Sheep

Men looking at a pen of sheep at a livestock show

Cattle ranching dominated Park County, with the most successful ranchers actually being called “cattle kings.”  Drama followed the introduction of sheep to South Park’s pastures. The trouble between sheepmen and cattlemen extended beyond South Park but was a major issue of concern in ranch lands. Cattle ranchers believed sheep ate too close to the ground, leaving less food for their herds.[1]

In some cases, disagreements turned into outright violence, as relayed by the Fairplay Flume in the following article:

Lambs in a pen at a ranch in Colorado

Newspapers often featured stories of violence between sheepmen and cattlemen. South Park ranchers slowly accepted sheep grazing, with some prominent ranchers like Marie Guiraud raising both cattle and sheep.