Western African American Outlaw and Rancher. He was born a slave and his original name was Ned Huddleston. After Emancipation, he went west to Texas and began stealing Mexican horses and brought them across the Rio Grande for sale. In 1875 he moved to northwest Colorado and became involved in gambling and fights. After brushes with the law, he took work as a bronco buster. Although a great horseman, he could not stay straight and was involved in cattle rustling with The Tip Gualt Gang. At that point, he changed his name to Isom Dart and tried to go straight by buying his own ranch. In 1899 during the Brown’s Park range war between the Two-Bar Ranch Cattle Company and area ranchers he took up with elements from the Bassett Ranch. Ann Bassett who ran the Bassett Ranch was known to be a cattle rustler and have association with outlaws in the Brown’s region. It was at this time that the cattle company hired Tom Horn as a range detective to suppress cattle rustling and threaten the smaller ranches. In July of 1900 Isom Dart received a note specifying that he and certain ranchers must leave the area. However, this was home and he decided to stay. On the morning of October 3, as he walked out of his Routt County cabin Tom Horn shot him down dead.
Western African American Outlaw and Rancher. He was born a slave and his original name was Ned Huddleston. After Emancipation, he went west to Texas and began stealing Mexican horses and brought them across the Rio Grande for sale. In 1875 he moved to northwest Colorado and became involved in gambling and fights. After brushes with the law, he took work as a bronco buster. Although a great horseman, he could not stay straight and was involved in cattle rustling with The Tip Gualt Gang. At that point, he changed his name to Isom Dart and tried to go straight by buying his own ranch. In 1899 during the Brown’s Park range war between the Two-Bar Ranch Cattle Company and area ranchers he took up with elements from the Bassett Ranch. Ann Bassett who ran the Bassett Ranch was known to be a cattle rustler and have association with outlaws in the Brown’s region. It was at this time that the cattle company hired Tom Horn as a range detective to suppress cattle rustling and threaten the smaller ranches. In July of 1900 Isom Dart received a note specifying that he and certain ranchers must leave the area. However, this was home and he decided to stay. On the morning of October 3, as he walked out of his Routt County cabin Tom Horn shot him down dead.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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