EstABLISHED In 1894

The Dalys of Gillette

* This was taken from a page in A History and Recollections by George D. Heald. Written in approximately 1965.

John T. Daly, one of the early pioneers of Gillette, was born in Walpole, New Hampshire, March 10, 1861 of Irish parentage. In 1873 the family moved to Beloit, Kansas where the family homesteaded and lived.

In 1884, after a forty-two day horseback ride, John T. Daly arrived in Sundance, Wyo. where he clerked in Adams Brothers Store for five years. During his years in Sundance he accumulated a small heard of cattle. The Daly ranch operation began from this small herd and has continued until the present time.

In May of 1891 he moved to Gillette arriving before the railroad; and before the townsite was surveyed, opening a tent store until a wooden building was built, with supplies and lumber freighted from Sundance. The business continued until Aug., 1940, a year after his death, a period of over forty-nine years. 

Being one of the first families here, Mr. Daly could tell many interesting tales of his early customers, such as the "Curry Gang", outlaws from the "Hole in the Wall" country, who ordered supplies by a note slipped under the door, with a list of groceries and time of delivery. They arrived with wagons and armed outsiders. The few citizens stayed indoors during their visits and no one was ever hurt. Also many cowboys who came from unnamed places with only a nick name and sometimes it was not healthy to ask too many questions. He never forgot a name or face or anyone who gave him a bad check or owed an over due bill. He gave credit to many during the lean (Jack Rabbit) years, also took eggs, potatoes, beans, oats and other products in exchange for supplies. The store was a meeting place for all the country people from far and wide who met around the old coal stove to exchange news, voice opinions, argue politics and reminisce.

He brought a small herd of cattle with him from Sundance to the (I-U) Ranch located east of the present Wyodak Mine. He sold this ranch to Dove Meeks in 1892 and started a ranch on Twenty Mile Creek northwest of Gillette in 1894. The first winter the gray wolves killed half of the calf crop.

In Jan., 1895 Mr. Daly was married to Lenor J. Mudge, also a member of a pioneer family coming to Gillette from Nebraska and South Dakota. Four children, John T., Jr., James H., Geneva M. and Louise J. were born to them. John T., Jr. passed away in Nov., 1938. John T. Daly died the following May, 1939 and Mrs. Daly died Aug., 1964.

Mr. Daly bought one of the first Apperson cars. Sometimes it was a major operation to drive the few blocks down Main Street. A trip to the ranch and back was a two day jaunt. The remains of the old car frame is used as reinforcement in the present stone shed on the ranch.

Slowly he enlarged his ranch holdings by buying land from homesteaders and adjoining ranchers. In 1918 he moved the ranch headquarters to Rawhide Creek closer to the highway where it is still located.

James H. Daly, the son, started working at the ranch when he was sixteen, took over ownership in 1940. During these years the ranch was enlarged until it now contains approximately 60,000 acres.

In 1921, James H. married Meta R. Sembell of Springfield, lll., a graduate of the University of Chicago and high school teacher at Buffalo, Wyo. They have two children Helen L. and James R. Helen L. and her husband Robert L. Wright formally of Gillette and their children Tom and Nancy live on a ranch south of Newcastle, Wyo., where Daly's and Wright's have formed a corporation, the D and W Livestock Co., of which Robert L. Wright is manager.

James R., who is married to Elizabeth Kerns of Parkman, Wyo., now lives on the ranch with their three children, John M., Mary Jill and Margaret Carol (Peggy). They are the fourth generation of Daly's living on the ranch, now known as the Daly Livestock Co., of which James R. is manager.