“Committed to the Land”

Before the devastating storms of the 1880’s, large numbers of cattle populated this country, but sheep became more profitable and their herds multiplied. The terrible winter of 1919 and predators then hurt the sheep industry. This land was heavily homesteaded when the federal government encouraged World War I veterans to settle the new West by offering 320 acres to anyone who asked, but the climate proved too dry even for dry land wheat, and many settlers eventually sold out to livestock interests that remain dominant today. Because of arid conditions, early ranchers built many small reservoirs to capture precipitation from snow runoff or thunderstorms, and electricity did not reach the area until the 1950’s, making possible the drilling of water wells. Earning a living in the early agriculture of this part of Wyoming required self-reliance, with trips to town at best only once a month, and the same challenges and commitment to the land remain for ranchers today.

Wyoming · United States