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Thomas Sturgis, the Cheyenne Banker Who Spoke for Wyoming's Cattlemen

A New York Civil War veteran became one of the most respected men in the Wyoming cattle industry.

Who was Thomas Sturgis?

Thomas Sturgis was a New York-born businessman who made his name in the Wyoming cattle industry in the 1870s and 1880s. The Wikipedia biography, which draws on historian Gene Gressley, quotes Gressley calling him one of the most respected men in the cattle industry. He served as secretary of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, the group that spoke for the territory's ranchers, and also of the National Cattle Growers Association.

He was born in New York City in April 1846 (sources give April 6 or April 30) and died on February 25, 1914, in Eastbourne, England, at age 67.

From a New York clerk to a Union officer

Sturgis attended New York City public schools and went to work at 16 as a clerk in a wholesale dry goods house. At the start of the Civil War he joined the 22nd New York State Militia, and in 1864, at age 18, he enlisted in the 60th Massachusetts Regiment as a first lieutenant and adjutant.

He was captured at the Battle of Fort Stedman on March 25, 1865, held in Libby Prison and later exchanged. After the war he briefly studied law and moved to Neosho, Missouri, in spring 1868.

How did Thomas Sturgis build a career in Cheyenne?

Sturgis moved to Cheyenne in 1878 and spent about fifteen years there in banking, railroads and stock raising. He organized and served as president of the Stockgrowers National Bank and helped found the Cheyenne and Northern Railway, serving as its president. He also led the Republican Party in Wyoming and sat in the Territorial Senate from 1882 to 1883.

He married Helen Rutgers Weir on June 9, 1880. He returned to New York in 1887 or 1888.

What did the Wyoming Stock Growers Association do?

The association was the main organization of Wyoming cattle owners, and its records, now held at the American Heritage Center, run from 1857 to 2022 according to the Archives West finding aid.

That biography credits Sturgis with 14 years as the association's secretary, though the page does not give the exact dates of that service, and that span does not fit neatly with his documented 1878 to 1887 residence in Cheyenne. Readers should treat the figure with caution.

The Key to Sturgis's Standing

Sturgis was a connector rather than a cowman in the Texas sense. His influence came from organizing people and capital, and the record supports several observations.

Documented lessons:

  • He built institutions: a bank, a railroad company and a trade association all carried his name or leadership.
  • He combined banking and stock raising during his years in Cheyenne.
  • He took a public role, in the territorial senate and in party leadership, so ranchers had a voice in lawmaking.
  • He worked at the national level as secretary of the National Cattle Growers Association.
  • Open-range politics were contentious: the creation of Johnson County, for example, followed a petition by rancher Moreton Frewen, as the Cowboy State Daily account describes.

Later life and legacy

After returning to New York Sturgis served as the city's Fire Commissioner from January 1, 1902, to December 31, 1903. He died in England in 1914.

Little personal correspondence appears in the sources reviewed here, so this profile is limited to the public record. For the wider story of Wyoming's ranchers, see the ranching pages on farm.FM, and a farm.FM story about Wyoming cattle country for the modern industry.

Timeline

  1. 1846Born in New York City
  2. 1864Enlists in the 60th Massachusetts Regiment
  3. 1865Captured at Fort Stedman on March 25; held in Libby Prison and exchanged
  4. 1868Moves to Neosho, Missouri
  5. 1878Moves to Cheyenne, Wyoming
  6. 1880Marries Helen Rutgers Weir on June 9
  7. 1882Begins term in the Wyoming Territorial Senate
  8. 1902Becomes New York City Fire Commissioner
  9. 1914Dies in Eastbourne, England, on February 25

Frequently asked questions

Who was Thomas Sturgis?

Thomas Sturgis was a Cheyenne banker and cattle industry leader who served as secretary of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. A Civil War veteran from New York, he later became the city's fire commissioner.

What was Thomas Sturgis's role in the Wyoming Stock Growers Association?

He is credited with serving as the association's secretary for 14 years, and as secretary of the National Cattle Growers Association. The exact dates of his service are not given in the sources reviewed.

When did Thomas Sturgis die?

He died on February 25, 1914, in Eastbourne, England, at age 67, after returning to New York in 1887 or 1888 and serving as the city's fire commissioner.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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