In Wyoming, snow begins mid-September and will last until May or June. The weather conditions provided a harsh life for early settlers. Families raised beef for not only the income, but also the reliable food supply to endure the exasperating winters. A severe drought struck the land in the summer of 1885. The cows depended on the grass of the summer, but the lack of rainfall and snowmelt left the grass scarce and dry. The winter of 1886-1887 tested the strength of the Wyoming settlers and their cattle. The temperatures sat at -40 degrees Fahrenheit and froze the cows solid, while snow buried others alive. The previous drought meant that the cattle found little to no nourishment from grass. The only survivors accredited their lived to chewing off their herd’s tails. 75% of all Wyoming cattle perished during the winter, leaving the humans to scrounge for food resources.

In the settlement of the West, men measured their power and wealth in cows and land. Wealthy investors purchased large ranch operations and hired ranch managers to complete the work while the rich inherited the profit. An investor, William Harris, owned the TA Ranch, while Charles Ford managed it. The powerful ranch owners, or cattle barons, band together in the Wyoming Stock Growers Association to create a monopoly on the cattle ranches in the State. The society dissented the competition that the small local ranchers presented, especially after most cattle died to the winter. Their loss of revenue sparked their greed enough to devise a wicked scheme.