Heather had several places on the agenda for today. First was a trip west to Buffalo, Wyoming followed by a drive north into Montana, (so I could say I've driven in Montana). Finally, we would stop in Sheridan, Wyoming to check out the annual "Christmas Stroll."

From Gillette, we headed west on Interstate 90 toward our first stop of the day - the city of Buffalo, Wyoming.

We parked in one of the lots in the downtown area and were greeted by a pair of sculptures that center around the Johnson County Cattle War of the 1890s.

The Cattle War was essentially a conflict between large ranching outfits and small homesteaders over public grazing lands in Johnson County. In those days, most of the land used for grazing was part of the Federal public domain. Anyone could graze their cattle on public land, something that was mainly utilized by large ranchers. But the influx of more homesteaders through the Homestead Act of 1862 resulted in competition for space and, more importantly, water.

On one side of the argument were the large ranchers who had been using the land for grazing and felt it belonged to them since they were there first. Even though didn't actually own the land, they felt the need to protect their interests. On the other side were the small independent homesteaders who legally settled in the area through the Homestead Act.

A conflict quickly ensued. The large ranchers accused the homesteaders of cattle rustling. But the homesteaders saw this as the large ranchers trying to take control of all the land in an attempt to create a monopoly by driving them away. All of this came to a head on April 6, 1892 when a group of "Invaders," (representatives of the large ranchers, some of their employees, and a few hired guns), came to Johnson County with a list of alleged rustlers that needed to be rounded up.

The sculptures seen in the photos above and below depict an "invader" approaching an accused "rustler" homesteader who is branding a calf.

The first sculpture represents an "invader."

Second marker for the sculptures.

The sculpture in the photo above depicts a homesteader being accused of cattle rustling branding a "maverick" calf.

The Bighorn Mountains were visible off in the distance.

I tried zooming in through the clouds. I believe I am looking at North Ridge (6,803 feet).

Trying to zoom in on North Ridge (6,803 feet).

Trying to zoom in on North Ridge (6,803 feet).

We decided to take a walk along Main Street through the downtown area of Buffalo, Wyoming.

Very creative ! Accurate band aid is accurate.

Large mural painted on the side of the Margo's Pottery building.

We crossed over Clear Creek which certainly lives up to its name.

I spotted this guy going for a swim.

Looking west at Clear Creek, Buffalo, Wyoming.

Looking west at Clear Creek, Buffalo, Wyoming.

One of the more well-known landmarks in Buffalo is the Occidental Hotel.

The Occidental Hotel began life as a tent founded by Charles Buell in 1878 along the Bozeman Trail that ran through town. Buell offered travelers food, shelter, and secure storage for gold.

Buell's idea took off, and business was good. It was so good that in 1880, Buell replaced his tent with a two-story log building that had six guest rooms, a saloon, a kitchen, and a stable for horses.

Business continued to grow in Buffalo at the turn of the 20th century. In 1903, Buell replaced the log building with a two-story brick building, (the set of three windows under the word "HOTEL" on the right side of the photo above). A second wing, (the center set of windows), was added in 1908, and a third wing, (at the red neon "HOTEL" sign), was added in 1910.

All was well until 1918 when Buell lost the hotel in, of all things, a high-stakes poker game. New owners J. R. Smith and his son Al were ranchers and didn't know what to do with the business. They decided to put Al's wife, Margaret, in charge of running the hotel temporarily until they could figure something out.

"Temporarily" eventually turned into 58 years. Margaret ran the hotel until her death in 1976. The hotel struggled from that point until it closed in 1986. Mother Nature had her way with the abandoned building for the next decade.

In 1997, Dawn Dawson bought the Occidental after getting "a positive feeling" about the property when she first saw it, and embarked on a ten-year restoration. Current owners David and Jackie Stewart oversee hotel's traditions of western hospitality and fine dining. Their efforts have resulted in the hotel being named "The Best Hotel in the West" by True West Magazine.

The Occidental's Virginian Restaurant is so named because of the hotel's association with author Owen Wister and his 1902 novel "The Virginian." Wister was a regular at the Occidental Saloon where his experiences served as inspiration for the novel.

Buffalo City Hall sits next to the Occidental Hotel.

A small park next to City Hall features the bell that hung above the old City Hall.

I love the reference to "earlier and simpler times."

We turned the corner at City Hall and happened upon the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, (which was closed today). Jim Gatchell was a pharmacist who established the first drugstore in Johnson County in 1900. The museum, which focuses on the history of Johnson County, was established in 1957, but moved to this location in the 1980s.

The first thing visitors notice is a large statue at the museum's entrance. The statue depicts Nate Champion, a prominent figure in the previously mentioned Johnson County Cattle war.

I mentioned earlier how the Johnson County Cattle War centered around competition for grazing and water rights between large cattle companies and independent homesteaders. Nate Champion was a small rancher who stood up to the large companies and was subsequently branded as a "rustler." Champion became the target of an assassination attempt on November 1, 1891, which he survived. One of the assassins was killed in the shootout. But a second person was later identified by Champion and charged with attempted murder. The large companies were not happy about this and resolved to put an end to this mess.

In April 1892, a posse of 50 armed "Invaders" arrived in Johnson County with a list of "rustlers" to round up and kill. And since they didn't get him the first time, Nate Champion's name was at the top of the list. The Invaders found Champion at the K. C. Ranch and surrounded his cabin. But they didn't count on the fact that Champion was a formidable opponent. A shootout ensued where Champion successfully held the posse at bay.

They also didn't count on the fact that another nearby homesteader witnessed the siege and alerted homesteaders in the nearby town of Buffalo to what was happening. Champion was eventually killed in the siege, but held off the Invaders long enough for Buffalo Sheriff William "Red" Angus to organize his own posse and confront the Invaders.

In addition to single-handedly holding off 50 armed men, Nate Champion also kept a journal of what was happening.

Also on display at the Gatchell Museum is the M. D. Jenkins family cabin.

The timeline of events seen in the photo above shows how various events in the history of Johnson County coincide with the Jenkins family. Illinois natives M. D. and Sylvia Jenkins arrived in Johnson County in 1914. They established their homestead in the Dry Creek area near the town of Kaycee, Wyoming and built the cabin seen in the photos above and below in 1916.

M. D., Sylvia, and their three children lived in the cabin until 1925 when they moved to the Salt Creek Oilfield area. The cabin was sold and moved to a nearby ranch and used for grain storage.

Almost 60 years later, the youngest daughter, Polly (Jenkins) Oltion, purchased the cabin and moved it to the town of Story, Wyoming in 1982. In 2005, Polly donated the cabin to the museum.

The Jenkins Family Cabin at the Jim Gatchell Museum, Buffalo, Wyoming.

Since we had other destinations on the agenda for today, we made our way back through town and crossed over Clear Creek once again, this time on the other side of Main Street.

Looking east at Clear Creek, Buffalo, Wyoming.

Across from Clear Creek is a public park known as Crazy Woman Square.

I would see numerous references to "Crazy Woman" during my visit to this part of Wyoming. The story of "Crazy Woman" is a legend supposedly based on a real person. Several different accounts detailing who this person was have been published thus making the "Crazy Woman" somewhat of a regional celebrity. So it's no surprise to see parks, businesses, and roadways named after her. There is also a Crazy Woman Creek that flows through Johnson County. My understanding is that while the legend is quite popular, nobody knows for sure where it came from.

Crazy Woman Square, Buffalo, Wyoming.

Crazy Woman Square, Buffalo, Wyoming.

Crazy Woman Square also features a sculpture showing a Border Collie herding a group of sheep.

The sculpture represents the Basque people from the Pyrenees Mountains region of Spain and France who settled in Johnson County, Wyoming.

Another large wall mural has been painted on the side of the Hitching Post Art Gallery next to Crazy Woman Square.

Wall mural on the side of the Hitching Post Art Gallery, Buffalo, Wyoming.

We headed back to the car for the journey to our next stop. But before leaving Buffalo, we stopped just outside of the downtown area to snap a few pics of the nearby Bighorn Mountains.

As near as I can determine, I think this is Bald Ridge (6,980 feet).

Zooming in on what I think is Bald Ridge (6,980 feet).

Bald Ridge (6,980 feet).