Count Otto Franc von Lichtenstein (1846–November 30, 1903) was a cattle baron,

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

and

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

in the

Big Horn Basin The Bighorn Basin is a plateau region and intermontane basin, approximately 100 miles (160 km) wide, in north-central Wyoming in the United States. It is bounded by the Absaroka Range on the west, the Pryor Mountains on the north, the Bighor ...

region of the U.S. state of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. Franc was born in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

as a member of the German nobility. He emigrated to the United States in 1866. After visiting the Big Horn Basin area on a hunting trip in 1877–1878 with

Texas Jack Omohundro John Baker Omohundro (July 27, 1846 – June 28, 1880), also known as "Texas Jack", was an American frontier scout, actor, and cowboy. Born in rural Virginia, he served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He late ...

, he returned the following year and established the Pitchfork Ranch on the upper

Greybull River The Greybull River is a tributary of the Big Horn River, approximately long in northern Wyoming in the United States. The river was reportedly named for a white buffalo that had been seen on its banks. Native Americans consider the appearance ...

, near the present-day town of Meeteetse. Over the next few decades, he became a powerful cattle baron and political figure in the area. In 1893, Franc had renowned outlaw

Butch Cassidy Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West. Parker engaged in crimina ...

and his friend Al Hainer arrested for stealing three horses, The two asserted they had bought them legally, though legal paperwork was never presented. Cassidy was convicted and Hainer was acquitted, possibly because he had made a deal with Franc to sell out his friend. Cassidy was pardoned by governor William A. Richards in 1896, but the time he spent in the

Wyoming State Penitentiary The Wyoming State Penitentiary is a historic and current prison in Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming, which has operated from 1901. It moved within Rawlins to a new location in 1981. In 2018, it is a Wyoming Department of Corrections state maximu ...

convinced him to become a full-time outlaw, and he formed the Wild Bunch shortly after his release.''Our Boy Butch''
Points West Online Franc was suspected to be an active member of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, and is believed to have bankrolled part of the Johnson County War, a conflict between small cattle owners and large wealthy cattle outfits in 1892. Franc died from a gunshot on November 30, 1903, under still mysterious circumstances. Local newspapers reported that his double-barrel shotgun accidentally discharged while Franc was crawling under a fence on his property. The Pitchfork Ranch remains active and is known for its wildlife conservation efforts. In 1981, a colony of black-footed ferrets, an animal previously thought to be extinct, was discovered on the ranch.

Namesakes

Otto, Wyoming Otto is an unincorporated community in Big Horn County in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It was named for Otto Franc, a local cattle baron who ranched in the Big Horn Basin. The community is located near the Greybull River on Wyoming Highway 30 bet ...

– A small Wyoming community along the

* Francs Peak – The highest point in the Absaroka Mountains

References

External links

Pitchfork Ranch History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franc, Otto 1846 births 1903 deaths American cattlemen People from Park County, Wyoming People of the American Old West