Percy Edwards

Percy Edwards was born April 30, 1896 to Edward “Eddie” Edwards and Minnie Kutch Edwards on the Willow Creek Ranch north of Cora, Wyoming.

In 1900, his family moved to what is now the Edward Steele ranch on the New Fork which they sold shortly thereafter, filing a homestead claim on Duck Creek, part of which property is now owned by Chauncey Clark.

Percy was a cowboy employed by Art Mocroft at the time of World War I and registered on June 5, 1917 in Pinedale.

As a cowboy he rode for nearly every outfit on the Upper Green, demonstrating the characteristic independence of that breed by signing on and heading out from each ranch according to a schedule that was his and not his employer’s. Horses and cattle were his life. And, as Roy Lozier said of him, “He had a way of doing things his own way and it always seemed perfect. When spinning out a loop to catch his horse, he’d make it big enough for a horse to run right on through, but when it reached its mark, it was always the right size to drop right over the head,” Roy said. “He very seldom missed.”

Roy also remembered, “He pretty much liked to pick his horses, but he never picked a horse because it was gentle, but rather because it was a good sound horse that he believed could be made better. He could generally use a horse with very little trouble, but if it had to be mean, he could take care of that, too.” Percy also had in him all the qualities that define aristocracy: the dignity, the decency, and that remarkable erectness of posture he maintained.

Percy worked for the Upper Green River Cattle Association in 1919, 1922,1931, 1934, 1936-1939 (rebuilt the Wind River Corrals with Pete Karpi and Joe Card in 1939), and was the brand inspector for the Rock Springs stockyards from 1948-1962. During the time Percy was brand inspector, he cowboyed for the Silver Creek-East Fork Cattle Association from about July 1 to September 15. When the cattle came off the mountain so did Percy, and then he went to Rock Springs to be the brand inspector. Percy Edwards died December 30, 1980 at Richie’s Vible Place.