Dunbar, who Don says is “the most superb horseman that ever lived”. The book, called A Man Born to Ride, is available on Amazon.com. Don says his father, who was all-around champion cowboy in Utah for 7 years straight, was unbeatable in all of the rodeo events. Don’s father is currently being inducted into the Utah Cowboy Hall of Fame. Currently, Don is writing a book about his step father, Claude Staples, called Like the Man Said, and plans to write a third book to complete the trilogy.
Who is Don Dunbar? He’s a John Wayne sounding cowboy currently living in Box Elder County, who is dedicated to freedom and Constitutional issues, “fighting for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and property rights.” A pleasure to meet and know—you won’t find anyone like him!
