In the late 1800’s the lush grasslands of Johnson County became a battleground where cattle barons and homesteaders faced off over grazing rights in a violent competition for control of the open ranges in the Powder River Country.
The cattle barons, long established throughout the vast plains, were beginning to see their engrained grasp on the lands fade away as homesteaders began settling small ranches throughout the county. Also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, conflict over land was a somewhat common occurrence in the development of the American West when large portions of the frontier were being settled by Americans for the first time.
In the earlier days of settlement, much of Wyoming’s land was public domain and available for open range stock raising as well as new settlers. Mass cattle would be released upon the open range by large ranches, with the intent to hold a fall or spring roundup. During these roundups, cows and calves alike would be claimed and branded. With the land not belonging to any one rancher in particular, these new arrivals would brand the free range cattle before they could be rounded up. Obviously, this caused quite a stir among the already established outfits, as they saw this to be an act of rustling (livestock theft).
Date of invasion: April 5, 1892 Number of invaders: 52 armed men including 23 hired Texas gunmen Organized by: Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) Led by: Frank Canton and Major Frank Wolcott First targets: Nick Ray and Nate Champion at the KC Ranch, killed April 9, 1892 Posse size: Over 400 local men surrounded the invaders at the TA Ranch Resolution: U.S. Cavalry from Fort McKinney near Buffalo rescued the invaders; and all charges were later dropped as Johnson County ran out of money to pursue prosecution. Historic site: TA Ranch, Johnson County, Wyoming (Smithsonian National Historic Landmark) Where to learn more: Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, 100 Fort St, Buffalo, Wyoming and Hoofprints of the Past Museum, 344 Nolan Ave., Kaycee, Wyoming.
How the Conflict Escalated: The Wyoming Stock Growers Association
The Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) began to take action against these small operators, employing stock detectives, and hired guns like former Johnson County sheriff Frank Canton and Pinkerton agent/cattle detective Tom Horn, to seek out “rustlers” and kill them. With more than 50 hired gunmen led by Canton, who were to be paid $5 a day plus a bonus of $50 for every rustler killed, the Invaders embarked on an expedition into Johnson County where they were to “shoot or hang” some 70 county residents and officials named on a list compiled by the stock organization.
In April of 1892, the stock detectives, 23 Texas gunmen and a former union army officer (Wolcott) were employed by the ranchers and took a train from Cheyenne into Casper, along with a few members of the WSGA. From there, the Invaders rode towards Buffalo armed with a list of supposed rustlers, with a plan to take over the town and administer their idea of “justice”. After cutting the telegraph line to keep word from spreading, they headed north from Casper with supply wagons following.
The First Target: Nate Champion at the KC Ranch
The first target of the WSGA was Nate Champion at the KC Ranch, a homestead rancher who was active in the efforts to organize a competing spring roundup with other small ranchers, a month ahead of the roundup scheduled by the WSGA.
The Northern Wyoming Farmers and Stock Growers Association had been formed by small stock growers in response to the monopoly of the WSGA. The Invaders traveled to the KC ranch late in the night, surrounded the buildings and waited for daybreak. Two men who were spending the night on their way through were captured as they emerged from the cabin, while Nick Ray was shot while standing inside the doorway of the cabin and died a few hours later.
Nate Champion, who ran a small herd of cattle in the Hole-in-the-Wall country, was murdered by the invaders of Johnson County April 9, 1892.
Nate Champion’s Final Words
Champion, surrounded and barricaded inside his log cabin, proposed a few final thoughts before his demise. “Boys, I feel pretty lonesome just now. I wish there was someone here with me so we could watch all sides at once.” The last journal entry read: “Well, they have just got through shelling the house like hail. I heard them splitting wood. I guess they are going to fire the house tonight. I think I will make a break when night comes, if alive. Shooting again. It’s not night yet. The house is all fired. Goodbye, boys, if I never see you again.”
The invaders holed up at the T.A. Ranch south of Buffalo, Wyo. Courtesy Jim Gatchell Museum.
With the cabin a blaze, Nate Champion stashed his journal in his pocket before running out the back door. As he emerged he was shot by several men, and the invaders later pinned a note on Champion’s bullet-riddled chest that read “Cattle Thieves Beware.” During the siege, local rancher Jack Flagg and his stepson rode by and had to flee the Invaders. They rode to Buffalo to warn Sheriff Red Angus, who gathered a posse of more than 200 men and set out for the KC.
The Siege AT THE TA RANCH
After killing Ray and Champion, the Invaders began making their way to Buffalo. The group passed a horseman that warned them Sheriff Red Angus was on his way with armed men. In an attempt to avoid an ambush, the Invaders holed up in a log barn at the TA Ranch. The siege lasted three days before President Harrison received a plea for aid from the federal government.
The Siege Ends: U.S. Cavalry and the Release of the Invaders
The President authorized military action and within 24 hours, three troops of cavalry rode into the TA Ranch, arresting the Invaders and escorting them back to Fort McKinney. The remaining Invaders were later taken to Cheyenne, but Johnson County was not yet stable enough financially to thoroughly pursue charges. The Invaders were released without punishment, bringing a most anticlimactic end to one of the most monumental battles of the West.
Visit Johnson County Cattle War Historic Sites in Buffalo, Wyoming
Buffalo, Wyoming and the surrounding Powder River Country preserve some tangible pieces of Johnson County Cattle War history, including the landscape itself. Multiple sites can bring the events of 1892 to life for visitors exploring Buffalo Wyoming history and the Johnson County Cattle War firsthand.
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum is one of the premier repositories of Johnson County War artifacts and primary source materials in Wyoming. Its collection includes weapons, documents, photographs, and exhibits that chronicle the 1892 invasion in depth. Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. throughout the summer.
The TA Ranch is the only fully intact site associated with the Johnson County War. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Smithsonian National Historic Landmark, the ranch still bears the siege trenches dug by the Invaders during the three-day standoff of 1892 and the historic barn where the Invaders sheltered. Today it operates as a working ranch and event venue.
The KC Ranch site marks the location of Nate Champion’s final stand on April 9, 1892. A new historical marker is being placed at the site in 2026 to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial.
Hoofprints of the Past Museum
This regional history museum in downtown Kaycee has an amazing collection of items that belonged to participants in the Johnson County War. Located not far from Nate Champion’s heroic stand, Hoofprints of the Past is a must-stop for visitors who want to learn about the cattle war, the Old West, and the Outlaw Era. For an even deeper dive into this fascinating chapter of Wyoming history, consider taking the Johnson County War Tour, which guides visitors to many of the key locations and stories that shaped the conflict.
Just how dangerous was Johnson County in the 1890s? There might be no better place to get a sense of that than Tisdale Divide, where a historic marker chronicles the assassination of John A. Tisdale in November of 1891. Tisdale, a friend of Champion’s, had helped Champion learn the identities of men who participated in an attack on Champion earlier in the year. Tisdale’s part made him a target, and as he headed home one winter evening from Buffalo with a wagon of supplies and Christmas presents, he was shot from behind. The historic marker is located just north of Trabing Road on Old Highway 87, not far from the TA Ranch.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Johnson County Cattle War
What was the Johnson County Cattle War?
The Johnson County Cattle War was a violent conflict between large cattle barons — organized through the Wyoming Stock Growers Association — and small homestead ranchers in northern Wyoming. The WSGA hired a force of gunmen known as the Invaders to eliminate suspected rustlers and suppress the growing small-rancher movement in the Powder River Country.
When did the Johnson County Cattle War take place?
The central events of the Johnson County War unfolded in April 1892, with the Invaders departing Cheyenne by train on April 5, 1892. The conflict grew out of years of escalating tension between large and small ranchers throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s.
Who was Nate Champion and why is he important to the Johnson County War?
Nate Champion was a homestead rancher and a leader among small stock growers in the Hole-in-the-Wall country of Wyoming. He became the most prominent victim of the Johnson County War when the Invaders targeted and killed him at the KC Ranch on April 9, 1892 — an event that galvanized local resistance and defined the conflict for history.
What was the role of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association in the Johnson County War?
The Wyoming Stock Growers Association organized and financed the Invaders’ expedition into Johnson County. The WSGA compiled a list of approximately 70 county residents and officials to be killed, hired 52 gunmen at $5 per day plus a $50 bonus per rustler killed, and dispatched the group by private train into northern Wyoming.
Where did the Johnson County War take place?
The Johnson County War took place across the Powder River Country of northern Wyoming, with key events occurring at the KC Ranch near Kaycee, the TA Ranch south of Buffalo, and the town of Buffalo — the seat of Johnson County — where Sheriff Red Angus organized the local posse.
What happened at the TA Ranch during the Johnson County War?
After killing Nate Champion and Nick Ray at the KC Ranch, the Invaders retreated to the TA Ranch when warned that Sheriff Red Angus was approaching with a posse that grew to more than 400 armed men. The Invaders fortified the ranch and endured a three-day siege before President Benjamin Harrison authorized military intervention, sending three troops of cavalry to arrest them and escort them to Fort McKinney.
Why were the Invaders never punished for the Johnson County War?
Though the Invaders were arrested and taken to Cheyenne to face charges, Johnson County lacked the financial resources to prosecute a prolonged legal case. The charges were ultimately dropped, and all of the Invaders were released without punishment — an outcome that remains one of the most controversial aspects of the Johnson County War Wyoming legacy.
Where can I learn more about the Johnson County War in Buffalo, Wyoming?
The Hoofprints of the Past Museum in Kaycee and Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum in downtown Buffalo are must-stops for exploring Wyoming history and the Johnson County Cattle War, with extensive artifact collections and exhibits. The TA Ranch offers an immersive, on-site experience at the war’s most pivotal location.
