Our fences give your property that look of authenticity.
The look that says, “I belong here”.
How the West was fenced.
Jack fence is a time-honored tradition in these parts, and is made completely out of native conifers. It’s just as practical of a fence now as it was back in the old days, since all the materials are available locally in our great forests. In fact, jack fence far preceded barbed wire in this area. It was the cheapest way to build fence for livestock, since most of the homesteaders had free labor through the hordes of kids they raised!
It was also proven to keep free-roaming bison off homesteads around the National Park, as old-timers attributed that the bison assumed the fence to be “downed timber” and it acted as a natural barrier.
From Garl:
The craft of jack fence is in my blood and part of my heritage. It was my Swiss-German forebears that brought jack fence to the US.
Back in the homestead days, immigrants to the Greater Yellowstone area such as Garl’s great-grandfather brought their customs from “the old country” along with them. Just as they carried on their tradition of building dovetail notched log cabins, these immigrants brought jack fence to the West during the same era.
Scandinavian homestead charm.
Heritage Fence is excited to now offer a centuries-old Norwegian fence style, called skigard. 🇳🇴
• Skigard is built entirely from wood and willow branches—no fasteners needed! The willow branches naturally harden like wire.
• The diagonals are made of locally-harvested Lodgepole pine, and the posts (called “staur”) are imported from Norway.
• Skigard is a durable, rustic, and charming fence that will make your property stand out.
From Garl:
Our family has a special connection to Norway. As long as I can remember we’ve had Norwegians come work on our family ranch in the summertime, and we enjoy sharing our cultures with each other. They help us cut poles from the forest and build jack fence on the ranch.
I got to visit Norway recently and came across this unique fence style (skigard) when visiting friends in a rural, agricultural area. I saw that it was also quite popular around ski areas.
It’s surprising to me that skigard didn’t get brought to the US with Norwegian immigrants in the old days. I would love to know why!
“Let me share my heritage with you.”
- Garl Germann, proprietor
