The Collector Cowboy

…and his ghost town B&B

Television and movies allow us to immerse ourselves in worlds that briefly obliterate reality and provide for momentary escapism. Children and adults alike can imagine their futures as doctors, lawyers, detectives, even cowboys. For most, these worlds are mere fantasies, yet as colorful as if they were real.

But Greg Hisey is one of those rare people who actually got to live the dream. A fascinating man with a deep well of stories, he grew up on a ranch experiencing life without the boundaries of the nine-to-five daily grind.

Greg is the real deal – Stetson hat, denim, chaps and rugged good looks – a true-to-life cowboy with a smattering of celebrity.

Collector Greg Hisey is pictured with his Stetson hat, denim, and chaps.

The term ‘cowboy’ is rooted in post-Civil War U.S. history, a time during the mid-1800s when those who survived the war were looking for a new life. Some went to California where gold had been discovered. Others followed the economic upswing in the east, where beef began commanding high prices while cattle ran wild in Texas. Farmers devised a solution: hire young men to round them up then herd them to where the money was. Hence the term ‘cowboy’ was born.

Greg grew up in Nebraska, a midwestern state known for its prairies, ranches and the invention of ranch dressing (thanks to Nebraskan Steven Henson). Like most kids, Greg began working on farms and ranches when he was very young. By the time he became a teenager he was, in his words, “pretty admired as good help around horses, cattle and equipment”. With later moves to Montana, Alaska and eventually Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Greg learned just about all there was to know about farming, harvesting and the general management of farm operations. He eventually went back to working as a cowboy for a large ranch in Montana, participating in rodeos, working as a tour guide, a stunt horse rider, an extra in a Busch beer commercial and notably as a stunt double for actor Jon Voight.

So how did he have time to become a collector – a breed unto itself and almost as thrilling as being a cowboy? As Miller & Miller Auctions can attest, collectors are an exciting, sometimes quirky bunch and dedicated to their collections. Despite what many think, collections are always thoughtfully assembled, albeit often with meaning only apparent to the collector. This is the mind of a collector and a cowboy alike. It’s in their blood.

Greg’s collecting started when he took up roots in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. He began by restoring, building, buying and selling wagons, eventually finding two rare Montana sheep wagons, the germ of a project that would eventually become known as “Ghostown Blues”. He created a destination bed and breakfast, drawing visitors from around the world with its assembly of original converted wagons, homestead cabins and old trucks from Prairie ghost towns. They were abandoned, unwanted and sad looking items that appeared to ‘have the blues’, hence the name.

A peek inside the ‘church’ that Hisey moved, restored, and used as the meeting place for his B&B guests, and later, to display his collection. Many of the items in these photos are included in the April 13th auction.

Greg filled his little ghost town with hand-picked antiques all tracing back to the old west, many of which are now being offered in Miller & Miller’s April 13, 2024 sale, Advertising, Canadiana & Historic Objects.

The eclectic collection of farm-related early western transportation, veterinary medicine memorabilia, advertising and general store collectibles reflects not only history, but Greg’s own past, his loves and a life lived as a genuine cowboy.