William Henry Budd was born in Salt Lake City on May 27, 1908, to Henry and Leata Budd who were both from early Big Piney pioneer families. He and his sister, Pearl, grew up on the family ranch on North Piney creek. He graduated from Big Piney High School in 1926 and married Thelma Vickrey on September 16, 1929. Most of their lives were at home on the family ranch with their three children: William, Robert, and Sally. He was preceded in death by his parents and son Robert. Happiness to him was making a living as a Wyoming cowboy. When asked years later if he might like to travel, his remark was “Why would I want to travel? Everything I would ever want to see is right here in Big Piney.”
Bill rode as a child for the Big Piney Roundup Association when it was under the direction of George Hereford. He was so little they didn’t think they could pay him so George made him a braided, rawhide rope for his pay. His grandson, Bob Budd, who collects western artifacts and western art is proud of this rope.
Bill spent a dozen years as roundup foreman for the Big Piney Roundup Association during the 1940s and 50s. The Association consisted of seven ranches, extending from the Green River westward to the mountains of the Wyoming Range. On the first of May cattle were gathered to take to the forest for summer grazing. This job lasted until fall when the cattle were herded back to the ranches and the snow was too deep to find any last strays. Bill had the reputation of spending very long hours in the saddle and expected the same from his crew, earning him the nickname “IA” or “Iron Ass.”
John Tanner stated, “Bill Budd was the best man he ever worked with for understanding cows. He knew when to trail and when to mother up. He never left the herd to go back to camp until all the cows and calves were mothered up. He ran the Roundup Association with an iron fist. He sent the right cowboys in the right places and the right crew in the right place for yearlings or pairs. Bill always did the outside circle for fall roundup. The cavvy was gathered in a rope corral and everyone roped their horse in the rope corral. Bill would not allow any twirling of the rope to catch your horse. The riders had to throw over the head of the horse with one swing and loop. He always made sure the kids treated each other well even when they were playing tricks on each other. Bill said, ‘Nothing is really funny if it makes someone cry.'”
John Tanner, Betty Fear, Nancy Espenscheid, and Bill Budd, Jr. all remember when riding with Bill Budd as kids, “After they got the cattle on the forest allotment, Bill would take three or four kids and scatter the salt. He kept the cattle on green grass from South Piney to North Cottonwood. When the heel flies were bad before they were controlled by dipping, Bill would just keep the cows together after 10 o’clock and not move them midday. Bill always rode with a spade bit, but no one ever saw a bloody bit or mouth on a horse. If the older guys went to town and got back to camp late, they were on the long circle the next day. When at cow camp, they only ate breakfast and then a meal when they got back to camp in the late afternoon.”
John Tanner recalled, “Saturdays were a short ride because everyone had to be back by 2 for a bath. They would go to Mill Pond on North Piney and strip down. Bill was in the water first with a bar of soap in one hand and a short quirt in the other, which was an empty threat. He would say, ‘I want to see everybody in with soap and head under water or you get this quirt.’ John also remembered when they were camped in old Marbleton and it rained hard enough they couldn’t get out of camp. The meat spoiled and everyone got sick. Bill Carr said, ‘Burn flour in a Dutch oven and add Carnation milk to make a paste.’ It did pretty much cure the diarrhea.”
Betty Fear reminisced, “Bill was very gentle with a horse and he would get cranky if all the kids working for him were not gentle with their horses. He had a nice handle on a horse.”
Community service was a large part of Bill’s character. He served as justice of the peace and, because of his gift of gab and familiarity of the cowboys, he was also popular as the announcer for the 4th of July Big Piney Chuck Wagon Days rodeo well into the 1960s. In 1977 Bill and his wife Thelma were honored by the Sublette County Stock Growers Association as Ranchman and Ranchwoman of the year. Due to his excellent knowledge of cattle and horses, he was employed as a brand inspector for many years.
Mentoring young people on livestock handling was a later legacy of Bill’s. Earning the right to ride at the head of the herd is vividly remembered by those who did so, even over fifty years later. He loved children and nicknamed them names they recall today. Some of these names were Spot, Mud, Hackamore, Zipper Dick, Johnny Underbush, Bong Head, Nancy No Shoes, and many more. They also remember that he always had candy in his pocket for children.
Bill passed away on October 21, 1981. He was buried in Plainview Cemetery overlooking his favorite mountains with candy in his pocket.