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In the late 1800s, independent Johnson County ranchers began branding calves before the spring and fall round-ups. The practice angered large ranchers of the day who resented this infringement on the open range. So began the Johnson County Cattle War.

The conflict peaked on April 6, 1892, when a group of large ranchers and hired guns rode north from Casper toward Buffalo. “The Invaders” carried with them a black list of alleged rustlers, two of whom they killed near present day Kaycee. On April 10, they fortified and spent the night at the TA Ranch 10 miles south of Buffalo. The stage was set for one of the most notable confrontations in frontier history.

This bronze statue created by D. Michael Thomas in 1994 portrays a rider for one of the big outfits challenging a homesteader branding a “maverick” calf.

It complements “Living on the Edge” nearby, as both pieces were commissioned by First National Bank of Buffalo as a gift to the citizens of Johnson County.