Since settlers first headed West in the early 1800s, cattle have been a staple source of food and clothing. Homesteaders relied on animals to feed their families and generate income that allowed them to purchase essential supplies.
In 1886, when Tom Powers and his family arrived in Wyoming after a covered wagon journey from Missouri, they, too, built their life around cattle. After wintering in a dugout at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains, the Powers’ homesteaded land in the spring of 1887.