Ranching in Wyoming

Long-horned cattle were driven to Wyoming from Texas on the Chisholm, Western, and Goodnight Loving Trails, while Herefords were shipped from the British Isles and cattle also poured into the territory from the Midwest. By 1885, Wyoming rangeland was overstocked with an estimated two million head valued at nearly $100 million. Many people were drawn to Wyoming by its open plains and grazing land, hoping to raise cattle and make a name for themselves in the West. George Lawsen, born in Iowa, came to southern Campbell County near where Wright, Wyoming, would later be, then known as section 6, Township 42, Range 41. He said his family bought some land from the Wilmots, first lived in a tar paper shack, then built their own home and began to farm and raise cattle. Wyoming still has many ranches that raise cattle, buffalo, and horses and produce their own hay and feed for their animals.

Wright, Wyoming · United States