It’s been almost 120 years since the affable, odd-looking pioneer vanished, and locals are still spinning theories about what might have happened.

The most popular theory, then and now, is that he was a victim of the last round of the Oregon range wars — the Crook County Sheepshooters outbreak of 1896-1906....

Whatever happened, it seems to have left no trace of the stockman. He took with him only his horse, his saddle, and (some sources say) a gun. He left behind 800 acres of good ranch land, roughly 3,000 head of sheep, about 60 cattle, 14,000 pounds of wool in the barn ready to be shipped to market — and lots of very puzzled friends. A $1,000 reward was promptly offered for anyone who could find him or his body. No one ever claimed it.