Legendary Billings Livestock Commission: A Century of Cattle Trading in The American West
That year, the Wolff Brothers left Denver, Colorado, and teamed up with Arthur “Art” Langman in Billings, Montana. What started as a horse and mule auction soon expanded to include cattle, creating one of the most influential livestock markets in the region.
Located on First Avenue North, the Wolff-Langman Partnership leased facilities from the Northern Pacific Railroad and built a thriving marketplace. With additional locations in Great Falls and Miles City, the BLS became the hub for cattle trading in the West. Auctioneer Norman G. Warsinske and cattle buyer Lyle Devine played a key role in developing a livestock merchandising empire that set a high bar for the industry.
As the years passed, Art Langman’s son, A.J. “Jerry” Langman, and Ralph Cunningham carried on the BLS tradition, with the help of fieldman Conrad Burns—who later became a U.S. Senator for Montana. In the late 1970s, Jerry’s son, Scott Langman, took over as the third-generation operator, eventually moving the business to its current location on the North Frontage Road, east of Billings.
By 1984, the business changed hands when Scott sold it to Patrick K. Goggins, who later passed it on to Jack McGuinness. For 16 years, McGuinness continued the legacy before Goggins repurchased BLS in 2003 and completely revamped the facility, modernizing it for a new era of ranchers and buyers.
Today, BLS remains a powerhouse in the cattle industry, holding weekly auctions every Thursday and transforming into the “Horse Selling Capital of Western America” every fourth weekend. The stockyard also hosts the Northern Livestock Video Auction, connecting sellers to international buyers. As one of the oldest continuous livestock auctions in the country, BLS stands as a proud testament to the vision and determination of its pioneering founders.
