Larry Bacon (Enterprise) is a silversmith known for his custom-made Western style riding gear. A retired rancher, he now exclusively turns out made-to-order bits, spurs, buckles, and jewelry—artistic creations that are as easily displayed as worn. His work is commissioned for rodeo prizes and gifts.
Bio
At the annual Chief Joseph Days Rodeo in Joseph, Oregon, the all-around winner takes home a stunning work of local craftsmanship: a pair of Larry Bacon’s engraved silver spurs. Even though the Bacon Ranch is remote, it is well-known as one of the area’s longest-running family ranches—and the place to call if you want custom-made riding gear. Bacon’s grandfather, Lorenzo, homesteaded the family ranch in 1884. His grandson, Larry Bacon, has spent his career running beef cattle, raising grain crops, and operating an active silversmithing business on the side. Silversmithing ran in the family: “My father had a pair of spurs that his brother Ben had made. I thought those were pretty neat. So I talked my father into teaching me how to run the forge and forge out a pair of spurs. And I always had a thought in the back of my mind that I could make some like that.” Bacon finally got that opportunity in 1986. He traveled to Nampa, Idaho to study with master engraver Elmer Miller. With the knowledge he acquired from that crucial week of training, Bacon returned home and started an active silversmithing business. Today, Bacon’s son Cody Bacon has taken over the operation of the ranch, freeing up his father to advance his passion for silverwork. Larry Bacon turns out made-to-order bits, spurs, buckles, and jewelry—artistic creations that could as easily be displayed as worn. Many of his customers commission work as gifts for loved ones. In the local riding and ranching culture, nothing represents regional pride and heritage like fine Western silverwork.
