“Oh give me land, lots of land under starry skies above, Don’t fence me in.”

‘Don’t Fence Me In’ has been performed by Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson and others. This song was written by Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher in 1934 following a half-century of violent clashes known as range or sheep wars.

Cattlemen and sheep men fiercely fought over public lands, grazing rights, fences, and water in the West. The statistics are grim: 120 recorded armed conflicts, over 50...