Historical Details

From a Pioneer Album - Ed Arnold

Courtesy of The Lusk Herald, 07/19/1951

by June Willson

Mr. Ed Arnold came to Wyoming in 1879, from Junction City, Missouri. He came as a young boy looking for work. He got a job with Bill McClusky when he was 17 years old. He stayed there for four years and then returned to Missouri.

In 1882, when he returned to Wyoming, Mr. Arnold saw some land which he decided to homestead. It looked like good profitable land. Being too young to homestead, he built a house on the land, so no one would try to get it. This land which he had for five years, is six miles west of Lusk. The loco bed was bad, so he traded the land to a Mr. Paige for some horses, in 1887.

The winter of 1886 was one of the hardest ever to hit Wyoming. Beginning on November 3, there were two or three big blizzards every month, until May. No month ever had less than two blizzards. That winter killed 90% of the seed stock and 50% of the steers. Very few people were killed but much of the wild game was lost due to the intensity of the cold.

A freight line ran from Chadron to Deadwood and most of the freight horses and oxen were killed from exposure.

On account of this winter, many of the large ranches suffered a great loss, and broke up. Many of these men went into other businesses.

In the spring of '86, Mr. Arnold went on the roundup with the other cowboys. It started on the Platte River near Mitchell, Nebr. and worked down the river, but there were so few cattle to brand that the roundup broke up.

Mr. Arnold, resident of Lusk, has four children. They are: Tom Arnold of Valentine, Nebr.; Mrs. Ella Updike of Rapid City, S. Dak.; Mrs. Lilian Vinson of Oakland, Calif.; and Mrs. Ethel Gibson of Lusk.

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Related/Linked Records

Record Type Name
Historical Arnold, Edward Martin Personal History View Record
Historical Arnold House View Record
Obituary Arnold, Edward (12/09/1862 - 01/20/1960) View Record