Driskill Family

Col. Jesse Lincoln Driskill - 1820-1894
Jesse Lincoln “Link” Driskill II - 1858-1946
John Wylie “Bud” Driskill - 1851-1906
William Walter “Tobe” Driskill - 1852-1922
Jesse Loring “Diddy” Driskill - 1882-1973
Jesse Belvin “Buz” Driskill - 1907-1987
Malcolm Franklin Driskill - 1894-1990
Jesse Thomas “Tom” Driskill - 1932-2015

The Driskill family epitomizes the image of a cowboy. The family includes Col. Jesse Lincoln Driskill, a merchant in Texas who branched out into cattle around 1851. He and his father-in-law were major suppliers of beef to the Confederate Army during the Civil War and were the first to use the D brand, which is still being emblazoned on the side of beef today. J.L. Driskill’s son, William Walter “Tobe” Driskill, came to the Black Hills area in 1868 when he trailed cattle to Cheyenne to be delivered to Indian agents. And while the family did well with cattle in Texas, it needed the rich, lush grass up north for grazing. Tobe set out in 1878 for Dakota in a Confederate ambulance wagon pulled by mules and handled by a black teamster. Tobe set up his home ranch — the D Ranch on Prairie Creek. He and his brother Bud trailed the Texas cattle up to the northeast Wyoming area in 1879. In 1910, the third generation, Jesse L. “Diddy” Driskill, acquired the Campstool Ranch at the base of Devil’s Tower near Hulett (the family ranch’s present headquarters). These first three generations trailed, controlled and ran close to a million head of cattle—arguably being one of the largest outfits to trail cattle north. The fourth generation included Buz who also spent much time horseback. The fifth generation included Jesse T. (Tom), who had sons Jesse K. “Tobe,” Matt, and Ogden. Along with that line of the Driskill family, are two cousins Jesse Lincoln “Link” Driskill II and his son Malcolm Franklin Driskill. They ranched in both Wyoming and South Dakota; Link was a part of Seth Bullock’s “Cowboy Brigade” that rode in Teddy Roosevelt’s inauguration parade.