Eugene Blanchard Williams was born on September 3, 1927 in Sheridan, Wyoming to Laura and George Frederick Williams. As an only child, he spent his youth growing up on the Williams’ family ranch on Piney Creek in Sheridan County. The ranch today is known as the Ellenwood...
John Sussex was born in Goodland, Kansas April 30, 1926. His parents lived on a farm 16 miles NE of Goodland. They raised wheat, horses, cattle and hogs. At the age of 10, John moved with his brother, two sisters and parents to a ranch SE of Holyoke, CO. After three years,...
Johnny was born in Lusk, Wyoming in the summer of 1895. He went off to WWI where his job was a mule skinner, which was not a fitting job for a real cowboy according to Johnny. After returning from the war, Johnny cowboyed for several outfits and somewhere around 1918 went...
James Stoll was born in Burris, Wyoming to John and Betty Stoll on September 22, 1916. He and his eleven siblings were raised on the Stoll Ranch at Burris, Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation. In the early 1900’s, his father and mother moved to Fremont County from their...
Christy K. Smith was born November 27, 1916 on the Pride of the Prairie Ranch, Weston County, Wyoming. He devoted his life to ranching and farming. When Christy was five years old he drove the stacker team in the hay field. In eighth grade in broke two broncs going four...
John H. “Jack” Simpson was born in Logan County Colorado near Ilif in 1911 to Bertha A. and Howard H. Simpson. He spent his younger years in Logan County. As a boy he would deliver milk with a horse and wagon to help the family with living expenses. He graduated from Iliff...
In 1878, Roscoe Newton’s father James C. Shaw came to Wyoming with a trail herd from Texas. He settled on a ranch near Orin Junction, Wyoming along the Platte River. Peach was born October 12, 1896 near Orin Junction, WY to James C. and Elizabeth Shaw. Peach had six...
Carl Schweighart was born on September 27, 1926 at the family homestead on Cottonwood Creek in Washakie County. Carl is one of nine children born to Charles and Wilhelmine Schweighart. He attended elementary school through the 8th grade at the Schweighart School and then...
Charles A. (Chuck) Sanger was born October 7, 1937 in Rawlins, Wyoming. His parents, Charles J. and Millicent resided on the Sanger Ranch. He was born a fifth generation member of the Sanger family. His great, great grandfather Elijah Moore homesteaded a portion of the...
Stanford Sanford (Stan) was born in Fort Morgan, Colorado, August 20, 1914 to his parents Archie and Lillie Sanford (Moore). The family lived on their ranch, the Eagle’s Nest, located between Ft Morgan and Greeley, CO. At age two Stan and his family moved to Wyoming. They...
Jack was born on April 21, 1934. He did more with young people and gave more people a chance than anyone around. Jack spent some time working for the Ravenscrofts when they owned part of what is now TA. He also worked for Willard Wilson at Thermopolis when he was a young...
The youngest of 3 children Willis “Bill” Ruby was born in Stapleton Nebraska on August 8, 1928 to Guy and Mabel Ruby. He was raised on the home ranch/farm which consisted of cattle, and putting up corn and oats. In Stapleton he attended a one room country school house,...
Frank Benjamin Robbins, nicknamed “Wild Horse Robbins”, referred to in newspapers nationwide as the “Wild Horse King of the West”, was born November 7, 1894 in Boxelder, Wyoming. He was the youngest of six boys and a girl born to Frank Benjamin and Susie Robbins. Robbins...
Murl was born August 23, 1903 near Eagle Peak, Wyoming in Northern Albany County. He was the first son of Walter “Skinny” and Maud (Newell) Robbins. Murl had two brothers, Jim and Arthur, and a sister, Mary. Growing up, Murl lived with, and worked for, his aunt and uncle,...
Norman Henry Richie was born March 23, 1933 in Green River, Wyoming to Everett J. “Ebb” Richie and Ellen Williams Richie. He joined an older sister, Verla Sommers (1924-2006) and older brother, Jeptha (1931- .) He went to school at the Big Sandy School until it was closed...
He was born Anthony Renner on April 25, 1925 in the family home near Fenton, Wyoming to George Henry and Karene Kristansa (Nielsen) Renner. His father nicknamed him “Tuff,” saying for him to be the youngest of 11 living children, he would have to be tough. George Renner...
Jack E. Reisch came to Wyoming with his parents, two sisters and three brothers when he was nine years old. It so happened that a March thaw was in progress with Dry Donkey Creek running bank to bank. The family camped on the east side of the creek and waited for the...
Dee was born in Linwood, Wyoming, he had 12 brothers and sisters. He was the 7th child born into his family. The Potters raised sheep and some cattle, they also gathered wild horses off the range to use. Dee enjoyed breaking horses, and he broke many and loved being on...
He never owned land, cattle or sheep, but, he worked them all. He made his living in the saddle. He broke his own horses, knowing that it was the miles you put on them and the work you asked them to do that made them a good saddle horse. He grew up in a home, nestled...
James (Jim) John Ogg was born near Ten Sleep, Wyoming on January 7, 1921. At that time, his folks lived on the Tolstrup Ranch (later known as the Redland Ranch) along the Nowood River about 4 miles north of Ten Sleep. In 1923, the family moved to a farm about 11 miles...
Jim’s parents were both born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Both parents came to America from Denmark on separate sailboats. His father’s brother was a master tailor in New York City. He said his grandfather was the farrier for the King of Denmark. His parents married in Council...
Walter (Spud) Murphy, longtime Wyoming resident, made “Riding for the Brand”, and stewardship to land and animals, his way of life. Born in 1922, in Cheyenne, Spud graduated high school in 1940, married Kim in 1943, and raised three children, two sons and a daughter. Spud...
John “Jay” Moody was born January 14, 1928, in Farmington, St. Francois County, Missouri, to Jackson W. L. and Oma Caudill Moody, the youngest of five children. His father was a horse trader and Revival Preacher, who travelled Missouri and Oklahoma following his...
“Ira and Edna McWilliams are the last of a rare breed of cowboys.” A quote taken from an article titled “The Last Cowboys” featured in Wyoming Electrical News by Irene N. Jeppson. Edna May Wardell was born March 30, 1916 on the Green River near Big Piney, Wyoming. She...
Dub was born March 18, 1902 in Dudley, South Dakota. Dub’s mother died and his Scottish father, Charlie McQueen, raised Dub, the youngest, and his six siblings Ray, Mary, Ruth, Ruby and Amy. In 1906 the family left their home in South Dakota and came to the Thermopolis, WY...
Born and raised on a “little” ranch out of Ocate, New Mexico, Lee left school at the age of fifteen after finishing the 8th grade and set out to be a cowboy. He hired on for the big outfits as a horse breaker around Springer and Cimarron, New Mexico. The Diamond A, the CS,...
Born to a pioneer family that moved into Northeastern Wyoming and homesteaded, Ernest Leitner grew up watching cowboys, learning all he could learn about cowboys, and wanting to be a cowboy. That quest occupied his youth, riding whatever he could ride, emulating every...
Robert Lester “Bob” Leath was born on July 21, 1924 and grew up on the family ranch on Dead Horse Creek of Powder River in eastern Johnson County. He was 3rd oldest of 6 children- oldest was twin sisters Helen and Ellen “Betty”, George, Alan and Ann. Bob helped his folks...
Randy Kruger was born in Minnesota in 1946, but has lived in Wyoming since 1949 when his parents moved to Grass Creek. His interest in horses and cattle started at an early age as he watched the LU Ranch cowboys trailing cattle through the area. He started his cowboy...
At age 15, John Keller became an exercise boy at Randall Park, “Thistle Downs” race track outside Cleveland, Ohio. From there John went to Lexington, Kentucky with Carlings Red Cap Ale Racing Stable and trainer Cowboy Jones, then on to Aiken, South Carolina to the winter...
Cherry Reisch was born October 19, 1944 to Jack and Marianne Reisch, the apple of her father’s eye. She started her cowboy days at the NX Bar on Badger Creek with a stick horse. Her dad bought her a black pony at the Jesse Thomas Shetland sale when she was five years...
Alex Johnstone, Jr. was raised in the community of Willow Creek, 30 miles southwest of Kaycee Wyoming, the youngest of six siblings. Junior’s father died when he was 4 yrs. old. His mother Alice raised the family on her own, the kids helping out when and where needed....
Both Frank and Ernest Johnson were born on what is today the Broken Box Ranch. The ranch is located southeast of LaGrange, Wyoming in both Goshen and Laramie counties. Jelmer and Janet Johnson bought the ranch in 1907 and added to it through 1930. In 1940 Frank and Ernest...
Jelmer was born July 19, 1941 in Cheyenne, WY. He was raised on his family ranch, the SS Ranch in LaGrange, WY and went to school through 12th grade. He helped on the ranch while growing up doing haying, calving, cattle and milking. All the cattle work was done on horses...
Mary Frances (Mike) Tisdale was born Oct. 20, 1919 in Havre, Montana to Martin Allison Tisdale and Dolly Davis Tisdale. She was the granddaughter of John A. and Kate Tisdale and Henry Winter (Hard Winter) and Frances A. Davis. Her father, Mart Tisdale, was the Johnson...
Born near Montreal Canada, Eugene walked to the United States. Eugene described his journey as walking into this country with one boot and one shoe. By the time his earthly journey ended, he had built a ranch with registered cattle, quality horses, a modern house with...
On August 25, 1908, a cowboy was born to Robert W. and Ida Johnson Harvey in Robertson, Wyoming. They named him Robert W. (Bert) Harvey. When Bert was about five years old his mother passed away and his father was left alone to raise two boys, Bert and his younger brother...
Rob Roy McGregor Hamilton was born August 23rd, 1869 on Smith’s Fork in Uinta County, Wyoming Territory to Virginia-born Richard Henry Hamilton and One-Nive (Wanipe) Wintry, a Shoshone-French girl and great niece of Chief Washakie. His father named him after the Scottish...
John W. Greet was born December 25, 1930 in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. He worked all his life on the Greet Ranch. Two of his older brothers left to pursue other opportunities. Later his older brother George and John split up the ranch. John became the sole owner of the main...
Walter Feuz was born June 12, 1911 to Caroline and Fred Feuz. His parents and older siblings had come from Switzerland looking for a better life. His father, Fred, was a climber when living in Switzerland. Fred fell in love with Jackson Hole when he came over Teton Pass...
Merrill Farthing was born in Cheyenne, WY on December 23, 1903 and moved immediately with his parents and older brother Tom to the Farthing Ranch located 45 miles northwest of Cheyenne. The ranch had been purchased that same year and he never left. It was his home for his...
John Roland Ellis was born in Hanna, Wyoming to Florence and John Ellis. He was the third generation to be raised on Ellis Ranch. There he spent his childhood with his three brothers and a sister. He loved everything that included being horseback. As a teenager he would...
Robert (Bob) B. Dixon was born on February 14, 1903 to Snowden R. and Augusta Schmidt Dixon at Newcastle, Wyoming. Snowden Dixon was born in Shifnel, England on December 10, 1870. He came to Wyoming in 1888 and worked as a cowboy on Bill Keaton’s ranch among others....
Bob DeVeny was born on Pine Ridge, near Ft. Laramie, WY in 1927. He grew up in Arkansas and served in the Army in WWII. Sixty-eight years ago Bob married Betty Lou (Wolfe) in 1948. They moved to Wyoming in 1952. Bob worked on ranches for Harold Helbaum and Jim Brown in...
James H. “Jim” Cheney was born at the family homestead on Corral Creek in southern Natrona County in 1905. He went to the local country school through the eighth grade. His father died when he was a young boy and he went to work on the family ranch. The ranch was lost...
Charles “Chipper” Chatfield was born December 5, 1922. At age 92 he continues to be very active on the ranch he was born and raised on west of Sundance. He was the youngest son of E.B. “Eddie” and Berenice (Belshe) Chatfield. Chipper gained his love of horses, especially...
Joe Campbell was born in 1933 in Hot Springs County, the first of two sons of Ralph and Hazel (Sneider) Campbell. Joe began riding with his mother at an early age. In 1947, when Joe was a freshman in High School, Ralph and Hazel purchased the Weststone place 30 miles west...
Leon Maxwell Burch was born in Spearfish, South Dakota, on October 22, 1943. His parents Harold Jay Burch and Dorothy Bess (Guethlein) Burch were on a ranch near Ekalaka, Montana. In 1949 the family moved to Wyoming in the Oshoto area. They leased a ranch from Carl Blatt....
Few humans inhabit the verdant hills and valleys of the horse-rich Cayuse Ranch in northeastern Wyoming. Yet, in mid-June of 2007 cars, vans, pickups, campers and horse trailers, driven and towed by some 200 Spanish Mustang enthusiasts from across the United States and...
William C. Brewer, Jr. was born to William C. Sr. and Leora Brewer on March 2, 1925 in Casper, WY. He grew up on his parents ranch north of Powder River, WY with his sister Jane Fenton and half-brother Dan Miller. He attended elementary school in Powder River and graduate...