King was sheriff of Cheyenne county four years, from 1897 to 1900. He was an excellent man in every respect, loved by his neighbors and old timers generally, and they turned out enmasse to attend the final services to their comrade and friend. Those who rode the range with him here, who saw his departure for the Other Range, did so with the calm assurance that they will join him in the Final Roundup later on. King left a widow and six children, and the name will always be linked in the history of Morrill county, as one that ties the older times to the new, for King had the wisdom to know that the old way of ranching was gone, and to adopt the new standard at the right time. Fred, Harry, Frank, Grace, Hazel and Catherine, the children, have grown up here and remain to perpetuate the name and blood of excellent parentage.

BAYARD

The first settlements made in that part of Morrill county, in which the city of Bayard now flourishes, as has been pointed out in other parts of this work, were in the middle eighties. It was not until about that time that homesteaders pushed into the high plains of this region, and attempted to wrest these lands from the cattle men. The cattle wars that raged for a time never reached the state of terror here that they did on the Wyoming prairies. By 1888 the big herds had been practically withdrawn and the settlers were left in virtually undisputed possession of the valley. W. P. De Vault had preempted in 1888 and E. M. Stearns came from Loup City about that time and made a deal with Wm. Peters who had homesteaded on section 27 and there the original town site of Bayard was planned and lots laid out.