John Hunton is authority for the statement that the first real cow business in the vicinity of Fort Laramie was when Benjamin Buckley

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Mills ( Buck Mills), a Kentuckian, brought two hundred and fifty short horn cows from southern Iowa and northern Missouri in October, 186S. These he located on the Laramie river about three miles up that stream from the position occupied by the old fort. This initiation stirred others to activity.

Colonel Bullock, who had been a post trader at the fort was early to see and follow tht lead of Mr. Mills. He went to eastern Kansas and western Missouri, and accumulated two hundred and fifty good shorthorn grades in cows, and drove them through, arriving at Fort Laramie late in the Spring of 1869. He picked out for his ranch location, Bordeaux place, about ten miles down the Platte river from Fort Laramie, and purchased the embryo herd that Bordeaux already had upon the ground.

John Hunton is a veteran of Fort Laramie, the Dean is perhaps the right word, for he is a man of wide knowledge and information. In 1867, he came to the fort and went to work for the Post-trader Seth E. Ward. Ward was succeeded by G. H. and J. Collins, who retained Hunton for several years.

J, F. Coad, the government wood contractor" up to 1872, yielded to Hunton, the contract for Fort Laramie, which Hunton held for ten years.

Hunton began to see something in ranching when the larger herds commenced to arrive, and he located a ranch about four miles up the river, and began to accumulate cattle. This he continued during the period he was supplying wood for the fort. His ranch is a short distance above the fort, being about two miles up the Laramie from the crossing of the new government canal.