Who Bought the Land from The Swan Company?

The Taylor Grazing Act was enacted in 1936 and it changed the face of the range. The Federal Government began leasing all lands that were vacant or not appropriated. The Swan Company took up all the available leases around their property and began to fence it all in. As the fencing occurred, the Swan Company threw all cattle that had been free ranging on the land off of their fenced in acreages.

The days of the free ranging cattle, big branding events, fall herd separations and community cattle drives were at an end. The Swan Land and Cattle Company, once 600,000 acres strong, had already divested itself of their cattle and now were a sheep only operation. They changed their name to The Swan Company, headquartered in Chugwater, WY.

It was apparent that the Company was setting up to liquidate their holdings in the United States. In 1945, the sale of the land holdings of The Swan Company began. With the clarity of hind sight, this was probably the best event for this part of the State. Homesteaders that had holdings and livestock were able to purchase land that previously they were able to free range on prior to the Taylor Grazing Act.

The persons that purchased the lands around Albany/Platte County were almost all local people and included: Buck Harding, Sidney Sturgeon, Alvy Dixon, Lloyd Dixon, Weisbardt and Sons, Frank Dobson, Donald Crearer, A. S. Gillespie, John Bell, Fred Hirsig, Jim Atkinson, George Atkinson, W. I. Palmer, Kennedy Brothers, Ralph Hall, Adam Boyd, “Morton” who owned the Kite Ranch, George Dodge, Tom Dodge, George Lucy, Tom McGill, Owen McGill, Ned Dover, Charles Moore, Gilbert Small, Verne Martens, Early Flaharty and the Sybill Corporation.

The sheep operation was being sold off beginning in 1945. By 1948, all was sold and the company no longer was in business in the United States. However, they retained a portion of the mineral and oil rights to much of the land that was sold. It would be interesting to search the land records of the Flying X Ranch to see if The Swan Company still owns a portion of the mineral and oil rights to our property.

References: “Hoofs to Rails: Rock River Bicentennial”. Compiled by: Marshall, Leo; Rollins, Wayne; White, Alfred; Weinberger, Shirley; Dent, Gordy. Pub. Lottie B. Weinberger, date unknown.

-- Gail (Heidbrink) Thompson

You can also find out more about Swan Land and Cattle on these websites:

Wyoming Tales and Trails

National Historic Landmarks Program

Wikipedia