Nate Champion

Courtesy of Time-Life books (The Gun Fighters)
For the American basketball coach, see Nate Champion (basketball).

Nathan D. Champion (September 29, 1857 – April 9, 1892) — known as Nate Champion — was a key figure in the Johnson County War of April 1892. Falsely accused by a wealthy Wyoming cattlemen's association of being a rustler, Champion was the first person targeted by a band of hit men hired by the cattlemen. In reality, Champion was simply a small rancher who stood up against the big cattlemen's practice of claiming all unbranded young cattle on the range.[1] He is celebrated for his heroic stand in his besieged cabin and for a heartfelt letter written at the time describing the events.[1]

  1. ^ a b Davis, John W. (2010). Wyoming Range War: The Infamous Invasion of Johnson County. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-4106-0.