In the heart of Coleman County, Texas, where mesquite trees meet the skies, a legacy continues to thrive. The Miller family’s Cow Creek Ranch is more than a piece of land, it’s a living monument to generational grit, enduring tradition, and the pioneering spirit of the American West continued by Jeff and Ashlee Miller, along with their daughter Braylin.
Meet the Millers: A Ranching Family Rooted in Legacy
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Conley, 20X Reins, and 20X Dakota Ridge
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Conley, 20X Reins, and 20X Dakota Ridge
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Conley, 20X Reins, and 20X Dakota Ridge
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Conley, 20X Reins, and 20X Dakota Ridge
It all began with Joseph Phillip Morris, a trail driver born in 1849 to German immigrant parents. At just 15, Morris was hauling supplies from Mexico City to San Antonio — unknowingly laying the groundwork for a legacy that would span centuries.
“It’s a job for us, and that’s what it was for him,” Ashlee said. "He saddled up where he was working and that was everyday life to him. It wasn't extraordinary, it was just another day in the saddle. He certainly wasn't thinking about how the movies would sensationalize it today."
By the 1870s, he was one of the first men to lead thousands of Texas longhorns into the Black Hills of South Dakota, providing beef for Native American reservations under government contracts. His efforts fed settlers, pioneers, and military forts across the American frontier.
Morris’s last cattle drive never left Texas. In 1884, he traded longhorn steers for a herd of branded mother cows and laid down roots in Coleman County, building a cattle empire of over 100,000 acres. With an eye for opportunity, he expanded into banking, loans operations and real estate, eventually becoming a respected philanthropist and civic leader. He helped build schools, hospitals, and infrastructure throughout DeWitt and Coleman counties.
His enduring legacy is marked not only in land, but in letters — vivid records of adventures, friendships, and devotion to family, still cherished by descendants to this day.
“My grandad, J.P. Miller Jr., went up to South Dakota in the mid-1940s and they bought two ranches in South Dakota. My dad and uncle were raised in South Dakota,” Jeff said.
Tom C. Miller, Jeff’s father, went on to leave his own mark, not just in ranching, but in rodeo.
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Wildfire and 20X Riverton
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Wildfire and 20X Riverton
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Wildfire and 20X Riverton
The Miller Family wearing the 20X Wildfire and 20X Riverton
Tom was recently inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, he became one of rodeo’s most respected saddle bronc riders — sharing the record for the most National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc average titles after winning in 1975, 1979, and 1981.
He went on to qualify for the NFR six times and nearly clinched a world title in 1981 but fell short by just $5.28.
Tom’s impact extended beyond competition. A PRCA judge for more than two decades, he was selected to judge the NFR five times and served on both the PRCA Rules and Humane Committees. He was inducted into the Casey Tibbs Foundation in 1994 and the Black Hill State University Hall of Fame in 2011. For over 30 years, Tom taught and mentored young bronc riders across the country, leaving a mark on the sport and its future.
The love for rodeo runs deep in the Miller family.
Jeff and Ashlee met through rodeo, crossing paths in youth competitions, college rodeos at Montana State and eventually graduating together from Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Jeff rode saddle broncs at pro rodeos and qualified for both the Badlands and Texas Circuit Finals before focusing full-time on ranching. While at Montana State University, he was on two national champion rodeo teams and his team took home the national title while at Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Ashlee won the Women’s National Finals Rodeo Breakaway Roping 2000 world title, average title, and the rookie title — all in the same year. And in 1994, she was crowned Miss Rodeo North Dakota and won 1st Runner-Up at the Miss Rodeo America contest.
Their daughter Braylin continues the tradition, competing in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, and breakaway roping. Most recently, she’s qualified for the CINCH World Championship Junior Rodeo.
Since 1884, Cow Creek Ranch has remained in continuous operation by the same family.
Named after the creek that runs through the land, Cow Creek Ranch reflects the dynamic spirit of modern-day ranching while staying rooted in tradition. Today, the Millers run commercial Angus cattle, maintain a registered Longhorn herd, and manage wildlife.
“When we moved down here in ‘96 to take over the ranch for my grandparents, I realized that hunting and wildlife were a big part of Texas ranching,” Jeff explained. “We started managing the wildlife and ended up high fencing the ranch. It allows us to manage the native white-tailed deer herd year-round.”
Ashlee was raised in a rodeo family that farmed and ranched in North Dakota and Jeff, born in Texas, was raised in a ranching and rodeo family in South Dakota. They moved to their legacy property one year after getting married and have been on the property ever since.
“It’s not easy,” Ashlee admitted. “It’s not an easy task to be saddled with making it work as it did a hundred years ago. Ranching has changed. You have to step it up and be multifaceted to continue with operations. Our family appreciates the heritage so much that it’s easy for us to choose the challenge and be here. We want to keep the tradition alive for as long as possible.”
Some of Jeff’s fondest memories growing up in South Dakota include feeding with the team of horses and sled before school. Being raised with an appreciation for tradition directly bleeds into how their ranch operates today, still using horses for all their cattle work.
Their longhorns have earned world titles, and 16-year-old Braylin proudly shows them. Most recently, the Resistol crew roped the longhorn for an infamous shot, only for the same cow to place 2nd at the Texas Longhorn Jr. Nationals.
“J.P.’s property was paid for by the sale of longhorns that he took up north,” Ashlee said. “Now, we have longhorns that Braylin shows. We’ve circled back to our roots, and we never planned that.”
In addition to ranching, the Millers run Slick Rock Designs, a custom furniture and western interiors company, which has taken them to major shows like the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. And their work doesn’t stop there. A big part of Cow Creek Ranch’s mission is giving back.
They partner with NDC Outdoor Legacy, a nonprofit that brings veterans, youth, and church groups out to the ranch for a healing week of fishing, hunting, and fellowship.
“Some of the veterans have gotten emotional with us at times because they’re so appreciative of the opportunity to spend the weekend on the ranch and forget about some of what they’ve been through,” Jeff said.
Cow Creek Ranch still includes buildings from 1910, once used by sharecroppers under J.P. Morris. Ashlee and Jeff are restoring these relics of the past — not as museum pieces, but as daily reminders of the ambitious spirit that built the ranch in the first place.
“It’s glorious to go be a cowboy or a cowgirl, but it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to make it work,” Ashlee explained. “We appreciate where we came from and look back to see how far we’ve been able to bring it up in its modern era and continue the legacy.”
From cattle drives in the 1870s to modern-day rodeo arenas and wildlife stewardship in 2025, the story of Cow Creek Ranch is one of continuity.
Resistol. We Live It Every Day.