 Slaughtered sheep near Willow Creek, Oregon, in 1904. | |
| Date | 1895–1906 |
|---|---|
| Location | Oregon, USA |
| Deaths | ~3[1] |
The Sheepshooters' War was an armed conflict fought in central and eastern Oregon. Like other range wars in the Old West, the war pitted cattlemen against sheepherders. Because the cattlemen were unwilling to share the open range with the sheepherders, due to concerns about overgrazing, they formed paramilitary organizations with the goal of eliminating the flocks of sheep and anyone who attempted to stop them. Between 1895 and 1906, the Sheepshooters, as they were called, slaughtered at least 25,000 sheep. A few men were also killed during gunfights or related incidents.[1][2]
- ^ a b Engeman, Richard H. (2009). The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane. Timber Press. ISBN 978-0-88192-899-0.
- ^ Cole, Leslie; Jim Yuskavitch; James Yuskavitch (2002). Insiders' Guide to Bend and Central Oregon, 2nd. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0-7627-1057-8.