By R. H. “Bob” Burns
Four of Laramie’s pioneers, Messrs. Haley, Fox, Latham and Hutton, along with Mr. Kingman of Cheyenne, appear on the invitation to all those in Wyoming Territory interested in stock grazing to come to a meeting. The meeting was held at Laramie on April 14, 1871, and resulted in the organization of the Wyoming Stock Graziers Association, which later became the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association. Mr. Kingman had holdings east of Cheyenne, while Ora Haley was a pioneer cattleman as well as the first meat market owner in Laramie. He later had ranches on both the Little and Big Laramie Rivers and eventually had cow camps scattered all the way to the Bear River in western Colorado. He built the stone buildings around 1870 which still stand on the JO Ranch some 20 miles southeast of Dad in south-central Carbon County. In Laramie in 1886 Ora Haley built the residence for his family which is now the American Legion home, which still bears the inscription ‘Anno Domini’ 1886, high up on the wall above the entrance door facing east. George W. Fox, Haley’s partner in the meat market, was in various businesses in Laramie and in his later years spent a great amount of time and money in the development of mines around Cooper Hill, which is north of the present oil camp at Quealy Dome.
Dr. H. Latham was the first Union Pacific doctor in Laramie and an all-out booster for the livestock business on these Laramie Plains. In fact he was a one-man chamber of commerce and spread the gospel of Laramie City and the Laramie Plains in many populous areas of the country and particularly in New England. Charley Hutton was one of the firm of Creighton, Hutton and Alsop, the original ranchers of these Laramie Plains and among the first in the West to see the future of making beef on grass. He built up and lived for years on the Heart Ranch some ten miles southwest of Laramie on the Big Laramie River. Hutton Grove, the large cottonwood grove in that vicinity, was named for Charley Hutton.
Need For and Usefulness of a Stock Association
At the meeting of the citizens of Wyoming Territory interested in stock and wool growing, Mr. Luther Fillmore was elected Chairman and Colonel Frank Wolcott, Secretary. Dr. Latham stated that the purpose of the meeting was to organize a permanent society of stock growers of the territory to obtain concentrated action for introducing blooded stock of all kinds, to determine and control the time of running-at-large of bulls; to encourage men of small means through establishing cooperative herds; to prevent straying of stock and ensure return to the rightful owners; to detect and punish stock thieves so that all property would be just as safe on these plains and mountains as in the small pastures back East; and to secure such legislation as experience may suggest for the best interests of the stock-raiser of the territory.
Constitution Adopted for the Society
The committee on permanent organization in May, 1871, reported the constitution which was adopted and thus the Wyoming Stock and Wool Growers Society was organized in Laramie to serve the entire territory of Wyoming. It is interesting to note that a section of the constitution states that the regular meeting of the society shall be held at the capitol of the territory on the second Tuesday of November in each year. The committee which drafted this constitution consisted of Charley Hutton, Dr. Latham, and Ora Haley of Laramie, and Governor Campbell and Col. Wolcott of Cheyenne.
First Officers of the Society
The first officers to hold office under the constitution consisted of Governor J. A. Campbell, President, and five Vice-Presidents from different counties; T. Alsop from Albany, J. W. Illiff from Laramie, E. Hunt from Carbon, S. J. Field from Sweetwater, and W. A. Carter from Uinta. Luther Fillmore of Laramie was elected treasurer and H. Latham, secretary. The first annual meeting of the Wyoming Stock Graziers’ Association was held in Cheyenne the second Tuesday of November, as specified in the constitution. The officers were reelected. In August 1872 stock growers of Albany County organized a Wyoming Horse Improvement Association with Tom Alsop as President and Wm. Hunter, Secretary. They held races to prove the quality of their stock and the first races held in August 1872 were well attended.
The Association grew in importance, and now in 1955 is in its 84th year.
The Wyoming Wool Growers Association was formed in Cheyenne in April 1905. The call for the meeting was made by George Walker, Secretary of the Board of Sheep Commissioners for April 11-13, 1905, at the request of many sheepmen of Wyoming. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss forestry and other problems of interest to sheepmen, particularly the tariff, inasmuch as there was a strong possibility of the U.S. Congress being called into special session to revise the Tariff. The Wyoming Wool Growers, now in its fiftieth year, is a strong representative of the sheepmen of Wyoming in the halls of Congress in Washington. J. Byron Wilson, present Secretary, is the son of the first and long-time President of the Wyoming Wool Growers, Dr. J. M. Wilson, who was president of the Board of Sheep Commissioners in 1905 when the Wool Growers were organized.
Thus Laramie, the cradle of the range industry in Wyoming, was naturally the logical place for the organization of a Stock Graziers Society, which later developed into one of the earliest and strongest of the great cattlemen’s associations which served them, as today, as a model of an organization which extends expert service to its members in checking stray stock on all livestock markets and seeing that the proceeds from their sale gets to the rightful owner.
Chapter III Sources and Further Reading
ANONYMOUS 1871
Notice to those interested in stock grazing. Laramie Daily Sentinel April 13-14, 1871. Page 3.
ANONYMOUS 1871
Minutes of Meeting of those interested in stock grazing. Laramie Daily Sentinel April 17, 1871. Page 3.
ANONYMOUS 1871
Adjourned meeting for the organization of a Territorial Stock and Wool Growing Association, was held at the Railroad Superintendent’s office on Saturday evening last. Constitution adopted. Officers elected. Laramie Daily Sentinel May 31, 1871. Page 2.
ANONYMOUS 1872
Stock Growers organize Wyoming Horse Improvement Association of Albany County. Thos. Alsop, President and Wm. Hunter, Secretary. Laramie Daily Sentinel, Aug. 1, 1872. Page 3, Col. 2.
ANONYMOUS 1872
Opening races of Horse Association well attended. Laramie Daily Sentinel Aug. 5, 1872. Page 3, Col. 2.
ANONYMOUS 1905
Flockmasters at Cheyenne. First annual convention of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association is very successful. Fight expected over leasing of public lands by the government. Meeting called to order by Dr. J. M. Wilson of the State Board of Sheep Commissioners. Committees appointed for Resolutions and By-Laws. Laramie Boomerang April 13, 1905. Page 1, Col. 1.
LATHAM H. 1871
Notice of Annual Meeting of Wyoming Stock Graziers’ Association at Cheyenne on second Tuesday of November. Laramie Daily Sentinel Nov. 8, 1871. Page 3, Col. 2.
LATHAM, H. 1871
Report on meeting of the Wyoming Stock Graziers’ Association at Cheyenne, Officers reelected. Laramie Daily Bulletin Nov. 16, 1871. Page 3, Col. 2.
WALKER, Geo. S. 1905 (Secy.)
Board of Sheep Commissioners. Meeting of flockmasters is called to take place at Cheyenne on April 11-13. In response to request by many sheepmen of Wyoming the State Board of Sheep Commissioners has called a meeting of the flockmasters—for the purpose of organizing the Wyoming Wool Growers’ Association, and to discuss forestry and other problems of interest to sheepmen. Possibility of extra session of Congress being called to revise Tariff. Laramie Boomerang Apr. 8, 1905. Page 2, Col. 2.
