During my research for Come Tame Me, I ran across a few women who fought for what they believed in. Life in the 1880’s wasn’t easy for men let alone a woman who wanted what was rightfully hers. One such woman was Ellen ‘Cattle Kate’ Watson, who obtained her own property at the age of 25 with the help of her partner, James Averell. The homestead was near Horse Creek and the Sweetwater River valley and lay adjacent of James property.

Ellen built up her homestead, fenced in some of the property and built her own home. Slowly, she began to purchase a few head of cattle but needed to obtain her own brand, not an easy feat back then. Wyoming had laws that a brand had to be an established one in order to be used for claiming stock. She eventually bought a brand from a rancher no longer using his brand and after several attempts, finally got her brand accepted.

Her herd grew to about forty cattle, infuriating local ranchers who wanted her cows as well as her property and water rights. She fought them for nearly two years as they tried to take over the stream that went through her property. Several of the more powerful ranchers began to spread rumors that Cattle Kate had stolen many of her cattle and a lynch mob gathered. Getting rid of Ellen/Kate would solve their issues of getting to her water and would also allow them to split her herd among them and have rights to her stream.

Local ranchers believed the rumors started by a few, paraded onto Ellen’s property and took her into their custody along with James. Both were hung from a tree in July of 1889 after a long struggle to hold onto what belonged to them. An investigation began but the bodies hung in the heat for two days. Their guilt was never proven and later they were found innocent of rustling and their bodies laid to rest on James property. Find more information of this couple HERE .

Reading about Ellen made it easier to add some of the happenings to Come Tame Me and gave Cassi her inner strength to hold onto what belonged to her. I hope you enjoy the story of Gabe and Cassi…book two will be about her best friend, Dani, and I’d love for you to enjoy the series as I write it. Thank you for stopping in.