Controlled recklessness

By Nathan Sanderson

Subjects: West (u.s.), biography, Cowboys, Cattle trade, Biography, South dakota, biography, Frontier and pioneer life, Frontier and pioneer life, west (u.s.)

Description: Born in 1857 into a hardworking and resilient family, George Edward Lemmon grew up learning how to bounce back from adversity. Despite several crippling accidents on horseback, he continued to pursue his passion. A full-time cowboy at twenty and a range manager at twenty-three, Lemmon finally achieved what few cowboys could: an ownership stake in one of the largest outfits on the plains, the Flying V. As the open range disappeared, Lemmon helped to transform the Northern Great Plains from a network of worn, dusty cattle trails to one of cattle towns linked by railroads.