Three HSC cowboys join hall of fame

Stanley ‘Henry’ Pennoyer, Charles ‘Charlie’ Shaffer and John Norman Wallingford of Hot Springs County were honored posthumously during the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame last weekend.

Stanley Pennoyer

Born on the family sheep ranch in Crowheart, Stanley “Henry” Pennoyer attended schools in Crowheart and Lander. As a young man he worked on the family ranch and other dude ranches in the Dubois area. In 1939, at the age of 21, he struck out on his saddle horse with a pack horse and a few head of cattle from Crowheart, crossing Blonde Pass to the North Fork of Owl Creek in Hot Springs County. He worked as a cowboy in the area until he leased, then later bought, the Beaver Place from Del Beaver.

He briefly served stateside in the military in the Cavalry division, honorably discharged in 1945.

Stanley and LaVonne married Sept. 16, 1950 in Worland and continued ranching on Owl Creek until they purchased their own ranch. Growing his herd with each piece of property he bought, he was living the life he had dreamed of when he left home.

In the early 1950s Stanley and LaVonne started a family-operated big game outfitting business, Pennoyer Outfitting. He was also one of the original founding members of the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association.

Charlie Shaffer

Born in Illinois in 1882, Charlie Shaffer came with his family to Nebraska, Colorado and then to a ranch on Beaver Creek at Hailey, Wyo., near present day Lander. Though only boys, Charlie and his brother Joe, riding bareback, drove some of the horses and milk cows, as their mother drove the team and wagon into Wyoming Territory, arriving shortly before Wyoming was declared a state in July, 1980.

His dad and older brothers drove the main herd of cattle and horses onto their Yellowstone Ranch, where they lived and prospered for 11 years.

The family returned to Colorado, but after his marriage Charlie and wife Nancy came to the Thermopolis area, where they homesteaded on Cottonwood Creek. They later purchased the Virgil Rice place on lower Owl Creek.

Charlie made his living using horses. He was well known for the lare wild horse round ups that were brought to the ranch on Owl Creek, sometimes taking two to three days sorting and working the horses each year. He was a master teamster, often hiring out his teams and helping neighbors.

John Norman Wallingford

John Norman Wallingford was born in Hot Springs County at a midwife home on Owl Creek to Jack and Viola Wallingford. At a young age he started cowboying for Bill and Sadie Nicholson on Copper Mountain.

Attending school in Thermopolis, he was a charter member of the Thermopolis FFA Chapter and graduated high school in 1942. He served in World War II as a Staff Sergeant in the Army until 1945. Upon his return from the war he went back to cowboying, which in turn inspired him to purchase his own herd of cattle.

Norman married Patricia McCabe in 1948, together they raised their three children (Kathy, Connie and Doug) on Copper Mountain. Raising and training registered foundation quarter horses was something Norman truly treasured, the bloodline tracing back to Texas Blue Bonnet. His son and daughter-in-law have continued the breeding program today.