Wyoming's Historic Ranches

by Nancy Weidel, Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources

Overview

Wyoming is so closely identified with ranching that it is often known as "the Cowboy State." The prosperity associated with the cattle industry drew wealthy investors to Wyoming Territory in the 1870s and early 1880s. They stocked the range with thousands of cows and made considerable fortunes until the harsh winter of 1886-1887, when the cattle market collapsed. Many of those early ranchers left Wyoming, which opened the door for the establishment of what would become a huge sheep business. During the 1890s and the early decades of the 20th century, the various Homestead Acts drew others to Wyoming in search of a brighter future. As most of Wyoming's land was suited for grazing, not farming, smaller ranches began to play a more important role in the state's growth. Wyoming's Historic Ranches provides a rare glimpse of the cattle baron ranches as well as the more modest operations that are tucked away along remote valleys and streams, not visible to the average visitor or resident of the state.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467131490
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/20/2014
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	522,814
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Author Nancy Weidel has been a historian at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office since 1992. Photographer Richard Collier, who provided most of the modern images for this book, began working for the State of Wyoming in 1983.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 The Beef Bonanza and the Open Range 9

2 The Cattle Barons 25

3 British and Scottish Investment in the Cattle Boom 37

4 The Mighty Wyoming Stock Growers Association 47

5 The Cheyenne Club 55

6 The Rise of the Sheep Business 59

7 Other Notable Ranches 71

8 Homesteading in Wyoming 79

Bibliography 127