Ross Stinnette

When Ross was a young boy his parents homesteaded north of Bear Creek and east of Chugwater, and he lived and worked in this area his entire life. In the 1930s, he broke and sold horses to the Army. Ross was a natural horseman; his life revolved around horses from the time he was a kid up until his 80s when he was still going to brandings. In 1942, he went to work for Ira and Edith Trotter on Bear Creek just south of Chugwater. In addition to taking care of the home ranch, he also oversaw the Moffitt Ranch on Little Bear Creek, which adjoined the home ranch. Ross worked for the Trotters for more than 20 years, then leased a ranch on the Indian Hill Ridge between Cheyenne and Chugwater. Ross and his wife Lura lived on this ranch until about 1983. They ran about 70 cows and did a lot of day riding for the surrounding ranches. Ross was legendary in the Chugwater, Bear Creek, and Little Bear Creek communities for his ability to heel calves at brandings. Therefore during the months of May and June you would find Ross at all most every branding in this area, some years making as many as 40 brandings.