CASPER, WY – The Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (WCHF) has selected 23 inductees for the Class of 2025. The WCHF State Board of Directors voted on the nominees from across the state during its annual meeting April 26.
Regional committees in ten different areas of Wyoming researched and scored over 50 nominations and sent the top picks to the WCHF State Board of Directors. The State Board also selected several nominees.
Dave Graham, Moorcroft, is among inductees chosen for Region 1, alongside Earl “Tut” Camblin of Gillette and Samuel “Sammy” Everett Sewell, Newcastle, as well as Niobrara County’s A.D. Flores Kruse of Lusk from Region Two.
DAVID GRAHAM
Graham was nominated by his granddaughter, Delcy Bayles, who said that he, “Has spent his whole life in the saddle managing herds of cattle, sometimes even sheep, and has gained the term ‘a true stockman’ from those that know him best.”
Graham was born and raised on the family ranch near Moorcroft and has been on horseback since the moment he could sit a saddle. He started many of the young horses his father would bring home and the colts they raised, working alongside his dad and brother every day to fix fences, put up hay, feed and trail cattle and brand.
He began working at the Shipwheel Ranch in 1973, and then took the chance to run his own herd. Along with his family, he moved back to the family ranch in 1981.
“Dave Graham is a very honest, respected, and humble man that has spent his entire life riding for the brand. Many refer to Dave as a stockman as he has spent a lifetime learning how to better himself to better his herds,” Bayles wrote in her nomination.
“He is the one who is asked to stay on horseback to sort cattle, asked to cut calves at branding; as this is a polished skill of his, is quizzed about bloodlines in horses and cattle, is skilled with a rope and many look up to him in all aspects of being a cowboy.”
As well as teaching his skills to his two sons, Graham has volunteered to shear sheep for 4-H kids, supports the local FFA chapter and Crook County Youth Rodeos, is a volunteer firefighter, became president of the Young Farmers in the 1970s, sat on the Crook County Predator Board in the 1980s and was on the Wyoming Agricultural Board from 2004-2008.
“Dave Graham is a true cowboy and stockman, who has ridden for the brand every day, and one future generations look up to. He has stood the test of time, endured the hard times, celebrated the good, and has maintained a lifestyle of the working cowboy,” Bayles wrote.
EDWIN EARL “CAM” CAMBLIN
There’s nothing like a fast horse to turn a young feller’s head, and way back in 1887 it was fast horses that lured 10-year-old Cam Camblin from Southeast Nebraska to Kansas. A quick, fearless, willing, and capable lad can be mighty handy around a racetrack so Cam had no trouble finding a home there for a few years. By the time he drifted to Wyoming Cam’s five-year tenure at the tracks had made a man of him, as well as a savvy horseman.
Gunmen were being imported to Wyoming by wealthy, powerful stockmen, and war simmered on the horizon. That one of the most powerful of these men, W. C. Irvine, should hire a young teenage boy for his personal bodyguard tells us a lot about the lad Cam Camblin. Along with being his bodyguard, Cam also cowboyed for Irvine, and stayed with the outfit for eight years.
The Keeline Brothers (who headquartered at the 4J Ranch and ran hundreds of horses and over 30,000 each of cows and sheep) quickly hired him to break horses and cowboy. That’s where Cam was privileged to work alongside and learn from the legendary Mexican John, summering with him at the Hoe Creek Camp on Hoe Springs southwest of Gillette and wintering further north on Barber Creek during his six year tenure with Keeline’s.
Cam figured 1906 was a good year to go into business for himself, utilizing his teamster expertise to fill a major need by freighting between ranches and small communities. He cooked for roundup outfits and also took younger brother Tut under his wing with the freighting and other draft horse work, and when a railroad spur came through from Casper heading for Forsyth, Montana, the boys and their teams were needed – at good wages.
In October of 1913 Cam married Christina Zigler, who had taken over a bunch of horses and some cows along with raising a bunch of younger siblings after her parents died. The ranch and the horses flourished, with Cam constantly improving the herd with new blood. The Camblin outfit was further enlarged by eight kids. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, so Cam supplemented their horse sales income by continuing to freight at times. His cowboy prowess was also widely known so it was not unusual for big ranchers and roundup outfits to hire him on for some of the tougher jobs.
Cam remembered top hand and Keeline Ranch foreman George Amos sending for him one time when several roundups met near Greasewood Lake on the Belle Fourche River. Around 14,000 head needed to be sorted, and Amos already knew Cam’s skill working herd and reading brands. Only the two of them would be in the herd to cut. Cam saddled his gelding Kid, the best cutting horse he ever owned, and George rode his favorite gray Snowball. After that long day in the saddle, (Cam had ridden 15 miles from home to the roundup site and home again in addition to sorting all the cattle) when he returned home he fed Kid a double portion of oats and then retired the good horse.
He sure didn’t cut himself that kind of slack – later accepting the huge responsibility of Keeline Brothers’ final roundup during which the Pumpkin Buttes served as a pivot point with all Keeline cattle found ranging northward trailed to Ucross to ship; all grazing to the east trailed to Moorcroft and shipped there; those cattle ranging south of the Buttes went to the Orpha railhead near Douglas; and all cattle found west of the Buttes were trailed to the Powder River shipping point. It was a high honor that Keeline Brothers trusted that massive gather to Cam; and possibly an even greater honor that hands like George Amos and Mexican John had recommended him. Cam collected $2 for each bull and $1 for each cow he shipped for Keeline during that work, which bought a lot of groceries and winter feed.
When Keelines loaded Cam into a railroad caboose and sent him to the Chicago Stockyards with their yearly shipment of steers he respected their trust to the extent of putting the cash in a suitcase, then handcuffing it to his wrist! He said he kept the suitcase on his lap with his other pistol-packing hand on top of the suitcase the entire trip, knowing that was “more money than most would ever see in a lifetime.”
Along with being a consummate cowboy and horseman, this Hall of Fame cowboy had a unique perception of Wyoming ranching because he’d experienced both sides of the controversial fence – big landowner and small cattle owner. He worked for, rode alongside of, and was respected by many of the most influential men in the ranching history of Wyoming Territory and Wyoming.
A.D. FLORES KRUSE
A.D. Flores Kruse was born on the family ranch in Niobrara County north of Lance Creek, Wyoming, on March 7, 1918. He was the only child of William H. (Bill) Kruse and Jennie Linn Flores Kruse. A.D. attended school in Lance Creek through the tenth grade and then graduated from Lusk High School in 1936. He was on the boxing team while attending Lusk High School.
A.D. attended the University of Wyoming, working as a janitor to pay his way through, and graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. He then took a position with the Farmer’s Home Administration in Gillette and Lander before being drafted into the Army.
A.D. received an Officer’s Candidate School commission as a Second Lieutenant. He was assigned to Company A 133rd D Engineer Combat Battalion and was sent to England to prepare for the invasion of Europe. He was trained to deactivate mines and boobytraps; he liked that job because it took absolute concentration and would tolerate no mistakes. A.D. landed on Normandy Beach D+72 hours and his unit immediately began clearing road mines so General George Patton’s tanks could spearhead the attack. He fought through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Ardennes, clearing mines and building bridges and roads in advance of the armor. He was wounded while directing a river crossing and carried the shrapnel in his hip and thigh the rest of his life.
For his efforts he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with an oakleaf cluster for heroic achievement, Purple Heart, European Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and recently the French awarded him a Thank You America certificate. He was discharged as a Captain.
After discharge, he opened a Soil Conservation Service office in Dubois. He then courted and married Hazel May Rowse from Riverton, on Nov. 25, 1946. They moved back to the ranch after Katherine was born in 1948. They went on to have two sons, James and Paul.
In 1952 A.D. was elected as GOP precinct committeeman, an office he held until 1996. A.D. was the longest-tenured committeeman in Wyoming. He served on the Niobrara County school board, Niobrara County Conservation Board, and was a 4-H Leader. A.D. and his family were selected for a 4-H Meritorious Service Award in 1977. He was a member of the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association for 40 years, and a longtime member of their executive committee.
He loved his family, horses, Hereford cattle, and visiting family and friends. A.D. always valued education, and his children and grandchildren have earned a total of eleven college degrees, including a Master’s and two Doctorate’s degrees.
He passed away November 2, 2006.
SAMUAL “SAMMY” EVERETT SEWELL
Sammy was born August 10, 1933 the son of Tillie (Bock) and George Sewell at the Bocker Place on Skull Creek (Weston County) Wyoming.
He attended grade school in Osage and high school in Newcastle.
He participated in rodeos from 1949 to 1954 in mostly bareback riding, bulldogging and calf roping. In 1951, he won bulldogging in Sulfur, LA. In 1953-54, Sammy and brother Porky, travelled to rodeos in a yellow/black top car with a matching horse trailer. In the 1950’s, Sammy and Porky, and Jack Grieves went to Harrison, NE to the High School Rodeo; and they won everything.
Sammy did some flying in 1953-54, but never soloed.
On June 3, 1955, Sammy married Marie Oudin at the Methodist Church in Sundance, WY; the couple lived at the family ranch on Skull Creek out of Osage until 1973. In 1972 they purchased the Harry Sedgwick Ranch on Highway 450 and moved to the ranch in February, 1973.
He belonged to the First United Methodist Church in Newcastle, Mason’s, Shriners, Natural Resource Conservation, Inyan Kara Grazing Association, and was a 4-H leader for many years.
Formed for historical, cultural, literary, and educational purposes, WCHF’s chief goal is “To preserve, promote, perpetuate, publish and document Wyoming’s working cowboy and ranching history through researching, profiling and honoring individuals who broke the first trails and introduced that culture to this state. WCHF plans to collect, display and preserve the stories, photos and artifacts of such individuals and anything else that will honor and highlight their contributions to our history.”
The 12th Annual induction ceremony will be at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper, Sept. 26 and 27. It is open to the public.
WCHF Class of 2025:
Region 1
- Campbell County – Earl “Tut” Camblin, Gillette
- Crook County – Dave Graham, Moorcroft
- Weston County – Samuel “Sammy” Everett Sewell, Newcastle
Region 2
- Niobrara County – A.D. Flores Kruse, Lusk
Region 3
- Albany County – Jerry Martin Kennedy, Rock River
- Laramie County – Angus McPhee, Cheyenne
Region 4
- Converse County – Lee Moore, Douglas
Region 5
- Johnson County – Wayne Graves, Kaycee; and Sonny Jarrard, Kaycee
- Sheridan County – Dave Clarendon, Banner
Region 6
- Washakie County – Eldon Leithead, Worland
- Big Horn County – Kay Bischoff Hopkin, Lovell
Region 7
- Carbon County – James Felix Johnson, Encampment
- Sweetwater County – Orson Nathan Behunin & Christena Isabela Stagowski Behunin, Burntfork
Region 8
- Fremont County – Jack C. Malmberg, Lander; and John P. Finley, Dubois
- Hot Springs County – Frank J. Rhodes, Cody
Region 9 – None
Region 10
- Sublette County – Gerry Dean Endecott, Pinedale; Martin Wardell, Big Piney; Garland Swain, Pinedale; Jesse Earl Chase, Big Piney; and Luke Algeroy Osterhout, Big Piney
- Teton County – Chris Feuz Young, Moran
