Robert Mills Grant

Robert Mills Grant, known as Bob Grant (December 30, 1926 – March 1, 2012), was a third-generation rancher from Platte County in southern Wyoming and from 1983 to 1992 a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives.

Background Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Grant was a lifelong resident of nearby Wheatland, the only son among the three children born to Duncan Paul Grant and the former Mary Coquella (née Greenlee) on the then third-generation Grant Ranch in the Richeau Hills.

Biography As a child, Robert Mills Grant rode his horse, Snowball, to school on the nearby CMD Ranch on Richeau Creek. He later attended a school constructed on the Grant Ranch but completed high school in 1944 in Wheatland. With his parents, he ran a cow/calf operation on the then third-generation ranch. Established in 1884, the Grant Ranch is among the oldest continuous grazing operations in Wyoming.

In 1976, Grant lost his first race for a seat in the state House of Representatives to Democrat Douglas K. Bryant of Wheatland but was elected in 1982. He served five two-year terms in the House and bowed out in 1992 when Platte County was reduced to a single seat in the lower legislative chamber. Particularly known for issues related to livestock branding, Grant was chairman of the House Brand and Theft Committee and once declared, "Brand law in Wyoming is the best in the West."

Death and legacy Grant died of a brief illness at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Memorial services were held at the Wheatland 4-H Building. The Grant Ranch remains a pasture for grazing leaseholders. It was listed in 1995 on the National Register of Historic Places.