By Heather Blanton
The life of Ellen Watson, aka Cattle Kate, was defined for us by greedy cattle barons, and dutifully reported by a cowardly, boot-licking press. According to these men, Ellen was a prostitute, a cattle thief, and a fornicator. She traded sex for cows and had no compunctions about doing a little cattle rustling on the side.
All that was a smear campaign to protect the cattle barons.
So, what was the truth about Ellen Watson? For one thing, she was a woman with a brain in her head and a fire in her eye.
At 18, Ellen married an abusive drunk who beat her with a horse whip. She put it up with it for a couple of years, then left the loser and filed for divorce. Truly a rare thing in 1883. Strong-willed and stubborn, she moved away to escape the ex. Life took her from Nebraska, to Denver, to, finally, fatefully, Wyoming. She made her living alternately as a seamstress and cook. There is no evidence she ever worked as a prostitute at any time in her life. She did drink, smoke, and cuss, though.
She met Jim Averill while she was cooking at the Rawlins House. Jim had a road ranch on his homestead, catering to travelers and cowboys. Ellen worked as his cook and was paid for her time. She eventually bought her own land—adjacent to Jim’s—started her own ranch and acquired her own legally registered brand. All while she and Jim were courting.
The couple applied for a marriage license in 1886, but never filed it. Homesteads were limited in size per family so it would have been to their benefit to keep the marriage a secret. Ellen also took in two young boys who came from abusive homes and they, in turn, worked her ranch.
Ellen’s independent ways brought her into direct conflict with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and a neighboring rancher named Bothwell. Still big on the open range way of ranching, he despised Ellen and Jim’s piddly ranches. For nearly two years, Bothwell saw to it that the couple were threatened, harassed, and watched incessantly by riders from the WSGA.
Not interested in kowtowing to the cattle barons, Jim wrote fiery letters to the newspapers, decrying the men’s greed and tyranny. Ellen just kept on ranching, and to the devil with anyone who didn’t like it. Eventually, Bothwell ran out of patience.
On July 20, 1889, Ellen and Jim were accused of rustling cattle from his ranch. He and some his riders took the couple to a gulch and hung them from a stunted pine, not more than two feet off the ground. Witnesses said Jim begged for mercy, but Ellen went down cussing and swinging.
At the time of her death, 28-year-old Ellen had 41 head of cattle, a little over 300 acres, and a tenacious fighting
spirit that burnt bright right up to the last second of her life. If there is any justice here, it is that we remember her to this day, not the cowards who hung her.
My book, Grace be a Lady, is set during the Johnson County War, in the aftermath of Ellen’s murder. I’ll give two winners paperback versions of the book. Just comment on Ellen and tell me what you think of her life and death. Was she a heroine or a fool? Did she bring this on herself? Should she have sold out and left Wyoming?
Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for one of the 2 print copies of Grace be a Lady.
Buy Grace be a Lady on Amazon.
Find Heather online at Heather Blanton
Back then people took things into their own hand. A lot like vigilantes do today. I believe in fair justice before being prosecution. Because not everyone is a bad person. Do I agree with the justice back then. No. But I wasn’t there. So who knows what people were thinking.
It’s funny but I see how the media was so much a part of drumming up the whole tense situation. The more things change…
Thanks for reading!
I’ve got a book about Cattle Kate in my too be read pile right now.
Oh, mind sharing which one?
She was NO fool that I can read. Sad her life ended so young.
I know. That’s how I feel. At 28, you’re just BEGINNING to get some smarts.
Ellen was not a fool. Men are threatened by a capable woman
Isn’t that the truth? The more insecure and wealthy they are, the threatened they are.
Probably a little of both. In that time selling would have been a good idea.
Yeah. She was a little outnumbered and outgunned.
I think she was a heroine. The men who hung them were the cowards and bullies. They knew they were in the wrong, but wanted what they wanted when they wanted it, and didn’t care who got in the way. Back then, most men wouldn’t have gone along with killing a woman, as the weren’t that many women around, so this shows just how awful these men were.
They were absolutely awful. I hate it so much that they were never punished.
Back then a lady who did anything a man did was not looked favorably upon. I think she tried standing up for herself and just wanted to live life. It’s the same old theme today – people with more money squash those lesser than them but who have more ethic than them, it seems. Such a sad ending to her but if we keep the lesson alive – and remember her then she didn’t die in vain.
While no one ever faced justice for the murder, when the Johnson County War finally came to a head, all but one of the cattle baron’s RAN from WY. Some justice there, I suppose.
I think she was a strong woman. She was able to run a ranch on her own at a time when that was almost unheard of. Women had to be strong to survive in the west. Too bad she was the victim of vigilante “justice”.
Yeah. Funny how that word gets tossed around. I’m still steamed about her murder.
Being strong willed is necessary but many see this trait as something to fight. She was amazing but ahead of her time too.
And not wise enough, I think, to understand the gravity of her situation. My daddy always told me, “You start something with someone, be ready to finish it.” I don’t think she was.
What a sad ending to such a brave woman. Determined and perhaps unaware of the consequences.
Exactly. She wasn’t ready for the fight she picked.
She was a true hero she stood up for herself to the end. Wish her hangers were brought to justice.
Sadly, they never were.
She sounds like a heroine who learned how to live life on her terms after surviving an abusive marriage.
I know. Bless her heart, she was one tough cookie.
Welcome back to P&P, Heather!
I’ve long heard of Cattle Kate throughout my researching, and you did a great job of summarizing her life. I probably would have wimped out and caved to the men who harassed her so strongly. The constant fight had to have been exhausting. She had a lot going against her, and what a shame she died so young! She likely would’ve been very successful as a cattle baroness.
Thanks, Pam! I think if she’d had a little less fire and a little more wisdom, her life might have had a different outcome. She picked a fight with a bull and she wasn’t ready for the horns.
Oh, I love that analogy! LOL!
Heather, welcome back. I’ve heard of Cattle Kate for many years but never knew really knew her story. That’s very sad and a tragedy she died so young. I think she had a good heart and I love her fighting spirit. She didn’t take the easy way out and stood up for what she felt was right. Enjoy your stay. Wishing you much success with your books!
Hey, Linda. I, too, think she had a big heart. And a big mouth. Not necessarily a bad thing when it’s grouped with a big brain. I think Ellen was quick to pick a fight but not ready for the consequences.
I think she was a hero for standing her ground – a very tough and fatal decision for the time – nowadays though we can all say that there is a situation where we feel ourselves threatened in the same way!
Yep. Many of us feel there is a battle brewing with some very powerful people and they have the media in their pockets. Sounds a lot like the Johnson County War.
Hi Heather, I think she was a heroine and she stood up for what was righteously hers and she fought for it until the end, she did not give up. Your book sounds like a great read! We need more heroines like her. I love the book cover it is Beautiful, thank you for sharing this story. We women need to be stronger and not put up with what is not right. I think she was a very strong and brave woman.
And all my heroines are written from that perspective. Strong, sturdy women with grit built this country. I don’t intend to let them be forgotten.
I believe she was a heroine but I don’t think she thought of herself as one. She was strong and I’m so glad she got away from her first husband and found Jim. It’s so sad how they died and I wonder what happened to the two boys and to their land.
Thank you for sharing this because I’ve never heard of her and I’m glad I know her now.
One of the boys “went missing” before the trial. And if I’m not mistaken, so did the other one. And one witness was killed. The cattle barons never intended to let this murder go to trial. What a miscarriage of justice.
That’s terrible! I can see where her attitude may have brought on some of the bad attentions of the cattle ranchers, but I know from reading other things it wasn’t uncommon for there to be a lot of hatred among one another since they were essentially all trying to have the same outcome for their ranches. I’m glad her story is remembered.
It’s the same old story. The little business guy goes up against all the big business guys and usually loses. There was very little justice in any of the Johnson County murders. It’s a real lesson for today.
I think she was a strong woman. So determined to make it on her own. She would not give in to abuse! Even though life was difficult, she wanted to be free and live it fully. Very sad that she suffered such a horrendous death at such a young age. Greed gets in the way for so many people. Thank you for sharing this blog about her life.
Thank you for caring about, Ellen. She may be gone, but she is not forgotten.
Horrible the way her life ended. She was a strong young woman with enough gumption to leave an abusive husband, which, as I understand, so many young women won’t even do today, after all the knowledge we have about those kind of people. They don’t change without a true life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Even then, they need to be alone with Him for a while in my opinion to let Him do a good work in their hearts and minds. Then, she got up there and had a pretty good life going except for some more abusive men. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I know it’s not very Christian to say, but she wasn’t ready for the fight they were bringing. She needed to have ambushed them with guns before they got her and Jim with ropes. But, she was so young and inexperienced with life.
Yes, she had no idea of the hornets nest she poked. Inexperience will get you in that kind of mess. So sad.
I believe they were both victims of greed. It would be interesting to see what happened to her land and cattle.
Sadly, Bothwell (the bad guy) got it. But he was forced in time to leave WY.
welcome today Heather. What an interesting post. She stood up for what she believed. And I for one admire her for that. Sounds like this cattle baron was afraid of her. I have read Grace Be A Lady My cover is different than the pretty one above.
Bless your heart, you have the first edition! Thank you!
She was no fool and didn’t bring it on herself. Men jealous of her success without the help of a man. Rich greedy men will do anything to stay rich & greedy.
Well and succinctly put. Greed.
She was a lady before her time. She did not take anything from anyone. At that time, men found that behavior threatening. I would have liked to meet her. I am sure she would have a lot of stories to tell. Thank you for sharing.
She was known to use coarse language and smoke a cigar. Yeah, I think she was handful. But what stories!
Cattle Kate is my kind of heroine! Heather, Thank you for sharing this fascinating post!
Thank you for reading. Yeah, she was firecracker!
She was no fool for sure. She went after what she wanted in life, and didn’t care what people thought of her. She was my kind of heroine. Thanks for sharing.
You can see why I liked her. One day I may write her story.
She was a brave woman, willing to fight for her rights. No fool could accomplish what she did!
Amen to that, sister!
Women were so often considered weak and dependent. When they weren’t, they were attacked and charged with being something they weren’t. Most often it was being a prostitute, other times it would be a thief or gold dogger. I firmly believe many men couldn’t, and still can’t, deal with a strong, successful woman. Their control is threatened. Whether or not she was a prostitute really doesn’t matter. She was a strong, hard working woman who deserved respect and to keep what she worked so hard for.
She definitely did. It riles me to this day the miscarriage of justice done to her!
I’ve never heard about any of this! Crazy story! I’m thankful things have changed! Thanks for telling us!
Sadly, while women are treated better in general, going up against a big, greedy tyrant will always be a gamble.