Slaughter on the otter: THe Kendrick Sheep raid

In Farcountry Press’ distributed title, Slaughter on the Otter: The Kendrick Sheep Raid,

author Forest B. Dunning dives into the local history of a little known standoff between Montana

ranchers since dubbed “a conspiracy of silence.” In mid-November 1900, a herd of sheep crossed

a plowed furrow “deadline” that had separated cattle and sheep public ranges for many years.

On the early morning of December 28th, 1900, a determined group of cattlemen led by a future

Wyoming governor and U.S. senator destroyed a band of 2,113 head of sheep that had “invaded”

their range.

The story was cloaked by a conspiracy of silence for nearly seventy-five years, until almost forty

years after the senator’s death. Even then, the facts and motivations remained shrouded.

This is the full story.