Wyoming Stock Growers Association history
The open range system in the Wyoming Territory of the late 1800s made cattle rustling a tempting career track for thieves of the time. To combat this assault on their livelihood, five cattlemen met in a Cheyenne livery stable in 1872 to organize a vigilance committee to cope with cattle rustlers.
The meeting was just the beginning of what would become the Stock Association of Laramie County, which in 1879 was renamed the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA). The association then, as it is now, was involved in a wide range of activities, including managing roundups, conducting brand inspections and dealing with health and sanitary concerns of cattle on the range. Freight rates, fencing and other public domain issues also occupied the association’s time.
Today, the association exists to serve the livestock business and families of Wyoming by protecting their economic, legislative, regulatory, judicial, environmental, custom and cultural interests. It also aids other states in issues important to all of agriculture.
In its early days, the association played an important role in the development of Wyoming livestock and rangeland laws beginning in the 1880s. In more recent years, the association has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service for range improvement and the establishment of multiple use objectives. Although methods have changed, rustling continues to be a problem. The association works to apprehend and prosecute these cattle thieves.
The association’s success spawned two affiliated groups: a women’s auxiliary, the Wyoming Cow-Belles organized in 1940 and a youth group, known as the Junior WSGA, organized in 1954. The Wyoming Cow-Belles have provided invaluable service in the promotion of the beef industry, while the Junior WSGA prepared future cattlemen and cattlewomen for a future in this challenging, yet rewarding industry.
The association now has approximately 1,200 members and supporters. They are committed to remaining solid and true to the WSGA mission while being nimble enough to change with the industry. A major goal is to strengthen the financial resources through the 150th Anniversary Campaign and build the endowment to $1.5 million. They continue to grow a presence on social media and expand the use of internet communications tools.
As they approach their own sesquicentennial in 2022, WSGA is focused on building an organization serving the industry during the next 50 years as ably as they did since those five men met in a Cheyenne livery stable so many years ago.
This article is courtesy of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
The open range system in the Wyoming Territory of the late 1800s made cattle rustling a tempting career track for thieves of the time. To combat this assault on their livelihood, five cattlemen met in a Cheyenne livery stable in 1872 to organize a vigilance committee to cope with cattle rustlers.
The meeting was just the beginning of what would become the Stock Association of Laramie County, which in 1879 was renamed the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA). The association then, as it is now, was involved in a wide range of activities, including managing roundups, conducting brand inspections and dealing with health and sanitary concerns of cattle on the range. Freight rates, fencing and other public domain issues also occupied the association’s time.
Today, the association exists to serve the livestock business and families of Wyoming by protecting their economic, legislative, regulatory, judicial, environmental, custom and cultural interests. It also aids other states in issues important to all of agriculture.
In its early days, the association played an important role in the development of Wyoming livestock and rangeland laws beginning in the 1880s. In more recent years, the association has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service for range improvement and the establishment of multiple use objectives. Although methods have changed, rustling continues to be a problem. The association works to apprehend and prosecute these cattle thieves.
The association’s success spawned two affiliated groups: a women’s auxiliary, the Wyoming Cow-Belles organized in 1940 and a youth group, known as the Junior WSGA, organized in 1954. The Wyoming Cow-Belles have provided invaluable service in the promotion of the beef industry, while the Junior WSGA prepared future cattlemen and cattlewomen for a future in this challenging, yet rewarding industry.
The association now has approximately 1,200 members and supporters. They are committed to remaining solid and true to the WSGA mission while being nimble enough to change with the industry. A major goal is to strengthen the financial resources through the 150th Anniversary Campaign and build the endowment to $1.5 million. They continue to grow a presence on social media and expand the use of internet communications tools.
As they approach their own sesquicentennial in 2022, WSGA is focused on building an organization serving the industry during the next 50 years as ably as they did since those five men met in a Cheyenne livery stable so many years ago.
This article is courtesy of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
