Bill O'neal

The Johnson County War Bill O'neal

In the early 1890s Wyoming's northern rangeland was torn by the Johnson County War, a violent western collision that pitted cattle barons and powerful politicians against homesteaders and rustlers. The range war, riddled with lynchings, ambushes, and an invasion by Texas hired gunmen, culminated in a valiant last stand and siege involving hundreds of combatants. These explosive events have captivated novelists, filmmakers, and historians for more than a century, inspiring such classics as "The Virginian" and "Shane." "The Johnson County War" is the first comprehensive historical account of the range war in nearly four decades. Western historian Bill O'Neal has reexamined familiar sources and explored new information, while visiting sites from Hole-in-the-Wall to the famous TA Ranch. Lavishly illustrated, "The Johnson County War" is a fresh account of a major frontier conflict.