Ranching on the Powder River

From the top of the Big Horn Mountains on the west to the Pumpkin Buttes on the east, this area evolved with grazing animals, from bison and other wildlife hunted by nomadic Indians to the vast herds of cattle brought in by foreign investors in the late 1800's. Free grazing by foreign investors ended as homesteaders arrived, lured by the American dream of owning land and starting new lives while learning to live in harmony with the land. The Johnson County Cattle War in 1889 (sic) was the culmination of the clash between the homesteaders and the free grazing cattle baron. With irrigation and range management, these new citizens of the Powder River country made the valley bloom. Irrigation, stock water development, and predator management enabled ranchers in this region to sustain cattle and sheep operations, resulting in a dramatic increase in the diversity and numbers of wildlife in this once treeless environment. The additional water and forage created many recreation and natural resource opportunities, and the area remains a major sheep and cattle producing region where many hard working and independent families make a sustainable living through stewardship of the land that protects open spaces.

Kaycee, Wyoming · United States