The big herds of cattle kept the grass eaten off and the sand trampled up ; so that the soil looked to be too sandy for any use. Furthermore, the homeseeker would often be told that the place of his choice had already been filed upon or patented, when, in reality, it was open for homestead entry. Then, too, the government corners were few and far between ; so that determining locations were very difficult. John Yenscn, a Lodgepole locator, found claims for many of the earliest settlers, pushing his surveys north of the river as early as the year 1885.

Mr. William Lisco was one of the first cowboys to ride the range in this vicinity. His first job here was in 1872 and it was nearly fifteen years later that he took his claim on the valley just west of the present line between Garden and Morrill counties.

Previous to the year 1885, when the Lewellen settlement was started by D. C. Hooper and others, and the Oshkosh settlement was started by John Robinson and H. G. Gumaer, Rueben Lisco had located on Rush Creek and S. P. Delatour on Blue Creek.

So, today, Mr. Delatour and Mr. Lisco are about the oldest of the "old timers." Both of them are still in the ranching business and both are successful in the banking business.

Mr. Delatour located and still lives .in Cheyenne canyon on Blue Creek, where the Indians made their last stand in Harney's Battle of Ash Hollow.