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-9- <br />became a major supply point as did Lay while to the south <br />lfeeker became the county seat of Rio Blanco county. These tos:ns <br />were connecting points and served the area with supplies and <br />• trar.sooration. For example, in *feeker alone, the Hugus Company <br />chain extended from that city to Sdyoming and took in North and <br />20 <br />Middle Parks. These g_neral stores also acted as banks. <br />The Harp Transportation Company of ;teeker ran stage and freight <br />lines throughout the region and provided service into Grar.d <br />Junction, Colorado. This company is the oldest transportation <br />operation in continual existence in Colorado today. <br />When the Union Pacific railroad (the Transcontinental) <br />was built through Wyoming, it was found that buffalo meat <br />alone was not sufficient to feed the work crews. Judge William <br />Carter began to import cattle to the railroad at Fozt Bridger <br />in 1868 and from this point the cattle industry in Wyoming and <br />northwestern Colorado began. The first cattle were driven into <br />Colorado in 1871 when George Boggs brought 900 New Pfexican steers <br />into Brown`s Hole for the winter. They survived one cf the <br />worst winters on record and soon the cattla ranges of the Hole <br />were filled up. Following B::ggs were the Hoys, who drove large <br />herds into the valley and took over most of the range. Boggs <br />moved to Wyoming and his little ranch became the supply town <br />21 <br />of Boggs, Wyoming. The Hoys shared their lands with smaller <br />ranchers such as the Eassetts, Jimmie Reed, "Bibleback Brown", <br />22 <br />and Charles Crouse. <br /> Brown's Hole, already notorious as a haven for draft- <br /> dodgers and outlaws became a center of rustling. The Easset <br />