Tippett
John Tippett was a native of Cornwall, England, and he and Frank Bassett discovered the primary mine at nearby Glencoe. After that town died in the mid-1890s Tippett married Bassett's sister Alice and settled in Antelope Valley. A post office serving the area's ranches opened in 1896 with Mr. Tippett as postmaster, and a biweekly stage brought mail from Cherry Creek. Mr. Tippett also operated the Tippett Mercantile Company until his death in 1906. Alice Tippett remained at and kept the store operating (along with her brother Frank), and in 1914 married Gus Sellas, a newly naturalized Greek immigrant. Their ranch and store were conveniently located on the new Lincoln Highway, and in 1916 Sellas's brother William joined them.
Operations continued at Tippett until Alice's death in 1924. Gus returned briefly to Greece before remarrying and returning to Tippett until his own death in 1930. Around this time, the Lincoln Highway was also rerouted to Wendover, bypassing Tippett by some thirty miles. These hardships along with the Great Depression severely impacted business, and William bought out Gus's widow. Along with his sister Helen and her husband Pete Marvis, the family kept up the ranch and store until both men died - Pete in 1954 and William in 1969.
The Tippett Ranch was sold off in 1970, and over the last several decades has continued to function. It is unknown when the store finally closed, but that building stood empty for years before its removal about 2014. The ranch is still private property and occupied today, so permission should be obtained prior to visiting.
