Tillman Glaze purchased 160 acres in 1881, which today is the southeastern meadow of Black Butte Ranch. He built a small log cabin. In 1883 Joe Glaze and Mossy Barnes built a split rail fence around the property. Some of the fence survives today. The large swampy meadow provided summer range for a few cattle and horses. However, swamp grass was not as nourishing as Central Oregon’s famous bunch grass and the horses often wandered off the swampy Glaze meadow. In 1889 he sold the property

There is an interesting story behind the building of the split rail fence. In 1882, Mossy Barnes shot and killed Mike Morgan near Prineville. Mossy contended it was self defense. In 1882 Wasco County included all of the land that today is Crook County. If Mossy had turned himself in at the time of the shooting his trial would have been held in The Dalles. He was concerned that he wouldn’t get a fair trial that far from home. Meanwhile, legislation was pending to create Crook County, making Prineville the county seat, in which a trial could be held. Mossy was advised to make himself scarce for a while. So he headed out to Tillman’s cabin making himself useful building the fence to keep the horses and cows in the meadow. When Prineville became county seat, Mossy turned himself in and was acquitted of murder.

In the early 1970s, Warren Glaze, Tillman’s son, visited Black Butte Ranch with author Frances Juris of Prineville. Warren said that some of his “most memorable envents” were those summers he spent at their Black Butte cabin. Warren Glaze recalled finding obsidian flakes near the site of the small cabin, obvious evidence of the use of the land by Indians. He also remembered one time when they saw Indians camped beside Indian Ford Creek. The Indians had created a deep pool in the creek bed. They were taking sweat baths in their teepees; then jumping into the icy stream water to cool off.